Old School Review: Blade Trilogy

Here we are with another old school review with the Blade Trilogy.  Blade was first made in 1998 with the final film Blade Trinity in 2004.  All three films star Wesley Snipes as the vampire hunter Blade and Kris Kristofferson as Blade's mentor and best friend Whistler.  I had the chance to watch the Blu-Ray copy of these three films last week with my two oldest daughters, 14 and 16.  My daughters ideas of vampires mostly stem from films such as Twilight and that is about it.  As I pretty much despise Twilight I thought I would introduce them to a bit different of a vampire film.  I would say that all in all they had their eyes opened to a new but old genre of vampire films and I had the chance to relive a trilogy of films that I haven't seen in ages.

I really enjoyed the story of the Blade Series.  From what I understand Blade was originally a Marvel comic book.  When Blade was a baby in his mother's stomach she was bitten by a vampire and died.  Blade was saved and ultimately became a half human/half vampire.  He has all of the strengths of the vampires but none of their weaknesses.  Scouring through the streets as a young child he was picked up by Whistler and trained to be the vampire killer that he is today.  By the first movie Blade is a full grown man with only short flashbacks of his birth and childhood.  Whistler is an old man that walks with a gimp and a leg brace from apparent previous battles we know nothing of.  Even though Blade is not fully a vampire, he must inject a serum into his body every day to stop the effects of the vampirism.

Blade One also stars Stephen Dorff as Deacon Frost.  Deacon is not a pure blood vampire but was once human and turned into a vampire.  To get to the point.  He is a cocky vampire who eventually overthrows the head vampires in an attempt to decipher ancient vampire text to unleash an apparent blood god on the world. Personally, this was not my favorite of the trilogy.  Snipes is Blade 100%.  He is the man.  He is the character but I felt that he didn't have an admiral enough foe to really make this film solid enough.  Being the first film it is totally a watch but be prepared in the future films for an overall better story.

This brings me to Blade Two.  First and foremost this film was directed by Guillermo Del Toro.  He made other films such as Hellboy, Hellboy 2 and Pan's Labyrinth.  You can really see a departure in this film from the first.  It is alike in many ways that keep it in running with the first but the special effects are way better and the overall story takes a step up.  This time around their is a mutation in the vampire community.  It is a monster that was once a vampire but now craves blood so badly that it will feed on human or vampire.  Blade is asked by the vampire community to help them track down the source of the mutants.  He is joined by a ragtag group of vampires lead by Mr. Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman.  This idea almost reminds me a lot of the group of marines from Aliens.  I really connected with that and enjoyed the film even more.  The head mutant vampire is played by Luke Goss who you can see in the recent Death Race 2.  He is a budding actor and someone to watch out for on the horizon.  Blade Two makes a giant leap and is my personal favorite in the series.  It is very much worth watching and a film you will find yourself watching again in the future.

Blade Trinity is the last film in the series and the most commercialized in my opinion.  This time around we throw in Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biel, Parker Posey and Paul "HHH" Levesque.  The previous films held on their own with Wesley Snipes and Kris Kristofferson.  I don't know why they think they have to add a ton of new actors to the mix.  Ryan Reynolds is well Ryan Reynolds.  He has a lot of smart ass one liners and is pretty much eye candy for the ladies as is Jessica Biel whom is supposedly Whistlers unknown daughter and is the eye candy for the men.  Neither of these characters brought much to the table for me and were pretty much worthless overall.  Parker Posey plays Danica.  Danica along with her group of vampires end up bringing back to life the real Dracula to for once and all destroy Blade.  I guess the film studios kinda billed this as the final film and from the direction that things were going it was probably for the best.

Overall, all three of these movies make a good companion set to any movie buffs collection.  Is the first one weak and the third pretty much stupid?  Yes but with the Blade Two being so good they all kinda equal each other out.  I would not be surprised to see another one of these films because frankly Wesley Snipes hasn't had a hit since the last film.  That is once he get's released from prison.  If you haven't seen the films then go out and rent them or you can probably purchase the box set for a reasonable price at your local store or online.

Vintage Toy Pick This Weekend!

Hey everyone!  I got the chance to hit the town of Eugene Oregon this weekend and visit some of the comic book shops that I don't normally get to.  In my searches I came across a really cool comic shop called Nostalgia Collectibles.  It is in downtown Eugene and actually sits behind the Smith Family Bookstore on the corner for Fifth Street and Willamette Street.  You would almost miss it if it wasn't for some old comic posters tapered to the side of the building.  I found this store to be very cool and unique.  I am told by the shop curator that they are the only shop in Eugene that buys vintage toys like the ones below.  I was ecstatic when I found this out.  I have spent many hours bidding on toys on Ebay only to lose at the last second to someone else.  This is my place to find a lot of the old toys that I have been searching for from my child hood.  Don't be swayed. They also have many comic books, new and old, character busts and other various fandom to meet any geek's needs.  Favorites of mine have been collectin TMNT or also know as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and He-Man Masters of the Universe action figures.  No, these are not "man dolls" like some of my relatives like to call them.  I have posted some pictures below and their names.  These toys are loose, not in a box or on a card, and surprisingly come with most of their accessories.  Enjoy!

The Neverending Story: 20 Years Later

Who didn't love The Neverending Story?  I loved the crap out of that film and still do today.  To me, it seemed like one of those films that was just different from the other run of the mill kids fantasy films.  Sadly, none of the sequels ever lived up to the original but at least we still have this morsel that we can continue to watch and share with our children today.  Now, the big question is, what happened to the three bullies that were forced to jump into the giant garbage can at the end of the film.  After bullying Sebastian they were finally scared to death and got what they deserved.  Find out where they are at below!

The Hangover 2 Teaser Trailer!!!

Here it is!  This is what you have been waiting for! Mechamania presents your first look at The Hangover 2!  In the follow-up, Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug travel to exotic Thailand for Stu's wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don't always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can't even be imagined.

Over 1000 Visitors!

Thank you to everyone who has been coming back to the site to read the newest and up to date information about all of your favorite movie news and geek fandom!  I appreciate it and it makes me feel like the time I spend on this site is worth it.  I totally love working on the site and hope to keep it continually updated and make it better as time moves on.  Thanks again and here is to 10,000 or 1,000,000 in the future!

-Seth

Andy and PeeWee's Night Out

I've been so lagging on my SNL this season. I don't think that I have watched one episode this year.  I do like to catch up on what Andy Sandberg is doing and checking out all of the SNL Digital Shorts that get posted online or at The Lonely Island. Tonight I thought I would do some catching up and came across this digital short of Andy meeting up with PeeWee Herman at a local bar. That is all I am going to say.  Be prepared to laugh your ass off!

Ghostbusters 3 with Ashton Kutcher?

What?  Are you thinking the same thing I am thinking?  Ashton, Punk'd, Kutcher in Ghostbusters 3?  With more promising news.  Bill Murray supposedly has seen the script for the 3rd film as the whole production whims on him saying yes to star in this thing or not.  If he leans towards the negative it sounds like it will be a no go for anything.  I agree with the idea of not having all of the originals then to do nothing at all.  On the other hand though, do we really want to see our iconic heroes from the 1980's and 1990's old and ailing?  Maybe we can get lucky and they can cast awesome new Ghostbusters like Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd and Jack Black, wait, that is just my own dream!

Now back to the Kutcher news.  Ivan Reitman, the director of the Ghostbuster films, is on the worldwide tour promoting his new movie No Strings Attached starring Kutcher and was interviewed in the video below.

Apollo 18 Trailer

Here is your first look at the new film Apollo 18.  This is not a sequel to the famous film Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon.  I'm not a big American History guy and don't know much about the Apollo missions but I guess Apollo 17 was the last time that we went to the moon.  Well, this is according to the trailer.  But wait, there's more!  Dimension Films has somehow came across some old long lost footage of another manned spaceflight, Apollo 18!  I didn't see anyone I recognized that stars in this film and frankly it looks like another one of those lost footage do we ever find out what happens type of film.  Enjoy.

New Thor Trailer!

Just saw that this new trailer for Thor was released this evening.  I have to say that the more of this film I see the more I want to watch it and especially being in 3D.  Thor will be released on May 6th and stars Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman.  Going to be a great summer full of movies!

New Lunch Boxes For The Collection

Can you call this a collection yet? As I look to my shelf I have exactly seven old school tin lunch boxes mostly dating 1974 to 1985. The more I research these things the more I am appreciating what they are and the fact they are becoming more rare each and every day. I was lucky enough to purchase a couple more this weekend from a local antique store. The first one is another Planet of the Apes from 1974. This exact box was recently featured on the television show American Pickers. The box and thermos was picked for around $40.00 and sold for $100.00. I recently followed an auction on Ebay and a set sold for $500.00. I am now the owner of two of these boxes and hope to add thermoses to them in the future! My second box is from 1977 and features the original Star Wars: A New Hope film. I also was able to purchase the thermos so this is a complete set.

I am really looking forward to finding more old school lunch boxes and who knows maybe I will have a collection like this guy someday?  I am not sure how my wife would handle this though.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2 Fan Trailer

Wow!  It is amazing some of the things that fans are able to make.  This is not done by an amateur.  Gary Shore made this and has been doing work in commercials and music videos.  I have no idea how long it takes to make something like this but it is still breath taking and beautiful!  Way to go man!


Wolverine Vs The Hand from Gary Shore on Vimeo.

The Rock Returns To Wrestlemania!

For those of you that know me personally.  You know that I am a pretty big fan of Wrestling, in particular WWE Wrestling.  If your not up to par on your wrestling history then you probably recognize WWE as it's old name WWF.  Yes, the company that produced such legends as Hulk Hogan, Andre "The Giant" and Bret "The Hitman" Heart.  In the 1990's they also produced a couple of other wrestlers you may have heard of such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and a guy by the name of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.  Dwayne left the WWE seven years ago and went on to acting like a handful of other wrestlers have.  Johnson was able to overcome the stigma of professional wrestling and has become a full fledged mainstream actor.  You have probably seen him in such movies as Walking Tall, The Gridiron Gang, Doom, The Game Plan, Get Smart, The Rundown and the upcoming highly anticipated Fast Five.  Through out the past years his millions of wrestling fans have pleaded and begged for him to come back but to no avail.  He has appeared once or twice in the years but only in small segments that didn't mean much to the fans.

Every year WWE televises it's biggest show of the year exclusively on Pay Per View: Wrestlemania.  This is the superbowl of professional wrestling.  This is the wrestling program to watch for the year.  This year Wrestlemania will have a host, The Rock!  This past Monday evening, on the television show Monday Night Raw, The Rock made his triumphant return.  Even if your not a wrestling fan, you can't deny that Dwayne Johnson is the most electrifying man in sports entertainment!  Check out the clip below!

Dead Island Video Game Trailer

Hey everyone!  Caught this video showing up on many different websites today.  Nordling at Aint It Cool News describes this as "the trailer that could be better than any feature film trailer you see this year".  I'm thinking yeah, ok, then I watched it.  I must say it looks really cool and is an awesome trailer!  When do we get the movie?

X-Men First Class Trailer!

Hey everyone!  Today is a cool day because we get our first look at the new flick X-Men: First Class.  It stars James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Magneto.  I am familiar with McAvoy but not of Fassbender.  Kevin Bacon also stars but I am not sure what role he actually plays.  The film is directed by Matthew Vaughn who also directed Kick Ass.  The other films were directed by Bryan Singer and Brett Ratner.  From what I understand this takes place primarily in the 1960's and should be a fun film when it opens in theaters on Jume 3rd. Post your thoughts about it below in the forum!

Movie Review: Little Fockers

You met the parents.  You in turn then met the Fockers.  Now be introduced to the little Fockers.  Yes, there are kids this time around.  I had the opportunity to recently watch this film and rather enjoyed it.  What a surprise!  Robert Deniro returns as Jack Byrnes along with Ben Stiller as "Greg" Gaylord Focker.  Gaylord, who the hell would name their kid that?!  While working the other day I met a person with the last name Gaylord.  She smiled funny at me when I asked her to repeat her last name.  It's my job.  I gotta do it.  I didn't laugh but inside was cracking up, Gaylord.  This movie is very much the "name" movie especially with the last name Focker.  

I believe the rest of the cast has mostly returned except for Nicole Dehuff, Pam's sister Deborah, tragically passed away since the last film.  Owen Wilson makes a triumphant return as the ex boyfriend Kevin.  He really made the movie for me.  He's back to his old antics and relives the character from the first film in every way plus more.  Blythe Danner and Terri Polo also return along with Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Striesand as mom and dad Focker.  I didn't care much for the Focker parents characters very much in the second film and didn't feel much for them either in this film. Thankfully they only cameo a few scenes through out the film.  Jessica Alba is added to cast as a sexy pharmacutical rep who wants Stiller to speak about a new sexual enhancement drug.  She is as much eye candy in this film for her acting abilities do not reach new highs in this one.

Their really isn't all too much to say about the story of this film.  It is a lot of comedy and re-hashing of previous jokes that happened in the earlier films.  Does it work?  Yes it does.  The main arch of the film is that Jack is not in good health condition and comes to the conclusion he needs to pass his role of the head patriarch of the family to Greg.  Greg must become the "godfocker". Of course this doesn't transition very smoothly and that is where much of the comedic relief plays into hand.  I loved the first film.  I didn't really care for the second and this one is not as good as the first but better than Meet The Fockers.  I think having Owen Wilson return in a big role really lifted the film and gave it more comedic relief.  Stiller and Wilson have that on screen chemistry that is tough to recreate with many actors.  A great example of this is the "wall off" from Zoolander.  If you have not seen this film then watch it now!  Check out the clip from Zoolander below.



This is a funny movie!  It doesn't veer off the path of the other films and in the end sets itself up for yet another sequel.  How about this time you leave the Focker parents out of it?  This film is set for dvd/blu-ray release in April and is very much worth a rental!

Superman: Glory of Love

Two things that I have really liked over the years.  One being Superman.  The original Superman starring Christopher Reeve and second is music by Chicago and later on Peter Cetera on his own. The guy that made this video combined both of these and made a cool montage!

New Vintage Lunch Boxes

It all started at Christmas.  My brother in law gave me a vintage Planet of the Apes tin lunch box. From that point on something has began to grow in me.  If you know me, you know I collect vintage 80's stuff.  By stuff I mean 80's movies, movie posters, toys and general memorabilia.  I find, like a lot of people, the older I get the more interested I am in the things I had when I was a child.  I have never been a big fan of the tin lunch box but the more I research the product the cooler they become to me.  They are also not cheap!  Each day, month and year we lose more and more of these cool relics and they only increase in value.  The art in my opinion is amazing and would be awesome if I could find the original art.  Does anyone know where any of that stuff went?  Well, in the past month I have been lucky to purchase a few more and thought I would share them with you.

This ET lunch box is from the original movie date stamped 1982 by Aladdin.  The drawings on all sides are amazing!

One of my favorite flicks from the 80's is Gremlins.  This is from 1984 and made by Aladdin.  I found this lunch box in Aurora Oregon. Aurora is a small town in Western Oregon that caters to antiques and has many antique stores.  It is worth the drive if your looking for antiques for your home or business.

This Rambo lunch box was found with the ET box by my brother in law at a local antique/junk store. It is from 1985 made by Thermos.  It's amazing what treasures you can find hidden in your local junk store. It's also amazing what junk that should be thrown away you find too!  Feel free to email me if you have a lunch box your interested in selling or giving away.

Old School Review: Pleasantville

Hey Mechamaniacs!  Today has been a day of "new" here at the site.  Earlier I posted some new releases that came out today for you to rent or order and now I am writing my first article in the new series "Old School Review".  I really enjoy writing about new and upcoming flicks but what about all of the movies that are already out?  Maybe there is that gem that you haven't seen that I can review and open a whole new world for ya?  Perhaps there is something you have seen and never enjoyed but saw a new review and decided to watch it again and like it?  This is the place to find it!  My first review is of an older but really cool film called Pleasantville.  Enjoy!

Do you remember old school tv shows like The Andy Griffith Show?  A place where there is no crime.  A town where you can keep your doors unlocked at night.  Where everyone knows your name?  Wait, isn't that Cheers?  By now you get the picture.  This describes the place called Pleasantville.  Pleasantville is actually the name of the popular tv show set in the 1950's that nerdy teen David, played by famous Tobey Maguire, loves to watch and has memorized word for word.  In comes his social and popular sister Jennifer, played by Reese Witherspoon, who is the complete opposite.  Both teens live in a broken home without a father and a mother whom is more interested in her personal love life than being a good influence on the kids.  David finds solace in the tv show and Jennifer finds it in her many crushes and endless loves.

We arrive at one fateful night and a simple argument.  David is set on watching the Pleasantville 24 hour marathon and Jennifer is determined to watch a concert with her newest crush set to arrive any minute.  Mom has left for the weekend and it is up to the two of them to decide what is going to happen next.  A fight ensues and the remote control for the tv is broken.  In the midst of anger the teens hear a knock at the door.  I'll be damned if it isn't old Deputy Barney Fife, I mean Don Knotts, a local tv repairman.  With only their intentions in mind the teens decide to take a special remote from the repairman and are zapped into the world of Pleasantville.

Now what?  David and Jennifer are now the children of the family that star in Pleasantville.  They are part of the show!  They are not in color but black and white.  This is a perfect fit for David.  His dream!  He knows all of the story lines but is an utter nightmare of Jennifer.  Everything thing in this world is perfect.  That is how the show was created.  No violence, no sex and everyone is innocent and goes about their daily jobs day in and day out.  This point is what really makes Pleasantville a cool movie.

What happens when you throw a rock in a puddle of water.  The ripple effect and that is in a sense what is going on here.  David and Jennifer don't belong.  It is only a matter of time things start going awry and that is when things start to get very interesting.  The tv show is originally in black and white but as situations or episodes change from the original.  Spots of color begin to appear and the citizens of Pleasantville begin to notice the leaves change to color and eventually the houses, streets and themselves.  That is really the heart of this movie in my opinion.  It is about change and accepting the change.  People are afraid of change or an uncertain future.  I think this film portrays that beautifully.  You see the change in the people of Pleasantville all the way through to our main characters of David and Jennifer.  I'm not going to spoil the end but it really comes full circle and leaves you feeling warm inside and like you have spent the last two hours not watching a piece of trash.

Tobey and Reese are young actors when this film was made.  This is before Spiderman and before Reese became the famous actress that she is today.  Jeff Daniels also stars as Bill.  Bill runs the local cafe and is one of the main examples of someone who didn't know how to react to the changes going on around him but embraced it and used it to further himself through the film.  William H. Macy plays the father in Pleasantville along with Joan Allen as his wife and mother to the two kids.  She is also the other main example of wanting to break free of the daily mold and does a wonderful performance at it.  The late J.T. Walsh, Marley Shelton and a very young Paul Walker also star.

This is one of those films that is unique and will always stay with you.  We all go through changes in our lives and that is why this film is so relatable.  I highly recommend Pleasantville for teens through adults.  There are some sexual situations but almost comedic.  I don't recall much for foul language if any.  I just watched this with my two teenage daughters and they had no problem with it nor did I.  This is a purchase because you will find yourself taking it out once in a while wanting to relive the story of a little town called Pleasantville.  4 out of 4 pizzas baby!  You can watch the trailer below.

New Release Tuesday!

I've been wanting to ad a few new columns to the site over the past week and one of them has been a column about new movies that are coming out in the video store and/or online.  I am hoping to keep it updated with a new column each Tuesday.  Tuesdays are generally the day when most dvd/blu-ray movies are released.  You can click on the cover art below to watch the trailer of the film you are interested in.  I am sure I will have some reviews of many of the films that I will be posting and will make sure to add links to those appropriately.  I will try to cover whatever I can that I think everyone will be interested in looking at.  These release dates are also generally for the video store or being able to purchase them from your local store.  Redbox and Netflix tend to have later release dates so check your local provider/machine to find out.

  

      

Movie Review: Faster

Were you anticipating this movie in the theater but just didn't get the chance to watch it?  Are you anxiously awaiting for it to come out on dvd/blu ray March 1st?  If so, then I was in the same boat as you!  I had considered watching this in the theater but decided to save the moolah for another time.  I really thought it was weird to release this film on Thanksgiving weekend anyways.  Usually over the holiday you spend time with your family and you expect to go watch family holiday Christmas films ushering in the season.  Not shoot em up revenge films.  The big question is, can Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hold his own?

This is a revenge film.  The equation is fairly simple here folks.  Dwayne Johnson plays a fugitive, named "Driver", that is released from prison after spending 10 years locked up for being a getaway driver for a group of bank robbers.  Before he is caught he is set up along with the thieves and his brother is brutally murdered in front of him and himself left for dead shot execution style but miraculously survives.  It is now his mission to hunt down and kill each member of the deadly group that killed his brother and thought to have assassinated him.  There you go.  It doesn't get much deeper than that.  Through out this film I am often reminded of other films with the same formula but pull it off so much better.  It brings to mind Kill Bill.  If you are looking for a real revenge film with an amazing story and awesome actors then stop reading this, go to your video store and rent it!  You will not be disappointed!

Their is not much to really spoil for you here.  The Rock spends 100% of the movie doing one thing.  KILLING.  He doesn't even have that many speaking lines.  He is a mindless robot that shows little emotion up until the climax of the film.  Arnie portrayed more emotion in T2.  In fact it looks like Johnson is wearing the exact leather get up from T2.  Following Johnson is Billy Bob Thornton, "Cop", as a low life detective with a heroin addiction with 10 days left to retire on his last case.  His partner is the beautiful Carla Cugino.  Thrown into all of this is narcissistic hit man, "Killer", played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen.  He spends half the movie on his phone with his therapist and taking his life to the real extreme of proposing to his girlfriend and marrying her.  Real extreme man.  More extreme thank killing people for a living?  In the end Johnson is forced to choose to reap the pain he endured on other innocent people or forgive those that hurt him.

I'm afraid to say that The Rock doesn't live up to the standards that he should with this movie.  As a fan of Johnson personally and as an actor I thought this was a poor choice for him.  He hardly talks!  He just stands there and blows peoples heads off.  We know he can do better than this. Does he read the script and think "easy money" and not care what he looks like on screen?  Billy Bob still acts?  Has this guy had a good movie in ages?  I don't follow his films, never have, and not really interested in doing so either.  The climax of the film was the best 5 minutes and you know half way through who is being double crossed and set up.  It is a no brainer film and really makes the viewer feel dumb after watching it.

I have high hopes for Johnson.  I really do.  He was amazing and one of the most electrifying wrestlers in sports entertainment.  I think he has had bit parts in films that show he has the potential to be a big star.  I even enjoyed the goofy action movie The Rundown.  Watch that before you watch this!  Johnson stars in the upcoming newest Fast and the Furious film, Fast Five, and I hope it is going to be his break out film!  As for Faster, you couldn't run faster from this film!

Superbowl Trailer Spots!!

If you didn't watch the Superbowl then you missed out on some the most awesome tv spots for upcoming movies!  Tv Spots are generally 30 seconds commercials previewing the years new films.  Below are a few of those commercials!

Super 8

Ok, so I like almost crapped my pants when I saw this.  I have read that this film, that is directed by JJ Abrams, is an homage to Steven Spielberg and the great science fiction films that he made in the 1980's.  I can soooo see this even from this short clip.  The music score reminds me of the music from ET and how can you not have flashbacks of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind!! This footage is really the most news that has been released to the public and the film is still kept on a tight leash.  All I can say is that I am ready to purchase my ticket!

Captain America: The First Avenger

Brand new footage tonight of another Avengers film.  We have seen Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Thor and now Captain America.  Chris Evans, aka Johnny Flame from Fantastic Four fame, plays the first avenger and it looks like it is going to be good.  I am more interested in the villain Red Skull played by Hugo Weaving.

Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon

I almost had a brogasm when I saw this!  What can I say?  The trailer rips Sh*t up, LITTERALLY!  I saw Revenge of the Fallen in IMAX and it was one of the coolest viewing experiences I had and the movie wasn't even all that good!  Transformers 3 is also to be in 3D so get ready!  I can't wait!

Fast Five

The more and more I see of this film the more I can't wait to see The Rock hunt some ass down! Wait, that sounded kinda....ok, you get my point!  Fast cars and a lot of action coming in just a couple of months!

Movie Review: The Troll Hunter

I've been following this film for quite sometime now.  The Troll Hunter is a Norwegian film.  Every year their are always foreign films that are released that never see the light of day here in the states or are remade into crumby counterparts only to lose the special magic that made them the great films that they were originally.  I've already heard rumors that this is going to be made for American audiences but I do suggest you watch this if you get the chance!  I could name the stars and the people that made this film but they are all Norwegian and I don't think you would have a clue to whom they are.  I didn't anyways.

In reviewing this film.  I am not going to go into much depth and this may very well be my shortest review yet.  The overall idea and creation of this film is not unique.  Story goes that footage was found from a team of missing college students making a documentary.  Yes, Yes, we have all seen this before.  Blair Witch and Cloverfield ring a bell?  This is more of a Cloverfield than Blair Witch as in no shaky cam to make you sick to your stomach syndrome.  What is more unique about this film is exactly what the college kids end up revealing.

As i'm sure you can tell from the poster and it is not BIG surprise, it is a troll, or in this case trolls.  This is not your little fuzzy hair trolls that you played with when you were a kid.  These are trolls that are over a thousand years old and will eat your ass if they catch you!  The students begin by filming strange occurrences of cattle being killed on the countryside.  The government rules it as bears and hunters even come up with bear carcasses to prove their point.  Something does not make sense though.  The students find a man similar to the other hunters but different from the rest and sparks their interest.  Through an interesting course of events the man befriends them and reveals that he is actually a troll hunter.  He is hired by the government to kill trolls that leave their territory that they live in. Now keep in mind, these trolls have been living among people for thousands of years by hiding in caves during the day and wreaking havoc at night.  Why do we not know they exist?  Well, according to this film the government plays a part in that.  You will have to watch the film for all of the secrets.  If some trees are pushed over and it looks like 3 trolls ran through them the government says it is a small tornado.

Overall, I had a good time watching this movie.  It is dubbed and I really didn't mind it.  The story was fair and kept my attention.  The troll aspect was different and somewhat unique.  It was fairly fast paced and the graphics of the trolls were sometimes cheesy but what the hell does a troll look like anyways?  I guess that is up to you to decide.  Totally worth a rent or netflix.  Check out the trailer below!

Transformers Chevy Superbowl Commercial!!

Earlier I posted the VW Star Wars commercial.  Now it looks like Chevy is in the game along with a certain Transformer!

The VW Star Wars Superbowl Commercial

Want to see an early Superbowl commercial?  Like Volkswagen or perhaps Star Wars?  This is a pretty funny commercial for the new VW Passat.

Movie Review: Black Swan

Yesterday I had a few spare hours of time and decided to catch the film Black Swan.  It stars Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel.  It is directed by Darren Aronofsky whom has made such films as The Wrestler, The Fountain and Requiem for a Dream.  It is a highly acclaimed film and has been winning many awards on it's way to the big Academy Awards this year.  This is one of those films that come around every year and I really wonder if this appeals to the wider audience of film goers or is it something that is made purely for the awards and critical acclaim with a lackluster following?  It is probably best to watch the trailer before you read this review if you have never heard of this film and may be thinking of watching it in the future.



This is a film that personally, I was not all too excited to watch.  From the trailer it shows a lot of ballet.  I'm not a big fan of ballet in general so my interest didn't peak too much.  I think that even if you watch the trailer and are a fan of ballet, you still may want to be reserved about watching this film.  It is a psychological thriller. It follows a young woman Nina, played by Portman, who wants nothing but to be a star in a famous ballet called Swan Lake.  Her mother, played by Barbara Hershey, is an overbearing woman whom seems to want it more for her daughter than anyone including Nina herself.  Swan Lake requires that Nina must not only play the good, white swan but also the dark, black swan.

In walks Lily, played by Mila Kunis, whom in heart and everything she does is the black swan.  The 2 women begin to rival for the top spot in Swan Lake.  As Nina becomes more obsessed with being both parts, the crazier she gets.  She begins to see a dark version of herself only to have it fulfilled in reality by Lily.  Lily takes advantage of this and forms a risky and dangerous relationship with Nina.  Will Nina go over the edge?  Does Lily take the top spot in Swan Lake or can Nina pull off both parts without being tainted by Lily?  That is the question and that is up to you to decide if you want to see The Black Swan.

Did I like this movie?  NO.  Am I going to watch it again?  YES.  Why?  Well, I feel this is a movie that needs to be analyzed further and perhaps from repeat viewings I might like it better?  I doubt it but I have been wrong in the past.  Like I said earlier.  I am not a fan of ballet.  I like Natalie Portman and she did a good job acting.  Mila Kunis brought nothing to the film in my opinion.  She is eye candy and does fine in doing just that.  I was surprised to see Wynona Rider in a small but good role as the previous head Swan.  I was really surprised how sexual this film was.  If your not a fan of sex in film being man/woman, woman/woman then this film is not for you.  I was actually shocked how graphic some of the scenes were with Natalie Portman.  No nudity but you don't always need nudity to be pretty graphic.  Not much these days shock me.  I guess I just wasn't expecting it from this film.

Darren Aronofsky brought us The Wrestler last year and it fell short of winning best film of the year.  I thought that was a way better film overall.  I recommend The Wrestler if you really want to watch a good film.  Again, I wonder about films like this and what the general audience thinks? How can films win all these awards and really no one remembers them 5 years from now?  I guess this film just caters to certain kinds of people, not me.  I will watch this again and maybe I can come back with a different review but being as pessimistic as I am.  I highly doubt it!