Back in full swing. Finger is healed. All is right with the world. Except, of course, that Catherine Hardwicke has released another film.
The week we've experienced has been met with tragedy, and a sense of hopefulness the world over. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan has left families across the globe fearful and worried for those they can't contact, and it's important for all of us to realize the fragility of human life. My thoughts and prayers go out to you, them, and theirs.
In San Francisco, local news kept saying, and I mean kept saying that "this isn't like the movies". Personally, I'm a bit offended by those remarks. As someone whose life is completely inundated with film and effects and stories of tragedy brought to us by the silver screen, I find it redundant and psychologically fanatical to remind your viewers that they are watching something real. I hope, and fully believe, that we as a people have the intelligence to distinguish a film like 2012 from a real life disaster that claimed real lives. In all fairness, this reporter wasn't speaking to me personally, but to me as a collective viewer. A child might not understand the difference. But, a 24 year old with a high school diploma who works in the real world and who is effected by the real world everyday certainly would. Any of us over the age of ten presumably would. Obviously, I don't expect any sort of apology, but I do expect more care and candor from any sort of news team. Less callousness and condescension, in effect.
That's all I have to say about that.
More after the cut --
In theaters this weekend, the films that were released - Battle: Los Angeles, Jane Eyre, Red Riding Hood, and Mars Needs Moms. Also, a handful of independent films to be covered in a post on Tuesday.
Battle: Los Angeles will most likely claim the number one spot at the box office. No surprise there, at least for anyone who has kept up with the film's promotions and release. Of course, this is only the film's initial release, how it fares next week against other films... well, I think it will still top. But, such remains to be seen.
Let's take a closer look at each, shall we? We shall. Leave a comment at the bottom and tell me what you'll be seeing!
Battle: Los Angeles. PG-13.
The week we've experienced has been met with tragedy, and a sense of hopefulness the world over. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan has left families across the globe fearful and worried for those they can't contact, and it's important for all of us to realize the fragility of human life. My thoughts and prayers go out to you, them, and theirs.
In San Francisco, local news kept saying, and I mean kept saying that "this isn't like the movies". Personally, I'm a bit offended by those remarks. As someone whose life is completely inundated with film and effects and stories of tragedy brought to us by the silver screen, I find it redundant and psychologically fanatical to remind your viewers that they are watching something real. I hope, and fully believe, that we as a people have the intelligence to distinguish a film like 2012 from a real life disaster that claimed real lives. In all fairness, this reporter wasn't speaking to me personally, but to me as a collective viewer. A child might not understand the difference. But, a 24 year old with a high school diploma who works in the real world and who is effected by the real world everyday certainly would. Any of us over the age of ten presumably would. Obviously, I don't expect any sort of apology, but I do expect more care and candor from any sort of news team. Less callousness and condescension, in effect.
That's all I have to say about that.
More after the cut --
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| FEMA, much? |
In theaters this weekend, the films that were released - Battle: Los Angeles, Jane Eyre, Red Riding Hood, and Mars Needs Moms. Also, a handful of independent films to be covered in a post on Tuesday.
Battle: Los Angeles will most likely claim the number one spot at the box office. No surprise there, at least for anyone who has kept up with the film's promotions and release. Of course, this is only the film's initial release, how it fares next week against other films... well, I think it will still top. But, such remains to be seen.
Let's take a closer look at each, shall we? We shall. Leave a comment at the bottom and tell me what you'll be seeing!
Battle: Los Angeles. PG-13.
It's been called "more Independence Day than District 9", and I'm completely okay with that. Growing up, Independence Day was my favorite movie; stayed that way until I saw M Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense. Still, seeing films like this get the green light (they always will) and seeing films like this get embraced makes me remember those days, and makes me happy like a kid. The trailer is effective as hell, and I'm completely in love with the cast. From what I've heard, the story isn't anything more than what we're presented with: an alien invasion. Hopefully, I won't be too let down from that high hope. Early reviews aren't too strong, but... they rarely ever are for films like this. I'll probably love the hell out of it, though.
Jane Eyre. PG-13.
Upon the announcement of Cary Fukunaga's "bold new vision", I wrote about how damn excited I was to see it. Since early on, it's been at the top of my "must see at all costs" list, and now that it's out, I'm chomping at the bit. I've recently been completely enamored with Mia Wasikowska (sorry, Lisa :-/ ) and her work (see, Lisa, not so bad!). I'm particularly interested in seeing how Fukunaga's extremely gothic approach is going to work for the film, and especially how it's going to effect the novel, which has long been a favorite of mine. I think it will be completely wonderful.
Mars Needs Moms. PG.
Really? Look. I'm all for completely silly animated films. I mean, I loved Doogal, for God's sake. But, I can't seem to conjure up any sort of excitement for this. The animation looks a bit impressive, motion capture and all. But, Robert Zemeckis and his fascination with all things motion capture is a bit daunting. Monster House, while a critical success, bored me to tears, and The Polar Express was pas mieux. Still, though, I love Seth Rogen and I love Joan Cusack. So, I'll make time to see this before the year closes out. Not the future Oscar contender that Rango came out of nowhere to be, but... well, if Monster House can make a splash, I guess this one can, too.
Red Riding Hood. PG-13.
There are certain things I have trouble typing down in this blog. "Justin Bieber documentary" is one. "Catherine Hardwicke" is another. But, she's let another one of her visions escape, so we must all suffer the consequences now. I thank her for Nikki Reed's career. But, as far as that goes, she can go away now. Twilight, as much as I enjoy it, was not nearly as good as it could have been. Even Thirteen, for which she deserves credit for Nikki Reed, is a pile. Now, she's taken stranglehold of a child's fairy tale, giving it a Twilight-ish sensibility that deserves a slap. This film could have been a Ghost and the Darkness caliber thriller. Now, ... it's about a werewolf? Are you kidding me?
You should go see a movie. You've probably had a long week. I recommend Jane Eyre, out of these. And if you see anyone coming out of Red Riding Hood saying "omg, it's teh best movie ever made", hit them with your car.
