A Doomsday Watchlist

As talk of the world coming to an end reaches a fever pitch, this having nothing to do with the fact every single person on earth is less than a week away from their imminent death, I can think of nothing more logical to do in this quickly deteriorating world other than watch a few movies. Not just any movies though, but the ones where we may be able to pick out what could happen and what we hope is in store for us. Every year there are plenty of post apocalyptic flicks that come through the megaplexes and offer their version on what they think the world will be like after everything goes to hell. I'm here to investigate who I hope got it right. There is such a range of films that could fall into this category but lets face it, Roland Emmerich pretty much has us covered no matter if we take the option of aliens, crazy ass weather or as next weeks prediction foretells, ancient myth. If you are unaware of the reasons for these end times or what all the fuss is about it all goes back to those darn Mayans and their blasted ability to develop the very first written language, some of which was apparently applied to a calender. These 5125-year-long cycle calendars supposedly have an end date of December 21, 2012 aka next Friday. This has led many people to believe that the Mayans (An ancient civilization noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for their art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during 2000 BC to AD 250.) were also into predicting the end of the world. On top of that various astronomical alignments and numerological formulae have been applied to this date to create even more panic. Also, the calendar could be interpreted to mean the 21st or 23rd so we may or may not have an extra day or so.

2013 Golden Globe Nominations

The 2013 Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning and Lincoln leads the pack with seven nominations and Argo close behind with five. Despite not having yet seen Django Unchained I am excited to see it so loved, at least in the recognition the Hollywood Foreign Press has given it. The new Quentin Tarantino film also garnered five nominations and is easily one of my most anticipated of the year. I can't wait to see it for myself on Christmas Day, but I can only become more excited about the quality of the film after seeing it get a best picture nod for drama as well as nominations for Tarantino for best director and both Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio for best supporting actor. I was especially glad to see Jack Black also receive a nomination for his work in Bernie as it is one of my favorite films so far this year.

First Trailer For Guillermo Del Toro’s PACIFIC RIM

I am not a huge fan of Mr. Guillermo del Toro but I enjoyed Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy movies well enough to look forward to what he is doing next and a ton of fanboy anxiety has been circling that project. Titled Pacific Rim and documenting the rise of massive monsters from our own seas and the human race attempting to fight back by creating weapons known as Jaegars that can be controlled by human pilots from a distance. The concept is pretty interesting but the visual flair you expect from such a project seems a little unfinished in this first trailer we have been delivered. I did not know much concerning the plot going in, but it was hard to avoid the posters and talk of the film after this years comic-con. I am excited to see how this turns out because there is certainly a level of expectation with del Toro but despite having an interesting idea the way the story looks to be executed could prove tiresome and overly familiar to a summer audience looking to find something new rather than, dare I say it, Transformers or Battleship. The quality may end up (and hopefully will) being miles ahead of those films, but this trailer does have a slight feel of deja vu to it. Still the film has an international cast led by a charismatic Idris Elba and also features Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Ron Perlman, Charlie Day, and Clifton Collins Jr. Pacific Rim is slated to hit theaters on July 12, 2013 in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D.

ANNA KARENINA Review

There is something magical about the way in which Joe Wright creates his films. There is a definitive eye for craft and a grand amount of attention paid to detail. It has resulted in some of the more beautiful shots of the last decade whether they be the glorious steadicam shot on the beach of Dunkirk in Atonement or some of his more subtle work in overlooked films such as Hanna or even The Soloist. There are moments in each of these films where you could simply sit back and marvel at the craft and skill being put into it rather than care about the story that is unfolding. In his latest effort, a retelling of Leo Tolstoy's meditation on love known as Anna Karenina Wright again enlists his muse for period pieces Kiera Knightley and takes us on a spectacle that may be his most beautiful film to date, but suffers from not having the emotional core that his other period pieces have contained. I am a huge fan of Atonement and have followed Wright's career since that film captured my heart. I was anxiously awaiting what the director would do having the opportunity to again venture into his comfort zone and while the results may not have been as spectacularly moving as I'd hoped there is no doubt this is a fine film. The acting is top notch and features an array of characters that all compliment the central theme in a way that writing seems to have lacked for some time. Adapting Tolstoy is no small task and Wright along with screenwriter Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love) have not only brought to life a story that likely didn't need to be told again but have condensed it so as to elicit a central idea, a study of an emotion, and the way in which it controls our lives with an unnerving direction.

Full-Length Trailer For MAN OF STEEL

Personally, and I am in the minority here, but I was surprised and anxious to see what would come of Christopher Nolan choosing Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) to take over the Superman directing job. He would no doubt give the series its much needed reboot after Bryan Singer's 2006 Superman Returns failed to resonate with audiences (though again, I personally loved it). When we first caught a glimpse of Man of Steel before The Dark Knight Rises this past summer I was cautiously optimistic that Snyder captured a rough, gritty tone to a character who was always looked at as the boy scout of the super hero community. With this second trailer it seems the director has laid all doubt and worry to rest as this centers around the characters and more importantly the man at the heart of the film. As with Nolan's Batman series this seems to be grounded more in reality where what people might do if a being such as Superman really did exist. It will be an interesting take on the character and I am more than excited to see how this all turns out. We also get a first glimpse here at the Oscar-worthy supporting cast including Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, as well as Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Michael Shannon as General Zod. Henry Cavill seems to be handling the weight of playing such an iconic character with ease and a gravitas that may make even a God-like man relatable to us mere mortals.