TheMovie411

The Woman In Black

2012-02-23T07:04:00.002Z

I had been dying to see this film as I love horror and most especially a great ghost story. I grew up fearing Bloody Mary in my bathroom mirror and am still trying to work up the nerve to enter Bachelor Grove Cemetery. Anyway, I got to see this on Monday and surprise! I was all alone in the darkened theater. Booyah! Cue the scary music.

I settled in with my hot pretzel and prepared to be scared and creeped out. I was not disappointed. We open with three innocent little girls having a tea party, smiling and laughing. All of a sudden they stop, their faces go blank, as they stare at someone or something that has come into their room. Then they get to their feet in a synchronous movement, walk to the large three-paned windows and jump to their deaths.

Enter Arthur Kipps, a grieving young solicitor, struggling to hold onto his career and his sanity. He has visions of his dead wife beckoning him. Daniel Radcliffe has definitely shed Harry Potter. He broke my heart with those lost, shattered eyes. Poor Arthur is hanging on by a thread, his son.

After a final warning about his job, Arthur sets off to the village of Crythin Gifford to see to the estate of Alice Drablow. Once he arrives, he finds the villagers strangely rude and eager to see him turn around and hightail it back to London. The innkeepers refuse him a room, until the wife feels guilty enough because of the downpour to rent him the attic room. The same room from where the little girls committed suicide.

The following day, Arthur tries to talk with the local solicitor, Mr. Jerome. Jerome brushes him off, hands him a packet of Alice's papers, then hustles Arthur out. He even has a carriage waiting to take the young widower to the train. Miffed, Arthur pays the carriage driver, who looks like he could be Dracula's Renfield, to take him to Drablow's Eel Marsh House. This mausoleum of a place sits on an island in the marshes and becomes cut off during high tide. The joint is creepy as hell. We're talking the type of house that requires its own list of horror film survival rules. In other words, do not enter unless you've got Scooby Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne as your back up.

Dracula's driver dumps Arthur at the gate and gets out of there so fast his wagon wheels squeeled. Our intrepid hero enters the house and sets about doing his job. All sorts of noises and mysterious footsteps lead him to explore upstairs. Second rule of haunted house survival: Do Not Go Upstairs. I mean the First is obviously Do Not Enter, but if you're gonna go anyway... I digress.

He goes and of course he sees the woman. Just before he freaks, though, Renfield returns and takes him back to the village. He reports the sighting of the woman to the local constable. While there, two young boys appear with their sickly sister. She has inexplicably taken a few gulps of lye and dies in Arthur's arms. Now the villagers are up in arms. They know when the Woman is sighted, the children will start to die.

Arthur is rattled by this point, but he knows that he has to finish the job or he'll never be able to take care of his son. Instead of leaving, like any sensible person, he takes refuge with his new friend from the train ride up, Sam Daily, played by the incomparable Ciaran Hinds. Sam knows the villagers are a superstitious lot and though he tries not to buy into their panic, it's difficult. Turns out Sam and his wife lost their son when the Woman made an appearance. Here's where they reveal that they are just as weird as the villagers because Mrs. Daily claims to communicate with her dead son through possessive trances. Just the happy couple I want to spend the night with.

By now Arthur is beside himself, determined to learn the secret of Eel Marsh and find out what the eff is going on. He heads back to spend the night and goes through every last scrap, discovering that Alice had a sister Jennet, whose son Nathaniel was taken from her because she was declared insane. Alice raised the boy as her own until he died in an accident, his body lost in the marsh. After his discovery, Arthur has some wicked encounters with the Woman. He even sees Nathaniel's ghost rise out of the marsh as well as the spirits of the other dead children. There is nothing quite like ghostly kids to send the shivers down the spine, especially when they're done right.

Arthur figures out what needs to be done to make the Woman stop her murderous rampage, and enlists the aid of Sam, who himself, is tired of all the death. Battling the elements and the vengeful ghost, Arthur and Sam make their stand. I was white-knuckling my seat at this point, ready to cry for Mommy. I haven't jumped and yelped like a little girl in a horror film in years. James Watkins was just that good. He relied on tension, shadow and a few good scares to amp up the terror.

Special mention must be made of the creeptastically freaky little toys. Good Golly Miss Molly, these are Satan's playthings, I swear. I can feel the hair on my neck standing on end just thinking about them. I never ever want to look at a toy monkey, clown or doll again. The shudders are wracking my body as I write this.

Woman In Black is a hugely entertaining, good old-fashioned gothic haunted house tale that will keep you up. The story is sinister and disturbing, playing on the ingrained fears of the audience and our imagination to provide the chills. And boy did it work.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

2012-02-20T01:37:00.000Z

My love for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson knows no bounds and I went to see Journey 2: The Mysterious Island because he is one of the stars. Okay, well that and my nephew begged me to take him and his friend and I can't resist their cuteness. That is how I found myself at the theater last Saturday surrounded by kids and wearing, brace yourselves, 3D glasses. Now, I've written about my loathing of 3D many a time and fully intended to see the non-queasy version, but they only had one showing and that had been sold out. So, there I was wearing those damned glasses and 26 bucks lighter in the wallet for the two tickets.

Journey 2 is a rif slash sequel to 2008's Journey to the Center of the Earth with Brendan Fraser. Using the fiction of Jules Verne, Jonathan Swift and Robert Louis Stevenson as a takeoff for the adventure, the film centers on Sean, Fraser's nephew from the first movie. We pick up with the kid's life years after his amazing adventure with Uncle B and plot hole the first: What happened to the dough accumulated from the big ass diamonds from the original film? We never get that explanation. All we see is him being a miserable little so and so with 'tude to spare. Enter Hank, the Stepfather aka The Rock. He's a pretty cool guy and their relationship feels authentic with Hank trying too hard to be nice and Sean being extra-resistant. There is some great chemistry between them.

In order to try and bond with Sean, Hank helps him decipher a bizarre message sent from some mysterious coordinates. The message is supposedly from Sean's grandfather, who disappeared while looking for Jules Verne's fabled island. There's always some "mysterious" coordinates/map/message/emergency beacon/email from Nigeria to get the ball rolling. If it ain't broke, I guess. Anyway, without protest from Mom or any other logical arguments, Sean promptly takes time off of school to head to Palau. And if you're wondering how the eff he can do that no questions asked, why he's an A student. Gee, I was an A student and my father would have laughed, then kicked my ass if I decided to check out of school mid-year for a big damned vacation.

I digress.

Once on Palau, we get a few moments of Sean being a know-it-all before his comeuppance, then the inevitable meet cute with Gabato, a broke, but loveable helicopter tour guide and his teen daughter, Kailani. They agree to take our heroes to the island-that-doesn't-exist. Luis Guzman plays Gabato with his usual comedic flair. I love, love Luis and enjoy him every time I see him. No exception here, his character had me laughing and his chemistry with Vanessa Hudgens was evident.

The 3D doesn't really get going until they fly through this strange Category 5 hurricane and arrive on the island. How there is a Cat 5 storm that blows up in the middle of the Pacific with no weather agency reporting it is all part of the "mystery." It's not even good f/x, mostly a bunch of spinning stuff breaking away to fly at us. I expected better. Anyway, so now they're on the island, let's explore, yay!

It is of course, decorated in standard tropical, a very lush, gorgeous place, filled with strange animals like teeny elephants and giant lizards. There's apparently some sort of size bender that makes all the small animals large, the big ones tiny and so forth. Scientific theory from Gulliver's Travels. Although, why fireflies are still the same size and medium animals like eels become ginormous is not fully absorbed into this theory. Nor did we get to meet any Lilliputians, damn it. We do get to see a Swiss Family Robinson style tree house that Gramps had built from his sailboat. He even built a radio from an alarm clock and copper that he mined himself. Methinks Gramps had prior island experience with a certain Gilligan, Ginger and Maryann. Michael Caine does do a pretty good job as the old codger, though.

After spending the night in the Minnow, er tree house, they set off to find a way off the island. It apparently lies with Captain Nemo's submarine. Plothole number 2. Grandpa has been on this island for like 3 years and it's a mere 10 square miles. How has he missed this submarine? Anyway,they forage ahead and enter Atlantis, yes, that Atlantis. Riddle me this, how does an island that appears for a few years every 140 years or so, then explodes and sinks to the bottom of the sea again, keep a small city of buildings standing?

They pick up the necessary submarine clues in A Town then trudge through some more shock and awe 3D island flora. In a pretty cool series of f/x, our group hurtles through the air on honeybees the size of Smart Cars while being chased by a bird that is more pterodactyl than avian.

After putting the smackdown on the bird, our group gets separated as the island starts to sink. Hank and Sean make it to the Nautilus and fire things up while Gramps and Kailani go after the now lost Gabato. In furious spectacle of 3D, colors and dizzying camera angles, it is the proverbial race to escape before the island completely blows itself to Kingdom Come.

It's not a bad movie in spite of my sarcasm and my frustrating search for logic in a film that is clearly only intended to be mind candy. I enjoyed the ride, overall and even the normally nausea-inducing 3D was not too overpowering. My nephew and his friend, enjoyed the hell out of it and I, of course, loved the pec popping of Dwayne Johnson. (I'm so naughty, LOL)There's something for everyone, so go on, turn off your brain and have some fun.

Haywire: Boo-Yah Fellas!

2012-02-07T19:13:00.000Z

At last, at last!! Hollywood has brought the world a true ass-kicking female action hero. Sure, it's happened in the sci fi realm, but not in the testosterone-fueled world of the action thriller. There have been forays before, but none with the high calibre talent of a Steven Soderbergh behind it. I do believe I have died and gone to feminist cinema heaven.

Gina Carano, real life MMA star, plays Mallory Kane, a gritty, balls-to-the-wall former Marine who now works for a private black ops firm. Before I get into the movie, let me just give props because Gina actually looks the part. This is no uber-thin sex kitten who would be KO'd in one punch. Nor is she wearing a barely there outfit and high heeled fuck-me boots, while she flips two hundred pound guys. She is a muscular babe with proper hiking boots, comfortable clothes and an alertness of body that only comes from being an athlete. There are no magical harnesses and gymnastics for this girl, either. She is hardcore, disciplined fighter all the way and that is what makes her believable as Mallory.

The film opens essentially in the middle, an upstate New York diner in the dead of winter. Mal cases the joint. She (and we) know they're coming for her, but she's not going to roll belly up like some beta bitch. No way. She enters, chooses her space, then calmly orders tea. The tension ramps up instantly.

Channing Tatum arrives as fellow operative, Aaron. He exudes a deceptive, laconic charm, but he's all steel. He's been sent to retrieve Mallory and he has no qualms about going through her to do it. My girl takes him out with a bit of surprise help from a local boy, Scott. It was so refrshing to see a young guy in the typical female aid role. Michael Angarano is equal parts good kid, scared vic and smart ass as Scott.

Through flashbacks we find out that Mallory had been on an extraction op in Barcelona. Upon her return, her boss and ex, Kenneth, played with double-crossing deliciousness by Ewan McGregor, handed her a simple two-day job in Dublin. She was to hook up wth Paul, an MI 6 operative, for a meet and greet with his criminal contact, Studor. Michael Fassbender stars as the icy, enigmatic British agent with a lethal core.

Something is not right from the start. Mal knows that Pauly is playing her, but she doesn't know why until she uncovers the body of her Barcelona assignment with a nice little piece of evidence framing her. It is soon on like the fireworks at Navy Pier. The hotel fight scene between Gina and Fassbender is quick, brutal and terrifyingly intense. There are no orchestrated roundhouse kicks and karate chops. Hell to the no. This is a smashed glass, flat screen TV demolishing, knock-down, tooth and claw fight. Which ends with Gina crushing Fassbender's throat between her thighs. Normally I object to this move. However, this was a far cry from the sexy Scarlett Johansson Thigh Master takedown from Iron Man 2. Michael's face is purple, his tongue sticks out and he thrashes around like a harpooned swordfish on a boatdeck.

As the shit hits, Mallory is chased through the streets of Dublin in a cool, vintage spy flick style pursuit, alternating with catchy music and silence. Note, Mallory never moved without thinking first throughout this chase. There were no dramatic thirty-foot drops into crouches, nor are there tucks and rolls ala Jackie Chan or Daniel Craig. She looked and thought before she jumped to the next lower roof, then climbed down the fire escape. Mallory was wise to exits and potential weapons. She studied, she tracked. There were no stupid or unnecessary moves.

The rest of the cast is just as outstanding. In another series of interspersed scenes, we meet the orchestrators of the Barcelona job, Coblentz, played with Gordon Gecko-esque precision by the awesome Michael Douglas, and Rodrigo, a suave Spanish official portrayed by Antonio Banderas with a ruthless, king cobra smile. These two are just wicked. Bill Paxton stars as Mal's pops, John. He's smart, concerned and all the things you want in a tough dad.

The plot while a bit thin, has some meat to it. The non-linear time lends it a bit more complexity, but not much. There's the standard double agent playing both ends to smoke out a traitor. You had your stock characters, too, like the cops. Who were typical chauvinist pigs, dismissing every syllable Mallory utters with egregious disdain. Of course they meet a violent end.

One of my favorite things about this movie? There are no, I repeat no, scantily clad, nude or semi nude scenes from Gina. Well, maybe if you count the robe after the shower, but then it was not really anything. No shower scene, though. Only one bikini shot at the end of some silly vampette. However, Steven did give those of us who love men, a nice shot of Michael Fassbender. He comes out in nothing but a towel. Hell yeah, fist bumps Steven! Some payback for all those trite, candy cane female nude scenes from other action flicks. I hate it when women take off their clothes in a movie for no plausible reason. Like oops, the bad guys come just as they step out of the shower and they have to go on the lam in nothing but a towel.

Soderbergh took the action movie and flipped it in my opinion. He made this whole film feel realistic, as if it could happen right in front of you at any given moment. From the intimate camera work to the fact that Mallory did not have to fight off a coterie of behemoths that would never, ever blend into the background, it all feels authentic. Even the gun battles were not too outlandish. And the cops really came, something that never happens in a Bruce Willis movie unless he is a cop.

Another impressive point for Steven's direction is the end when Mallory gets her man. There's no useless "gotcha asshole" talk, she just flies right at him and starts the beatdown. He also rifs on that typical macho arm wound scene when Mallory escapes the diner in Scott's car. She drives with a bullet wound to her arm while she instructs the kid on how to patch her up. Boo-yah!

I have to point out that people have complained about the acting from Gina, that she's wooden and doesn't have a lot of range. Excuse me, do we expect that shit from Bruce or Arnold? Hell freakin no! So why hold her up to that? She was perfect as far as I was concerned. This is about a ballsy badass getting revenge for being set up. No call for exquisite subtlety. I certainly hope Mallory will be coming back in a sequel. She is a stellar heroine for little girls and women everywhere, including my friend's daughter, little G, who wants this movie for her birthday. And you know Auntie Mel will deliver.

Haywire is an edgy, in-your-face action film all the way. I will end with a fave quote from McGregor's Kenneth "You shouldn't think of her as being a woman. That would be a mistake."

Resident Evil: Retribution Trailer

2012-01-20T15:56:00.000Z

Hell to the yeah!! I am bouncing around this Arctic blast Friday because the trailer for the new Resident Evil film has been released. Whoo freakin' Hoo!!! Resident Evil: Retribution is the latest installment in the highly successful horror franchise starring my girl Alice, played by the ultra cool Milla Jovovich. Check it out...

All I can say is WOW! What a Mach 3, hair on fire ride this is going to be. Plus, it makes me happier than Newt Gingrich at a swingers party to see Michelle Rodriguez and Sienna Guillory once again joining Alice in the zombie killing. What a trio of badass bitches! These movies just do it for me. I mean the only thing that could make them better would be to have werewolves. And with the sheer evil genius that is the Umbrella Corporation, who knows, I may just get them.

These movies are not for everyone and many have accused them of being formulaic, but so what if they are. They're not pretending to be anything else. It's a killer female versus an evil organization and zombies. A simple, in-your-face formula that works in my opinion. And 200 million plus worldwide at the box office is pretty hard evidence to that effect.

I have been a huge fan of this franchise since the first Res Evil hit the theaters back in 2002. Alice is right up there with Ripley and Buffy for me. As someone who grew up watching my sisters be eternally stupid and victimized in horror films, these ladies were the Big Reveal. And indeed there are many more ass-kicking females on television and in films as a result of the success of these three characters. I love these ladies and can only hope that there will continue to be more roles like them for women. No more cannon fodder girly girls who require a man to rescue them.

Resident Evil: Retribution hits theaters September 14.

So are you a fan geek like me? A hater? Or meh about the whole thing?

Sundance 2012

2012-01-18T18:16:00.001Z

It's that time of year when the Who's Who of Tinseltown gather in the frozen cold of Park City, Utah with the not-so-famous, but just as awesomely talented, and watch a crop of indie films that are sure to get people talking. Sundance 2012 kicks off this Thursday the 19th and runs through Sunday the 29th. Here's a breakdown of some of the flicks I find pretty cool and will be keeping an eye out for in my local theaters.

Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap
Directed by Ice-T

The rapper turned actor presents this film about rap, cutting through all the dazzling layers and players to get to the soul of this often controversial art form that has influenced a generation. He talks with the cats I grew up listening to Chuck D, Nas, Mos Def, Dr. Dre, Grandmaster Caz, Snoop Dogg, Ice-Cube and Afrika Bambaataa. I think it's a must see for anyone who loves music in all its forms.

Hello, I Must Be Going
Directed by Todd Louiso

Melanie Lynskey is Amy, a 35 year old woman whose husband suddenly divorces her, leaving her with absolutely nothing. Demoralized,she is forced to move back in with her parents. In the midst of this depressing mess her life has become, she meets a young man spending the summer in town with his parents. They have an affair and it's through this highly unconventional romance that she reignites her self esteem. Sounds typical, but director Louiso made a compelling case for it on the Sundance site. This one is scheduled to open the festival on Thursday.

Excision
Directed by Richard Bates, Jr.

Pauline is a straight up psycho. She loves to pick scabs, dissect road kill and dreams about performing surgery on total strangers. Her parents, classmates and even her therapist all find her highly disturbing. The only one who understands her is her younger sister Grace, who suffers from cystic fibrosis. This looks to be a hellagood horror comedy and it stars John Waters. John "freakin" Waters people. I love him!

Grabbers
Directed by Jon Wright

First some fishermen disappear, then the whale carcasses wash up and finally the murders start. Something evil is stalking the townfolk of Erin Island and it's up to two mismatched cops to find out what in the ever loving hell is going on. They finally discover a large tentacled monster has been using their village as a dining room and the only weapon is booze. Apparently the monster is not into wine with his dinner. You gotta love a horror flick where the only recourse to survival is getting shit-faced.

My Brother, The Devil
Directed by Sally El Hosaini

Mo is is very lonely teen whose desperate need for any kind of attention leads him on some dangerous paths. He idolizes his handsome, charming older brother, Rash, a drug-dealer and gang banger whose crimes support the family and make him quite popular. Aching to be just like his brother, Mo takes a dangerous job that sets him and his brother down a road of revelation. I am eager to see this because it is an urban masculine tale directed by a woman.

Any thoughts? Films you'll be looking forward to?

Moonrise Kingdom Trailer

2012-01-13T18:20:00.000Z

Okay, so you know I don't get all dewy-eyed when it comes to seeing the quirky character-driven flicks on screen. I usually will see them second run, in discounted matinees or with coupons. I pay top dollar for the spectacle, you know, the explosions, the fights, the star ships, the monsters, etc. But, every now and again, one of these films comes along and I have to see it. Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson is one of those films. I am very, very excited about this. Here's the trailer...

Oh my God!! Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances MacDormand and Bruce Willis. What a strange brew of quirky goodness. I've just got to see this. Plus, it's Wes Anderson, who is such a great writer and director to me. I loved Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou and Rushmore. All with Bill Murray, one of my favorite comedic actors. He's just awesome.

Moonrise Kingdom will hit theaters here in the States on May 25 in limited release.

Will you see this? Or am I all by my weird lonesomeness?

Thor 2 News

2012-01-12T08:56:00.000Z

Patty Jenkins is out as Thor 2's director and why am I not surprised? Damn you, Marvel! Anyway, the company, which micro-manages their films to the nth degree, has signed on Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor. The script, originally by Don Payne, is now apparently being reworked by Robert Rodat, who wrote Saving Private Ryan, according to Screenrant. Rodat also received an Oscar nod for his work.

While I am disappointed that Thor 2 will not have a female director, I am excited about the return of my favorite Asgardian badass bitch, Sif. Jaimie Alexander confirmed recently that her character, Sif, will return in this next installment. Cue the chorus of Kermit the Frog Yay's. I love Sif and cannot wait to see more of her kicking some super villain ass. And, wait for it, Sif could very well make at least a cameo on Marvel's Avengers, which opens May 4. Who knows? I'm keeping my fingers crossed because that would be killer.

Thor 2 is scheduled to hit theaters November 15, 2013.

OMFG An Evil Dead Remake

2012-01-06T05:29:00.001Z

No,no,no,no,no, NO! *Jaw drops, head thunks* One of my worst nightmares has just come true. They are remaking Evil Dead and without Bruce Campbell, worse, they're even taking out the beloved character of Ash. Say it ain't so Sam Raimi! Come on, at least lie to me. This is horrible, an apocalypse for me and all Evil Dead fans everywhere. And I can't believe who they cast.

Lily Collins. That's right horror fans, the new Ash is going to be a girl and she's going to be played by Lily "Snow White" Collins. Really? Ash has a trademark panache and is sarcastic to the core. And Lily, well, isn't. Sure she's cute and all, and she's a good actress, but she is not a worthy ascendant to the iconic Ash.

Okay, maybe I am over-reacting. It could have been worse, they could have cast someone completely dreadful like Julianna Guill (Friday the 13 redux)or one of those awful Disney actresses who want to use horror to break out of the saccharine mold created for them by The Mouse. But still, Evil Dead with out Ash is like A Nightmare on Elm Street without Freddy Krueger or even Robert Englund. It's unimaginable. We all know how well Jackie Earle Haley worked out as Freddy.

Here's what I know about the rebooted story. According to Bloody Disgusting who broke the news, and MovieLine, Ash will now be Mia, a drug addict who will be detoxing in the infamous cabin in the woods with friends Olivia, Natalie, David and Eric. Mia struggles with her sobriety and starts flipping out. They find the Book of the Dead like the original crew and on comes the demons, leaving only Mia to tackle the evil forces. Sounds like they're trying to take the campy fun out of it and make it serious. As if.

Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are on board to produce, which gives me a modicum of relief, but it is being directed by virtual unknown Fede Alvarez with a script co-written by Alvarez, Diablo Cody and Rodo Sayaguez. We all have to start somewhere, but this is sacred film territory to me. However, if Raimi is willing to trust, perhaps I should have a little more faith. But somehow I just can't see Lily pulling this off. I'm going to hide under my blanket now with a large container of chocolate and a bottle of wine. A giant bottle.

The Evil Dead reboot is scheduled to start filming this March and is slated to hit theaters on April 12, 2013. Maybe the Mayans are right so I won't have to witness this abomination.

What do you think? Are you as shocked by this as I am? Or am I overreacting and being a big baby? Are you meh about the whole thing and think I should just get over it?

2011 In Review: Mel's Best Films

2011-12-29T22:26:00.000Z

Now that we got the stinkers out of the way, here are my Best Films of this past year that I paid to see and gladly. Heck I'd have paid for a second and third viewing and I am one broke-ass bitch most of the time. Here they are in no particular order...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
No surprise here. It's the end of the road for the Hogwart's crew whom I've loved over the course 10 years. This was a big, bold finale that just swept me along for the ride. I loved every second.

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows
This one could not be better in any way. What a wild, wicked rush into madness and adventure. It has everything from a complex plot and clever dialogue to a deliciously evil villain. I'm ready for the third one. RDJ and Jude Law are just stupendously electric together.

50/50
Joseph Gordon-Levitt has always been a favorite of mine since I first saw that adorable face and smart mouth on 3rd Rock From the Sun. It has been my pleasure to watch him grow as an actor and in this film, he gives the most amazing performance of his career as a young man stricken with a rare cancer. As someone who has cared for cancer patients in my own family, this one nailed the myriad emotions experienced and yet, retained a remarkable comedic element. And look at that Seth Rogen hits both of my lists. He was terrific in this as well.

X-Men: First Class
A high octane film that managed to be character driven as well, I cannot say enough good things about it. Of particular note is Michael Fassbender. He delivers a stellar performance as Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto, capturing the subtle layers of emotions and motivations that turn Erik into one of the ultimate villains in comics.

Super 8
Bust out those 8 tracks gathering dust up there in the attic and be prepared for the most nostalgic, feel-good, action-packed film of the year. Hats off to J.J. Abrams, who totally channeled the spirit of Spielberg, and took us on a journey back to childhood that still has me smiling.

Bad Teacher
Oh my God this was effing hilarious! I love me the dirty humor and this one brought it in spades. Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake and Lucy Punch are a naughty quartet of comedic genius. I saw it again on DVD and still choked with laughter. And that has happened with only a very short list of comedy films.

The Muppets
Another trip down memory lane for me. This film faithfully captures the spirit of the old Muppets show. It was great to see all the old characters from Kermit, Piggy and Gonzo to Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem band. This film has so many levels it is easily enjoyable for adults and kids. Though I will say at my showing, there were more adults than kids. LOL

Well, there you have it, my personal Bests for 2011. Agree? Think I'm out of my mind? There are many films out there that I did not get to see, that many have included on their best lists, so feel free to leave them as suggestions. I'm always up for a great movie.

2011 In Review: Mel's Worst Films

2011-12-28T16:59:00.002Z

It's that time of year when we lay out the lists of Bests and Worsts. Here is a list of the films I watched, er, suffered through and consider the stinkers of this year. If you've seen them, my condolences, if not thank the Universe that others took that blow to the cranium for you.

Here they are in no particular order...

Red Riding Hood

Are you effing kidding me? This movie was so bad it would have made Ed Wood cry. We got medieval peasants with more hair product than Paul Mitchell booty-popping and gettin' their swerve on with a strangely anachronastic band. Mix in a lame CGI werewolf and the worst acting since Twilight the First and you have a stew of wretched garbage to be avoided at all costs.

Green Hornet

Are we in 2011 or 1911? This was a disgusting racist, misogynistic piece of crap that Seth Rogan should be drawn and quartered for. Jay Chou's Kato is still a house boy and Cameron Diaz' Lenore Case is a secretary straight out of Mad Men. As if that weren't awful enough, there were the giant plot holes, bad dialogue and set design that was caught somewhere between 1960's chic and Disney decadence.

Captain America

I got lambasted for this because oh I didn't understand Cap and the world he came from and blah, blah, blah. I don't care. From acting to dialogue to horrific CGI and plot, this movie was so bad I couldn't even muster a laugh. I was appalled that I had paid for this. And that damned theater would not give me my money back, either. Cheap bastards! I really should sue Marvel for pain and suffering.

Country Strong

Though officially released on Dec 26 2010, I'm counting this one cuz I saw it in January. Nicholas Sparks goes country. The cliches in this one could constitute a drinking game that would have everyone reeling pickled about twenty minutes in. Bad music, bad acting, big hair and enough crying to drown Noah and his ark.

Something Borrowed

Pay attention now, you see the way to get the man you want is to steal him away from his fiancee who happens to be your best friend. But it's all okay cuz you're a good girl and she's really a heinous, spoiled bitch. Whatever. The plot aside, the acting was just dismal as was the trite dialogue. I love Ginnifer Goodwin and Kate Hudson so I though this would be cute, but it was really just bad.

Footloose Redux

Seriously? Who the hell was the genius behind this piece of shit? Everything was the same from Kevin Bacon's original 1984 version, except that the acting and the dancing got worse and wow, John Lithgow's minister became Dennis Quaid's sheriff.

Well, there you go, my worst films that I paid to see this year. Agree, violently disagree? Talk to me. What are your worst?

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

2011-12-27T00:19:00.001Z

I took my nephew and his friend to see Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and it was more than worth the extortion price to get in. I gladly donated a kidney and an unborn child to be named later to settle in for this hellagood thriller. Guy Ritchie, RDJ and Jude Law delivered in spades once again.

This time around we have Sherlock going up against a criminal mastermind that wants to bring about world war so he clean up on the guns, bullets and bombs necessary to fight this armageddon. A little megalomaniacal for late Victorian England, but I bought it. This covert evil genius is none other than Professor James Moriarty, Holmes' archenemy, the Napoleon of Crime as described by Doyle. He is played to sinister perfection by Jared Harris. The air between Holmes and Moriarty whenever they share screen time is charged, the dialogue, knife-blade sharp. The way they match wits is an intellectual Wimbledon final that left me wanting more and more. I didn't want to leave these two, other than to go to Holmes and Watson, who are just electric together. Seriously, RDJ and Law light it up like Chicago at Christmas. I could not get enough of them and yes, I want another SH film right freakin' now.

Back to the shadow game. Holmes becomes aware of Moriarty's machinations through Irene Adler, in a thankfully brief cameo by Rachel McAdams. Sherlock, of course forms his crazy, frantic web of red string to try and tie it all together. Enter poor Watson, who is arriving in expectation of his bachelor party, only to get caught up once more in his friend's insanity.

Cut to the Diogenes Club and the "bachelor" party, which really isn't one as the only other person Watson knows is Mycroft, Holmes' equally eccentric older brother. Stephen Fry is brilliant as Holmes the Elder. He seems a stodgy, almost calmer version of Sherlock, but he really has his own steamer trunk of weirdness. Here they meet Gypsey fortune teller Madame Simza played by Noomi Rapace in a stellar performance. Her chemistry with both RDJ and Law is dynamite. She really holds her own unlike McAdams, who, while I like her, was woefully mis-cast as Adler. She had chemistry, but you could tell she was overwhelmed.

After saving Simza and defeating a Cossack assassin in a roller coaster chase through the club, Holmes deposits a hung-over Watson at his wedding. While the good doctor enjoys his new bride, Holmes heads to confront Moriarty. What a verbal thrust and parry this scene is. It starts off with toothy pleasantries, two sharks circling, then spirals into a sinister verbal duel. I sat on the edge of my seat watching the blood-letting until Moriarty makes it clear that he was going to go through Watson to punish Holmes. Harris has such a vulturine look in his eyes here, it is scary to behold.

Moriarty brings the Wrath of the Universe down on Watson as he arranges for a squad of soldier types to blow the guy's honeymoon train to smithereens. This action sequence and the dialogue are some of the best of the film. Ritchie pulls out all the stops with everything flying fast and furious on speeding rail cars. It was phenomenal and RDJ in a dress just ruled along with his double entendres. And can I just say that Kelly Reilly is so kick ass as Mary Watson. I cheered when she picked up Watson's gun and ordered that thug off the train. A bride worthy of my favorite doctor.

From here on out the action just keeps building with a few catch-your-breath moments. It leads to a spectacular chase scene through the woods of Germany that had my jaw on the floor. I looked like a landed trout, the boys, too. The whole thing winds up at a peace conference where Holmes and Moriarty engage in a verbal chess match that is some of the most scintillating dialogue I have ever witnessed on screen. I won't spoil it except to say if you read the books, you know all about what happens when these two engage in their climactic battle. See this right now and strap in for Sherlock 3.

TheMovie411 Blog Awards 2011: Winners Post

2011-12-20T19:14:00.003Z

The winners post 2011 is finally here!

First, and on behalf of this years Judges, Melissa Bradley, Christian James, MindOfMine and of course myself, we would like to thank everyone who has taken part in TheMovie411 Blog Awards 2011, and an even bigger thank you to those who have nominated and voted over the past couple of months.

For the winners, your badge awards will have been sent to your e-mail. If you have not received them please e-mail themovie411@live.co.uk . Though please allow until 5pm Thursday 21st December to recieve them.

Making the Top5 is a big achievement itself, so if you have not won the category you were nominated in don’t be downhearted, you have had many people nominate and vote for you to make it this far so you should be chuffed! And for that reason, if you’re a Top5 entrant you can request a personal ‘nominated badge’ much like the one pictured right.

Ok so lets get down to the categories and them all important winners…..

TheMovie411 Best Post Award, your nominees are:

Alex J Cavanaugh for: Worst Movies Ever Blogfest
Cool Ass Cinema for: Franchise Of Fear Halloween Part 1
Lets Get Out Of Here for: Voorhees Jolly Good Fellow
FilmMattic for: Film Rant
SonSation for: Who’s Your Favourite Muppet

And The Winner is…..Craig Edwards of Lets Get Out Of Here for his post: Voorhees Jolly Good Fellow.

Fighting off some rather smart competition, Craig’s post takes the grand prize. His post on the Friday the 13th horror icon - Jason Voorhees not only shows an in depth knowledge of movie and character, but his witty style and pure love for the genre pours out to create a ‘must read’ article. Well done Craig!

The Movie411 Best Newcomer Award, your nominees are:

FilmMattic
MovieMarker
MsMariah
Electric Daze

And your Winner is….Movie Marker
Chief Editor Luke Walkley

It’s hard to believe a blog site can grow so fast in such a short space of time, however the creators that be at Movie Marker have achieved just that. Though an occurance of a disqualification in the Top5 of this category, the competition was very tough with all entrants. Movie Marker displays some exceptional reviews from many of their writers, and also some fun Oscar predictions as well a few look-backs of cinematic classics. Their fun and informative posts have clinched your votes for them to take away The Best Newcomer award, well done everyone at MM!

TheMovie411 Best Action Blog Award, your nominees are:

Action Flick Chick
Watching The Detectives
Direct To Video Connoisseur
CinemaObsessed
A Life In Equinox

And the Winner is…Katrina Hill - Action Flick Chick

She won Best Action last year and she’s done it again this year, Queen of Action herself - Katrina Hill and her awesome site dedicated to action movies seems unbeatable in this category as she fought off other strong contenders to remain at the top.

If Swarzennegger himself had an action blog, he’d still be not match for Miss Hill…..She’ll Be Back!

TheMovie411 Best Horror Blog Award, your nominees are:

Memoirs Of A Scream Queen
Dinner With Max Jenkie
iZombie
Horror Movie Diary
Haribo Extreme Culture

And The Winner is: Haribo Extreme Culture
Chief Editor Anil Koc

Remaining one of our most competitive categories, Haribo Extreme Culture fights off some big guns of the Horror Blogosphere and takes the title.

Proving there’s no language barrier when it comes to TheMovie411 Blog Awards, the Turkish writers at Haribo Extreme Culture are very knowledgeable of the genre and sometimes their posts are freakier than the movies they review. We love it! Well done H.E.C!

The Movie411 Best Design Blog Award, your nominees are:

Radio Pop Action
Sequel Buzz
MovieMarker
SonSation
CineMarvellous

And the Winner is....Movie Marker

Their second gong of the night, Movie Marker walks away with Best Design. Their site sports a professional look and is easy to navigate, but not only that, it looks damn cool too! These guys look pretty unstoppable tonight, MM we salute you!
TheMovie411 Best Sci-Fi Blog Award, your nominees are:

Alex J Cavanaugh
The Geek Twins
Classic Sci-Fi
Sci-Fi Bloggers
Sci-Fi Blog.net

And the Winner is…Alex J. Cavanaugh

What a shocker - Alex J Cavanaugh walks away with Best Sci-Fi for the second year in a row and we are all pretty happy about it. The Sci-Fi author who was also Top5 for Best Post this year will be humbly bowing out of next years awards to host and judge The Movie411 Blog Awards 2012. Winning by a large margin it’s safe to say - Alex, you really are king of Sci-Fi and next years winner has a lot to live up to.

TheMovie411 Best Gossip Blog Award, and the nominees are:

Hollywood Spy
CineMarvellous
Sequel Buzz
Cine-Vue
SonSation

And the Winner is…Dezmond -Hollywood Spy

Last years Gold Award winner, Hollywood Spy, triumphs in the Best Gossip category again this year. Also winning in 2010, Dezmond proves he is the king of gossip with his daily posts containing headlines and spoilers on all things entertainment.

Hollywood Spy loves you and there’s nothing you can do about it…..but we love you more! Well done Dez!

The Movie411 Sexiest Female Blog Author Award, the Head2Head nominees are:

Melissa Bradley - Melissa’s Imaginarium

Jenny Kruger- Memoirs Of A Scream Queen

And The Winner is….Melissa Bradley

Our closest poll ever see’s a much loved and very sexy Melissa Bradley take this years Sexiest Female Author Award.
Fighting off someone as stunning as Miss Kruger is no easy achievement, but Mel proves she’s our Queen this year and wow do we love you!

TheMovie411 Sexiest Male Blog Author, the Head2Head nominees are:

Mitch- Movies With Mitch Matt- FilmMattic

And the Winner is…Mitch

Mitch, you are our hunk of 2011 and fighting off someone as sexy as Matt with his abs of steel proves your natural good looks are what the ladies are willing to give up their knickers…I mean votes for. Well done chap, I think I fancy you myself! (seriously he’s a bit of alright isn’t he?)

The Judges Awards:
Ok a quick breather before the two big awards, Special Achievement and Gold Blog awards are announced. I hope your having fun so far.

Helping me judge Best Comedy, Best Interview and the Special Achievement Awards this year are:

Christian James, returning this year and responsible for registering your nominations and making sure the voting poll has no cheaters, our beloved CJ has sifted through hundreds of blogs (as have we all) to search for them all important winners.
He’s also responsible for being a huge pain in my backside and relentless abuse about my huge nose.

Melissa Bradley: Co-Editor of TheMovie411 and now our very own sexiest female of the year 2011, Mel has also been working hard replying to all you nominators and registering your votes.

MindOfMine: Our Guest Writer this year and now our guest judge..he runs a cool blog and has a huge love for the blog awards and was only too happy to submit his views on our suggestions.

So without further do….

Your Judges Choice Award for Best Comedy is…..Cinema Obsessed

Angie and Chantale never fail to make us and their readers laugh, weather their posts be about Comedy Movies or even Horror movies, their witty writing skills will make your belly hurt and your throat sore from giggling to much. Not to mention their wacky design art. Well done Ann and Chan!

Your Judges Choice Award for Best Animation is…..CineMarvellous

George runs a damn cool blog, and was joint 1st place for the Best Animation award last year. This year he has devoted a whole section of his site towards Animation movies making it easier to find his reviews on the genre. He has posted many exceptional reviews on animated movies for 2011, including Arthur Christmas 3D, TinTin, and Rango. He’s our very own Kung Fu Panda, and always a hot favourite for several awards. Well done George!

Your Judges Choice Award for Best Interview is…..Hollywood Spy

His interview with New Zealand’s rising star, Kyle Pryor was not only an exceptional must read, but proves Dezmond of Hollywood Spy will go that extra mile to entertain us and gain an interview with a movie actor that any movie blogger would just love to do.

Hollywood Spy has become a must read for entertainment gossip, and with Dezmond gaining interviews like this, is it any wonder?

The Movie411 Special Achievement Award 2011 Judges choice Award:

CineMarvellous is a dedicated blog to all movie genres and is run with absolute devotion to his followers by George, a.k.a Nebular.

Nominated for 4 MBA’s last year and 3 MBA’s this year including the Gold Award, winning best Animation in 2010 and 2011 proves that not only is he talented, but that his posts are loved by many readers.

This year has seen many changes to his blogsite, including the introduction to his short quick fire reviews, keeping us all up to date with what, and what not to see at on the big screen in 2011.

To a Blog that just gets bigger and better every year, there really is no other blog that deserves this recognition more than CineMarvellous. Congratulations George, on behalf of all the judges and your readers, you deserve it.

Finally we have come to our top award and the category that received the highest entry of nominations again this year…..

TheMovie411 GOLD BLOG AWARD 2010, your nominees are:

Hollywood Spy
CineMarvellous
Horror Blogger Alliance
Movies With Mitch
The One Review

And the WINNER is…Movies With Mitch
Our sexiest male blogger of 2011 walks away with our top prize this year after a fantastic amount of support from his readers. His well written posts ‘making movies safer, one review at a time’ have kept you entertained throughout the year and kindled your support.

His cheeky charm, those gritty posts, and a well designed site is fully deserving of the Gold, and all of us at TheMovie411 would like to say a big congratulations to you Mitch, well done!

And that’s it for another year of the Movie411 Blog Awards, we hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have.
2012 will see some big changes to the Blog Awards, with more great contenders, and this time sponsors with prizes! We never expected the Movie411 Blog Awards to become as big as it has, and we thank all of you who have nominated and indeed participated.

Alex J Cavanaugh will be hosting next years blog awards and we are thrilled about it, so look out for more information on TheMovie411 Blog Awards 2012 in January, but for now, on behalf of everyone at the 411, thank you and have a very Merry Christmas.

You can leave your messages of congratulations, and comments on this years award winners post below, but please, remain as you have been, and show good sportsmanship.. Inappropriate comments will be deleted. Thank you.

Immortals: An Uneven Epic

2011-12-17T15:10:00.000Z

Oh how I was looking forward to Immortals. Tarsem Singh is a visionary director with a breath-taking style that just blows me away. However, I was torn. I loved most of it, but had huge problems with other parts. I'll break this down like a performance review giving you good, bad, good...like layers of a sandwich.

First, this was a terrifically bold, big story and the visuals were beyond spectacular. From the f/x to the costumes to the wicked awesome fight scenes, I was in awe. The costumes were stylish, outrageous and fit each character to a tee. You would know them by their costumes alone. Then we have the overly dark cinematography. Ugh! It was wearing on me. Maybe it was just my bifocals, but I had really hard time at some points discerning what was going on, especially in the night scenes and in the cave temple thing. I was squinting and craning forward, which is never a good thing when you're sitting in front of a giant theater screen.

This was a huge story to tackle and the writing by Charley and Vlas Parlapanides succeeds for about half of the time. The other half, yeesh! Huge points because they breathed life into the gods, giving us a glimpse into their Olympian personalities, which many films fail to do. You know the films that leave the gods prancing about in pretty costumes and posing, Clash of the Titans redux, I'm talking to you. But Charley and Vlas quickly lose those points as there were plot elements that felt like they were not part of the story or should have been much smaller. I need a paragraph or two for these.

One of these red paint blobs on a white linen tablecloth was the "romance" between Theseus and Phaedra. Made no sense at all. First, there was zero chemistry between Henry and Freida. Then, there were really no scenes to set up any kind of romantic interest. She finds him at the pool, they escape, they go to Theseus' village, he buries his mom, he gets into a fight and gets poisoned. She saves him and they bang. Really? It was like groovin' along to a rock n roll tune, then a big scratch and switch to a country ballad. WTF! It was completely out of character for both.

Theseus is a bastard, which they take great pains to tell us is highly upsetting to him and part of why he is so over-protective of his mother. He would never put a woman in that vulnerable position. Phaedra is a virgin oracle. Her visions are her only power and in order to keep that power she must remain a virgin. She would not surrender it to simply "know the touch of a man" and because she's "tired of her life." That last is a 20th century invention fueled by self-help books and I'm pretty sure there were no psychologists in ancient Greece. And why would she even consider sex? I mean, she's been sequestered her whole life, has held a highly respected position, so the horizontal cha cha is something that has never even been on her radar. I could see if they had her have a vision about it, but they didn't. In stead in this little magic lurve scene, Phaedra spouts off a litany of bullshit reasons why she's "surrendering," none of which make a lick of sense and had my feminist clawing mad.

Then we have the driving force of the film, Hyperion's quest to unleash the Titans. His motivation, tearing grief, is part of why the king is such a great villain. Mickey Rourke's performance reminded me strongly of Gary Oldman's Vlad. Your god don't answer, tear that temple down, baby. But they never explain why he has to lay waste to rest of Greece. Why he has to be so evil. His quest to destroy the gods was more than enough. All these other little confrontations were unnecessary, more like savage side dishes that had nothing to with the main course. Maybe it was to show how evil he was becoming, I don't know. I still didn't like it. They also never really explain why Theseus is the antidote to Hyperion's rage. It's all about this random prophecy.

For all the awesome treatment the gods receive, the Titans get nothing. They are bound together in a rather simplistic cage and all look exactly alike. Come on, these were the equals of the gods, they ruled before the Olympians got lucky and were able to lock them away. Here they are reduced to one group think personality and one look. What the hell? Where was Atlas, Prometheus, Oceanus, Rhea and the rest of their awesome brethren? Budget constraints I'm sure, but still they could have CGI'd something to differentiate the personalities. It was like the gods were fighting a hive of giant killer bees.

And now for the performances. Luke Evans, Best. Zeus. Ever. He captured the king of the gods and all his many layers. He shows us the harsh king, the loving father, the friend to mankind. He fights, he counsels, he loves, he protects. I have never known anyone who embodied Zeus quite like this. It's a testament both to Evans' huge talent and the writing. Isabel Lucas frustrated the hell out me at first. When Athena initially appears, I was horrified by her posing and her seductiveness. Athena is the goddess of war, wisdom and strategy, not Aphrodite light. But, she shed that demeanor and became this warrior with mad battle skills and her fighting the Titans was awesome. The chemistry that she and Evans had as father and daughter was touching and real.

Mickey Rourke rocked it as Hyperion. He's mad, wily, vile and yet, maintains a shred of this twisted code of honor. Henry Cavill was pretty impressive as Theseus. I loved how he was the good son and a man determined to see to those less fortunate around him. Freida Pinto was flat as Phaedra. There were sparks, but nothing that made her stand out. To be fair, the character was written more as a pretty piece of eye candy rather than any kind of embodiment of intelligence and strength. It's a male dominated movie though, so most of the women are usually mothers, girlfriends or ugly ass bitches with 'tudes.

All in all Singh delivers a pretty good yarn that I would see again. But if you're going to go for testosterone fueled sword and sandals epics, go for 300. It's a far superior film. You not only get Michael Fassbender and Gerard Butler, but you get Lena Heady as Queen Gorgo, one of the strongest female characters ever created in a male dominated film.

The Top5 Announced!

2011-12-05T04:18:00.000Z

First, and on behalf of the judges, we would like to thank all those that have nominated their favourite blogs in the first round.

In each category, the five entrants that received the most nominations have now progressed to the Top5 round and you can now vote for your favourite blog to win in their specific categories here.

New to this year, we also have our Head2Head category for The Sexiest Male and Female awards where the top 2 blog authors that received the most nominations will battle it out for the sexiest blog award in the Blogosphere.

And as last year we have our judges choice awards for Best Animation, Best Comedy and now Best Interview, along with one of our top awards, The Special Achievement Award.

Your judges this year will be myself, Dempsey Sanders.
Writer for Hot Village - Christian James
Editor of Melissa’s Imaginarium & Co-Editor of TheMovie411 - Melissa Bradley
And finally our new Judge, the anonymous author of Mind Of Mine.

The Top5 voting poll closes on December 18th and the winners will be announced on December 20th.
On behalf of everyone involved at TheMovie411 we would like to wish all contenders the best of luck and hope our readers have as much fun voting as we have organising theMovie411 Blog Awards 2011.

Look out for our Award Buzz post next week for more information on the contenders and the awards.

TheMovie411 Blog Awards 2011: Quick update

2011-12-03T23:13:00.000Z

Dear Readers, the Top5 in each category of the Movie411 Blog Awards 2011 were supposed to be announced today and the voting to begin.

Unfortunately, and beyond my control, the voting page is experiencing some code admittance issues with blogger.com. I am fixing the problem, and it will be resolved by tomorrow evening.
I have been trying to resolve the problem all day, and we are nearly there with it. So rest assured we will have the page up and ready by tomorrow evening, and the contenders that have made the Top5 will receive there badges in an e-mail before then.

Apologies to you all.

The Muppets: A Most Sensational, Celebrational, Muppetational Film

2011-11-28T06:24:00.002Z

"It's time to put on makeup. It's time to dress up right..." Ahh, 2011 sure has been the year of going back to Mel's childhood. First, there was Super 8, now, it's The Muppets. Oh my God did I love this show growing up. Pigs in Space, The Swedish Chef, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem band...I loved it all. This movie was bar none the best Muppet movie in a very long time. Hell, it's one of the best movies of this year. Now, maybe that's because I'm looking at it with ye olde rose-colored glasses, but I don't care. Like the song says, I had a Muppetational good time.

The whole crew is back. From Kermit and Piggy to Gonzo, Fozzie, Animal,Floyd Pepper, Janice and Zoot. They have gone onto various post-Muppet retirement careers with Kermit becoming a recluse, Piggy becoming the editor of French Vogue, Fozzie performing in a Reno nightclub with a knock-off act called the Moopets and Gonzo turning into a plumbing giant. There were Waldorf and Statler, making trouble and fun as usual. Little known fact: I was Statler in a Girl Scout production of the Muppet Show back in 1979. I rocked it with my smart mouth. LOL

Walter is the puppet brother of Gary, played by the awesome Jason Segel. When the two of them take a vacation to Los Angeles along with Gary's girl, Mary, the delightful and gorgeous Amy Adams, Walter uncovers a plot to destroy the old Muppet Theater. The gleefully maniacal Tex Richman, portrayed to delicious evil perfection by Chris Cooper, is determined to wipe out the theater and the Muppet name forever. Cooper is totally channeling one the gods of comedic villains, Tim Curry.

Terrified, Walter tells Gary and they set out to find Kermit the Frog, figuring he might be able to get the old Muppets together and save the theater. A cheer went up in the audience when Kermit first makes his appearance and of course, it's played up like this powerful, choirs singing moment, but then Kermit brings in his trademark self-deprecation and you are instantly sucked into the story.

The celebrity cameos were all spot on. I adored Jack Black as the kidnapped host and as Animal's anger management sponsor. Zach Galifianakis as Hobo Joe was utterly brilliant as well as Emily Blunt channeling her Devil Wears Prada character as Piggy's super-stylish assistant. Some others include Alan Arkin as a tour guide, Ken Jeong as the host of a wild show called Punch Teacher and Bill Cobbs as a grandfather.

I also loved the small details in this film, the stitching that's visible in Kermit's neck in some scenes, the old lavish costumes Piggy wore during the original show and the talking food that managed to survive in Chef's refrigerator. Wow, talk about a science experiment gone wild. The humor in here is very much a blend of adult and child. A perfect combination, deftly handled by the writers Jason Segel and Nick Stoller.

This a terrific homage to the creations of Jim Henson and the old Muppets show. Jason Segel and Nick Stoller really out did themselves with this script. I mean they even managed to include Uncle Deadly. How cool is that? I think the only thing that I would have wanted more of was of ornery Waldorf and Statler. Other than that nit pick, this is a hellagreat film every one should see. My showing was packed and my nephews were three of the dozen kids, the rest were all us grown-ups.

411 November Update

2011-11-27T12:58:00.000Z

Breaking Dawn Breaks Thanksgiving Box Office

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, has successfully dominated the thanksgiving Box Office and is set to pass the $200 million Dollar mark today.

Fans of the mega franchise have flocked in their thousands to watch the Stephanie Meyer novel - turned movie, and with this weeks figures, weather you’re a ‘Twi-hard’ fan or not, the Twilight Saga will remain as one of the biggest franchises in movie history.

As a moderate guilty fan myself, I got the chance to see Breaking Dawn yesterday, and I must say, after finally thrashing my way through the Team Edward and Team Jacob enthusiasts, I sat down to watch a pretty damn good movie.

There were definitely some epic scenes, some very gritty and intense especially when Bella gives birth, all playing out on screen very well. The characters seem much more developed and interesting, and the movie flowed with great pace.

If you’re a ’Twi-hard’ , is there any point in recommending it? And if your not a fan of the movie, isn’t it time to see what all the fuss is about? I think so!

On a final note, Part 1 ends with what most fans wanted to see, but don’t get out of your seat too quick, after the credits there’s even a little more to tempt and tease you for Part 2. Sadly I didn’t get that note and was rather impatient for the loo!

Dark Knight Rises is soon to wrap production if it hasn’t already, and Christopher Nolan has released a few more details on where his third and final instalment of the franchise is heading. One major spoiler in particular will be that it is set 8 years after the previous instalment and will see Bruce Wayne a little out of shape than the one we know….lets hope Bruce and Bats get fighting fit pretty soon in the movie though as from all accounts Bane is set to be the most formidable baddie Batman has ever had to deal with!

Also it has been confirmed that the trailer of Dark Knight Rises will be teased with the cinema release of Sherlock Holmes 2 along with the first trailer of the Hobbit. But if fans want more than a trailer, and willing to spend a little extra cash, a 6-minute prologue will be released with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, though still unclear what the prologue will focus on, I think we can all safely assume it will be the Rise Of Bane. Prologue and Teasers set to be released on December 16th.

Of course, after Nolan’s massive Batman franchise comes to an end next year, Warner Bros will be looking towards another comic movie to take the helm, Superman: Man Of Steel, which will be released a year after Dark Knight Rises in July 2013.

The latest rumours suggest that Warner Bros are already searching for a screenwriter for the sequel to Man Of Steel, and with Christopher Nolan as producer, can he revive another hero just as good as he has done with Batman? we like to think so!

In Other News…..

Earlier last month the exceptional blog MindOFMine, did a guest post for us (see here) , I am very happy to announce that he will become a regular fixture and will be also judging TheMovie411 Blog Awards 2011 along with myself, Melissa Bradley and Christian James.

We are still receiving a high number of nominations, and though the nomination round closes at 11pm Monday evening, it is still not to late to get involved in what’s already shaping up to be a fine contest. For more information and details on how to enter please read this post.

Frodo Is A Serial Killer

2011-11-07T04:18:00.001Z

Remember Sin City and the shock of seeing cute little Frodo, Elijah Wood, as Kevin the Cannibal? Ewwww!!! He was awesomely intense and completely vile. Well, kids, Deadline reports that our dear hobbit will once again appear in a villainous role, this time as a serial killer in Maniac.

Wood, who is reprising his role as Frodo in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit, is set to start shooting this diabolical sounding indie later this year. Check it. Elijah will be playing a man who works in antique mannequin shop (now that just screams serial killer) who finds his victims on line, then stalks them like a cheetah after baby gazelles. In the meantime, he suffers from debilitating hallucinations, which throw him back to his hellish, abusive childhood. Ahh mother issues, another serial killer trait. This twisted-sounding gem of a flick will be directed by Franck Khalfoun and produced by Alexandre Aja and Gregory Lavasseur.

You know, I think it's his eyes, one minute so sweet and the next so dead, but I could totally imagine waking up from a drug-induced coma and finding myself cuffed to a pipe in Elijah's basement with him crooning "Mr. Sandman" and cradling a blade. I'm weird, I know. LOL

What say you? Perfect casting? No effing way? Or OMG, it's the end of the world Frodo is a serial killer and Amanda Seyfried is playing a porn star. Talk to me.

Amanda Seyfried Is Deep Throat

2011-11-03T05:35:00.000Z

All right my peeps, get your minds into the gutter and let the talking begin. Amanda Seyfried has been cast as the infamous porn star, Linda Lovelace, in Ron Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's biopic, Lovelace. There about a million snarky comments coming to mind right now, all of them centering around my friend's reaction. "Oh no, not my innocent and beautiful Amanda." I digress.

For those of you who aren't old enough, Linda Lovelace is perhaps the most famous American porn star ever. Yeah, Jenna Jamison likes to claim that title, but none of her films ever captured the same notoriety as Lovelace's Deep Throat. I mean, it was the code word for the informant that brought down President Nixon. Lovelace and Deep Throat are pop culture icons and the film remains one of the all-time highest grossing independent movies ever made. Not too shabby for a little adult film made forty years ago.

According to Deadline, Peter Sarsgaard is in talks to play Chuck Traynor, Linda's husband and the pornographer who cajoled her into the industry. The script, by Andy Bellin and W. Merritt Johnson, is based on Eric Danville's book, The Complete Linda Lovelace.

Deep Throat was groundbreaking in that it came out at a time when porn was a highly underground industry and people actually had to go to a theater to see it. No practical porn viewing in the comfort of your own home back then. It launched what became known as "porn chic" and featured an actual plot (gasp!) and high production value. People went nuts for this movie and paid to see it over and over and over again. It was like the pervert Star Wars. I remember a certain Rainbow theater here in my hood. "Mommy, how come we can't see a movie in there?"

So what do you think? Are you hankering to see Seyfried test herself in such a notorious role? Are you shocked like my friend? Or are you thinking this is just the female version of Boogie Nights? Talk to me.

The Bad Movie

2011-11-01T13:27:00.000Z

When was the last time you went to the movies, sat there with your over priced coke and popcorn and thought 'Geez, this movie sucks'. Once, maybe twice....three times? When have you settled down with a DVD and at the end of it felt like 90 minutes of your life has been ripped from your life. If this happens to you often... You might not like this post.
No, this post is dedicated to those bad movies, we all hate to love. The guilty pleasure that is bad dialogue, bad acting and a shoo in for the Razzie Awards. Featuring Hollywood greats, like Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Berkeley and Halle Berry.

Catwoman

Taking a much loved character and changing her name, her back story and her race was never going to go down well with the hardcore DC comic book fans and as a result Halle Berry's Catwoman limped her way onto movie screens and into our hearts back in 2004. Where does one start in listing the the things we hate to love with this movie, is it the cosmetic cream that turns Sharon Stone into a giant piece of marble, or having Family Guy's Lois Griffin(Alex Borstein) as the 0 dimensional best friend. It was hard for die hard movie buff's to accept anyone but Michelle Pfeiffer playing Selena Kyle and Catwoman. No body had any patience for well...Um...Patience.

But f**k it, I am about to share my reasons why I love this movie and I am probably about to make it known that I know very little about the art of making movies. I have never been a big fan of Halle Berry's work and the fact that The Flintstones was the first movie I could think of when I thought of Halle's illustrious film career, isn't really saying much.

But Catwoman is a guilty pleasure of mine. A hot woman kicking ass, dressed in leather and dropping puns all over the place. You will probably notice a theme with this post, I love hot woman that kick ass.

The plot is weak, a cosmetic cream which will eventually kill anyone that wears it is being produced and Catwoman has to make sure that doesn't happen. Sharon Stone is somehow involved and Patience takes the word of a crazy cat lady as Gospel. Benjamin Bratt is there too, falling in love with Patience and Catwoman at the same time.

This movie had the potential to be so much more, with some changes in casting, direction and writing but you have to love it for what it is, pure canon fodder and just plain old harmless fun.

Halle, the Academy called......

Batman and Robin

Everyone loves a homo erotic undertone right? Batman and Robin exploded onto screens back in 1997, flying the pride flag through Hollywood, letting everyone know, we are here , we are queer, get used to it. This movie did more for Gay Rights, than Harvey Milk could ever have wished to achieve. Basically, Batman and Robin make out a lot in front of their fag hag, played by the then delightfully chunky Alicia Silverstone, for like 2 hours whilst Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman and fellow movie goers wonder 'What the f**k is this shit'.

I remember watching this movie as a kid and loving it. 'As I told lady freeze, when I pulled her plug, this is a one woman show'. I mean come on! Pure Camparama! It was panned critically but had some stunning visual effects and Thurman managed to pull a 'meh' performance with what she is given and Silverstone might have pilled on a few pounds and but she still looked hot as hell. Plus, and this is a big PLUS. You get to see how Batman pays for things .......with the Bat Card!

Like Catwoman, if you try not to think about it these movies, shit all over the legacy of their predecessors and think of them as stand alone movies, they are alright for what they are. I know it is easier said than done. It just takes practice.

Showgirls

Now, I know I am not alone here in thinking this movie is the F'n bomb! Showgirls has gone onto become a cult classic and tops many a 'so bad it is good' list. Jessie Spanau decides she is not going to college and and instead will become a stripper/whore in Vegas and along the way will pick up a token black friend and reach the pinacle of headlining show girl, no matter who she steps on to get there.. Gina Gershon wears too much lip liner and takes a plunge down the stairs.

This was supposed to be the movie that but Elizabeth Berkley on the map, that star vehicle that every aspiring actress dreams of. It did that, but for all the wrong reasons. Gina Gershon even utters the line 'I used to love Doggy Choo'. Simple the best line ever uttered on the Silver Screen.

This movie has it all, hammy acting, atrocious dialogue, sex, violence and high camp fun. Despite it's poor critical and box office performance it went onto become a massive hit with rentals taking over 100 Million and earning its rightful place it the 'Bad Movie' countdown. The film was the winner of a then-record seven 1995 Golden Raspberry Awards (from a record 13 nominations) including Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Elizabeth Berkley), Worst Director (Paul Verhoeven), Worst Screenplay (Joe Eszterhas), Worst New Star (Elizabeth Berkley), Worst Screen Couple ("any combination of two people (or two body parts)") and Worst Original Song (David A. Stewart)

Daylight

I thought I would be nice to Sylvester Stallone and only include one of his movies on this list, 'Stop or My Grandmother Will Shoot' was a close second. Daylight was released in the winter of 2006. A group of thieves who can't read or drive a car decide to rob a man and a shit load of really expensive diamonds, drive a get a way car into the New York tunnel and crash into a truck containing...some sort of unspecified but highly flammable, toxic chemical. This is where the fun begins or ends depending on your outlook.

The explosion rocks the tunnel and the our world and we are left with just a handful of survivors, who seemingly all have better places to be because they all really want to get the fuck out of there (Just like the audience). Enter Stallone, he is a taxi driver, a paramedic, a former and might I add disgraced fire fighter and just an all round bad ass, who climbs through some giant air ducts to rescue our survivors. The oxygen is running out fast and if things weren't bad enough, there is a coach of convicted criminals amongst the survivors( The Cast of Dangerous Minds. There may have been no victims in that classroom but there is a couple on that bus). This movie is pre 9/11 because the Mayor of New York City, would like to seal of the impact zone and get traffic moving again, so she gives them a just few short hours to sort this bitch out. Stallone is one the clock....

There is nothing like a biblically bad disaster movie to get my blood running (Poseidon, I am looking at you too!). Judging Amy and Stallone are fantastic as the chemistry lacking romantic interest of the moment. It just ticks all the boxes. Implausible turn of events, check! Inaccurate scientific impossibilities, check! Danielle Harris of Halloween fame, check! Really bad theme song, check! Do I F**king love this movie, TRIPLE CHECK!

Glitter

It was a series of unfortunate events which brought Glitter to the Silver Screen. A very unfortunate release date, September 2001. A very unfortunate plot, the overly familiar rise to fame tale and the unfortunate casting of Max Beesley as Scary Carey's tragic love interest.

So Carey decides to grab the microphone in a club and whistle her way to fame and before you know it she is a world wide star who seemingly has it all, before falling in love with Beesley. He is then eventually stabbed and killed, not by an audience member, for reasons I can't quite remember right now. It is not really important anyway as it is just a catalyst for Scary Carey to sing the final, over wrought and depressingly melodramatic power ballad.
This was Carey's debut film role and despite the contrived plot and predictable developments which leads to the ending, Beesley's character has managed to track down Carey's long lost mother before his death, this film is not nearly as bad as it is often described. No one wanted to go see this movie in the wake of the September 11th attacks and people where starting to get tired of Scary Carey's eccentricities and diva behaviour. This movie is exactly like her music career, you pretend you have better taste but secretly you love it and know all her songs. Guilty pleasure overload.

Keeping up with the theme of music superstars dipping their toes in the movie pool and drowning....

We come to...

Crossroads

In the few years prior to the release of Crossroads, Britney Spears was the nations sweetheart but by the time this bomb exploded, she was a fucking snakes on stage and Justin Timberlake off stage and the seeds of her head shaving meltdown were being sown. She was on her way to be the crack sucking, child neglecting Spears we love today.

The plot is pretty simple, Spears and 2 friends and a convicted criminal decided to hit the open road and audition for some kind of farcical music competition across state. But get this the 2 friends haven't spoken since they were children and the convicted criminal is a random hot guy one of them knows, plausible right?

They also just happen to be driving past Samantha Jones, who apparently has a summer house and 2 other bastard kids and wants absolutely nothing to do with our Britney Spears. Remember she brought two other friends with her and not just the hot criminal she plans to bone? Well they get their own weird subplot where ones fiancé has raped the other and their is a globe key ring involved and then one of them falls down the stairs, oh did I mention she was pregnant...Well not anymore! Just before the big music competition Britney's ghost fighting dad shows up to put an end to all our fun. But remember she is not a girl, she needs to go out there and make her own mistakes or some bullshit and he lets her sing(What a waste of a plane ticket! Dad is straight up tripping!!) and sing she does, the only way Britney Spears knows how to do....

But this movie is harmless, non offensive trash and enjoyable way to throw away a couple of hours, the acting isn't the Mae West but this is one of the better Music star to Movie star vehicles and no one can argue with the soundtrack.

So there you have it, my all time favourite Bad Movie's. But in honour of my friends who did not make this coveted list.....

D.O.A, Mortal Kombat : Annihilation, Street Fighter : Legend of Chun Li, Resident Evil(All of them), Waterworld, The Bodyguard, Josie and The Pussycat's.

Oh and you can't mention bad movies, without giving a nod to the all time worst.... Gigli

This article was brought to you by Mind Of Mine as part of a guest post for TheMovie411

Thank you 'M.O.M'!

TheMovie411 Blog Awards 2011

2011-10-24T22:15:00.002+01:00

The Movie411 Blog Awards Are Back!

Last year over 300 movie blogs and sites entered the 2010 Movie411 Blog Awards.

Following its success I am delighted to announce its second run this year. And you can now nominate your favourite movie blogs for the categories listed below, though please read the rules before nominating and the criteria for each award.

There are two rounds before the Grand final on December 20th 2011, the nomination round and the online voting.

The Categories

Best Post - Have you come across a particular movie review or a piece on a movie topic that has just blown your mind? Then nominate it! Nominees for this award must have an exceptional post in regards to a movie topic or review, or even on an actor/actress.

Last year the gong went to Russell Cook for his post at Cine-Vue on the movie I Spit On Your Grave. If you have a post that you think is just as good or know of someone else’s work you would like to nominate, then e-mail us with the link to the post along with your details.

Best Newcomer- Everyone that is serious about blogging knows just how hard it is to start your own blog and gain them all important readers. If you are new to blogging or know someone that is, you/they have to have been blogging for at least 6 months and show not only a good knowledge of writing, but good continuity of posts.

Best Gossip- We all love a good rumour, even if they don’t turn out to be true. Many love to write about what they think about a certain casting or what they think may happen in a movie or sequel to a movie. Some love to report the confirmed. It’s all gossip - sound like anybody you know?

Best Horror - For all them movie blogs dedicated to horror, must show a fascination for the genre and post frequently on horror movies.
The same criteria goes for Best Comedy, Best Action, Best Animation and Best Sci-Fi focusing on each genre.

Best Design - A good design to your blog is important, your own logo, banner, the way you choose to lay your blog out etc, with so many cool designs out there, who will get your vote?

Sexiest Male and Female award- One of our more fun awards, who do you think are the sexiest male and female blog writers in the blogoshere? They must have a picture of themselves clearly on their blog/site.

Special Achievement - This is our judges choice award and will not be up for online voting. Though you can still nominate your favourite blogs.
Blogs must have at least 150 followers, show an in depth love for what they do and a dedication to their readers. Their posts will be of a high standard and of good design. Finally, will have achieved something that many blogs strive to do, a brilliant interview that Empire magazine could only wish for maybe?

Gold Award - Our top award, won last year by Hollywood Spy is the most sought after. Must have at least 150 followers, great design, showing an in depth love for writing and a dedication to their readers. Displaying an array of movie topics, including reviews, gossip, news and have gone that extra mile to please their readers.

Nomination Round

To nominate yours or someone’s blog for an award all you need to do is e-mail themovie411@live.co.uk with nomination in the subject box. You must state which award you are nominating the blog for and the link to that blog, in the case of the best post award, you will also include the link to that pacific post as well as leaving your name and your own blog link. Only bloggers can nominate, and they must be followers of TheMovie411 so we can keep track of multiple voting (hence why you have to include your own blog link in the e-mail). Make sure you/they fit the criteria for the award your nominating for. Blogs that are suitable for the chosen award, and depending on how many nominations they receive will display a nomination badge much like the one pictured right. You can only nominate yourself or another blog for a maximum of two awards, and each blogger has a maximum of 4 nominations each if you would like to nominate seperate blogs for seperate awards. Multiple voting from the same blogger and e-mail account will result in dismissal of nomination. A confirmation e-mail will be sent once your nomination has been processed, normally within 24hrs.

The Nomination round closes November 28th, and the Top5 that receives the most nominations in each category will progress to the online vote round at the beginning of December.

So what are you waiting for, lets get nominating!

Last years Top5 nominees and winners can be found here on the winners post.

411 October Update

2011-10-18T14:07:00.001+01:00

Hello Readers,

Dempsey Sanders

it's been so long since I last posted it’s took me 3 days to figure out my password to log back on my own site! May I first apologise for being out of the loop for so long. Though for my own personal reasons I don’t want to go into too much detail, the beginning of the year was a little rough for me and the end result being that my batteries were completely worn out. I would like to thank many of my readers for the fantastic e-mails and get well wishes that you sent me, and I am glad to say I feel recharged and ready to blog again.

However I would like to say my biggest thank you to Melissa Bradley, co-editor of the Movie411, for holding down the fort and keeping the 411 alive and well. Many of you have enjoyed her posts, and though she has her own blog, Melissa’s Imaginarium, and writing her recent new release, Nathan's Angel it’s quite surprising she has managed so well to keep up with this one too. I am honoured to say that she is a dear friend of mine, and the 411 is just as much her creation as it is mine - Melissa I love you and thank you so much.

The Movie411 Blog Awards 2011

As well as my return, it is also that time of year where TheMovie411 welcomes back for its second run, the 411Movie Blog Awards 2011. Last year we had an overwhelming amount of movie blogs enter and compete in several categories and it will be exciting to see how many new and exciting ones will compete this year, as well as those blogs that have stuck around and got bigger and better, hoping to retain the title they won last year. (To see last years categories and the winners click here).

Details of this years blog awards, and how to enter will be posted on TheMovie411 on Monday 24th October. If you fancy joining in the fun, or nominating your favourite movie blog for an award be sure to check out the post to find out how.

So what’s new on the rumour mill?

Over the last two weeks, Christopher Nolan’s long awaited 3rd and ‘final’ instalment of his Batman franchise, Dark Knight Rises, has seen much speculation over weather or not villain Bane will do some serious damage to Batman much like in the comic story Knightfall where Bane breaks Batman’s back.

Over the last few weeks, many teasers, video leeks, and set pics have been released to further excite us, some in particular supporting the speculation by seeing Bruce Wayne limping through the streets of Gotham. Though hobbling along is not great proof of a Knightfall story line, maybe this time Batman has really met his match? Bane (played by Tom Hardy) certainly looks as if he will be more menacing than the last time we saw him on the big screen in the dreadful Batman and Robin movie, and with a villain as formidable as Bane, and with the recent pictures of the Batwing swooping through Gotham, 2012 can’t come soon enough for eager Dark Knight fans.

From breaking backs to breaking the Box Office, the fourth chapter in the Twilight Saga -Breaking Dawn Part 1 has been tipped to break worldwide records when it is released in November.

Fans of the Stephanie Myer novel turned movie have not only been campaigning for an early release date but trying to pre-book early cinema tickets in their thousands, almost two months earlier than its actual release date of November 18th. Though the movie will no doubt be an overwhelming success, especially for the time of year, can it really over take worldwide records of the phenomenal triumph that is Avatar? Hmmm Sceptical!

And finally, ‘tis the season the be frightful fal la lala la la la lahhhhhhh, so lock your doors, bolt your windows…or bugger it and sod off to the cinema. Which movies will you be watching on the big screen this Halloween?

If you’re a fan of the series so far, then my recommendation for a treat is Paranormal Activity 3, which is set as a prequel to the previous two outings.. PA3 has plenty of jump-out-of-your-seat-moments, even if it does fail in originality somewhat. It remains as creepy as ever, with some great performances by it’s cast throughout. Released 21st of October, you can check out the trailer below.

The Avengers: First Look

2011-10-11T21:49:00.001+01:00

Okay, so I have been dying for this movie because not only is it some of the coolest heroes ever gathered, but it's Joss Freakin Whedon at the helm. A badass director, writer and producer, whose work I worship. Sorry, geek moment! Anyway without further ado here is the trailer for the superhero movie The Avengers, opening in May 2012.

Wow!! Is this kick ass or what? I knew Joss would give ol' Golden Boy an edge and seeing his 'tude with Tony Stark, plus what looks like his dust ups with Thor, yeah I think I just might like this version of CA. Speaking of my fave billionaire genius, RDJ is looking hellagood as usual. Love his little comment to Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner there at the end. And holy hell Thor was killer. Love Chris Hemsworth. Jeremy Renner was wicked bad, showing off that archery as Hawkeye. Dayum!!

The threat in here is epic. Tom Hiddleston has really amped up Loki. He looks meaner with a whole lot more attitude. That carpet bombing looks superb and so well done.

One problem for me though. Scarlet as Black Widow. She looks good, but I hope that these fight scenes are not indicative of what we can expect from her. There's got to be more. Tell me, why does every girl hero have to take down a man by crushing him with her thighs? I mean, seriously, there is no other possible way to beat his ass to death? How about a nice blow to the nose, driving it up into his brain? Come on Joss, I expected better. You created Buffy and Zoe for crying out loud. They didn't have to resort to the Thigh Master Take Down. Then again the bulk of this viewing audience is slavering little males who will be drooling into their popcorn going,"Scarlet could take me down that way anytime, heh,heh,heh."

Of course if Whedon has Chris Hemsworth go shirtless at any point in this film, all will be forgiven. I'll be drooling in my popcorn. Heh, heh, heh.

So what do you all think? Like it? Love it? Meh? Or OMFG it's another Marvel movie, I'd rather poke my eyes out with a fork. Talk to me.

Girl Power Rumored For Thor 2

2011-09-25T00:23:00.000+01:00

Oh my God I hope this bit of Hollywood speculation comes true. It seems Marvel Studios wants Patty Jenkins to direct Thor 2. Can I get an Amen and a Hallejulah? Dead Line reports that Marvel is in serious talks with the director, who recently helmed the epic AMC miniseries, The Killing. She is probably best known for directing Charlize Theron to her Oscar as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in 2003's Monster.

Female directors are few and far between with big Hollywood blockbuster films so for Marvel to even consider a woman for one of their cash cow super hero flicks is tremendous. This could open up a whole new level for the hero films, which have gotten decidedly stale. It will really create new opportunities for my director sisters out there.

Kenneth Branagh, who directed the original released this past May, did a fantastic job of bringing the god-hero to life. I think Patty can give Thor that extra push that will take him to the level of Spiderman and Batman. The filming for Thor 2 is set to being in April with a release date for July of 2013.

What do you think? Will Patty Jenkins be a good fit for Thor 2? Is it about time women helmed some of the biggest movies in Hollywood? Or am I just high on Girl Power?

RIP Andy Whitfield

2011-09-12T06:51:00.002+01:00

Some sad news to report. For those of us who loved the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Andy Whitfield, the sexy title character, lost his battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma Sunday. He was just 39 years old.

A relative unknown prior to being cast, Andy appeared in all 13 episodes of the wildly successful first season as the Thracian slave. It was a huge success for the Starz network and caused a lot of talk with its graphic violence and sexual situations.

18 months ago Andy was diagnosed and had to take a leave from the show. The network, in the meantime, had produced a six part prequel Spartacus: Gods of the Arena while giving Andy time to go through treatment. When his conditioned grew worse in January, it was announced that Liam McIntyre, a fellow Aussie, would take over the role.

In a statement, Chris Albrecht, President and CEO of Starz said "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Andy Whitfield. We were fortunate to have worked with Andy in 'Spartacus' and came to know that the man who played a champion on-screen was also a champion in his own life."

The world is just a little dimmer without Andy. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.