When the American Pie series launched in 1999, I was a mere 7 years old: far too young and innocent to be permitted into the theater, much less understand what the heck was happening. Fast forward thirteen years, and I'm sitting in the theater thinking that even at its raunchiest, American Reunion can't really shock me anymore. While the first American Pie movie might have been revolutionary in its explicit, bawdy humor, it's since spawned generations of dirty, dirty high school/college movies, which might be why I wasn't really impressed with this one.
It's most likely, though, that my ambivalence stemmed from never having watched the other movies in the franchise. Since this was a reunion movie, it seems like it was extra-important to have had previous affection for the characters. I could sense that certain scenes were supposed to be a-ha moments for existing fans, but all references to previous movies went over my head. (Although I did get excited to see John Cho, aka MILF guy, though that's because he's Sulu.) All in all, though I giggled and cringed at the appropriate scenes, I left the movie feeling pretty glad that I hadn't had to pay for my ticket.
Having had major success from it's predecessor Ip Man, Kung Fu enthusiasts had demanded for the sequel of the Wilson Yip sensation. Loosely based on the actual life of Bruce Lee's teacher, the story picks up where the first movie left off. Ip Man (played by the kungfu star Donnie Yen), having to abandon the Japanese occupied Foshun province, moves to the British ruled Hong Kong. Ip Man tries to establish a Wing Chun martial arts school to make ends meet, yet is not well received by the other local schools. Thus, Ip Man is faced with not only with the challenge to maintain a home for his wife and kids, and teach unruly disciples, but also to prove Wing Chun is a respected martial art. Things quickly spiral out of control when a British boxer, Twister (Darren Shahlavi) publicly insults martial arts as a whole, and Ip Man is forced to fight not just for Wing Chun's legitimacy but for all Martial Arts.
Ip Man 2 though having it's shining moments, (primarily all of Donnie Yen constantly proving why he considered the best among chinese actors), the sad reality is that the expectations set in place for the sequel ultimately effected the end product in a negative way.
The story line itself was well crafted, and in theory has great potential. The Ip Man series as a whole follows the Chinese injustices through the 1930 - 1950s, yet the film is spoiled through the miss direction of the british actors. Most notably the british Champion Twister (played by Darren Shahlavi). I understand Yip's intentions to show the British Imperialist in a negative light, but Yip's attempt to contrast the arrogance of the English Boxer to the disciplined modesty of Ip Man, makes Shahlavi's performance over-the-top, and ruins the film as a whole. Part of this reason was due to Yip's decision to have voice overs for his english actors, and the decision to portray them as screaming lunatics without any class or decency. I found myself unintentionally laughing at the majority of the scenes showing any of the white counterparts, and I had a hard time trying to believe Ip Man would feel any humiliation given the utter ignorance of the ruling Britians. I would expect that government officials would have to some degree the ability to control their own emotions. I'm just surprised Twister didn't end up riddled with bullets, given his racism against the Chinese while in the heart of Hong Kong.
However, Ip Man 2 had some pretty awesome fight scenes, and after a long days work, it's an easy movie to watch if thinking hard and deep is not on the top of your priority list. Watch if you want to wet your appetite for buttkicking.
So the trailer for the remake of Total Recall was just released. I'm going to have you watch it before I start ranting.
Total Recall (2012)
So here we have a remake of 1990's Total Recall starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which brings up too many questions already, such as "Why would an Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie ever be made??!!!" ...Which is exactly what I asked myself (with that amount of rage). I have seen the original, and in my opinion, it's exactly what it claims to be: a campy, futuristic Schwarzenegger-beating-the-crap-out-of-everyone romp. And that's not good. So I'm wondering: who thought this was a good idea?
I don't know who thought it would be good, but whoever it was thought it would also be a good idea to make a heavy special effects laden film starring an entire cast of beautiful people. And that, I'll admit, was a good idea. Every blockbuster ever ever ever has followed this formula and has been pretty successful, so I don't doubt that this movie will do fine financially in theaters. However, I will not be seeing this film for many, many, many many many reasons.
First of all, did you see John Cho's hair? LOL are you kidding me. At least this film didn't lose the campiness of the original... although, is that really a good thing?
Second, the "let's throw every beautiful person into an action movie" gag is really getting old. I've seen Transformers already, thank you very much. And Tron. And Thor, Inception, Clash of the Titans, Salt, Eagle Eye, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, etc. etc. etc. All of which were very successful films, some of which were absolutely terrible. Oh, and don't think I missed that Jessica Biel-Kate Beckinsale fight scene. Hello, boys 12-34 demographic.
Third, I've seen the original film. Do I have any idea what it was about? No. Does this trailer give me any idea what it's about? Nope, because it relies so heavily on its star power, fights, and effects.
Count me out, please.
This brings me to more movies I don't want to see, such as...
Bel Ami (2012)
Don't get me wrong, I'm as big a Christina Ricci fan as the next kid. But I'm sorry, can Robert Pattinson stop getting movie roles? He acts the same way in every film (read: vampire). If you've ever seen Remember Me, you would have recognized his brooding, silent stare that was made so (in)famous in The Twilight Saga. Not even Uma can pull this one through for me. Sorry Robert, I admire your style, but you are the worst.
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
In no universe ever ever ever will Kristen Stewart surpass Charlize Theron. This film is presumptuous in trying to tell me the opposite.
Wait, who am I kidding? I'm totally going to see this movie just to watch Charlize bathe in milk. And it totally beats the other Snow White movie, Mirror Mirror. I never liked Julia Roberts anyway.
Sold.
Haters, I encourage you to hate (in the comments).
So like a typical college student, exploring YouTube is one of my favorite pastimes. I’m way too addicted to the website – I can watch basically anything that I want on it including music videos, interviews, or a baby elephant who’s scared of his own sneeze (this is my current favorite).
What I tend to watch over and over again, though, are clips from my favorite movies or television shows. One film that never gets old is Monty Python and the Holy Grail (or any Monty Python sketch for that matter). I adore Monty Python – their sketches never fail to entertain me.
In particular, one of my favorite Monty Python productions is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I actually saw the musical adaptation, Spamalot, before I saw the original film. After seeing the show, I knew that I had to watch the original – and I loved it.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is loosely based off of King Arthur’s journey to find the Holy Grail (the title is pretty self-explanatory). King Arthur (Graham Chapman) sets out to enlist his Knights of the Round Table (played by Monty Python members John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin), encountering several obstacles along the way. Once he reaches Camelot, he and his knights are instructed by God to find the Holy Grail. Of course, hijinks ensue as the men search for the object.
Although Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a fairly old film (it was released in 1975), it truly is timeless. I absolutely love this film, and I’ve seen it countless times. The Black Knight, Constitutional Peasants, and French Taunters never get old, and are scenes that you want to watch over and over again. Monty Python and the Holy Grail, or any Monty Python film as a matter of fact, is a must-see!
Let me just begin by saying I am NOT a girl that looks forward for movies to be released. I choose which movies to go see based on what is in theaters or what I've heard is worth seeing most times. But yesterday, a good friend of mine showed me two movie trailers and oooh boy am I excited!
First is the movie TED. From the makers of Family guy, starring Mila Kunis, Marky Mark Wahlberg, and Seth MacFarlane. At first, it looks like a sweet, sticky, romantic comedy just what I am tired of seeing, but then, holy shit, AN ANIMATED TALKING BEAR WINGMAN? FOR MARKY MARK WAHLBERG? That is all I am going to say. I'll leave you all for the trailer to decide how HILARIOUSLY AWESOME this movie looks!
The second film set to be released that I am super pumped for is God Bless America. Essentially, from what I understand, this guy is diagnosed with a brain tumor and realizes how sick of everybody's bullshit he is. So, what does he do? He just kills everybody that makes America a bad place, all with the help of a gun wielding 13 year old (or so?). Once again, all I'm going to say. Watch the trailer, epic.
Ted is set to be released on July 13, 2012
God Bless America is set to be released on May 11, 2012
A Knight's Tale(2001), directed by Brian Helgeland, is a comedic play on a classic medieval rags-to riches cliche. After Sir Ector (Nick Brimble) suddenly dies in a jousting skirmish, young William Thatcher(Heath Ledger), his servant, soon takes up the sport in his place, disguising himself as a knight in order to compete. Thus, William finds himself both battling to be the best in a sport he cannot legally compete in, and competing for the heart of beautiful Jocelyn (played by Shannyn Sossamon). However, the odds are stacked against him. Especially when facing a bitter rival, Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell) who seeks to take both glory and love from him.
As a childhood favorite, I forgot how many dreams A Knight's Tale, once inspired in me as a young eleven year old to be a knight. Equipped with tons of 90's references and a Queen soundtrack, this film's slight british humor will keep you laughing. This film simply shows how versatile Heath Ledger was tackling deeply psychotic movies like The Dark Knight (2008), yet still being able to play young boyish idealists like the one portrayed in this film.
Though at times, this film relies heavily on the suspension of disbelief, altogether this film is highly entertaining when one simply wants to kick back and not think so much. Its a feel good movie, and a worthy movie to spend a couple buck on.
I know that most of the Western world is furious with Netflix for their ridiculous increase in rates. However, if you are a loyal Netflix customer, or are too lazy to cancel your subscription (like me), here are some goodies on Netflix Instant for your 1 a.m. viewing pleasure!
1. Memento (2000)
I saw this film several years ago during some weird pre-teen rebellious phase, and it may or may not have changed my life. Actually, it probably didn't change my life at all, but it's still a pretty amazing film. Having seen this film in the early 2000s, I had no idea who Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Prestige) was, and didn't really care who directed the film. However, as this is one of Nolan's first widely released films, it deserves to be watched. The way it is filmed was pretty innovative for its time, as the story, which involves a man suffering from memory loss trying to find out who murdered his wife, is told almost in complete reverse. As you can guess, the story is pretty hard to follow, but watch it a few times and you'll probably get it. Maybe.
2. Babel (2006)
Feeling depressed?! Watch Babel! I assure you that you will feel better about your life. Or maybe you'll be more depressed. Either way, this film is very powerful. However, when I first saw this film, I was initially disappointed in that I felt like it was riding on the coattails of the previous year's Oscar winner, Crash, in that it follows several different characters whose lives are effected by the same event. Unlike Crash, which had at least some hope in it, Babel is entirely depressing. Also, if you've seen this film, please tell me what the storyline in Japan had to do with anything. Nevertheless, I would recommend this film, as it handles some heavy issues such as illegal immigration and gun violence.
3. Sin Nombre (2009)
Best for last. Watch this film. Weep. That is all.
-S
P.S. Have any of you readers seen any good films on Netflix lately? Let us know in the comments!
