Really?

I'm shocked that this documentary is actually real.  Especially in this type of economy, some people may actual turn to dealing drugs to make a living, and these creators gave them a how-to guide in the form of a movie? I mean it's one thing to write a book about it, most people don't read for pleasure, but anyone will watch a movie.  Oh what wonderful things come out of the brains of some film makers.  Some of these guys must be really bored and/or really dumb.  Watch the trailer and make your own judgment about how positive a movie like this will be for society.  Entertaining for sure, but scary to think about the possibility of desperate people actually following through on these types of instructions.

Iron Man 3

Last week I finally saw Iron Man 3, and it didn't disappoint.  I expected another prime performance from Robert Downey Jr. and co., and they delivered.  The plot involved events from Tony Stark's past that come back to haunt him some 14 years later, and create havoc for the entire planet.  In the film Tony has to fight his past to preserve his future, while also fighting his own personal demons stemming from his time with the Avengers in New York.  This movie, above its two predecessors, truly allows the viewer to get inside the mind of Tony Stark and to understand that downside and the stress that come along with being a super hero.  Not only does the film feature a significant amount of conflict for the protagonist, but it also provides some excellent fight scenes and action sequences (Two things which so many of the newer action movies lack, probably in an attempt to save money).  It must be nice to have a huge budget for a movie like Iron Man 3, where the directors and producers can pull out all of the stops to provide the viewer with a true blockbuster.  If you're still not sold watch the trailer and decide for yourself if it's worth the price of admission (But trust me, it is).

Why do Great Actors Sometimes Make Terrible Movies?

The only reason that I've come up with is money.  I continue to see top tier actors who take roles that don't suit their talents, and star in movies that I know will be absolutely horrible.  Sometimes I compare this phenomenon to an elite athlete having a bad day, but the difference is that an actor has time to read and choose a script which is pre-screened by their agent and/or manager before choosing a project.  These actors also shouldn't have money issues unless they have a terrible spending, gambling, or money management problem, so again I'm baffled, but I'm also glad that I've gotten to the point where I can spot these cinematic disasters from a mile away.  I've just realized that I need to coin a term for these A-list blunders...Maybe that the actors A-lost their minds by signing on for these movies.  I don't know, I'll think on it.  Meanwhile here are a couple of movies to avoid because they will most likely be significant letdowns:

The Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp

RIPD starring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges aka The Dude

A Few Promising Comedies

Let's start with the most mainstream of these comedies, The Internship, starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn.  These two will forever be enshrined into my personal comedic hall of fame for their epic performances in Wedding Crashers (2005).  These two displayed an onscreen chemistry that rivals most, and that chemistry resulted in one of the funniest movies to date.  In this new comedic combination the two actors find themselves out-of-work, middle-aged salesmen, whose long term experience in a recently liquidated company equates to little in the current technology-filled workplace.  The two take a risk and go out for an internship at one of the most well-known dot coms in history, Google.  From the beginning the two men are outcasts in a company full of teens and twenty year old prodigies, and it looks like plenty of laughs will result from such a scenario.  Check out the trailer and see if you're as excited as I am:

My next suggestion also looks hilarious, in an off-beat, dark humor type of way.  What originally caught my eye with this film is one of the main characters, David Cross, who in my mind stands as one of the funniest men in the television and movie industry.  The film begins with a would-be normal occurrence: a couples brunch.  This social gathering quickly turns into the perfect storm when one of the couples announces their impending divorce.  Following that cataclysmic news the group finds out that some chemical explosions in their town would kill them all within a few days, leading to complete pandemonium.  I'm usually not attracted to these kind of movies or this kind of humor, but I think this movie has a lot of promise, and I will likely watch it illegally on the internet being that my accessibility to movie theaters that show smaller independent movies is nearly non-existant in Israel.  Anyway, here's the trailer:

The Way Way Back like the previous two suggestions appears to be a winner.  Something about Steve Carrell as an asshole just makes me curious, as Carrell usually plays a funny and awkward character who is easily lovely because of his geeky awkwardness.  This film follows a teenaged boy whose divorced or widowed (not sure) mother starts to date Carrell, who immediately kills the little element of self-esteem that this teen has left.  The family goes to spend the summer with at some destination town where the teenaged boy, Duncan, yeah I should probably use his name, does all that he can to make his summer livable.  He finds work at a local waterpark where some of his male superiors give him advice and build up his confidence to eventually give him the courage to take on life and face his antagonist, his mother's boyfriend aka Steve Carrell.  I think it looks fun and cute, and I'll be willing to take a chance on it.  Comes from the same people who made Juno and Little Miss Sunshine, both winners in my book.

New Game of Thrones: Big Disappointment

Yes I know, my title says it all, but the new Game of Thrones  season has been disappointing to say the least.  Sure there are crazy shake ups and big things to come, but I still want some more action and adventure if I'm going to watch an hour long show.  Just some more sword battles or witty conversations, something to keep me interested.  Since I started watching this show I never once thought to tune out, until now.  If it doesn't start to pick up I'm not going to waste an hour of my time each week.  You hear that cast, crew, writers, and directors, get your shit together.  Here's a trailer anyway:

Another big disappointment for me was the movie Ted (2012) starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis.  I watched this movie far after it came out, but the large majority of people who saw it told me that it was one of the funniest movies they had ever seen.  It honestly did nothing for me.  The trailer definitely shows promise, but I really didn't find it funny at all.  If you haven't seen it yet don't waste your time, but watch the trailer to see if you agree with me that it at least looked promising.

Argo

Last night I went to see Argo with my cousin and one of her friends, and I was pleasantly surprised.  Well, not totally surprised because I've loved all of Ben Affelck's movies, but I must admit that I forgot about this one with all of the other blockbusters currently out there.  Affleck was able to capture so many horrifying scenarios in such a realistic manner that at times the film truly scared me; not an easy feat.  The film captured the horror of being trapped in a foreign land, and hiding out knowing that if caught you would likely be killed.  I always gibe credit to movies that can evoke strong emotions from the audience, and Argo easily scared me with the thought of being caught in a hostage situation in a foreign land.  Everything about this film was realistic from the language and appearance of the characters down to the setting such as the bazaar in downtown Tehran.  I highly recommend this movie, but be prepared because  a couple of the seasons are quite scary ( I don't want to give away more than that). Definitely go and see Argo.

 

Lindsey Stirling

I've neglected my media review blog for too long, so here it goes.  About a month ago I accidentally discovered an already well-known YouTube sensation named Lindsey Stirling through one of my Pandora stations.  Stirling truly introduced herself to the United States with her appearance on America's got Talent.  I hear she's also a YouTube sensation, only I'm not sure if that was before or after America's got Talent.  Anyway, Stirling has a very unique sound, combining the violin with hip-hop and dubstep beats while also incorporating an assortment of different dances.  I find it fascinating how one of her songs will start out sounding like a classical violin piece, and then all of a sudden a huge bass chimes in, and  the tune speeds up to something that you could dance to in a club.  I've always considered my music taste eclectic, and I'm often attracted to sounds that I've never heard before.  If you're looking for something new and fun definitely check out Lindsey Stirling on Youtube.  I really like the three songs Crystallize, Elements, and Shadows.  I've posted a video of Shadows below, enjoy.