It’s another “very special episode” (haven’t we jumped the shark, yet?) where we look back on the Zemeckis and Michael J. Fox “Back to the Future” franchise. After just shy of 6 hours of movies, we head to the theater to check out the summer blockbuster based on a Hasbro game, “Battleship”. Lastly, we take a look at the Tim Burton animated film based on his 1984 short film, “Frankenweenie”. In news, Guillermo del Toro is taking on big budget SciFi, “GI Joe 2” is getting bumped back a year for 3D post-coversion, “Ted” takes GI Joe 2’s spot, “The Exorcist” and news on the “RoboCop” remake. It’s the 106th reel of COL Movies…”1.21 GIGAWATTS!”
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News:
- del Toro, Giant Monsters and Robots oh MY!
- GI Joe Retaliation pushed back almost a year! to do a post conversion
- Seth MacFarlane’s ‘Ted’ Moving Into June 29th Slot Just Vacated By ‘G.I. Joe 2′
- The exorcist being remade!? sort of.
- Gary Oldman Joins Robocop remake
The Past: Back To The Future
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% Fresh, 88% Audience
The Past: Back To The Future II
Rotten Tomatoes: 64% Fresh, 80% Audience
The Past: Back To The Future III
Rotten Tomatoes: 73% Fresh, 74% Audience
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Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Mary Steenburgen
Trivia:
- The first film was the highest-grossing film of 1985 and became an international phenomenon, leading to the second and third films which were filmed back-to-back and released in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Though the two sequels did not perform quite as well at the box office as the first film, the trilogy remains immensely popular after a quarter of a century and has yielded such spin-offs as an animated television series and a motion-simulation ride at the Universal Studios Theme Parks in Universal City, California; Orlando, Florida (now closed), and Osaka, Japan, as well as a Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, iPad, PS3 and Wii video game. The film’s visual effects were done by Industrial Light and Magic. All together, the trilogy was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one (Best Sound Editing).
- As of June 2011 the Back to the Future series is the fourteenth highest grossing trilogy of all time at the domestic market (adjusted for inflation), seventeenth highest grossing trilogy of all time at the domestic market (not adjusted for inflation), and the thirteenth highest grossing trilogy of all time, worldwide (not adjusted for inflation).
Talking Points:
- Anyone notice anything they never saw before?
- What is your favorite of the three?
- Can you really see one without seeing the others?
Critic Notes
- Back to the Future:
- Positives: Great performances, story is well paced, fun mix of ingenuity and nostalgia
- Negatives: Tries to be too clever, so it trips itself up at times
- Back to the Future II:
- Positives: Very screwy, but fun; Not as confusing as #1, giddy and fun
- Negatives: Make ups at different ages were poorly done, tried too hard, overloaded
- Back to the Future III:
- Positives: Much more simple plot than #2, so refreshing and fun; Great nod to westerns
- Negatives: Bland and forgettable, runs out of energy
What We Learned:
- My God Back To The Future III had alot of facial hair
- If Emmett Brown built his time machine in this day in age, it would have been a Tesla Roadster and he would have avoided alot of problems.
- Whatever your parents said they did or did not do when they were your age? Don’t believe a word of it.
- 2015 is only 3 years from now..and we still don’t have flying cars.
Trailers:
Back to the Future:
Back to the Future II:
Back to the Future III:
Recommendations:
Jeff: This has been always a classic trilogy to me. The first one is a classic and the best, the other two were just some extra added fun. I say it’s totally worth a buy as a complete collection.
Ray: So, I do love the first move, seen it hundreds of times. I think the second movie is ok, but you can only really watch it if you have seen the first movie, but to me other than some eye candy the third movie is totally skip-able.
Steve: Big fan of #1…the other 2 were somewhat throw aways for me. Watching them over, I realized how much I wanted to just fast forward through 2 & 3. I loved the concept and as a teenager in 1985, I wished I was Marty McFly!
The Present: Battleship
Rotten Tomatoes: 37% Fresh; 57% Audience
Director: Peter Berg
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Rihanna, John Tui, Jesse Plemons, Tadanobu Asano, Gregory D. Gadson, Alexander Skarsgård, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson
Trivia:
- Jeremy Renner was cast as Alex Hopper, but dropped out in order to co-star in The Master, which he also later dropped out of.
- The movie is based on the Milton Bradley game “Battleship” that has been manufactured since 1931. The original paper and pencil version of the game predates World War I.
- Some of the artillery used in the film is shaped like the pegs used in the game.
- Teresa Palmer and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley auditioned for the role of Sam.
- Singer Rihanna’s feature film – and acting – debut.
- The battleship Missouri was the key plot of the movie Under Siege, where it was about to be decommissioned. In Battleship, this boat is set as a museum.
- The clips showing ‘the world at riot, coming to an Apocalypse’ are actual news clips captured during the riots in the United Kingdom in 2011.
- During the filming of the soccer game sequence, an American and a Japanese warship each pulled into dock near the field. They were promptly drafted into being extras, and can be seen standing on the prows of their respective ships cheering and clapping for the game.
- The scene when Alex Hopper breaks into the convenience store to get the chicken burrito is a spoof of a real convenience store robbery – the security video for which went viral on YouTube. The actual robber fell from the ceiling twice.
Talking Points:
- So, is this movie bad? or are we just spoiled? Why would a movie make 200million overseas, but do absolutely terrible here.
- Anyone get the “Top Gun” vibe from this?
- So was it meant to be serious? or was it satire?
- Was this a nod to Memorial Day? “Don’t forget our Veterans”-kind of movie? or just an advert to say “when the world works together, we can accomplish anything”?
Critic Notes:
- Positive: Adrenaline filled fun, sincere salute to Naval veterans, it knows it’s big and dumb so it goes for it
- Negative: 2 hour Navy recruiting film, preposterous, noisy and overbearing, just a big dumb summer movie
What We Learned:
- Even though life evolved on a planet in the same distance from the sun as ours.. the inhabitants will be super sensitive to sunlight
- Aliens apparently have the same uses for the colors red and green like we do.
- The government somehow forgot how to put satellites into geosynchronous orbit
- John Tui is fucking HOT!
Trailer:
Recommendations :
Jeff: While there are some weak points in the plot, the battles just kept getting better and better. I enjoyed this movie alot. The first part of the movie before we get out to sea when Hopper meets the girl could have been completed removed and it would not have changed the movie. Sure not the greatest action movie in the world, but I think they did a decent job. Theater is okay but waiting for rental is okay too.
Ray: This is the biggest budget syfi channel movie I have ever seen! If you enjoy those you will enjoy this. Otherwise stay away…far away.
Steve: Wow…I want to say I hated it, but I didn’t. Definitely just had to shut off my brain and watch the special effects, otherwise I would have been mad at myself for sitting through it. I have no reason to ever see this again.
The Future: Frankenweenie
Release: September 14, 2012
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Charlie Tahan, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short
Summary:
After the death of his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring him back to life. Victor tries to hide his creation, but Sparky gets out and causes havoc in the town
Talking Points
- Anyone see the original short?
Trailer:
Excitement:
Jeff: For some reason I’m completely non-plussed about this movie. Looks pretty good but I’m in the Meh camp here.
Ray: Something ill probably see, mostly because of my liking of Burton’s other animated films..not sure its a run out to the theater and see it kinda movie though.
Steve: As a “most of the time” Burton fan, I’ll probably see it on video (if possible). Seems like fun.
The Past:
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The Present:
The Future:
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