Precious Returns

More Lord of the Rings/Hobbit hype today.  For those of you who haven't heard, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is coming back to theaters with extended scenes.  So, if you thought three hours was not enough time to get through the series, get ready!  Longer editions are making their way to the theater this summer.

The Fellowship of the Ring is due out June 14, The Two Towers is due June 21, and Return of the King will hit the big screen June 28 - just in time for my birthday, and early enough that they won't compete or interfere with the release of Harry Potter.

I'm undecided if I'll see these in theaters again.  I've already invested a ridiculous amount of money in this trilogy over the years, and I have them all on DVD and have seen them on Blu Ray accompanied by my husband's awesome HD TV.  So, do I need to spend my movie budget on that?  Probably not.  If I have extra money lying around, I might use it that way.  The temptation is certainly there.    Particularly since the rumors of the extended scenes explains some of the plot holes, like why Faramir's relationship with Boromir and his father is so strained, what happens romantically to Eowyn, and more.

At any rate, I'm excited.

Who Wants To Be A Slumdog?

Last night I watched Slumdog Millionaire finally.  It came highly recommended, particularly after I watched 127 Hours - another Danny Boyle film.

The way the film starts out is sort of jarring.  The opening scene is very intense, and you see Jamal in the questioning room with the officer (although you don't know that's where he is) and the officer is just blowing smoke in Jamal's face.  Then, we're on the set of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.  It takes a little while to figure out what's going on, and make the connection between his life experiences and answers to the questions.  But, I can appreciate a good storyteller's desire to keep the viewers guessing.

The film definitely paints a bleak picture of India.  Seems like it's intended to bring the spotlight to basic issues, like police brutality, the state of the slums, religious persecution, etc.  But, it also doesn't seem like any of those things are exaggerated in the film.  It seemed very real to me.  And the scene with the Americans really gets me.  The one where Jamal's character get's beaten by the police and they give Jamal money, as if that's supposed to make it better.  I love the conversation in that scene.

"You wanted to see the real India?"  Jamal says as he's lying on the ground after being brutally kicked by the officer.

"Well, we'll show you the real America!"  The woman says resolutely and turns to her husband and whispers for him to give Jamal money.

Making a jab at the overall ignorance of Americans, perhaps?

I wasn't overly clear on why Salim felt the need to kill himself at the end.  The change in his demeanor seemed very abrupt.  He was always mildly abusive towards Jamal, and did what he could to stay on top.  He only drew the line once when he knew Jamal was in danger of bodily harm.  At which point he basically threw Latika under the train in order for he and his brother to escape.  So, what turned him into a humanitarian suddenly?  What made him care about Jamal and Latika's happiness?

You can assume by the end that Jamal and Latika get their home on Harbor Avenue or wherever they want and live happily ever after.  But I would've liked to see a glimpse of their lives after things had settled down.  Not because I needed closure or anything, but just because.

Overall I thought it was a great film.  A good renter for a relaxing Monday night.

Happy Monday!

Little bit of this and a little bit of that going on today.

I watched the new trailer for Melancholia today.  The film stars Kirsten Dunst and Alexander Skarsgard among others.  The trailer is...odd to say the least.  I can't decide if it's about this wedding, or about a planet that's going to crash into the Earth at any moment and kill all life on both planets.  It seems like odd things to juxtapose.  At first, based on the title, I thought it was going to be about this super happy wedding day where the bride is depressed and do a psychological exploration of the importance of appearing happy on that day, etc. etc.  But, it doesn't seem like that's it at all.  It appears to be very artistically filmed, and may or may not be worth watching?  I'm not sure.  If nothing else, I think bizarre is a good word for this one.  A US release date for this film has not yet been set, so maybe we won't get it, but for those fans of abstract, semi-foreign films, keep an eye out.

News From The Shire
Peter Jackson has lost Rob Kazinsky as part of his cast for The Hobbit.  He was slated to play a minor role as one of the 13 dwarves, Fili.

Jackson stated on Facebook:
"I am sad to report that Rob Kazinsky, who was cast in the role of Fili, is having to leave The Hobbit and return home, for personal reasons.  Rob has been terrific to work with and his enthusiasm and infectious sense of humor will be missed by all of us.  I should say that Rob's departure will not affect ongoing filming of The Hobbit, nor will it impact work done to date, as we had yet to film much of Fili's storyline.  At the moment, we are shooting scenes featuring Bilbo without the Dwarves, which will give us time to find a new Fili."

Jackson also gained an actor for his long list of cast members.  He just announced Ian Holm will be returning as the older Bilbo in the film.  Holm joins original Lord of the Rings cast members Cate Blanchette, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and possibly Hugo Weaving and Orlando Bloom.

The first part of the film is due out in December of 2012.

With all the tidbits of news that are eeking out about this film on a daily basis, I just hope there isn't too much hype that precedes it.  Everyone is already expecting it to be epic, based on Jackson's Lord of the Rings series.  I'm just not so sure it can live up to it.  Particularly since Frodo is generally a more lovable character than Bilbo.  That guy is just whiney and annoying!  So, I'm interested to see what Jackson does with his character.  Obviously, I'll be seeing it when it comes out, I'm just not sure it's going to be as awesome as the first set of movies.

All for today!  I hope you all had an excellent Easter weekend!

Opening Today

Happy Earth Day everyone!  And, it's Good Friday as well, so insert your own appropriate Good Friday well wishes here.

It also happens to be Friday, and there are a few movies that look pretty good debuting today.

Water for Elephants is one that piques my curiosity.  I read the book a few weeks ago, and I had mixed feelings about it.  I thought the author (Sara Gruen) was amazing.  Her style was so realistic and really thrust me into the thick of the story.  However, the story is about the circus, which isn't something that I'm overly interested in.  But, it has murder, love, sex, controversy, trouble with the higher ups - which everyone can relate to - and more, which in my opinion is enough to be interested.  Plus, with a cast like Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson, I think it'll be a hit.  Oscar nominee, probably not.  Entertaining?  Yes.  Worth seeing on the big screen?  I'll get back to you.

African Cats also makes its big screen debut today as Disney's annual Earth Day installment.  The others, Earth and Oceans were great I thought, so I'm excited about this one.  It follows a family of cats through the trials and tribulations of life on the African plains.  (Insert Circle of Life soundtrack here.)  And, if you go see it during its premier week Disney will donate "a portion" - whatever that means - of the proceeds to save the African Savannah.

Medea's Big Happy Family also opens today.  Snore.  This movie is not even worthy of putting the trailer in here.  Tyler Perry, can you please retire?  I understand that the first 28 of these had some success, but I'm sick of hearing about it now.  I'm sure you've made enough to live on for the rest of your life.  Don't get greedy.  Quit while you're not too far behind, please?  'Nough said.

Don't forget to check out The Myth of Reason this week, where we discuss Source Code (since I finally saw it), new on DVD this week and today's movie releases!

All in all, could be a good weekend at the movies!  I think Water for Elephants would be my pick to splurge on.  I don't know.  Every time I watch the trailer for African Cats, I want to see that one too.  We'll see.  Happy Easter everyone!

Mixed Bag

Winter is Coming

Holy crap, I haven't blogged for like four days, and there's so much to talk about!!  First, Game of Thrones premiered on Sunday night on HBO.  Can I just say OMG that was AWESOME!  I thought for sure with all the hype there was no way the show was going to live up to my expectations, but it did!  The episode follows three different sets of characters that are all seemingly after the same thing - The Iron Throne.

I was worried that the series would be...well hokey.  I've watched a few episodes of Camelot (Starz) and True Blood (HBO) and was slightly disappointed with the shallow storyline (Camelot) and just plain bad acting (True Blood), but Game of Thrones has a solid and compelling story as well as excellent actors.  I was totally absorbed in the show and disappointed when it was over so soon!  I can't wait for Sunday!

Source Code

I finally saw Source Code this week.  Thank's to Flagship Cinema's rewards program, we got to see it for $6.50 total for both of us!  Score!  And, it was worth every penny.  The story follows a military Captain (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) who is charged with going back in time to the last eight minutes of a person's life in order to discover the identity of a bomber who poses a deadly threat to the city of Chicago.  It has a very Quantum Leap feel to it, which I loved.

There was also a very nice twist towards the middle of the film about the condition of Gyllenhaal's character.  For those of you who haven't seen it yet, I'll let you figure it out, but it gave the film a little more depth.

The end of the film was debatable (spoiler alert).  Dan thought Gyllenhaal's character was just living in his own reality, but I thought he'd changed reality all together, which posed the problem of what happened to the man that he was posing as?  And what happens when they need Gyllenhaal's character to do another Source Code mission?  Does he Quantum Leap away from this new rosy reality?  Anyway, it kept me thinking about it, which is always a bonus.  I'd recommend spending the $9 to see this one in the theater.  It was a great film with a little bit of everything - action, stress, romance, explosions, death, ethical issues, etc.

New on DVD

Really, the only thing worth mentioning this week that's new on DVD is The King's Speech.  It follows the inspirational true story of King George VI, who had a stuttering problem and was thrust into the lime light when his brother abdicated the throne.  He takes the position during Britain's darkest hour, at the beginning of the Second World War, when a strong show of leadership is vital to the country's survival.  How can a stutterer overcome such daunting circumstances?  With the help of a quirky speech therapist that's how!  The film is excellent and should be seen by everyone!

The only other thing of note on DVD is Rabbit Hole, starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Ekhart.  The film follows a happily married couple struck by a terrible tragedy.  It mirrors the tone of Revolutionary Road apparently (according to Amazon), and based on that information I'm not sure I need to see it.  I was so depressed after that one I needed to watch something like The Little Mermaid to get over it.  So, I'll probably skip that little journey down the Rabbit Hole.

Whew!  I think I'm all caught up now.  Sorry about that!

Ever Want To Go Cross Country With A Crazy Stranger? Me Neither.

Watched Due Date last night.  Despite how stressful it was, I loved it.  I like Robert Downey Jr. a lot.  I think his delivery is priceless and the way he can just spout insults, you can't help but laugh.  I didn't see the Iron Man movies until I fell in love with Downey Jr.'s comedic genius in Sherlock Holmes.  (By the way, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows is due out in December!!)

"You're 23?  How did you live that long?  How have you not gotten hit by a car?"

I swear, I've known people I could have said that to!

The movie follows a guy (Downey Jr.) as he tries to make it home before his wife gives birth to their baby. Stressful enough on it's own.  Throw in a character like Ethan - Tramblay or Chase, who knows - (played by Zach Galifianakis from The Hangover), and chaos ensues.  

First the boys get thrown off a flight after a vast overreaction on the part of the crew.  They are then placed on a no fly list to continue this overreaction.  Commentary on the way the TSA is keeping us "safe?"  Who knows.  Peter is then forced to drive from Atlanta to Los Angeles with this crazy stranger who got him put on the no fly list.  Major events include surviving a flipping over accident in their rental car, getting arrested in Mexico and then explosively escaping, and Ethan shooting Peter in the leg, all in the matter of a few days, and all before he can get back to L.A. to see his baby born.

The storyline is complex to say the least.  Realistic, no.  Funny, yes!  I'd recommend this film to anyone who likes either Galifianakis or Downey Jr., or to anyone who just needs a bit of a laugh.

"If You Have Tears, Prepare To Shed Them Now"

Dan brought an new film to my attention today - Anonymous.

"It's about Shakespeare," he says.  Being an English Literature major, naturally I'm intrigued.  "It's about how Shakespeare didn't write all his plays and poems.  Someone else did."

"BLASPHEMY!" I declare!

Based on this information I assumed that Shakespeare would have a ghost writer and he would be the charismatic front of this dynamic duo.  Sort of like Milli Vanilli for the 16th Century.  However, after watching the trailer, I'm further confused.  The 2 minute blip of information implies that the original genius was punished for doing something to fall out of favor with the queen.  His punishment was that no one would know who he was.  Everything was published under Shakespeare's name, so the poor man watches Shakespeare rise to be the greatest writer of all time, even though he never penned a word.

It's an interesting concept I'll give it that.  But, the very thought of it makes me angry.  It has planted a seed of doubt in my mind.  A seed that spreads like a vine, choking out rational thought.  What if this isn't the first time something like that has happened?  What if everyone we idolize from history wasn't who they said they were?  Abe Lincoln?  A racist you say?  Henry VII?  A faithful man?  Oh the humanity!  Ok, so that's taking it way to far.

And anyway, I do love movies that take risky, new approaches rather than these tired old remakes and sequels (Scream 4?  Really guys?).  I will most likely go see this one in the fall.  I will also most likely be peeved about it, and rant and rave about it on my blog.  Something for you to look forward to in September.

"Be not afraid of greatness: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." - Act II, Scene V, Twelfth Night

So Will, which one were you?