Movie News 8/11/14: Ninja Turtles sequel announced, Batman V Superman release date moved, and DC movie slate revealed!

Greetings everyone!  Today I have three little tidbits of movie news to go over with you all today.  I am not in the business of trying to be the one to first break news, as I do not as of yet have the connections to join that field, but rather give my opinion on the stories first reported by more established sites.  Without further banter, lets get into it.

1.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sequel announced!

-  Up until two weeks ago, no movie had ever grossed over 60 million dollars in one weekend in the month of August.  Last week that stat was abolished with the huge 93 million dollar opening weekend by Guardians of the galaxy.  Now for the second week in a row we have another 60 million opener in the Ninja Turtle reboot.  I have not seen the movie yet.  I was perfectly fine skipping it, but I have heard from some people in the business that it actually is not that bad.  Not that bad is a vague score, but nevertheless I have been convinced to give it a chance, so I will be seeing that within the next day or two.  But despite the skeptics, this movie about talking turtles made a ton of money, and as soon as those figures came in; Paramount studios went ahead and announced that the Ninja Turtles sequel is set to come out on June 3rd, 2016.  Good for them.  They obviously feel confident enough that fans will like the movie enough to come back and see the sequel, so bravo to Michael Bay.  The quick announcement of a sequel also gives confidence to people on the fence about seeing the first one that is out in theaters right now.  It must be doing something right if the bosses over at Paramount are already writing checks and making calls to get another one going.  All in all, I am happy when movies are successful and if this movie brought some enjoyment to enough people, then by all means make another one, and keep raking in that dough.  After all, it is a business.

2.  "Batman V. Superman:  Dawn of Justice " changes its release date to March 25th, 2016.

-  The 7 month long game of chicken is finally over.  For those of you who did not know; the scheduled Batman V Superman movie was supposed to be released on June 6, 2016.  Right in the peak of the summer movie season, kids are about to be let out of school; whats the problem right?  Well there is another movie set to come out on that date by the name of Captain America 3.  Never before have

Are you ready for the Batfleck?

two blockbuster movies of that caliber ever come out on the same day.  Why?  Because most of the general movie going audience are going to pick one or the other to see that weekend.  Not both.  Inevitably, both movies would have lost money in the long run if they opened against each other.  Both sides have been adamant that they were not moving under any circumstances.  Well that turned out to be a load of crap because Warner Brothers has officially moved up Batman V Superman to a late March release date.  My thoughts?  Duh.  One of them had to move, because not doing so would have been flat out stupid.  I'm all for keeping ones pride.  But if it came down to pride, or an extra hundred million dollars.....sorry pride, but you gotta take a hike.  Warner Brothers needs Batman V Superman to be a massive hit if they hope to catch up to Marvel in terms of

fan popularity, so naturally they have more to lose.  They had to be the ones to move, they did, and now they can just focus on making a good movie instead of worrying about making a better movie than Captain America 3.  Kudos.

3.  Warner Brothers (DC) locks up 9 dates through 2020

-  Ever since the first Iron Man movie, Marvel studios has had a clear path as to where they wanted their movie universe to begin and end.  The Marvel movies that came out this year had been in the works for years, and at this very moment the Marvel executives are probably discussing what they should do in the year 2025 or something like that.  DC on the other hand, with the exception of the Dark Knight trilogy has had a track record of being wishy washy in what they want to do with their DC comics super heroes.  What was the point of that Green Lantern movie again?  Or that Superman returns movie back in 06?  Marvel has set the standard for how these heroes should be handled, and although DC doesn't have to replicate the Marvel process:  they would be fools not to.  Man of Steel was awesome, and it gave me hope that Warner Brothers finally had a plan to create a DC comics shared cinematic universe.  That was all but confirmed at comic con 2013 when they announced a Batman Vs Superman movie was coming.  But then, that movie got pushed back 10 months, they hired Ben Affleck to be Batman, Jesse Eisenberg to be Lex Luthor, and all of a sudden DC was back to being the ugly step child compared to Marvel.  I for one have faith in Warner Brothers simply because I believe in greed.  These studio heads are some greedy sons of bitches, and these DC heroes have the potential to make Warner Brothers a hell of a lot of money.  They would be wasting a monumental opportunity if they did not try to make a DC universe.  Well apparently that plan has somewhat been enacted.  DC has announced that they have locked up 9 different dates in addition to the Batman V Superman date to release untitled DC comics movies.  Starting in 2016, we will supposedly get two DC movies every year until 2020.  Talk is cheap.  I want to know what those movies are.  They are kinda making a big announcement in releasing these dates, but are still safeguarding themselves by not saying what movies they are.  As for my guesses, one has to be a Justice League movie.  One has to be a Wonder Woman movie.  One has to be a stand alone Batman movie, and one HAS to be a Man of Steel sequel.  As for the rest, I don't care.  Just make them good.  We also know that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has signed on to be a character in one or more of these movies; we just don't know who he will be playing just yet.  I wanted him to be the new Green Lantern, but my money is on him playing Shazam.  All in all, I'd say this is good news if you enjoy super hero movies, or big box office dollars.

Shazam

"The Rock"

Well thats all I have for today.  Get out there and see some movies!  Let me know what you think of this news, or tell me about some other pieces of movie news that I may have missed.  It is a great time to be a film fan!  This blog now has a twitter page that you can follow.  By following you will be the first to know anytime anything is posted, plus be subjected to poll questions, live Q & A's, and just some all around fun stuff.  So please follow and tell your friends.  Follow us on Twitter at  @BigD_TMB .  Thanks again!

-  Big D

Hope he leaves this outfit at home.....

Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

Happy Sunday night everyone! I am truly sorry for the absence, but ever since comic con I have had some very time consuming things to take care of.  The last few years I have coached youth football for my cities local team the Corona Chargers.  Well we just started our season last week and it has forced me to switch all my shifts at work to the daytime so that I could be at practice five nights a week.  Very stressful indeed.  Also most recently, I fell very ill and did not have much energy to say the least.

 However all that did not stop me from seeing this little film called Guardians of the Galaxy three times in its opening weekend.  Thats right I PAYED to see this movie all three times, once in 3D Imax and

the other two times in standard.  But enough foreplay, lets talk Guardians.  

Marvel studios, in my opinion, has officially surpassed Pixar as the most successful movie makers in the business today.  Every Pixar movie is amazing, and almost a lock for best animated picture at the Oscars.  Even the weaker Pixar films are still better than anything any other studio picks out.  The difference between Pixar and Marvels success is that Pixar puts out a movie every couple of years, while Marvel is cranking out two every single year, and has a two movies a year on the slate until 2028!  The consistency of quality and box office success is astounding.  This all suddenly came to my attention upon seeing Guardians of the Galaxy (GOTG) for the first time.  Marvel has taken an unknown property about a very diverse group of misfits, put them in outer space, had an unknown director take the reigns, and the people of America and the WORLD came out in droves to see it!  I mean if some unknown rich guy funded the exact same movie without the Marvel brand name I guarantee you it doesn't have half of the same success.  Anyways I think it is safe to say that this is the funnest movie of the year.  Maybe of the last two years.  This film is incredibly paced, and that is all due to the great vision of director James Gunn; who is already hard at work on the sequel.  The movie stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, a human who was abducted from earth as a child, and who now goes around the galaxy stealing rare objects and selling them to the highest bidder.  Essentially a hybrid of Han Solo and Indiana Jones.  It also features Zoe Saldana in some green body paint playing some sexy ass assassin named Gamora.  Then there is professional wrestler turned actor Dave Batista playing the steroid riddled vengeance seeker Drax the Destroyer.  These charcters are all awesome, but going into the movie there were a lot of questions about the last two members:  Rocket Raccoon and Groot.  Rocket is voiced by Bradley Cooper, and Groot is voiced by Vin Diesel.  Probably the two most random actors they could have gotten to play these two characters.  Groot is an eight foot tree creature whose powers are so badass that I won't spoil them for you here.  Oh and by the way, he only says three words the whole movie.  Literally.  Rocket is a talking raccoon.  Who likes weapons.  He's awesome.  The strength of this movie is easily the chemistry amongst the five members of the team and their various interactions amongst each other.  It suffers a bit from the whole "they hate

Gamora,  Peter Quill (Star-Lord),   Rocket,    Drax,    Groot

each other at first, but end up rallying together to beat the bad guy and are best friends at the end cliche", but oh well it was to be expected.  Also, it would be criminal to write a review of this movie without mentioning the soundtrack.  Maybe the best use of music to compliment a movie that I have ever seen.  Some people might laugh at me for saying that, but whatever I only have like 10 readers anyway.  The main character, Peter Quill, was taken from earth in 1988, and all he had with him was a walkman music player with a single cassette tape filled with 70's music.  From the opening scene to the ending scene we are graced with multiple seventies hits including "The Pina Colada song" and "I want you Back" by the Jackson 5.  The music shows how much a really good soundtrack can help a movies likability.  The story of GOTG is nothing spectacular so I won't go into great detail.  This movie just needed to get these characters together so that they could work their magic.  I don't really feel like digging into spoilers or sharing jokes from the movie because it truly is a wonderful movie going experience that needs to be had on your own.  Trust me, you do not need to be a fan of super heroes, sci-fi, or action to like this movie.  So if you like fun things, have two free hours plus 12$, then get your ass to the theater and see this movie.  You're welcome.

Score:  9/10
Verdict:  My Grandma would love it (See it!)

Big D The Movie Blog Going Forward: Comic Con 2014

First, a little video message to all the loyal readers.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=TEJ_8XrmxyQ

Did you watch it? Yes? No?  Anyways if you did not, it was a song that I remember fondly from my childhood.  I was a big WWE/WWF fan, and that song was the theme music for former RAW general manager Eric Bischoff.  God that guy was a dick.  Anyways we are back, and better than ever over here at Big D the Movie Blog, and we have some very exciting things to bring you.  First and foremost;

San Diego Comic Con begins on Thursday, and like every year this will produce some of the biggest movie news of the year.  I personally will be attending Comic Con on thursday and friday, and will try to cover all the biggest stories I am able to.  Among the panels I plan on going to include the annual Masters of the Web panel on thursday with special guest Manu Bennet from the tv show Arrow.  Also premiering at this panel is the first official trailer for the upcoming documentary "The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened? " directed by the great Jon Schnepp.  Also there, is one of the best online film personalities out there in Mr John Campea of AMC Movie News.  I watch AMC movie news' daily talk show every day, and look forward to meeting them all at the Con.  Also I hope to attend the Arrow panel as that is easily my favorite show going right now, and Stephen Amell just seems like the greatest guy in the world.  He plays the titular character in Arrow, and if you look at some of his Facebook posts; he just comes off as a very genuine and grateful guy.

What I want this Year

Now lets talk about the bags.  Every person that has the very lucky opportunity to attend Comic Con in addition to the badge they receive is given a very special bag that is used to promote some of the things going on while simultaneously giving you a place to put all your crap.  There are about 10 different kinds of bags, and the distribution of them is random so there is no way ask for a specific one.  Last year I got the bag that promoted the tv show Supernatural.  I was upset because they had ones featuring Batman, The Big Bang Theory, 300, Godzilla, and The Lego Movie.  And I got stuck with a bag about a stupid show I know nothing about.

What I got last Year

At least it wasn't Teen Titans Go.  This year they have an awesome Arrow bag available, and that is the one I really want.  I heard a rumor there is a Hello Kitty bag in the lot.  Good God please do not let me get that one.  Anyway this is just one of the many cool things about San Diego comic con.  By the way let me take this moment to express my genuine gratitude for being able to attend this event.  This is legitimately one of the hardest things in the world to get tickets for.  You can thank us nerds for making this thing become so popular to the point where it is almost impossible to get in.  I knew people that had been going to comic con ever since you could buy tickets the day of and go in, and this year around they are not going simply because they couldn't get tickets.  Very sad.  But I am one of the lucky fans going, and I will not waste this opportunity.  I shall be sure to take lots of pictures, and will make a very extensive post about my time there.

Many great movies have come out since the last time I wrote including Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, 22 Jump Street, and How to train your Dragon 2.  Naturally though some big pieces of shit also accompanied those great films.  Stay away from Tammy, Transformers 4, and Sex Tape.  Do not waste your money or your time on these.  I was thinking about writing a review for Tammy right after I saw it, but I was afraid if I started writing about that film that the review would become so vulgar that it would offend even my most open readers.  That movie was the worst film I have seen in a long long time.  I felt violated upon walking out of the theater that night.  You would too if Melissa McCarthy came up to you, tied you to a chair, told you terrible offensive jokes for two hours, and then stole 12 dollars plus gas money out of your wallet before letting you go.  Enough about Tammy.

Thank you so much for tuning in today for this update, and I again apologize for the extended absence, but I know my loyal readers will return! Hahaha well continue to check back for a review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and a huge amount of Comic Con news and pictures.  Its an exciting time to be a movie fan, and as always...until next time, have a splendid rest of your day.


-  Big D

Movie Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Good evening everyone, happy sunday, and tonight I felt that it was important to bring all of you this movie review.  At the beginning of the year, I would have put this new Xmen film number two on my most anticipated movies of the year list because the last installment (first class) was so good, and the Xmen franchise as a whole is so solid.  Do you like the Xmen?  If you don't, you're crazy.  Haha just kidding (kind of).  As a reminder, all of my reviews will be split into two different sections.  The first section will be for people who have not yet seen the movie and would like to know if I think it is worth

seeing or not.  It will be more vague and generic and will not give away any important plot points or details.  The second section will be the bulk of the review, and will be much more detailed.  I must warn you that the second section may contain information that can be taken as a spoiler of sorts; so tread lightly.  Anyways lets get straight into this review of the mega blockbuster X-Men: Days of Future Past (DOFP).

Who wins in a fight:  The X-Men or the Avengers?  The answer is neither:  its whoever happens to be watching.  This is what I say when anyone asks me which I prefer be it "The Avengers", "The Dark Knight", or X-Men:  DOFP.  Who cares which I like better; they're all awesome, and as the quality and popularity of these superhero movies increases, it forces the studios to try harder to make them bigger and BETTER.  With that scenario we are all winners.  This film X-Men: DOFP gives me faith again.  Faith in the superhero movie.  Faith in America, faith in myself.  I may be over exaggerating here, but no really this movie is brilliant.  BRILLIANT I SAY.  The plot revolves around merging the old original trilogy cast with the newly rebooted first class set of characters.  The one individual who brings together these two very different casts is one of my personal favorite movie

Do you even lift bro?

characters of all time:  Hugh Jackman's "Wolverine".  The opening sequence establishes a very dark future set in the year 2023.  Humans and mutants are being hunted by an ultra intelligent army of robotic killers called sentinels.  Only a few mutants are still alive and they happen to be led by Professor X, Magneto, Storm, and Wolverine.  Coincidentally the most popular characters from the original trilogy.  Soon they realize that they cannot run forever, and devise a plan to send Wolverine back in time to 1973 to stop an event that ultimately leads to the creation of the sentinels.  This event that needs to be altered has to do with another popular character:  Mystique.  You know, the really blue woman?  No?  Ummm, the one played by Jennifer Lawrence?  Thats better?  Okay you're welcome.  The movie focuses mostly in the past, and on the relationship triangle between Mystique, young Professor X, and young Magneto as they stubbornly agree to help Wolverine alter the future.  The whole time travel thing could have made the movie sound really confusing, and maybe I only made it worse, but trust me this film does not get complicated at all.  It paces really well, and features many memorable scenes.  Most notably one with a brand new character named Peter which had the theater I was in dying of laughter and awe.  You'll know it when you see it.  Overall, the strength of this movie is the execution of its story, and the likability of its characters.  Even if you do not like the Xmen, or superhero movies, or fun.......you should still see this movie! Haha.
Verdict:  Most Entertaining Film of the Year!     (So Far...)      (SEE IT!)

New + Old

-  Okay now that all that formal crap is out of the way, we can really talk about this film.  I had always loved the X-Men movies with the exception of the third one (quack quack).  That was the sound of a duck.  That film was a duck.  Thats bad.  This new Xmen is the opposite of a duck.  It is a damn Pegasus.  So epic, beautiful, and majestic in nature.  Analogies aside, it is an understatement to say that this films plot could have confused some viewers.  If I made this movie for instance, there would be some guy in the theater selling rotten tomatoes to throw at the screen. But thankfully I did not direct this movie; Bryan Singer did.  He was also the director of the first two Xmen films, and they were some of the best comic book movies ever made.  He knows these characters, knows this universe, and I was happy that he was back.  He brilliantly was able to navigate the viewer through the future and the past in a way that was not too complicated, but still felt complex.  The sequences in the past were story and drama driven while the future served as the backdrop for the best action scenes.  Personally I enjoyed

Mystique! (Jennifer Lawrence)

the time spent in the past more because we got to see the legendary Hugh Jackman play Wolverine one more time, and the great Michael Fassbender in action.  The Fass is simply amazing at acting, and is worth the price of admission alone.  Hell, there are at least 5 characters worth the price of admission.  Speaking of the characters; lets talk about the acting performances.  Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, and Hugh Jackman are there world class selves as always, and it is no surprise how good they are in this film.  The meat of the burden of this movie fell on the first class cast of characters:  Fassbender (young Magneto), James Mcavoy (young Professor X), Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), and Beast (Nicholas Hoult).  Thank god they were just as amazing as they were in First Class.  The most important part of this new cast of Xmen was that they got the Professor X-Magneto relationship to feel right.  Boy did they ever.  You actually believe that Fassbender and Mcavoy deeply care for each other, but their difference in ideologies are just too great to overcome and be allies.  Okay, now to the action.  The scenes that feature the fights between the surviving Xmen and the sentinels are spectacular, and are beautifully choreographed.  It is really cool to see the different powers used together in an attempt to defeat these robotic killers.  Trust me, these

"The Fass"

sentinels are not your ordinary robots.  They are genuinely scary.  Like 8 Xmen, and they don't even scratch one of them!  Back in First Class, Magneto had trouble lifting a submarine......jump to DOFP, and he can lift an entire damn baseball field out of the ground!  Epic.  Just in case you're reading this and you have not seen the film, I am not going to talk about the Quicksilver scene.  If I spoil it, I am doing a disservice.  His name is Quicksilver in the

Look for this guy

comics, but they call him Peter in the film.  Look out for that.  The only weakness in the film is the end scene in the past on the white house lawn.  It just didn't make too much sense to me, and didn't fit the tone of the rest of the movie.  But hey I'm nitpicking at this point because there is so few things wrong with this movie. The villains were decent enough to the point where they weren't a weakness, and that is what I was hoping for.  Magneto is always very compelling, the sentinels were bad ass in the future and stupid in the past, and Bolivar Trask was good in the role he was given.  He was no Joker or Loki, but was good enough to hold his own against the clearly superior "good" guys.  If you can't tell by now, this movie is the best film I have seen this year.  We have a long ways to go, and a lot of movies to see before I crown it the best of the year; but if another film comes out that is better than this:  I just might lose my mind.  Overall, the strengths of this film lies in the execution of its story along with some exceedingly great acting performances.  Throw in all the necesary jaw dropping action sequences needed by a comic book film and X-Men: DOFP becomes a very special movie.  You are crazy if you do not at least give this film a chance.  Go see it!
Rating:  9/10

Well thank you so much for reading this review, and I genuinely hope that you enjoyed it.  If you saw the film please comment what you thought of it, and if you liked it.  As for whats next, I will continue to comment on the worlds movie news, review new movies, and maybe some other things i've been thinking of.  It is a very exciting time to be a film fan, and I thank all of you who continue to read what I have to say for you're continued support.  Until next time, stay tuned and have a splendid night.

-  Big D

Throw Back Movie Review #1: Toy Story

Happy Sunday fellow movie fans; today I am starting a new concept to be featured on this blog, and I call it the "Throw Back Movie Review Segment".  Basically every thursday going forward will feature a movie review of an older movie that generally everyone has seen or at least heard about.  Hopefully it will entertain some of the viewers who appreciate older films, and do not go to the movies all that much.  Today will be the first in the series, and I have selected one of my favorite films of all time:  The original Toy Story.  These reviews will not be split into two parts, and may contain some spoilers.  With that said, lets talk about Toy Story.

When it comes to animation, Pixar studios has often been regarded as the gold standard throughout Hollywood.  I mean look at the films they have put out!  Up, Monsters inc, The Incredibles, Cars, Finding Nemo, and others.  Any Pixar film is almost guaranteed to earn a best animated feature nomination, and rightfully so as they have often deserved it.  However throughout all the animated films I have seen, and I have seen many, one has often stuck with me and has remained a treasure that is dear to my heart.  That film is the original Toy Story.  The movies that I tend to like the most are the ones that allow the audience to bond with the characters they have created, and I would be hard pressed to find a movie that does that better than Toy Story.  Maybe "Up".... Anyways, I am not big on

hiring big Hollywood actors to be the voices of animated characters, but all these years later I find it hard to imagine someone other than Tom Hanks and Tim Allen voicing Woody and Buzz respectfully.  So expertly cast it was remarkable.  Now this review could be a tribute to the entire trilogy altogether, but the first Toy Story will always be my favorite because it is one of the first movies I can ever remember watching.  It is special in that I believe I actually enjoy the movie more now then I did as a kid.  This is what is special about all Pixar films in that they really are for adults.  Do not tell me you did not feel emotional during that opening sequence of "Up", because if you did not then I believe you have no soul.  The feel of Toy Story is so amazing that I forget all the time that I am watching talking toys for heavens sake, because all I see is a bunch of characters that act realer than most people I know.  That is powerful stuff.  These characters embody the family and fraternity that a lot of people crave, and I believe that is a large part of why so many people adore these movies.  If we look past all of the emotion and larger than life aspect of Toy Story, this movie is actually pretty funny.  The chemistry between Woody and the rest of the toys comes off a little like " we respect you, but some of us don't like you" (Mr Potato Head).  Woody gets all the attention until Buzz Lightyear shows up, and it begins the new sibling story arc.  Andy is obsessed with Buzz at first, but deep down he will always love

Woody in a special way, but Woody is unable to see that.  Throw in his worsening relationship with the rest of the toys, and Woody's life is spiraling out of control.  Even though we see that Woody is kind of a dick at times; we all feel bad for him still.  The movie sprinkles in some great humor though out; mostly between Buzz and Woody.
Woody:  Buzz look an Alien!
Buzz: Where?
Woody: BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
My favorite scene from the whole movie.  Moments like this are so light hearted, but impactful at the same time.  The Toy Story films are all masterpieces that have such a memorable cast of characters, and a  myriad of touching scenes.  The first one will always be my favorite, but I don't hate on anyone who likes 2 or 3 better.  By the way, how much of a douche is Sid Phillips?  Overall though, I would say this is a near perfect film that is ultimately made to stand the test of time and be entertaining for people truly of all ages.
Rating:  9.9/10

Thanks for checking out this throw back review of Toy Story!  Do you like this new series of reviews? If so, what other old films would you like me to talk about?  Be on the lookout for a post about the weekends movie news that came out plus my review of X-Men:  Days of Future Past.  You won't want to miss that.  Well, until next time; stay tuned, and a have a fantastic sunday.

-  Big D

Movie Review: Godzilla (2014)

What is up people.  Today I have a great movie review to share with you all today, and it is for a film that I have been really looking forward to for over a year:  Godzilla!  Or Gojira.  Directed by fairly new director Gareth Edwards, this film was looking to erase the memory of that late nineties Roland Emmerich piece of trash from everyones mind.  Last year at comic con I was able to see the big Godzilla presentation that featured the first look at the monster, plus some words from the cast (mainly Bryan Cranston).  It is safe to say I almost soiled myself due to the sheer awesomeness of what I had saw, but as with all marketing; it is easier to make a movie look good then it is to make a good movie.  Inevitably I became worried when I saw all these awesome trailers, because too many times have I over hyped movies based on previews and marketing only to be disappointed when I see the actual film.  Cough cough, Dark Knight Rises.....But screw all that this movie is amazing.  Like i've seen it three times already, amazing.  As a reminder, all of my reviews will be split into two different sections.  The first section will be for people who have not yet seen the movie and would like to know if I think it is worth seeing or not.  It will be more vague and generic and will not give away any important plot points or details.  The second section will be the bulk of the review, and will be much more detailed.  I must warn you that the second section may contain information that can be taken as a spoiler of sorts; so tread lightly.

Godzilla!  This reboot comes off as a film that is most definitely strong enough to stand on its own, but also feels like a setup for a potential franchise.  And if that is indeed the case, then bravo Warner Brothers.  This movie makes no mistake about what it is, or who it is targeting.  Sorry Ladies, this movie is for MEN.  Good old meat eating, denim wearing, manly men.  And nerds.  Can't forget the nerds.  Yeah....well the story follows the path of a young navy lieutenant named Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) as he tries to get back to his family in San Francisco from Japan.  Oh by the way, what is making this homecoming so difficult is the fact that there are enormous monsters wreaking havoc throughout the western United States.  While the movie remains focused on the human narrative for most of the film with only a few scenes featuring Godzilla; the movie is able to still entertain the audience to a large extent.  I would say the first hour and a half is a bit underwhelming simply because there isn't much Godzilla.  However the last half hour or so of "Godzilla" is well worth the price of admission on its own.  It is so breathtakingly amazing that it will make the issues of the first two thirds of the movie completely forgotten.  It features the best monster action I think I have ever seen amidst a race against the clock type scenario for the heroes on the ground.  Overall, if you enjoy large scale disaster movies, epic monster fights, or military thrillers; then I bet you will enjoy this Godzilla movie.  Be sure to see it in the theaters, preferably IMAX, because there are some things your television just cannot replicate.
Verdict:  Why have you not seen it already??? (Go See It!)


WARNING:  SPOILERS ARE AHEAD  

"I HATE SPOILERS" - Godzilla

I love Godzilla.  It is a fantastically entertaining movie, and I am incredibly excited to see where this film franchise goes heading forward.  I needed this.  After seeing that piece of human waste that Sony is calling The Amazing Spider Man 2; I needed Godzilla to be wonderful.  It did not disappoint.  The first 30 minutes of the movie that actually had Bryan Cranston in it were surprisingly emotional, and the film almost spun out of control once his character died.  The scene between Ford and his dad as they are walking through their old house was heartbreaking; especially that shot of Cranston looking up and seeing the old happy birthday banner.  After Cranston kicks it, we come to the weakest part of the film. The beginning is brilliant because of Cranston, the end is brilliant because of Godzilla, and the middle suffers due to a lack of either Cranston  or Godzilla.  Still, the middle was decent enough to hold me over until we finally see Godzilla start to kick some monster ass.  The other two creatures that he fights are pretty cool looking, and together are actually a viable threat to Godzilla.  Individually he wrecked both of them, but when they teamed up to fight Godzilla he was a bit over matched.  Aaron Taylor Johnson plays the main character Ford Brody.  A lot of other critics have been bashing his performance in this film due to his lack of emotion, and I am here to offer my reasoning as to why I disagree with that.  He does exhibit a fair deal of pain when his dad dies, but at that same time he cannot afford to be too overly distraught because he has a mission to get back to his wife and son who are in danger of their own.  Plus it came off to me that up until they see each other in the movie; they were never really close anyways.  Nevertheless I was not there to see Aaron Taylor Johnson.

 I was there to see Godzilla.  One of the weaknesses and one of the strengths of this film is that we do not see Godzilla all that much.  It is a weakness because he looks so awesome and you keep wanting to see more of him, but it is also a strength because his disappearance in the first two acts only make his moments in the last part of the film so much better.  If it were two hours of just Godzilla, then we would have gotten tired of him, and not appreciated him as much as we do now.  The look of Godzilla goes back to his original design but with a CGI makeover, and the result is so cool.  He is big, buff, and bad ass.  But really what sealed the deal for me as far as this movie goes is the ending.  The fight scene between Godzilla and the other two monsters had me jumping up and down in my seat like I was a little kid.  I can think of 3 separate times where I just pounded my chest and screamed "yeah!" in the theater.  That never happens anymore!  Trust me, the last 30 minutes of this film is worth the price of admission alone.  So epic.  Hopefully we do see a bit more of Godzilla in the sequel, but other than that I can not really think of any other major issues with this film.  In other words, I think this is the best monster movie ever made.
Rating:  8/10

Thanks for reading my review of Godzilla, and be sure to check back here tomorrow for other movie reviews as well as the days biggest movie news.  My next review will most likely be of X-Men:  Days of Future Past, and I have a lot to say about that little film.  Are there other movies you'd like me to review?  Please let me know, and also you can now subscribe to my blog via email.  There is a place to enter your email on the right side of the page, and it would really help out a lot if you did so.  I appreciate all the support, and until next time; have a splendid day.

-  Big D

Movie News 5/29/14: Jurassic Park 4 Details! Quentin Tarantino announces next movie, and is Johnny Depp cast as Harry Houdini?

1.  Director Colin Trevorrow reveals major Jurassic Park 4 plot details

-  Yes you read that right.  There is another Jurassic Park movie on the way, and it is set to come out in the summer of 2015.  The title of the film is actually "Jurassic World", and they have locked up a rising star in Chris Pratt to play the lead.  Besides the title of the film; no one has really heard any information regarding the movie as far as plot details.  This was until a couple weeks ago when a rumor came out detailing a couple specifics about the films new creatures.  The report revolved around the idea that the people behind Jurassic Park would begin to cross dinosaur DNA with the DNA of other animals like snakes, and fish.  When I heard this, I thought it sounded a bit dumb and that it probably was not true.  Well today a statement from the films director Colin Trevorrow detailing the plot of the new dino flick. He said the movie opens with Jurassic Park being a well functioning and operating amusement theme park.  The resort is on the original island from the first Jurassic Park, and features a safari, dinosaur park, golf course, hotels, and restaurants.  He also went on to say that the plot would revolve around the numbness of technology and innovation amongst the people of today.  Dinosaurs had been around for a while, and had kind of become obsolete.  Trevorrow said he pictures a scene featuring a  teenager texting his girlfriend with his back to a T-Rex.  This growing tiredness towards the dinosaurs leads to corporate heads at Jurassic Park to force the parks scientists to create a cross species dinosaur that is bigger, badder, and has more teeth.  Dang.  I don't know about you but that sounds awesome.  It makes sense too because this next film is supposed to be like a reset of the franchise.  I don't want to see another Jurassic park where a small group of people unexpectedly land on an island with dinosaurs.  The idea of a new dinosaur that is much bigger, and features characteristics of other animals is fascinating.  At first the idea was stupid, but put into the context of being prompted by corporate greed actually makes it seem possible.  Sweet.  I was not really looking forward to this movie, but now I have some pretty decent anticipation for Jurassic World.  Do you?

2.  Quentin Tarantino announces his next movie:  The Hateful 8!

-  A couple months ago, it was well known that Quentin Tarantino's next movie was going to be another western film called "The Hateful 8".  I really enjoyed his last movie "Django Unchained", and when it came out that he would be doing another film like it I was overjoyed.  However in January of this year, a leaked copy of the Hateful 8 script spilled into the internet.  Tarantino released a statement almost immediately that he felt so betrayed by the leaking of his script that he was immediately shutting down the entire project.  At the time I felt that the decision to stop production was a bit rash, because really who are you punishing?  Not the douche who leaked the script, but the production team and the fans.  Well we can all breathe a bit easier now, because Tarantino just recently confirmed that the production of The Hateful 8 is back on.  A lot of the people in the movie blog community had thought this decision to be inevitable, but to hear that it is official is very pleasing.  I love Tarantino, and he is easily in my top 5 favorite directors of all time.  ALL TIME.  Thankfully cooler heads have prevailed, and we won't lose out on a great film because of one non loyal a-hole.

3.   Johnny Depp in talks to play Harry Houdini in the famous Magicians biopic

-  Is anyone else tired of Johnny Depp playing the clown/fool character?  Jack Sparrow, Mad Hatter, and Willy Wonka?  Enough.  Johnny Depp is a world class talent, and should go back to searching for roles that bring out his dramatic side.  It looks like we may be getting a little bit of that in the next year.  Depp is already working on a heavy crime drama called Black Mask set to come out this year which looks fantastic.  If this report about Depp playing Harry Houdini is true then kudos to him.  It takes a lot of courage to step out of your comfort zone, and the fact that it looks as if Depp is serious about acting again; then we could all be in for a great treat.  Harry Houdini has a fascinating story including being one of the first pioneers in the field of magic/illusionary.  Throw in this cool premise with the prospect of some awesome visual effects possibilities, and this film could bring Johnny Depp back onto the A list.  We are all critical of Depp's choices because we know that he is such a tremendous talent, and anything other than brilliance is simply unacceptable.  Go Johnny.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think about all this news?  Are you excited for any of these movies?  Am I too critical of Johnny Depp?  Let me know.  Stay tuned for more news and movie reviews, and until next time you can follow me on social media here.  Twitter - @dominicksumma Instagram- @domsum  Facebook- Dominick Summa
Thanks and have a splendid rest of your day!

- Big D

Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The first super hero movie I ever saw was the first Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire Spider Man, and I absolutely loved it.  I was a little scared of the Green Goblin for a while, and that upside down kiss between Peter Parker and Mary Jane had my 7 year old self feeling some kind of way.....  Anyways, that being said I am not a big fan of Spider Man as a character, and all the movies to come out after that first one never had me salivating for more.  The first Amazing Spider Man with Andrew Garfield was pretty good, and it was a refreshing take on the character. A sequel was inevitable, and the early casting of Jamie Fox and Paul Giamatti made it sound as if the next installment had the tools to be bigger and

better.  The trailers from start to finish were all superb, but the quantity of trailers and set pictures began to be quite alarming.  Personally I HATE when a movie of the Amazing Spider Man 2's scale feels the need to force feed a dozen different trailers along with an entire photo album of Spider Man fighting the Green Goblin weeks before the movie came out.  STOP SHOWING US EVERYTHING YOU BUMBLING IDIOTS.  Leave a little mystery for the actual movie perhaps? No? Okay.  Thanks.  If you can tell where I am going with this, then you might have an idea about how I feel about this film.  As a reminder, all of my reviews will be split into two different sections.  The first section will be for people who have not yet seen the movie and would like to know if I think it is worth seeing or not.  It will be more vague and generic and will not give away any important plot points or details.  The second section will be the bulk of the review, and will be much more detailed.  I must warn you that the second section may contain information that can be taken as a spoiler of sorts; so tread lightly.

The Amazing Spider Man 2 was looking to follow the same trajectory as comic book film sequels like The Dark Knight, and Captain America: Winter Soldier:  get better.  Unfortunately it appears to me, and the many other people who saw this film, that TASM2 not only wasn't better than its predecessor, but it was a clear step back.  The film opens with Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) fully engaged in his everyday life of being Spider Man and dating Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone).  Early on we are introduced to the first of 3 villains in this movie in the form of Russian mobster "The Rhino" (Paul Giamatti), and immediately the tone that worked so well in the last movie is immediately put in danger.  This proved to be an ongoing issue throughout the film, as the tone would constantly switch between dramatic, comical, romantic, and at times to just flat out sad.  Once the supposed main villain Electro (Jamie Fox) is introduced, the movie began to lose its structure.  We never really know what his purpose is, or why he is so damn angry.  The only thing we do know is that he is now firmly a part of the cheesy villain pantheon alongside Jim Carey's Riddler and the Governators Mr. Freeze.  That is not a compliment.  With about 20 minutes to go, I was about ready to walk out the door.  Thankfully, the ending was not that bad.  Actually it was pretty good.  If you are not familiar with the comic books, then the ending of the movie might shock you a little; and you might like it or despise it.  Nevertheless, the one bright spot of the film is the fantastic chemistry between real life couple Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.  Their relationship makes sense, and you cannot help but root for them in this movie.  That being said, it is not enough to make up for the clear flaws, and ultimately lead me to give it a positive review.  The people over at Sony better recognize that this movie is really close to being a flat out piece of trash.  

Verdict:  I want my $12 back (Don't See it)

WARNING:  MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD 

Are you still here?  Well if you are, I am obligated to warn you again that this portion of the review contains the biggest spoiler of any movie this summer; and knowing it will tremendously alter how you experience this movie.  Okay, you've been warned.  Good god.  The Amazing Spider Man 2 sucks.  SUCKS.  It really pains me to say that too, because I was so looking forward to this movie; and the first installment was a very pleasant surprise.  But just because you make one great movie, does not give you the right to assume we will just mindlessly praise the sequel if it is a sub par film.  I mean come on, why would you take everything that was great about the first movie, and then just do the opposite of it in the sequel.  It's like saying " You know my car works really well when I put gasoline in it, but maybe it will work even BETTER if I replace the gasoline with almond milk!"  Really?  The first Amazing Spider Man had a pretty consistent serious tone, but before it got too dramatic the director sprinkled in a few light hearted moments to keep the audience fresh.  In TASM2 it was oppositely overly comical with little bits of time where it actually took itself seriously.  

I knew I was in trouble as soon I heard the Rhino speak.  He literally acted and sounded like he should be in a saturday morning cartoon.  It screamed Jar-Jar Binks.  And Jar-Jar Binks syndrome is the movie equivalent of an STD.  Do you really want to advertise that you have a "Jar-Jar Binks"?  Probably not. Then you go and get a world class talent in Jamie fox, and turn him into this blue, one-liner dropping fool.  Some of the things he was saying had my jaw dropping, and not in the good way.  He said something like " Its my birthday....time to blow out my candles".  When that line was uttered, I looked around the theater and was like " did he really just say that"?  By the way where did he get that cool spandex suit that just happened to have a bunch of lightning bolts all over it?  If it were not for the Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy relationship; this might have been one of the worst movies of all time, and surely one of the biggest disappointments.  Their chemistry is fantastic, and that end scene where Peter holds her lifeless body in his hands knowing that he directly caused her death was very touching.  I hope you have seen the movie because yes, Gwen Stacy dies at the end of this film.  I warned you.  The Green Goblin did look pretty cool I must admit even though he was in the movie for a total of five seconds.  Upon watching this film for the second time I could not help but feel that this movie was just lazily put together.  The story was all over the place, and had no real direction.  This movie was made to simply introduce the Green Goblin and kill Gwen Stacy.  Here lies my biggest problem with this movie.  Sony clearly has plans to make more spider man movies.  What was the best part of this piece of crap movie?  Peter Parker and GWEN STACY.  Um, yeah, can't  bet on that being back for the sequel; so what do we have to look forward to?  More Rhino?  No thanks.  This franchise has killed off its most likable character at the worst time possible.  I have a deep fear for this franchise, as the fans have let there voice be heard as TASM2 is underperforming at the box office.  Not enough to where the sequels are being scrapped, but enough to where the people at Sony have to make changes.  I will see the next Spider Man movie because everyone is allowed one dud here and there.  However if we see more of the same from the next installment; I am done with this series.  So here is hoping that they fix this monstrosity that they have in theaters right now, and go back to the things that have been proven to work.

Rating:  4/10

Thanks for reading my review of The Amazing Spider Man 2!  What did you think of the film?  Was I too harsh?  If there are other movies out there that you would like me to review, new or old, do not hesitate to ask.  I hope you enjoyed this review, and be on the lookout for other reviews.  Cough, Godzilla, cough cough.  

-  Big D

Movie News 5/27/2014: Ant-Man loses director? X-Men DOFP box office, and New Harry Potter Movies?

Happy Tuesday movie fans, today I am starting what will hopefully be a daily thing; and that is making a post outlining some of the days major movie news while simultaneously analyzing said news.  Many sites do this, and it is a great way to stay informed while helping pass the information to people who would otherwise have not been able to attain it.  I will not be "breaking" news, but rather commenting on the stories broke by more reputable sites like AMC movie news.  Today I have three pieces of news to dive into, so lets get to it.

1.  Ant Man (2015) director Edgar Wright leaves the project due to "creative differences"

-  If you did not know already, there is an Ant Man movie in development set to come out in July 2015 fresh off the heels of Avengers 2.  Paul Rudd is playing the title character, and features a cast that also includes Patrick Wilson and Oscar winner Michael Douglas.  The most interesting aspect about this film was who they got to direct, and that man was Edgar Wright.  You may be familiar with his films "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz".  Wright is a very different director when compared to the other directors who have helmed Marvel properties, most notably his style which revolves heavily around comedy and humor; which made the Paul Rudd casting make a lot of sense.  This pairing gave me high hopes for a film about a character who I knew virtually nothing about.  You can then understand my disappointment when it was announced that Wright is stepping down as director and leaving the film altogether.  What I have heard is that Marvel and Wright had differing views as to where the story was heading, and eventually caused Marvel to request a re-write of the script from one of their in house screen writers.  The new script was presented to Wright who did not approve, and it sounds as if Marvel could either keep Wright or keep their new script.  Read the title of the article and you know which route Marvel took.  It is a sad piece of news, but if it means that the end result is a really awesome Ant Man movie, then I think most people will get over it.  And do not worry about Edgar Wright, he is as talented as they come and will have no trouble finding other work.

2.  X-Men: Days of Future Past Wins the Box Office with $111 million Friday-Mon Opening Weekend

-  First off, if you have not seen X-Men: Days of Future Past; I honestly do not know what is wrong with you.  Do you enjoy awesome things?  If you do, then go see it.  As for these opening weekend numbers I am not sure whether or not they are encouraging or disappointing.  On the one hand, DOFP is doing much much better than X men first class, The Wolverine, and X men origins:  Wolverine, and that is great.  On the other hand, that's not really saying much.  This film was tracking a couple weeks ago to open at around $125 million for the memorial day weekend, and judging by the crowd on opening night; that figure seemed very reachable.  I don't know what happened.  It didn't go under expectations for the same reason that The Amazing SpiderMan 2 did.  Spider man underachieved because it sucked, X Men had to have lost that extra 15 or so million because the last couple X men films, with the exception of First Class, were sub par films.  Don't get it twisted, $111 million dollars domestically in 4 days is pretty damn good, and this movie will make the studio buckets of cash; but I just can't help but feel a little disappointed.  Let's not forget the important thing here, the movie was fantastic, and if you keep making X Men movies of this quality on a consistent basis then the box office will inevitably rise.  Look out for X-Men: Apocalypse, which is the next film in the series set to come out in 2016, as this film could cross the billion dollar mark easily if it is of equal or greater quality.  Nevertheless, the latest X Men film has me as excited as ever for the next installment in the saga, and that is all I can really ask for.

3.  Alfonso Cuaron Denies Director Chair for New Harry Potter Spin-Offs

- JK Rowling apparently has missed the billions of dollars being dumped into her lap since the last Harry Potter movie came out, because we have more movies on the way that take place in that same magical world.  The new movies will be based off Rowling's book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  Supposedly the events of the story take place about 70 years before the birth of Harry Potter or something like that.  All Warner Brothers sees is dollar signs, and rightfully so.  If they can repeat the success of Harry Potter, then they will be doing cart wheels and grabbing each others wands.  I had no interest in the project until it was reported last week that Oscar winning director Alfonso Cuaron was the front runner to direct the first film.  Cuaron, famous for making last years "Gravity", also was the director of "The Prisoner of Azkaban".  Throw in his knowledge of this world with his world class directing skills, and this movie could turn out to be something special.  However it was reported today that Cuaron has declined the job due to his desire to stray away from visual effects based movies.  He just wrapped a five year production on a movie that was all visual in Gravity; so it is understandable that he would want to stay away from the green screen for a while.  He has earned that right to pick and choose his jobs, but it will be interesting to see where Fantastic Beasts looks next to helm this big budget spectacle.

Wow thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed this post.  Any suggestions on how to make this better or more interesting?  Just let me know.  I updated the look of the page a little bit, and I hope everyone likes it as much as I do.  Anyways, stay tuned for a couple of movie reviews to come out shortly, and in the meantime you can find me on social media @dominicksumma (twitter) and @domsum on Instagram.  Until next time, have a splendid day.

-  Big D

Most Anticipated Movies for the rest of 2014

What up and whats happening movie peeps, I hope you're ready to talk some movies today because I have a nice little post for you all today.  While many people are already looking towards the 2015 movie schedule, and for good reason (Avengers 2, Jurassic Park 4, Bond 24), the 2014 slate is nothing to scoff at.  We have a healthy amount of summer blockbusters to go along with some nice little indie film to keep us humble.  We have the beginning of some new franchises (Godzilla), the sequels (Amazing Spiderman 2), and a few conclusions (Hobbit 3).  Enough banter, lets get into my 10 most anticipated movies that have yet to come out yet. By the way, reviews for Godzilla, X-Men DOFP, and Spider Man 2 will be up in the next week or so.  Until then, buckle up nerds.

10.  Transformers:  Age of Extinction

-  Mark Whalberg, Optimus Prime

June 27, 2014

                                              

-  After the first 3 Transformers movies made an average of $900 million at the box office, it is no surprise that a fourth installment is nearly upon us.  A couple of things excite me about this new Transformers movie.  The first 3 were about Shia labeouf and his hot girlfriend who could not act to save her life.  This new one is focused on Mark Whalberg and his family.......along with gigantic extraterrestrial fighting robots.  I think Marky Mark is the superior talent, and although I did like 2 hours of Megan Fox and her hotness; by the third film I was bored and asking for a new take on the story, and it looks like that is what we are going to get.

9.  Hunger Games:  Mockingjay Part 1

-  Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson

November 21, 2014    

-  Any of you who have read this blog before know that I have a thing for Jennifer Lawrence.  Anything with her you can sign me up to be there opening night.  Even if Katniss was played by a different actress, I still believe that I would be a fan of the Hunger Games franchise.  Put the two together and we get, in theory, a great finished product.  Not a big fan of Josh Hutcherson, or Liam Hemsworth as actors, but the presence of Lawrence is enough for me to be excited about this film.  Should make a lot of money at the box office, and hopefully it sets us up for an epic final chapter to come out in 2015.

8.  Chef

-  Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson

May 9, 2014

-  I bet most of you have not heard much about this upcoming movie directed by and starring the extremely talented Jon Favreau.  Don't recognize that name?  You know some of his work for sure.  He directed the cult comedy classic "Elf", and the first 2 Iron Man movies starring Robert Downey Jr.  He has talent.  The plot of this film revolves around Favreau playing a recently let go 5 star chef who moves to Miami to start a food truck in hopes of finding the passion he once had for his food and his family.  The cast alone has me sold, and I am hoping that this film does not let me down.  Go check it out when its released; I think you'll be happy you did.

7.  The Fault in our Stars

- Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort

June 6, 2014

-  If you have not heard about this growing phenomenon, then where have you been.  Based off the very popular book of the same name, this romantic heartbreaker looks very touching to say the least.  It gives off the feel of something like a Silver Linings Playbook, and if it is half as good as SLP; then we could have something special.  It is tough to predict the box office for this film, I don't know whether it will make 10 million or 50 million opening weekend.  Fans of the book better be flocking to go see this, otherwise it could be in trouble.  This will also be a great indication of Shailene Woodley's ability as a dramatic actress, and I for one am rooting for her.

6.  Sex Tape

- Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz

July 25, 2014

-  One of my favorite comedies of all time is forgetting Sarah Marshall, and a big reason for that is that Jason Segel and his genius.  Everything he is in ends up being gold, and Cameron Diaz has shown at times that she has some comedic chops, or at least has been in some pretty funny movies.  Theres something about Mary? Anyone?  Anyways the premise sounds hilarious, and a bit disturbingly realistic actually.  This looks as if it will be nothing more than a fun night at the movies spent laughing at some really raunchy humor, and sometimes that is exactly what movie fans are craving.  I expect big success for this film if it ends up being as funny as advertised.

5.  22 Jump Street

-  Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum

June 13, 2014

-  Now that the big May blockbusters are past us, this list has more room for the upcoming comedies.  One of the greatest surprises I have ever witnessed was 21 Jump Street.  I had no expectations, and was blown away with how awesome it was.  A lot of other people felt the same as the first installment was wildly successful.  If the trailers are any indication of what is to come, then 22 Jump Street should be bigger, funnier, and overall better.  However sequels to comedies have not been historically awesome.  Cough cough Grown Ups 2.  Excuse me.  I am really pulling for this movie to be awesome, and I think it will be ultimately.

4.  Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

-  Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke

July 11, 2014

-  Apes riding horses.  Need anything else?  I sure as hell do not; they had my $12 dollars six months ago when they released the first trailer.  The first Apes movie in this rebooted series was pretty damn good, and this next installment does not have to focus on establishing the apes as a threat because that was done in the last movie.  Now we just get two hours of Ape awesomeness.  Andy Serkis is brilliant as Ceasar, and the movie actually says a lot about where our society is going.....But forget all that stuff, and just go see this movie because you appreciate epic things.

3.  The Hobbit:  The Battle of the Five Armies

-  Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen

December 17, 2014

-  The first two Hobbit movies have been exceptionally well, and The desolation of Smaug was especially great.  That being said, I have come to expect anything set in Middle Earth to be pure gold.  The Lord of the Rings trilogy will always be better than the Hobbit trilogy no matter how great this next installment is.  However that is nothing to hold your head about, because LOTR is widely regarded as the best trilogy of films ever made.  Nothing has come out about this film since it is still a ways away, but I expect a trailer coming out within the next two or three months.  Peter Jackson will do what Peter Jackson does, and that is make a 6 hour movie that will make your eyes bleed; then strip it down to a two and half hour masterpiece.

2.  Guardians of the Galaxy

-  Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana

August 1, 2014

-  Hooked on a feeling.  Im high on believing.  That you're in love with meeeeeeeee.  If you have seen the trailer for this movie then you know what I am talking about.  If not......wow I am sorry, and I hope you continue to read my future blogs.  Anyways this movie is the latest one in the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Yes, these people exist in the same movie verse as Iron Man and Captain America.  Will they ever meet or be in an Avengers movie?  I would have to think yes.  Until then, they get their own movie, and it is coming out in early august.  If this was not a Marvel studios film, I would be hesitant.  However since it is being watched over by those brilliant brilliant people, I am uber excited.  Chris Pratt is slowly turning into a leading man, and the supporting cast includes Bradley Cooper playing the voice of a machine gun toting raccoon for gods sake.  I hope people go see this, because the tone looks fantastic, and I will always have faith in a Marvel studios film because they have earned that trust over these last few years.

1.  Interstellar

-  Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway

November 7, 2014

-  This movie I believe will be the one to finally earn Christopher Nolan a best director Academy Award, and I am basing that only off one trailer and the plot synopsis.  Christopher Nolan I believe is one of the greatest directors ever, and he has not even hit his prime.  He made two of my favorite films of all time in Inception, and of course The Dark Knight.  The plot revolves around interstellar space travel through a newly discovered worm hole.  The tagline is something like "Man Kind was born on Earth, but it was never meant to die here".  Goodness Gracious how epic is that?  This just screams Inception sequel, and if it is anywhere near that quality, then we are all in for a great treat.  Inception was such a mind screw, but it worked due to Nolan's attention to detail.  He made it so that you actually had to pay attention in the theater and think a bit (what a concept!).  However if you paid the film the respect it deserved, then you were rewarded with a masterpiece.  Interstellar looks like one hell of a film, and until Nolan puts out a stinker, he will continue to have my money and my support; and you should all feel the same.



   Wow we have already had a ton of great films come out this year, but we are far from done!  Did I forget any movies that maybe you are really looking forward to? Stay tuned for some movie news, and movie reviews as we are back to full functionality!  Thanks again for all the support through this rocky time, but do not worry as I am most definitely still seeing movies, and I hope you are too.  I hope you enjoyed this post, and until next time; have a splendid day.

-  Big D