Archive for November, 2013

Oldboy

Posted: 11/27/2013 in Drama, Thriller
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oldboy2013

Oldboy is being released TODAY!

Although the title does not really match the description in my opinion, it sounds like a kick ass movie. The movie, directed by the infamous Spike Lee (Who I have a friend that has met him. Obviously working on getting that hookup) stars Elizabeth Olsen, Josh Brolin, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Ware, and Sharlto Copley, among many others.

This film coming out today is an action drama mystery movie. A man, obsessed with vengeance, sets out with a strong motive to find out why he was kidnapped and left in captivity for 20 years without reason.

The main character, Joe Doucett (played by Josh Brolin) was an advertising executive when he was suddenly kidnapped and kept in solitary confinement for 20 years. When he is inexplicably released, he obviously starts his mission to figure out why. Who orchestrated this punishment? I’m interested to find out. Also, why did they let him go? As Joe seeks vengeance, he may be caught in a web of conspiracy and torment.

We’re all going to have to go out and see this movie to find out! Watch the trailer! => http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrLcnrnEqyI

Dito Montiel

Posted: 11/24/2013 in Film Making
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Dito Montiel is a published writer, an actor, screenwriter, producer, musician, and director.

Talented and driven, Dito Montiel has turned his life around. His childhood took place in Astoria, Queens, one of the rougher of neighborhoods in Queens back in the 1980s.

Dito Montiel’s first published book, “A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints,” a memoir, depicts his younger years in Astoria, and how he left his friends and family to become someone. Dito first left to start a band with a friend. Some of you may know the hardcore band Major Conflict. He was also the lead singer in the band Gutterboy.

A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints was later adapted into a screenplay in 2006. The movie stars Shia LaBeouf, Channing Tatum, Robert Downey Jr., Dianne Wiest, and Melonie Diaz. The movie was Montiel’s first screenplay and first directed movie.

The movie really captures the 80’s, as does another one of his films I watched recently, Empire State.

Dito Montiel doesn’t have such a specific style as some other director’s in the industry today, but he does often use the same cast, and has some techniques that show through some of his movies. He often likes to have dialogue speak over a scene, not filming the speaker during the whole speech. He also has a lot of shots of cars or subways moving in a still shot, but has tracking shots of people walking, where the camera is following them as they go (they are always in the shot). He also has a very stylistic music composition, using Jonathan Elias for many of his movies (A Guide, The Son of No One, & Fighting)

Dito Montiel’s first film A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS is one of my favorite all time films, which is what got me into learning more about this writer/director. He is inspiring to me, as this movie (and the novel) is a memoir, and a true story about his life. The movie is very poignant, and resonates with me. I aspire to be a writer/director like Dito Montiel.

Not many people know of this director, he hasn’t made too many films. His filmography can be found at IMDB -> http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1996918/?ref_=tt_ov_dr

 

I encourage you to check out writer, director, producer, musician, and actor Dito Montiel.

 

A guide to recognizing your saints

Catching Fire

Posted: 11/18/2013 in Action
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jenlawrence

Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

THE HUNGER GAMES ARE BACK!

The excitement and buzz about the new Hunger Games Saga, coming out November 22nd (Mark your calendars!) is that this movie is on fire! (My corny joke of the day)

The Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire, original story written by Suzanne Collins and screenplay adapted by Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt, has a big buzz in the media this week since the film goes on the big screen THIS THURSDAY. 

Catching Fire had a change in director, the director of the first Hunger Games (Gary Ross, who helped adapt that screenplay) had dropped out, but luckily Francis Lawrence took over. (Also directed I Am Legend, Water for Elephants, and is a reputable music video director)

The premier of Catching Fire is today, November 18th at the Nokia Theater!

The film had its first release in Brazil on November 15th, bringing in a hot $2.4 million and a total of $6.3 million in that country ALONE.

Things are definitely heating up for the Hunger Games considering! It’s projected to be one of the hottest movies of the year. The projected domestic box office earnings are to be $120 million ….. outrageous.

The reviews so far are looking good, but of course, it is too early for us common folk to tell. The stakes are high however, with such large success of the first in this series, us fans and audience members are really expecting a lot.

The Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire is a continuation following our heroine, Katniss (the amazingly talented and beautiful Jennifer Lawrence) as her and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) embark on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts as a rebellion is simmering in the dystopian society of Panem. The 75th annual Hunger Games could change their society forever.

the hunger games 2

Catching Fire

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Posted: 11/14/2013 in Comedy
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fast timjes

Talk about a classic comedy. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing this masterpiece written by Cameron Crowe (one of my personal favorites) and directed by Amy Heckerling, then you are truly missing out.

This 1982 classic comedy is about all the teen favorites – love, sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

I feel like this movie is easily relatable, even in modern day.

We can all relate to that clown in class, the one that’s probably a stoner, an easy going guy but a real ball buster with the teachers. We all know one (or are one) and Sean Penn is the epitome of stoner. Jeff Spicoli. Every one’s favorite character in Fast Times.

We can all relate to another one of our many main characters, Stacy Hamilton (played by Jennifer Leigh) she is an average sophomore, pretty but timid, she’s less experienced than her best friend, Linda Barret (Pheobe Cates), and Stacy is anxious to lose her virginity. She desires to be a desirable girl.

Then we have the beautiful Linda Barret, you know, the popular pretty girl in school, the one that seems to get all the boys. Yeah, that bitch, that’s her. She is the goddess in the infamous pool scene where Stacy’s brother, Brad (Judge Reinhold) is caught doing something, um, indecent as he fantasizes about Linda.

On the other hand, the equal male counterparts to Stacy and Linda are Mark Ratner (Brian Backer) and his older, more experienced friend Mike Damone (Robert Romanus). Mark is similar to Stacy, very average, not as good looking as Stacy is, shy, and not very good with the ladies. His love interest becomes Stacy in the film, and I’ll let you watch and find out how that ends up.

Mr. Hand, played by Ray Walston is your classic strict, uptight, not fun, straight edge history teacher. Mr. Hand and Spicoli have a lot of comical and interesting encounters.

The movie depicts a very realistic coming-of-age comedy with relatable but dramatic characters.

Many more characters come into this film and intertwine in the high school of Ridgemont High.

If you haven’t seen Fast Times, you’re really missing out.

So go watch, laugh, and enjoy this great film

The Perfect Host

Posted: 11/14/2013 in Thriller
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theperfecthostis a

 

Are you ever going through Netflix looking through pages and pages of movies, most of which you’ve already seen, or are outdated, or just don’t sound too appealing? That happens to me a lot, but, thankfully, I discovered a great movie on Netflix : The Perfect Host.

This film directed and written by Nick Tomnay is a thriller/drama with a good amount of comic relief.

The main character John Taylor, after an injury from a bank robbery is desperate for a place to hide out. He eventually cons his way into the home of Warrick Wilson. Taylor’s role played by Clayne Crawford and Warrick Wilson’s immaculate role is portrayed by the great David Hyde Pierce.

John Taylor wiggles his way into Warrick’s home and gets himself invited to a dinner party. This dinner party is definitely one he will never forget.

When he thought he was home free and escaped the cops, he enters the into the arms of a seemingly gentle kind-hearted man, but is quickly proven to be in a more dangerous position than ever before.

The movie has several twists and plays mind games with the audience. I don’t want to give away any details, it’s truly a great film, worth watching.

The ending will definitely catch you way off guard

RE-MAKES

Posted: 11/06/2013 in Remakes
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Let’s talk about movie re-makes, you know, when there’s a movie out there and a director takes the same movie and re-produces it. (Why do people do this? I’ll never understand … I mean there’s a gazzillion stories to be told but you wanna re-tell one ? whatever–)

Some re-makes can be entertaining. Some people prefer a remake of an old black and white movie because they enjoy the modern twist (i.e. Alice in Wonderland).

Some re-makes just look better aesthetically (i.e. The Parent Trap. I hate the original. Maybe because I grew up watching Lindsey Lohan :/ she’s a train wreck now.)

A NEW film comes out in TWO days, Friday, November 8th : Great Expectations

Great Expectations is actually very close to my heart, I read this book in honors English back in 9th grade, and it is one of my favorite books ever.

The classic novel, written by the infamous Charles Dickens, is a rags-to-riches story about the very lovable young Pip. The novel is quite lengthy, and truthfully the first 100 pages are somewhat rough to get through, but the story as a whole is a very great tale. With twists, and emotions flowing poetically through each page. I really suggest any one that enjoys reading to pick this book up and enjoy.

The novel was adapted to film first in 1946, a black and white film directed by British film maker, David Lean. It won two academy awards. This version of Great Expectations stays fairly true to the novel.

Later in 1998, Mitch Glazer wrote a remake of Great Expectations, but with a different twist. His story just shares the same themes and motivation in characters, but the characters and setting are completely different. (Do not watch this movie and think you can write your book report on Great Expectations and be good…)

in 99′ director Julian Jarrold took Tony Marchant’s script of Great Expectations and developed ANOTHER remake, this one seems more true to the original, although I’ve never seen it.

There are versions made in 2011, 2012, and now a new one to come in a few days in 2013.

I never realized that there were so many remakes, but people do enjoy re-writing something that was so great, such as a classic novel by a very notable author, such as Charles Dickens. We can all relate to the story and aspirations of Pip, which makes this film an ideal choice to recreate.

I’m personally excited to see the new Great Expectations, written by Jo Clifford and directed by Mike Newell.

Here is a link to the trailer of the 2013 version : http://www.movieinsider.com/m9846/great-expectations/videos/10417/