The Final Cut Movie Blog!

Trailer Critic: Assassin's Creed

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Fri, 13 May 2016 01:41:00 +0000

At long last, we have a trailer for the upcoming Michael Fassbender passion project Assassin's Creed. Take a look!

As someone who is a pretty big fan of the Assassin's Creed games, I already had high hopes for this film. It helped even more to know that Michael Fassbender is a big fan of the franchise and has been trying to get this off the ground for a while. With that said, the pressure that rests on this movie to succeed is immense considering we've never really gotten a decent video game adaptation.

Luckily, the trailer is pretty bad-ass. For starters, I'm glad they seem to be going with an original protagonist rather than copying and pasting the game's characters. The trailer's stunning visuals and freaking amazing fight choreography ramp up the excitement not to mention the many visual call-backs to moments in the games. Based on this trailer, I'm on board! Now I just hope the story is as good as its potential.

What did you think about the Assassin's Creed trailer? Comment and let us know!

Movie Review: Captain America: Civil War (Spoiler Free)

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Thu, 12 May 2016 03:27:00 +0000

Last Thursday, we got to see Captain America: Civil War. I have been holding off on posting a review because I wanted to make sure I had considered all of the aspects of the movie and gave it a fair critique. This is that critique.
Read more »

Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 3 Recap and Review: Oathbreaker

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Tue, 10 May 2016 03:46:00 +0000

Another weekend is behind us and so is another episode of Game of Thrones. This week's episode is entitled "Oathbreaker". Let's dig right into it!
Read more »

Final Cut Movie Blog Podcast Episode 3 - The Punisher series, the Flash movie and more!

noreply@blogger.com (David Cox) — Fri, 06 May 2016 23:19:00 +0000

Dave and Dusty are back again discussing Game of Thrones, the Punisher series, the Flash movie and the odds of an Iron Man 4 (and much more). Click play below to listen!

Have You Watched - Hanna

noreply@blogger.com (David Cox) — Wed, 04 May 2016 15:30:00 +0000

Before there was The Hunger Games, there was a movie called Hanna, pitting a young woman against an unforgiving world. Hanna is unique in it's storytelling, with few exceptions, tailoring the girl to meet the demands of this seemingly dystopian world.

Hanna, played by Saoirse Ronan, is trained and raised by Erik Heller (Eric Bana), her dad, as an assassin. Her amazing abilities, shown throughout the film, throw into question just what she was made for and if there can be a life outside of everything she's known. The movie sets Hanna off on a mission across Europe, but she quickly learns she's being tracked by some very shady, and powerful people led by Cate Blanchett.

I think Hanna might get a bit of a disservice now that we've all watched Katniss Everdeen prove her worth with a bow and arrow, survival skills, and fire to stay alive. All of these qualities will show up in the character Hanna, but if you allow yourself to believe this 16 year-old girl has to do all of the horrible things she does because she's forced to, I think you'll find a brilliant movie. And I think that's the best part about this movie; Hanna's been raised all alone by her father, in the wilderness, training, getting ready, but when it comes time, she's forced out into the "real world" without her lifeline nearby.

Overall, Hanna is, at the very least, a great cat-and-mouse style movie, and with Cate Blanchett hot on our hero's heels, you know it's going to be a good one.

Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 2 Recap & Review: Home

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Tue, 03 May 2016 04:01:00 +0000

It's that time again! TIme to break down the latest episode of Game of Thrones and give you our thoughts. There is a LOT to get to in this one so let's just jump right in!
Read more »

Movie Review: Vacation (2015)

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 02:00:00 +0000

In 1983, the dream-team of Harold Ramis, John Hughes and Chevy Chase gave us an instant classic: National Lampoon's Vacation; the story of an average American family on a hilarious, calamity-filled cross country road trip to a theme park. The film spawned three sequels and one spin-off (yeah, Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure counts). Vacation (2015) is a sequel/reboot of the original franchise following Russ Griswold, the son of Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold, as he recreates the road trip his family undertook in his childhood. The movie has been out for some time and it has been pretty much panned by critics and fans alike. For that reason, I really wanted to hate this movie too. I don't usually do that with movies; I try to go into it with an open mind. But with this one I went in trying to find things that annoyed me. I really wanted to hate it but instead I had a pretty good time with it.
Read more »

Final Cut Movie Blog Podcast Episode 2: Game of Thrones, X-Men: Apocalypse & More!

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 00:46:00 +0000

Dave and Dusty are back for episode 2 of the Final Cut Movie Blog podcast! Click play below as they discuss the Game of Thrones premiere, that exciting X-Men Apocalypse trailer and much more!

Have You Watched - Haywire

noreply@blogger.com (David Cox) — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 15:24:00 +0000

I'm always a sucker for the spy/secret agent style of movies, so when I heard about Haywire, I knew I had to watch it. Think of Haywire like the female version of a James Bond film - yeah, it's that good. Granted, you've probably seen at least half a dozen of these kinds of films before; Jason Bourne, James Bond, etc., etc. But I think Haywire, despite these pillars of the spy genre, does a great job of holding its own.

Haywire is star-studded, with Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, and Antonio Banderas, all thrown together in this fast-paced, action thriller. What first drew me to this movie was Gina as the leading lady; as a MMA fighter, I thought this would either be really good, or really bad. Wrestlers, with a small group of exceptions (The Rock), tend to be, let's say, over-dramatic, but Gina managed to pull off both the action movie star, as well the sexy, undercover agent, and do it well.

I wish I could tell you Haywire is purely original, and in some regards, it is. Regardless of the influences you may see in it, or be able to predict certain things happening based on seeing this style of movie before, I think Haywire does a great job of keeping you on your toes with both the action, and the story line - oh, and not to mention the fantastic casting choices, driving it along. At the end of the day, Haywire would make a fantastic addition to your ever growing collection of spy and action/thriller movies, for everyone else, if you can keep up, you'll be in for a great ride.

Trailer Critic: X-Men: Apocalypse

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 04:56:00 +0000

Because 20th Century Fox knows Monday's suck, they decided to give us a brand new "Final" trailer for X-Men Apocalypse. Check it out and stick around for our thoughts.

Wow. You know, the first couple of trailers for this movie didn't really do it for me, but this one has me sold. With a distinct 80's vibe that reminds me of the old animated TV show, X-Men: Apocalypse may have just made a jump to the top of my most anticipated movies remaining in 2016. I do hope that Sophie Turner's Jean Grey has plenty to do in this one because I would love to see Turner get more big roles like this. And we didn't even talk about Wolverine...He's in it!

What did you think of this latest trailer? Be sure to let us know!

Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 1 Recap & Review: The Red Woman

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 04:39:00 +0000

The wait is over. Last night, HBO premiered season six of Game of Thrones. Episode one picked up right where last season's shocking death - I mean, finale - left off. So how awesome was this episode? We'll take a look at each of the story-lines.
Read more »

DC's Cinematic Universe Is Making Me Uncomfortable

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 02:56:00 +0000

In 2008, Marvel Studios released Iron Man. The film was based on a character who was considered B-level in the comics at the time but would soon become one of the most popular superheroes in the world. The game changer came after the credits of Iron Man when Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury appeared for the first time and mentioned the key words: the Avengers.

Now just some background on me: I am and have always been a DC fan. My first experience with comic books was when I picked up the graphic novel Superman: Secret Identity. The book's intimate, lonely story resonated with me in a way no character had and so have most of the big Superman stories in contemporary comics. From there, the rest of the DC universe opened itself to me and I have lived there ever since.

Of course I've picked up more than a few of Marvel's comics and they're not bad; they're just not my heroes.

So when Iron Man was good, my reaction was "Good for them". I was glad to see a comic book property excite so much of its fanbase and bring in new people interested in the character. But when a shared MCU was announced, that news excited me more than I even understood at the time.

I wasn't excited because of the Avengers although the MCU has been massively successful and mostly very enjoyable. No, it excited me because it opened up a realm of possibility for my real heroes to follow suit: the Justice League.

Around the time that the MCU kicked off, DC and Warner Brothers were on top of their world with the huge success of The Dark Knight. Many felt then and still feel now that Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is the definitive version of the character. What I wanted more than anything in 2008 was to see Superman introduced in the sequel to The Dark Knight, establishing DC's own shared universe. It was obvious pretty soon though that Christopher Nolan had not intention of introducing any other heroes into his world and all of those hopes were dashed.

Fast forward to 2013. The Nolan-verse is now over and WB/DC have finally announced a new movie; a Superman reboot called Man of Steel. When asked about a shared universe, the director and the studio play coy and non-committal. Meanwhile Marvel was releasing Iron Man 3, Thor 2 and a year away from Captain America 2. It wasn't until Batman V Superman was announced that we knew for sure that a shared DC universe was coming. That revelation recently found its culmination in the release of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice to extremely mixed reviews.

Now to be clear, I really liked Batman V Superman while a great many people did not. You can read my full review here. But even though I liked it, something just doesn't feel right about the path the Justice League universe is on. At first I tried to just ignore that feeling and get on board. It was during that phase that I felt myself getting annoyed with those who were outspoken about their hate for the movie. Recently, though, certain people on social media have taken their efforts to defend BvS and Man of Steel have taken a turn for the inappropriate and downright illegal. Death threats and threats of violence are now being thrown around...about a movie?

That's when I started really looking at my own thoughts on the movie and why I was getting upset with these so-called haters. I discovered that my frustrations are not with those people, rather it comes from my fear that this thing I care about and waited years for may be derailed in some way. Of course, those fears are not totally unfounded. Given Warner Bros. track record of being extremely reactionary with their superhero plans, it's totally easy to think they could panic at BvS's negative reviews and cancel their whole slate. Bye-bye Justice League. See ya later Flash. So long Aquaman.

In short, my investment in the characters of DC comics and their big screen plans is huge. The stakes are high and so naturally, emotions come out. For me, this is unique to DC superheroes. I thought Iron Man 3 was not good. So what? I'm not hugely invested in Iron Man and those movies are doing so well, I'll just wait for the next one and maybe it will be better. But WB is just getting started with their DC characters and the pressure is on.

I believe I'm not alone. A lot of us are worried. A lot of us are insecure. We adore these characters and we feel the stakes are high. I think it's this feeling that is causing people to lash out at those who feel strongly that the DCEU is going in the wrong direction. After all, we have this amazing power at our disposal. We can reach out in an instant and blast our opinion at anyone, anytime with no consequences. But using this power to threaten others for disagreeing with you only serves to harm your cause. It harms all of us who are fans of these characters.

With all of that said, Justice League is filming as we speak and we are mere months away from Suicide Squad. Wonder Woman is done filming and opens next year. Things are not as dire as we feared they might be. The DCEU isn't going anywhere. So before we use this great power called the Internet to threaten people's lives or sling insults at people who don't like Batman V Superman, we should remember this quote from Christopher Reeve:

What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely.

Final Cut Movie Blog Podcast Episode 1 - Justice League, Magnificent Seven, and MORE

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 13:51:00 +0000

The very first episode of our new podcast. David and Dusty discuss Willem Dafoe's casting in Justice League, recent trailers and what movies are opening this week!

Click here to listen to the Podcast!

Trailer Critic: Jason Bourne

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 02:23:00 +0000

A couple of months ago, we got a very short glimpse at Jason Bourne but now we've been blessed with a full trailer. This film represents Matt Damon's return to the blockbuster franchise that took him from that guy from Good Will Hunting to a certified action star. Take a gander at the trailer below.

I'm really liking this trailer. Enough time has passed since the original three films that there's a bit of nostalgia at play here. Seeing Bourne himself back in the brutal, hand-to-hand action and with Julia Stiles back at his side brings me right back to 2002. With that said, I was hoping to see a little more of something different; a glimpse of something the character hasn't shown us before. But it is still early on in the marketing so there's plenty of time for Universal to wow us with something new.

What did you think about the new trailer? Let us know in the comments!

Who is Willem Dafoe Playing in Justice League?

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 03:17:00 +0000

Ever since the news hit that legendary actor Willem Dafoe will be playing "a good guy" in both Justice League installments, the web has been abuzz with speculation as to who he might be playing. In this article, I want to give two possibilities for who he may be playing and why I think he'd be excellent for both.

1) General Sam Lane

When he was introduced in the comics in 1959, Lois Lane's father was originally a farmer but after Crisis on Infinite Earths, he was re-imagined as a hard-nosed U.S. Army General. He has had a rocky relationship with Superman over the years and has worked with Lex Luthor at times, even serving as President Luthor's Secretary of Defense. Despite is conflicts with the Man of Steel, Lane is ultimately a good guy who just wants to protect the world and his daughter. Willem Dafoe would be perfect for this role because let's face it, he has the face of an antagonist. So if he's going to play a morally "good" character, it still needs to be one who is at odds with our heroes. Dafoe would definitely be an imposing presence in any interaction.

2) Highfather

Introduced in the legendary The New Gods #1 in 1971, Highfather is the ruler of New Genesis which happens to be at odds with the world of Apokolips which is ruled by Darkseid. With Darkseid being teased so heavily in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, it seems pretty safe to say DC/Warner Bros. is going straight into the New Gods material. If that's the case, Highfather is a perfect fit for Willem Dafoe who could easily pull off an authoritative but benevolent leader of a great civilization (think DC's version of Odin).

So there you have it. Who do you think Willem Dafoe is playing in Justice League? Comment below!

First Images of Magnificent Seven Hit the Web

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 02:39:00 +0000

I've never been this excited for a western! USA Today gave us our first look this afternoon at the upcoming remake of Magnificent Seven, directed by the always intense Antoine Fuqua. The images showed us the amazing cast that includes Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawk, Chris Pratt, and Vincent D'Onofrio - some real heavy hitters. Take a look at our favorite image below and click here to check out all of them over at USA Today!

Have You Watched - Snowpiercer

noreply@blogger.com (David Cox) — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 20:11:00 +0000

Imagine the end of the world happening in a cataclysmic, frozen bang. Now imagine the sole survivors of this new ice age being trapped in a mile long express train. Thus is the scenario of Snowpiercer, a post-apocalyptic movie, which, by the way, is based off a series of French graphic novels bearing the same name, except in French. Did I also mention they're two versions of the film? The original Snowpiercer was released in 2013 - in South Korea. The 2014 version, however, was released here in the states and starred Chris Evans.

Snowpiercer does a lot of things right, including my personal favorite, setting the world stage. Think of this train like the districts in The Hunger Games, all crammed into a couple of boxcars. It's this realistic, gritty approach to the 1% and those who aren't that make Snowpiercer, and its cast, fun to get behind. Without spoiling much, Chris Evans is the reluctant hero stuck with the muck of society, all the way at the end of the train. Here, the passengers work to make ends meet, and they're lucky to even get that. Served up a questionable slab of flubber-like substance for food, the passengers (read prisoners) don't have much to live for, which is the point the upper classes, those up further on the train, want them to believe. But all it takes is the right spark to start a fire, and in this case, that spark revolves around Chris Evan's character.

I really enjoyed Snowpiercer. Sure, it was a little weird; after all, it's a post-apocalyptic movie, so it has to be a little strange. I think if you're into movies like The Hunger Games, or just those kinds of movies where justice is being bought instead of divvied out to all, then this will be right up your alley. Pick it up over the weekend and let me know what you think.

Trailer Critic: Doctor Strange

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 02:46:00 +0000

Here it is, folks. The "teaser" trailer for Marvel's newest big screen hero: Doctor Strange. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the title roll. Check out the trailer below and hit the jump for our thoughts!

Read more »

Trailer Critic: Suicide Squad Blitz Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 00:48:00 +0000

No matter what you thought about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it's clear that Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment are pushing full steam ahead with their superheroes - and villains. This week, we got another trailer for Suicide Squad, the ensemble film following a group of the worst criminals in the DC universe as they become pawns of the U.S. government. Take a look at the trailer below:

Just when I thought my anticipation for this movie couldn't get higher, WB slams me with this awesome new trailer. As if to directly answer those rumors of "re-shoots to add comedy", this trailer brings the fun and the humor in a big way. Everywhere you look in this movie, it's crystal clear that the actors are both having fun and bringing their absolute "A" game!

Suicide Squad stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto and soo many other people. It opens on August 5th.

Movie Tavern Cinema Experience Review

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 00:30:00 +0000

In a world leaning more and more toward in-home entertainment through streaming services and (for now) Blu-Rays, movie theaters are feeling the crunch now more than ever. This new landscape has lead to innovations in the theater industry, one of which is Movie Tavern.

In 2001, the first Movie Tavern was opened in Dallas, TX. The chain now has 23 theaters in nine states. Luckily, one of those states is mine! As a special date night for my and my wife's second anniversary, we took trip to the Movie Tavern located in Greensboro, NC. Have you been wondering if you should try Movie Tavern? Read on to find out.
Read more »

Movie Review: London Has Fallen

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 00:28:00 +0000

Three years ago, director Antoine Fuqua surprised us all by taking a low-expectations action story about terrorists taking the White House and turned it into a successful sleeper hit. Now Gerard Butler has returned as Mike Banning, Secret Service agent and bad-ass bestie of the President. This time, all hell breaks loose in London and Mike has to get the President to safety once again. How does this sequel measure up to the original?
Read more »

Trailer Critic: Ben-Hur

noreply@blogger.com (David Cox) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 19:01:00 +0000

Hi everyone and welcome to another edition of Trailer Critic. Today, we're taking a look at the upcoming remake of a classic: Ben-Hur.

With the recent revitalization of ancient Roman era movies, it would make sense to retell one of the most famous stories ever to grace the silver screen. With that being said, I have yet to watch the original Ben-Hur from 1959. But that's okay because when I watched this, I can make an objective opinion on it without comparing it to the original.

So the trailer brings thoughts of Gladiator, Pompeii, and even the latest edition to this era: Risen. Which, to be honest, isn't a bad thing, just isn't an original thing. I've tried to enjoy the remakes of late, but there's just something missing from them that you get from the originals.

Ben-Hur looks good - looks fantastic if I'm honest, so I only hope that the storytelling is on par with not only the cinematography, but can hearken back to the original Ben-Hur. If it can do all that, I'll be well impressed. Expect the new Ben-Hur in theaters August 12th, 2016.

To The Point | Review - What We Do In The Shadows

noreply@blogger.com (David Cox) — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 18:25:00 +0000

Hello everyone and welcome another "To the Point". Today, we're checking out What We Do In The Shadows.

What We Do In The Shadows takes some of the older, horror movie tropes, and turns them into a weirdly funny, documentary style comedy. Think of this movie like The Blair Witch Project meets Twilight, mixed with an episode of Modern Family. You have some fantastic and hilarious 4th wall breaking, impressive action and CGI scenes, all wrap up in a New Zealand-esk comedy.

The documentary follows a group of Vampires, who all happen to be flat mates, capturing their day-to-day lives, or I guess I should say night-to-night lives. From washing dishes to the challenge of getting dressed, the audience has a front row, voyeur-esk seat into the lives of these vampires, and it's so tongue-in-cheek that it makes it great.

I can strongly recommend this gem in the rough. It might not be for everybody, but it made me laugh and it's certainly one you won't easily forget .

My score: 7/10

Movie Review: Southbound

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 04:25:00 +0000

Southbound is a horror anthology film that contains five interconnected stories of a group of people traveling a lonely desert road and hiding some pretty dark secrets. Going into this, I didn't know it was an anthology film and if I had, I probably would have passed on it. Anthologies are extremely hit or miss and when they do hit, usually its only on one or two of the stories and then I'm stuck with 4/5 of a movie I don't like. But a co-worker of mine has been dogging me for months to watch this so I did. Here are my thoughts.

Trailer Critic: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Haynes) — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 01:44:00 +0000

A mere months after Star Wars made it's triumphant return to the big screen with The Force Awakens, Disney has given us a glimpse at our next journey to a certain far away galaxy with a teaser trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars story. Rogue One is set before the events of Episode 4 a.ka. the original Star Wars movie and follows a group of misfits tasked with stealing the plans for the greatest weapon ever built: the Deathstar. Check out the trailer below.

In a word, this trailer is perfect. The glimpses into Felicity Jones' performance as Jyn Erso hint at yet another badass protagonist. The trailer's music has hints of familiar Star Wars themes, but is instantly unique; mirroring what the movie itself promises to be. It introduces us to the basic story but doesn't spoil too much. Of course, a perfect trailer doesn't necessarily mean a good movie, but it's a great start!

What did you think about the trailer and how psyched are you that the release date for Rogue One is December 16, 2016; only eight months away!