Welcome to Land of The Nerds, where I, Lisa Laman, use my love of cinema to explore, review and talk about every genre of film imaginable!
Saturday, February 28, 2015
The Makers Of Vampires Suck Return To Parody Fast & Furious In Trailer For SuperFast. God Help Us All.
Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Two filmmakers who have had a massive impact on pop culture for all the wrong reasons. I've only seen one of their films (The Starving Games) and it was more than enough to convince me to stay far, far away from the rest of their work. But never fear folks; they have returned to deliver their take on the Fast & Furious franchise, in a film called SuperFast, which has a trailer you can watch (or don't. Please don't.) below.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Come On And Grab Your Friends...And Go See The Adventure Time Movie!
I've always thought Adventure Time would make a damn fine, with my dream scenario being that Guillermo Del Toro would handle a ballsy live-action version of the program. The next thing has just been announced though, as Deadline reports an animated feature film based on Adventure Time is in development.
Blade Runner Review (Classic Write-Up)
The most notable visual aspects of film noir are some of the more distinctive ever put to cinema, and it's quite a treat to such unique attributes put into the sci-fi realm of Blade Runner, a 1982 film that constantly surprised me in it's innovation. It uses those aforementioned tropes of film noir to create a future, set in 2019. overwhelmed with uncertainty (and rain, there's lots and lots of rain here).
Thursday, February 26, 2015
A Look At Will Smith's Career Of Aliens, Explosions And Jaden Smith
An actors career is kind of like a story in and of itself; full of twists, turns, surprises, victories, highs, lows, it can be as compelling as any given film an actor can take part in. A good example of this is Chris Pratt, a scene stealer from Parks & Recreation who went on to appear in three Best Picture nominees in a row, then star in two $250 million movies in 2014 and solidify himself as the go to movie star of the modern movie era. Now that's the kind of rags-to-riches story anyone can find interesting!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Snow White & The Huntsman Prequel Adds Emily Blunt & Jessica Chastain, Toys With My Emotions
I've always found the 2016 feature The Huntsman, a prequel to 2012's Snow White & The Huntsman, to be a peculiar project. I didn't hate the aforementioned fantasy film from three years back, and it did make almost $400 million worldwide, but I didn't feel like it had that much of a fanbase to warrant a continuation. Apparently, it has, with the project being developed for several years now and finally being released next year, specifically on April 22, 2016.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Can We Start Giving Superhero Movies Some Respect: Part Two: Electric Insult Boogaloo
Well hey! Like anything that's successful, here's a sequel to my earlier editorial surrounding the topic of giving superhero movies some respect. It's a subject that I'm not alone in advocating for, as someone very high up in the industry has spoken out in favor of giving superhero films some respect from people. What's triggered this kind of chitter chatter, and this editorial sequel, you ask?
Still Alice Review
Still Struggling
Family life is very rarely idyllic paradise. There's always some kind of fraught conflict existing between spouses, siblings, parents and their offspring that can range from the mundane to the cataclysmic. Having a mother diagnosed with a familial form of Alzheimer's is obviously the kind of development that can change a families entire outlook on life, and as for the mother, her life will never be the same. The Five Best 2015 Oscar Acceptance Speeches
Last nights Academy Awards ceremony was a predictable affair, with great films like Selma, Whiplash and especially Boyhood not getting as many awards as they deserved. In the end, Birdman took home the Best Director and Best Picture award, and while I wasn't a huge fan of the film (I found it audacious, but lacking in substance) I'm glad something a bit more unorthodox won at least. But that doesn't mean there weren't highlights of the ceremony, especially when it came time for Everything Is Awesome to be performed!
Labels:
Acceptance Speech,
Boyhood,
Common,
Eddie Redmayne,
Editorial,
Graham Moore,
J.K. Simmons,
John Legend,
Patricia Arquette,
Selma,
The Imitation Game,
The Theory of Everything,
Whiplash
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Up In The Air Review (Classic Write-Up)
An Air-Raising Adventure
I've always liked George Clooney, but watching Up In The Air for the first time this evening allowed me a chance to realize what exactly makes me gravitate towards the guy. Here's a shocking twist: Clooney has charm, charisma, good looks, a dapper personality and a persona that exudes confidence. But he uses those aspects of his personalities in his films not in roles covered in poorly executed storytelling tropes, but to uncover the vulnerabilities of the characters he portrays, and that's never more true than in this 2009 Jason Reitman feature.
I've always liked George Clooney, but watching Up In The Air for the first time this evening allowed me a chance to realize what exactly makes me gravitate towards the guy. Here's a shocking twist: Clooney has charm, charisma, good looks, a dapper personality and a persona that exudes confidence. But he uses those aspects of his personalities in his films not in roles covered in poorly executed storytelling tropes, but to uncover the vulnerabilities of the characters he portrays, and that's never more true than in this 2009 Jason Reitman feature.
Labels:
2009,
Anna Kendrick,
Classic Write-Up,
Drama,
Flying,
George Clooney,
J.K. Simmons,
Jason Bateman,
Jason Reitman,
Movie Review,
Planes,
Review,
Sam Elliot,
Up In The Air,
Vera Famriga,
Zach Galifianakis
2015 Is The Year The Oscars Officially Lost Credibility
There's a headline that's bound to get chuckles from many readers, particularly those who've seen the various choices that the Academy Awards have made over the various years. Going back all the way to the 40's, one can see various winners of awards like Best Picture that feel ridiculous in retrospect, but those feel almost quaint compared to what the Academy Awards has become in recent years. Crash winning Best Picture? Happy Feet winning Best Animated Feature? Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side winning Best Actress? What the hell kind of wins are those?
The Rock Review (Classic Write-Up)
Rock N' Roll All Night
Watching The Rock is like stepping into some kind of super warped time machine, one that takes it's viewer into the wonderful world of 1996. Here is an age where Michael Bay was a promising director coming off the previous years hit Bad Boys, and was making easily his most audacious project yet; The Rock, an action feature that has Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery teaming up to take down Ed Harris, who has taken the entire facility of Alcatraz (it's also referred to as, cue dramatic music, THE ROCK) hostage. Oh, and did I mention the villain has numerous deadly bombs with him?
Labels:
1996,
Action,
Alcatraz,
Armageddon,
Classic Write-Up,
Don Simpson,
Ed Harris,
Jerry Bruckheimer,
Michael Bay,
Movie Review,
Nicolas Cage,
Pearl Harbor,
Review,
Sean Connery,
The Rock,
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Friday, February 20, 2015
First Image Of Aquaman From Batman V. Superman Revealed!
We've still got more than a year to go until Batman v. Superman: Rise Of The Dawn Of The Age Of Justice arrives into theaters (it opens March 25, 2016), but the very first image of Jason Momoa as Aquaman has been shown off. That's the image above and it's...decent. The costumes from this movie, solely in image form (seeing them in motion whenever a trailer is released will be a better barometer for success), have been a mixed bag, for me at least.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
What Happened To 3D?
If history has taught us one thing, it's that there's one tactic Hollywood knows how to do perfectly; run something well-liked into the ground. This doesn't always happen to elements audiences take a shine to, but boy howdy did it ever happen to 3D. A novelty in 2009 has morphed into an everyday part of 2015 moviegoing. Not a beloved part per se, but it's certainly there, if only because international audiences love the format. We credit Avatar for bringing 3D into the mainstream, and that's true, but it actually wasn't the first film to utilize the format. Far from it.
Labels:
2005,
2009,
3D,
Avatar,
Brendan Fraser,
Clash Of The Titans,
Coraline,
Digital 3D,
Disney Digital 3D,
Editorial,
G-Force,
Gravity,
IMAX 3D,
Life Of Pi,
The Last Airbender,
The Nightmare Before Christmas,
The Walk,
Up
Fifty Shades Of Grey Will Continue To Be The Box Office Winner This Weekend (Box Office Predictions)
It's really no question of who wins this forthcoming box office frame; Fifty Shades of Grey's record breaking $85 million opening weekend means it'll have no trouble securing a lead over the three new releases this weekend. Still, let's take a gander at those aforementioned newcomers, as there's certainly some variety in terms of genre's and stories among them.
The Graduate Review (Classic Write-Up)
A Graduate Of Great Directing
Who doesn't worry about the future? It's such a chaotic element, as unpredictable as a hurricane, it's only natural to be worried about the possibilities that the future could bring. Now that he's graduated from college, Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), is consumed by worrying about what he'll do with his life now. From the first frames of the film, this sort of internal conflict is apparent through the recurring use of close-up shots of Ben's face that emphasize his inner turmoil as well as the similarly prominent use of Art & Garfunkel's The Sound Of Silence.
Who doesn't worry about the future? It's such a chaotic element, as unpredictable as a hurricane, it's only natural to be worried about the possibilities that the future could bring. Now that he's graduated from college, Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), is consumed by worrying about what he'll do with his life now. From the first frames of the film, this sort of internal conflict is apparent through the recurring use of close-up shots of Ben's face that emphasize his inner turmoil as well as the similarly prominent use of Art & Garfunkel's The Sound Of Silence.
Labels:
1960's,
1967,
20th Century,
Anne Bancroft,
Art & Garfunkel,
Classic Write-Up,
Directing,
Dustin Hoffman,
Editing,
Katherine Ross,
Mike Nichols,
Movie Review,
Review,
Sam O' Steen,
The Graduate,
The Sound Of Silence
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Final 2014 Oscars Predictions
I must say, the announcement of the nominations for this years Academy Awards ceremony really took a spring out of my step. While it was great to see notable filmmakers like Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater receive long overdue recognition in the Best Director category, the lack of nominations for excellent people like Gillian Flynn, David Oyelowo, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ava Duvernay, and of course, a movie like The LEGO Movie just helped reinforce how out of touch the Oscars are with recognizing truly great cinema.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
John Oliver Is Coming Back For Two More Seasons!
In a short period of time, John Oliver has quickly become one of the most notable personalities on television, with his HBO program Last Week Tonight With John Oliver using the venue of late night television to address serious problems the world if facing in a humorous, but effective manner. John's an incredible dude, and I'm so happy to hear he's gotten not just a season renewal, but a renewal for two more seasons!
Labels:
Comedian,
HBO,
John Oliver,
Last Week Tonight,
Renewal,
Tobacco,
TV,
YouTube
Better Call Saul Episode One Review
I freely admit I was nervous about Better Call Saul, a spin-off program derived from the Breaking Bad character Saul Goodman (played by Bob Odenkirk). Spin-offs have had mixed results on television, and that kind of track record left me skeptical about this shows chances for becoming something notable, especially since, if it was truly a stinker, it might tarnish the legacy of Breaking Bad, one of the greatest television programs of all-time.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Her Review
What? Is She Funny Or Something?
Some people spent last night going to parties, or going on dates, but me? I was the coolest dude on the planet, because I spent the evening alone watching the best movie of 2013: Her. Rewatching the film for the first time since it's theatrical release only reaffirmed my praise for this modern masterpiece, which is one of the best artistic depictions of the deeper intricacies of love and human connection ever brought to life.
Labels:
2013,
Arcade Fire,
Best Original Song,
Joaquin Phoenix,
Let It Go,
Masterpiece,
Movie Review,
Review,
Samantha,
Scarlett Johansson,
Sci-Fi,
Spike Jonze,
Theodore Twombly,
Valentines Day
Guillermo Del Toro+Gothic Imagery+Awesome Cast=Crimson Peak Trailer
The works of Guillermo Del Toro thrive on captivating imagery, and it looks like his next film, Crimson Peak, will follow suit. There's some top-notch talent in here (Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston? Be still my beating heart!) and it looks like he's pulled out some extraordinary visuals here. Not too surprising on the latter, but it's still awesome to watch. Check out the teaser below!
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