Inception Trailer 1 Out
This one still doesn’t reveal a whole lot, but it still has a mysterious twinge in it that makes it just that much more interesting. I can say this for sure: don’t listen to rumors online that claim to have “leaked” the script. I can with confidently that the common rumors are incorrect. Check out the trailer here.
Avatar: Simply the Best Movie this Decade
James Cameron hit a homerun with this movie. Cameron’s comeback with an epic is capped off with a movie that very well could smash box office records. He’s come a long way since Terminator and many were left wondering if he could ever duplicate that success. I believe he has. Avatar, starring Sam Worthington, explores a warring faction between humans and the Na’vi, but this is more than an action film that has tons of explosions. There is a story behind all of the action, though that’s hard to imagine with a movie like this. If you look past the shooting and the explosions, there’s still a movie worth watching. Sully (Worthington) regains use of his legs as an Avatar, and is torn between his mission and what’s right. Throughout the movie there is a constant battle of the psyche and the movie moves in that direction. Right or wrong, good or bad: the classic inner dwelling that overcomes many of us. This focus on that all the while adding in subtle religious and political themes makes this movie worth the price of admission, even in 3-D. Watching it in 2-D was one thing, but 3-D is something special. So as not to give anything away, expect the following: Great dialog, clear and concise direction, believable characters, emotional involvement, action, adventure, great effects, excellent screenplay, and last but not least, balance. This movie does have it all. You’ll be in it the movie for nearly three hours, but trust me, it’s worth it.
Caprica to Premier on Syfy Channel
For those fans of BSG, there is hope. Caprica (if you missed the web series or don’t own it on DVD rent it or see), will premier on Friday, January 22 at 9 ET. It is effectively a prequel to BSG and there is alot to like about it. Both leads (antagonists) play a wonderful role, but that’s not where this will be successful. Caprica will give BSG fans new hope but it will also add to a potent Friday night lineup. For more information on Caprica, you can go to syfy.com and check on the official site’s link. It’s an effective way to get caught up, but the series looks to stay around for a long time. There is a lot to like about the new Friday evening lineup and Caprica will help bring a new look to the Syfy channel being put back-to-back with Stargate: Universe. January 22. Mark your calendars.
Uncharacteristic Thriller
There are thrillers and there are THRILLERS. Inside is a movie that follows a woman who is late in her pregnancy dealing with plenty of issues. A gruesome introductory scene that involves a car wreck is pretty shocking, but it’s a setup for the entire movie. We zoom in to present day to discover her husband and other people in the car wreck died. She was the only survivor and that she was pregnant. A series of strange events happen afterward, but not in the supernatural way. The lead’s pregnancy is a huge point in the movie, however.
This movie takes on an eerie feeling much like Haute Tension (High Tension in English), but it doesn’t quite have the strange twist at the end. What Inside provides audiences is a a topsy turvy reaction to the character. There’s nothing supernatural about it–or does it? The direction of this aspect of the film is incredible. There are no jump out of your seat moments, nor are there overly abundant gory scenes for the sake of being gory. It’s a smart thriller and believe it or not, there’s not a lot of dialog in it which can often water down the plot.
Toward the end of the movie you don’t know what you want to think. If there was ever a movie without a loophole, this one’s it. These aspects combined with the intricate direction and storytelling makes this a fantastic movie. It’s worth reviewing. Caution: the movie is in French with English subtitles. There was no dubbing option on the DVD.
Things Afoot in Japan
I recently returned from a long trip from Japan and it was an eye opener, to say the least. I visited a friend that I hadn’t seen in a while and as I was there we went to a Japanese SciFi/Anime convention that featured several representatives from several Asian countries. The convention opened my eyes to one main fact: the U.S. is vastly lacking in its creativity of anime and all things scifi. There were over one million selections of anime, 500,000 comic books/manga, and had nearly 25,000 horror/scifi movies (4 of which I saw). The direction, creativity, and all around story telling in and of itself far surpasses that of the U.S. We have all the tools and the genius people to do it, so why don’t we. In essence, the Asian market for anime and manga is rather large, the following larger than the one for college football here in the states. But one thing I took away from the convention was that the next wave of anime, which will inevitably come to the states soon, is taking more of a cultural, literary and social slant (no pun intended as I’m Asian myself). There is more action, and more storyboarding which makes for a more intricate weaving of the story, but will this be embraced in the States. The days of Pokemon are gone and the days of Weavo, Ganjun, and Armoro are on the rise. You undoubtedly haven’t heard of the above, but you soon will and you’ll be treated to something special. Anime caught on pretty quickly here and it was a relatively new concept, but the new wave of anime and manga very well could cause a new social dimension here in the states replacing the old anime. It’s doing exactly that in Japan now. To sum it up, get ready for a cultural revolution. Yes, anime does have the ability to do this. It already has.