Check out the new trailer for SUPER 8!

Man…this film looks all kinds of awesome.  From the Amblin logo at the beginning to the feeling throughout the trailer, JJ Abrams is clearly going for geek nostalgia with his newest directorial effort, Super 8.  I can see all kinds of 80′s Spielberg, Donner, and Howard influence throughout the trailer…and that’s a good thing.  I love the films that Super 8 is clearly influenced by – flicks like E.T. (though, honestly, that film bores the hell out of me), Close Encounters, Goonies…heck, even The Monster Squad.  The problem with a lot of films that feature kids as the leads nowadays is that they’re too wrapped up in trying to please a tween audience, and stray from the type of fun stuff that I grew up with – films that were just on the edge of too scary for their core audience, with wonder and a dash of horror mixed in all at the same time.  Looks like Abrams is missing that kind of flick too.

Super 8 is due out June 10, 2011.

Written on March 14th, 2011 , Action Adventure, Fantasy, Movies & TV Tags:
Movie Review: Season of the Witch (2011)

Nicholas Cage is kind of going through a weird time right now.  I remember years ago when him being in a movie was a sign of the movie being at least some kind of quality.  Then, at some point, it turned into the realization that these films weren’t actually good…just guilty pleasures.  And then they became less pleasurable and, save for the National Treasure movies, Cage became kind of a joke, with his unusual hair pieces and his wacky roles and seeming inability to say no to a paycheck, regardless of the quality of movie.

January is typically a breeding ground for mediocre or awful movies, so it seems appropriate that the newest Cage vehicle, Season of the Witch, would be released in this month, given his history.  But is it better than you’ve heard?  Or another in a stream of bad Nic Cage flicks? Read the rest of this entry »

Written on January 17th, 2011 , Fantasy, Horror, Movies & TV
Madness at the Movies: Tron Legacy

Okay, full disclosure.

I just about wanted to kill myself watching the original Tron.

I couldn’t remember much about the original Tron, but was given an opportunity to see it a couple of days ago, and jumped at the chance, figuring that it could enhance my viewing of Tron: Legacy, which I’ve been dying to see.  See, fans of the original have been excited about Legacy for its continuing of the storyline – me, I was excited about it because it looked amazing.  I didn’t know much about the story and, to be honest, Marvel’s prequel comic to the movie just confused the hell out of me.

So I gave the first flick a shot and, while I admire what it was doing at the time, I also understand why ultimately the film is a cult hit and not one of those cherished classics, like Star Wars or Indiana Jones.  I mean, it’s quite an unexciting film.  Visually interesting, but storywise, it just didn’t cut it for me.  If anything, it actually hurt my motivation to see the sequel.  I understand that it has its audience, and I get it…I just couldn’t get into the movie.  Nonetheless, I was determined to see Tron Legacy on its opening weekend.  Did 28 years make a difference in storytelling technique?  Did the film live up to its awesome visuals? Read the rest of this entry »

Written on December 20th, 2010 , Action Adventure, Fantasy, Movies & TV, Science Fiction Tags: ,
Want to be an Executive Producer?

I’m debating this so bad…but I think that my desire to have my name pop up in the credits of a theatrically released movie will far surpass any power I give to my need to save money during the holiday season.  Full Moon Pictures, the company behind the Puppet Master and Gingerdead Man series, is offering the opportunity to be an Executive Producer on their next film, Evil Bong 3D: The Wrath of Bong, which will be released (in limited release) theatrically next year.

All you have to do is buy a $200 gift card to the Full Moon store.  You get the Executive Producer credit, a poster for the movie signed by the cast, and your $200 gift card automatically resets every year for the next two years…so you actually get $600 in merchandise.

More details after jump! Read the rest of this entry »

Written on December 15th, 2010 , Comedy, Fantasy, Movies & TV Tags: ,
Primeval Returns on January 1st, 2011!

Now this is some damn exciting news.

Primeval, the BBC series featuring rifts in time that allow both dinosaurs and futuristic monsters to invade modern-day England has been pretty stellar from day one.  As the series progressed, we saw major changed to status quo including the deaths and betrayals of almost the entire main cast, and a change in the past that forever altered the present day.  It’s been a well written show with a ton of great action and fun…of course, that is, until it got canceled at the end of season 3, which ended on a cliffhanger.

Of course, there was fan outcry about the beloved series ending, so BBC America teamed up to co-fund the series with BBC UK, ITV, and ProSieben to bring the series back for two seasons, premiering simultaneously on BBC UK and BBC America starting on January 1st!  Check out the full press release after the jump! Read the rest of this entry »

Written on December 6th, 2010 , Fantasy, Movies & TV, Science Fiction, Television
Madness at the Movies: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part 1

The end of a beloved saga is always going to divide fans.  Revenge of the Sith (and even Return of the Jedi) have hardcore fans, and hardcore detractors.  So do the final Pirates of the Caribbean series, and The Matrix films, amongst many others.  It’s just impossible to please everybody.

The final Harry Potter novel is almost universally adored and the filmmakers decided that, rather than being willing to sacrifice any important story beats, it would be better to split the story into two movies, which makes Harry Potter the Deathly Hollows, Part 1 primarily build up to the eventual big battle between the forces of good and evil.  Read the rest of this entry »

Written on November 22nd, 2010 , Action Adventure, Fantasy, Movies & TV Tags: ,
Madness at the Movies: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

popThis week, Jake Gyllenhall and Gemma Arterton take to the big screens in the big-budget Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, based on the best-selling game of the same name.  Perhaps the biggest obstacle that our heroes face isn’t the villains of the film, but rather Sex and City 2, also opening this weekend and sure to provide lofty competition.

But is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time worth the trek out to the theater?  Video game movies have had a wildly uneven history, with most falling on the side of pure drivel.  However, with a powerhouse like Jerry Bruckheimer trying to create a new franchise along the lines of Pirates of the Caribbean, and talented director Mike Newell at the helm, surely it’s worth the price of admission, right?

Check out my full review after the jump!

Read the rest of this entry »

Written on May 29th, 2010 , Action Adventure, Fantasy, Games, Movies & TV, Video Games Tags:
Frank Frazetta (1928-2010)

This is just horrible, horrible news.  Legendary artist Frank Frazetta has passed away at the age of 82, as the result of a stroke.  Though fans hadn’t heard much from Frazetta in recent years, since strokes forced him to slow down on his art.  Still, the man overcame great obstacles, including previous strokes, and really is one of the most, if not the most, talented fantasy artist ever.

My dad is a huge fan of Frazetta, and raised me to appreciate his art.  Every painting he did was iconic, and his comic and movie poster work is as beautiful today as it was upon its initial release.  It’s a shame to lose such a legendary talent.

frank-frazetta-egyptian_queen

Written on May 10th, 2010 , Comics, Fantasy Tags:
Highlander: Can there be only one?
Whatever happened to this video game?

Whatever happened to this video game?

I don’t know a single card carrying geek that doesn’t profess to adore the original Highlander.  A film that is totally a product of its time (seriously, how would we feel about a movie that started with wrestling nowadays?) manages to hold a special place in our hearts that, really, is pretty miraculous, considering how fans were treated after the initial entry.

After our initial adventure with Connor MacLeod (of the clan MacLeod), his mentor Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez, and their immortal battle against the Kruger, we were treated to, or perhaps I should say punished by, CONSTANT disregard for established continuity; subpar quality tv, animation, video games, and films; and, as of right now, a complete radio silence on the entire franchise, since Justin Lin was announced as the director of the upcoming remake (not sure if that’s still true or not).

I mean, we’re talking about a franchise where some fans don’t even know a fifth film EXISTS (The Source), much less how godforsaken awful it was.  I mean, seriously, The Source may be one of the worst films I think I’ve ever seen.  And that’s from someone who’s seen Highlander 2, Highlander 3: The Final Dimension, and Highlander: Endgame.  Yeah…they all kinda sucked.  Out of the five Highlander films, I’d probably say my order of watchability would be….

  • Highlander
  • Highlander 3: The Final Dimension
  • Highlander: Endgame
  • Highlander 2
  • Highlander: The Source

I never was a fan of the TV series, as it seemed to kind of contradict the movie continuity, but I know some people swear by it.  Still, Duncan MacLeod was a pretty lame character in the two Highlander films he was in.

So it begs the question, why do we love a film franchise that is 4/5 crap?  Why would we even care about the series and, seriously, what could be done to fix something that’s more broken than working?  Read my thoughts after the jump…. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on April 28th, 2010 , Action Adventure, Fantasy, Movies & TV Tags:
Damn the gods! New Clash of the Titans trailer!

iom_moviesYa know, I’m still digging the look of Louis Letterrier’s Clash of the Titans.  I ‘ve liked his last two films (Unleashed and The Incredible Hulk), so I’ve got a lot of faith (ha) in the project.

But dammit … they need to lose that Trans-Siberian Orchestra sounding music.

Written on December 16th, 2009 , Fantasy, Movies & TV Tags:
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