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Showing posts from November, 2015

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice- Trailer 3 Sneak Preview

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Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens aside, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice has to be the most anticipated film for nerds. It will be the first time the two most iconic superheroes ever share the silver screen, and is a major milestone in DC's planned cinematic universe. It will also serve as an introduction to many major characters, such as Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and the Flash (Ezra Miller). A lot rides on this film not just succeeding at the box office (which no one doubts it will), but it actually being a good film as well. The past two trailers have really won fans over, and now a third one is on its way.
To coincide with the midseason finale of Gotham, Warner Bros. released a sneak preview announcing the release of a third, full length trailer that will air on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday, December 2nd. First of all, the teaser is awesome. It gives us a glance at one of the scenes from the previous trailer that had many …
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Creed SPOILER-FREE Review

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When I first heard that they were thinking about making a Rocky spin-off film, following Apollo Creed's son, I thought it was a stupid idea. They've made five Rocky sequels, and none of them have come close to being as great as the original, Academy Award winning movie. It's time to put the franchise to rest. But the more I was hearing about the spin-off, the more interested I became. Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) would be taking on a mentor role, and wouldn't actually fight (in the ring, that is). Fruitvale Station's director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan were brought on, and suddenly this film became a lot more credible. As the film got closer to release, hype began to build to the point where I was through the roof excited to see this film. While it didn't quite meet my unrealistic expectations, Creed is an awesome movie that is definitely more than just a spin-off, but rather a great retelling of the classic Rocky story.
Adonis Creed (Jordan) has wa…
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First Trailer for Captain America: Civil War

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One of my most anticipated films of next year is Captain America: Civil War. It pretty much is Avengers 2.5, as it reassembles Chris Evans (Captain America), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Don Cheadle (War Machine), Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Paul Bettany (Vision),  as well as adds Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), William Hurt (General Ross), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) and Emily VanCamp (Agent 13). Yeah, there's a sh*t ton of people. So I watched this trailer, very excited for the film and...
...this trailer is awesome. It really confirmed for me that this is still a Captain America movie, and not some bloated mess. The trailer itself is very Cap-centered, while branching off the other Avengers as supporting characters. Robert Downey Jr. was great in this trailer, and he didn't once overpower Cap. It is very clear that Cap will be t…
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Reflecting on 2015: Mr. Holmes SPOILER-FREE Review

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As we near closer and closer to the end of 2015, more films from earlier in the year are becoming available to watch on streaming services. Thus, I am able to catch up on movies I had missed from earlier this year. So in this reflection series, I will be giving spoiler-free reviews to films I am catching up on, as we near the end of this great year for film. So, let's jump right into this review for Mr. Holmes.

Mr. Holmes focuses on an elderly Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen), who suffers from alzheimer's disease. As he "enjoys" retirement, he struggles to solve his final case, the one that he screwed up so bad that he went into self-imposed exile. The film focuses on the 90 year old Holmes, as he tries to remember what happened in order to solve the one case he could never figure out.


This is truly a fantastic film. Ian McKellen brings a powerhouse performance that carries the film. It's interesting not to see him in a cloak or cape for once, and he reminds us why…
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The Ultimate Experimental Film: Robert Rodriguez's 100 Years

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I have written articles before about how original films are vital to the existence of the film industry, as they are the ones to take the jump and introduce new ideas and innovative creativity. You can read my whole editorial on that here. But this is an entire different level. Advertised as the film you'll never see, director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Spy Kids) has made a film titled 100 Years that won't be released for a little while... meaning a hundred years. That's right, this film won't be released until 2115. The film was written by and stars John Malkovitch. The film has been placed in a time capsule that will not open for another century.

To me, it looks to be a giant publicity stunt, but interesting nonetheless. But what prompted it? Rodriguez explained his interest in the project, saying:
"This is the first time I've done anything like this. I was intrigued by the concept of working on a film that nobody would ever see in my lifetime."
On a c…
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First Trailer for The Huntsman: Winter's War

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I had the unfortunate experience of seeing Snow White and the Huntsman in theaters. It cemented for me really how poor of an actress Kristen Stewart is. But she wasn't the only problem with that film. The writing was really bad, and the CGI wasn't the best either. The best part of that movie, however, was Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman. He at least added some life and energy to the dullness of the film. But when I heard they were doing a spin-off of the Huntsman character, a prequel, I wasn't all for it. Sure Hemsworth was the best part of Snow White, but I didn't want any kind of continuation of that franchise whatsoever. However, with the casting of Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain and the return of Charlize Theorn, my interest in the project grew. So when a trailer for The Huntsman: Winter's War (which is a stupid title) was released online, I checked it out. And I'm glad I did.

Surprisingly, I really liked this trailer. It gave us the character from Snow Whi…
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The Movie Paradise Nerd Round-Up: November 21st

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In this editorial series, I will be doing a weekly collection of all things nerdy. Some of the article will be a wrap-up of some movie news, perhaps casting rumors or images; stuff that doesn't necessarily warrant an entire article but are still important. Then the rest will be different geek culture items, such as memes or videos. I will try my best to post these every Saturday. So let's get our hands nerdy (okay, that was terrible) and check out the geek picks of this week.
The News

Memento, most of the world's first exposure to Christopher Nolan, is a masterful film. It is the definition of an original film (despite being based off a short story Nolan's brother wrote). And now, corporate Hollywood wants to remake it. I am all for remakes, and despite my opposition, I'll still probably end up seeing this remake. But there are so many other films that can and should be remade. I think Hollywood should remake movies that had good premises but poor executions. Those …
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First Trailer for Gods of Egypt

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Before a couple days ago, I had never heard of Gods of Egypt. I saw there were some posters for some Gerard Butler movie, but I knew nothing about the film itself. Then I saw there was a trailer for the movie, so I thought I might as well check it out. I had no expectations, yet this trailer was still below my expectations. This movie looks awful. The same warning signs that went off with Jupiter Ascending or other CGI-fest crap bombs went off when I watched this trailer. This just looks like a boring, stupid film that wants to be Exodus: Gods and Kings but isn't going to be half as good, despite that film being awful.

This trailer is littered with God-awful CGI. The green screens are laughable. It looks bad even for TV. There is nothing appealing about this trailer. The acting looks poor. The CGI is horrendous. The dialogue was bad. Everything just looks bad. This could be one of those "it's so bad it's good" movies, and I've heard that defense from a lot o…
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First Trailer for The Boss

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*Warning: Contains Strong Language*
Melissa McCarthy is one of the top female comedians working in film today. Aside from Tammy, she has been knocking every one of her films out of the park. This summer she starred in Spy, which was not only met with a positive critical response, but did fairly well at the box office as well. McCarthy goes against everything a leading female is supposed to be, and that's something Hollywood really needs right now. She's a bankable star with monumental success. So when I saw that the trailer for her new film, The Boss, had been released, I eagerly checked it out.

I really enjoyed this trailer. It perfectly captures the magic of McCarthy's comedy. She's outrageous, loud, over-the-top and vulgar, and that's everything this trailer is. I really like the premise of the film. It's a different idea from McCarthy's previous films, and puts her in a very different situation than she's used to. The supporting cast looks good, and …
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Zoolander 2- Trailer 2

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I actually only saw Zoolander for the first time a few months ago. I had heard great things about the film, but I had never gotten around to watching it. So I saw it, and I thought it was great! The humor was spot on, and it was just a very enjoyable film. So I was definitely excited by the prospect of a sequel. To see Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell all return for another outing would be exciting. The first teaser for Zoolander 2 came out a little while ago, and I thought it was good. It didn't blow me away, but I thought it was good. But I was waiting for our first real, full length trailer. And now, we have that official trailer.

I really liked this trailer. It was very reminiscent of the original film. It had the same style of humor: stupid, over-the-top and ridiculous. But that is exactly what is so great about the first film. I love the additions of Kristen Wiig and Benedict Cumberbatch. We haven't really seen Cumberbatch in a comedic role like this before, so…
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Prometheus 2 Renamed; Official Logo and Synopsis Revealed

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I am pretty sure everyone working on the next Prometheus film is high on crack. Because that is the only explanation for all the sh*t coming out of that production. Putting aside director Ridley Scott's tug-of-war on whether the film would tie into Alien or not, the movie has just come out with the title Alien: Paradise Lost. Neill Blomkamp's Alien 5 was also pushed back indefinitely (you can read about that here) in favor of Scott's potential third and fourth Prometheus films that would discover the origin of the Xenomorphs, but yet somehow still loosely connected to the franchise. It's a mess, to be honest. And now we have more sh*t to add to the show. 
The film has been renamed officially from Paradise Lost to Alien: Convenant. The logo for the film has also been released, alongside a synopsis for the movie that only amounts to more questions.
"Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created in ALIEN with ALIEN: CONVENANT, the second chapter in a prequel trilog…
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Bridge of Spies SPOILER-FREE Review

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Steven Spielberg. Tom Hanks. These are names that bring about thoughts of excellence and experience. These are two veterans in the film industry, who have made some of the greatest films ever, both individually and together. So when you hear that these two are reuniting for a Cold War period piece thriller, you can't help but be excited. And I was very excited for Bridge of Spies. From the very early stages, I thought this film could be a serious Oscar contender. I was also shocked that more people weren't talking and buzzing about this film. But, after seeing the film, I can see why. Bridge of Spies may be made by Steven Spielberg, but it sure as hell doesn't feel like it.
The film tells the true story of James B. Donovan (Hanks), an American lawyer who is tasked with defending a Russian spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance). But once Russia has two Americans imprisoned, Donovan must travel to the communist country in order to negotiate a trade between the two divided nations. 

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New Bryan Singer X-Men Movie Coming in 2018

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2016 will be a big year for Fox's X-Men universe. Fox will become the first studio to produce three comic book movies in one year, with Deadpool, X-Men: Apocalypse and Gambit all hitting theaters next year. While Deadpool is my most anticipated of the three (and of the year entirely), Apocalypse will be the biggest of the three. It will be the conclusion of the new X-Men: First Class cast, and will lay out the future of the franchise. Right now, it's not clear as to what the future will be. After Wolverine 3, Hugh Jackman will be retiring from his role. Jennifer Lawrence has shown disinterest in renegotiating her contract. So how will the franchise move forward? Apparently, with Bryan Singer.
Singer, who began the franchise in 2000 with X-Men, and revitalized it with last year's X-Men: Days of Future Past, will return for a fifth X-Men movie, set for a 2018 release date. 

I am excited. Singer has yet to give us a bad X-Men movie. He (other than Matthew Vaughn) is the only…
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The Movie Paradise Nerd Round-Up: November 14th

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In this editorial series, I will be doing a weekly collection of all things nerdy. Some of the article will be a wrap-up of some movie news, perhaps casting rumors or images; stuff that doesn't necessarily warrant an entire article but are still important. Then the rest will be different geek culture items, such as memes or videos. I will try my best to post these every Saturday. So let's get our hands nerdy (okay, that was terrible) and check out the geek picks of this week.
The News

With the marketing ramping up for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, there is still so much we don't know. One of these unknowns is Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). We have seen very brief shots of her in the trailers, but we don't really know how she plays into the film, or what she's been up to after all these years. Well, now we are one step closer to knowing. It has been confirmed that Leia no longer goes by "Princess", but "General". I think we all assumed…
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Steve Jobs SPOILER-FREE Review

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Steve Jobs is a movie I have been looking forward to for a while. It has gone through many different hands. At first, David Fincher was set to direct, with Christian Bale in the titular role. Then both dropped out, and Leonardo DiCaprio was later cast. He then left, and Bale came back, however left again. Then, Danny Boyle came on to direct and Michael Fassbender was set to star. But after last year's Sony Hack, the film left Sony and went to Universal. After all that drama, it finally got made at Universal, with Boyle and Fassbender. Many were hopeful yet apprehensive that this movie would still be good after all the switches and changes. But after seeing the film, I can tell you right now, this is one of the best films of the year.
The film tells the story of Apple CEO Steve Jobs (Fassbender), behind the scenes of three major public announcements: the launch of the Macintosh, the launch of the NeXT Computer and the launch of the iMAC. We follow Jobs behind the scenes as he prepa…
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Weekly Box Office Round-Up: Spectre Would Like the Box Office Shaken, Not Stirred

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This weekend, Spectre and The Peanuts Movie opened in theaters. Let's take a look at this past weekend's box office. 
#1 Spectre- $73,000,000

In its opening weekend, Spectre came in first place. The film burst out of the gate, making close to $300 million in its opening weekend. The numbers look really promising for this movie, and I think it will crack $1 billion, similar to its predecessor Skyfall. However, I did expect its opening weekend domestic numbers to be higher. I was think more along the lines of $100 million. Skyfall made $88 million in its opening weekend, so I'm sure the studio is upset that Spectre didn't come closer to those numbers. But still, $300 million worldwide is something to celebrate. And like I said, I'm sure Spectre will cross $1 billion worldwide in the end. You can read my review for the film here, as well as my review for Casino Royale and Skyfallhere.
#2 The Peanuts Movie- $45,000,000


In its opening weekend, The Peanuts Movie came in s…
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Spectre SPOILER-FREE Review

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In preparation for the release of Spectre this weekend, I watched Casino Royale and Skyfall, which you can read my reviews for here. I enjoyed the films, so I was really looking forward to seeing Spectre in theaters. However, I had heard mixed reviews about the film prior to its release, so I was tentative about the movie. Maybe it wouldn't be the greatest thing ever, but at least it would be fun. In the end, I was glad that I checked my expectations, because it allowed me to enjoy the film even more. Spectre may not be Daniel Craig's best Bond movie, but it is a very solid entry into the ultimate spy franchise.

Spectre opens in Mexico City, where James Bond (Craig) has taken matters into his own hands. He is out to prevent a terrorist bombing, but without the official say-so of MI6. As a result, Bond is let go from the spy organization, relieved of his 00 status, and is on his own in fulfilling the final, dying wish of M (Judi Dench), that uncovers a mystery that has been inv…
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Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens- International Trailer

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The third and final trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (which you can see here) was released recently and got everyone excited for the upcoming film. It was filled with new footage, and gave us our first look at the story, as well as a lot of new characters. But with the release of the trailer came the conformation that it would be the last trailer for the film. This was both a good and bad thing. It was good that we wouldn't be over-saturated with Star Wars, and that there would be plenty of surprises left for us to experience in the theater. It was also bad, as everyone is on the edge of their seat waiting for the tiniest glimpse of new footage. But I was content with the final trailer. It was a really good trailer, and I bought my tickets and was ready. And now, LucasFilm has unexpectedly blessed us with the international trailer, which is filled with new footage.
I really like this trailer. I'm not going to say that it's better than the official trai…
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