I Watched: Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch – 2011 – Dir. Zack Snyder – 120 min. – U.S.

In today’s movie landscape, there are three (general) types of movies. One that relies on a compelling story and excellent acting (i.e.  The King’s Speech). Another that relies on stunning graphic effects and the more-often-than-not gimmicky element of 3-D (it’s like adding stickers to a car…neither really make it that much better). The third is a rare one that is able to blend the visual effects with solid story (i.e. The Dark Knight). Sucker Punch tries to be that third type and might be a bit more successful at it…if movies like Inception and Shutter Island didn’t come out the previous year.

Zack Snyder has established a unique visual style as seen in 300 and Watchmen, with a lot of slow motion and blood spattered all over the place. But while he’s able to make your eyes feel like they’re having sex with the movie screen, none of his movies have been incredibly strong in the story/ character development department. That leads me to Sucker Punch (which has been, so far, his worst reviewed movie on Rotten Tomatoes).

The film starts out with a visually and musically beautiful sequence to explain the back story. This was my favorite part of the whole movie:

My Top Movies of 2010

There are few things in life that give me greater joy than taking a time out from life and watching a movie. I watched a lot this past year, a few horrible ones, a few good ones, and a bunch that make me feel indifferent.

I watched a handful early in the year, then stopped when I had to move. Started to pick up a little more towards the end of the year. Oh, and as you can tell, I was only able to watch more mainstream stuff. So no international and super-indie films. But I always welcome recommendations.

(in no particular order)

1) Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan

-So lets start out with the most popular one out of my list. Yes, this got hyped beyond belief. It seemed like a lot of people who saw it turned into film experts overnight. And these same people, when upon learning you hadn’t seen it yet, would treat the spoilers like government secrets. I waited until I went to San Diego for Comic-Con to watch it. Normally with hype, I turn into a cynic and anticipate the giant expectations not to be matched. But after watching this, I had to admit defeat and say it was actually really good. Did it deserve all the hype? I don’t think so. Was it the best movie I had ever seen? Nope. But you had to admit it was well made and the thing that always separates the good films from the bad ones: the details. You could tell Nolan took his time and made sure he thought about everything. And to this day (despite article after article discussing it), debates arise over what the meaning of the ending is. This was the default movie-to-watch for 2010.

I Watched: Black Swan

Black Swan – (2010) – Dir. Darren Aronofsky – 103 min. – USA

A movie about ballet doesn’t really jump at most people in today’s action-packed, 3D-converted world. But if you bring together the right people with a script dripping with drama, sexuality, and multiple personalities, then you’ll find people willing to say “hey, so I watched that ballet movie this weekend…”

If you want a sense of “Black Swan’s” tone, you just need to be reminded that director Darren Aronofsky was the man behind “Requiem for a Dream” and “The Wrestler“. He has shown the ability to reach inside your head and pull at anything he sees. While infamous in the indie film scene, none of his films have made more than $45 million at the box office. But they have produced numerous film festival and mainstream award nominations and wins.

It’s that time of the year…COMIC-CON!

This is an exciting week. Not only because it’s the one year anniversary for this blog…but also that it coincides with the biggest geek fest in the world: SAN DIEGO COMIC CONVENTION INTERNATIONAL!

Again, I am going into this unsure if I have a pass or not (though I have many leads working on it). This time my partner-in-Con will be Brandon, as a kinda farewell gift before he moves to the Philippines.

Here are the top 5 things I’m looking forward to this year:

1) Random acts of celebrity sightings. I only care about celebrities when they’re relevant to my life. Which is why I only care about them at Comic-Con. Last year I had people randomly walk past me (cast of The Big Bang Theory) and within visual sight (Olivia Munn). Really, there are only three people I really want to meet. Summer Glau, Kristen Bell, and Olivia Munn. I haven’t heard if Kristen Bell is going to be there, Summer Glau has a panel for her new NBC show, and Olivia Munn is usually around the G4 booth. Other than that, I’ll be okay with surprise run-ins while walking the floor.

2) Actually going to panels. The lines get long quick, so I’ll really have to be on point for this. I really want Brandon to go to the Tron panel. There’s a bunch of panels for TV shows (The Big Bang Theory), video games (Halo: Reach), and movies (Thor) I’d like to catch. There’s nothing like being in a room full of fellow fans getting excited about every little piece of spoiler information you have the privilege to receive.

3) Nerds Gone Wild! In cosplay. I’m excited to see who dresses as what. Who puts that extra effort. Who should have put less effort. Who should have came as something else. This is probably the best part of the convention.

4) Friday is Star Wars Day! Nuff’ said.

5) Sunday is the day for those looking for deals. All the big companies dump all their excess freebies. Booths are usually looking to unload all their stuff at reduced prices. Temptation is a big thing. A shrinking bank account is bigger. I look to find a healthy medium which allows me enough money to drive back home.

We’re still trying to compile our ideal Comic-Con schedule. There are also plenty of non-Comic-Con-related activities going on this well too. So I’m pretty sure no one is getting any sleep.

Last year I wanted to blog after each day. I won’t promise that this year seeing how that was an utter failure. But if I can, I will do my best. Check back!

But if you can’t go this year, G4 is going to have live coverage. It’ll be like you’re there without all the sweaty nerds!

Twilight Fans’ Vampire Addiction Affecting Relationships

With the new “Twilight” film opening up…I think today?…I thought this would be funny to put up. I hope people remember that this is only a movie and you can’t compare your own relationships to the ones artificially created on-screen/ in a book. At the same time, if it helps someone realize how unhappy they are in a relationship, then maybe it’s a good thing? As long as you don’t put unrealistic expectations on your relationship, like your partner having to be a supernatural creature. But far be it for me to offer relationship advice…

In the end, there are better movies out there. Please, watch them. Please.

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-twilight-fans-vampire-addiction-affecting-relationships.html

by Lindsay Robertson · June 28, 2010

With fans turning the area outside the Nokia theater in L.A. into a tent city in advance of the “Eclipse” premiere, the Los Angeles Times examines the phenomenon of fans whose lives are upended by their fierce love of the vampire books and movies. The Times found women who have nearly lost their marriages by neglecting their husbands in favor of “Twilight” fan sites, blogs, and message boards. One woman gushes that she’s seen the movies “over 300 times.”

So-called “Twilight addiction” proliferates on the Internet, where a fan can take any of hundreds of quizzes to self-diagnose their condition, and websites sell hand-made crystal-encrusted T-shirts that say “Twilight Mom.” Some “Twi-Moms” as they’re known, have even argued that their love of Edward and/or Jacob has actually improved their marriages.

The Rotten Tomatoes Show Goes from Fresh to… Well, You Know

So a couple weeks ago I go to current.com to check out my favorite show, The Rotten Tomatoes Show. I wrote an entry awhile back, explaining the show and how I was making a small living off of it. Because of the past few weeks of craziness, I hadn’t been watching TV, movies to review, anything. Eventually I returned, expecting things to be business as usual.

Then I find out the structure of the show had changed! They no longer accepted movie reviews from viewers. Instead, they have professionals appearing on the show (in front of an ugly and distracting background btw) giving reviews.

The viewers were up in arms! Besides the fact that many of us are now deprived of a potential $100 each week, we felt like we lost one of the unique things about the show: a show by viewers, for viewers. Current TV itself is all about viewer-supplied content. Rotten Tomatoes now only allows a minute to minute and a half videos for their segments.

I’ll probably still watch the show when I can. But I definitely feel like it has lost some of its original spark that made it a sort of cult show. If you check out some of the viewer comments, they, like myself, hope the format of the show returns back to normal. Trust me, it’ll be good for everyone. Even if you don’t pay us anymore.

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http://tv.gawker.com/5536415/the-rotten-tomatoes-show-goes-from-fresh-to-well-you-know

Last Thursday, Current TV‘s movie review program The Rotten Tomatoes Show decided to go all New Coke on its viewers and change its formula.

What had previously been a clever mash-up of user-generated reviews of week-old box office releases was transformed into a cookie-cutter professional-critic soapbox of upcoming releases. User-generated content was trimmed to a one-minute Question of the Day determining the “Worst Comic Book Movie.”

Viewers called out the show’s bait-and-switch in the comments, leaving a whopping 76 comments compared to the five-ish comments the show typically scores. Reactions ranged from “can you guys bring the old show back?” to “was that a boom mic or a gun to Brett’s head”?

Whoever green-lighted the “upgrade” seriously overlooked Current TV & Rotten Tomatoes‘ demographics. Current TV, for the unfamiliar, is sort of like how New Yorkers would do television if New Yorkers weren’t literate enough for print. It’s self-aware, a little sarcastic, and most of all, it’s young.

The “glorious polyamorous marriage of critique” every week was exactly the innovative, Web 2.0-y feature that caused young viewers like yours truly to add Rotten Tomatoes to their Thursday night line-up. While some of the user-generated content had been clips of professional critics or comedians in front of their Macbooks, a great portion of reviewers were just people at home, talking about their latest trip to the movies.

What Is the Most Successful Movie Franchise of All Time?

I must admit the sins of all sins: I have never read a Harry Potter book or watched the movies. It’s not anything against the franchise, I just never got into it. But having many friends obsessed with it, I’ll trust their judgment.

I also think this says something about the quality over quantity of the films. Some of those 007 films were just crap. All of the Harry Potter films have at least a 75% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Never underestimate the power of a good movie.

Ironically speaking, I’m just glad that my favorite movie franchise is still up there, even with very crappy prequels. Nothing beats a very loyal fan base.

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http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/lifeslittlemysteries-what-is-the-most-successful-movie-franchise-of-all-time.html

What Is the Most Successful Movie Franchise of All Time?

by Mike Avila, Life’s Little Mysteries Contributor · May 13, 2010

The most successful movie franchise of all time is the “Harry Potter” series, which recently edged out another famous Brit: James Bond.

According to Box Office Mojo, the first six adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s beloved books have earned a staggering $5.4 billion worldwide, not adjusted for inflation.

The 22 films considered part of the official Bond canon (the 1967 spoof “Casino Royale” and the 1983 out-of-continuity “Never Say Never Again” don’t count) have earned an estimated $5 billion globally. But even if the earnings of those two films were included, it still wouldn’t be enough to put 007 on top.

On The Poll: Do you agree with Chris Evans as the new Captain America?

During my blogging hiatus, some big nerd news came out. After a lengthy search, Paramount Pictures named actor Chris Evans for the role of Steve Rogers aka Captain America for the upcoming film, Captain America: The First Avenger.

If you remember, I did an entry about who was being considered for the role and my personal pick, Jason Lewis, won out on my poll. But looking at the rumor mills, he wasn’t even in the running. Too bad. Channing Tatum was supposedly one of the finalists and I would have thrown a brick at someone if he got it. A more established actor, John Kransinski from NBC’s The Office, was supposedly in the running and while I love him as an actor, I could never see him as Captain America. All I can imagine is him doing that funny smirk he always does while the Red Skull tries to kill him. And I guess Ryan Phillippe really wanted to do it. I would’ve been okay with that, if only to make his son proud of him.

From reading other blogs, message boards, twitters, facebooks, and other nerd outlets, many seemed to be skeptical about Evans as Capt. The main issue seems to be how he played Johnny Storm in the previous Fantastic Four movies:

I don’t like actors playing multiple characters in the same fictional universe as well. But, seeing as I’ve completely disowned those Fantastic Four movies because of their awfulness, his portrayal of Johnny Storm doesn’t exist…at least in my mind. But…then again, if he wasn’t able to pull off the first role, how can I entrust him with an even bigger role?

Overall, I’m very skeptical. But he’s Captain America now, for better or worse. I hope he can prove us nerds wrong. If he doesn’t…we’ll be calling for the ‘Death of Captain America‘ movie sooner than later.

What do you think?

LFS-SFSU presents Asian-Am Cinefest!

The League of Filipino Students presents…
Asian-Am Cinefest:
a film screening fundraiser for our summer Philippine exposure trip, Baliksambayanan

Thursday, March 25
7PM @ Burk Hall 28
Sliding Scale $5 – $10

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Featured films:

Bampinay by Matt Abaya

Bampinay is the retelling of familiar Asian American themes, but the obvious is replaced by a campy horror film narrative. Bampinay (Tina Chilip) is a gothy AmericanAswang (Philippine Vampire) who enjoys taking advantage of naive white male Asia-philes as night approaches. She is pursued by Mahal (Samantha Chanse), a tough young vampire hunter bent on her destruction. When the two clash, they begin to see that their differences are few in their similar day-to-night struggles.

One Year by John P. Raposas

A hidden layer of a relationship is revealed during the course of a couple’s one year anniversary celebration.

Mula 3rd Avenue Hanggang sa Dulo (From 3rd Avenue to Eternity) by Sipat

Three members of youth gangs share their angst and conflicts. their wars and struggles, their damnation and eventual freedom from hopelessness. Shot in an urban poor community, the film also presents the bleak situations, cutting contradictions and discounted thrills of the people living amid abject poverty and government neglect.

Q & A with directors Matt Abaya and John P. Raposas.
Food and merchandise will be sold!

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What is Baliksambayanan?
Balik meaning “Going back” and bayan meaning “home.”
Baliksambaynan means going back to the homeland.

An exposure trip where students travel to the Philippines to learn, understand, and experience first hand the daily struggles of workers, students, and other sectors. From this, we organize with the sectors and apply what we learn to our work back to the states.

We hope to see you there!

Darah
General Member
Co-head of Asian-Am Cinefest
League of Filipino Students

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To learn more about the League of Filipino Students, Baliksambayanan (BSB), or how you can be a general member, please attend our open house on Monday, March 1st at 7pm in Burk Hall 352. Or if you want to know about future events, such as open mics, hip hop and rock shows and others, please join our info listserve by emailing us at lfs.sfsu@gmail.com. Thank you.

I Watched: Brooklyn’s Finest (Video)

Brooklyn’s Finest (2009) – Dir. Antoine Fuqua – 133 min. – USA

When I was in Brooklyn, I didn’t see any of this. But I did see cheesecake. Mmm…cheesecake. Another thing: ironic titles are usually hit or miss.