Tag Archives: Aaron Eckhart

Podcast

MOV115: “Fear, Chaos, Pain”

In this reel of COL Movies, It’s another “very special episode” as the boys talk about the Dark Knight Trilogy. They kick off with the original Nolan-verse creation, “Batman Begins”, and move on to what they feel is the gem of the series, “The Dark Knight”. In theaters, of course, they review the conclusion of the triumvirate, “The Dark Knight Rises”. In trailer news, they look at the (spoiler alert) utterly forgettable preview of “The Expendables 2”. In brief movie news, we bring up John Favreau’s partnership with Pixar and Peter Jackson’s attempt at making “The Hobbit” into a trilogy! It’s the 115th reel of COL Movies…”Fear, Chaos, Pain”

[display_podcast]

News:

The Past: Batman Begins
Rotten Tomatoes: 85% Fresh; 90% Audience

[asa]B000PC6A3E[/asa]

The Past: The Dark Knight
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% Fresh; 96% Audience

[asa]B001GZ6QEC[/asa]

Director: Christopher Nolan

Staring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Katie Holmes, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger

Trivia:

Talking Points:

  • The flaw of the microwave emitter
  • When you first saw this did you expect it to be a trilogy?

What We Learned From Batman Begins:

  • The world is too small for a man like Bruce Wayne to Disappear
  • A vigilante is just a man lost in the search for his own gratification
  • Death is not considerate or friendly
  • We fall, so we can learn to pick ourselves up.
  • All creatures feel fear, especially the scary ones.
  • Invisibility is simply a matter of patience and agility
  • You always fear what you don’t understand
  • It’s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.
  • Never go into business with someone without finding out their dirty secrets.

What We Learned From The Dark Knight:

  • What doesn’t kill you makes you stranger.
  • When your the Gotham D.A. if your not getting shot at your not doing your Job right
  • You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain
  • Criminals aren’t complicated you just have to figure out what they are after.
  • Some men just want to watch the world burn.
  • The night is darkest just before the dawn

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Nolan has really taken an amazing approach to what has to be my favorite superhero ever. He stays relatively true the the Batman story but knows that it’s his universe and Batman does things differently in his world. Heath Ledger’s Joker was amazing and perfect for the world. I can’t recommend these movies more.
Ray: Anyone who is a fan of superhero movies needs to watch these, but the great thing about these especially The Dark Knight is that you don’t have to be. I consider The Dark Knight one of the best Crime Dramas to come around in the last 10 years, plus it’s pretty cool that Batman is in it too. Cemented by an amazing performance by Heath Ledger that also demands to be seen.
Steve: OK…I admit that I enjoyed the Dark Knight the most! Heath Ledger is awesome – although Maggie G just didn’t do a darn thing for me. That’s one time I missed Katie Holmes. Batman Begins just kind of set the stage for the rest of the films…and drags for me.

The Present: The Dark Knight Rises

Rotten Tomatoes: 86% Fresh; 93% Audience

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard

Trivia:

Talking Points:

  • The tale of two annoying voices. – Bane – Raz al Ghul
  • The soundtrack.. good or bad?
  • The Ending – could it have been done differently?
  • Sequel in the nolanverse?
  • Wait! What? Talia’s in this movie!
  • Plot Holes!

Critic Notes

  • Positives: Production value was extremely high and Nolan knew the look he was going for and delivered it; the conclusion was a fitting end to the story and the epicness of the hero;
  • Negatives: “clunky”; an ordeal to sit through; acting was manufactured; hard to understand the dialogue; extremely stretched out because every recollection had to be done in flashback; overall Nolan tanked or dialed this one in.

What We Learned:

  • Detectives are not allowed to believe in coincidences
  • People don’t pay attention to you until you put on a mask
  • Hope is really the key to torture
  • A hero can be anyone

Trailer:

Recommendations :
Jeff: I was right. This movie did not pull out the amazing awesomeness that The Avengers did and I don’t expect it to perform as well in the box office still. It still was an incredible ending to the Nolan Batman story line but this was still I movie I could have waited for and just suffered from a pre-release lack of enthusiasm. I think it’s definitely worth seeing in the theaters but I wouldn’t say there’s much off a rush.
Ray: A good strong finish to the Trilogy but not my favorite of the three. This is very much the “Return of the Jedi” of the series for me, but instead of annoying ewoks, it’s got annoying vocal performances and plot holes. A must see if your a fan of the other two though.
Steve: Definitely not my favorite, except for Tom Hardy of course. Just didn’t have the same punch as the others and seemed like it was just there to wrap up the story. It was pretty though. I actually liked that they did bring stuff in from the previous movies – made it feel more complete than just 3 stand alone films.

The Future: The Expendables 2

Release: August 12, 2012

Director: Simon West

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Liam Hemsworth, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture

Summary:

After taking a seemingly simple job for Mr. Church (Bruce Willis), the Expendables find their plans going awry and one of their own is brutally murdered by rival mercenary Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme).[2] The Expendables set out into hostile territory – with their new members Bill the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) – to put a stop to a deadly weapon and gain their revenge against the people who killed their brother-in-arms

Talking Points:

  • Why are we reviewing this trailer? Did we not destroy the first film?

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Hey, The Expendables again. . . . Would love to see this on Netflix streaming.
Ray: Move along…nothing to see here.
Steve: Slept through the first one…I image it will be more of the same.

The Past:

[asa]B005J4TLQG[/asa]

The Present:

The Future:

Download Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast

MOV044: “Pathetic Earthlings, Who Can Save You Now?”

The boys go back in time to check out 1980’s “Flash Gordon”. Is it still an inspiration or just a old flash in the pan? Then they head to the present to check out “Battle: Los Angeles”. Will it get a “oorah” or “wah-wah”? In the future, the boys look at the trailer for “The Tree of Life”. Was anyone able to figure what the hell this film is about? All this, including movie news and much more in this 44th reel of COL Movies!

[display_podcast]

News:

The Past: Flash Gordon (1980)
Rotten Tomatoes: 82% Fresh, 63% Audience

[asa]B000PMGS8G[/asa]
[asa]B003CRM6QO[/asa]

Director: Mike Hodges

Starring: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed

Trivia:

  • There is a rumor that the monitor behind Hans Zarkov (Topol) as he is having his memory dumped shows scenes from Topol’s previous movies.
  • Dino De Laurentiis originally hoped that Federico Fellini would direct this film. The director had actually contributed to the original Flash strip cartoon during WWII.
  • Kurt Russell auditioned to play Flash Gordon. According to an interview with Russel in Starlog magazine from August 1981, Dino De Laurentiis really wanted Russell for the part, but he ultimately turned it down because Russell thought the character was lacking in personality.
  • Sam J. Jones was cast in the role after being spotted by the mother-in-law of Dino De Laurentiis on an episode of “The Dating Game” (1965)
  • At one point Ming the Merciless says when he destroys a planet, he calls upon “the great god Daizan”. Daizan is Japanese for “great cruelty”.
  • Max von Sydow’s Ming costume weighed over 70 pounds and he could only stand in it for a few minutes at a time.
  • The psychedelic color effects throughout the Ming universe were accomplished by swirling multicolored dyes through creatively-lit tanks of water.
  • One of the feast items in the Hawkmen’s Kingdom was Twinkies colored with food dye.
  • Nicolas Roeg was originally going to direct, but didn’t due to creative difference. One of his proposals was to excise the trademark cliffhangers and melodrama, seeing Flash as more of “a metaphysical messiah.”
  • Dennis Hopper was considered for the role of Dr Zarkov.
  • Mike Hodges was the eighth director chosen.
  • Director Mike Hodges, referring to the numerous production problems that plagued the film, once called it “the only improvised $27-million movie ever made”.
  • The insignia on Klytus’s uniform is based on Masonic symbols.
  • Princess Aura’s “pet” is named Fellini. Production Designer Danilo Donati worked on a number of Federico Fellini films.
  • George Lucas had hoped to remake the original Flash Gordon (1936/I), but when he learned that Dino De Laurentiis had already bought the rights, he wrote Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) instead.
  • Mike Hodges considered commissioning Pink Floyd to compose the music.
  • First film of Jim Carter.
  • The backstory of Flash’s T-shirt was that it was a gift from an anonymous female fan. Flash wore it a lot in the hopes that he would eventually meet the woman.
  • In the original script, when Flash is sentenced to death by Ming, Dale bursts out that Ming is “absolutely merciless”. Ming is enthralled with the description, and immediately starts calling himself “Ming the Merciless”.
  • According to the original storyline, when Dale is entranced by Ming’s hypnotic ring, she is having a vision of being on an erotic picnic with Ming in a 1920’s setting.
  • Klytus and Kala, Ming’s two chief henchmen, were competitors for their ruler’s favor. Ming played them off against each other to keep them from teaming up against him. This was downplayed in the film to keep the storyline fluid.
  • In the original script, Flash and Dale first meet at a Canadian resort called Dark Harbor. Although they flirt with each other, they don’t become acquainted until they’re sharing the ill-fated plane ride to New York City. Dale later talks briefly about Dark Harbor during her tear-filled meeting with Flash before his execution.
  • Dr. Zarkov’s backstory was that he was a NASA scientist who was fired for his paranoid fantasies that Earth was going to be attacked from outer space. Sixty Minutes derided him as “A Poor Man’s Billy Mitchell”.
  • Ming’s attack on Earth was accomplished by bombarding the moon with force beams, knocking it out of orbit. The meteors which disrupt Flash’s airplane flight were burning chunks of lunar debris.
  • Sam J. Jones’ dark hair was bleached blonde for this role, and Melody Anderson’s blonde hair was dyed brown. Flash was also supposed to have blue eyes, but Sam could not wear the contact lenses.
  • Ming’s symbol (which Klytus also wears on his gauntlets) is borrowed from the Freemason’s square and compass. Ming also makes a Masonic gesture during the course of the movie.
  • The wristwatch Flash is wearing in the early scenes of the film is a Seiko automatic chronograph, model 6139-6002. The watch disappears when Flash gets to Mongo.
  • All the main actors were signed for multiple films but the sequels were never made since the first movie didn’t do as well as expected.
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger was turned down for the lead role because of his impenetrable Austrian accent.
  • Most of Sam J. Jones’s dialog was dubbed. This was down to the fact that Jones had had a falling out with producer Dino De Laurentiis over lack of payment and refused to go into the recording studio to loop his lines.

Talking Points:

  • Production value? (just above Barbarella or Star Trek…with techniques from Wizard of Oz)
  • Lots of Wizard of Oz connections – short people, flying, people melting when dying, over the “rainbow”, meeting the wacky characters that help him defeat Ming, “If I only had a brain…but I had it all the time”
  • Were early 80s movies all this bad? Not that it was BAD, but meaning looking
  • Deliberate rip off of Star Wars elements?
  • Dale’s role = women’s lib?

What We’ve Learned:

  • Don’t forget your toothbrush as you get on a rocket to counterattack an attack from space.
  • Ming’s storm troopers yell like Ewoks when they are shot
  • Becoming a man on Arboria involves a lot of grunting, men beating their sticks in a circle and thrusting your extremities into a dark mysterious hole.
  • Imperial War-Rockets are great at spotting 5 people 400 mongo miles away, but they will miss that Rocket Jet Ski thats right next to them.
  • You know you have a cult movie when Riff Raff from Rocky Horror shows up

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: A classic old style serial film. Love it.
Ray:Classic, I think the production values perfectly match the tone of the movie! This one would be hard to remake!
Steve: Not the best production value in the world, but who doesn’t like a home town boy helping save the world from evil oppressors who are out to destroy it? Cult classic…so don’t expect Shakespeare.

The Present: Battle: Los Angeles (Released 3/11/11)
Rotton Tomatoes: 32% Rotten, 71% Audience

Director: Jonathan Liebesman

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ramon Rodriguez, Cory Hardrict, Gino Anthony Pesi, Ne-Yo, James Hiroyuki Liao, Noel Fisher, Adetokumboh M’Cormack, Bryce Cass, Michael Peña, Neil Brown Jr., Taylor Handley

Trivia:

  • The film is inspired by the real life incident known as the Battle of Los Angeles, during World War II. On the night of 24-25 February 1942, unidentified aircraft were allegedly spotted in the airspace above Los Angeles. Suspecting it to be the Japanese, a blackout of the city was ordered and over 1,440 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition was fired. Upon finding no evidence of the existence of any enemy aircraft, the incident was declared to be a “false alarm”. The event has since been chalked up to as being a result of “war nerves”, likely triggered by a lost weather balloon and exacerbated by stray flares and shell bursts from adjoining anti-aircraft batteries.
  • Very little of the film was actually shot in Los Angeles. Tax incentives brought the production to Louisiana where sets of Los Angeles streets were constructed.
  • Marines from Camp Pendleton helped train the actors for their roles, educating them in the Marine lifestyle. A number of actual marines also appear as extras in the film. To thank them, a sneak preview of the film was shown at Camp Pendleton on March 3rd, 2011.
  • The movie was released on 03/11/11. 0311 is the Marine Corps Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) for Infantry Riflemen.
  • Liebesman drew inspiration from YouTube videos of marines fighting in Fallujah for the look of the film. As a result the film was not shot in 3D as the director felt that combined with the handheld camera style of shooting would make the audience “throw up in two minutes.”
  • The film was shot for a PG-13 rating, as the director felt making the film overly gory did not suit the more suspenseful tone they were trying to achieve.
  • Sony Pictures Entertainment investigated the possibility of legal action against the filmmakers Greg and Colin Strause, who were hired to do visual effects work on Battle: Los Angeles through their special effects company Hydraulx. Sony Pictures suspected the Strause brothers had created their own Los Angeles-based alien invasion film Skyline, which would compete with the Battle: Los Angeles release, by using resources they had gained while working on Battle: Los Angeles without the consent of Sony Pictures. A spokesman for the Strauses responded by saying, “Any claims of impropriety are completely baseless. This is a blatant attempt by Sony to force these independent filmmakers to move a release date that has long been set by Universal and Relativity and is outside the filmmakers’ control.”

Talking Points:

  • Was this a 2 hour long commercial for joining the Marines? Or a timely/sympathetic reminder to show the world the hardships that our troops face? What do you think?
  • Michelle Rodriguez’s performance = is this her niche?
  • Elements of District 9, Cloverfield, and V, with better production value than Skyline
  • Would it have been better documentary style?
  • Shaky Cam! OMG

What We Learned:

  • Join the Marines! Hooah!
  • Veterinarians can autopsy aliens.
  • If you’re from Jersey, you can hotwire a bus.
  • If they are chasing and shooting at you.. they are probably not friendly.
  • Michelle Rodriguez is a bad ass.
  • Make sure that the exit is intact before you get on the freeway!
  • Marines don’t quit

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Not bad. Much better than Skyline, but sometimes got confusing on who was who.
Ray:This movie is ok, much better than Skyline which is seems to be compared to..if I had to give it a rating, 2 out of 4 stars.. but it gets an extra star for letting me watch LA burn.
Steve: I liked it. Saving Private Ryan with aliens. I just let go and went with it.

The Future: The Tree of Life (limited May 27, 2011)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain

Trivia:

  • Heath Ledger was originally slated to play Mr. O’Brien. Brad Pitt took over the role.
  • In 2005 Terrence Malick had talked to Colin Farrell about starring in the lead role.
  • Mel Gibson was considered for a role in this film.
  • The origin of this film goes back to the late 1970s, when after Days of Heaven (1978) director Terrence Malick was working on a project named “Q”, that would explore the origins of life on earth. He abandoned the project, but this film contains elements from it.
  • Production designer Jack Fisk drew inspiration from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
  • VFX supervisor Mike Fink described the film’s scenes of the birth/death of the universe as “not narratively connected, but thematically complementary pieces.”
  • The tree of life that appears in the film is a gargantuan 65000-pound live-oak tree situated at Smithville, Texas.

Talking Points:

  • WTF?

Summary:
The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence

From the Director :

We trace the evolution of an eleven-year-old boy in the Midwest, Jack, one of three brothers. At first all seems marvelous to the child. He sees as his mother does with the eyes of his soul. She represents the way of love and mercy, where the father tries to teach his son the world’s way of putting oneself first. Each parent contends for his allegiance, and Jack must reconcile their claims. The picture darkens as he has his first glimpses of sickness, suffering and death. The world, once a thing of glory, becomes a labyrinth. From this story is that of adult Jack, a lost soul in a modern world, seeking to discover amid the changing scenes of time that which does not change: the eternal scheme of which we are a part. When he sees all that has gone into our world’s preparation, each thing appears a miracle—precious, incomparable. Jack, with his new understanding, is able to forgive his father and take his first steps on the path of life.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: The trailer has great imagery and is beautiful but still confused on what the movies is about.
Ray: The first time I saw this trailer, what immediately sucked me in was some of the awesome imagery I saw in the Trailer, and the content is just bizarre enough to make me want to see it.
Steve: I have absolutely no idea what this movie is about from the trailer.

Coming Attractions:

The Past

[asa]B000QUCQX8[/asa]

The Present

The Future

Download Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast

MOV035: “We’re going to need more holy water!”

Should “The Neverending Story” be put to bed?  Should we collectively dance in hopes of quickly ending “The Season of the Witch”?  Should we just let the aliens blow up LA in “Battle: Los Angeles”?  Are our childhood Atari wet dreams coming to life in a live-action Missile Command movie?  Also, Bond, Trent Reznor, and the Bible are all in movie news!  This and much, much more in this episode of COL Movies!!

[display_podcast]

News:

  • Missile Command Movie?
  • Bond 23 on again! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/11/james-bond-23-new-007-film-announced_n_807556.html
  • Trent scores another movie http://www.slashfilm.com/trent-reznor-scoring-david-finchers-version-the-girl-dragon-tattoo/
  • Turning the Bible into soft core gay porn? http://www.cinemablend.com/new/New-David-And-Goliath-Movie-Will-Basically-Turn-The-Bible-Into-300-22506.html

The Past: The Neverending Story (1984)

[asa]B000BPL2GK[/asa]

Director: Wolfgang Peterson

Starring: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver and Tami Stronach

Trivia:

  • Author Michael Ende decided that he was unhappy with the film’s version of his story, and refused to have his name placed in the opening credits. A small credit appears at the end with his name.
  • The nighthob says a profanity in the opening scene where the rockbiter appears running down all in its path. This profanity is often dubbed over by the grumble of the rockbiter’s scooter, so that it can be shown as a children’s film.
  • Most of the film was shot in Germany in the summer of 1983. It was Germany’s hottest summer in 25 years.
  • The original Auryn for this film now hangs in an enclosed glass display in Steven Spielberg’s office.
  • Was the most expensive film ever produced in Germany at the time it was made.
  • Noah Hathaway was hurt twice during the making of the movie. During his horse riding training he was thrown off a horse which then stepped on him. Then during the shooting of the drowning sequence in the “swamp of sadness” his leg got caught on the elevator and he was pulled under water. He was unconscious by the time he was brought to the surface.
  • “The Childlike Empress” wasn’t just child-“like”. She was portrayed by Iranian born dancer Tami Stronach who was only 11 years old when the production started.
  • The film itself actually “ends” about halfway through the book.
  • The name of the mystical land in (the English translation of) the original novel was Fantastica, not Fantasia, but the original German name Phantásien translates more accurately into English as Fantasia.
  • The theme song was sang by Limahl, who was the lead singer of the pop band Kajagoogoo.
  • The makeup team on the movie tried to paint Noah Hathaway green, just as Atreyu is in the book. “It wasn’t believable. I looked like fungi!” Hathaway said.
  • Noah Hathaway almost lost an eye during the fight-scene versus Gmork. One of the claws on his giant paws poked him in the face. The robot was also so heavy that he lost his breath as well when he was hit to the ground by it. They only made one shot due to the risk that he would get seriously wounded.
  • You can “ride” on Falcor’s back on location at the Bavaria Filmplatz Munich, Germany.
  • The name that Bastian screams almost indecipherable into the night is “Moonchild”.
  • During filming in Germany, because it was an unusually hot summer one of the statues of the Ivory Tower actually melted. On other days, the crew were forced to shut down production because the blue backgrounds for the matte work refused to operate properly.
  • Falkor is actually a 43-foot long motorized creature with 6,000 plastic scales and pink feather-fur. His head his three feet tall and long, and has a long tongue in the mouth.
  • Tami Stronach was attending theatre classes in San Francisco when she got the audition to be The Childlike Empress. Her acting teacher was friends with the production executive and talent scout Anna Gross. Tami initially believed she was auditioning for a little play and had no idea it was to be for a major motion picture.
  • Noah Hathaway was due to appear in the Broadway show “Chaplin” alongside Gene Kelly and Ann Margaret, but opted to do “The Neverending Story” instead. He had been cast in the film, then the original director was fired, and when Wolfgang Petersen was hired, Noah was immediately re-hired.
  • Only the scenes in the city and at Bastian’s home were not shot in the Bavaria Studios in Munich, Germany, but in Vancouver, Canada.
  • Noah Hathaway (Atreyu) now owns and operates a tattoo parlor in Los Angeles, California with his wife.
  • Tami lost both front teeth shortly before filming and they made her fake teeth which caused her to lisp until she learned to compensate for them.

Talking Points:

  • Could you consider this the “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” of the 1980s?
  • Is this a depressing movie for kids or what?
  • Which character left you with the biggest impression – and why?

What We’ve Learned:

  • It’s ok to steal books! (as long as you leave a note that you’ll return it)
  • Schools in the 80s didn’t take attendance
  • Oompa Loompa’s ride racing snails
  • Limestone Rocks have a delicious bouquet
  • Ancient Turtles are pretty Emo.. and allergic to youth
  • People who have no hope are easy to control.
  • Who wouldn’t want a luck dragon?

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Always a classic. Childhood flashback movie that is good for anyone of any age.
Ray: Its a favorite movie of mine, but can be a bit dark.. use your discretion before showing it to your kids
Steve: Definitely one of the most memorable movies from my childhood. It’s great to revisit as an adult, but you get a whole new perspective with adult eyes.

Intermission: Jeff’s Brief BearCity Review

[asa]B0042L0OFE[/asa]

The Present: Season of The Witch

Director: Dominic Sena

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman and Claire Foy

Trivia:

  • Development on the film began in 2000 when the spec script by screenwriter Bragi F. Schut was purchased by MGM.
  • The film had a budget of approximately US$40 million, and much of the budget was covered by Relativity with pre-sales to distributors outside the United States.
  • Filming took place in Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. Most of the principal photography took place in practical locations, with several days committed to filming on greenscreen.
  • Principal photography was completed by April 2009, but the cast and crew re-gathered a few months later to film additional battle sequences, filming on greenscreen to save on travel.
  • The art directors researched woodcuts and other artwork for classic demonic appearances. The filmmakers requested an entity “lithe and feminine”, and the visual effects crew designed a demon that had “cloven feet, a dog ankle and a fawn leg”. Designing visual effects for the demon’s wings was the biggest challenge since wings tend to get in the way or do not move convincingly. The filmmakers also requested holes in the demon’s wings, so the crew designed holes that appeared worn instead of ripped since ripped holes would require an added billowing effect.
  • The crew’s final visual effects shot was the death of the demon, and they researched previous films and terminology for how demons’ deaths have been designed.
  • Lionsgate scheduled Season of the Witch to be released on March 19, 2010, but five weeks before the date, the studio decided to pull the film from release. Lionsgate originally had an output deal with Relativity Media, but Relativity formed its own marketing and distribution arm in 2010. Relativity chose to release the film itself and in October 2010 set the film’s new release date for January 7, 2011. Season of the Witch will be Relativity’s first in-house production.

Talking Points:

  • Did it deserve the 5% on Rotten Tomatoes?
  • Odd acting – did it seem like the leads were present day Americans in period clothes, while the supporting cast was in actually performing in period?
  • Was this movie intended to be a farce or serious?

What We Learned:

  • Ron Perlman sports a pretty epic moustache
  • It doesn’t matter if your movie is set in the 14th century, and one of your actors speaks with a new york accent
  • If you’re going to be holding a giant rope to support the weight of anything, wear gloves!

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Not a bad movie, not great either, but not half bad.
Ray: Not Shakespeare but not as bad as airbender!
Steve: Enjoyed the visuals of the movie, but the writing and acting was “off”. Liked the concept, just didn’t come together well.

The Future: Battle : Los Angeles

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and Bridget Moynahan

Trivia:

  • The film is inspired by the real life incident known as the Battle of Los Angeles, during World War II. On the night of 24-25 February 1942, unidentified aircraft were allegedly spotted in the airspace above Los Angeles. Suspecting it to be the Japanese, a blackout of the city was ordered and over 1,440 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition was fired. Upon finding no evidence of the existence of any enemy aircraft, the incident was declared to be a “false alarm”. The event has since been chalked up to as being a result of “war nerves”, likely triggered by a lost weather balloon and exacerbated by stray flares and shell bursts from adjoining anti-aircraft batteries.
  • Very little of the film was actually shot in Los Angeles. Tax incentives brought the production to Louisiana where sets of Los Angeles streets were constructed.
  • The movie will be released on 03/11/11. 0311 is the Marine Corps Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) for Infantry Riflemen.
  • Don’t be fooled by the direct to DVD release “mockbuster”: Battle of Los Angeles – it’s not the same movie!

Talking Points:

  • Better than Skyline?
  • Is this just “V” in the movie theater? Original concept?
  • Use of Music in trailer

Summary:
A Marine platoon faces off against an alien invasion in Los Angeles.

Trailer 1:

Trailer 2:

Trailer 3:

Excitement:
Jeff: Yawn
Ray: Excited! Excited! Excited! Especially after seeing the newest trailer.
Steve: I really like how the trailer feeds on our fears. The music is great. I just really hope it holds up. I will see it, but don’t have any expectations.

Coming Attractions
The Past

The Present

The Future

Download Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download