A Life in Equinox

The Most Intriguing Film of Summer, 2012?

2012-02-08T08:00:00.003-05:00

While everybody and their cousin has been talking up and down about The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers, I have to say The Amazing Spider-Man might be one of the most intriguing talking point films nobody is really talking about. Well, except to say "too soon!" A sentiment I echo; if not wholly endorse.

Though no matter how much I sit here and grumble about the film's untimely appearance, it's got a lot of talking points circling in its favor. Especially when you factor in the cast and crew. A heavy dose of "almost famous" sorts blended in with strong up and comers, former stars, and seasoned veterans. I make no qualms in admitting that to me, Marc Webb is the real reason I'll be forking over the admission price. There's so much expectation levitating around the guy that I don't think anyone can ever live up to it, and yet I think there's a strong career to be etched out for him.

While the earlier trailers played down - for whatever reason - what separates Webb's Spider-Man from Raimi's, this latest trailer finally digs in to the tone Webb is going to set. And I must say, as trailers go, it's an improvement tenfold.

If Univarn Ran the Oscars

2012-02-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

As those of you loyal few who follow my blog may recall, last week I indulged in a bit of a rant on the bad form of obsessive 'snub crying.' A post perfectly designed to alienate a vast majority of the blogging base while allowing my narcissism to grow ever more powerful. Though fear not, unlike most narcissists I know I'm a narcissist, which makes me better than all other narcissists (see what I did there?).

Of course I am nothing if not a fan of tradition. And for several years now I have run rampant upon the format of the Oscars by imaging it not run in the proper frame it is now. Rather, having it exist inside the world of my mind. A world where pandas are evil, xylophones are entirely non-existent, and I Like Pudding is the name of the greatest rock band since Underwear is Comfy topped the charts in 1953 with their hit single Yo Dawg, That Be Da Rubber Ducky (it's all about the ten minute Theremin solo!)

Confused yet? Good. Because it's about to get a whole lot worse....

If I Ran the Oscars... The opening would feature Eddie Murphy reflecting on how he felt the moment he heard that Norbit had been nominated for an Oscar while a somber Adam Sandler quietly caresses the lone DVD copy of Jack and Jill in existence off in the corner of the room...

If I Ran the Oscars... All of the losers would be carried off into a back room where James Franco would reenact Ben Hur - in its entirety- using only shadow puppets.

If I Ran the Oscars... Sir Ian McKellen would stand at the head of the red carpet with a large staff and yell "You Shall Not Pass" at any person I deem not worthy of entering these hallowed halls. Bonus points if he hits them upside the head with the staff. Double bonus points if they work for E!'s fashion police.

If I Ran the Oscars... Anyone who won more than one Oscar would be required to prove their worth by juggling each one while simultaneously balancing on a wooden stick over a pit of fire. Since a pit of fire would be too expensive - and just crazy - the entire orchestra will have to wear red and orange.

If I Ran the Oscars... James Earl Jones would provide color commentary to the proceedings with the play-by-play being handled by Keith David. The fact that the sheer power of their voices combined could cause a crack in time itself would be completely worth it.

If I Ran the Oscars... The host would be replaced by a robotic Humphrey Bogart who would forever tease the audience by never saying any of his most iconic lines... but constantly coming oh so very close.

So there you have, just a brief insight into the world of the Oscars if I had the power to run it. I admit I'd need a bit more power than that, but that's why we have imaginations! :). So what about you? What would happen if you ran the Oscars?

The Movie Picture Code #21

2012-02-03T07:15:00.000-05:00

Congrats to both Jess and Alex for moving up the leader board last week, knocking out the films with the greatest of ease (shhh, just go along with it). Now it's time for us to continue our journey through the world of cinema. Will you uncrack my code or shall I score a win over all? Game on!

Click on the images to enlarge.

1.

LEADERBOARD:
Regular:
Jake - 11
Colin - 9
Sam - 6
John - 5
Kano, Jess - 4
Jason - 3
Alex, Mad Hatter, Will, Yojimbo_5 - 2
Never Too Early MP, Nikhat, Red - 1

Outside the Box:
Jake - 3
Colin, Kano - 2
James, Jason, Liam Underwood, Never Too Early MP, Sam - 1

From the Files of Hilariously Dumb Movie Titles

2012-02-01T08:53:00.000-05:00

If Man on a Ledge is the frontrunner for the award "'Duh' Movie Title of the Year" then most undoubtedly The Cold Light of Day is the frontrunner for "Worst Effort At Making A Title Seem 'Ohhhhhh'." That's not even factoring in the plot line which seems like someone took a Father-Son version of True Lies and head banged it with a Father-Son version of Hanna.

Seriously though, with a title that superficial, you'd think they'd go for the whole kit and caboodle and just call everything in the movie some inane aspiring word twister. At the very least replace CIA with "Warm Revenge for Cold Dishes Organization."

But oddly enough this isn't the first time that title has been used in films. Oh no, it's been used quite a few times. Judging by the IMDB scores of the past outings, you'd think people would have caught on that this title isn't such a hot commodity. Then again, they say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover... or it's trailer... or whether or not Sigourney Weaver has given up on starring in good roles. Just saying.

The Blogger Who Cried Snub

2012-01-31T07:01:00.000-05:00

Let's be honest about this, the sound you hear the moment after the Oscar nominations are announced isn't one of adoration, joy, or respect. It's one of the violent clashing of fingers against plastic letters, as flocks of people are desperate to make sure their feelings towards the nominations are heard loudest... and as close to first as possible (it's an internet thing). Though no matter how much willpower one group has versus the other, none can sustain against the coming tide. The return of the word "Snub."

Some of you may note that in recent years I've shied away from the general Oscar talk, and for good reason. I still love the Oscars. I'm still there on Sunday night, ready and waiting for the ceremony which means so much to the world of entertainment I love. So why don't I blog as much about it? Worry.

Yes, that's right, worry. I've watched the conversation on Oscars evolve as the internet has evolved since 2002. I've seen it go from a couple turbulent forum posts to a couple million turbulent tweets, facebook updates, forum posts, and blogger articles. Though no matter what happens, no matter how good of a year - or bad - the Oscar nominating committee has, it cannot shake the over prevalence of the power of the perception of a snub.

So much so that I have come to worry that the passion for crying snubs has cast far too powerful of a shadow over the entire ceremony. That worries me. It truly does. For you see, snubs are born of passion. Our love for a film that has gone barely, if at all, noticed by the Oscar committee calls upon us to call out. As we know, all too often in the present we forget about the films which failed to garner Oscar love in the past.

But I don't think that's true anymore. And I certainly don't think that's going to stay true going forward. You see, can you imagine what the world would have been like if they had the internet in the '30s, '40s, '50s, etc.? I imagine it wouldn't be terribly different from now. There's be lists from the eyes of the people who lived in those times themselves discussing the best films of the year. Articles on a site like Wikipedia through which people can mark the opinion of the time.

To me that's just as important to the history of film as the Oscars themselves. However, I don't think that means we should just cast the Oscars aside. Oh no, far from it. We should embrace them. For their history - no matter how flawed - is intricately intertwined with the history of film itself. Appreciation for what movies are today and what they will be tomorrow has, and will likely continue to, be shaped by the decisions of the Oscars and how we as a society receive them.

And I think it's important that we don't let Snubs cast shadows over the Oscars; but rather that we carry them alongside the films of the Oscars. In a given year there are any number of snubs, any number of complaints that can be waged at the Oscars, but there is only one Oscars.

The Monday Corner 1/30/2012

2012-01-30T06:39:00.001-05:00

Movies/TV Watched This Past Week:

The Descendants: Being more than a stone's throw away from a fan of Sideways, though far closer to Election and About Schmidt, I was very cautious going into Alexander Payne's latest outing. I must say, while there's a lot here that can be picked apart and mocked, I found it to be quite rewarding and easily relatable. Both of which helped make it sad without being too sad, and fun without being too fun.

Doctor Who Series 3 & 4: OK so last week I lied and went on a bit of a Who rampage this past week. Loved Martha Jones as a companion and Donna Noble was top form. A great collection of episodes definitely helped them both as well. I definitely don't want to see David Tennant leave, but alas all things but end.

For Your Consideration:

With over 5 million posts being presented last week about the Oscar nominations, I had a hard time narrowing down which one was going to get the Monday Corner bump (which is akin to about 1 page click, I imagine). For that honor, I have chosen the ever lovely blog FlixChatter and their post The Good, Thad Bad, and the WTF.

Continuing along those same lines, Lauren of Man I Love Films went all out in her introductory post The Good, The Bad, and the Remake. Though clearly her post is a remake of a classic post by some random European dude.

If you're looking for a bit of a change of pace on the Oscar front then look no further than Jess at Insight into Entertainment. Her series, 30 Days of Oscars examines the past and present Oscar films with great reviews and insightful writeups. A must read.

John of The Droid You're Looking For is throwing in the towel on the creation of Fake Criterion Covers. Though not before going out with a bang as he burns through a host of Coen Brothers films hoping to make that Criterion leap!

Last, but most definitely not least, Rachel has announced her stepping down from the position of top lamb at the Large Association of Movie Bloggers, handing the reigns over to Joel of Deny Everything. Rachel has been a top class leader of the LAMB, and I wish Joel the best of luck!

Have a great Monday everybody.

The Movie Picture Code #20 - It's Baaaaack!

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

Show no fear. Show no reservations. Only one recourse exists for you now. Your life, your very existence, weighs in the balance. It is movie picture code time!

Going to ease ourselves (both you and me) back into this schendig with just a couple. Good luck!

Click on the images to enlarge.

1.

LEADERBOARD:
Regular:
Jake - 11
Colin - 9
Sam - 6
John - 5
Kano - 4
Jason, Jess - 3
Mad Hatter, Will, Yojimbo_5 - 2
Alex, Never Too Early MP, Nikhat, Red - 1

Outside the Box:
Jake - 3
Colin, Kano - 2
James, Jason, Liam Underwood, Never Too Early MP, Sam - 1

Coming Soon....

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

A brand new podcast series from the mind that brought you that one podcast nobody listened to and that other game showy one that people did but was discontinued for 'mysterious' reasons. Though I must say, this may be my strangest journey yet!

The Monday Corner 1/23/2012

2012-01-23T07:05:00.001-05:00

Movies/TV Watched This Past Week:

Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides: Let's put it this way - the rather lifeless first half definitely ended on stronger footing than it started.

Spaced Series 2: I'm a bit torn here. On the one hand I'm feeling sad Spaced ended (seemingly) so prematurely. But on the other hand I know any effort now - no matter how talented those involved are - would never live up to the expectations of their predecessor. Still, I loved every moment of it.

Doctor Who Series 2: Was sad to see Rose Tyler leave, but I do admit there were some damn fine episodes leading to the finale. Series 3 is looking good so far. At my current rate, I'll have caught up with the ongoing show by the year 2014!

For Your Consideration:

Over at The Flick Chick, 2011 has been wrapping up with a bang as Norma Desmond tackles the year in a series appropriately titled the Top 10 Week! Of course we all know if I did a top 10 it'd be a clean sweep for Jack and Jill.

Andrew of gmanReviews is digging deep into his emotional spectrum and wondering if he should feel guilty for treating action sequences in historical biopics with the same 'reverence' as he does those in mindless action entertainment.

I'm terribly blind when it comes to Bollywood cinema, so this post over at Lime Reviews and Strawberry Confessions explaining why Dil Se is their favorite movie caught my attention on more levels than one. 78 reasons all with equal amounts of passion and fascination... makes me wonder if I could do the same about mine.

Lest we never forget - for he'll do it for us - Andrew's Encore World of Film & TV celebrated their 3rd year in existence and might I add it's been three years of beautiful writing through and through.

After the incredibly fun and exciting series that was 60/60, Nick from Random Ramblings of a Demented Doorknob has kicked off his brand new 50/50 series with a review of the oft unspoken Tarantino thriller, Jackie Brown.

Have a great Monday everybody!

How to Sell Out: Before and After Smartphones

2012-01-20T07:05:00.000-05:00

Before Purchasing a Smartphone:

Me: "God, I can't stand all these people and their smartphones. Who cares if your phone has an app that can realign a satellite to help you select the best place to take photos of yourself! Seriously, my phone makes phone calls and accepts phone calls, and that's all any phone should do! Anything more than that is just feeding people who were already annoying to begin with fodder to make them even more annoying!"

Other Person: "Why are you talking to me? Please go away."

After Purchasing a Smartphone:

Me: "Oh and I have I told you about this app yet. Man, it's so much more amazing than all these other apps I've told you about. You see with this one, I can take a photo of myself then make it swirl and then unswirl it and make it go all kabloosh! You can even realign this satellite here and have it tell you the best places nearby to take photos of yourself! Isn't that amazing!?"

Other Person: "Why are you talking to me, again? Please, please, please go away."

To my fellow soldiers in the war against phones who do unnecessary things, I'm sorry. I have failed you all. For now, I am part of the dark side, and I must say things sure are lovely over here.

Damn you smartphones!!!!!!

Programming Note: For those of you who care, The Movie Picture Code weekly edition will be back and in full swing next Friday!

War Horse (2011)

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

A quick perusal of my top 100 films can tell you any number of things about me. For starters, that I have an unabashed love for all things Kurosawa. Then again, spending five minutes talking with me about movies could easily tell you that one. However, if you were to dig a little deeper. To seek out the connections and overlaps between many of the relating films, one constant should become entirely evident. I love me some good ol' fashion epics.

Throw a group of characters together, stretch their journey through life and war over two and half plus hours and low and behold, I'll be waiting at the end hands ready in applause position. So imagine my excitement when I found out that Spielberg was set to deliver such an experience. Let alone one covering one of the most oft ignored and yet still powerful wars in history, World War I.

From the sweeping landscapes of old English farm land to the mud enriched, rat infested, world of trench warfare, War Horse takes us on the kind of journey one might imagine would be found in the likes of a Disney film grown up. Joey, our titular horse, whose journey through a war with which he had nothing to do is sentimental to the highest degree, and yet at the same time strikes subtle and yet resonating chords on the true nature of war.

War Horse boasts what I might argue is some of Spielberg's finest directing moments in over half a decade. Not least of which is found in Spielberg's craft at creating a violent war film without much of the violence. In a way that would make Pulp Fiction era Tarantino proud, Spielberg creates graphic violence through carefully place camera movements. The substitution of imagery for actual bloodshed is a particularly nice decision - as evident in the riderless horses in one early battle sequence. This decision presents something I've been asking Hollywood to deliver for years - intensity without blatancy.

Of course for a generation like myself which has been born and raised on that graphical conclusion to events, these might leave some wanting. But I would like to hope that deep down one can admire the craft in coordinating and filming such scenes.

Still, where War Horse succeeds in visual poetry, it falters in a revolving cast of characters. Like many epics, War Horse deals with a wide array of characters coming and going, and as such the time for whole and complete character building is often left to the cutting room floor. Take for example Captain Nicholls and Major Stewart, played by the equally brilliant Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch respectively, who give off so much charisma in their short screen time that they still leave you longing for their return. Not to mention the sadly underused Eddie Marsan in the generally thankless role of Sgt. Fry towards the film's climax.

So in substitute for the revolving characters we are effectively given human bookends to Joey's journey. In this we find ourselves with Albert (Jeremy Irvine). The young, poor farm hand son of a perpetually drunken father (Peter Mullan) and fiery mother (Emily Watson). Albert provides much of the necessary scenes which help Joey build the skill set he needs to survive so many of the sequences he deals with in war. At the same time, Albert is also given a journey of his own to survive. Including a thrilling battle sequence - by far the film's most violent - as he seeks out his long embattled friend, Joey.

The rest of the cast is a wide assortment of "hey, it's um that guy" talent who deliver time and time again. But no matter what is thrown at us, there is never a doubt that this film is entirely Joey's film. For he is the heart of the matter. He is the life blood through which each character is given a reason for being. The film thrives and falls on the strength of his shoulders. Luckily for us all, he is made of stuff stronger than steel.

OVERALL SCORE: 8.00 / 10

Film Credits:
Directed By Steven Spielberg
Screenplay By Lee Hall and Richard Curtis
Novel By Michael Morpurgo

I Heart Adrien Brody: Detachment Trailer

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

I feel no shame in admitting that out of many of the working actors, Adrien Brody is the one I find most oddly captivating and yet at the same time off putting. I blame that on the one-two punch of The Pianist followed by those annoying floating bubble, hip hop, Coca-Cola ads from all those years ago. That's right people, the Uni never forgets! (besides, I'm totally a Pepsi guy)

However, the trailer for what looks like to be Brody's first high quality film + role in quite a few years. Not to mention an Isiah Whitlock Jr. sighting! (Oh and that whole Bryan "I'm going to be appearing for two minutes in every film these days just to deprive my fans" Cranston). Of course the movie could turn out to not be much, but if it comes anywhere near what I see as it's emotional sibling film Half-Nelson then we may just have ourselves something well worth the time to talk about.

Univarn's Facts of Life: Part 1

2012-01-11T07:10:00.000-05:00

Let's face it, everything Univarn thinks about any issue is obviously the only way of thinking about any issue. How does the Univarn know this to be true? Simple: The Univarn is typing in the third person, which clearly shows just how amazing he is. As demonstrated in this amazing documentary on the past life of Univarn as Caesar (admittedly it was more to do with the salad than the man but you need not worry yourself with these fine little details):

Now do you see? Univarn is perfect and right in every way! So let's get on with some of Univarn's facts of life.

MODERN FACT :
	>

ETERNAL FACT :
	>

Short, simple, but irreversible. These are forever engrained into the world as fact. Of course you are completely free to disagree with me.... though I assure you, the consequences shall be severe. What consequence you ask? Oh, that's between you, the devil, and the entire collection of Justin Bieber autobiographies. Good luck, muhahahahahah!

It's Oscaring Time!

2012-01-10T11:35:00.000-05:00

Alright fine, I admit it. When I saw the words "First Oscar Trailer Revealed" I too was secretly hoping it was a remake of Stallone's 1991 Mobster comedy, Oscar. I can't help it. Of course that's partially because I can't resist getting excited by the mention of anything Tim Curry related (I had to get a restraining order on the word 'it' because of it). Alas that Oscar is not the one to be gracing us with its presence anytime soon. For now we shall have to deal with our golden statuette and the first trailer giving us a hint of what to expect.

I have to be honest, I like Billy Crystal. Always have, and likely always will. He's just got that likable sort of state presence. So as a host I'm in his corner 100%. Of course a commercial for the Oscars being headlined by Josh Duhamel and Megan Fox isn't the most inspiring. Especially when you consider the two frontrunners - The Descendants and The Artist - are a far cry from the fanbases that get amped up for the likes of them. Though a timely appearance by Robin Williams, the dynamic Vinnie Jones (kidding), and knight of the 'seriously, why is he not in more movies' round table William Fichtner (not kidding) does inspire some home.

Be sure and check out the trailer below and let me know what has you excited about this year's Oscars!

The Monday Corner 1/9/2012

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Admit it. Oh come on, admit it! You know you missed me. You know you did! Go on, just say it. I won't shy away. Just yell out into the sky "I love The Monday Corner!" Or not. You know, if you don't want to that is. It's OK, I won't cry... *sniff sniff*... :)

Movies/TV Watched This Past Week:
I've seen quite a bit since we last met up so here are just a couple of the big highlights!

Attack the Block: No film could live up to the onslaught of praise this one had received, but I do admit it does a damn fine job trying.

Spaced Series 1: Gah, what have I been missing all these years?! (seen via Netflix instant)

Merlin Series 1 - 3: After a painfully dry and uninspired first series, I was worried that this would turn out to be another Fantasy gone so terribly wrong, but there was enough promise for me to continue on. Series 2 had more than its fair share of 'oh come on already' moments, but again the promise was there. For Series 3, that promise finally came into being a bit. The start of Series 4 has, thus far, promised to come as close as ever to delivering in full. (Series 1 through 3 seen via Netflix instant. Series 4 airs Fridays at 10 PM on Syfy).

For Your Consideration:

Ryan "She Bangs Mad Hatter Style All Night Long" McNeil over at The Matinee throws in his two cents for the year that has passed with his Top 5 of 2011! One of these days I'll convince him the best number for any list is 7.24393 items!

If Ryan's list is not enough to fulfill your craving for year end goodness, be not afraid for Castor over at Anomalous Material double down with his Top 10 of 2011! *Spoiler Alert* Lots of Tree of Life love and hate hiding in the background waiting to pounce on these lists' comments.

Alex the Film Forager has been granted the opportunity to see the one film of 2011 left that I most desperately want to see (that's right, I'm looking at you stupid Galaxy Cinema) and her views has only gone to bolster that regard.

Major props and throngs of adoration for John over at The Droid You're Looking For as his blog reached a milestone worth such accord, 500,000 views! Of course we all know he cheated. Writing engaging content with creative viewpoints and high entertainment value. It goes against everything blogging stands for!

Film Intel goes back in time and experiences life in a new way as he traverses the majestic world of It's A Wonderful Life. It may be post holiday season but the message of IAWL is eternal.

Have a great Monday everybody!

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011)

2012-01-05T07:09:00.000-05:00

If Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as a frail and uninspiring revival of a series that lead many to question the need for throwbacks to its origin, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is an equally worded title that hits back with a whopping "Indiana Jones style adventures will never die." And with the ever increasing quality of motion capture cinema, this style of film may just be here to stay.

Having not grown up with the Tintin stories, I went in to Spielberg's latest family-ready adventure a bit skeptical of my ability to latch on to the story. Sure, I had more than my fair share of blogging buddies ready at the shot of the pistol to sound off with any number of Tintin related facts or stories that I worried I may be overwhelmed. But Spielberg handles the transition for long time fans and newcomers with great precision. For those new on the scene, the core cast of characters are introduced. These introductions are swift, to the point, and lack an obtrusive nature films of its like often fall into.

Of course that's partially because none of these characters are particularly dynamic. Sure, they're a little rough around the edges - which goes a long way in making them believable and enjoyable - but by and large they each fall on one side or the other of a particular goal and its easy to determine which side of the fence they fall on. For a family film with great ambition this is understandable, and vintage Spielberg. After all it gives Spielberg the opportunity to explore this animated world in which he and his crew brought to life. And explore they do.

With some stunningly choreographed visual spectacles and action scenes that'll have you working a death grip on your arm rests, Tintin uses the three-dimensional world in which it operates to masterful success. In fact, I must say that remains my favorite component of the entire film. Granted that may be telling of the film's lacking in other areas, but by and large the action sequences more than make up for the other misgivings. I honestly felt like I was a kid, back at disneyworld, experiencing one of those simulation rides (e.g. the Star Wars Tours ride) all over again. They were eventful, constantly moving in a variety of directions, and full of sequences that made you want to jump up and yell "yes!" Of course you shouldn't, but that's because you're in a room filled with other people and that would be awkward.

But speaking of jumping up and yelling yes, how's about a big round of applause for the year of Andy Serkis. If they awarded a Most Valuable Actor (MVA) award at the Oscars each year, I believe you'd be hard pressed to find another candidate. Between this and Rise of the Planet of the Apes he has become living proof that even with just motion capture at your disposal, you can still act the hell out of a film.

Overall Score: 8.00/10

Credits:
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Written By: Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, and Joe Cornish
Comic Book Series By: Hergé

5x5x5: A Look Ahead at the films of 2012!

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

A new year upon us and with that comes both joyous and fearful times. The uncertainty of what lay ahead compounded by the inability to stop writing 2011 when jotting down the present date. The hope for a bright and better future with inklings of anticipation filling in the gaps for every month. And as I complete the final notes on my 12 in 2012 (in fine form likely to post well past the time anyone has shown any care about the series creation and well before anyone's watched any of their films), I thought it nice to take some time to investigate my inner aspirations. To tackle my wants, wishes, fears, and misgivings, and see what films shall come to pass in 2012 that I find most curious of sorts.

Away we go!

A Dream of Greatness
Here are the five films I'm most anticipating in the new year - in no particular order.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Right, I did say no particular order didn't I? Well, I lied. This could easily be numbers 1 through 5 on my list of most anticipated. In fact I would without shame tear a whole in the space-time continuum just to make sure there's enough room for this. *deep breaths* Alas, I do not believe it can live up to the quality of its forebears (or is it postbears - always a difficulty with these prequels) but I love the tale of The Hobbit so, and my admiration for the world of Middle Earth is seemingly endless. So much so that even a mediocre The Hobbit could easily cure my woes.

Skyfall: I swear, if this movie doesn't end with James Bond surfing on a cloud hurtling towards earth with a double barrel shotgun in one hand and a copy of Skyward Sword in the other then I shall rush to the world of twitter and cry foul. Expendables 2 don't you even think of stealing that! Back off! Shoo!

The Dark Knight Rises: This one is a bit of an easy one. Though for all my grumblings of the incessant praise The Dark Knight gets, I do not begrudge it its success. Can this film come any where near the hype it carries upon its shoulders? I hope it does, and serves as a fitting conclusion to one of the best comic book adaptation trilogies we are ever likely to know.

Argo: I feel Ben Affleck's directorial skills have been flirting with Oscar far too well with his two previous entries and it's high time that relationship move forward. I don't foresee this walking away with the golden statuette, but anything short of a high tracking may turn out to be a step backward for the actor turned director turned director/actor.

Django Unchained: I've never been so blind as to believe Tarantino can do no wrong, but I must say this film does have me greatly intrigued. So many of Tarantino's films reference, rip off of, undermine, over mind, imply, adore, and pay homage to Spaghetti Westerns, how his first true stab at the genre will play out is a mystery I cannot deny I am intrigued by. Let us hope he is equal to the challenge.

A Mixture of Curiosity
These here are the films I'm not entirely sure what to think of.

Gangster Squad: Here's a cast list for you - Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, and Michael Pena. If this doesn't turn out to at least be pretty darn good, then the cries of one hit wonder may ring a little more loudly than they deserve for Ruben Fleischer.

The Bourne Legacy: With Tony Gilroy at the helm and the likes of Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton, Joan Allen, Scott Glenn, Albert Finney, and the indescribably lovely Rachel Weisz in front of the camera, the producers have certainly put everything in place for this to be of high quality. But can it escape the fact that it is really not a true Bourne film? That I am not so sure of.

The Amazing Spider-Man: I hate for this to be the second Emma Stone film to find itself wavering in the land of "not too sure, love" but alas I cannot shake the too soon feeling that tremors throughout every bone in my body for this release. I like Andrew Garfield, and feel he has the potential for a long and full career as a Hollywood actor. But is he a star? For that we shall have to wait and see. Of course, for the great charm that was (and is) 500 Days of Summer, Marc Webb has certainly earned a price of admission ticket from me.

Prometheus: When this was announced as a maybe, but not really, kind of, but not, sort of actually, but in a not so way, prequel to the Alien franchise, I found myself painfully confused. The marketing efforts and subsequent news stories have done little to squash that. And as such decisions were being made while the film was being made, I fear it may give rise to a horror film without a concrete direction. I trust Ridley Scott to make it entertaining, but entertainment alone cannot carry a film without a cause for being.

The Avengers: For many, this film's placement here is nothing short of sacrilege, but I am not entirely sold on the concept. If this film fails to deliver perhaps its greatest memory will be the many films it wasted on the road to mediocrity. For all the talent involved I fear Marvel may be playing a long con for which it can not ever justly attain all the goods it seeks. There's plenty to give way to anticipation (Joss Whedon's involvement handles that alone), but I couldn't help feel the first trailer was lacking much spark.

A Stench of Despair

The Three Stooges: Seriously, did you see the trailer? No other explanation is necessary...

Dredd: The first sign that this movie is going to be awful is that somewhere along the line someone thought "if only we drop 'Judge' from the title then it will be cool and interesting!" Sorry, but remakes like this I always feel are destined for failure. If it can embrace the extreme campiness of its original then there exists some faint chance for entertainment, but I'm not seeing it. Karl Urban is a great charisma actor and can surprise you with powerful moments of acting when you least expect it, but he best portrays seriousness. Alex Garland at the pen is promising, but I've seen this before. It's a remake that spawns out of the nostalgia of some and the impressionable nature of others and in the end nobody really turns out to see it. Hope to be proven wrong, but I don't see another way around it.

Resident Evil: Retribution: I thought the first Resident Evil was alright. The second was enough. The third a bit excessive. The fourth needlessly existent, and I fail to see why this will prove a staunch change of course. Especially with the Paul W.S. Anderson at the helm and at the pen. I'd willingly pay the price of admission just to not see it.

One For the Money: It's too easy to put a Katherine Heigl film, isn't it? Maybe I should just scratch it off out of fairness to the list making profession? Nah, bad is bad and this looks baaaaaaaad.

Re-Re-Re-Re-Re-Re-Re-Re-Re-Re-Re-Re-Releases... IN 3D: No. Just no. And no in equal measure to each of the films which are receiving this treatment. I liked the originals just fine in 2D. No need or want to see them in 3D. Do it all you want, I'm not buying it. Why not just re-release them (for the umpteenth time) in 2D? People would still go see it, you know? Besides I'm far from convinced that post-production 3D conversion makes a film anything other than a glossier foreground with a blurrier background film.

So that's all I've got for you for the year of 2012. There are some films I'm thinking over in my head as to where they will fall when their time comes, but alas I set myself a format and I stuck to it (except where I cheated). Which leaves me with this: what films are you looking forward to - or not looking forward to - in the new year?

End of the Year MPC Spectacular! DAY 6 - FINAL!

2012-01-02T12:00:00.002-05:00

Here we've come now, to our journeys end. Four points are up for grab in this final installment and with only 2 points separating the leader from the next in line and 4 from the bottom a final sprint for the $20 Amazon Gift Card is ready to go.

For today we return to our standard format... with a twist. For you see, an evil leprechaun has invaded the Movie Picture Code machine and has jumbled up the images for one of each category! Can you uncover the leprechauns foul play and put the words back in their order? Will the regular format keep you on your heels? It's time to find out.

Let's go!

BEST:
Regular:

Jumbled:

WORST:
Regular:

Jumbled:

Leaderboard:

Player	Points
JAKE	5
NEVERTOOEARLYMP	2
NIKHAT	1
JOHN	1
ERIC	1

End of the Year MPC Spectacular! Day 5

2012-01-01T11:30:00.002-05:00

Alright ladies and gents we're back on track after a couple of personal delays threw a rather steadfast wrench in the MPC machine. But no more! From here on out (i.e. today and tomorrow) we'll be experiencing some easy sailing. Today we're featuring a couple nice outside the box challenges for your mind puzzling pleasure!

For those rearing for the win, the final MPC spectacular grouping will be posted tomorrow at noon US eastern.

Good luck!

BEST:

WORST:

Leaderboard:

Player	Points
JAKE	3
NEVERTOOEARLYMP	2
NIKHAT	1
JOHN	1
ERIC	1

Programming Note

2011-12-30T18:00:00.000-05:00

Due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. me being sick and my dad needing surgery) today's installment of the Movie Picture Code spectacular has been delayed 1 day to tomorrow with the final installment taking place on New Year's Day. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause!

End of the Year MPC Spectacular! Day 4

2011-12-29T09:45:00.000-05:00

Well ladies and gents Day 4 shall mark the end of the straight and narrow MPCs - so be sure you grab up as many points as you can because starting tomorrow a new beast shall grace these shores.... Outside the Box!

Good luck!

BEST:

WORST:

Leaderboard:

Player	Points
JAKE	3
NEVERTOOEARLYMP	2
NIKHAT	1

End of the Year MPC Spectacular! Day 3

2011-12-28T07:08:00.001-05:00

Day 3 is finally here and such is the time for the revealing of our great end of the year MPC prize! So what shall the individual who rises above the rest earn as their reward? Why, a $20 Gift Card for Amazon to bring in the new year! In the case that the winner is unable to retrieve this prize, a suitable alternative shall be found. So no worries. Also, fear not for points. From here on points shall be plentiful, and the challenges ever more complicated.

Good luck!

BEST:

WORST:

Leaderboard:

Player	Points
NEVERTOOEARLYMP	2
JAKE	2

End of the Year MPC Spectacular! Day 2

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I will announce the prize for the winner of this week long look back at the best and worst 2011 had to offer! For now though, NeverTooEarlyMP of Never Too Early Movie Predictions is off to a rousing 2 point start with a clean sweep of yesterday's choices. But worry not, there's still a lot of points to grab and lots of different ways to grab them. So be sure and come back each day this week and throw your hat into the ring!

Good luck!

BEST:

WORST:

Leaderboard:

Player	Points
NEVERTOOEARLYMP	2

End of the Year Movie Picture Code Spectacular: Day 1

2011-12-26T09:26:00.000-05:00

Hope you had a lovely Christmas ladies and gentlemen. It was a wonderful day for me and my movie collection has only grown - a loving gift for any movie geek. One of these days I'm sure I'll catch up with all the technology crazes and get a tablet or a smart phone... or a blu ray player... but for now I'm good with what I got.

Though this week isn't about me. It's about movies. The best and worst of 2011 as spoken through the Uni approved medium of The Movie Picture Code! That's not all though. This week long adventure through the year that was will challenge every bit of your knowledge of the calendar movie year. And if you can get through it, defeat your foes and come out on top, a prize shall be waiting for you. What prize? Well you'll have to wait in order to find out.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Reminder: You can click on the images to enlarge.

BEST:

WORST:

*Note: The leaderboard for the weekly movie picture code will not carry over here. A separate prize will be announced for that in the coming month or two.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:34:00.000-05:00

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas, all the presents of your dreams, and the warming presence of those you love and those who love you in return!