Archive for Features
Do Movie Henchmen Get Life Insurance?
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It’s time to shine a light on the millions of mindless, faceless henchmen who have lost their lives to fight our heroes. No longer shall hordes of alien races be massacred at the hands of one man. No longer will packs of secret agents drop like flies. No longer wil— oh, who am I kidding? Hollywood isn’t going to change. But this trend has bothered me for years. Whenever a hero (or villain) needs to prove their abilities to audiences, the filmmakers send mass of bodies their way, only to be wiped out one by one with a single blow. It’s tiresome. It’s dull. It’s boring. It’s utterly pointless.
[MILD SPOILERS AHEAD]
Fun Facts About James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’
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In honor of Titanic being re-released in 3D today, I thought I’d commemorate the event by listing some interesting facts about the film few people know. For example, did you know all the drawings in Jack’s sketchbook, including the naked drawing of Rose, were drawn by James Cameron himself? The hands shown sketching Rose sprawled out nude on the couch are those of the famous director. More after the jump.
Comparing ‘Alien’ to the ‘Prometheus’ Trailer
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We can all agree the Prometheus trailer is kick-ass. But there is more to the trailer than meets the eye. After the set-up, the trailer flickers through very short sequences which can make any viewer feel dislocated and scared straight. Not because of any gruesome film making, but because of the strategic and haunting camera work of Ridley Scott. Prometheus is the prequel to the 1979 Sci-Fi Thriller Alien. Ridley has downplayed the relation of Prometheus to Alien, but I am going to show that there is more than just small strands that link the two films.
The Harry Potter Movies Are Over, But the Magic is Still Alive at Leavesden Studios
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While many Potter fans are sad the long running movie series has come to an end, they will be encouraged to know they can still experience the movie magic. But this experience is much different, more behind the scenes. It also involves a trip to the Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios in London. So if you can pony up the cash, you can still squeeze some magic out of the Harry Potter universe.
Kevin Smith Wants Batman vs Darth Vader Animation From Fans
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Filmmaker Kevin Smith just did a massive canon-ball into the deep end of the Holy Shit pool. Through his blog silentbobspeaks.com, Smith has asked fans to animate a fight between Darth Vader and Batman. And the deadline is next Friday, March 16th.
Matt’s Take on the 84th Academy Awards
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Well, another year at the Academy Awards marks another year of disappointment for me. I love the idea of awarding the best films and performances of the year, but lately I’ve started to notice that isn’t the case at the biggest awards show on the planet. A big part of that has to do with the demographics of the voting body of the Academy, which is comprised of mostly caucasian (94%) males (77%) with a median age of 62. Only 14% of the voters are under the age of 50. Now, it doesn’t surprise me that stupid Meryl Streep undeservingly won Best Actress for her bland role in The Iron Lady — most of the voters are as old as she is.
2012 Razzie Nominations Prove Adam Sandler is Really Starting to Suck
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Nominations for the 2012 Golden Raspberry Awards, a.k.a The Razzies, were announced last night — it appears Adam Sandler’s movie Jack and Jill could win every one of them. The movie is nominated 13 times in 10 categories. I guess you could say “congratulations” to Adam by personally being nominated 9 times this year for his work on Jack and Jill. But as someone who deeply respects the art of film making, I feel the need to say, it’s time Mr. Sandler to exit stage left.
Oscar Nominations Revealed For The ’84th Academy Awards’
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This morning the 2012 Oscar nominations were revealed, which of course annually provides both heartbreak and jubilation for those nominated and those snubbed. This year, the Best Picture nomination pool is nine, and not the ten of years past. The nominations were reduced from the ten made standard in 2010, down to however many Best Picture nominees the voting body feels is necessary. This year they felt nine was appropriate, a number I do not agree with. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was left off the nominee list, as was its director David Fincher. In my opinion, these two headline the snubs this year, along with Steven Spielberg being left out of the nomination for Best Director despite War Horse earning a Best Picture nod. Hit the jump for the full list, and a few brief thoughts from yours truly.
The Best Movies of 2011
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Each of the past three years has gotten a treatment of my top ten favorite movies here on the Movie Mash. I cannot believe I am already writing another one of these posts, how quickly time flies. For a year many critics considered to be a downgrade in overall quality in terms of content at the cinema, I found this year to be full of gems — of course there will always be movies that fail, but I believe 2011 had more than its share of films that soared. Hit the jump to check out my favorites from 2011.
Hollywood Is Shameless This Holiday Season, And I Like It
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It’s strange to think that you could bring your family to the movie theater right now and on either side of your innocent entertainment could be explicit, hardcore sexual content. As I walked through the theater the other day, I noticed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Shame were separated only by Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.
