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Showing posts from 2017

Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity War Official Trailer

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The anticipation for this film is off the charts.  No matter what you think about these superhero movies Marvel does a great job at promoting it's content. 

Tobe Hooper (1943-2017)

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Another legendary horror filmmaker has passed.  Mr Hooper's filmography lists some of the most original, and probably the most scariest films of modern times.  Of course what Tobe Hooper is best known for is the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".  A film that has been listed in both the museum of modern art in New York, and the library of Congress in Washington.  Not bad for a film when it was released was dismissed as a sort of pornography of cinema. What the film " the Texas Chainsaw Massacre " was a film beyond its time.  Scholars have written about the film, and I believe it will be continually be written about when talking about horror or American cinema. I was introduced to the film by a friend, and when I saw it I did not know what to make of the film.  It certainly pushed some buttons within me, and that's what I think it did for a whole lot of people.  When people describe the film they say it was the most bloodiest and goriest film they had ever see

Dunkirk (2017)

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Dunkirk is one of those movies that is better seen in the theaters then seen later at home.  Dunkirk is a film that harkens back to great filmmaking.  Every frame of this film is a work of art.  The sound design is quite intricate and when the German Junkers dive bomb the beach you feel as though you are there.   Christopher Nolan the director of Dunkirk uses all the tricks of the trade to really make you feel that you are there at Dunkirk, and the dread that faces the troops stranded on the beach. Nolan divides the film between the sea, the air, and the beach.  To say that there is no one character to concentrate on would be correct.  Nolan divides the screen time among various actors who do a fantastic job at conveying the dread and the fear of the early months of the war when Germany was running through Europe, and devouring all that was good. Throughout the film we see the horrors of war, and the film begins with a bit of silence as several soldiers wander the streets of Du

George A. Romero 1940 - 2017

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George Romero the director of such films as Night of the Living Dead , Dawn of the Dead , Creepshow , Knightriders , and Martin has passed at the age of 77. Romero directed Night of the living Dead back in 1967 with some friends and colleagues and changed cinematic history.    Shot for about 100K the film would go on to become a classic of modern horror, and would also be inducted into the museum of modern art, and into the Library of Congress’s National film registry.   Romero would go onto produce and direct many other films such as Martin , Dawn of the Dead , and Knightriders .   It was the film Dawn of the Dead that put zombies back into the media and it is a film that re-invented the zombie genre.   Many current shows and movies have Romero to thank for being the first to re-inventing the zombie genre and making it profitable.   Roger Ebert considered "Dawn of the Dead"one of the best horror movies ever made. On a personal level George Romero showed th

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (2017)

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What is it that make the Guardians of the Galaxy films so fun and worth seeing?  It's the characters simple put, and the actors who play them.  Plus there is a theme in the movies that run throughout the series or franchise and that is that their more then superheros their family.  A dysfunctional family, but no less a family.  That's what makes this franchise so good.  The humor that is built into the films, and the actors who play them so well.  From Chris Pratt who plays Star Lord to   Dave Bautista who plays Drax the actors really bring a certain joy to their characters that they are playing.  Even Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper who do the voices for the characters of Groot and Rocket are entertaining and fun. I could go on about the direction, and the art direction, but why?  It's all good.  In fact its so good you take them for granted.  The writing is perfect James Gunn and Dan Abnett do an admirable job keeping it close to what the Marvel comic of the Guardians

Rogue One - 2016

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So after seeing Rogue One I was thoroughly impressed to see how Disney is expanding the Star Wars universe.  A picture about getting the plans to the Rebels became an interesting and thought provoking story that greatly expanded the Star Wars universe, and added depth to the story.  Plus the effects, the acting, and the direction push the Star Wars universe in a very interesting place. I remember seeing the original so long ago in a theater in Manhattan.  It was my first venture into the city, and I was overwhelmed at the movie,  The sound, the effects, the story all compelled me to know more about this film.  How they made it.  Who made it, and was there more. The same could be said about Rogue One.  Special effects have come a long way since 1977.  The re-creation of Peter Cushing is remarkable, and certainly it opens a whole new way to make films, while at the same time opens a whole can of worms for the acting industry.   The last shot of Princess Leia in the film is remar