I am very conflicted about this movie; there are certain elements in it that deliver that wow factor and really draw you into the story and the characters, but then moments later, something pops up that just ruins the suspension of disbelief and jolts you back to reality. I guess it boils down to the fact that the movie tries to do a lot of different things, but never really excels at any of them, which is sad since you can easily see the potential this had to become a classic.

Snow White and the Huntsman is an action oriented retelling of the original classic Snow White and the 7 Dwarves. Snow White’s father is wooed and betrayed by an evil queen (Charlize Theron, enjoying her role a bit too much) who then dominates the land with an iron fist and steals the life force of beautiful damsels in order to stay young and beautiful. For reasons unknown, the Queen does not kill Snow White, instead locking her in the dungeon where she is forgotten until years later when the magic mirror pronounces Snow White (Kristen Stewart, who apparently found it too inconvenient to learn an accent or how to act with her mouth closed) the ‘fairest of them all’. Snow White escapes in order to save her life and hides from the Queen’s pursuers in the Dark Woods, a place even evil minions apparently fear to tread. Enter Chris Hemsworth as the drunken Huntsman who is ordered to track down Snow White in exchange for the return of his wife, whose resurrection has been promised as his reward. Needless to say, he tracks her down, learns the Queen plans to betray him, so now it is up to him, the 7 Dwarves and a member of a rebel faction to safely bring Snow White to the rebel camp because she is ‘The One’ who will lead them into victorious battle against the Queen’s army.

I do want to note that this film does some things very well. For starters, it is absolutely beautiful to watch! The sets are extraordinarily well done and the costumes are great. The special effects are fun and top notch, especially the way they perform the changing ages of the Queen. The handling of the Dark Forest is wonderful, and the mythology behind the Queen and why she is constantly looking for ‘the fairest of them all’ is a fun change from simple vanity. Chris Hemsworth does a good job, (and yes, ladies and those so inclined, there is a brief scene were he has his shirt mosty off) and Kristen Stewart doesn’t have too many lines, so you don’t have to hear her speak that much

That said, the rest of the film suffers from being a muddled mess. It’s as of the screen writers couldn’t decide what kind of movie to make, so they just took a bunch of pieces of movies they liked, and stitched them together into a resulting Frankenstein’s monster. Throughout you’ll see glimpses of Willow, the Princess Bride, Fern Gully, Princess Mononoke (that is COMPLETELY shot for shot ripped off in a critical scene), Lord of the Rings and The Matrix; not to mention the dwarves who first appear dressed as Ewoks and then (I swear!) start humming the theme music to Titanic around a campfire. Oh, that’s right, the dwarves. I am completely baffled why they superimposed the faces of Nick Frost, Bob Hoskins and other actors over the bodies of little people to play the dwarves. Were there no little people available for the roles? Was Peter Dinklage throwing a party or something? Seriously, every time one of them were on screen, it jarred me out of the experience. There was no rhyme or reason for this change. Oh, and it’s too bad Kristen Stewart wasn’t able to watch the recent Game of Thrones episode to see how a REAL Braveheart speech should be given, as hers lacked any and all emotion and would have done more to drive the troops home than rally them.

If you can survive all of the above and get over the horrible acting (Kristen Stewart, please stop), the overacting (Charlize Theron), the disjointed plot, anti-climactic finale, horrible writing and try to focus on the few gems hidden throughout this movie, you’ll enjoy it a lot more than many other ‘date’ movies you could get dragged to. You will probable leave wondering, just as I did, what COULD have been and what happened to make everything go so wrong.

Disney put together some artwork slides and CGI progression slide decks together for us in anticipation of the June 5th release of John Carter (of Mars.)

I have to admit that I went and saw it at the theatre again yesterday and it blew me away all over again. This film got such a bad rap it’s ridiculous.

Make sure you pick up the Blu-ray if you haven’t seen it. It’s worth every penny ten times over.

Each Friday we will be bringing you weekend-viewing movie picks available for streaming on Netflix! From the popular to the obscure, we will browse Netflix’s Streaming library so you don’t have to, and bring you what we consider to be “Must Watch” selections!

Arsenic and Old Lace

Directed by Frank Capra

Starring Song Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Joesphine Hull, Jean Adair, Raymond Massey

This Friday’s “‘Flix Pick” is a film I fell in love with about eight years ago as a senior in high school. I can’t exactly remember why, but our AP English teacher, Mr. Tucker (my favorite teacher from my formative high school years), made us watch Arsenic and Old Lace. Not being terribly familiar with films from the 1940’s, nor that thrilled to be watching some “old, crappy black and white movie”, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. However, a mere ten-minutes into the film I was hooked, and ever since that day this film has always been one of my all-time favorite movies.

Cary Grant plays Mortimer Brewster, a former womanizer and denouncer of the institution of marriage. Brewster reconnects, falls in love with, and marries a woman whom he grew up with in Brooklyn, Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane). After their Halloween wedding, Brewster decides it’s time to take Elaine home to meet the family, his very eccentric family. Still living in his old family home are his two elderly aunts, Martha and Abby, and his brother, “Teddy”, who is under the delusion that he is Theodore Roosevelt. Shortly after the newlyweds’ arrival, Brewster is appalled to find a dead body hidden in a window seat. He confronts his aunts about it, concerned that his brother may have committed the murder while under the influence of his delusions, but his aunts explain to him very nonchalantly that they have developed a “very bad habit” of killing off lonely bachelors with elderberry wine spiked with arsenic and having “Teddy” bury them in the basement under the illusion that he is digging locks for the Panama Canal.

Already concerned about his aunts’ behavior, Brewster’s situation becomes more complicated when his murderous brother, Jonathan, on the run from the police with his accomplice, a plastic surgeon named Dr. Herman Einstein, show up looking to dispose of their latest victim. Seemingly the only sane member of his family, Mortimer Brewster is tasked with avoiding being murdered by his own criminal brother, caring for his other delusional brother, and trying to protect his well-meaning aunts from the consequences of the “charity” they have been providing to the single men in town – all while dealing with nosy, bumbling police officers and the concern that he too will eventually succumb the crazy that seems to run in the family.

Arsenic and Old Lace may sound like quite the dark tale, but this is an incredibly funny film from Capra based on the play of the same name. Josephine Hull and Jean Adair play the parts of elderly crazy women with good intentions so well, they steal nearly every scene they are in and you can’t help but love how intent they are in that what they are doing is a good deed to the lonely men in town. John Alexander provides a lot of laughs as he insists in only taking the stairs in one manner: with a bellowing “Charge!” and a mad-dash up them with sword in hand. Cary Grant is charming as the only sane member of the Brewster family and has many funny moments in his own right as he frantically attempts to corral all the murder and mayhem happening around him. Priscilla Lane looks absolutely gorgeous in this film in a way that only an actress from the 1940’s can. While not given a lot “to do” in this film, she plays a great anchor to Grant as Elaine; she’s sweet, but she’s also a woman who has changed Mortimer’s entire outlook on love, and in over her head with his crazy family.

I couldn’t recommend a better weekend date night movie than Arsenic and Old Lace. It’s a funny and sweet film from a Hollywood long-since gone, perfect for a night of take-out and movie-watching. The best part is that it’s streaming on Netflix Instant, so add this classic to your instant queue, you won’t regret it!

The Men In Black 3 campaign has been in full swing for a while now and an investigative blogger known as BugEyes has been working on discovering the truth about the Men in Black.

We have a look at him in the upcoming film in the video above.

To catch up on the viral campaign, check out the links below…

The viral campaign has followed the investigative blogger, known solely as BugEyes, as he has worked to uncover the truth behind alien life on earth and the Men in Black Suits who appear to cover it up. In his investigation he discovered mysterious clues linked to futuristic vehicles (http://bit.ly/J16ELp), tattoo parlors (http://bit.ly/JW2msu), and even a cake (http://bit.ly/JTAKD9). Even more surprising, he was able to uncover that Arianna Huffington is in fact an extraterrestrial hiding on Earth (http://huff.to/KJMlC3), which became headline news around the country! All the while he has built a group of 100 thousand loyal followers called “MIBelievers” who have helped him uncover clues by posting on his Facebook page (http://on.fb.me/sQ3I9M) and calling in with shocking tips (http://bit.ly/JmTp7p). Everything he has done so far has led to one defining moment when he received his very own black suit (http://bit.ly/JjHPiS) and became an official member of the Men in Black!

Men in Black 3 hits theatres tomorrow.

Deadline is reporting that the release of the sequel to G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, has been pushed back to March 2013 in order to convert it into (sigh) 3D.

The sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation was supposed to come out this summer on June 29th. But I’ve learned that Paramount is moving the movie nine months to March 29, 2013, to add 3D. “We’re going to do a conscientious 3D job because we’ve seen how it can better box office internationally,” one of the studio execs just told me. “Jim Cameron did all of Titanic‘s 3D in post – and look how well that movie turned out.”

Apparently, 3D is really big internationally and it looks like Paramount wants to wait to make sure they get the biggest bang for their buck. Of course, this could also have something to do with the another Hasbro property, Battleship, recently tanking at the box-office.

I suppose this is a pretty good move for Paramount, or at the very least a “neutral” move. I personally don’t know a lot of people clamoring to go see the G.I. Joe sequel, nor will that change just because it will be in 3D. I liked the first one well enough, it was a fun popcorn film, and frankly I’m sure I would have ended up seeing this one as well. However, it certainly wasn’t a film I was particularly anticipating. I don’t think anyone is going to be overly heart-broken about this push, and we all know those executives want to make sure this film makes money – and if that means pushing it back ten months to ensure that (at least over-seas), okay.

Releasing G.I. Joe: Retaliation next March will most likely ensure a better box-office in the US as well in that March isn’t usually a huge month for movies. Had the film stuck with its original release date of June 29, 2012, it would have been blown away the following week with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man.

Any of you readers out there particularly upset by this move? Were you looking forward to seeing the G.I. Joe sequel next month? Sound off in the comments below!

Thanks to a resurgence in classic cinema on the big screen, I think I see more old movies at the movie theatre than I do new movies. Just last week I caught Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid, accompanied by the organist Blaine Gail. Before that, I caught City Lights, The General, and Modern Times. I’ve seen Casablanca, Shane, and The Searchers this year.

I’m going to be catching Rear Window this weekend at The Tower Theatre in Salt Lake. I caught Vertigo and North by Northwest late last year.

But the small art houses aren’t the only ones doing the screenings anymore. Cinemark has announced a schedule of classic films today that makes me both excited and sad.

I’m excited because this could be my one and only chance to see some of the best movies ever made on the big screen. I’m sad because Cinemark hasn’t seen fit to schedule these into their regular schedule, only special times Wednesday afternoons and evenings… It’s a mild bummer, but for those of you who can take off work in the middle of the day or don’t have Pub Quiz every Wednesday night, this series is for you.

Here’s their schedule and press release:

Plano, TX, May 31, 2012 Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), the world’s highest attended motion picture exhibitor, is pleased to announce that the “Summer Classics Series,” featuring eight legendary Hollywood movies, will take place in over 100 Cinemark theatres across the country. All of these digitally restored movies, from the Warner Bros. film catalogue, will be scheduled to play each Wednesday, during the months of June and July, at two separate show times, 2 pm and 7pm.

“Cinemark’s Classic Film Series presents a great opportunity for movie-lovers to revisit some of the greatest Hollywood films of all time,” states James Meredith, VP of Marketing & Communications for Cinemark. “Our customers can experience all of these celebrated movies as they were meant to be seen, on the big screen, with crystal clear digital projection and incredible surround sound.”

Cinemark has worked with Warner Bros. to select eight titles that were visionary films at their time of release, and still stand as true “classics” in every sense of the word. The list of films and dates of their presentation are:

June 6 The Exorcist (1973) Rated R
June 13 Citizen Kane (1941) Rated PG
June 20 Cool Hand Luke (1967) Rated PG
June 27 The Searchers (1956) Rated PG
July 4 That’s Entertainment (1974) Rated G
July 11 A Clockwork Orange (1971) Rated R
July 18 North By Northwest (1959) Not Rated
July 25 Cabaret (1972) Rated PG

Cinemark takes pride in creating the best entertainment experience in the industry. In order to make movie-going as easy and enjoyable as possible, Cinemark focuses on offering more choices to their customers. For example, “Print at Home” ticketing, available at www.cinemark.com, makes it easy for patrons to purchase tickets in advance from the comfort of their home or office. Customers can bypass lines at the box office and go directly to a kiosk in the theatre lobby. Also, guests can download and purchase tickets through Cinemark’s mobile applications that are available for iPhone and Android phones. Finally, to stay connected, customers can sign up online to receive free, weekly showtime e-mailers that contain online coupons for discounts at the concession stand and other weekly special offers.

A full list of participating Cinemark locations, advance ticket purchases and show time information can be found at www.cinemark.com.

The most important two on this list for me is Citizen Kane and Cool Hand Luke. Two of my favorite films and I’ve seen neither on the big screen. We’ll see if I can take the day off work for them or if Cinemark will give us daily showings of the films.

John Ford. Frank Capra. Billy Wilder. John Huston.

Each of these names created films bigger than life that will outlive them forever and all time.

The USPS is releasing a very well designed four pack of stamps to commemorate their lives and films in a way that showcases them and the work they’re most memorable for. For me, I’m so glad to see Billy Wilder on this list. It’s amazing to me how few people these days are familiar with his work, or are just familiar with a film or two, but not Wilder himself.

All of these men did fantastic work that forever changed cinema for the better.

Putting them on postage stamps is literally the least we can do.

Here’s the press release with information on how to order them and more info about the filmmakers:

SILVER SPRING, MD — Four extraordinary film directors — Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston and Billy Wilder — received a stamping ovation today with the issuance of the Great Film Directors First-Class Forever stamps. The dedication took place at the American Film Institute Silver Theatre and Cultural Center where some of their works were showcased. Available nationwide today, the stamps can be purchased online at usps.com/shop, by calling 1-800-STAMP-24 (1-800-782-6724) or by visiting Post Offices.

“With these stamps, we’re bringing these filmmakers out from behind their cameras and putting them in the spotlight so that we can learn more about them,” said Samuel Pulcrano, U.S. Postal Service vice president, Corporate Communications in dedicating the stamps. “Movies offer a window into our history and heritage and tell the story of America. Similar to movies, stamps honor our past and celebrate our achievements while encouraging us to learn more about the people, places, and ideas that shape the American experience.”

Joining Pulcrano in dedicating the stamps were Jean Picker Firstenberg, American Film Institute president emerita and Postmaster General’s Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee chair; Dr. Bernie Cook, associate dean and director of media studies, Georgetown University; Ray Barry, director, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center; Silver Spring Postmaster Tony Thompson; and, Arch Campell, ABC television arts and entertainment critic who emceed the event.

“The American Film Institute’s mission is to preserve and showcase the cinematic treasures created by these and other directors and it is our hope that these Forever stamps will encourage Americans to see their classic movies that gave us a mirror on our country’s character and values,” said Firstenberg.

Following the ceremony, AFI Silver Theatre provided the audience with a screening of Billy Wilder’s The Apartment.

The four filmmakers received multiple Academy Award nominations, 15 Oscars, and numerous other honors during their lifetimes. But their greatest accomplishment lies in the vitality and artistry of the stories they told through film. Over a period of approximately 40 years, the quintessentially American filmmakers­ captured multiple contradictions, tensions, dark and light sides in deeply personal interpretations that conveyed the American experience as never before.

The stamp art combines a portrait of each director with a scene from one of his most iconic works. The background art for the stamp honoring Frank Capra shows a scene from It Happened One Night, a comedy in which a runaway heiress (played by Claudette Colbert) and a reporter (Clark Gable) compare their hitchhiking skills.
For the John Ford stamp, the background recalls a scene from The Searchers, an influential Western starring John Wayne and making Ford’s characteristic use of the American landscape.

The Maltese Falcon inspired the background art for the John Huston stamp. In this classic mystery, gumshoe Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) goes up against various unscrupulous characters (among them Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet).

For Billy Wilder, the stamp background artwork was inspired by Some Like It Hot, a farce about two male musicians (Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis) who seek refuge from gangsters by posing as members of an all-girl band featuring luscious singer Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe).

Art Director Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, designed these stamps using art by award-winning illustrator Gary Kelley of Cedar Falls, IA, who created the images using pastels on paper.

Customers may view the Great Film Directors Forever stamps, as well as many of this year’s other stamps, on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for background on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

Postmaster
Great Film Directors Commemorative Stamp
8616 Second Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes by mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by July 23, 2012.

How to Order First-Day Covers
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic Catalog, online at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:

U.S. Postal Service Catalog Request

PO Box 219014

Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products
There are five philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

·SAUNDEMR· 469263, First-Day Cover Set of 4, $3.56.
·SAUNDEMR· 469268, Digital Color Postmark (DCP) Set of 4, $6.40.
·SAUNDEMR· 469291, Ceremony Program (random single), $6.95.
·SAUNDEMR· 469297, Panel, $9.95
·SAUNDEMR· 469299, Cancellation Keepsake (DCP Set of 4 w/Pane), $15.95.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

(All of the stamp pictures are trademarked and copyrighted by the USPS.

Stamps like this remind me how important a service the Post Office serves and I’m going to make a conscious effort to mail more letters. I want to see the Post Office survive as long as the legacy of these Hollywood filmmakers.

Baz Lurhman, the man who brought us Moulin Rouge, is bringing us his unique vision of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. It’s a favorite book of mine, and, to tell the truth, I’m quite a fan of the adaptation from the 70s with Sam Waterston, Robert Redford, and Mia Farrow that was adapted by Francis Ford Coppola. It’s a great film.

This trailer looks as though Lurhman’s version is spectacularly cast with Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway and Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, with Carey Mulligan (from Doctor Who and Drive!) and Joel Edgarton (Attack of the Clones!) filling out the other roles. It looks a bit…bigger and more hyperbolic than I imagined as I read the book, but I suppose that was to be expected with Baz Lurhman.

The thing I’m worried about the most watching the trailer is the music, though. The Roaring Twenties had plenty of fantastic music and the music in this trailer didn’t match the story in any way.

I can only hope the film itself doesn’t make the same mistake.

We’ll see when this version hits screens on Christmas, 2012.

(If you want to see the trailer in glorious Quicktime, here’s the link.)

Disney/Pixar’s Brave is scheduled to be released on June 22 in theaters, but Mattel has already released a new toy line in preparation of the film.

This line is aimed primarily at girls, focusing on dolls of Merida and her horse Angus.  I’ve listed the items below with brief descriptions and suggested retail prices, as well as my own observations based on the dolls I received for this review.

Fashion & Doll Play

Brave Merida Fashion Doll – Perfect for girls to re-create their favorite movie moments. $14.99

Brave Merida & Angus the Horse Gift Set – Sit Merida atop Angus and play out the pair’s adventures. $26.99

This is an incredible set.  Merida’s dress is a beautiful turquoise color, and she has adorable freckles on her cheeks and a cascade of red hair.  She is designed to sit atop her horse, which is something I always found lacking in my dolls of old.

Brave Gem Styling Merida Doll – Lets girls style Merida’s signature gown and red hair with decorative “gems.” $20.99

My only complaint about this is how long it took me to get the doll out of the packaging.  I had to use a pair of scissors and probably cut twenty different little strings and plastic ties.  The good thing is her hair didn’t move a curl while she was in the box, so welded to the packaging was she.  Her dress is gorgeous, with little yellow ruffles at the bodice, a reversible cloak, and gems sewn to the front.  Her bow and arrow are tied to her hands, which move easily with articulated elbows.  There are extra gems you can add to decorate her hair, but they have Velcro on the back which will more than likely pull strands loose, so use at your own risk.  I opted to use the little comb as a hair ornament, and it looks like a little tiara.

And you can’t see it in any of the pictures, but she has the neatest shoes.  They have plastic “laces” that go practically to her knees, and the closest comparison I can think of is to call them gladiator sandals.  Very stylish, though.

So yes, I play with dolls.  At least for the purpose of this article.  I take my role as writer very seriously, so I must endure these hardships to bring information to you, our loyal readers.

I think little girls (and even boys!) will love these toys.  And if the dolls and transforming sets aren’t up your alley, then I have no doubt there will be tons more to choose from as the film release approaches.

I’m very excited for this. Manchester Black was one of my favorite Superman characters back when I was reading his titles regularly.

From the press release:

In SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE, Superman’s effectiveness as a super hero comes into question when a new group of super powerful crusaders, known as “The Elite,” appear on the scene. As super heroes, the Elite know no bounds, and are more than willing to kill, even on a massive scale, to stop villainy — putting them on a collision course with the ever-ethical, yet preferably non-lethal Man of Steel.

The all-new, PG-13 rated film is scripted by award-winning comics writer Joe Kelly and the story is adapted from his original 2001 DC Comics release, “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way?” The single-issue comic, Action Comics #775, was lauded by Wizard Magazine as the “Greatest Superman Story of All Time,” and ranked the epic tale at No. 21 on its list of the “Top 100 Comics of the last 30 years.”

George Newbern (Father of the Bride) reprises his Justice League animated television role as Superman, and primetime television star Pauley Perrette (NCIS) provides the voice of Lois Lane. Downes steps in as Manchester Black, leader of The Elite. David Kaufman (Justice League: Doom) also reprises his Justice League TV series role as Jimmy Olsen.

The film is directed by Michael Chang (Batman: Brave and the Bold).

Bruce Timm (Batman: Year One) is executive producer, and Alan Burnett (Green Lantern: Emerald Knights) is producer.

You can preorder it on Amazon now.