MOV028: “Fair Warning, It Tastes Like Goblin Piss.”

Harry Potter, need I say more?

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News:

Feedback: Green Lantern Trailer

Joshua (Tyler TX) I still disagree with the casting of Ryan Reynolds for Hal.. he could be a good Kyle but Hal is really more of a stoic character with moments of humor I don’t mind the suit so much but it would have been nice to go with a more classic look to it. I did think Kilowog looked pretty good in the second he was on screen.

John John (Austin TX Via Fuzz’s FB) It’s pretty cool although some dislike the cg suit. Also Hal Jordan is a stoic character while Ryan Reynolds isn’t.

The Past:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

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Director:
1,2 Christopher Columbus
3 Alfonso Curon (Columbus Stayed on to Produce)
4 Mike Newell
5-7 David Yates (Tale of the Three Brothers Sequence Directed by Ben Hibon)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Dame Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Robbie Coltrane

Trivia:

  • 1- The movie and book are known as the “Philosopher’s” stone everywhere except the USA.. every scene where they said “Philosopher” was shot again with them saying “Sorcerer”
  • 1 – Richard Harris only agreed to play the role of Albus Dumbledore when his then 11 year old granddaughter threatened to never speak to him again if he didn’t take it
  • 2 – Nurses were drafted into the production due to an outbreak of head lice among the younger cast members.
  • 2 – Supposedly Russian Premier Vladimir Putin was deeply disturbed that Dobby the house elf was created in his image (unverified)
  • 3 – Sir Ian Mckellen turned down the role of Dumbledore – Having appeared as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, he said, “I had enough trouble living up to one legend. Two would be too much to hope for.”
  • 3 – Warner Brothers supplied ushers at cinemas with night vision goggles to prevent illegal recording and pirating of the film
  • 3 – In order to acquaint himself with his three lead actors, director Alfonso Cuarón had each of them write an essay about their characters, from a first-person point of view. Emma Watson, in true Hermione fashion, went a little overboard and wrote a 16-page essay. Daniel Radcliffe wrote a simple one-page summary, and Rupert Grint never even turned his in.
  • 4 – over 3000 girls showed up to audition for the part of Cho Chang
  • 4 – was orginially planned to be a 2 part movie released several months apart, but this decided against by Director Mike Newell at the recommendation of Azkaban Director Alfonso Curaon
  • 5- Dumbledore’s line “Don’t fight him, Harry, you can’t win” was featured prominently in just about every trailer and TV-spot, yet it is nowhere in the final version of the film, nor in the DVD’s extended scenes.
  • 5 – The Department of Mysteries set marks the first time that a totally computer-generated set was used throughout the movie
  • 5 – The only Harry Potter film not written by Steve Kloves.
  • 6 – This is the first Harry Potter film that does not feature any aspect of Defense Against the Dark Arts classes on screen, either direct (second through fifth films) or indirect (first film). The only mention of the subject occurs when Dumbledore announces Snape’s appointment to the open teaching position.
  • 6 – At the beginning of the film, the Death Eaters destroy the Millennium Bridge in London. In the Book it is actually the Brockdale Bridge that is destroyed, the Millenium Bridge was not built in the time period the Book is set in 1995-1996
  • 6 -The omission in this movie of the battle at Hogwarts between members of the Order of the Phoenix and Death Eaters was due to the fact that they writers did not want to seek repetition when they film the climactic battle of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Talking Points:

  • Did you read the books?
  • Favorite? Least Favorite?
  • Favorite Book?

What house would you be sorted into?

  • Steve: Ravenclaw: Witty, Intelligent & Capable
  • Fuzz: Gryffindor: Brave, Chivalrous, Courageous
  • Jeff: Hufflepuff: Loyal, Dependable, Hardworking

What is your patronus?

  • Jeff: Your Result: Your Patronus is a Hedgehog! – Bravery is your strong suit, and you are a kind creature to all, though your spiney exterior may make others think otherwise. You are proud of the strange parts of you that make you different!
  • Steve: Your Patronus is a Wolf! You work best in a close support group and are fiercely loyal to those you love. You are unbeatable in a group and incredibly strong even alone due to your cunning at getting the job done.
  • Fuzz: Your Patronus is a Wolf!

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: It’s such an enjoyable series. I just hate the Goblet of Fire, it’s just terrible. I still own it though.
Ray: The first two can come off very kid film.. but if you can get past that.. its a fun ride for the most part. Ill always recommend reading the books first though.
Steve: I really started enjoying them as they progressed to more adult adventure, versus kid level entertainment. It started with 3 for me and kept going.

The Present: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Pt 1

Director: David Yates

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter

Trivia:

  • M Night Shyamalan was interested in directing this one!
  • Guilermo Del Toro – Who Turned down Directing 1,2 and 3 because they were “too happy” to interest him expressed interest in directing this one.
  • First time that Brendan Gleeson, Michael Byrne, Peter Mullan, and David O’Hara have appeared in the same movie since Braveheart
  • Over 500 wands were created for the film. They are checked out and checked in before, during, and after the filming day is completed. Many came back broken.
  • First film in the franchise to cite “sensuality” as a concept for its MPAA rating.
  • First of the films to have J.K. Rowling as producer.

Talking Points:
3D version was cancelled?
3 Brothers Animation? Did that seem odd to anyone else?

What We Learned:
Harry Potter has a happy trail.
Hermoine overpacks! But she’s handy if you’re camping!

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: What? You didn’t go see this?
Ray: Great! but you will have no clue whats going on if you dont watch 1-6
Steve: Thoroughly enjoyed…must have seen the others to get anything though.

The Future: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Pt 2 (7-15-2011)

Starring: yah yah yah..

Talking Points:

  • Battle of Hogwarts… nuff said.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: I yield the floor to Fuzz
Ray: is it July Yet? Is it July yet? is it July yet?
Steve: I’ll be looking forward to it, but will be glad it’s all over! 🙂

Coming Attractions

The Past

The Present

The Future

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MOV027: “I Hate L.A.”

A great producer dies. What the hell is Boylesque?, Avatar 2 Spoiler alert, Cloak and Dagger, Skyline, and Unknown.

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The Past:  Cloak and Dagger (1984)

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Director: Richard Franklin

Starring: Henry Thomas, Dabney Coleman, Christina Nigra, Michael Murphy

Trivia:

  • The video game market crashed in 1983 while this movie was being filmed, so although you see a ton of “Cloak and Dagger” video game cartridges for sale, all of them were fake as the 5200 version of this was never made
  • All the scenes of the game come from the arcade version which was released before the movie was filmed, all of the images displayed were streamed to the television when they were “played”
  • The elderly couple in the film, both had parts in the original psycho (1960) Richard Franklin directed the sequel Psycho II in 1983. The Couple were also married in real life for approximately 56 years until John McIntire’s death in 1991

Talking Points:

  • Was this the original “Giant Video Game Commercial” ?
  • Would a modern version (remake) of this movie work?
  • Did we really call game cartridges tapes?

What We’ve Learned:

  • Ingenuity and Contacts are better than bullets…… sometimes.
  • it’s perfectly ok for 9 year old little girls to ride the bus to the airport at midnight
  • Old women missing fingers are scary!!
  • Yep, we really did call them “tapes”.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Enjoyable movie.  Some might think it’s dated but for me, it didn’t.  I liked it.
Ray: This doesn’t stand the test of time very well…. if you were born after 1983, you MIGHT find this movie silly.
Steve: Absolutely dated, but the concept is cool.  When you’re a kid playing spy, who wouldn’t want to be a real spy?

The Present: Skyline

Director: The Brothers Strause

Starring: Eric Balfour, Donald Faison, Scottie Thompson, David Zayas

Trivia:

  • Film was completely financed by the directors.
  • Was almost entirely shot at Greg Strause’s condo
  • Shot entirely on new RED Cameras (4K Digital Cinema Camera 4k = 4096×3072 1080p = 1920×1080)
  • There are over 800 VFX shots in this movie…more than most major franchise movies
  • The Directors also happen to own the company that does all the visual FX for this flick (hydraulx)

Talking Points:

  • The Brothers Strause are being sued by Sony Pictures
  • Is it possible that this is just a modern B-Movie?
  • Another schizo movie?  What could have made it better?
  • Ending… W….T…..F…

What We Learned:

  • See those giant naval battleships burning? that probably means its NOT safe to go out into the water…
  • If you discover that you almost DIE every time you go outside.. maybe you shouldn’t go outside.
  • Adding giant vagina mouths to the aliens from ID4 doesn’t make them any better
  • It only takes a few seconds to fill up an enormous penthouse apartment with broken windows with gas fumes
  • An axe cant kill them, a gun cant kill them, hitting them with a car cant kill them, blowing them up with a nuke, cant kill them.. but beating them to death with your fists once you become one of them works like a charm!
  • If you get a tattoo by Kat Von D, make sure you get your money’s worth by constantly showing it in a movie you’re in.
  • Do not walk toward the light

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: They should have shortened this by an hour and just had it as the first part of the story.  Great visuals, but the story sucked.
Ray: Maybe visual effects guys…. should stick to visual effects. I wanted to see the train movie.
Steve: Yeah…overall epic fail.  Had some good ideas, just didn’t succeed in any them.

The Future: Unknown (2-18-2011)

Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Frank Langella, Aidan Quinn

Trivia:

  • based on the novel Out of My Head
  • Originally titled Unknown White Male.

Talking Points:

  • Originality?  (Seems like Total Recall in the present day)

Summary: A man awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, (not even his wife), believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: This time his identity was Taken.
Ray: Looks like a interesting mystery action flick with a great cast! Qui Gon and Skeletor FTW !
Steve: Cast is very intriguing.  Might be worth it!

Coming Attractions:

The Past:
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The Present:

The Future:

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MOV026: “Girls, You’re Both Pretty”

Did the boys of COL Movies enjoy Planes, Trains, and Automobiles? Why does Jeff hate Steven when it comes to Megamind? Is Priest something to be excited for? This and more in Reel 26 of COL Movies.

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The Past: Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

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Director: John Hughes

Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy

Trivia:

  • Shooting Locations Include Braidwood,IL (Motel), Coal City,IL and Wilmington, IL (Bus station) all of which are about 20 miles away from Fuzz!
  • Future Borg 38 of Double D Jeri Ryan was cast in the movie but her parts were cut out.
  • The Exterior of their aircraft is a reuse of the 707 flying through the storm from the movie Airplane!
  • The scenes shot at Lambert airport in St.Louis were shot during the winter, but it was unseasonably warm (80 deg F) so the snow had to be trucked in.
  • The interior of Neils house was a set built from scratch, including Seven rooms.. it took 5 months to build and cost $100k which angered the paramount execs and caused a lot of tension on the set.
  • All 250 cars used in the rent-a-car sequence were rented for the movie, since no company would agree to be on film for fear of appearing inept.

Talking Points:

  • Holiday Travel Horror Stories?
  • This movie was a big departure for John Hughes typical “Teen” movie.

What We’ve Learned:

  • Those aren’t Pillows!
  • She’s short and skinny, but Strong!
  • Swearing 18 times in 60 seconds doesn’t get you good customer service
  • Lit cigarettes and vinyl seats don’t go well together.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Meh, It’s alright. I didn’t like it that much but think other people would.
Ray: In my mind, A true modern Holiday classic.
Steve: I’m just not a Steve Martin fan, which made watching this a chore.

The Present: Megamind (2010)

Director: Tom McGrath

Starring: Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Will Farrel, Jonah Hill, David Cross

Trivia:

  • Guillermo del Toro, who directed the “Hellboy” series, assisted in editing the film to make it more exciting.
  • To promote the film, Will Ferrell assembled 1580 of his friends and their acquaintances at a superhero costume function. This party set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of superheroes
  • The film was originally titled “Master Mind.” However, the name had already been trademarked by the makers of the 1970s board game and TV show, so it could not be used.
  • The film was then going to be titled “Oobermind”, which was a misspelling of the term “über-mind.” The word “über” refers to something that is large or great; in this case, the title character’s over-swollen skull/brain. But it didn’t sound right, so it was revised to become “Megamind”

Talking Points:

  • I know we found out the whole “Death of Metroman” when we talked about the trailer, did anything else surprise you in this?
  • Use of rock music, did it work?
  • Visually, looked great – right down to water on the ground and hair.

What We Learned:

  • Always check your pockets before throwing your costume in the wash machine.
  • Always remember where you park your invisible car.
  • The Difference between villainy and supervillainy? Presentation!
  • Super Speed, Super Strength and other various super powers doesnt translate into a music career
  • Sometimes the best plan is simply Not Dying.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Fan-Freakin-Tastic
Ray: I was really surprised with how entertaining this movie was, it went places I didn’t expect.
Steve: Thoroughly enjoyed! Found myself laughing out loud several times, which I didn’t expect. Not being a big Will Ferrell fan, I liked this performance (maybe because it was jut his voice and I didn’t have to see him).

The Future: Priest (3-9-2011)

Starring: Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie O, Karl Urban, Stephen Moyer, Christopher Plummer

Trivia:

  • Based on a Korean Manhwa(Comic)
  • Sam Raimi and Gerard Butler were originally attached to this project, but dropped out.

Talking Points:

  • Fans of the comic are up in arms because this movie has almost nothing to do with the actual story set forth in the books. In the comics Priest tells the story of humanity’s battle against 12 fallen angels, in which vampires exist but are very rarely even mentioned.
  • Visually, the vampires seem to depart greatly from today’s crop…will that help or hurt the movie?

Summary:
A legendary Warrior Priest from the last Vampire War now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on an obsessive quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend, a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: The fight scenes are going to be great! That’s all I’m expecting to be great. Hoping it will be kinda Fifth Element-ish.
Ray:Reminds me of Judge Dredd with vampires… visually it looks “interesting”
Steve: Definitely the kind of movie I seek out. Will definitely see it.

Coming Attractions

The Past

The Present

The Future

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MOV025: “Excuse Me Stewardess, I Speak Jive”

Jeff shows the love and Steve shows the Meh’s of Airplane! Why did Jeff walk out of Saw 3D? And are our sassy hosts interested at all with The Fighter? This and new on this brand new reel of COL Movies.

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News:

The Past: Airplane! (1980)

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Director: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Leslie Nielsen, Lorna Patterson, Robert Stack

Trivia:

  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s role was originally to be played by Pete Rose, but he was playing baseball at the time of the filming, so the part went to Kareem. He was offered $30,000 to appear in the film, but he asked for $35,000 to buy an oriental rug
  • The film is mostly a parody of Zero Hour! (1957), a film that had a main character named Ted Stryker and such famous “not meant to be funny” lines like “We have to find someone who can not only fly this plane, but who didn’t have fish for dinner.”
  • “Stayin’ Alive” was sped up for the dance scene of the film. Permission from The Bee Gees had to be obtained to speed it up.
  • Nominated for 1981 Golden Globes Best Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy

Talking Points:

  • If this movie was made today, would it have gotten as good a reception post 9/11?
  • If this movie was released today as a new film, would it be well-received?

What We’ve Learned:

  • Don’t eat the fish on an airplane.
  • The white zone is for loading and unloading only. There is no stopping in the red zone.
  • The red zone is for loading and unloading only. There is no stopping in the white zone.
  • If you’re playing a guitar for a sick girl, watch where you’re swinging the guitar.
  • A polyester suit will always get you the girl on the dance floor
  • If the automatic pilot is failing, just blow him.
  • The doctor on the plane is the one with the stethoscope in his ears.
  • I like my coffee like I like my men.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: If you don’t own this yet, what is wrong with you?
Ray: Mindless, you either dig this kinda movie or you dont.
Steve: Definitely a sign of the times it was made in. I find parts funny, but not the whole thing.

The Present: Saw 3D (2010)

Director: Kevin Greutert

Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Dean Armstrong, Chad E. Donella

Trivia:

  • Kevin Greutert, along with writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, attempted a comprehensive rewrite of the script a week before filming.
  • Due to the slow 3D process, filming was completed in 9 weeks as opposed to the usual 6 weeks for previous installments
  • The garage trap was written for an earlier film in the series, but the producers felt it was “too disturbing” to show in a film. For an unknown reason they finally allowed it to be filmed.
  • Had to be submitted six times to obtain an “R” rating from the Major Motion Picture Association of America, to avoid an NC-17 rating.

Talking Points:

  • Why and When Did Jeff Walk out?
  • What was the point of the 3D in this film?
  • It is necessary to see previous movies to understand this one?
  • Do we really think this will be the “final” SAW?

What We Learned:

  • Plot, is pretty unnecessary apparently
  • Its apparently fairly easy for a known accomplice to a serial killer, and EX POLICE DETECTIVE, to sneak into a police station relatively unnoticed.
  • The makers of this film clearly wanted to go out with a bang.
  • Let’s hope this is the last Saw film.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: First movie I ever walked out of. At least I had my pizza and beer.
Ray: Although I say skip it altogether, if you’re going to see it don’t pay to see it in 3D.
Steve: I actually cringed at times. The stuff spraying at the screen is annoying.

The Future: The Fighter (2010)

Director: David O. Russell

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee

Trivia:

  • Matt Damon and Brad Pitt were previously attached to play Dick Ecklund, but the role went to Christian Bale.
  • Darren Aronofsky was previously attached to direct.
  • Michael Fassbender auditioned for a role.
  • Emily Blunt turned down a role.
  • Art Ramalho’s gym is the actual Lowell West End Gym and not a set. This is in fact where Micky trained and is still a functioning boxing gym to this day.
  • The big fight filmed in Lowell at The Tsongas Arena had over 200 “dummies” (props – not people) in the audience to help fill up the stands.
  • Christian Bale reportedly lost weight to achieve the very thin frame of Dickie Ecklund by eating very little. He even went missing for hours at a time in preparation for his role.

Talking Points:

  • Why would you go see this movie?

Summary:
Life story of boxer “Irish” Mickey Ward and his trainer brother Dick Eklund, chronicling the brothers’ early days on the rough streets of Lowell, Massachusetts through Eklund’s battle with drugs and Ward’s eventual world championship in London.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: It’s a boxer flick. I’m a little intrigued.
Ray: Meh.. not my kinda movie. all i can think of is this “Who’s gonna train me!?”
Steve: Not really into biopic kind of movies. Wahlberg looks good, but not interested.

Coming Attractions – Jeff

The Past

The Present

The Future

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