Tag Archives: Jonah Hill

MOV116: “Allow It!”

Up on this Reel of COL: Movies we do a double take of alien Invasions! First up it’s back to the not so distant past to watch 2011’s Low Budget Sci-Fi thriller “Attack The Block” Then we Dubstep our way to present day Glenview Ohio to watch ….The Watch. Finally we look to the not so distant future to discuss our excitement for the upcoming Time Travelling mind bender of Looper. All this plus X-men and Prometheus Sequel news, plus a follow up on some hobbits taking a very unexpected journey.. all that plus more on Reel 116 “Allow It!”

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News:

The Past: Attack The Block (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% Fresh; 74% Audience

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Director: Joe Cornish

Staring: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail , Leeon Jones, Nick Frost

Trivia:

  • The movie takes place on Guy Fawkes night, November 5th, which is traditionally celebrated with fireworks and bonfires in England
  • Writer/director Joe Cornish was inspired to make this film after actually being mugged in real-life one night (much in the same way Sam was as portrayed in the film). He noticed his five young assailants were as scared as he was, and started researching their lives.
  • Writer/director Joe Cornish grew up and lives in South London, where this film is set.
  • Members of the gang compare the film’s aliens to various fantastical creatures, all British in origin, namely: Dobby the house-elf from J.K. Rowling’s series of Harry Potter novels; Gollum from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien; and Gremlins, who while they are now best-known for the two American films by Joe Dante, were born out of the imagination of RAF fighter pilots during World War II, and were initially popularized by author Roald Dahl in his first novel.
  • In the scene where the meteorite breaks open, a female alien cocoon is revealed. Director, Joe Cornish has expressed his wishes of keeping this prop as a back garden decoration.
  • The areas and surrounding roads are named after well-known British science fiction authors: Wyndham Tower (John Wyndham); Moore Court (Alan Moore); Huxley Court (Aldous Huxley); Wells Court (H.G. Wells); Clarke Court (Arthur C. Clarke); Ballard Street (J.G. Ballard); Adams Street (Douglas Adams); Clayton Street and Clayton Estate (Jo Clayton); and Herbert Way (Frank Herbert). James Street may allude to horror writer M.R. James.
  • In this movie, Nick Frost still wears the long hair he grew for Paul.
  • Writer/director Joe Cornish has stated that watching Signs and imagining what would happen if it took place in south London was an inspiration for Attack the Block.
  • Franz Drameh, who plays Dennis, was originally under consideration for the role of Moses.
  • Most of the teenage actors were found through their schools and online open audition calls.
  • The film-makers only used CG effects when absolutely necessary, and to enhance practical effects for the creatures rather than replace them completely. Even the smaller female alien that appears before the credits was a petite woman in a creature suit. A puppet-type head was used for some of the attack shots wherein Moses is suddenly bitten. The creature’s head was a carefully constructed mask that had no eyes, and even the glowing mouthful of large, carnivorous teeth were achieved by animatronics (including twelve “servos”) rather than added in post. The film-makers admit that it did help save money, but also had an unexpected benefit. The actors, rather than reacting to something that wasn’t there, admitted that they were genuinely and unexpectedly frightened by the look and movements of creatures actually present (especially during chase sequences when a creature/creatures would pursue them at full speed). Nearly every actor said they felt especially intimidated– many surprisingly so– by the physical presence in a way they would not have if the creatures had been added digitally later. The same went for the majority of the settings; the director said it added authenticity and atmosphere to shoot on a set rather in front of a green screen.
  • Feature film debut of director Joe Cornish.
  • All the interiors were done on sets.
  • Only two suits were built for the aliens.
  • John Boyega found out about this film from an ad placed on-line.
  • This film was pretty much shot in chronological order.
  • The marijuana cigarettes several people smoke in this movie were actually made out of herbal tobacco.
  • The scene in which Alex Esmail throws fireworks underneath a police van took three takes to get right.
  • Writer/director Joe Cornish interviewed various kids in youth groups in order to find out what kind of weapons they would use if an alien invasion occurred.
  • The walkway chase set piece took ten days to shoot.
  • Simon Howard did his own stunt when his character Biggz jumps on top of a van.
  • The scene in which the police van smashes into the BMW was done in a single take.
  • The bulk of this film was shot in 67 days.
  • Writer/director Joe Cornish did in depth research on language to accurately convey the way South London street kids speak.
  • The mugging scene was filmed on the first day of shooting.
  • Joe Cornish based the character of Brewis on himself when he was in his 20s.
  • Film debut of Alex Esmail.
  • Writer/director Joe Cornish had to remove fifteen pages of the script prior to the shooting of the film because of budgetary constraints.

Talking Points:

  • Did you find them hard to understand?
  • The Use of Practical Effects
  • The use of regular kids vs actors
  • The social satire

Critic Notes

  • Positives: brings wit, energy, cheeky insolence to the alien invasion genre; full of surprises; imaginative social satire; fans of British Sci-Fi and pop culture shouldn’t miss it; a good example of an indie film that tries to get a point across without taking itself too seriously; a decent younger sibling to “Shaun of the Dead” (same producers)
  • Negatives: Thin characters, weak dialogue, confusing ending; the heros are uninspiring; the monsters just aren’t great

What We Learned:

  • There is no FBI in England
  • Rockets go up before they come down
  • The proper pronunciation is Tesssticleeeeeeease
  • No one will call you Mayhem if your a pussy.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: This is a mediocre movie, leaning towards good. The acting wasn’t so great, but still felt very British Sci-Fi TV. Which has it’s own charm. I think it’s definitely worth seeing once but not everyone is going to like this. I had a good time watching it.
Ray: Allow It. enjoy this film immensely although I am not intimidated as much by the strong urban south London accents. I think it’s a fun creature flick. I especially liked the believability of the kids they were not cringe worthy at all. Definitely worth a watch..If your having a hard time with the accent turn on the subtitles.
Steve: I thought it was cute, although I probably didn’t get some things because of cultural references. Films like this are funny to me because I always wonder what would happen if every day people got confronted by crazy situations like this – not cops, military, or survivalists…just every day kids.

The Present: The Watch

Rotten Tomatoes: 16% Rotten; 70% Audience

Director: Akiva Scaffer

Starring: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayode

Trivia:

  • David Dobkin was originally going to direct with Will Ferrell in the leading role, but the duo fell out in summer 2009.
  • Chris Tucker was considered for the role of Jamarcus.
  • The movie was originally titled “Neighborhood Watch”, but was changed due to sensitivity over the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida.

Talking Points:

  • Phoning It in?

Critic Notes

  • Positives: It may not be all funny, but there are some memorable moments and it is a fun comedic “adventure” comedy with the boys; perfect for a boys night out; it’s just amusing, that’s all
  • Negatives: Lazy, predictable, and full of “penis” humor; uninspired, it’s just one long Costco joke that gets old; comes off as a long, annoying SNL sketch that doesn’t know when to stop

What We Learned:

  • It takes a couple of hours to put up police tape properly
  • Laughter is a common expression of grief
  • Doo-Wop Groups were all about closing ass
  • Death makes you ineligible for a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award
  • Costco truly does have everything you need under one roof
  • Alien blood feels like cum

Trailer:

Recommendations :
Jeff: In general, I hate you Ray. However, the ending 10-15 minutes were okay and somewhat interesting. I still hate you, Ray. Stay away, folks.
Ray: I so wanted this to be good if only so more people could get to know Richard Ayode who was basically the archetype for Sheldon Cooper.. Unfortunately with the script and direction he was given his performance was the only thing even passing for mediocre in this mess. Unless you enjoy watching a train wreck, stay away or wait for it to come to netflix.. Watch Richard Ayode in The IT Crowd instead.
Steve: The mostly improvisational (or at least seemed so) dialogue was trite and most of the characters were very surface and annoying. However, I have to admit that I enjoyed it overall. Maybe I was just having a bad week and needed to laugh, but I didn’t hate it. Just be prepared for something just slightly above toilet and drug humor.

The Future: Looper

Release: September 28, 2012

Director: Rian Johnson

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt

Summary:

In the year 2042, a man working for a group of killers called “Loopers” (they work for the mob and kill people who are sent blindfolded back in time from the year 2072 by their bosses) recognizes a victim as himself. He hesitates resulting in the escape of his older self.

Talking Points:

  • A unique spin on the ol’ time travel plot device

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: It wasn’t until some of the later trailers that I finally got into the mindset that this looks like a freaking awesome movie. Of course, it’s also a Bruce Willis movie, outside of The Expendables, I’ll see him in anything.
Ray: When I realized the somewhat unique premise of this film I got excited. It’s always interesting to see how smart particular writers are at explaining away temporal mechanics. I’m definitely excited to see it.
Steve: Interested in seeing what twists are going to be thrown in, but honestly not something I would personally run out and see on my own.

The Past:

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The Present:

The Future:

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MOV100: ”Hey Korean Jesus”

It’s the 100th…yup, 100th…reel of COL Movies! The boys “celebrate” with an interesting variety of movies. On the pole, they start out with the Tom Cruise classic “Days of Thunder”. After burning some rubber, they head to the pit to check out the Jonah Hill remake of “21 Jump Street”. On the straight away to the checkered flag, the boys review the trailer for Johnny Depp and Tim Burton’s reimagining of “Dark Shadows”. All of this and movie news about Captain America’s sequel, Hollywood’s need for speed, and Johnny 5’s staying alive! It’s the 100th reel of COL Movies…”Hey Korean Jesus!”

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News:

The Past: Days of Thunder (1990)
Rotten Tomatoes: 40% Rotten, 59% Audience

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Director: Tony Scott

Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Michael Rooker, Fred Dalton Thompson, John C. Reilly

Trivia:

  • Many real-life NASCAR drivers (including Rusty Wallace) appear in the film.
  • NASCAR driver Greg Sacks did most of Tom Cruise’s stunt driving. Cruise wanted to do his own stunt driving, but wasn’t allowed to for insurance reasons. The Chevrolets were prepared by Rick Hendrick’s racing team, which later used some of the movie cars in real races. 35 cars were wrecked during filming.
  • Tom Cruise received a speeding ticket for doing 85 in a 55 mph zone while working on this movie.
  • The scene where Tim approaches Harry on a tractor was filmed on NASCAR legend Junior Johnson’s farm.
  • The scene where Cole and Rowdy race rental cars on the beach shows birds scattering out of the way. The birds were lured onto the beach by birdseed, and in the first take most of them were run over.
  • During the Darlington race in which the two movie cars appeared in, Neil Bonnett, one of the drivers interviewed at Daytona before the race, was nearly killed in a serious accident. Ironically, Bonnett was killed in a practice crash at Daytona in 1994. In the beginning of the film, the announcer introduces driver Aldo Bennedetti from Reading, Pennsylvania. This character is most likely a reference to real-life driver Mario Andretti. Both are of Italian descent, Mario’s brother is named Aldo, and Mario is from Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
  • Robin Wright was first suggested for the role of Claire Lewicki but was unavailable.
  • Production began without a finished script; scenes were often written the day of filming. During one driving sequence, Tom Cruise actually had to read his lines off cue cards attached to his windshield, which resulted in a minor car accident. For subsequent driving sequences, Cruise was fitted with a special earpiece to have lines fed to him.
  • Most of the cars used in this film were actually Chevrolets outfitted with special fiberglass bodies made to resemble stock cars. The vehicles routinely broke down from the strain of the racing or had their bodies greatly damaged. At one point, half the fleet was in the repair shop.
  • Producer Don Simpson originally intended to take a supporting role as a fellow driver in this film but his role was reduced to only one line.
  • City Chevrolet, a sponsor for Cole Trickle early in the movie, is a real-life Charlotte area dealership that is owned by Rick Hendrick, who prepared most of the cars in the movie.
  • Tom Cruise and ‘Robert Duvall (I)”s characters are (very) loosely based on former driver Tim Richmond and his crew chief Harry Hyde. Richmond was known as an overnight sensation, and Hyde was the veteran crew chief. The scene where Duvall’s character teaches Cruise about tire management is based on an actual incident between Hyde and Richmond, who died of AIDS complications the year before the film was released.
  • In an effort to give a more realistic atmosphere, professional racing broadcasters were brought in to play the broadcast reporters and track announcers. Key among these were members of ESPN’s racing crew, including booth announcer Bob Jenkins and pit reporter Dr. Jerry Punch.
  • After the first days of the editorial crew looking for “Tony”, Director Tony Scott gave Apprentice Editor Tony Ciccone the nickname “TC” to avoid further confusion. He’s still known by it.
  • All cars used in the movie for the races had to pass inspection and qualify. Bobby Hamilton qualified one of the movie cars in the top ten; they removed the cameras and he was allowed to enter the race.
  • The scene where Cole Trickle leaves the pits after a race to hit Russ Wheeler is also based on ,an actual event during the 1987 all-star race at Charlotte, NC between drivers Bill Elliott and Dale Earnhardt.
  • Some footage for the movie was shot during the 1990 Daytona 500. Two additional cars, driven by Bobby Hamilton and Tommy Ellis, were added to the rear of the field for the express purpose of shooting them for this film. They were not officially scored and left the racetrack after 100 miles (40 laps) were completed. At one point in the race, leader Dale Earnhardt even lapped the movie cars.
  • Cars designed specifically for the movie officially raced at Phoenix and Darlington, with Greg Sacks driving Cole Trickle’s City Chevrolet in both races. Bobby Hamilton drove Rowdy Burns’ Exxon car at Phoenix, while Hut Stricklin drove it at Darlington. None of the cars finished their races, but Hamilton did lead his race for five laps before an engine failure.
  • According to an article in Car and Driver by Bob Zeller, Bobby Hamilton was paid $14,000-$15,000 by Rick Hendrick to drive the camera car. At the time Hamilton was making about $185 a week driving a wrecker (tow truck). He did so well that Hendrick hired him on for the next NASCAR race in Phoenix and the rest of the season.
  • When Cole wins at Darlington, the track announcer says third place goes to Geoffrey Bodine. Tim Daland, Cole’s car owner, is based on owner Rick Hendrick, whose first driver was Bodine.
  • First feature film of Margo Martindale.
  • Harold Faltermeyer turned down scoring duties on the film. FHe recommended fellow German composer Hans Zimmer to the producers. Zimmer was also recommended to director Tony Scott by his brother Ridley Scott and star Tom Cruise.
  • The movie was conceived by Tom Cruise when he and Paul Newman were allowed to test one of Rick Hendrick’s race cars. Tom’s first lap was in excess of 180mph.
  • The man who drove for Harry Hogge before Cole Trickle was called Buddy Bretherton. In the movie they mention he died hitting the wall at Daytona. Harry also mentions that Buddy heard voices while driving. Buddy Bretherton is probably based on the Nascar driver Bobby Isaac. Who drove for crew chief Harry Hyde. Issac claimed to have heard voices telling him to get out of the race car or he would die. So he pulled the car off the track and quit. Isaac died years later from a heart attack while driving in a 1977 Late Model Sportsman race at Hickory Motor Speedway with 25 laps left.
  • Reputedly Tom Cruise handpicked Nicole Kidman to be his love interest in the film after seeing her performance in Dead Calm.
  • When Cole tells Harry “when it comes to the car I’ll take your word,” he is referring to a line from a deleted scene where he states, “I’ll take your word for what a car can do but I’m not taking anybody’s word for what I can do.” The line can still be heard in the trailer.
  • Alison Doody, Sarah Jessica Parker, Molly Ringwald, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Brooke Shields, Sharon Stone, Heather Locklear, Sandra Bullock, Jodie Foster and Ally Sheedy all turned down the role of Claire Lewicki.
  • In the “Making of…” documentary, Rowdy’s Winston Cup Championship trophy is for 1984. The real-life champion for that year was Terry Labonte.
  • Real-life Hendrick Motorsports pit crew member Mike Slattery served as an extra for Cole’s crew. After hearing what the stuntmen’s pay would be, he asked for the opportunity to do some of the stunts. However, when he saw how close the car came to the stuntmen, he changed his mind saying, “They can have it!”

Talking Points:

  • The Sound.
  • Top Gun in Race Cars?
  • What We Learned:
  • You can never build a driver like you can build a racecar
  • If you’re from California you’re not a Yankee, you’re not really anything
  • Despite what it says in the NASCAR rulebook there is nothing stock about a stockcar
  • The first thing you need to do to win a race, is finish.
  • Tires win a race
  • Drivers don’t go to doctors or funerals
  • Control is an illusion
  • Rubbin’ is racin’

Trailer

Recommendations:
Jeff: I had the radio controlled version of the Superflo car when I was a kid. This just brings back memories. And it’s a good movie to boot. Definitely worth the rental.
Ray: If only every NASCAR race was 5 minutes long, they might be as enjoyable as this movie. Making NASCAR as exciting as only Jerry Bruckhimer and Tom Cruise can it’s definitely worth a rental.
Steve: Top Gun in cars. Never really cared for this movie and it didn’t do much for me this time around. I do like the “new kid” becomes the “old guy” who gets owned by the “new kid” thing though.

The Present: 21 Jump Street
Rotten Tomatoes: 85% Fresh; 90% Audience

Directors: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube

Trivia:

  • Jennifer Lawrence, Juno Temple, Julianne Hough and Gemma Ward auditioned for a role.
  • Emma Stone was considered for the lead female role but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with her other movie, The Amazing Spider-Man.
  • Channing Tatum’s character is named Jenko after Captain Richard Jenko, played by actor Frederic Forrest, on the original 21 Jump Street TV series. Jenko was the original captain of the squad before being killed off and then replaced by Captain Adam Fuller, played by Steven Williams.
  • Channing Tatum passed on the movie twice before he was convinced by Jonah Hill to take the role.
  • At one point, Dave Franco’s character says that he doesn’t trust Channing Tatum’s character because he looks like he’s 40 years old. In reality, Tatum is only five years older than Franco.
  • Jonah Hill lost over 40 pounds for his role since he and Channing Tatum are required to do a number of physically demanding stunts.
  • In one scene the bad guys are actually watching the TV series 21 Jump Street on TV. While other original cast members show up in cameos in the film, Dustin Nguyen (Officer Harry Truman Ioki) does not. But he is worked into the film here as almost all the shots on the TV are of Ioki.
  • The understudy for Peter Pan is named French Samuels. Samuel French is the name of the publishing company that manages the rights to the musical “Peter Pan”.
  • While undercover, Jonah Hill’s character’s cover is almost blown by someone he knows personally, and he avoids this by pushing her away and saying that she tried to grab his private parts. This same exact thing happened to Johnny Depp’s character in Donnie Brasco while he was undercover.
  • The trivia items below may give away important plot points.
  • Hanson (Johnny Depp) is seen in disguise as a biker eating a jar of peanut butter, based on a suggestion by Depp during his last season on the show. Penhall (Peter DeLuise), was also seen in disguise as a biker based on one of the character’s attires in the original series. The disguised characters were written specifically for Depp and DeLuise by Jonah Hill.
  • Hanson and Penhall are shot multiple times and die in the climactic shootout, marking the deaths of the television series’ original characters.
  • At the end of the film it is revealed that one of the bad guys is actually Tom Hanson, played by Johnny Depp, from the original 21 Jump Street series. He has been undercover for years with the villains using the alias D.B. Following 21 Jump Street Johnny Depp played another cop who was long term undercover with criminals whose name was Donnie Brasco … D.B.
  • Johnny Depp ad-libbed most of his lines as Tom Hanson.
  • Footage of Dustin Nguyen from the original show are shown on television screens during the shootout at the prom. Whenever Nguyen is shown, a TV screen gets shot.
  • Talking Points:
  • Ok…When they made fun of themselves for rehashing old ideas..
  • Was it what you expected?
  • The Cameo’s
  • #2 is already listed with a writer on IMDB

What We Learned:

  • Korean Jesus ain’t got time for your problems, he busy dealing with Korean Shit.
  • Drugs are bad, but they can have their place in the life of a professional actor
  • You never won’t know what you can’t achieve before you don’t achieve it.
  • Artistic does not equal Autistic
  • A extra vagina can be used as a coin purse
  • You cant run in tights or skinny jeans
  • Chickens are highly explosive
  • Everyone is a stranger till you give em a chance

Trailer:

Recommendations :
Jeff: I saw half this movie and I’m surprised that I actually kinda liked it. I really think this movie was very well done but I just can’t stand embarrassing moments. If you like that humor, you’ll like it all. If not, you’ll like half the movie.
Ray: Well, I almost hate myself for it, but I enjoyed this movie a whole heck of a lot more than I was expecting. I thought it was funny, and I think they did a good Job with the twist on what it’s like to delve back into high school. Run out and see it? Maybe on a date.
Steve: I want to smack Jeff for making me watch this. However, there was some “fun” in it, but I found it extremely difficult to suspend the belief I know about law enforcement. So not 21 Jump Street…really should have been something else.

The Future: Dark Shadows (2012)
Release: May 11, 2012

Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green

Summary:

In 1752, the Collins family sails from Liverpool, England to North America. The son, Barnabas, grows up to be a wealthy playboy in Collinsport, Maine and is the master of Collinwood Manor. He breaks the heart of a witch, Angelique Bouchard, who turns him into a vampire and buries him alive. In 1972, Barnabas is accidentally freed from his coffin and returns to find his once-magnificent mansion in ruin. The manor is currently occupied by Barnabas’ dysfunctional descendants, all of whom are hiding dark and horrifying secrets and need his protection.

Talking Points

  • Turning a melodramatic soap into a comedy?

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Okay, so I admit I really don’t know the original source for Dark Shadows but from what I seeing here, I think it’s going to be a complete disaster. If you want to see Johnny Depp, watch 21 Jump Street.
Ray: Now, this one makes me sad. I was never a big fan of the source material, but a lot of my family was. I don’t think any of them would have any interest in seeing this, and I can’t say I do either.
Steve: In the same vein as 21 Jump Street…taking a classic drama to comedy is strange. I don’t understand this trend in Hollywood. Comes off more Munsters or Addams Family than Dark Shadows source material. Not sure what I think at this point.

The Past:

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The Present:

The Future:

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MOV092: “Oh Fiddle-de-de”

It’s the 92nd reel of COL Movies, Join us as we take a realllllllly looooooooooonnnnggg look at the longest movie to ever win a best picture oscar 1939’s movie that put the explatives in epic “Gone With The Wind” Next up on the block we take a look at yet another “Found Footage” film “Chronicle” Are we happy that we found it? Lastly we take a Jump on over to Jump street.. that’s right its another remake and this time they are resurrecting the late 80’s hit TV show of the same name? Will we be Jumping into the theaters to see it? Or Jumping off a cliff? All this plus some movie sequel news and some sneak peaks at some upcoming movie villans. All that and more on this Reel of COL Movies: Oh Fiddle-de-de

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News:

The Past: Gone With The Wind (1939)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% Fresh, 91% Audience

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Director: Geoge Cukor, Sam Wood

Starring: Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh, Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard

Trivia:

  • When Gary Cooper turned down the role for Rhett Butler, he was passionately against it. He is quoted saying both, “Gone with the Wind is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history,” and, “I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not Gary Cooper.”
  • In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #6 Greatest Movie of All Time.
  • June 2008 Ranked #4 on the American Film Institute’s list of the 10 greatest films in the genre “Epic”.
  • The movie’s line “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” was voted as the #1 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100).
  • First color film to win the Best Picture Oscar.
  • Of all the many actresses who tested for the part of Scarlett, only Paulette Goddard and Vivien Leigh were filmed in color.
  • Although he was dismissed from the production, George Cukor continued to privately coach both Vivien Leigh and Olivia de Havilland at their request on weekends.
  • The estimated production costs were $3.9 million. At the time, only Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ and Hell’s Angels had cost more.
  • Sidney Howard agreed to write the screenplay, but from his home in Massachusetts, 3000 miles away from studio interference. His first draft would have made a 5 1/2 hour movie. Howard reluctantly agreed to leave his Massachusetts farm and come to Hollywood to work on another draft with Selznick and then-attached director George Cukor. As Selznick was preoccupied with problems on the set of The Prisoner of Zenda, Howard had to wait 5 weeks before he was able to start working on another draft (in the meantime contributing some rewrites for “Zenda”). The second draft turned out to be 15 pages longer than the first.
  • David O. Selznick traveled to Bermuda in September 1938 to finalize the script. He reportedly brought four suitcases full of drafts with him.
  • The Ku Klux Klan was written out of the screenplay as the organization to which Frank Kennedy turns after Scarlett is attacked in Shantytown. Producer David O. Selznick said that he had no desire to remake The Birth of a Nation, telling screenwriter Sidney Howard in 1937, “I do hope you will agree with me on this omission of what might come out as an unintentional advertisement for intolerant societies in these fascist-ridden times. . . .”
  • Half a million feet of film were shot. This was all edited down to 20,000 feet.
  • There are more than 50 speaking roles and 2,400 extras in the film.
  • Contrary to popular belief, this is not the first film to use the word “damn”. The expletive was used in numerous silent intertitles and in several talkies, including Cavalcade and Pygmalion.
  • For the premiere in Atlanta in December 15, 1939, the governor declared a state holiday. Ticket prices for the premiere were 40 times the usual going rate.
  • One of the few remaining scenes directed by George Cukor to survive into the final cut of the film is the birth of Melanie’s baby.
  • At one point, five film units were shooting scenes. Directors involved were Sam Wood, Sidney Franklin and stunt coordinator Yakima Canutt.
  • David O. Selznick bought the rights to the best selling novel for $50,000.
  • In 1939, the Hollywood Production Code dictated what could and could not be shown or said on screen, and Rhett Butler’s memorable last line presented a serious problem. A few of the suggested alternatives were
  • “Frankly my dear… I just don’t care,” “…
  • it makes my gorge rise,” “…
  • my indifference is boundless,” “…
  • I don’t give a hoot,”
  • nothing could interest me less.”
  • Although legend persists that the Hays Office fined Selznick $5,000 for using the word “damn”, in fact the Motion Picture Association board passed an amendment to the Production Code on November 1, 1939, to insure that Selznick would be in compliance with the code. Henceforth, the words “hell” and “damn” would be banned except when their use “shall be essential and required for portrayal, in proper historical context, of any scene or dialogue based upon historical fact or folklore … or a quotation from a literary work, provided that no such use shall be permitted which is intrinsically objectionable or offends good taste.” With that amendment, the Production Code Administration had no further objection to Rhett’s closing line, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
  • 1,400 actresses were interviewed for the part of Scarlett O’Hara. 400 were asked to do readings.
  • The premiere was held in Atlanta, Georgia on December 15, 1939. It was reportedly the first time that David O. Selznick had been in the South.
  • The 222 minute running time excludes the Overture Music (played before the credits), the Entr’acte Music (played during the intermission) and the Exit Music (played after the film ends). All three were especially recorded for the film soundtrack, and were heard at the film’s original 1939 world premiere. They were seldom played by exhibitors until the 1997 New Line Cinema edition of the film restored them. They are also included on the DVD.
  • For the scene in which Scarlett escapes the burning of the Atlanta Depot, a horse was needed to play woebegone, an old nag on the verge of collapse. A suitable candidate was finally found, but weeks later, when the horse was brought to the set, it had gained weight and its ribs were no longer visible. There was no time to find a replacement, so the makeup department painted dark shadows on its ribs to give the appearance of malnourishment.
  • In the scene where Scarlett searches for Dr. Meade, making her way among 1,600 suffering and dying Confederate soldiers, to cut costs and still comply with a union rule that dictated the use of a certain percentage of extras in the cast, 800 dummies were scattered among 800 extras.
  • In the scene where Rhett pours Mammy a drink after the birth of Bonnie, for a joke during a take, Clark Gable actually poured alcohol instead of the usual tea into the decanter without Hattie McDaniel knowing it until she took a swig.
  • The first rough cut in July 1939 ran four and a half hours – 48 minutes longer than the final release.
  • All seven of Hollywood’s then-existing Technicolor cameras were used to film the Burning of the Atlanta Depot. Flames 500 feet high leaped from a set that covered 40 acres. Ten pieces of fire equipment from the Los Angeles Fire Department, 50 studio firemen and 200 studio helpers stood by throughout the filming of this sequence in case the fire should get out of hand. Three 5,000-gallon water tanks were used to quench the flames after shooting.
  • Vivien Leigh worked for 125 days and received about $25,000. Clark Gable worked for 71 days and received over $120,000.
  • Clark Gable was so distressed over the requirement that he cry on film (during the scene where Melanie is comforting Rhett after Scarlett’s miscarriage) that he almost quit. Olivia de Havilland convinced him to stay.
  • The horse that Thomas Mitchell rode was later Silver of The Lone Ranger fame.
  • Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to be nominated for, and win, an Academy Award.
  • Rhett was not allowed to say, on film, “Maybe you’ll have a miscarriage” right before Scarlett falls down the stairs; the line is changed to “Maybe you’ll have an accident.”
  • If box office receipts for the movie were adjusted for inflation, it would be the top grossing movie of all time; Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope would only be the second most successful movie of all time. According to the Guinness World Records homepage the total gross in 2005 figures would be $3,785,107,801.
  • None of the interior sets had ceilings.
  • At nearly four hours long, this is longest running of all movies to win the Best Picture Academy Award.
  • Was voted the eighth greatest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
  • In 2004, the movie was completely restored from the original three Technicolor negatives. This time, digital technology was employed to create results impossible to achieve with traditional methods. The negatives were scanned in at 2K resolution and digitally combined to remove all previous alignment problems and achieve perfect registration despite different amounts of shrinkage in the masters. The resulting digital master is of higher quality than any prints available so far – including the original prints from 1939. The 2009 Blu Ray Release comes from a new improved version 8K resolution scan and that is maximum possible limit for 70mm format.
  • The character of Rhett Butler was partially inspired by Mitchell’s husband nicknamed “Red”
  • Hattie McDaniel was cast as Mammy after Louise Beavers, Etta McDaniel, Ruby Dandridge, and Hattie Noel were briefly considered.
  • During filming Vivien Leigh reportedly smoked four packets of cigarettes a day. Clark Gable smoked three packs a day throughout his career.
  • According to Newsreels, there were a handful of Confederate Civil War veterans who, though quite old, attended the premiere in Atlanta.
  • The scene where Scarlett makes a dress out of a curtain later was later spoofed on The Carol Burnett Show
  • Neither Clark Gable or Leslie Howard wanted to be in the film. Howard didn’t even bother to read the original novel.

Talking Points:

  • Ok.. it was pretty damn long! Do you think that a movie of this size will ever see the light of day in modern Hollywood?
  • Peoples reaction to hearing about us doing this movie.
  • The shear scope of the film.. the epic shots
  • anyone else need a decoder ring?

What We’ve Learned:

  • Only the foreman gets to say when it’s quittin time
  • It doesn’t matter who you marry as long as he’s southern and thinks like you
  • A lady eats like a bird, not a hog or a field hand
  • Don’t take a girl on a buggy ride without a chaperon unless you intend to marry her
  • Mourning really cramps your social life
  • With enough courage you can live without a reputation
  • Tomorrow is another day.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Huh? What? *yawn* A Movie played? Hmm, maybe I should try watching it again.
Ray: Ok, I can finally cross this one off my list. I’m a little perplexed. Overall I loved this movie, but it was about 60 minutes too long. The first half of this movie was great and really kept me interested and entertained, the second half was a little slow, but overall an enjoyable experience.
Steve: Way too long for me, but definitely memorable performances. I often don’t mind seeing these types of films because there is so much pop culture and things that other films are based on…it’s neat to see where they came from.

The Present: Chronicle
Rotten Tomatoes: 85% Fresh; 78% Audience

Director: Josh Trank

Starring: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russel, Michael B. Jordan

Trivia:

Talking Points:

  • The Found footage phenomenon… although not really “Found” in this movie.
  • Setting up for a sequel
  • Music

What We Learned:

  • Bringing a camera to school with you will not improve your social status
  • There’s no bikinis in Tibet
  • Being good at beer pong will get you laid
  • The Lion does not feel guilty about eating a gazelle

Trailer:

Recommendations :
Jeff: This was much better then I thought it would be. However, it was still just okay. Worth a look see but probably as a rental.
Ray:. So.. a found or gathered footage movie. I know I said I was over them when I watched Devil Inside, but I actually found the story and execution of this movie good enough and entertaining enough to forgive its flaws. I’m surprised the audience score is not higher on this one. It’s getting excellent word of mouth!
Steve: This one didn’t do it for me. I liked the premise, especially the “what would you do if you had these powers” and “good vs evil” stuff, but it didn’t all come together for me because of the format.

The Future: 21 Jump Street

Release: March 22, 2012

Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller

Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube

Summary:

A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.

Trivia:

  • Jennifer Lawrence, Juno Temple, Julianne Hough and Gemma Ward auditioned for a role.
  • Jonah Hill wrote a cameo role specifically for Johnny Depp.
  • Emma Stone was considered for the lead female role but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with her other movie, The Amazing Spider-Man.
  • In May 2008, Columbia Pictures confirmed that a film version of the series was under development.
  • Jonah Hill rewrote an existing script by screenwriter Joe Gazzam and executive produce the film, as well as star in the film.
  • In May 2009, Jonah Hill described the film adaptation as being a “R-rated, insane, Bad Boys-meets-John Hughes-type movie”.

Talking Points

  • TV to Film Adaptation
  • Nostalgic enough to get you to the theater?
  • Who do you think they’re trying to get to see this?

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Kill me.
Ray: I was never a fan of the TV show (never seen it) so I was just curious as to how everyone felt about it. I guess there are parts of it that look entertaining, but you can never really trust a trailer.
Steve: Loved the TV show because it was a drama…but not liking the fact they are turning it into a slapstick comedy. 21 Jump Street became a reason I wanted to pursue law enforcement back in the day…but this would not motivate me. I’m kinda mad I saw Holly Robinson-Peete in the trailer – only because it’s not the same, but I’m glad they’re doing at least some cameos to bring it back to the original.

Coming Attractions – “All Nicholas Cage Special!”

The Past:

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The Present:

The Future:

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MOV073: “We Love Premarital Sex!”

In this 73rd episode of COL Movies, the boys head back in time – well, technically into the future, yet back in time – to kick off Horror month and to revive Mr. Vorhees in “Jason X”. After some gore and premarital sex, they head to the theater to review the Brad Pitt film “Moneyball”. And no, it’s not a porno…get your mind out of the gutter. There are balls, but not those kind… Anyway, they close out by reviewing the trailer for “J. Edgar” or Jedgar, where Clint Eastwood will be directing Leo DiCaprio in a bio-pic about a cross-dressing Gman (or so the legend goes). In news, we introduce the new segments called “The Cutting Room Floor” or “Cuts” for short, Zack Snyder’s folks talk about “Army of the Dead”, Is Disney setting the standard for 3D, and the unfortunate loss of Steve Jobs. We also take an intermission to talk about the best scary movies of all times. It’s COL Movies…where “we love premarital sex!”

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News:

The Past: Jason X

Rotten Tomatoes: 21% Rotten, 37% Audience

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Director: James Isaac

Starring: Kane Hodder, Lexa Doig and Lisa Ryder

Trivia:

  • The space debris floating in space has “Cunningham Reality” written on the side. This is a reference to the name of producer Noel Cunningham, the son of executive producer and maker of the original Friday the 13th, Sean S. Cunningham.
  • Screenwriter Todd Farmer based much of the film on Alien, even naming one of the characters (whom he also played) Dallas, after Tom Skerritt’s character in the Ridley Scott film.
  • Several of the characters in the film are named after screenwriter Todd Farmer’s online friends in the PC game EverQuest.
  • It had four different U.S. release dates before it was finally released.
  • The name “Tiamat” comes from Babylonian mythology. She is a dragon/goddess of the sea, who was slain by the god Marduk who then formed the land from her carcass.
  • Brodski mentioned a gun while the soldiers were suiting up called the “BFG”. This sci-fi gun is well known to players of the PC games Doom and Quake II as the most powerful weapon. “BFG” is an acronym for “Bio Force Gun” or “Big Fucking Gun”, as some called it.
  • Jason Voorhees’ eyes never blink when they are shown.
  • The music played during Jason’s first look at the virtual reality Camp Crystal Lake is the same musical score as the one in Friday the 13th Part 2.
  • The name of the primary ship in the film is the “Grendel” which is the name of a monster in the Old English poem “Beowulf”. Grendel was a direct descendant of Cain from the Book of Genesis, a monster described as half-troll, half-ogre. Like Jason, Grendel rose from a lake in search of victims and seemingly could not be killed. Also, in their fight, Beowulf rips Grendel’s arm off, and in the movie, when Kay-Em shoots up Jason, the first thing he loses is his arm.
  • In the scene where Dallas is smashed against the wall by Jason, the stuntman who did this actually broke his nose.
  • When Stony opens the door and gets stabbed and his blood sprays in Kinsa’s face, she screams. According to the audio commentary, the effects guys weren’t supposed to spray the blood into her face. She was screaming not because she just saw her boyfriend die, but because the fake blood was burning her eyes
  • The “virtual ’80s” scene was originally meant to be much more detailed, including a number of topless women playing volleyball. One idea even included the appearance of Pamela Voorhees, Jason’s mother, and even went so far as to have Jason attack her, showing the extent of just how evil he had become. The latter idea was dropped.
  • The “sleeping bag death” scene was first done in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, and was actually ad-libbed by Kane Hodder in that film out of frustration at re-shooting the same scene over and over.
  • The character Janessa was originally named Jessica, after producer Sean Cunningham’s sister.
  • The first film in the Friday the 13th series to rely on digital effects for death and gore shots.
  • Jason murders 28 people, more than any of the other Friday the 13th movies.
  • The film only suffered a couple seconds of cuts/alterations to earn an “R” rating, making it the least censored entry in the entire ‘Friday the 13th’ series.
  • The character Adrienne is a reference to Adrienne King, who played Alice Hardy in Friday the 13th and Friday the 13th Part 2.
  • Jason X is the first Friday the 13th film to be rated ’15’ in the UK. Although Friday the 13th parts 2,3 & 6 were originally rated ’18’ they were altered to ’15’, part 6 in 2002 and parts 2 & 3 in 2008.
  • Betsy Palmer was doing a play in Toronto at the time Jason X was filming. According to Palmer, one of the producers contacted her about possibly reprising her role as Pamela Voorhees. They did not come to an agreement, and the character was not included in the film.
  • In Andromeda, Lexa Doig played the avatar of the ships artificial intelligence and Lisa Ryder played a crew member. In this movie, Ryder is an AI construct and Doig joins the crew.

Talking Points:

  • Why didn’t they try ________
  • The comedy of it –
  • Jeff – make sure you watch the trailer! 🙂
  • Love how Jason got top billing in the movie!

What We’ve Learned:

  • Never say “Every thing’s Under Control” when your dealing with Jason Voorhees
  • In the end it always comes down to money
  • Mess with an engineer and you end up with a waste hose in your bunk
  • Liquid nitrogen + your face = a bad day
  • Never let a guy with a machete thaw.
  • Never kill an indestructible killer near the medical bay with nanites
  • Always make sure your android has a complete library of bad ass kung fu movies uploaded in its head.
  • Make sure your space ship is always well lit.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: A Terrible, terrible movie in a very good way. If you like Sci Fi bad movies and FT13, this is for you.
Ray: This is probably my favorite FT13 movie next to the first 2… this is a movie that totally doesnt take it self seriously..but like with all FT13 movies.. your gonna love it ..or hate it.
Steve: If you’re a pure fan of FT13…skip it. But it’s still gory fun.

Intermission: Scary Movies

The Present: Moneyball

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% Fresh, 91% Audience

Director: Bennett Miller

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymore Hoffman

Trivia:

  • When Steven Soderbergh was still supposed to direct, he cast Brad Pitt and Demetri Martin in the lead roles and had already shot interview scenes with baseball players Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson and Darryl Strawberry to be included in the film.
  • During pre-production, director of photography Adam Kimmel was arrested in Connecticut on sexual assault and weapons and explosives possession charges. He was replaced by Wally Pfister.
  • Production of the movie was set to begin on June 22, 2009, but it was surprisingly dropped by Columbia Pictures. Studio co-chairman Amy Pascal axed the movie after objecting to changes which original director Steven Soderbergh made to Steven Zaillian’s script.
  • The “Peter Brand” character was originally going to be named Paul DePodesta, who was Billy Beane’s assistant at the time (he later served as Dodgers’ GM and was employed by the Mets at the time of the film’s release). Demetri Martin was originally cast for this role. However, DePodesta, who visited the set, objected to his portrayal as a pure stats nerd, and so the character name was changed. By the time this was done, Jonah Hill had been cast in the role.
  • In the scene with Billy and the scouts where he mentions Scott Hatteburg, the board behind his head reads “Pratt, C.” on a yellow tab. Hatteburg was played by Chris Pratt.
  • Bobby Kotick, President, CEO and a director of Activision Blizzard portrays Stephen Schott, the owner of the Oakland Athletics in the film.
  • At one point, we hear that Miguel Tejada has struck out to end a game. In the original book, Tejada’s free swinging ways and relatively high strikeout rate was something of a point of contention, with the Dominican shortstop telling Beane and other Athletics’ members that “You can’t walk your way off the island”.
  • Several of the actors playing the ballplayers have baseball experience. Casey Bond spent time in the Giants’ organization, Stephen Bishop played for three years during the ’90s (including one season where he played with David Justice, who he portrays in the film), Royce Clayton played 17 years in MLB and Derrin Ebert played five games for the Braves in 1999.
  • Of all the Oakland players from the season represented in the movie (2002), only one played for Oakland in the season that the movie premiered (2011): Mark Ellis (and he was traded away in the middle of the season).
  • Despite suggestions in the movie that Hatteberg was a bad-fielding first baseman, he ended the year with a fielding percentage (.994) higher than the league average for his position (.993).

Talking Points:

  • Billy Bean vs Billy Beane
  • Performances

What We Learned:

  • Baseball thinking is medieval
  • Anything worth doing is incredibly hard
  • When you get the answer you want, just hang up on them
  • First guy through the wall gets bloody
  • An ugly girlfriend means no confidence

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Strangely enough this movie I actually liked this movie. it kept my attention and kept moving. Never got much of an attachment to any of the character but I liked it. It’s not for everyone though. Feel free to wait on this one.
Ray: Not a movie I could recommend or will plan on ever seeing again. I found the characters douchy, was bored to tears by the story, and annoyed by the blatant attempts at emotional manipulation.. definitely gets a skip in my book.
Steve: I was surprised that I liked it so much. I actually enjoyed it – perhaps because I play ball and could get a lot of the terms and understand it from the team dynamic standpoint. Have to say I’d written off Jonah Hill, but respected the acting job he did in this movie.

The Future: J Edgar

Director: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Leonardo DiCarprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts

Summary:

As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life.

Trivia:

  • Joaquin Phoenix was rumored to play Clyde Tolson, but the rumors were denied.
  • Charlize Theron was originally cast as Helen Gandy, but dropped out to do Snow White and the Huntsman. Amy Adams was then considered, but Naomi Watts was ultimately cast.

Talking Points:

  • Anyone know how long this movie is supposed to be?
  • Sexuality is a already a controversy (AfterElton)

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: DiCaprio’s vocal performance is kinda distracting. Plus I don’t feel it’s very clear what to expect. This trailer has failed to get my excitement.
Ray: Definitely a movie I’m interested in.. not thrilled about DiCaprio, but he’s been surprising me lately.
Steve: Looks interesting, but it’s not my kind of film. Only really interested in seeing what they have to say about his personal life.

Coming Attractions:

The Past

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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News:

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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