A Last Minute Decision

As I'm sitting at my computer watching the 2009 Grammy Nominees special, I can't decide what to write about for this blog. Lately, I've been kinda busy, so there haven't been a lot of movies. I've debated writing about movies I want to see, but that gets old. I debated writing about NOT movies, but that's tacky, after all, this is the Art of Film blog. Then I thought about writing about Prison Break, my new obsession, but couldn't bring myself to do it.

Until I remembered, I did watch 1 movie over Thanksgiving Break. That movie, was the comic genius called Shaun of the Dead.

For those who have never seen it, please for the love of god, stop reading and go watch it. It's totally worth it. A warning though, it's British humor, so if you don't like British humor, then avoid the film.

Shaun is a normal, everyday loser. His best friend Ed is even more lazy and pathetic than he is. Shaun is going through a rough time, struggling to find his purpose while maintaining his girlfriend of several years, Liz. Then, all of a sudden, ZOMBIES invade, and Shaun and Ed are forced to get off the couch, and save the world.

The movie is flat out great. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost give hilarious performances as Shaun and Ed respectively. The humor is very witty and fantastic. The film also adds a huge twist, with the zombies. Because of the added element of the undead, the film takes a 3 genre twist. it's a romance movie, a comedy, and a gore fest horror movie all rolled into one.

The excessive gore just adds to the funny-ness. Even being scared to death of blood, it was so ridiculously funny.

If you don't like this movie, then you probably won't like the unofficial "sequel" to the movie, Hot Fuzz, a take on cop movies.

Overall, Shaun of the Dead is a must-see for those looking for an interesting movie experience with a lot of laughs.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Greetings, Movie Watchers!

Let's Go to the Movies wishes you a fun, safe, and a Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy Turkey Day!!

- The Director

Begging for Forgiveness (First Voluntary Post!)

Okay people, I have forgiveness to ask. It's not an easy thing for me to do, considering I'm hardly ever wrong. So...here goes.

In my 3rd assigned blog post, I referred to the new James Bond movie as something I look foward to. I can sucessfully change the word "Look" to "LookED" and after that add the following fragment: "but was extremely and sourly disappointed."

For for the first time in forever, James Bond let me down.

I wanted to like Quantun. I really did. I even dumbed down my expectations after reading harsh critics reviews. But, alas, the critics were right.

If you're going to see it, there's some things you should know. The beginning and ending are JAM PACKED with action. Other than that, the film is just talk talk talk talk talk that never ends. Not even witty dialogue from Casino Royale writer Paul Haggis can stop the dreadfully dull and boring movement. Even the opening title sequence, a surefire hit in Bond movies was a missfire. The song Another Way to Die by Jack White and Alicia Keys is good, but the strange and off kilter graphics just deter from the quality of the movie.

Sorry to the people I'm disappointing, but please don't make the mistake I did. Don't put your eggs in this Bond's basket.

Oh..I'm sorry...did I say Bond?

I meant...Bland...James Bland.

A High Octane November

Car crashes. Explosions. Weaponry. Extreme gadgets. Girls, Girls, Girls. And, oh yeah. That classic theme song. There can only be one franchise that I'm referring to, and if you guessed James Bond, you are nothing but correct. This November's movie season will be revolutionized on Friday when Quantum Of Solace, The 22nd installment of Bond comes out. As we prepare for Friday, here are some reasons why I am excited for James Bond.

1) Daniel Craig
Okay...you got me. At first when I had heard 2 years ago that my beloved Pierce Brosnan was being replaced by a blondie who I had never heard of, Daniel Craig. Yet, I wouldn't give up on my beloved James. When I arrived at Casino Royale, my expectations were blown away. So much so that when I walked out of the theater, I had to ask myself "Pierce who?" Daniel Craig brings a rogue sense of badass to our hero, and makes him a cold yet humorous person whom we admire and want to be like. The anticipation of his return drives me crazy!

2) The Trailer
What more could you ask for? The trailer makes me drool a bit (okay maybe an exaggeration) but all I want after watching it, is MORE. More Bond, more action, more witty dialogue. And that's what the filmmakers want. They know that by giving me this wonderful trailer that I'll buy a ticket. Here it is for those who haven't yet experienced it. (Yes, its an event.)



All I need is two reasons. This Bond film is set to impress me, no doubts about it.

I guess you'll know where to find me this weekend.


By the way, in a completely different area from my last post, the official teaser trailer for The Pink Panther 2 has been released. Please be aware. If you see any people watching it, contact the proper authorities.

Matt's Top 10

If you're like me, then you've sat in the darkened movie theater and watched the trailers. As each one ends, you turn to your friend or whoever you happen to be with, and state whether you'd like to see the movie advertised or not. HOWEVER, if you're like me, then you probably have also been dead wrong about the movie you chose to pay $10 to see, because let's face it, there are a lot of junk movies out there, whose trailers look decent.


If you aren't like me, and haven't experienced this feeling or made a mistake, then I urge you to continue reading. If you read this, you will never have to waste your money on a bad movie.



Without further ado, here are my Top 10 Reasons You Should Avoid a Movie



10. Musicals With Bad Singers
We've all been there. Or maybe you haven't. But if you choose to go see a musical, PLEASE make a special trip to iTunes or YouTube to preview the soundtrack and make sure the singers are good. The last thing you want is to spend $10 hearing Pierce Brosnan croak again.


9. Parents' Think it's Good
Okay here's one i know for a fact you've experienced. Your totally outdated parents told you a movie was good, and it was probably the worst thing you've ever seen. Please do not trust your parent's movies opinions, especially if they think The Pink Panther with Steve Martin and Beyonce was funny.


8. The Movie Involves Talking Animals

Animals were never meant to talk. They were meant to meow, cluck, bark, snort, and moo. So if the movie you're seeing advertised has talking animals, then STAY AWAY. Case in point: Garfield with Bill Murray. I don't think I need any more explanation.


7. The Genre is Romantic Comedy
Before all the girls start tearing me apart for this, let me explain. Romantic comedies, no matter what the "subplot" is, are all the same. Guy finds girl. They fall in love. She catches him cheating. The guy loses everything and realizes he's made a terrible mistake. They reconcile, and live happily ever after. Throw in horribly cheesy acting, and the blandest of humor, and you have a total waste of time we call a Romantic Comedy. If you've seen one, you've seen them all.


6. Videogame Remakes

Really? I shouldn't need to tell you all this, but unfortunately, some of you have made major mistakes. If a movie is based off a videogame, it will absolutely suck. (Anyone remember a movie called DOOM with The Rock? Neither did the box office. But it exists!) See? Videogames are meant to be PLAYED, not WATCHED.




5. TV Remakes

Again, I can't believe I have to tell you these things. I know there are people out there who probably spent money on movies like Bewitched with Will Ferrell, or Miami Vice with jamie Foxx. But trust me. It's the same thing as videogames. TV shows should not be touched. Just look at what they did to the Hulk.



4. Japanese Remake/PG-13 Horror Movies
As if you couldn't already tell by the past 2 remake topics, there are certainly more. Japanese horror remakes, are some of the most unscary pieces of crap you could waste money on. The directors always pick terrible actors/actresses (Jessica Alba? The Eye?) and the PG-13 rating means there's NO BLOOD, NO VIOLENCE, and NO FUN. So please, if it's "Based on the HORRIFYING Japanese movie" and is PG-13, SAY NO.



3. Those Damn "(Insert Genre Here) Movies"
If you haven't seen any of the following parody movies from 2 of the original Scary movie writers, then please make sure you don't. Date Movie, Meet the Spartans, Disaster Movie, Epic Movie. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! We have HAD it with your crappy parodies! They are NOT funny and a TOTAL WASTE OF TIME. If you're going to make a parody movie then MAKE IT FUNNY. Stop throwing in stupid pop culture references that are from yesteryear (Get over it. Michael Jackson is no longer a headline maker.). Just please for the love of god save yourself and don't fall for the tricks of the trailer.



2. Unnecessary Sequels
Okay. FOR SURE we have all been here before. You see a movie, and fall in love with it. You're ecstatic to hear they're making a sequel. Finally the day comes and you get to the theater, and it's the biggest disappointment since you can remember. Let's face it. Rarely has a sequel ever been half decent. (Yes there are some like The Dark Knight or Spiderman 2. But do we really need The Mummy 3? or Saw 5? I mean, Really?) If you want to see it THAT bad, then wait for the DVD and rent it. Oh, and please don't make sequels just to make more money. ~Cough GEORGE LUCAS' STAR WARS PREQUELS.~



And the number 1 reason to stay away from a movie:



1. Bad Actors
Okay. So if the movie you're seeing has horrific talent, then please don't go. If you support bad actors, then you give studios the right to make more bad movies. (Gigli 2 anyone? J-Lo and Mark Wahlberg? I smell BIG BUCKS!) And yes, any movie with Jennifer Lopez or Mark Wahlberg should be avoided! Wasn't Max Payne bad enough? Don't believe me? Test drive the Gigli trailer yourself. If you want to see it, please seek medical help, and don't ever talk to me again.

I hope you are smart enough now to be able to tell whether or not a movie is worth seeing. But if you don't take my advice, don't say I didn't warn you.

Enjoy...if you dare!

Villains in Film!

Why are the characters we love most in films the villains? Think about this for a second. Think of a movie you have recently seen, and then think of your favorite character or even the one who mostly stood out and gave the best performance. If you thought of the villain, congratulations. But why is this so? What makes the villain the best performer and most memorable? Simply put, it just works that way.

Why did we love movies such as Die Hard or The Dark Knight? Simple. The villains. I guarantee you that those movie would not have been as well respected had Alan Rickman not played Hans Gruber or Heath Ledger played the Joker (respectively). This is also why these films are the best in their series. Don't get me wrong, Batman Begins was pretty decent. But Cillian Murphy wasn't really the right choice for a superhero movie villain. Not into Batman? Let's revisit Die Hard, or the most recent installment, Live Free or Die Hard. Now, don't get me wrong. I loved this movie. HOWEVER, it suffers from one simple flaw. Timothy Olyphant is nowhere NEAR as scary as Alan Rickman was, which brings me to my next point.

The next reason why villains are our favorites, is that the actors are selected very carefully for the roles. As I mentioned before, The Dark Knight would not have been nearly as good without Heath Ledger as the Joker. The directors take extra time. To move away from the two films we've been using, consider Cillian Murphy's performance in Red Eye. Murphy's performance was chilling, and made us fear his character. It takes talent to fill the roles and to make a scary villain, and he successfully pulls it off. The villain is scary, and the movie's plot line was very realistic, which didn't help audience's fears. If the director picks the wrong choice, the movie falls flat on its face. (Giselle in Taxi? John Tucker Must Die?) Okay so perhaps it's a little unfair to pick on movies that suck anyways, but you get the idea. Ian McKellen as Magneto in the X-men trilogy is an example of a sucky movie villain.

The costumes, makeup and cinematography also play a huge role for a villain. They have to look scary. Freddy Kruger for example, still gives me shivers. The makeup has to be fiendish, and evil. To give off a look that you don't ever want to get on this person's bad side. The lighting has to be ominous, as does the soundtrack. Don't believe me? Go rewatch a movie with your favorite villain, and I promise you, you'll never hear happy, joyful music on screen. In addition, the director must use certain techniques like low angles to make him seem very intimidating, as well as low key lighting to bring out dark shadows and contrasts.

The villain is a very important movie part. It's generally a favorite. We may root for the heroes on the outside, but secretly, we all know we root for the villains to have more screen time. If you've never looked at it this way, I guarantee that you now will. and if you have looked from this perspective before, you'll find a greater appreciation for the character of the villain.

Welcome!

Greeting everyone and welcome to the official Let's Go to the Movies! blog. I hope you will take time to stop by and check out reviews, comments, and postings, all related to films new and old. Until next time,

CUT!
THAT'S A WRAP!

-The Director