24/05/2012: Anonymous [2011]

So Anonymous blipped onto my radar sometime last Christmas with a visually appealing trailer, although the subject matter didn't exactly draw me in. But then after a couple more glimpses, it disappeared and I thought it fell off the radar. Then, to my surprise, I saw it was showing on the movie network. Many times that can be for the best, although Anonymous definitely didn't deserve to fall completely off the timeline in the first place.

Weekly News: + Mr. Darko Internet Update.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Will Be In 3D

So this week Paramount announced that this summers G.I. Joe sequel would be pushed back until March 2013. That is one hell of a push, considering I've been seeing trailers for it in theatres for a couple months now. I wonder if that would be a record for earliest theatre preview before release? Probably not. So why is Retaliation being pushed back some 8 months (I'm really guessing there)? It seems Paramount thinks that they should convert the movie into 3D to scrape up some more money. Remember, it wasn't filmed in 3D, they are just gonna pull a Titanic and convert it. I really just picture a guy on photoshop with the magic wand selecting things to make 3D. Anyway, while I had no intention of seeing Retaliation, I'm still ignoring the first one, this will definitely give me more reason to ignore its sequel.  Also if you were wondering what the awesome song was in the trailer, the original was Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes.

Horror Fans Rejoice For Wider Releases of The Loved Ones and The Innkeepers

I think by know any horror fan has probably dug up a copy of the Australian horror movie, The Loved Ones, as well as Ti West's latest movie, The Innkeepers, I know I have. However, for those of you who have yet to see them, and those moviegoers who have never even heard of them may be lucky enough to see them in theatres this summer. The Innkeepers will be getting a UK theatrical run starting June 8th. While those Americans will get The Loved ones on June 1st. While I might get neither I am extremely pleased to hear about some of the better horror movies to come out recently are being recognized and getting a more mainstream theater showing.

Mr. Darko's Lack of Internet:

For those of you who read the random news I put up, on what was going to be a weekly basis it will unfortunately be postponed. I currently have convenient internet access from my local bar, so I will not be able to browse the internet as usual for fun news, nor read all the IMDB pages. I will promise to open more tabs than firefox was ever meant to handle before I leave every night, so I can maybe read some things on the interwebs. I will continue to write reviews and should be able to keep with my two day regularity. I will say that my lack of internet only guartantees that I will have more time to watch movies so expect, some solid pileups on the reviews I would hope. Anyway, I will try to keep everything running smoothly but don't hate me if I have some lapses, I will be back to normal in a couple months.

19/05/2012: Doomsday Prophecy [2011]

Doomsday Prophecy is a SyFy original movie. I think that would probably scare off many, but there are those of us who enjoy throwing on the SyFy channel and watching whatever the channel has managed to scrape together. However there are usually a few golden nuggets in SyFy originals and Doomsday Prophecy may have a few if you pan hard enough.

Movie Mashup: Bottle Rocket Vs. Shark Night 3D

Last night I saw the first half of Bottle Rocket and the second half of Shark Night 3D. So, if I had to finish one of these which would it be? Which had the best half? and is the second half better than the first? It is time for a Movie Mashup!

09/05/2012: Casino Royale [1967]

Before Daniel Craig steeped up as 007 in 2006, Ian Flemming's novel had already been, shall we say adapted. However as it says in the opening credits of Charles K. Feldman's Casino Royale, the movie is merely suggested by the novel and be that as it may, Casino Royale is undoubtedly "Too much for one James Bond"

05/05/2012: Ilsa: Harem Keeper of the Oil Shieks

In my review of The Night Porter I praised it for turning a story straight from an exploitation movie into a much more powerful and important piece of filmmaking. However, exploitation films are many a persons guilty pleasure, and there is no character more memorable than Ilsa.

Weekly News That Needs a Title

I think I have over 20 bookmarks to websites and blogs dedicated to movies and other forms of entertainment and I open all of them every morning regardless of how many times Firefox warns me that 20 is a lot for it to handle. As I read threw these news feeds I am always coming across little things I wish I could share with everyone, and so I have finally created a weekly news post to deal with all these little things and maybe get you as hyped as I am about the.

This week I give you news on:

13/05/12: Captain America: The First Avenger [2011]

Coming up with a small paragraph to describe Captain America: The First Avenger is nearly impossible, specially when the title is so long. What I can say is that this movie is exactly what you are looking for in a superhero flick: action, explosions, girls, and just enough CGI to satisfy: but all within moderation. 

29/04/2012: The Night Porter [1974]

This was the third Criterion Collection film I watched this week, and like many audience dividing films do, it comes from Italy. The Night Porter is the most famous work of Italian director Liliana Cavani, and is damned by some as a perverse exploitation of the Holocaust while others read the story as a dark psychological thriller of disturbed characters with a darker past.

28/04/2012: Black Dynamite [2009]

There is more than one man with a license to kill, and when Black Dynamite's brother is killed, the African-American action star is going to leave a pool of blood getting justice, whether he is licensed or not. 
Can you dig it?

11/05/2012: Dark Shadows [2012]

After the trailer was released, many sat pondering in their seats whether the world needed another vampire flick, even if it did include the dream duo of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Fortunately for Burton, Dark Shadows proved to be a fine movie, for the most part...

I'm not sure why that line is there. Oh well...

Please Welcome Mr. Gorgeous

Greetings,
 

My name is Mr. Gorgeous, and I am new here. A friend of Mr. Darko's for many years, of late I have decided to move my reviews from Flixster to somewhere more distinguished, and I hope to contribute many reviews during my stay. Dark Shadows has been my first review, and as I work at my local movie theater, hopefully films as recent as Dark Shadows should appear on the list of movies I've discussed.

As I am obligated to talk a little bit more about myself, I feel that mentioning my dreams of entering the film industry might be appropriate. I have been doing well in my film studies, and I am currently in the pre-production of my latest short film, A Friend For Steve. Apart from film I like to study sociology, psychology, and neuroscience; these interests affects my movie preference greatly as I would rather watch a film like Shutter Island than How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (which wasn't a half bad movie). 

So what should you look for from me in the future? I have plans on changing my name after I have determined my favorite film (I am in the process of re-watching all my favorites, hoping they are as good the second time), and will probably be adding to the site a wide release-date range of films; for someone hoping to study Production, I am very behind on my movie watching.

Cheers

Mr. Gorgeous



Mr. Darko's Two Cents:

I'm distinguished eh? Good to know and welcome to The Movie Log. I was always game to bring in another writer to spice things up a bit and Mr. Gorgeous should be a great contrast to myself even if his self perception might be a little high. As someone who wishes to enter the film industry, I think he wants to do hair and make-up, with some directing and writing on the side, he should be able to offer a fresh view on movies. Lets face it, I watch anything and enjoy it all, and if he can start off boldly critiquing Tim Burton's work he may be a little more picking.

Also don't worry, I find it just as hard to figure out what my favourite movie is, and it constantly shifts.  

27/04/2012: Being John Malkovich [1999]

"Ever wanted to be someone else?" That is the tagline for Being John Malkovich, but isn't that the entire reason we watch movies? To be someone else? Being John Malkovich may be one of the strangest movies out there, but it does ask an important question, one everyone already knows the answer to.

26/04/2012: El Mariachi [1992]

Robert Rodriguez is a pretty recognizable name in the movie industry since he gave us Sin City, however, while you've probably seen his later works Planet Terror and Machete, how many of you went back, or even new Rodriguez back when he was just a man with a dream and a video camera?

04/05/2012: Underworld: Awakening [2012]

I must confess that I was sorely disappointed when, after a month of waiting, I realized that Underworld: Awakening was not going to come to my local theatre. However tonight I finally got a chance to watch it, just before it hits shelves. While it would have definitely been nice to see on the big screen, Awakening still kicks ass on the small one.

25/04/2012: Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run) [1998]

Last night I decided to get a little foreign with my movies and so, I started off with one of the best pieces of German cinema, Lola Rennt. Lola, has 20 minutes to get 100,000 Deutschmarks in order to stop her boyfriend from robbing a supermarket. While as impossible as this might seem, Lola will be damned if she doesn't try her hardest and save her boyfriend.

05/05/2012: The Avengers [2012]

I wish I could say you heard it here first or even second, but by now, everyone you know is probably going to be telling you how awesome The Avengers is. It has been teased at for 5 years now, ever since the first Iron Man, although the concept has been in the comics since the 60's. While this isn't The Avengers first outing to the big screen either it is definitely the one people are going to remember.

23/04/2012: The Return of the Living Dead III [1993]

One thing to notice about both The Return of the Living Dead series and Romero's Dead series is that both have been spread out over almost 4 decades now. So there has been some major shifts in the series overtime. While The Return of the Living Dead II had brought nothing fresh nor improved over the original, the 3rd film was definitely a worthy sequel, if it was a different beast. 

23/04/2012: Up In The Air [2009]

So after watching a surplus of horror movies the week before this I decided to mix it up, and put on something a little happier and more lighthearted. I still can't believe that Up In The Air acme out almost 3 years ago now, but I finally got around to seeing it, and it wasn't exactly what I was looking for when I chose it. It is however a strong movie that examines some strong issues.

22/04/2012: The Return of the Living Dead [1985]

Anyone who is a fan of zombie movies will tell you that George A. Romero and John A. Russo where the two men who really kicked off the entire genre with their 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead. A movie that has been remade and imitated countless times since. But Romero and Russo didn't stop there, and while they branched off, both have been major contributors in the zombie genre.

21/04/2012: Haywire [2011]

"They left her no choice", well they left me one, and I unfortunately made the wrong one. What was supposed to be the next big thing in action movies may have been one hell of a stumble, and while I'll throw in the positives, expect a list of reasons why Haywire is one film I won't be recommending.

28/04/2012: American Reunion [2012]

I went to the theatre the other night and ended up seeing American Reunion. The theatre was almost packed, there was quite a bit of laughter from the audience. What was most interesting however was the age group of the audience. Yes there was a few teenagers here and there, but what surprised me was that the majority of the theatre might have been around 30 or more, which shows that truly, American Reunion was a reunion of sorts.