Oblivion (2013) Trailer

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Even though I frequent movie sites and like to keep up with science-fiction and fantasy films that are coming out, sometimes one or two will slip by me. Like this one. I have not heard of it before. This movie stars Tom Cruise an actor I really like. I am sitting here in amazement to how I missed this one!?

It shows that there are more movies coming out than one person can keep track of? Here is the synopsis from Wikipedia.

A court martial sends a veteran soldier to a distant planet, where he has to destroy the remains of an alien race. The arrival of an unexpected traveler causes him to question what he knows about the planet, his mission, and himself.

Here is a link to the trailer that was just released.  http://youtu.be/aUD_KyOujq8

That trailer was pretty awesome! It also stars Morgan Freeman!!! He is by far one of my top favorite actors of all time and with him in the movie it makes it even more interesting! Here is a list of the majority of the cast.

• Tom Cruise as Commander Jack Harper, one of the last remaining men on an uninhabited Earth. He repairs the drones which patrol the skies and protect the planet from warring aliens
• Olga Kurylenko as Julia Rusakova
• Andrea Riseborough as Victoria
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Sykes, a battle-hardened, intelligent and highly athletic military weapons expert
• Morgan Freeman as Malcolm Beech, a resistance leader stationed on Earth
• Melissa Leo as Sally
• Zoë Bell as Kara

The movie is based on a graphic novel of the same name and was written by Joseph Kosinski who also one of the writters of the screen play and even directed the movie. Upon further reading I learned that Universal Studios has been keeping this movie a secret which explains why I have not known much about this film.

I am hooked and will add this to one of my must see movies. There is something about the movie that reminds me of Ridley Scott’s movie Prometheus from earlier this year.  It also seems to have a bit of Wal-E from Pixar thrown into the mix.

The movie comes out on April 19, 2013 but will be in IMAX theaters April 12, 2013.

I am excited about this movie.

Are you?

Keeping an Open Mind…and a positive attitude.

With my review the other day of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire it reminded me of a topic I wanted write about. Keeping an open mind. Yes, I thought the premise was silly but I still worked to keep an open mind. I refequent and belong to message boards related to my science fiction/fantasy movie interests. One of my pete peeves on thse boards are with fans that are so overly negative and critical of movies long before the movies are seen.

For example, when the new Superman costume was revealed for the up comming Man of Steel movie many fanboys were crying murder because of the changes, specifically the removal of the outer underwear typical for Superman’s costume. Even though I really like the design of the new costume I can understand that some fans would not like it. That is understandable because such things are just a fact of subjective tatse. What drives me a little nutty are those that say, because of this one factor, that the movie is doomed and that it will suck.

Yes, I know I should not be upset over the rantings of people on the internet. I guess I have an issue when I percieve people being irrational. It doe showever raise the issue of keeping an open mind before going to see a movie. In science these is an issue of confirmation bias which scientists have to be mindful of. So it is no surprise that when a person goes to see a movie “assured that it will suck” and then leaves the theater with their bias confirmed. It sounds like they never gave the movie a chance.

How about confirmation bias in the other direction? Is that also equally irrational? For instance, I am really excited about the next Star Trek movie. I really loved the previous movie and so far I have seen and heard nothing that has lessened my enthusiasm for the project. I am also biased that I am sure the trailers will only increase my interest. So I have expectations that I will like the film even before I see it. Is that being equally closed minded as those who go into a film thinking it will stink? Are these biases equal?

They may not be equal. They are both biases but I think having a positive attitude when going into a movie increases the chance that I will like a movie. Trailers, such as the recent Star Trek Into Darkness trailer, is specifically made by the studio so the movie goer has a positive attitude and a desire to see the movie. I aslo think keeping a movie inperspective even when I do not like the movie. I never get to the level of hatred that many people get. I have read a lot of anger that people have had over a movie they did not like. I think the strongest emotion I have felt is disappointment. Even in movies that I like I may still have issues with them, things I would have liked to have seen done differently, but my attitude still stays positive. With movies that I end up not liking to a large degree, I can still find some things to enjoy and like about them, even if I never want to watch them again.

So maybe an open mind coupled with a positive attitude is they key to viewing movies?

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS teaser trailer

http://youtu.be/diP-o_JxysA?hd=1

This trailer is simply awesome! I really loved the 2009 movie Star Trek and this one looks very, very good!!! I was already excited about this movie now I am even more excited!!!!

http://youtu.be/BrHlQUXFzfw

Here is the Japanes version with more footage!

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I watched Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter last night and want to give it a short review. First of all I am not a novel reader so I have not read the book. Nor am I the biggest fan of horror movies. I do love historical movies and the 19th century is my favorite time period, and I do admire president Lincoln so I just had to see this movie despite what I thought was a very silly premise.

The other thing that attaracted me to this film was the special effects. I am a special effects junkie and I offer no apologies for that. I saw the trailer and this certainly did look like eye candy. And it is. One of the strong points going for the movie is that it is a sumptious feats for the eyes. I gave this movie a lot of thought after I watched it and have thought about it this morning before writing this review. I am trying to sort out my feelings. I wouldn’t honestly say they are mixed because despite a strong opening of the film I gradually began to loose interest. Because I love the time period and I admire Abraham Lincoln and the movie is wonderful to look at I really wanted to like it…but I don’t.

One of the problems with the film for me is that it crams too much of Lincoln’s “life” into the film that it feels rushed. We see Lincoln as a child witnessing his mother’s murder at the hands of a vampire, we then jump to him being an adult and a vampire hunter in training to meeting both his future wife, Mary Todd, and Stephen Douglas in the same shop a few moments apart, then his life in the Senate is brief until we end up with Lincoln as President fighting a Civil War against the South populated mostly by Vampires! That was too much. All the peripheral characters, such as Adam the main Vampire, seem to stay on the periphery and they never are fleshed out and become more known.

Also, to be quite honest, I could never get beyond the silly premise. The superhero like way Lincoln wields a silver coated axe as an Indiana Jones type for the Vampire Hunting set just remained perposterous to me. We see Lincoln give the tail end of the Gettysburg Adress and since the Civil War is not so much depicted as a nation torn asunder with brother fighting brother, it is , in this reality, a war between humans and Vampires, then the words of that famous speech come off as outright lies! When Lincoln is sitting at the dinner table and sees his silver fork and realizes that that is the way to defeat the Southern Vampires I just rolled my eyes and laughed.

From my reading of other reviews from people that have read the novel, they say the novel is much better and except for the Vampire Hunting, had more historical accuracy. One of the things the movie did for me was to increase my interst in learning more about the REAL Lincoln and his life and the times he lived in. I knew I was not going to find it here.

New Posters for Superman and Star Trek!

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Star Trek Into Darkness

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Man of Steel.

These are two of the three movies I am looking forward to next year (the thrid one being Pacific Rim)!

I like both posters. The first poster reminds me of the teaser for The Dark Knight Rises. We will have new trailers for both of these movies in a matter of days!

 

 

 

 

It’s A Wonderful Life

During the month of October I recommended Halloween movies to view. For the next few weeks I will take a couple of days to recommend some Christmas movies. I will start with my all time favorite: It’s A Wonderful Life. This movie really fits the theme of this blog. It is a fantasy film with a time traveling angel. Yup, it fits!

For a time in the 80s and 90s this movie was played ad nauseum on TV due to wrinkles with the copyright issues. And just like eating too much cheese cake isn’t good for you, the over saturation of It’s A Wonderful Life  had some back lash. It became ripe for parody and people actually got tired of it. With the copyright issues resolved the movie is shown only on NBC once a year and I think it can be better appreciated for the classic that it has become when it is treated as if it is special.

The movie came out in 1946 and was produced and directed by Frank Capra, and it was based on the short story “The Greatest Gift“, written by Philip Van Doren Stern in 1939, and privately published by the author in 1945. The movie stars the great Jummy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore and Henry Travers. The movie was not very succesful at the box office. It had a budget of $3.1 million and only made $3.3 million. It also recieved mixed reviews from the critics, with some complaining that for a Holiday movie in the post World War II era, it was too dark with its themes of depression, deception and suicide attempts.

I will just briefly offer a plot synopsis because it is such a well known movie that I don’t feel the need to spend much time on the plot. The movie revolves around George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, who had great ambitions for his life that are never realized. Each time he is about to embark on his dream, life has other plans for him. When he hits a point of desperation his guardian angel Clarence, played by Henry Travers, shows him what life would have been like had he never been born. In the end George realizes that he has touched so many people and that he truly is blessed.

This movie resonates with me on many levels. It teaches me to remember to be grateful of the things I do have in life. It also teaches me that each and every one of us does touch the lives of others in ways we may not be aware of. It teaches me that close family and friends are indeed the real riches in this world.

I also have another personal reason for loving this movie. My mother, who grew up in the golden age of Hollywood and who gave me my love of movies, introduced me to this film. For a few years we watched this movie on Christmas Eve together. Then on Christmas Eve 1985 my mother passed away from cancer at the age of 60. I really came to value and cherrish those times. Then in 1988 I read about Jimmy Stewart when he had his 80th birthday and the article mentioned that he liked to answer his own fan mail. I sent him a letter telling him how much I enjoyed It’s A Wonderful Life and how it brings me fond memories of my mother who passed away on Christmas Eve. He sent me a nice hand written card in response and that is something I will always cherish too.

So take time this holiday season and watch a timeless holiday classic.

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Oh, another neat thing is the movie is depicted as taking place near where I live. Bedford Falls is supposed to be a fictionalized version of Seneca Falls (bridge included) a town close to where I live in Upstate NY.