BlevinSphere

Dexter's Final Season

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 18:48:00 +0000

The bittersweet end to Dexter starts tomorrow night and while I'm excited that the show is returning, it saddens me to see it end. A lot of media have great disdain for Dexter because the show's protagonist is a serial killer, but there's a lot more to it than that. I remember reading a while back about some network head not wanting to syndicate the show because he felt it sent the wrong message to the viewers because it condones murder. Obviously the show is about a killer and other killers, but I've watched every episode and read every book in the series and I don't see that it condones killing. I haven't went out and murdered anyone because I enjoyed the Dexter series. Above I put in a picture of the season 8 poster where Dex is covered in his infamous plastic wrap, possibly alluding to the fact that no one gets out alive or that this season he'll be the one that everyone is gunning for. In other seasons, some of the best really, have had great villains that Dexter and his colleagues at the Miami-Dade Police Dept. have been chasing. I'm not going to speculate what will happen because I don't have a clue. I've only seen one trailer and I would rather go into this season with a minimal amount of knowledge of what will happen. I don't want to spoil the final season, but rest assured I will be watching this every week.

Community Creator Dan Harmon Flames Season 4 Then Apologizes

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:31:00 +0000

Dan Harmon, the creator of Community was "let go" from his position of showrunner before season 4, but brought back for season 5.

If you didn't know that, I'm not really sure how big of a fan of Community you are and why you're reading this, but I'll continue anyway. In his latest podcast, link here, he goes into detail about how poorly done season 4 was. Most of the fans hold season 4 as the worst season because it just didn't have the same feel or tone that Harmon brings to the show. Many fans and Harmon himself said that the season felt like they were doing their best impression of him and many parts of that season do feel like they're trying to mimic what Harmon has created. The point is he flamed the season after watching it all in a marathon session. He compared the season to some things that most people wouldn't and he got ridiculed for his harsh words.

I agree with Harmon on many levels, but I saw the backlash coming as I was listening to the podcast. I agree with the feel of the show in season 4 and the fact that it's his baby and watching what they've done without him has to hurt deeply. Anyway, he blogged today to apologize for all the hurtful things he said and what is a PR nightmare I assume. Here's a link to his blog post apology.

Harmon apologizes to just about everyone in the post and states that he's starting to work on season 5 with the writers. This is a happy moment for me because I very much enjoy Community because I can relate to a lot of things on various levels. I don't care about the apology so much because words are just words. If you take them lightly you won't have any worries, but if you put a lot into them you'll find problems with everything.

Season 5 is on the way...yay.

This Week at the Cinema: Man of Steel and This is the End

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:08:00 +0000

This week at the cinema we have a film that a lot of people have been waiting for -- Man of Steel. We also get the new comedy from a group of guys who've taken over the film industry's comedy section in recent years, This is the End.

Originally, Man of Steel was supposed to be released last year, but it was pushed back. That's no big surprise in Hollywood though because many movies get pushed back for many reasons. Some films have problems that cause delays and sometimes the studio just opts for a better opening weekend. I don't remember which is the case here and it could have been a little of both. Having the summer opening is definitely a plus for the studio, but this is a huge movie and I think the director Zack Snyder wants it to be perfect because there is a lot riding on this project.

Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe, Amy Adams and Michael Shannon. There are other big names and recognizable faces too. I haven't seen the film yet, but early reviews are trickling in and most are saying that the film is pretty amazing. It has everything going for it really. The story was created by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, the two came up with the story to Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy and Goyer wrote the screenplay for Man of Steel. Zack Snyder has a reputation for directing comic book/graphic novels to film as he did with 300 and Watchmen. So, the potential is definitely there, lets see if they pull it off.

This is the End was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the duo that brought us Superbad. The film stars Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson and Michael Cera just to name a bunch. There's a lot more people that you'll recognize; it seems as though half of Hollywood is in the film. The story centers around a party at James Franco's house, with a lot of celebs in attendance, and the guests have to face the apocalypse. Early reviews are saying good things and the trailer looks pretty decent.

About Hansel and his diabetes

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:27:00 +0000

This is a snippet directly from the screenwriter and director, Tommy Wirkola, about the diabetes.

I imagined, when I was watching the movie, you or whoever it was who came up with idea, at a computer, typing it up, and coming up with the idea that Hansel would have diabetes and just giggling to yourself maniacally.

"[Laughs] Yeah, that was actually… When I had this idea, when I started back in school, I also made a tiny little short film based on it as part of a school thing, and that idea was always in there from way back then. I just thought it would be fun to use the fairy tale as much as you could, and have fun with it. It’s a fun little thing. Actually, when I originally wrote it six or seven years ago, that original short film, Hansel had diabetes because of the candy, and Gretel had developed an eating disorder."

Snitch Review

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:14:00 +0000

Snitch is a film that I don't even remember being released. That's pretty odd considering the cast is amazing. The movie stars Dwayne Johnson, Susan Sarandon, Jon Bernthal, Barry Pepper, Michael Kenneth Williams and Harold Perrineau just to name a few.

Plot: Dwayne Johnson's son gets set up by his drug dealer friend and is going to have to go to prison for quite a while. The only way he can get a deal and shorten his time served is by implicating other friends that had nothing to do with the drugs and essentially putting them in his position. The Rock...er I mean Dwayne Johnson makes a deal to go undercover and bring in someone higher up in the drug game in exchange for a deal for his son. Nothing is ever as simple as it sounds.

The film, while starring Dwayne Johnson, isn't as action packed as many would assume.

Overall, the action is much less than one would expect, but in no way is that a bad thing. I personally believe that the lack of action in this film is what makes it better; the story and personal relationships are what drive the film. The only thing I really didn't like is a quick scene that is becoming a trend in the world now. People can learn so much from their children. Really? The kid let his drug dealer friend send drugs to his house and now he's in jail because he got caught by the DEA, but he has something to teach us. I think I learned a valuable lesson -- I learned exactly what not to do. Don't hang out with drug dealers, but I must be crazy because I already knew that.

Oz the Great and Powerful Review

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:09:00 +0000

I took my daughter to see this film in 3D when it was in theatres because I grew up watching the original and my kid likes the it too. The film stars James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis, Zach Braff and Bruce Campbell. There are other people that I recognized, but those are the main cast and notable others.

Plot: This is the story of how a "magician" gets transported to Oz and becomes the Wizard of Oz. The film is a prequel to the original film, but I am glad that they used the story from L. Frank Baum (the guy who wrote the original books) for their source material.

Overall, the film isn't the best thing you'll see, but it is a fun film to watch that doesn't sully the original. There are some scenes that pay homage to the original and that's always a nice thing to see a director do, especially when the original is a classic.

This Week on DVD: Oz the Great and Powerful, Hansel & Gretel and Snitch

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:06:00 +0000

This week on the DVD shelves comes a nice array of different genres of film. We have the family friendly Oz: The Great and Powerful, the R-rated fairy tale murder flick Hansel & Gretel and the non-action packed film Snitch, starring an actor known for action.

I'm posting a short review of each film and it's worth note that all three are worth watching. Each film is entertaining in its own right. Oz is fun for the family without sullying the original classic, Hansel & Gretel is a fun, non-thinker as they go on a fairytale murder spree and Snitch lets Dwayne Johnson flex a muscle that he doesn't use much, his emotional one.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters Review

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Wed, 29 May 2013 04:17:00 +0000

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is exactly what the tagline says, a new twist on a classic tale. The twist is what makes or breaks the film for the audience. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a whopping 14% from the critics and a 60% from the users. So, you can see that there are a few discrepancies over quality here.

The film stars Jeremy Renner (Avengers), Gemma Arterton (Clash of the Titans), Famke Janssen (X-Men), and Peter Stormare (many, many movies).

Plot: Hansel and Gretel are a brother and sister team that go around expelling supernatural elements from whatever town they've traveled to. Everything is going fine until they run into some really strong supernatural forces that deal with a bunch of witches and a blood moon that test their mettle.

The film had some pretty good moments and some really terrible ones as well. The action scenes were pretty decent and the acting was above par, but some of the films bad qualities are really bad. One of the stupidest things about the movie is that Hansel has diabetes. I mean, really? This is from his time in the gingerbread house when he was a child, but it's still unbearably stupid. This is a rather miniscule thing in the film, but it's mind-numbingly stupid.

Overall, the film is bearable and the action scenes and special effects are nice to watch. If you nitpick, you will find numerous things wrong with the film and you'll grow to hate it, but if you take the good with the bad, there you'll have the facts of life...wait, that's not it. You'll have a tolerable film that moderately entertaining.

Edit: I made a mistake earlier in this post saying that H&G were con artists and I was wrong. I was watching Brothers Grimm, who were con artists, when I was writing this review and somehow injected different scenarios into the review. Both movies have similar tone to them and I messed up on that part. That's the first time that has happened and it'll be the last. I guess watching movies for 6+ hours on little sleep isn't a great idea. Who knew? I apologize for my mistake. Won't happen again.

Warm Bodies Review

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Tue, 28 May 2013 20:32:00 +0000

Warm Bodies is not your typical zombie movie. I've stated previously that I love horror/scary movies, but zombie films hold a special place inside of me because my dad loved, I mean LOVED, the original Dawn of the Dead. He could quote pretty much the whole movie and growing up I saw it countless times.

What do I mean by "Warm Bodies is not typical?" First of all, it's not really a horror movie. Yes, it has zombies and blood & guts, but that's about the only thing that would qualify it to be in the horror category at all. Secondly, the plot of the film is from the perspective of the zombie. That's right, the main protagonist is the zombie. I don't know if this has been done before or not, but it is the first time I've seen it. The third major thing that makes this an atypical zombie film is that it's a love story.

So, we have a love story that's told from the perspective of a zombie that falls for a human. There's only two ways that a film like this can go; it could be completely lame or it could be pretty cool. Luckily, this film had more good characteristics than bad ones.

The film stars Nicholas Hoult (Beast in X-Men First Class), Teresa Palmer (Take Me Home Tonight), Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine), and John Malkovich. Dave Franco (21 Jump Street) has a small role in there too.

Plot: The zombie protagonist falls in love with Teresa Palmer when he and his friends are out scavenging for brains. He saves her life from the other zombies and takes her back to his "home" where he starts to become more and more human. The lamest thing about the flick is that his love for her "warmed his heart" and started his transformation back to being a human being. Excuse me while I gag a bit. One really cool thing is that when a zombie eats your brains, they get your memories and the depiction of that in the film is pretty nice.

Overall, I would recommend this film because it's an atypical zombie film and there is a good bit of humor in it.

Cloud Atlas Review

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Tue, 28 May 2013 19:17:00 +0000

Cloud Atlas has received some mixed reviews from critics. Some have said that there are too many stories or that it's hard to follow along with, but I saw this at the end of last year and I was deeply touched by it.

The film stars an ensemble cast, including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Hugh Grant, Doona Bae, and Keith David, among others.

One thing that many critics didn't like was the fact that each actor/actress portrayed multiple roles, some of which cross gender and ethnicity. I did not have a problem with that. In fact, I think that it helped tie the stories together. Was some of the makeup and effects of our gender bending actors & actresses odd looking? Yes, sometimes they were, but given the magnitude of the story and the miniscule role that problem affects, it can easily be forgiven.

When I first saw the trailer for the film, I had no clue what it was about and if I saw the trailer today I still wouldn't be able to tell you what it's about.

The plot, simply put, is about overcoming adversity and how things are connected. Of course it's not just that simple. There are layers upon layers of dimensions to this film. The film is about six seemingly separate stories that are connected by either a character or something in a character's life (a novel, a composition of music, a film, etc.). I'm not one for karma or reincarnation or anything like that, but this film delves into the fact that we are all connected. In the stories, each person's fate is somehow intertwined with someone else and all this is connected through the ages and across the seas, spanning from the dark history of slave trading to the post-apocalyptic world of farmers and cannibals.

The movie was supposed to come out on BluRay and DVD in February but was pushed back til May. The movie is pretty long, coming in at almost 3 hours, but when you consider that it has six different stories within the film, it's nicely broken down into bite-size chunks.

The film is edited in a manner that jumps from story to story and I can see where some people had trouble keeping track of each timeline, but movies like this aren't for the people who just want to see something pretty on their televisions. This film is for people who want to connect to characters that are well written and put the pieces together and see how each story is connected to the previous one and the one before that and so on.

This film has three directors and sometimes when a film has multiple directors it becomes an incomprehensible pile of rubbish, but Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski siblings did a damn fine job at making the film a coherent, cohesive piece of art that is pleasing to the eye and the heart.

Overall, if you don't like longer, more complex films then you should pass on this one, but if you like solid storytelling and well written characters then take the time and check it out.

Mama Review

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Tue, 28 May 2013 16:46:00 +0000

Mama is a supernatural thriller presented by Guillermo del Toro that stars Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

I love scary movies and I love horror films, but the current state of these movies is terrible. There aren't many suspense films or psychological thrillers anymore; everything is just torture-porn. Hey, Hollywood, I'm not impressed by your graphics anymore. I get it, you can make someone's head exploding look like an actual head exploding.

Now that the art department has all but mastered their craft, I think that maybe we should switch the focus back to the story.

There's my rant, sorry, back to Mama.

Since I do love scary movies and Nikolaj has won me over on Game of Thrones as Jamie Lannister, I had to see this film. Plus, del Toro knows something about storytelling and creepy films (Pans Labyrinth).

Plot: A man goes crazy, shoots up his office, kills his wife and takes his two daughters to a cabin in the woods to kill them as well. A dark apparition rids the girls of this problem. Cut to some time later and Nikolaj, the twin brother of the guy who went on a killing spree at the beginning, has burned through his finances looking for his nieces. The girls are found, living in the cabin seemingly all alone, but the audience sees Mama has been providing for them. Custody of the children is given to Nikolaj and he, his girlfriend, and the two girls move into a house. That's where shit gets real. Mama isn't happy that her adopted daughters have been ripped from her cold dead hands.

The rest of the film is full of spooky occurrences and the girlfriend trying to solve the mystery of why Mama is still trapped here, meanwhile trying to save the two girls.

Overall, the film was decent. It was better than average because of the level of spookiness that it has and how creepy the girls were. Small children are creepy as hell and a lot of times it's little girls too. If you don't believe me just look back through cinematic history. I'd recommend it for people who like movies that are dark and creepy.

The Last Stand Review

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Tue, 28 May 2013 16:22:00 +0000

I believe this was Arnold Schwarzenegger's first lead role after retiring from politics, but I could be wrong. Either way he steps right back into the movie biz where he left off...big, dumb, action.

That last line is in no way a complaint, when I see Arnold, I want to see him being a badass. I don't pop on a Schwarzenegger film hoping he's doing Hamlet (see The Last Action Hero).

The film stars Arnold (of course), Johnny Knoxville (Jackass), Rodrigo Santoro (Love Actually), Forest Whitaker, Peter Stormare (from every other film I watch), and Luis Guzman.

The plot is pretty simplistic, but this film isn't a thinker, it's a 80s style action film with explosions, double crosses, and one big ass Austrian.

Plot: A cartel drug lord escapes from jail and makes a run for the Mexican border only to find an ex-LAPD turned small town Sheriff in the form of Schwarzenegger.

Overall the film is enjoyable, if you set your thinking cap aside for a little while. The escape plan is pretty well thought out and pulled off nicely, but the big variable that wasn't calculated was Sheriff Schwarzenegger. True to form for an action film, you have explosions, car chases, double crosses, bumbling idiots, and good ole fashioned one-liners delivered by the Governator himself.

From the list of cast members, you can assume who the bumbling idiot is and the double crosses are just as painfully obvious as they were in 80s action films. All the cliche earmarks aside, the film is a fun shoot 'em up and I'm glad to see Arnold back to his old habits.

Summer Break

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Tue, 28 May 2013 16:20:00 +0000

So, I've finished my first year in grad school and passed everything. Since then, I've just been hanging out, watching some movies and tv that I've missed. More to follow...

HBO Starts Offering Subscription Service Without Buying Cable Television

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:23:00 +0000

HBO has finally realized that there are people out there that don't want to pay the egregious prices for cable television, but still want to watch certain programming, particularly paid television shows like Game of Thrones or True Blood or Curb Your Enthusiasm.

HBO is starting this program in Norway. I don't know how they came up with a trial run in Norway, but at least they're starting it. I'd pay for HBO, if the price wasn't outrageous, and not get cable. I don't watch a lot of television, but many of the shows I do like are on HBO and Showtime. I thank them for finally getting on board and giving people the option, but how long before this hits the states?

Battleship On DVD This Week

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:09:00 +0000

Dvd releases are slim this week and I've been away for too long. My time is virtually non-existent nowadays, but I'll spare a little bit of it for this.

Battleship is being released this week and there are some really terrible reviews out there and some decent ones too. The main thing you need to know about this film is that it's a big, dumb action film and it's pretty fun. If you don't look for anything more out of a summer blockbuster action film then you won't be disappointed.

I got lucky enough to see the film with my best friend before it premiered. The director was on hand to introduce the film and he even spoke a little about his family history with the military and why he chose the film and all that jazz. The director spending time with the crowd about the film made the experience a little bit more special.

I wrote a formal review of it at Critic Studio Magazine here back in the summer if you want to the read a full review, but I can summarize it too if you're pressed for time. The film is a big, dumb action film based very loosely on a board game. I initially gave the movie 4/5 stars because it was a fun film. You get to see aliens come to Earth and big, loud explosions, but the best part for me was that they got the science correct. I'm a huge nerd when it comes to getting facts and science things correct in films and books, so if they make of a movie, but don't put time into researching the facts it's ruined for me.

The film is fun if you take it for what it is, plus it's nice in high-def too.

Breaking Bad and True Blood

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 01:43:00 +0000

This past Sunday, both True Blood and Breaking Bad did something great. Each series put out really good episodes.

Breaking Bad is on a roll so far this season. They're 5 episodes in and each one has been very good to incredible. I hope that they keep the momentum going for the final few episodes of this year and for the series finale next year.

True Blood has put some solid episodes out this season, but there have been episodes that I could have missed completely and not missed anything, story-wise that is.

For a detailed recap, you can always check my posts at Critic Studio Magazine. Follow the link and see how deep the rabbit hole goes. Click Me.

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:17:00 +0000

Bane Huxtable, we're all doomed!!!

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 06:21:00 +0000

The Dark Knight Trilogy

Breaking Bad - "Madrigal"

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:42:00 +0000

So, what happened on Breaking Bad last night? What's to come with our band of misfit meth makers?

Check out my recap here and let us embrace the storm that's on the horizon. A storm so aptly named Heisenberg.

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 04:43:00 +0000

Breaking Bad’s final season started this past Sunday. I’m excited for this extended last season that’ll span this year and into 2013.

Check out my recap here http://criticstudio.com/tv-reviews/breaking-bad/live-free-or-die/

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:55:00 +0000

What's in the box?

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:51:00 +0000

Here's one for all the Star Wars fans out there.

This week at the cinema - June 29: Magic Mike, Ted and Madea's Witness Protection

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:07:00 +0000

This week is we get three very different movies; Magic Mike, Ted and Madea's Witness Protection.

Magic Mike is about some dudes being strippers and it stars Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey. I could care less about seeing a bunch of dudes taking their clothes off.

Ted is the latest creation from Seth Macrarlane, creator of Family Guy, American Dad and a bunch of other shows. Ted stars Marky Mark and a teddy bear who is voiced by Macfarlane (using a voice very similar to Peter Griffin on Family Guy). It looks pretty funny and I'm going to see it later tonight.

Madea's Witness Protection is the next film in a long line of movies that I could care less about.

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:25:00 +0000

Full Cast To Rejoin 4th Season of Community

noreply@blogger.com (BlevinSphere) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:36:00 +0000

Since everything came to a boil between Chevy Chase and Dan Harmon a couple of months back, there's been much skepticism whether or not Chase would return.

I guess after they didn't renew Harmon's contract, Chase decided to return.

It's good news that the full cast will return. Chase's character Pierce is old and racist, but brings many laughs to the show with his oddball antics. It's Chevy Chase being Chevy Chase...just a more racist version. And to point out something else, why wouldn't Chase return? What else has he done lately? He was a staple in the 80s & 90s, but now he only makes quick, cameo-like appearances. He was the repairman inHot Tub Time Machineand that's about all I can remember in recent times.

Community is a very good show and if you haven't seen it, I would definitely suggest it. The show returns this fall, but on a different night, Friday night to be exact.