Best Movie Of The Year So Far!

Its just past the half way mark for 2012, and even though there have been many good movies that have been released there is only one that tops them all.  I know the year isn't over and we still have a lot coming up, such as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and the next Bond film, but before I get to my number one pick I'll at least run you through my top five this year so far.

5.

Snow White and the Huntsman was chosen purely for its unique take on the classic tale.  Of course the story of Snow White has been told several times, most popular being the 1937 animated film, but this one sticks out above all else for its originality and grand scale.
The acting from Kristen Stewart wasn't really up to par with the rest of the cast but then again its hard to hold a candle to Theron's Ravenna, a.k.a. The Evil Queen or Hemsworth's Huntsman. 
The visual effects are truly stunning and the story is great with barely a moment to breath as it progressed.  This was one of two Snow White stories that has been told this year, but Mirror Mirror is more for children, this story on the other hand is something more for younger adults and up.  Since this isn't the best movie on this list it is still a decent film.  I give Snow White and the Huntsman a three out of five stars.



4.

Prometheus, the back story to how one of the greatest movie monsters of all time came to being created, is mostly about man's mission to find the meaning of life and who our creator is.  Ridley Scott goes back to what he does best as he unfolds a story that takes place in the Alien universe.
The acting is great as well as the visual effects with an ending that leaves us wondering when a sequel will emerge.  If your curious how this story takes place within the Alien universe and how it ties into the Alien storyline, go back and watch the 1979 film and fast forward to the part where the crew explores a crashed alien ship.  That one scene, which wasn't really meant to have a back story, spawned this movie and I must say it was worth a watch.
I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars.




3.

Now if I didn't place this movie on my list I'm sure I would probably get some criticism, but that isn't the reason why I placed this on my list.  Its up here because it really is an excellent film, staying true to the characters from the comic books and giving us a thrilling action packed film that pulls us to the screen as we hang from the edge of our seats.
The Avengers is the number one movie of the year, the third highest grossing film of all time, and also one of the best reviewed films in recent memory.
Robert Downey Jr. leads a cast that most have been introduced to in prior fims, starting with Iron Man in 2008.  This film is a great visual feast for any comic book fan and who doesn't like seeing New York City blown to bits for the thousandth time.
I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars.




2.

 Its funny how one of the biggest movies of all time is on the same list as one of the biggest disappointments of the year.  When I say disappointments, I mean just for the studio and if you like to know my further thoughts on this film refer to the post prior to this one.
John Carter might not be a studio favorite but its a very under appreciated film.  It has a great story, great acting, and also superb visuals.  It basically has everything for anyone who enjoys a good family movie with adventure, romance, sci-fi, and a bit of comedy to tie it all together.
I do hope I see a sequel but only time will tell what will happen and if we will see a continuation of a timeless classic.
I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars.





1.

Last but not least, my favorite movie of the year so far is The Dark Knight Rises.  After seeing The Dark Knight, I never would have thought that this movie would come close to how good the first sequel was but after walking out of the theater I thought it was just as good if not better.
I will agree with most that the Joker is a far more superior villain than Bane but who can deny how great it was to see Bane finally portrayed correctly.
The cast that we have come to love was excellent as usual and the added presence of Anne Hathaway was a great choice for the Catwoman role.  There are a few surprises in this movie but all in all it was an excellent film with an ending that leaves you feeling satisfied.
I give this film 5 out of 5 stars.




Of course this list is bound to change as the year progresses and I will definitely update it by years end, but a few movies that just might replace a few that you've read about above are: Total Recall, The Bourne Legacy, The Hobbit, Skyfall, and Cloud Atlas.

The list above is my opinion and you have the right to have a different one.

Should There Be A John Carter Sequel?

Disney seemed to have put everything on the table for John Carter before it was released in March of this year, but no one thought that the grand spectacle would crash at the box office like it did.  Over time though, the movie seems to have developed a fan base that grows with every passing month.  John Carter seemed poised to drift away into the shadows, never to be viewed as a classic amongst the wide array of notable titles.  Now, after looking over how the movie has progressed on dvd and blu-ray, we see that the movie is now finding traction and has developed into something that most filmmakers dream of, a cult classic.  When John Carter was released on dvd and blu-ray it was the highest grossing film of the week, according  Nielson ratings, and it was top 5 on the On Demand list for three weeks in a row. 

Worldwide John Carter has grossed $282,000,000, according to boxofficemojo.com, a $32,000,000 profit.  Of course adding another $50,000,000 to $100,000,000 for what went into advertising, John Carter is still vastly behind on making its money back.  All this changed though after being released and made available for us to take home.  Carter should now be in the red, with profits finally pouring into Disney, of course its not as much as they were hoping for. 

Looking at the movie itself and its storytelling, we see that a lot of care and work went into the film.  John Carter though, seemed to have gotten a bad rap from the start, showing previews that never showed the full potential of the film.  Even the title has received a lot of negativity, due to the fact that its just a mans name and nothing more.  A lot of people judge a book by its cover, some people judge on the title alone.  The poster left a lot to the imagination leaving us wondering what the movie was truly about.  All in all the advertising for the film was horrific, and never really did anything for the story.  On the other hand, the advertising for the dvd and blu-ray release was another story.  The previews showed an event film that most missed in theaters.  The cover to the dvd and blu-ray's being sold was a better poster than the one seen in theaters.  Take a look at the cover and poster comparison below and tell me which movie you'd rather see?

The problem with John Carter isn't the story, actors, or even the filmmakers.  The two biggest problems was, the advertising, which I've already mentions, and the budget.  The budget was a massive $250,000,000 dollars.  John Carter wasn't ready for such a massive budget when trying to develop a new franchise for the public.  A fan base wasn't even created for the film yet.  The only audience this movie had were people who were fans of the books, which wasn't that big of a fan base when a movie is concerned.  If the movie was to be released with the fan base it has now, there is no question that a sequel would have been green lit by now. 

This is what I propose to Disney and how they should go about making everyone happy.  The word is out that John Carter is a decent film now.  Go ahead and make a sequel, but with a lower budget. Every epic film doesn't have to cost  a whopping $200,000,000 or more to make.  The fans just want a story told with the characters they fell in love with.  The cast and crew have even reached out to the fans with wanting to make a sequel.  Fans have banned together to sign a petition to get a sequel made, which you can find at: backtobarsoom.com.  There is now a fan base that will make a sequel profitable for Disney.  Take a chance on the public's views and maybe they might surprise you Disney.

Short Film: Dirty Laundry

Anybody else a fan of the 2004 film The Punisher starring Thomas Jane?  Did anybody else watch Punisher: War Zone and wonder why they went with a different actor and decide to reboot a film that should have been a sequel instead?  Well the video I have linked below is a short fan film of Thomas Jane reprising his role as the Punisher and kind of gives us a peak at where the character is today.  Wouldn't it be something if they actually made a sequel of the Punisher that continued the story of Frank Castle with Jane back in the role?  Oh you know it would be epic!  Take a look!

Dirty Laundry Short

Batman: End of a Trilogy

The last Dark Knight movie to be directed by Christopher Nolan is about to be released, and it kind of saddens me to see the popular franchise come to an end.  When I first heard that a new batman would emerge yet again in 2005, I took a step back and kind of shaked my head at the notion that Warner Brothers was trying to resurrect a franchise that burned out with Batman and Robin (1997).  Seven years later I look at the franchise in amazement at how well the story was told and also how popular the character had become.

When it was first brought to peoples attention in the late eighties that Batman would be brought back to the big screen, most were curious how the character would hold up.  Some believed the film would be based on the 1960's television series starring Adam West, but in reality the film would primarily be based on how dark the character had become in the graphic novels, The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke.  When the film was released in 1989, most said the character of Batman was to dark and the film seemed to follow the character of the Joker more so than the hero, audiences on the other hand made the film the number one movie of that year and went on to be the most successful Batman movie, holding that title up until the release of The Dark Knight.  The film was followed by three sequels, the last being the nail in the coffin for the series.

The character of Batman seemed to have faded away from the silver screen, leaving us to enjoy the character through television and comic books.  In 2005 though, that all changed with the release of Batman Begins; a retelling of the origins of Batman and how he developed into the feared hero of Gotham City.  It was a more realistic telling of a hero we knew so well.  We looked at Batman with a different view, he was now a character that an audience could relate to compared to the comedic version of the 60's or the surrealistic view of him in the 80's and 90's.  The first two films have been a major success and with the release of The Dark Knight Rises,  the Nolan directed story should become one of the most profitable trilogies in the history of cinema.  The film is speculated to make north of $150 million dollars this coming weekend and will probably be the second highest grossing film this year, The Avengers being the first.

After the success of the trilogy and the climatic ending that most fans have been waiting for, we wonder what will happen to the character now?  From several reports online, its a possibility that Batman will be remade with a different story, actor, and director at the helm with also talks of a Justice League of America movie possibly being connected.  In all honesty though, the character should probably fade away after the release of Rises, and stay in hibernation for quite awhile.  Studios seem to want to reboot everything that made a great deal of money  How about we just let Batman fade out of our memories and bring him back when there is a true calling for his return.  Time will tell what will happen to the beloved character.

New Project: Need Help

Alright boys and girls.  I need everyone's help on this one and 30 days to do it in.  It's doable, but we can't do it without you.  My friend and I and developing a movie, but in order for us to do it it needs to be funded, that's where you come in.  If you go to kickstarter, a site that helps people fund their projects, you can give what you can to our movie.  If you can only donate a dollar, thats just fine.  The more you give though the more perks you receive, all of which will be displayed on the link below.

The film is based on the characters Eric, Jimmy, and Reed, who are best friends and are attending high school together in Portland, Oregon in 1981. They decide one day to revisit one of their favorite middle school activities, which is playing at the local video arcade. Eric doesn’t seem to enjoy arcade games as much as he used to, despite being the best in the group.  When they finally convince Eric to go, he tries out a new arcade game that nobody else seems to enjoy much. It’s title is….Polybius.
Eric wakes up two days after playing Polybius with no memory of what happened the previous day. He returns to that arcade, finding the arcade machine is gone. The arcade owner has no memory of it, and neither do his friends. But Eric does, and he makes it his mission to find out the mystery behind this game, who created it, what their goals are, and what happened to him that would cause him to forget an entire day.  Our film will be true to the Polybius legend, while adding it’s own unique personality. I have looked into stories of those who contributed to Polybius, including Blister, Steven Roach, the fan game, and many other stories people have made to add to this urban legend.

If you would like to read more on the urban legend of Polybius, go here.

We would greatly appreciate anything you would like to donate.  I will keep everyone up to date on what will develop in the near future.  The link to the site where you can donate is here.

Below is also a teaser poster for the film.  Thanks.

Priscilla's Perfume

Alright everyone!  My book is finally finished and up online for everyone's viewing pleasure.  At the moment its only available as an e-book, but in the future I'm looking into getting a hard copy developed.  Here's the link: Priscilla's Perfume.  I hope everyone enjoys.  Thanks!