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Showing posts from June, 2012

2012 Thus Far

As we draw nearer to the end of June and consequently the halfway point of the year, what better time to reflect upon some of the highlights of 2012 so far? The list is fairly commercial at this point, curse moving out of the city for summer! Not all of us were able to attend film festivals in Cannes or Sundance, so I cannot speak to what will deliver Oscars, but for moviegoer enjoyment you cannot look past these select films. Prometheus (You say tomato, I saw good sci-fi/horror) The Avengers (The Comic Books Gods delivered) The Grey (A film that captures emotion, visual flourishes and an ace performance from Mr. Neeson) John Carter (It may not have made a lot of money, but Andrew Stanton created the only real fantasy story of the year) Haywire (A genre exercise filled with capable actors) Cabin in the Woods (Horror with a genuine surprise and comic wit. Thanks again, Whedon!) Hunger Games  (Jennifer Lawrence shines again in the woods) Seeking A Friend for the End of

'The Sessions' Trailer Smells Oscar

Guys losing their virginity has been the backbone of countless Hollywood comedies, while the premise is the same, The Sessions  is radically different. John Hawkes  plays a man confined to an iron lung thanks to a long-ago battle with polio. At 38, he decides it’s time to lose his virginity, and he enlists a free-spirited priest (William H. Macy) and a professional sex surrogate ( Helen Hunt ) to help.

'12 Years A Slave' Poster Debuts

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Michael K. Williams, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti and Paul Dano. If that cast doesn't sell you on this movie, I don't know what will. Heroin?

The Greendale Seven Will Return

Online reports are indicating that, yes, all of the cast for NBC's Community  will be returning for its fourth season. Chevy Chase's return was in doubt after his much-noted blow-up with Dan Harmon, but apparently he is included on the list of cast members returning for the fall. While Harmon will not be the show runner next season, some sense of continuity will be retained in the cast.

New 'Dark Knight Rises' Banner Is Fiery

Most would look at the new banner for The Dark Knight Rises  and appreciate how good it looks. I, however, cannot help but wonder what Bane is thinking. My first guess is "job well done," either that, or "I hope I didn't leave the tank on the bridge."

For the Movie Fanatic In Your Family

Watching movies on my computer has proven to be difficult. The colors are not always right and the rigid placement of the screen leaves a lot to be desired. Fortunately, the people at Samsung have brought about this beauty: the Samsung Series 9 SB970 LED monitor. The video is a bit technical, but if you want the best product for watching movies on your computer, check it out. Each Series 9 SB970 monitor has been individually color calibrated—a meticulous process that only allowed Samsung to produce 50 units per day.  Due to the expert color calibrating process, your movies will display in true-to-life colors straight out of the box. The 27-inch monitor also comes fully equipped with 7 watt stereo speakers and wide quad high-definition display, which is 1.5 times better than HD screen quality. For your viewing convenience, it’s also adorned with an advanced PLS panel that gives you a 178 degree viewing angle and allows for all of your friends to watch a movie at the same t

The Vault: Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Charlie (Joseph Cotten) is going back to California to spend some time with his family and to get away from it all. Charlie could only be described as the black sheep of the Newman family; he has a shady past, although no one can quite place their finger on it. Despite his eccentricities, the Newmans welcome him back with open arms, and are surprised with the expensive and lavish gifts that he bestows upon them all. They find it delightful, and odd, but don't give a second thought to it. However, his niece (also named Charlie, played by Teresa Wright) notices that her uncle is acting strangely. If Charlie thought his behavior would discourage his niece, he thought wrong. Charlie (the niece) investigates an article in the library and puts together the horrible cache of secrets held by her uncle.  If hiding a dark secret from her family isn't burdensome enough, some survey-takers ask a great deal of questions about the newcomer to town. These questions predominantly lea

'The Campaign' Posters Promise To Be More American Than the Others

Trying to ignore the increasingly jingoistic era of modern politics? Well Jay Roach's The Campaign  hopes you reconsider. At the end of the day, you wouldn't ignores these puppies? Would you?

Review: Seeking A Friend for the End of the World

Second chances are a given in this modern age. If you don't like who you are, change. Looking at Charlie Sheen, that number of chances could easily be closer to thirty. The basis of some of the most popular series on television are all about second chances ( Breaking Bad and Mad Men ). It is never too late to start over. Well, in Dodge's case, not really. In less than three weeks the world will end when an asteroid collides with the Earth. Second chances are now our only chances. Life has not treated  Dodge (Steve Carell) terribly well: his wife couldn't run out on him fast enough when Asteroid Mathilda set sights on Earth, his father left him as a child, and now there is no time to reconcile what he has with what he wanted.  Penny (Keira Knightley) has had a similar experience. Her family views her as a "flake" and she has wasted most of her days with boyfriends on a lower spectrum. By sheer luck, she has the letter Dodge has been waiting for his entire life.

The Dark Knight Rises Attempts Impossible: Making Legislation Interesting

If any moviegoers were curious what the Mayor passed during the eight year period between The Dark Knight  and The Dark Knight Rises , they know now. Also, Batman bad, very very bad. (Courtesy: CBM )

Cruel Director Releases Another 'Dark Knight Rises' Trailer

Christopher Nolan has decided that fans aren't excited enough for The Dark Knight Rises —despite the fact that some IMAX showings are sold out through August —and another full-length trailer has been released.

New 'Master' Clip Is Hopelessly Inquisitve

With every new snippet of footage from Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master , the more excited I become by this film. Between this Django  and Killing Them Softly , The Weinstein Company is going to make a killing this fall/winter.

Play Journey to the Center of Hawthorne

Community  fans have not gotten a great deal of good news recently (Dan Harmon's firing, relocating to Friday night), but as thousands of children can tell you, 8-bit games make up for a lot.  Journey To The Center Of Hawthorne is now a reality . If that weren't enough to sate your geekiness, playable c haracters include Brittasaurus Rex and Constable Reggie. Top that, Sonic. However, the game is still in the demo stages, so take this knowledge with a grain of salt.

Where Your TDKR IMAX Showing Is

It is almost the release of the conclusion of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, do you know where your Imax theatre is?   There's sixty-plus theatres in the county so be sure that you're not getting a false experience. Check out The Geek Twins for the difference between real and fake IMAX .

Review: Where the Screams Began (Prometheus)

Space. A cold, empty vacuum where an incident occurred many millenniums ago. There are those who believe that human existence is nothing more than an isolated accident and those who feel that it was an act of a higher power. The primary offender of  Prometheus  is Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace). Shaw refuses to believe that this grand universe is empty and without purpose. In exploring space, she seeks comfort. Whatever the crew of Prometheus will find, it will reconstruct the currently held view of the universe. In leading a crew to explore a planet with signs of intelligent beings, Shaw will test her theory. Creation has been a running theme in the  Alien  franchise and one that is opened up for debate more in Ridley Scott's ventures than the other films. Offspring allows man to live on forever. What Scott proposes with  Alien  and  Prometheus  is that while immortality gleams with promise and answers soothe all wounds, some things are better left alone. This sentiment is echo

Listen to The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack

Getting closer and closer to the release for The Dark Knight Rises  and now there is a sample of Hans Zimmer's music for the film to tide us over. Quite a few tracks harken back to Batman Begins , perhaps not a coincidence given that the Dark Knight will come full-circle.

International 'Django' Trailer

For our European audiences more shooting, more Samuel L. Jackson.

Geekery at Las Vegas Licensing Expo

The annual Licensing Expo in Las Vegas is back again this year and big projects are on proud display ( Jurassic Park 3D, Iron Man 3 , A Good Day to Die Hard ). Hit the link below for pics. It wasn't just banners, posters, and standees, costuming from Man of Steel  was available as well. Particularly, the Jor-El suit that Russell Crowe will be wearing for the film. Enjoy! (Courtesy: Coming Soon )

How to Be a Cinephile

The folks over at Awards Daily  have compiled a list of required viewing for burgeoning cinephiles. The truth of it is becoming a cinephile is usually a complete fluke and maybe nothing more than a genetic accident. Even if one watched 4,000 films, who can say that makes you a cinephile? Still, Sasha Stone has listed a great deal of films from masters of cinema. Here's a peek of the list, the rest is here . The Essential Stanley Kubrick Dr. Strangelove Lolita The Shining Paths of Glory The Essential Steven Spielberg Jaws E.T. Close Encounters of the Third Kind Raiders of the Lost Ark Schindler’s List The Color Purple The Essential Martin Scorsese Taxi Driver Raging Bull The King of Comedy Goodfellas Hugo The Essential Hitchcock Vertigo Psycho Rear Window North by Northwest

No Hablo Español, Pero Viggo Mortensen Puede

Apparently it is possible for Viggo Mortensen to be more awesome. Mr. Mortensen is pulling double-duty in Everyone Has A Plan  or Todos Tenemos un Plan , by playing twins in the film. Don't dissuade yourself from watching the trailer because of Casa de Mi Padre , I assure you, this is a trailer worth watching.

Just In Case You Forgot, Quentin Tarantino Is Making A Movie About Slavery

The trailer for Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained  was released today and it is filled with all of the dialogue you know and love."Kill white folks and they pay you for it? What's not to like?" Don't ever change Tarantino, don't ever change. For those of you who care to see the trailer on the bigscreen, it will be attached to Prometheus .

Top Five London Musicals

And now for something a little different: Never Mind Pop Film tends not to cover musicals and theatre, so we thought we would venture out a bit. This guest post about top musicals comes from Angelina Lawson. When it comes to musicals in London, there are a huge selection to choose from. But just like anything else in the world, London has its most popular musicals. According to Box Office Theater, the top 5 London Musicals has sparked years of excitement and conversation. Les Miserables located at the Queen's Theatre is considered the longest running musical in London.Based around a novel written by Victor Hugo, this London Musical captivates you with melodic tones and rendering movement. This musical isn't for the light-hear ted, it's more for the ones looking to be moved emotionally. Billy Elliott the musical is housed at the Victoria Palace Theatre and is considered to be one of the greatest dance and song show. Even though Elton John is the creator of the

'Community' Directors May Head Cap Sequel

Community  may not have received the greatest news in the last couple of weeks, but Anthony and Joe Russo look like they may be heading up the next Captain America film. According to THR , The screenwriters of Captain America: The First Avenger , Chris Markus and Stephen McFeely are returning to plot out the script. Now, the Russos are not anyone's first thought for a blockbuster, but then again, neither were Jon Favreau nor Kenneth Branagh. Success for these Marvel properties is a question of enthusiasm for the material and it is hard to imagine any candidates could have more enthusiasm for the material than the Russos. As for the lack of action gravitas, watch A Fistful of Paintballs and For a Few Paintballs More . Exquisite.

'Flight' Trailer Features Serious Denzel

It's nice to see Robert Zemeckis dealing with live-action again. It is also nice to see a Fallen  reunion with Washington and John Goodman. Whether this remains commercial fare or an Oscars contender will have to be seen when the film is released on November 2nd.

Win 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island'

Warner Bros. and PartnersHub are hosting another DVD giveaway and this time a copy of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island  is up for grabs. Play the game and leave your "would you survive" score in a comment below to be entered. The lucky winner with the highest score will take the DVD home. Contest ends on June 18th: open to U.S. residents only.

The End is Nigh

... at least for Breaking Bad  anyway. The first eight episodes of the series' fifth and final season debuts July 15th. The man known as Heisenberg is resting comfortably atop his throne, but how much longer can it last? Walt has broken bad and it's not hard to see him dead or in prison before Breaking Bad concludes.

'Prometheus' IMAX Poster

Today has been a good day for geeks: an exclusive IMAX poster will be given out to midnight showing attendees for Prometheus . If you attend the 12:01 IMAX showings next Friday morning, you'll get to go home with one of these bad boys. (Courtesy: Collider )

Review: Once Upon A Time (Snow White and the Huntsman)

The story of Snow White is quite familiar to audiences: a fair-skinned princess is forced to fend for herself and her kingdom after the untimely death of the King and Queen. A huntsman is hired by the wicked usurper to kill the young maiden and she retreats to the forest. What lends initial promise to Rupert Sanders Snow White and the Huntsman  is that the pieces of the story are thrown at the wall from the very beginning. Ravenna (Charlize Theron) is much more than a witch who longs for the power of a Kingdom. Gaining the trust of the King, Ravenna poses as victim of a kidnapping. Once inside the hallowed walls of King Magnus' home, she violently overthrows the monarchy. Hours after a wedding ceremony, Ravenna takes her revenge on the more arrogant sex in the most intimate way. Her crazed rantings about the evils of entitlement suggests that Huntsman really could go somewhere rather than take the formulaic path of fable. Locked in the innards of the castle, Snow (Kristen Ste

Edgar Wright Is A Brilliant, Brilliant Man

Edgar Wright is a very popular man amongst his legion of geeks, nerds, and other pop-culture aficionados. One of those reasons being that Mr. Wright is a certified master of easter eggs — Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is entirely made up of them. Yet the ode to the English auteur's brilliance takes place in Shaun of the Dead . This throwaway line Ed shares with Shaun at the pub “a bloody Mary first thing, a bite at the King’s Head, couple at The Little Princess, stagger back here and bang… back at the bar for shots.”  Not much to ponder for a viewer seeing a film for the first time, but think about how the film unfolds after that. Shaun and Ed kill a zombie named Mary. They then go to Shaun’s stepfather’s place to find out he’s been bitten. Off to rescue Liz (Shaun's love interest) at her flat and then the group pretends to be zombies and infiltrate The Winchester where they fend off zombies with a rifle. The entire film is described in one line. Brilliant.