Forget James Cameron. My allegiance is to the real Avatar. The following is everything you’ll need to know about the Avatar world and characters, my concerns about what might go wrong, and my hopes as to what should happen.
Archive for the ‘Featured’ Category
Everyday it seems like there’s another Spider-Man casting rumor, and it usually has something to do with whatever film is hot at the moment and whatever young twentysomething male is corresponding to said film. What helps the situation is if the male in question is relatively unknown and possibly only been in small Disney films that a handful of people have seen. And as soon as they release the “casting rumor” there’s another studio that’s quickly there to deny it. It’s becoming tiresome day in and day out with deciding on whether or not to publish the so-called casting rumors. So, instead of me trying to keep up with the names, I want to know what you think.
I don’t know how many people caught the tease of a Big Announcement coming in my SXSW 2010 post but I wanted to give you a sneak peek into what is happening behind the scenes at Truth On Cinema headquarters.
As you can see from the image above, the site will be getting a face lift courtesy of, well, me, and a much needed clean up of all of the different posts, categories, features, etc., that encompass Truth On Cinema. The content will be smoother, the navigation will be simpler, and the site will run a lot faster.
I don’t want to give too much away in the way of content and what will be different, but for now, enjoy the tease and mark your calendars for March 12 as Truth On Cinema 4.0 will be fully operational. Until then, PLEASE leave comments as to what we can do better here, what you’d like to see different, and anything else you think will make for a better Truth On Cinema experience.
What do you think so far? What would you like to see different in the next and hopefully final installment of Truth On Cinema?
February24
Film Exposure: True Grit
Over the course of 2 years, Truth On Cinema has generally narrowed its focus to delivering news/reviews/trailers of big blockbuster films (Transformers, Harry Potter, The Dark Knight) and comic book film adaptations (Iron Man, Batman, Spider Man), and although that is my heart and what I love and what I will continue to deliver to the best of my ability, there are some films that catch my attention so much to the point that I feel like I need to share them with you.
So I’ve had a few days (almost two and a half weeks… I’ve been busy!) to mull over all the hurtful things I said about Hurt Locker.
January27
Wait, What? The Hurt Locker vs. Moon
So my wife and have one of those “get-movies-in-the-mail-and-return-them-to-the-store-and-get-more-movies-thing”. Meaning we watch a lot of movies, meaning we don’t have much discretion in what we watch.
"I could watch The Goods…"
"Sounds good"
It also means that while we are wandering the aisles of the video store we are subjected to the video store’s suggestions of what we should watch. They know we have watched everything we want to see, but still have movies come in the mail all the time and just want to get something so the next movie comes and really will put anything in our DVD player. They feel our pain, cause they created it.
Anyway, the store had a "Our Picks of 2009" display. #1 The Hurt Locker. I’d seen the preview and wrote it off as another Iraq movie. Recently I’ve heard a few better things about it, so I got it. #2 Moon. YES. This is a movie that came and went in the local indie theater. And it’s got a cover that is as cool as all get out and in our house, cool covers get rented.
I had MLK day off and the next day (Texas Confederates’ Day… really? The day after MLK day?) so I decided to get both movies.
(Seriously, this back story is getting boring)
To the point. Hurt Locker sucked, Moon ruled.
How come?
I’ll tell you. Hurt Locker first. One, the name blows. It sounds like it should be attached to some lame sports movie. "Don’t judge a book by it’s cover". Well, don’t give your Iraq war movie a stupid name. I know it means something about something but I’m still so annoyed by that dumb name I don’t even want to look it up.
Two, I guess Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis were both booked, because they wove this antagonist’s story from the same tired and trite cloth.
In that preview guy’s voice: "He’s a bomb specialist that plays by his own rules while breaking all the rules."
Seriously, if that character existed in real life he wouldn’t. He’d be dead. A long time ago. Good riddance. The film introduces him in this stereotypical scene of him coming on the scene of him breaking all the rules. I hate it so much I don’t even want to describe it.
Three. Oh, and our hero, he’s white and guess what? HE HAS A BLACK PARTNER THAT HE CONSISTENTLY PISSES OFF! How brilliant! And the black partner follows all the rules.
Again in that preview guy’s voice: "He’s the black partner that’s already angry, cause he’s black, and he does play by all the rules and doesn’t ever make up his own rules, he just follows the rules."
I hate this movie. Of course these guys fight and hate each other but then in a tense battle sequence they work together and learn to like each other. I’m not going to tell you how this movie ends, not because I don’t want to ruin it for you, but because it is just so stupid. Hurt Locker, go home.
And the worst part, everyone is praising it because it’s supposed to be this great independent movie that is giving the REAL movies a run for its money. When I think of independent movies, obviously they are low(er) budget, because they are stories that are edgier, or smarter, or more dynamic, etc., that won’t appeal to a ton of people, AKA not make that much money. But for the most part, in my opinion, that means they may be better than say, Armageddon.
Not in this case. Hurt Locker is independent/low budget in the way that it’s a tired story and no studios thought anyone wanted to see another Iraq/Lethal Weapon/Die Hard type movie. Lame.
Gah, this is getting long. I’ll finish up with Part Two, talking about Moon, later.
In a continued effort to bring more voices to Truth On Cinema and allow you, the reader, to hear from a variety of different movie people, we are glad to welcome “Chris” to our staff of writers here at Truth On Cinema. Chris will be writing mostly op-ed pieces that are suitable and unique to his style and gifting.
Instead of trying to write a brief bio about him, I thought it would be more beneficial to let him intro himself. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, Chris.
Greetings.
My name is Chris. Just Chris. I’d share my last name but have learned that things you do on the Internet can stick around longer than you actually agree with them.
Anyway. I am in no way a trained or skillful movie critic. No, wait, I took a Film Studies course in my undergrad. So I can tell you a little bit about The Graduate, Orson Welles, Buster Keaton, Michael Keaton, Diane Keaton, and Alex P. Keaton.
Most people disagree with my opinions and vice versa. I am very opinionated. Don’t even try to get into it with me in the comments section of my posts, most likely I’ll forget I even posted something and won’t check, but if you do, I won’t even listen to you or your dumb opinion. But go ahead and leave comments, they make me feel important, and I imagine leaving comments for others or possibly the author to read, makes you feel a little important too. It’s ok to be vain.
Maybe send Dan an e-mail and ask him why he wants me to do this.
What to expect? Garbage. Lazy, pathetic, lame half-baked opinions on movies I see (some of which I won’t even finish), and some I’ve only seen a preview of or heard someone talk about once and didn’t like.
I’m mostly negative. But if I say something nice, it means I really liked it (finished it, maybe posted something on my Facebook about it…)
Hmm. I guess I should list some of my favs (that’s slang for "favorites" in the biz which is short for "business" in the biz… pay attention, I’ll teach you lots of awesome stuff like this).
- Harry and the Hendersons
- Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend
- Jurassic Park
- The Land Before Time (just the first one, the later sequels lost their heart)
- Dinosaurs (the TV show. I know it’s not a movie, shut up)
- Super Mario Bros. (the movie and the games)
- Cold Mountain
And that’s my list of Big Foot, Dinosaur and Cold Mountain favs.
That list looks like a pretty good weekend. Do yourself a favor and watch those this weekend. You’ve got nothing better going on, I can tell cause you’re still reading this.
Lots of Love,
Chris
January14
Our 24 Most Anticipated Films Of 2010
We are currently at 14 days into the new year and with the new year comes a brand new bunch of movies to look forward to. I realize, given the date, that this list is a little late since I have already missed two weekends of releases, but to be honest, I wasn’t anticipating any of the ones that have already been released.
Counting down from 24 all the way to my #1, here are my 24 Most Anticipated Films of 2010.
Release Date: February 5
Starring: John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Synopsis: From the director of the sleeper hit Taken comes a thriller starring John Travolta as an American spy who teams up with a young US Ambassador employee in Paris to stop a terrorist attack in the city. I don’t know if it’s a guilty pleasure or what, but I like John Travolta as a tough guy. His shaved head and piercings and overall attitude really fit his character, and it’s nice to see Jonathan Rhys Meyers all bloodied up as well. This should be an awesome action-spy-thriller.
23. The Green Hornet
Release Date: December 22
Starring: Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Jay Chou
Synopsis: By night, debonair newspaper publisher Britt Reid (Rogen) fights crime as a masked superhero known as The Green Hornet. At his side is martial arts expert Kato (Chou). I am not very familiar with the Green Hornet comic world and will have to step back and let my Truth On Cinema Comic Book Gurus weigh in on what it’s all about. I am mainly interested in this film due to my love for Michel Gondry, the director. He directed one of my all-time favorite movies, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and I can’t wait to see what he does with film.
22. Tron Legacy
Release Date: December 17
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, Garrett Hedlund
Synopsis: Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), looks into his fathers disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. I hate to admit that although I grew up in the 80′s, I’ve never seen the original Tron. I know I just shocked the world and will forever be labeled as “that guy who hasn’t seen Tron”, but I plan on watching it this year in preparation for this highly stylized and modern sequel/reboot/re-imagining.
21. Jonah Hex
Release Date: June 18
Starring: Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, John Malkovich
Synopsis: In the Wild West, a scarred bounty hunter tracks a voodoo practitioner bent on liberating the South by raising an army of the undead. What’s not to be excited about: it’s a comic book adaptation, it stars the great Josh Brolin and John Malkovich, it’s a western, and it involves the undead! Oh yeah, Megan Fox is in it, which I’m sure will make some people excited (not this guy).
20. The Expendables
Release Date: August 13
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li
Synopsis: A team of mercenaries head to South America on a mission to overthrow a dictator. The premise couldn’t be any simpler but the movie looks like an awesome action flick! I think Sly Stallone is an underrated director and is more of a joke to people, so I can’t wait to see what he does with a cast of almost every major action star, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and explosions!
19. Kick Ass
Release Date: April 16
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong, Aaron Johnson
Synopsis: Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a super-hero, even though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so. I know that a lot of you will be offended by my inclusion of this film in my list, but after seeing the trailers and my love for Mark Millar and his writing, a movie about a bunch of kids who want to fight back and just kick ass sounds great to me! (send all hate mail to me if you want)
18. The American
Release Date: September 1
Starring: George Clooney, Bruce Altman, Thekla Reuten
Synopsis: An assassin hides out in Italy for one last assignment. Here is another music video director debuting his first film and he happens to land George Clooney as an assassin: golden!
17. Edge of Darkness
Release Date: January 29
Starring: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston
Synopsis: As homicide detective Thomas Craven investigates the death of his activist daughter, he uncovers not only her secret life, but a corporate cover-up and government collusion that attracts an agent tasked with cleaning up the evidence. We haven’t seen Mel Gibson in a starring role since 2002 in Signs, and after all of the off-the-camera problems he’s had, it’s good to see him back in a role where he can take care of business. Maybe it’s because I’m a Dad now, but I am just loving these Father-revenge-the-death-of-their-kids stories that are coming out of Hollywood. I don’t know what it is, but it works.
16. The Losers
Release Date: April 9
Starring: Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Synopsis: After being betrayed and left for dead, members of a CIA black ops team root out those who targeted them for assassination. Again, I will have to let the comic book guys shed more light onto the details of this comic, but what I’ve seen and read, it looks awesome! This movie, if the characters are done right, could be one of the coolest comic book adaptations to-date.
15. The Wolfman
Release Date: February 12
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins
Synopsis: Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man (Del Toro) is bitten, and subsequently cursed by, a werewolf. The long gestating and oft-delayed Wolfman has finally made it to the screen. It was at first slated to hit cinemas in 2007, but the difficulties in finding a director made this release date impossible. Then a new release date was set for February 2009, then November 2009 and then finally February 2010. It has a bunch of really big name actors and is directed by the man who has been called to helm the Captain America movie sometime in 2012…what does all that mean? I guess we’ll find out.
14. The A-Team
Release Date: June 11
Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, “Rampage” Jackson
Synopsis: A group of Iraq War veterans looks to clear their name with the U.S. military, who suspect the four men of committing a crime for which they were framed. Although I am not as excited about this after seeing the first trailer, it’s still one of the films I just HAVE to see this year. I’m just not sure how I am going to like the new direction, but I am willing to give it a chance.
13. Date Night
Release Date: April 9
Starring: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mila Kunis
Synopsis: In New York City, a case of mistaken identity turns a bored married couple’s attempt at a glamorous and romantic evening into something more thrilling and dangerous. 2010 isn’t just chalked full of action thrillers and comic book films, there’s also going to be a great comedy starring two of the funniest people around right now. It’ll be nice to see a romantic comedy with real comedians instead of casting dramatic actors and actresses and hoping they can be funny. This should be a real fun date night for a lot of people….pun intended!
12. The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
Release Date: May 28
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley
Synopsis: Based on the video game, which follows an adventurous prince who teams up with a rival princess to stop an angry ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world. Jake Gyllenhaal gets buff and stars in a film that has been waiting to be made ever since we played the computer game in middle school. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, this looks to be a fun ride in the vein of National Treasure and Pirates of the Caribbean. Whether or not it’s cheesy or if Jake’s accent will muck it up remains to be seen, but consider me anxious.
Release Date: July 2
Starring: Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Noah Ringer
Synopsis: The story follows the adventures of Aang, a young successor to a long line of Avatars, who must put his childhood ways aside and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations. M. Night Shyamalan is back ladies and gentlemen! I don’t know a lick about the Avatar world (no, not the blue people movie) that this film is based from, but from the teaser trailer, it looks EPIC. Although his last film was a complete flop and a waste of anyone’s time, hopefully he’ll be able to redeem himself and get back in the good graces of the audience with this one.
10. Toy Story 3
Release Date: June 18
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Michael Keaton (all voices)
Synopsis: Woody, Buzz, and the rest of their toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college and hilarity ensues. Do I need to really sell you on seeing the 3rd Toy Story? I hope that Pixar can reclaim the same magic that the previous two films delivered and satisfy the craving we have had since #2. To Infinity and Beyond!
Release Date: March 26
Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes
Synopsis: The mortal son of the god Zeus embarks on a perilous journey to stop the underworld and its minions from spreading their evil to Earth as well as the heavens. Though this won’t be as good as the original with Harry Hamlin, it still looks like an action-packed-300-esque thrill ride that will sure find its audience in the middle of the spring. I wish they would throw in a stop-motion-animation Kraken just for the fun of it though.
Release Date: March 5
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway
Synopsis: 19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror. When I first saw this story as a made-for-TV film, and then grew up and learned who Tim Burton was, I knew he HAD to take this on. This was a story just waiting for Burton to take and have his way with. I am looking forward to the zaniness, the craziness, the insanity, and the heart that will come out of this film. Who knew that Tim Burton could see color?
7. Green Zone
Release Date: March 12
Starring: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Amy Ryan
Synopsis: Discovering covert and faulty intelligence causes a U.S. Army officer (Damon) to go rogue as he hunts for Weapons on Mass Destruction in an unstable region. Directed by Paul Greengrass, who directed the last two Bourne films, Green Zone is being heavily compared to the Bourne films and in fact some people are even speculating that it IS the 4th film, just with a different name (ridiculous). Whatever the case, I love Matt Damon and I love the action style Greengrass shoot his films in. I can’t wait to see Damon in action again!
Release Date: February 19
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Synopsis: Drama is set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island. There is no way I am going to miss the award-winning combination of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio in another thriller. These two can’t make a flopper even if they tried (I don’t know why they would try). I am certain that this will be a film that I’ll have to see with my Dad as it looks way too creepy for my wife to want to go.
5. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Release Date: December 10
Starring: Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley
Synopsis: Lucy and Edmund Pevensie return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with Prince Caspian for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Along the way they encounter dragons, dwarves, merfolk, and a band of lost warriors before reaching the edge of the world. This was one of my most favorite books of the series and I can’t wait to see it on film. There hasn’t been much in the form of footage or even talk of the film lately and so I am hoping that this release date doesn’t get pushed. They lost some of the magic in the second film that they captured with the first, so here’s hoping they return to form and whisk us away to a magical land.
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
Release Date: November 19
Starring: Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe
Synopsis: Voldemort’s power is growing stronger. He now has control over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to finish Dumbledore’s work and find the rest of the Horcruxes to defeat the Dark Lord. But little hope remains for them, so everything they do must go as planned. How can I even to begin to describe to you my excitement for the last in the Harry Potter series. Finally, we can get past the school, we can get past the teachers, we can get past the mundane schoolwork and get down to business fighting for your life against the dark lord. The only rain cloud over this film is that we have to wait an entire year to see the next one.
3. Robin Hood
Release Date: May 14
Starring: Mark Strong, Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett
Synopsis: The story of an archer in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion who fights against the Norman invaders and becomes the legendary hero known as Robin Hood. I am super excited about seeing this version of the classic Robin Hood tale and though it sounded better a while back when it was going to be called “Nottingham” and it was going to be from the perspective of the Sheriff, I still want to see Crowe in the tights.
2. Iron Man 2
Release Date: May 7
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell
Synopsis: With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, along with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, must forge new alliances — and confront powerful enemies. The film that stole the 2008 movie season will be opening the 2010 Summer Movie Season and fans can’t wait. This is no doubt going to make a boatload of cash at the box office and will probably be the front runner for months following. Jon Favreau, we are waiting…
1. Inception
Release Date: July 16
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Synopsis: A CEO-type becomes involved in a blackmailing scandal. That’s literally the shortest summary of any film on this list and that right there is one of the reasons why it’s my #1 Most Anticipated Film for 2010. Christopher Nolan has already said that this is his biggest film yet, bigger than The Dark Knight, and with the tagline of “Your mind is the scene of the crime” it’s going to be one heck of a mind-bender. I literally can’t wait.
January14
Weekly Round Table
Look out everybody, it’s the return of the Weekly Round Table.
For those of you that are new to the Round Table, let me explain: this is a weekly post that is wholly and 100% created and driven by you, the reader. This is your chance to talk about anything you want, as long as it’s related to Movies, TV, Comic Books, or even Truth On Cinema itself.
It doesn’t matter what it is, or what you want to say, here is your opportunity to talk about whatever you want.
For those of you that are very familiar with the Round Table, it’s good to be back.
January11
Truth On Cinema Goes To College
In order to continue to provide a variety of voices here at Truth On Cinema, we are welcoming a new writer to join our family: Steven Jones. Instead of me writing an introduction for him, here’s what he had to say about himself and his love for movies:
Steven Jones is a student at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and intends to major in Communication Studies in order to enter the field of broadcasting. He currently runs a radio program at SU Radio and isn’t afraid to self-promote by telling you to check out the Facebook group “The Semi-Infinite Playlist”.Steven enjoys a wide variety of movies ranging from comedy to action to sci-fi with brief and occasional stops everywhere else. He loves movies as entertainment and is staunchly opposed to Christopher Kelly’s idea that all movies must be ground breaking art. His favorite films include:
Comedy: Get Over It! Simply because there is musical Shakespeare involved. This movie could practically be described as the predecessor to High School Musical, done with more humor (although regrettably by MTV) and featuring just about everything a kid my age can relate to. This includes an over-hyped conception of romance.
Sci-Fi: Because of his addiction to Joss Whedon’s Firefly and love of both Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion, Serenity takes the cake. I don’t recommend it too much if you aren’t familiar with the show, however.
Historical Musical: 1776. I created this category specifically so I could mention 1776, which I find immensely entertaining and surprisingly reference-able.
Also, A Knight’s Tale, Iron Man, the Resident Evil franchise, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies (only I and II), Treasure Planet, National Treasure, most Pixar films, and just about anything else I watch.
I love the perspective Steven has on movies and life itself and can’t wait to read his DVD Reviews. With him being a college student, I don’t know yet how involved, in the beginning at least, he will be on the site, but you can be sure his DVD Reviews will be coming soon.
If you have any questions, comments, compliments, or movie recommendations for Steven, you can email him at stevenajon@gmail.com.
