Lock, Stock, Showtime

The Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies Remaining in 2009

2009-09-08T01:49:00.000-07:00

10. The Invention of Lying
Two things make me really really excited about this movie. First, the cast. Ricky Gervais, Rob Lowe, Jennifer Garner. Jonah Hill, Jason Bateman, Patrick Stewart, Tina Fey. Second, it's Ricky Gervais! This is the guy that brought us The Office (the UK version that inspired the Steve Carell version) and Ghost Town. If you haven't seen Ghost Town, drop what you're doing and rent it, cause it's hilarious. The Invention of Lying is basically about an alternate universe where humans have never lied before. They have no idea that it's even possible to lie until Mr. Gervais somehow discovers it. Just look at how much fun this is going to be.

9. Jennifer's Body

For the men out there, the only reason you need to see this movie is that you get see Megan Fox in schoolgirl outfit. For the girls, it's a harder sell. Jennifer's Body is about a high school band that tries to sacrifice Megan Fox to the devil so that they can become rich and famous. When it turns out Megan Fox isn't a virgin (that's not gonna be a hard sell to audiences), the satanic ritual goes wrong and she becomes possessed by a demon. The demon must survive by feasting on flesh, and she starts to seduce the boys in her school. The screenplay was done by Diablo Cody, who usually has some pretty funny dialogue.

8. Up In the Air
This is director Jason Reitman, the guy that gave us Juno and Thank You For Smoking. Plus it has Clooney in it. Enough said.

7. Couples Retreat
Another movie with a fantastic cast, this time about four couples who go to a topical island to get marital counseling from some experts. With Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis and Kristen Bell, it'll likely end up being the funniest movie of the year.

6. 2012

From the man that brought us great movies like Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow comes Roland Emmerich's next disaster epic, 2012. And what an epic it looks like. Whether you believe in the conspiracy theory or not, you have to appreciate how huge and destructive this movie is. Throw in John Cusack for his typical great acting, and you have yourself a midnight premiere worthy movie.

5. The Men Who Stare At Goats

Clooney's second appearance on this list, this time in a comedic role. Teaming up with him are Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, and Kevin Spacey; as far as acting talent goes, this is the best cast of any movie all year. Check it out

4. The Fourth Kind

One of the creepiest trailers I've ever seen. There's almost nothing scarier than aliens. This isn't your typical SyFy friday night movie. If I go to the midnight premiere of this, I won't be going to bed until after dawn. UFO and alien classifications go like this: The first kind is a UFO sighting. The second kind is some type of hard evidence of a landing or of an alien. The third kind is contact, and the fourth is abduction. Even creepier is that these are based on true events.

3. Sherlock Holmes

Robert Downey, Jr. Jude Law. Rachel McAdams. Three pretty freakin' big names in Hollywood right now are trying to bring Sherlock Holmes and Watson to the minds of this generation. Taking charge of all this talent is Mr. Guy Ritchie. Some of you may know him as Madonna's ex husband, but I'll always remember him for bringing me four of my top twenty movies. I'm sure most expected a thriller/drama considering Holmes is an investigator of the highest degree, but if you've seen any of Ritchie's previous smash hits, you know that he brings a lot of comedy to a serious story. This is one of the few movies this year that I have absolutely zero doubt will be a fantastic movie.

2. Antichrist

Here's the description: The story is of therapist Willem Dafoe and his wife Charlotte Gainsbourg, a couple who have recently lost their son. She is utterly inconsolable, so he suggests that they retreat to a cabin in the woods to expose her to her fears so that she might overcome them. She had previously been at the cabin with her son, working on a thesis on gynocide. Nature turns against them, and they against one another, as the woods—named ‘Eden’ in the film—become a living hell. Sounds interesting enough, but why am I so interested in this? Because a movie as shocking as this, a movie that makes people squirm and scream, a movie that is "totally fucked up", a movie that leaves you completely dazed and thinking for hours, always means that I'm going to love it. I haven't even seen one second of footage, but I just know that I'm going to LOVE this movie. I loves me some contoversy.

1. Avatar

Titanic. The Abyss. Terminator 1&2. True Lies. Each and every movie James Cameron has done has been amazing. Every. Single. One. Titanic is the highest grossing movie OF ALL TIME. Terminator 2 and The Abyss helped push special effects to another level. There's just not enough words to describe how great Cameron is at making movies. Sadly, the last picture he made was Titanic 12 years ago, and since then he has filmed underwater documentaries and prepared himself for Avatar, which may turn out to be his Magnum Opus. He wrote the script around 15 years ago, but the technology wasn't advanced enough for it, so he put it in a drawer and decided to sit on it. He spent nine years developing a new camera that would capture 3D in a way that wasn't though possible. He designed a new approach to bring special effects onto the shooting set, which is blurring the line between shooting and post-production. And now in December we get to see a movie that might wind up being as well remembered as Star Wars was to our parents.

Let's focus on the 3D aspect of the movie. Right now, 3D is a gimmick. Horror movies are using it to make people duck and dive in their seats, which is great for a laugh or two, but it really doesn't help you connect to the story or the characters. Many director's feel that because of this, 3D is simply a fad that will go away after another five or ten years. However, the director's that have seen finished footage of Avatar disagree. They know that Cameron has used 3D not as a gimmick, but as another advancement to cinema in the same way that sound and color were decades ago. They also say that the special effects are without a doubt the best that's ever been done. Almost photorealistic. One journalist said that it was almost as if 10ft tall blue aliens were on the set each day. The director's pretty much agree that Avatar will help push cinema along in a way that hasn't been done in a long time.

With the techno babble out of the way, I can tell you the story. "Avatar is set during the 22nd century on a small moon called Pandora, which orbits a gas giant, and is inhabited by the tribal Na'vi, ten foot blue humanoids that are peaceful unless attacked. Humans cannot breathe Pandoran air, so they genetically engineer human/Na'vi hybrids known as Avatars that can be controlled via a mental link. A paralyzed Marine named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) volunteers to exist as an Avatar on Pandora, falling in love with a Na'vi princess and becoming caught up in the conflict between her people and the human military that is consuming their world."

The trailer (watch it in HD or else don't watch it) doesn't do the movie justice, but you have to believe how good this movie looks in IMAX 3D, which is the way you HAVE to see it. 2D will not do, nor will 3D at a regular sized screen. I've seen 15 minutes of footage, and I can back up everything I've said. So please please please see this movie on December 18th.

The Top 10 Most Recognizable Voices in Hollywood

2009-08-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

10. Bruce Greenwood

Bruce Greenwood isn't a huge name, but that didn't stop me from including him on this list. His best known role so far was Captain Christopher Pike in the Star Trek reboot. Again, not a huge part, but the popular trailer had a very charming and mesmerizing voice-over done by Greenwood. Greenwood has also appeared as the president in the National Treasure movies, and has had minor roles in I, Robot and The Core.

9. Ewan McGregor

McGregor, apart from being a really fantastic actor, has one of the coolest accents in the history of ever. Best known for playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the three newest Star Wars movies, the Scottish actor has also been in Angels and Demons and Moulin Rouge! Check out this interview and tell me that you couldn't pick out his voice in a group of people.

8. Sam Elliott

Elliott has been in dozens of movies, including The Big Lebowski, Tombstone, and Gettysburg, but it's commercials that have him in the homes of every American. From Chevy commercials to Coors beer commercials, Elliott has a gruff voice that reminds everyone of their grandpa.

7. Bill Nighy

Nighy (not to be confused with Bill Nigh the science guy) is more well known over in the U.K. but almost every American knows him as the voice of Davy Jones in the last two Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I first fell in love with Nighy when he appeared as Simon Pegg's stepfather in my favorite movie of all time, Shaun of the Dead. He's also appeared in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Underworld movies with Kate Beckinsale, and is set to appear in the final two Harry Potter movies.

6. Alan Rickman

Another person on this list connected to Harry Potter is Alan Rickman, who everyone knows plays Professor Snape (quite perfectly, I might add). Rickman has a unique English accent and drawn out words that can send chills up your spine if you're on the receiving end of a scowl. This isn't technically him, but this is one of the funniest impressions ever.

5. Ian McKellen

McKellen is definitely the biggest star so far in this list, thanks to his roles as Magneto in the X-Men franchise and as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. Check out this video of Gandalf talking about death.

4. Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee has performed or lent his voice to over 260 movies or video games, and for good reason. Lee first became famous for portraying Dracula in a series of films, and has recently been seen in the three latest Star Wars movies as Count Dooku, and in The Lord of the Ring trilogy as Saruman. Listen to this video and tell me you wouldn't love to hear him read you a story

3. Christopher Walken

Where to start with this man? I think it's safe to say that he has the most unique and strange Brooklyn accent in history. Most people have at one time or another tried to do an impression of him, and most have failed miserably. While Walken isn't known for having big roles in movies, almost everyone knows him from the famous SNL sketch that parodied Blue Oyster Cult, and his famous "I've got a fever! And the only prescription is more cowbell!" Since everyone and their mother has seen that, I'll feature this video of Walken reading The Three Little Pigs.

2. Morgan Freeman

Jump to 1:30 on this video. Enough said

There's a tie for first. I couldn't decide, so I had to split it.

1a. James Earl Jones

Jones is a great actor by himself, but his role in history is secure because he is the voice of Darth Vader, who is probably the most famous character in the history of cinema, and that makes him number 1a. Just listening to him speak makes me cry.

1b. Sean Connery

The original James Bond has it all. Great acting chops, good looks up into his late 70's, a long career in film, and THE voice. Not one man alive can say that he hasn't tried to do a Sean Connery impression. Connery's voice is so will recognized, I'm not even linking a video.

EDIT: I just realized that I left out a HUGE entry: Liam Neeson. Too lazy to change the list, so this will have to work for now.

My Top Movies of All Time

2009-08-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

Pretty diverse list with most of the films coming out the last 15 or 20 years. I see to have a thing for R rated films. Make sure to list which ones you agree with and don't agree with, along with some of your own favorites.

Shaun of the Dead
The Godfather
Watchmen
Snatch
The Exorcist
Mr. Brooks
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
Star Wars
Pineapple Express
Revolver
Forrest Gump
RocknRolla
Terminator 2
Inglorious Basterds
The Goonies
The Patriot
Catch Me If You Can
Wayne's World
Signs
Gladiator
Jacob's Ladder
300

District 9

2009-08-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

Where to start with this one? District 9 had been on my radar ever since the first trailer came out. As big of a movie buff I was, even I hadn't heard a lot about it. Needless to say, the trailer blew me away and it became one of the most anticipated movies of the year for me. Basically, the story takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa. 28 years ago an alien ship appeared above the city, and almost three decades later, both the government and its citizens are struggling to coexist with the insectoid-like creatures. First time director Neill Blomkamp teamed up with Peter Jackson (obviously the director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and together they came up with the best sci fi movie of the year.

Blomkamp was supposed to direct the Halo movie with jackson producing it, but after several months of preproduction it fell through, and they set their sights on District 9. Blomkamp has mainly done commercials and documentaries, and District 9 is based off of one of his short films Alive In Joberg. Even if you're not into sci-fi movies, this is something that you have to see. It is very original, very well shot, and not a minute goes by that you are left bored. The lead actor, Sharlto Copley, gives one of the best performances of the year and deserves a nomination for Best Actor, if not a win. Likewise, even the aliens turn out great performances, and you truly connect with them in a way that even non sci-fi movies have a hard time doing with characters.

This is my 3rd favorite movie of the year, and is definitely one that I want to see at least one more time in theaters. Please don't pass up the chance to see this on a big screen with loud speakers, because that's the way a movie like this should be seen. I think we can expect a lot of great things from Neill Blomkamp, so make sure to remember his name.

Welcome

2009-08-24T01:23:00.000-07:00

This is my first post, so let me explain what this is for. I don't want this to turn into a big movie blog like my friends at FirstShowing.net and SlashFilm.com. I realized lately that most of my friends are kinda clueless when it comes to movies, and they never know what upcoming movie is good or what it's even about. Since you're reading this you probably know me, and that means that you probably know I love movies. I read about them, I obsess over them, and I see almost all of them. So now I'm going to be your little personal guide to what movies you should and shouldn't see, and which movies you need to get excited about.

Since I'm only just starting, I'm going to post my thoughts soon on the two biggest movies from the last few weeks: District 9 and Inglourious Basterds. After that, I'll post my thoughts on the movies coming out at the end of the week, and then we can really get started on the movies coming out the rest of the year and beyond. If you have a question, feel like arguing, or just feel like calling me an idiot, just leave a comment :-)