Watchmen Posters And Info On A New Trailer

6 new Watchmen posters have arrived today and all of them looking really awesome. Yahoo! Movies has also announced that it will debut the new trailer for director Zack Snyder's Watchmen online on Thursday, 11/13 at 5pm PT, so be sure to stay tuned.

UPDATE: Trailer is now live. Click on above link to watch it

Thoughts:
Posters look great and I'm sure the movie will turn out awesome. Trailer is now live and you can watch it by clicking the above link. Looks very, very cool.

Universal Bringing Hasbro's Monopoly To Life

The Hasbro-Universal collaboration "Monopoly" is jumping a large number of spaces up the board.

The feature project has brought on Pamela Pettler to write the screenplay; She penned Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride," Gil Kenan's "Monster House" and the upcoming animated adventure "9," produced by Burton and Timur Bekmambetov.

And Ridley Scott, who has been attached as a producer on "Monopoly" and has been mentioned as a possible director, is now officially attached to helm the project, with an eye toward giving it a futuristic sheen along the lines of his iconic "Blade Runner."

In addition to Scott, Giannina Facio and Hasbro's Brian Goldner are also producing the movie, which will shape a narrative out of the iconic real-estate game. Lawrence Grey will oversee for Universal and Bennett Schneir will oversee for Hasbro.

Universal is working with Hasbro on several projects as part of a long-term development deal.

Thoughts:

I think this could turn out either way. I would love to see Scott tackle a project this weird and add some Blade Runner feel to it. I think that would be a cool idea to see. Than again, the movie could end up pretty mediocre considering its based on a famous board game.

REVIEW: Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Year: 2008
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
MPAA: Rated R

The Weinstein Company first greenlit Zack and Miri Make a Porno simply for the films title. The film than had some trouble with its MPAA rating which saw the film getting numerous NC-17 ratings. The studio did not want this and demanded the film crew change or edit out scenes because its rather hard for studio's to market NC-17 rated films simply because most theaters wont carry them. After many attempts later, the film finally received the R rating the film crew were looking for. I have been interested in this film for quite some time now and have been keeping close with its updates. This was going to be my first Kevin Smith film that I go see and review. Its not that I hate the popular director, but that I simply haven't come across it. I have heard of Clerks and Chasing Amy, but just never had the proper time to see them.

Plot Outline:
Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are two long time platonic friends who live together. The two find themselves hitting hard times. The water and power in the their apartment get shut off, and they have no money to pay the rent. The two of them face possible eviction. And as a last attempt to make ends meet they come upon the idea to make a "porno" movie. Through making the movie, they realize that they might have more feelings for each other than just friends.

Plot:
The plot for Zack and Miri Make a Porno is rather simple and easy to understand. The whole film centers in on this pair of friends who are simply low on their budget and are looking into making a pornography to help pay off their debts. The story had interesting characters that we could all somewhat relate to. Its also pretty funny and entertaining. Having not seen any of Smith's previous films, I couldn't tell if he had a particular style of shooting. The film also has many sexual content in it which doesn't come off as a surprise considering the films title and film rating. This isn't the type of film to take your 6 year old kid to. While the films story is very enjoyable and entertaining, its also pretty damn predictable. After seeing a good 30 min's of the film, I could already guess where this was headed and how its going to end. Its not bad that its predictable, but it just doesn't make room for surprises. I also thought the ending could have been alittle more fleshed out. I mean its a fine ending and theirs generally nothing wrong with it, but I just thought it could be alittle more different and not so expected.

Cast:
Seth Rogen plays as Zack Brown and he does an alright job in his role. I think he was a pretty good choice to be playing this part, but I have a feeling he could have done better in his perforamnce. He gives a performance that's somewhat similar to that of which he gave in Knocked Up. Nothing really great, but alright to pass. Elizabeth Banks plays Miriam Linky and she too does an alright job in her new role. She doesn't give us a good and memorable performance, but I still thought she was a good choice for this role. Shes also very sexy and charming in the film. Craig Robinson plays Delaney and I thought he was simply hilarious. Hes very funny and very much in character. Robinson is very much funny in all his work, but I think he takes the cake in this film. Jason Mewes plays as Lester and I also think he was pretty funny. He isn't afraid to go full nude and his scenes in the movie show this. I think he was a nice addition to this already funny cast.

Picture:
The visual look of the film isn't something to brag about. The film was just recently released and like most new releases, the film's source is pretty clean. I didn't notice any grain or scratches and the image had a nice smooth look to it. Colors ranged from somewhat vibrant to somewhat dull. The film has many interior scenes and these all are nicely colored. Their are a few scenes where some of the colors can tend to look alittle bland. Flesh tones are accurate and definitely have that warm feeling to them. Detail is what I had a slight problem with. The film exhibits some nice detail on certain objects, but most of the time, the image can tend to look pretty soft. I think this was more of a director's choice thing rather than the film itself.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Zack and Miri Make a Porno is pretty good. The film doesn't look like its got its very own score and nor should it. The movie starts out with some punk/rock music and it sounds good. Theirs always music where it should be and they all sound appropriate for the film. I think this also has something to do with the director. The films bass isn't going to get much love. This isn't by all means, the type of film to demo to your friends if your trying to show off your new surround sound speakers. The film has bass where it should be and it sounds generally good for a film like this. Its not like I was expecting much from the film's bass anyway.

Conclusion:
Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a great film that I very much enjoyed watching. The plot was interesting and entertaining even though it was way too predictable. I also thought the ending could have used alittle work, but still a solid film overall. I thought the cast was good and very funny. Craig Robinson easily stole the show for me. The visual look of the film is pretty colorful, but lacks detail here and their. The soundtrack was pretty good and was used effectively, but the bass was pretty soft. I can recommend this film to those who are big Kevin Smith fans or are just looking for a good comedy film. Its not perfect, but its pretty entertaining.

Grade: B

Marvel's Captain America Has Found A Director

Joe Johnston has signed on to direct Marvel Studio's “First Avenger: Captain America.”

Johnston is currently directing “The Wolfman” for Universal which hits theaters on April 3. He is also developing “The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud.”Johnston previously directed “October Sky“, “Jumanji“, “Jurassic Park III“, “The Rocketeer and Honey“, “I Shrunk the Kids“. Johnston won an Academy Award in 1982 for Best Visual Effects for “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.

He now joins the ranks of Jon Favreau, Louis Leterrier, and Kenneth Branagh as Marvel’s dream team of directors set to turn bring the real Marvel universe to life in a series of films that will eventually converge in The Avengers in 2011.

The superhero blockbuster, based on a character created in 1941 by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, focuses on a weak man called Steve Rogers who is injected with an experimental serum which transforms him into a muscular
superhero.

No writers are on board but the studio expects to hire one shortly. The film will be produced by Marvel Studio's President Kevin Feige. Executive Producers on the project are Louis D’Esposito, Stan Lee and Marvel Studio's Chairman David Maisel. Paramount Pictures will distribute “First Avenger: Captain America” worldwide.

Captain America is scheduled for release May 6, 2011.

Thoughts:

Im not sure about this. I'll have to see how The Wolfman turns out, which so far looks pretty cool.

Weekend Boxoffice Numbers

In Order

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
This Week: $63,106,589
Last Week: -
Total: $63,106,589
_____________________________________________________
Role Models
Studio: Universal Pictures
This Week: $19,167,085
Last Week: -
Total: $19,167,085
_____________________________________________________
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
This Week: $9,159,523
Last Week: $15,316,072
Total: $75,573,993
_____________________________________________________
Changeling
Studio: Universal Pictures
This Week: $7,252,940
Last Week: $9,351,560
Total: $20,559,497
_____________________________________________________
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Studio: The Weinstein Company
This Week: $6,274,530
Last Week: $10,065,630
Total: $20,686,907
_____________________________________________________
Soul Men
Studio: MGM
This Week: $5,401,605
Last Week: -
Total: $5,401,605
_____________________________________________________
Saw V
Studio: Lionsgate
This Week: $4,067,071
Last Week: $9,741,578
Total: $52,187,337
_____________________________________________________
The Haunting of Molly Hartley
Studio: Freestyle Releasing
This Week: $3,318,694
Last Week: $5,423,315
Total: $10,063,348
_____________________________________________________
The Secret Life of Bees
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
This Week: $3,089,467
Last Week: $4,010,668
Total: $29,902,363
_____________________________________________________
Eagle Eye
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures (Paramount)
This Week: $2,541,602
Last Week: $3,482,655
Total: $96,348,829

Thoughts:
Looks like Madagascar 2 opened big which shouldnt come off as a surprise considering its an animated film which always is open to more audiences. Good opening for Role Models, it was a good film and we should have a review go up for it sometime this week.

REVIEW: Saw V

Saw V

Year: 2008
Director: David Hackl
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Julie Benz
Distributor: Lionsgate
MPAA: Rated R

It was Halloween and I decided to go see a horror film with a couple of friends of mine. After going through a list of films that have already opened and that was a horror flick, we decided on Saw V. Seeing as how we have already seen the previous Saw films, watching Saw V would be a no brainer right? Well, not exactly because we really weren't planning on seeing the 5th entry in this thriller of a franchise. Its not that we didn't want to, its just that we never really thought about it. We figured its Halloween and we just want to watch something bloody just to get into the spirit.

Plot Outline:
Hoffman is seemingly the last person alive to carry on the Jigsaw legacy. But when his secret is threatened, Hoffman must go on the hunt to eliminate all loose ends.

Plot:
Just like the previous Saw films, Saw V begins with someone being tortured through a series of life taking challenges. After that scene we come back to the last scene of Saw 4 where Strahm is locked in a dark room with a dead body of Jigsaw. This movie had a very dark tone and view. The movie was not only just based on flashbacks of Hoffman and Jigsaw working together, but it also had a little side story. In a normal Saw movie there’s always someone going through series of challenges to determine their faith of death and survival and this movie was no different. Five people were put in a room together to be tested, but the interesting thing about these five people were that they aware of Jigsaw. Jigsaw’s work in Saw 1, 2, and 3 had spread news about him and these 5 people were aware of the test and quickly decided to work together in carefully making their decisions. What disappointed me was that these 5 people’s intelligence did’t last long when one person had more information then the other person later turning the whole situation into a case of betrayals within one another. I was really amazed by the flashbacks and how it showed all the torture scenes being created by Jigsaw with the help of Hoffman. I was really disappointed by the ending of the last scene of Saw 5. Yes, it was gruesome, bloody, and a last act of survival yet it wasn't anything like Jigsaw's type of ending that we have all come to expect. I guess I was expecting alittle more.

Cast:
Tobin Bell returns as the sinister Jigsaw. He doesn't really have a big role in this film like he did in the previous Saw films. His character is mostly seen in flashbacks and we hardly get enough of him. Costas Mandylor also returns as Mark Hoffman. His role is pretty big, but I didn't really enjoy his performance. I thought he could have a done a much better job playing a certain somebody. Scott Patterson also reprises his role as Agent Strahm and I enjoyed his work here. He doesn't do anything special from his previous performance in Saw IV, but I still enjoyed him in this role. Betsy Russell plays as Jill Tuck and shes just as good as she was in the previous Saw entry's.

Picture:
Just like any other Saw film, Saw V is dark. The film does however have a clean film source which doesn't come off as a surprise considering its relatively new. I wasn't able to detect much film grain with the image mostly having a smooth look to it. Colors are hardly eye popping with the film being very dark. Black levels on the other hand are very strong and hold up very well in some of the other darker scenes. Flesh tones are fairly accurate, but also feel alittle off at times. Detail is generally strong with alot of close up shots looking wonderfully detailed. Their are a few scenes here and their that don't offer enough detail like some of the other scenes do, but this is a good looking film overall.

Sound:
Many of the scenes in Saw all had a dark tone of sound playing because the characters were all put in a dark frightening situation. My favorite part of the sound is the last scene of all Saw movies where there’s like a finale music going where the audience awe at the moment of a dramatic, shocking, and maybe a bit frightening style of an ending. The movie doesn't really consist of much music and is much more dialogue driven, but what we do get here isn't bad. I just wish it was used effectively and spread out more. The bass in Saw V is surprisingly good. Even though the film is mostly dialogue driven, the bass still packs a good punch. It isn't reference material by all means, but its still a good mix for a film like this.

Conclusion:
Saw V felt just like any other Saw movie that we have seen in the past maybe with some new types of death scenes. I think this movie was OK since it delivers a good story and a good amount of bloodshed and what else can we expect in a Saw movie. I didn't really see any thing a bit shocking in the end though since it wasn't really a well thought out ending, it was still pretty gruesome. I just hope there’s more ideas shown in Saw 6. The picture quality was good for new release with a good amount of detail being shown. The soundtrack was more of a mixed bag, but the film did contain some good bass. I think Saw V is worth checking out if your still interested in this franchise. The story is pretty interesting and nicely sets up the next film.

Grade: C-

Whats Coming

Sorry for the lack of movie reviews my fellow blogger's, but I have been extremely busy these past weeks. I just finished moving to my new home and I had to set up everything over again. I also have been getting ready for the Gears of War 2 launch which I'm really excited about. I cant wait to play the hell out of that game on my Xbox 360. I do have some good news though. My friend Nick has decided to write movie reviews for this blog. Nick has been watching movies just as much as I have and I'm sure he will do a great job with his reviews. He just finished writing his review for Saw V which should go up sometime tomorrow. I'm currently working on a review for Zack and Miri Make a Porno which should go up sometime Friday. We are also going to start posting movie news tomorrow. Hope you guys like the new layout : )