Tag: Movies

Coffee Talk #222: Cliffy B…the Movie?!?

Lots of my friends are going nuts over The Social Network — you know, that movie about Facebook and its brilliant-but-devious co-founder Mark Zuckerberg. It’s kind of nuts that a relatively new and geeky phenomenon spawned a movie that brought together Aaron Sorkin, David Fincher, and Justin Timberlake. It’s also very cool. The next logical step, of course, is a movie about a videogame company. In the year 2015 I want to see:

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Bryan Danielson busting out cattle mutilation last night, the Yankees blowing home-field advantage, or Shia LeBeouf vs. Frankie Muniz, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Lots of my friends are going nuts over The Social Network — you know, that movie about Facebook and its brilliant-but-devious co-founder Mark Zuckerberg. It’s kind of nuts that a relatively new and geeky phenomenon spawned a movie that brought together Aaron Sorkin, David Fincher, and Justin Timberlake. It’s also very cool. The next logical step, of course, is a movie about a videogame company. In the year 2015 I want to see:

Watching the Gears Go Round: The Cliff Bleszinski Story

I love Cliff. I think he’s a fun and fascinating man that would be a great subject for a motion picture. I also have lots of old (and possibly naughty) stories to sell the movie’s scriptwriters, which might be the only way I’ll ever make money in Los Angeles.

Seriously though, now that a Facebook movie is out, I want a frickin’ videogame-company movie! Today’s game is a two-parter. What publisher or developer would you want to see on the big screen? How about a specific game designer or publishing executive? Oh hell, let’s make this a three-parter! I’ll send out a special prize to the person that makes the most creative movie title starring Bobby Kotick!!!

Natalie Portman to Play Lois Lane in Superman Reboot?

Here’s a hot rumor that I’m absolutely loving: Natalie Portman is in talks to play Lois Lane in the Superman reboot being produced by Christopher Nolan. The other rumor — which is also very cool, but not nearly as sexy — is that Darren Aronofsky will be directing the film. Here’s a clip from Hollywood.com:

Natalie Portman might venture back into the world of superheroes, but this time — not behind a masked vigilante. The actress is rumored to be the next Lois Lane in the upcoming Christopher Nolan-produced Superman reboot. Whoa! This follows more rumors that Darren Aronofsky will be directing. Double whoa!

While some people slam Portman’s acting ability, she’ll certainly be better than that chick from Blue Crush, right? And yes, this article was a great excuse to post a sexy Natalie Portman picture.

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3D Star Wars Movies Coming in 2012? Is Nothing Sacred?!?

Just when you thought George Lucas hasn’t done enough to tarnish the Star Wars franchise, it looks like the movies will hit theaters in 3D next year. Yes, Jar Jar Binks and those frickin’ ewoks will torture you in three dimensions. According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Sources indicate that George Lucas is set to re-release the entire Star Wars franchise in new 3D conversions beginning in 2012. Though the 3D versions have been rumored for some time, Lucas was purportedly waiting until there were enough 3D screens available to make the release a sizable enough event.

Each conversion takes at least a year to complete, with Lucas personally overseeing the process to make sure each one is as perfected as possible. Lucas has said that the Avatar experience convinced him that Star Wars was ready for the state-of-the-art 3D treatment.

Sadly, the 3D extravaganza will begin chronologically with The Phantom Menace. *sigh* I love the original trilogy. I’m actually scared to see it in 3D. I’m going to try to keep an open mind, but it’s going to be difficult. Until I actually watch the movies, I’m going to keep wondering, “Why does George Lucas insist on ruining some of my most precious childhood memories? Why?!?”

What do you think? Will Star Wars work in 3D?

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Today’s Poll: Will Streaming HD Video Kill Blu-ray?

As most of you know, Blockbuster filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy this week. Most experts chalk this up to a combination of streaming video and Netflix killing brick-and-mortar rental stores. Now that Blockbuster is pretty much dead, who will be the next victim? Will it be the Blu-ray format? Microsoft UK Xbox & Entertainment director Stephen McGill believes so (though he’s obviously biased). He told Xbox 360 Achievements:

Blu-ray is going to be passed by as a format. People have moved through from DVDs to digital downloads and digital streaming, so we offer full HD 1080p Blu-ray quality streaming instantly, no download, no delay. So, who needs Blu-ray?

What do you think? Will the convenience and immediacy of streaming video kill Blu-ray? Or are Blu-ray’s fantastic picture quality and uncompressed audio enough to keep the format going? Kindly vote in today’s poll and state your case in the comments section.

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Pokemon Apokelypse: A Dark, Grim, and Violent Pokemon Fan Film

You must watch this excellent live action Pokemon fan film called Pokemon Apokelypse. It’s a dramatic and dark version of the Pokemon cartoon that’s beloved around the world. Parts of it are campy and parts of it are cool. You’ll giggle as Ash Ketchum says the theme song lyrics, “I want to be the best…like no one ever was,” with grim determination. Team Rocket’s Jesse and James doing their “Prepare for trouble! And make it double!” bit while packing guns is pleasantly twisted. Electrode being used as a car bomb with his “explosion” attack? Awesome!

This might be the best thing I’ve seen all month (outside of my Asia travels) and I can’t wait to get your thoughts on the vid!

Bobby Kotick Wants to Sell You Cutscenes

In a move that’s certainly smart but will also add to his reputation as an evil bastard, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick plans on selling discs containing cutscenes from Activision games. He recently told GameSpot:

If we were to go to our audience and say we have this great hour-and-a-half of linear video that we would like to make available to you at a $30 price point or $20 price point, you’d have the biggest opening weekend of any film ever. Within the next five years, you are likely to see us do that. Now that may be in partnership with somebody; it may be alone. But there will be a time when we capitalize on the relationship that we have with our audience.

Would you buy a disc filled with cutscenes? There are a number of gamers I know that would love to watch Final Fantasy XIII’s cutscenes without playing the game. A lot of those gamers would also publicly denounce this practice simply because Kotick brought it up. Is it an ingenious move on his part? Or is it eeeeeeeevil?

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Sacha Baron Cohen to Play Freddie Mercury in Queen Movie

Here’s a bit of completely awesome news — Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G, Borat) has been signed to play Freddie Mercury in an upcoming Queen movie. I’m a huge Queen fan (Brian May rules!) and I really enjoy Sacha Baron Cohen. While Mercury’s voice is impossible to replicate, Cohen — more than anyone else I can think of — has the goods to portray the Queen frontman’s unique charm. Seriously, can you think of anyone else that can be fierce, forceful, and a little effeminate at the same time? Here’s a clip from E!:

In what could be one of the more inspired castings we’ve heard about in quite some time, Sacha Baron Cohen has signed on to star as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in a movie about the legendary rock band.

The pic, which will be scripted by Frost/Nixon and The Queen writer Peter Morgan, will follow the band from its early years to its performance at Live Aid in 1985, six years before Mercury died from AIDS complications at age 45.

What do you think of Ali G playing Freddie Mercury? Will it work? Or will it fall flat on its face?

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The Fighter Trailer, Starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale

I can’t wait to see The Fighter, starring Mark Wahlberg (“Feel the vibrations!”) and Christian Bale (“You and me, we’re done professionally!”). The movie is a dramatized biography of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward. He’s best known for his scintillating trilogy against the late Arturo “Thunder” Gatti and his brutal fight against Emmanuel Augustus. While Ward was hardly a skilled ring technician, fans adored him for his heart, guts, and cast iron chin. Before he made decent money in the Gatti fights, boxings fans — especially in Massachusetts — loved that he worked as a road paver between fights.

Check out the trailer above and let me know what you think (please)! Also, Amy Adams is really hot (but not in this movie).

Ralph Macchio in Wax On, F*ck Off

I was watching a bit of the U.S. Open when Ralph Macchio was randomly interviewed. In addition to talking about his son’s tennis career and his first trip to the U.S. Open despite growing up in New York, Macchio plugged his tongue-in-cheek short film Wax On, F*ck Off. Naturally, I searched for it right away…and was greatly amused with what I saw. I love it and hope you enjoy it too!

Coffee Talk #208: Airplane Movie Reviews!

I caught up on several movies while flying to and around Asia. Most of them were new releases that are out of theaters but not yet available on Blu-ray/DVD. There were some surprises for me, but for the most part I was happy that I didn’t pay money to see these movies in theaters. Here’s the rundown.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Intelligentsia’s Organic Ethiopia Sidama Shilcho, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. being a racist prick, or your fantasy football team, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I caught up on several movies while flying to and around Asia. Most of them were new releases that are out of theaters but not yet available on Blu-ray/DVD. There were some surprises for me, but for the most part I was happy that I didn’t pay money to see these movies in theaters. Here’s the rundown.

The Karate Kid: I had a huge problem with this movie conceptually. The martial art used in this film is kung-fu, not karate. In my head it just confuses kids into thinking that all Asian martial arts are the same…which is just a step away from saying all Asians look the same. Still, I heard that Jaden Smith was absolutely charming in this movie and I was curious to see if superior genetics spawned a great star. In my opinion, the genes cancelled each other out. Smith is just another crappy child actor. I’m convinced that everyone that praised his performance was really kissing his parents’ asses. Most importantly, the Karate Kid remake didn’t have the awesome music that powered the first two films. Joe Esposito’s “You’re the Best” is legendary.

The Cop Out: Kevin Smith gets tons of praise for his writing and loads of flack for his directing. I was surprised that a studio gave him a movie — with none of his fantastic writing — to direct. There are a handful of laughs in the film, which wasn’t a surprise because Tracy Morgan is hilarious, but for the most part it really sucked. Ironically, Smith’s did a capable job directing the film. The writing was just mediocre.

Shrek Forever After: I like the Shrek movies. They’re entertaining for children and adults. While this one is a step down from the previous films, I was entertained. It’s pretty much what I expected and wanted from Shrek. That said, I’m happy I didn’t pay $10 to see it in a theater.

The A-Team: This movie surprised me. My expectations were low and they were absolutely obliterated. It’s a fun, fast, and stupid flick with some sweet action. Liam Neeson wasn’t nearly as ridiculous as I thought he’d be and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has a nice future in action movies (if he wants it). Although Jessica Biel is completely unbelievable as a military women, she’s always nice to look at. Out of all the airplane movies I watched, this was my biggest surprise.

Iron Man 2: I love this movie (except for the 15 seconds with “Bolivia Bunn”). The dialog and action are fantastic. I watched it at least five times, with several partial viewings that were interrupted by sleep. I haven’t watched all the big movies of 2010, but out of the ones I’ve seen, this was my favorite.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on any or all of these movies. Fire away (please)!!!!