Just dig that crazy sound effect while you picture a buff Ryan Reynolds in his bacon jamies! GREEN LANTERN

Yes. They made a sequel.

Yes. It is straight to DVD.

No. I don’t want to see it. Then again, Yes- I do…  I mean… come on… Machete is in it!  Ving Rhames as well! …and is that ACTUALLY Sean Bean?? Its like… its like… well- watch the trailer:

So- it honestly just looks like they remade the original re-make of Death Race. Re-Cast certain character types then made the same movie over again in hopes to sell a DVD. At least this time they’re touting it as an “origin” story.

Terrible narration and a sense of “Honestly- we DON’T care if you buy this movie.” make this trailer a very half-assed attempt at selling me something.

So why would I want to see it?  I’m about to admit something to all y’all: I really liked Death Race. You know- the one with Jason Statham…? Ya- I was a fan.  Fast paced, uncontrollable action, fantasy driven scenarios, B-Movie style gore and music videoesque cinematography made the 2008 jaunt into the gritty world of publicized prison racing… an adventure. I’d categorize it in my: “Who really wants to think at the moment?” movie list.

On the same hand- I’d also call it Paul W.S. Anderson’s finest achievement- which, granted, isn’t saying a whole lot- but its the first movie of his that made me see that he might possibly have the talent for making movies… its almost as if he tried.

Watch, or don’t watch Death Race 2– I don’t care… I don’t think its hurting anybody by being out there- and at least its something else with Boromir in it for fans to follow.  Plus, it can’t be much worse than Resident Evil: 3D.

There are two stories out today that warrant your attention.

Firstly:  According to the Hollywood Reporter’s HeatVision Blog, Zack Snyder has been selected to direct the next Superman film.  His contract negotiations began today.  I think one of Snyder’s failings is in his scripts, but if the Nolan brothers can hand him an exceedingly tight and perfect script, he’ll be able to knock a Superman movie out of the park.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the article involved a big name we hadn’t even heard about:

The job was so coveted that even Robert Zemeckis, retired to the world of performance capture, considered returning to live-action filmmaking in order to nab the gig.

Though Robert Zemeckis hasn’t been making the best movies as of late, he’s still the mastermind behind two of the best movies ever made: Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, which I watched last night and is probably one of the most finely crafted post-noir era noir films ever made.

The next big piece of news from the piece is that David Goyer is helping with the script and a villain has been chosen:  General Zod.

I think Zack Snyder can do a capable job with the right script and this might be his best film.  And here’s hoping they keep Brandon Routh in the role.  I had the chance of doing the press line for Scott Pilgrim at Comic-Con and that guy walks into the room and you can see he’s just Superman.

And where does all this leave Darren Aronofsky, who’s name was on the list for Superman?  Though I was pulling for him to get the Superman gig, Newsarama is reporting that he’s the front runner to helm Columbia Pictures’ film adaptation of Preacher since Sam Mendes departed the project earlier in the year.  I’d also like to throw out there that I’d murder to read John August’s draft of the screenplay.  If anyone can make that happen, I’d sincerely appreciate it.  (And if you’re interested in screenwriting and not reading John August’s website, you’re behind the curve.)

You can read Newsarama’s full article about that tidbit here, but I think it’s a perfect match.  Aronofsky’s name has been tied to negotiations with a LOT of superhero movies (including what would have been a brilliant Dark Knight Returns film) but he’s never been able to make it happen.  I’ve seen him at Comic-Con and he certainly has the love of the form that’s required.  Only time will tell if he’ll really get his shot.

I was lucky enough to get in for a pre-screening of the film, Let Me In, on Wednesday at the Broadway theatre in Salt Lake City. (I smuggled a cat in a purse that I said I was “holding for my girlfriend”) I sat next to my good friend and fellow contributor to this site, Proletaria-tron. After the movie was through, he mentioned that he was going to put up a review for the movie, and said, “I’ll let you tag your review onto mine. I’ll e-mail you…” Something to that effect. Anyway, I agreed, and anxiously waited at my desk for my chance to write a few words about this movie. Two days later, I had still not received the e-mail, when I decided to check the BigShinyRobot homepage, and what did I see?

https://www.bigshinyrobot.com/reviews/archives/17366

The bastard stabbed me in the back and published a review without asking my highly respected opinion. What does that mean to you people? Just that you get a second review with me and my only real friend, Flufferz! And now for the review!

“Let Me In” is a remake of the Swedish film named similarly, “Let the Right One In” Honestly, I don’t think either name is even good, let alone better than the other… I would have called it, “Dracula Bat ‘At-cula” if I had it my way, sadly I’ve been barred from contacting most movie studios in anyway whatsoever.

Let Me In, is about a creepy little boy named Owen, who is picked on at school. He’s a loner up until a vampire moves in next door who he eventually befriends and falls in love with. To me, it sounds like the plot of a teen comedy, but it turns out it’s more of a horror film… At this time I think it’s worth mentioning that the last horror movie I watched was “Runaway Bride”.

This version of the film was directed by Matt Reeves, the director of CloverField, (which I thought was basically okay.) He was also given (oddly, I think) a, “written for the screen” credit. It is my thought that he did a good job in both of these rolls. The film was shot well, and it wasn’t over handed in the least. He did have the distinct advantage of tracing someone else’s project, but I think this is okay considering his disadvantage of being the writer of “Under Siege 2”.

The acting in this film was surprisingly not annoying, being that it was staffed almost completely by children. My only real complaint (I’m using the word “real” liberally) is that the main boy, and the vampire girl, didn’t look quite as creepy as the pair that played the couple in the Swedish version. They did themselves a real favor by casting Elias Koteas (Casey Jones) as the policeman who is hunting down the vampire, because, with my prejudiced opinion, I think he did a really good job.

The main reasons I can find to actually watch this film are pretty scattered. While I think this was a fine film, I really don’t think it was different enough from the original to demand another viewing, but it was certainly well enough made to deserve a recommend. To me, the appeal of the story is to watch a vampire interact with what seems like a partially realistic small town. They subtly show you the archetypes of our typical conception of a traditional vampire, and I think with good writing, give each of these traits enough precedence to make some really powerful scenes. From their blood lust, to their allergy to sunlight. My particular favorite aspect, was the concept that for a vampire to exist in our society they would travel with a familiar (referring to a vampires minion) to help them harvest blood.

At the same time, I feel this was a hard film to watch. I think it all depends on how much you love horror movies, because some of the gore was too intense for me. (What can I say, I’m a doctor that can’t stand the site of blood… I mostly only became a doctor to see unhealthy women in their pantyhose.)

At the end of the day I think this was a pretty good movie, and I wish that every remake or screenplay had at least this much care and attention paid to it. I will award this film with 7 illustrious Dr. Cyborg movie points, out of a possible 10. Flufferz gave it 8 out of 10, (He gave it an extra point because they mentioned tuna fish.)

The Warrior’s Way, a visually-stunning modern martial arts western starring Korean actor Dong-gun Jang who plays an Asian warrior assassin forced to hide in a small town in the American Badlands. Rounding out the ensemble cast are Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns), Oscar®-winner Geoffrey Rush (Shine), Danny Huston (The Kingdom), and Tony Cox (The Hustle).The fantasy action film was written and directed by newcomer Sngmoo Lee, and is being produced by Barrie M. Osborne (Lord of the Rings), Jooick Lee (Seven Swords) and Michael Peyser (Hackers)

I’ll start by saying that I really like it when a synopsis tells me absolutely nothing about the film… yea, I don’t usually read the synopsis- but sometimes, I do. This is the rare time- and all it says is there is a ” target=”_blank”>Samurai living in the American badlands… (interesting fact, I was actually in the movie i just linked when I was about 10 years old…)

Here is the visually exciting and somewhat off-putting trailer for The Warrior’s Way:

Did I like this trailer? YES!  Do I want to see this movie?  Uh… YES!  Why?  Well- When it started- the only thought that was going through my mind was “Oh- Another japanese made film that was then ported for limited (most likely DVD release in the U.S. of A.)  But then, and without warning, a character spoke in clear, non-dubbed, accented, American English… this aforementioned stat is what was so off-putting to me about the trailer!  Apparently, this was produced for an English speaking audience… weird. But- then as it progressed, and the visuals became progressively more and more epic and ridiculous, I became more and more intrigued by this product they are going to be selling to a (majority) audience who could barely stomach Crouching Tiger, or Hero… I started to fall in love with the astonishingly blatant statement of: “I wanna make the movie I wanna make, and if that only fits a very tight knit demographic- then the rest o’ya be damned!”

At this point, Geoffrey Rush popped onto the screen as a plague ridden, dirty ol’prospectin’ coot… and I was sold. Aside from floating Ninja armies… this movie can’t get any more awesome. Speaking from a strictly trailer review stand-point, this looks like what every- over the top, stylization based film is striving to be. It is ridiculous and it knows it… hell- it EMBRACES it!

…in short, all I have to say about this movie is: “Ninjas…? Damn.”

I lucked out Wednesday night and was able to see a screening of Let Me In. I was a fan of Let The Right One In (the Swedish version) and was pretty wary of seeing the Americanized version because we usually fuck things up. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how good the adaptation was.

Let Me In is the story of Owen, an almost 13 kid in 1983 Los Alamos, New Mexico. Hes a scrawny weird kid who appears to have no friends. His parents are getting divorced and his mom is a drunk who usually passes out with a bottle of wine every night. He is bullied at school and is a bit obsessed with trying to find a way to get back at the bullies. One night while being a creepy ass kid and practicing to stab his bully and spying on his neighbors he sees a small girl and old man move into the apartment next door. He later meets the girl, Abby, and despite her warning that they can’t be friends, they become friends. Abby helps Owen feel better about his shitty life, and urges him to fight back when the bullies bother him. Owen notices some very strange things about Abby but looks past them and is happy to have a friend. And thats where I stop telling you about the movie and tell you to go see it.

If you’ve seen the Swedish version I would probably wait until this comes out on DVD and rent it because it is very much the same. The differences are minimal and I can’t see paying money to go see it again in English. However, if you haven’t seen the original I recommend going with a few friends so you can talk about how strange it is after.

The movie left me with a strange feeling, I want to like Owen because hes had a shitty time at life but hes just so damn creepy and weird that I have a hard time sympathizing. Chloe Moretz (Hit-Girl from Kick Ass) does a really good job and is the highlight of the film, even after she rips someones throat out I still feel for her more than Owen. The filming of the movie was great as well, Matt Reeves has stepped up his game from the shaky cam bullshit in Cloverfield and had a lot of great shots. One scene with a fire fell short though. In fact the whole audience laughed at the cheesy feel of it.

All in all I’d say its a good movie but I wouldn’t throw 8 bucks at it, Id wait for a smaller theater and maybe a flask or a beer. 3 out of 5 stars.

I can’t imagine anyone who made it through their childhood without wanting to build a treehouse and spend extended amounts of time in it.  Sure, the Swiss Family Robinson’s home was much more practical, but it was the Ewok village that inspired me most to want a treehouse.

I was pretty floored when I found this article about the Hogan’s over at ABC.

They moved from Colorado to Costa Rica to build their very own green living space, inspired directly by the Ewok village.

After taking a tour of a lot of secondary-growth rainforest in the mountainous Southern Zone of Costa Rica, advertised for potential timber logging, Erica Hogan suggested using the jungle to build an Ewok village in the trees, similar to the one on the moon of Endor in the film “Return of the Jedi”.

The conversation could have ended there, but her husband liked the idea.

“It’s funny, the Ewok village was only featured for a split second in ‘Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,’ but it left such a lasting impression there are few people who don’t know what the Ewok village is,” he says.

And he’s right.  I’ve included one photo, but you’ll have to hit the ABC’s slideshow to see more.

It’s pretty breathtaking.

The house is also completely green with solar panels and it’s own green grid for water, power, wi-fi, etc.  And the best part is, this is turning into an actual village:

“It’s a win-win; we’re protecting the environment and creating ‘green’ jobs building the infrastructure,” Hogan says of what’s billed as the world’s first modern, planned, sustainable tree house community.

It consists of about two dozen sky-high structures, with more than 40 other properties sold and planned for development. All told, there are about 80 two-acre lots, which have been selling fast, the founders say.

The first stage of “pre-infrastructure” lots is sold out, they say, and there are six more in Phase Two, starting at $55,000 for a lot.

And these guys are telecommuting to their jobs.  From the Ewok village.

How cool is that?

Sometimes, a movie trailer hits the internet and just absolutely tears me in two. One side of me is thinking “MAN! That looks bas ass!” the other side is saying, “Whoa there, Tiger, this looks like it could suck pretty bad, too. Let’s be cautious here.” Yes, I refer to myself as “Tiger”.

The latest trailer to cause this split in me is for the sci-fi alien invasion flick, Skyline. The film stars Eric Balfour (various TV shows), Scottie Thompson (who bears a striking resemblence to Evangeline Lilly), David Zayas (Dexter, The Expendables), Donald Faison (Scrubs), and the always sexy, Brittany Daniel (Joe Dirt). There hasn’t been a whole lot released about this film, and I’m sure there are other sub-plots that aren’t being revealed, but you can check out the official synopsis below.

I for one think this looks like it can be a great, November alien invasion popcorn movie! But while the alien invasion movie-loving side of me is excited about this, and cautious side of me is in the back of my head whispering, “You’ve been burned before . . .” Check out the trailer for yourself in HD via the link below and sound off on what you think!

In the sci-fi thriller Skyline, strange lights descend on the city of Los Angeles, drawing people outside like moths to a flame where an extraterrestrial force threatens to swallow the entire human population off the face of the Earth.

Visit Apple.com for the trailer in HD!

FrankYaegerBot Returns with his review from the premiere of Superman/Batman Apocalypse. Check his interviews with those responsible from the premiere here!

The Review:

You’ll Believe A Girl Can Fly

It is simple fact that every man was once a child. Though as time passes, society dictates that we grow and put away our childish loves and desires. For some, that is the point where the spirit of the child stops growing and adulthood takes hold. The precious joys of childhood are neglected and omitted never again to be enjoyed or consumed. We are however bound to encounter an array of images, songs or objects that can remind us of those vital youthful days of amazement and adventure. But seldom are there encounters that can uproot us back to that point in our own personal histories and transform us again into enraptured, awestruck and slack jawed observers. If, like me, you have been waiting for an experience of that nature, well my friends, it has finally arrived.

On Tuesday, September 21 2010, this reporter bore witness to the world premiere screening for Superman/Batman: Apocalypse presented by Warner Brothers Home Video and UGO.com, at the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles.

The project overseen by executive producer and creative genius Bruce Timm, is the ninth entry from Warner Brothers Animation and the sequel to 2009’s Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. After a spaceship crash lands down in Gotham City Harbor, Batman and Superman encounter a mysterious Kryptonian with powers as great as those of the Man of Steel. The Kryptonian is soon revealed to be Kara, cousin of Superman. He takes her under his wing to educate her about the ways of Earth. However, the villainous Darkseid has other plans. Seeing an opportunity to finally defeat Superman, Darkseid abducts and gains control of Kara, utilizing the powerful Kryptonian to do his bidding. It is up to Batman and Superman to save Kara, but they’ll have to take the fight to Darkseid within his hostile world where unknown, deadly threats lurk around every corner, including a brain washed Kryptonian able to match Superman blow-for-blow. As some of you may know this film is based on the Superman/Batman: Supergirl comic written by Jeph Loeb and inked by the late and great Michael Turner. Coming in with fresh eyes, this is one instance where I felt lucky in having not read the source material beforehand. I will break this review down into three categories to try and paint the picture for you as best I can.

Presentation

Within in the first fifteen minutes of this feature it is apparent that what you are watching is the most polished piece of animated work DC has put out to this date. When the film opens we are shown the shadowy Gotham cityscape and your heart begins to tremble lingering for the first glimpse of the dark knight. A meteor crash lands into Gotham Harbor, creating a tidal wave that topples ships, boats and nearby cars. Within a moments notice Batman races onto the scene with triumphant flair. Once again, director Lauren Montgomery has more than proved her merit as the breath of fresh revitalizing vision for DC’s animated universe. Staying true to the art style of Michael Turner and bringing it to life with her distinct style. The animation is crisp, fluid and beautiful. Every frame is a masterpiece. This certain adventure takes our heroes to many vistas, each with its very own well-defined feel, which only adds to the grand scope of the piece. Credit must be given to Adam Van Wyk and the rest of storyboard artists for the sensational action sequences that push this movie’s badass meter to the brink. The fight scenes in this movie are edge of your seat visceral and the action is unreservedly beyond compare. The team has gone to great lengths to give the fans more than they could have dreamed. John Paesano’s original score is an indispensable layer that helps to plunge us into each and every moment. This entire film is delivered in a commanding fashion with compelling punctuation.

Story

Of all the DC animated films, in terms of reaching every type of fanboy or fangirl, this is by leaps and bounds the most complete. By which I mean there is something for everyone skillfully tied into one concrete story. The telling of Supergirl’s origin may be directed at the female audience as most clearly depicted by the scenes of Kara Zor El adapting to life on earth. But there are more than enough elements infused into such scenes to keep from isolating any one demographic. In adapting this material, writer Tab Murphy, has done a supreme job in bringing this story cohesively to the silver screen. Following the source material and all the while, interjecting moments of humor and heart. This is one well rounded screenplay. An remarkable balance of emotion, action and adventure that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Each character is brought to life with dialogue that perfectly suits their individual persona. Upholding Jeph Loeb’s outline the story flows without pause and never slows down building to its amazing ending. From what I was told, the only departure from the original story comes in the form of the films ending, which you will have to watch to see. The word epic only begins to describe what’s in store.

Voice Directing and Voice Talent

This I feel is the most crucial part of any animated feature and this is where the film delivers in multitudes. Voice director and legend Andrea Romano has out done herself yet again in bringing the vocal merit of this project to major motion picture quality. I literally forgot I was watching animation. Every single voice in the film, whether it be from main cast or even in background is fittingly alive and serves to immerse you wholly and completely into the experience of the film. The fans will be happy to know that both of the iconic and quintessential voices of Superman and Batman have returned for this outing. Tim Daly reprises his role as Clark Kent and Superman and brings his innate vocal class of honesty and strength back to the character. Kevin Conroy reprises his role as the voice of Batman and reminds why we love him so, bringing with him that unique and stoic tone to every bit of dialogue. Summer Glau shines as Supergirl, delivering a compelling depth that makes Kara’s struggles relatable and real. Susan Eisenberg returns for the first time since her run on Justice League Unlimited to lend her voice to Wonder Woman. With Ed Asner also revisiting his role as the deviant and devilish Granny Goodness one could only assume that Michael Ironside would return to voice the evil Darkseid, but they decided to recast his role with the talented Andre Braugher. It is here that I have found my single infinitesimal qualm with the film. While Andre Braugher is a tremendously talented actor on television and film, he falls short in my opinion vocally as the ruler of Apokolips. His voice is fittingly deep but tonally not to the level of fear inflicting terror or force that Ironside brought to the character. Braugher’s lines often sound rushed and played at, though this doesn’t take away from the film as whole.

Thus concludes this reporter’s review of DC and Warner Brothers Animation’s latest masterpiece. Overall this film is built to please and please it will. Why this film wasn’t released in theatrically in theaters near you or me is beyond my comprehension but you will be more than thankful for it in any its many forms. You can get your hands on it on September 28 2010, on Dvd, Blu-ray hi-def, On Demand and for download. In conclusion to twist a quote from Macbeth, “Disdaining fortune with its brandished steel, this movie smokes with bloody execution.”

And with that, this reporter is signing off.

MTV made a list of the 10 scenes they want to see most in 3D, but I think they missed the mark quite a bit.  They seemed more like they were rushing the article to completion than actually thinking about it.  So I’m presenting my alternate list of scenes from the new Star Wars 3D that I simply can’t wait to see.

Instead of limiting myself to ten, I’m going to pick the two biggest from each film, starting with Phantom Menace.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

1 – The Pod Race: I think this is a no-brainer for everyone.  Anyone and everyone who saw this film was taken in by this sequence, even if they didn’t like the movie.  It’s already an incredibly immersive sequence, but translating it into 3D is going to be mind blowing.

2 – Otoh Gunga and The Bongo Ride: I know everyone is excited about the lightsaber duel with Darth Maul, but the ride from Otoh Gunga to Theed is already pretty spectacular.  If they can add to the feeling of speeding through the underwater worlds of Naboo and properly illustrate the mass of the Sando Aqua Monster and the Colo Claw Fish, this should be a highlight for the 3D conversion.

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones

1 – Obi-Wan and Jango in the Asteroid Belt: One of the most already breathtaking sequences that would lend itself well to stereoscopic 3D is the dog fight between the Slave I and Obi-wan’s Jedi Starfighter.  Just imagine the seismic charges hitting that asteroid and having pieces of it flying across the screen along with the explosion.  The sound design in that scene already gets your head right in the middle of it, 3D would push this sequence over the top.

2 – Everything on Geonosis: From the Droid foundries to Yoda fighting with his lightsaber.  Think of what the 3D would look like for the shots of the Geonosian arena, with the monster fights, with hundreds of Geonosians fleeing into the air, Mace Windu and the Jedi arriving, becoming overwhelmed, and then millions of clones showing up to face off against the droid armies.  It will be tremendous.

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

1 – The Opening Space Battle: In 2D I already get the feeling of size and mass watching this battle.  It’s almost a complete single shot and when it crests that first battle cruiser and you see the scope of the battle occurring over Coruscant, it’s already enough to give you the chills and maybe a touch of Vertigo.  In 3D?  This sequence would be turned up to 11.

2 – Vader Putting the Mask on: There are dozens of other moments that would be great to see in 3D (From Obi-wan’s fight with Grievous to the entire duel on Mustafar) but one of the best and most iconic would easily be Vader being built and the mask coming down on him for the first time.  If they can capture the claustrophobia of that more intensely in 3D, that would be one of the most riveting shots in the Saga.  (though, in my opinion it already is.)

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

1 – Han’s First Jump into Hyperspace: Does much more need to be said than that?

2 – The Death Star Trench Run: Again, this one is pretty self-explanatory.  The trench run has always had the ability to draw you into it, in 3D you’ll actually be Red 5.

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

1 – The Battle of Hoth: This might be the most straightforward land battle in the entire Saga and happens on wide open plains of snow and expanses and the scale of the AT-AT’s versus the tiny fighters of the rebels would be heightened to the nth degree in 3D.

2 – The Asteroid Field: The Millennium Falcon weaving in and out of asteroids, evading Tie Fighters?  Sign me up right now.

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

1 – The Speeder Bike Chase: This might be the hardest sequence to convert to 3D properly, but if they do it right, this will be one of the most memorable sequences in 3D film history.  Racing through the forest moon of Endor at breakneck speeds on speeder bikes is going to be so amazing to watch, I can’t even begin to describe it.  Again, the beauty of Star Wars is that it’s already so immersive, 3D is going to be icing on the cake, just like Pixar films.

2 – The Space Battle: The final battle to destroy both the second Death Star and the Empire itself is one of the most thrilling moments in film history.  It’s also the most complicated and well-crafted space battle ever committed to film.  It’s so deeply layered that 3D is going to raise the stakes on these sequences in a way I don’t think anyone could imagine.

What do you guys think?  A better list than MTV’s for sure.  What other scenes would you like to see converted?