In which I talk about the movie I watched in august and July (sorry if it's to long :c)!!
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Title: Jobs
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad
Director: Joshua Michael Stern
Genre: Drama, Biography
Summary: The story of Steve Jobs' ascension from college dropout into one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century.
Unfortunately what the director wanted to transform into the next Social Network just ended up an incomplete, in my vision, small life story. There was so much more to tell but you know let's leave that to the applenatics.
Once there was a boy who didn't like studying, was fairly unpleasant and smelled. He becomes one of the most influential people in the world. The end. To document Steve Jobs' life just seemed kind of not so interesting to me but after seeing the movie I realized what a complex and fascinating character he is so, were they able to grab that and urn it into something positive?
The answer to that question is positive but not completely. I don't agree when critics say it was a two star movie but I know it didn't transcend the right amount of emotion it should have to become epic. You would think a movie like this would be in everyone's list of must sees but no. To be honest I was actually surprised with the cinematography and directing cause it was better than the expected.
As for the actor performances, like I said lacked emotion but overall I cannot criticize Aston Kutcher for I really was worried and never quite saw him capable of transporting this character into the screen and out of the entire movie he was definitely the biggest surprise.
As a final analysis I have to state the obvious !! they didn't told his PIXAR story :( !! oh right... So, "Jobs" was just another mass media request that ended up badly with the reviews, also it stood with little publicity which I think definitely hurt the ratings. The movie isn't entirely awful and I didn't felt like falling asleep or anything but it had the potential to be something great and who knows award worthy...
★★★
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Title: Now You See Me
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo
Director: Louis Leterrier
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Summary: An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.
The first original of a certain director better be something to remember but should we praise the man who directs or the man who writes when there's such an inventive story?? Do you remember Inception the movie that defies laws of physics and the one everyone loves cause it expresses the impossible reality?? Well, that movie was ingeniously directed and written by the same Christopher Nolan. He was able to work with the story that was consistent till the end. With "Now You See Me" the potential of this amazing story was great until the second half of it, when it went downhill.
Four magicians got a card, they all meet in one place and they plan for a very long time the most impressive illusion of all and on top of it they have to deal with the law. I'm not getting into much detail because it is the short and curious synopsis that makes us want to see this movie. I agree that there should be a new genre that could characterize these "reality-challenging" movies other wise it gets really complicated to say what they were really made for. But let us get into detail and explain why I didn't starred this movie all the way.
I don't think that it was a terrible directing, in fact this is one of the best movies I've watched this year and the only one I desperately waited to come out but some suspense moments were not well designed and that would be my major critique. The screenplay: genius. I never thought MIB could become illusionists but I guess they did, the cleverness of it I guess ended with the finale. Sure, why not creating a story that will mess your mind and then end it by putting sense to everything??... No!! That's not, in my vision, how you freaking end a magicians movie, you don't explain the whole story, you (quite like mr. Nolan) end everything with a spinning pawn about to fall on a massive cliff hanger. You might have heard of the sequel, what's gonna happen?? A new enemy... About half way through I could picture the unexpected ending that would make me craving for more and going nuts, but no it didn't happen.
The performances of Jesse and Mark were quite good and compelling, then again wasn't Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) suppose to matter, I just saw something in the screenplay (yup I've read it) that I didn't see in the movie, if your gonna start with a BANG you better end with a BANG BANG.
As a final evaluation I'd say this movie is worth watching despite everything, I can guarantee you'll finish with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment but it'll not be the film of your life even though the trailer gives that away. It is entertaining.
Stars: ★★★★
Bu's Movie Blog has created a Film Club on Facebook. This club will give you suggestions every week of to be watched movies so you can keep up with some of our reviews. Join now! and like our official FB page here! We will be announcing every suggestion here as well!
THIS WEEK'S SUGGESTION....
Dogfight 1991
Summary: 1963, the night before the 18 years old "Birdlace" Eddie and his friends are shipped to Vietnam. They play a dirty game called 'Dogfight': all of them seek a woman for a party, and who finds the most ugly one, wins a prize. Eddie finds the lonesome pacifist Rose working in a coffee shop.
Director: Nancy Savoca
Writer: Bob Comfort
Stars: River Phoenix, Lili Taylor, Richard Panebianco
Dogfight 1991
Summary: 1963, the night before the 18 years old "Birdlace" Eddie and his friends are shipped to Vietnam. They play a dirty game called 'Dogfight': all of them seek a woman for a party, and who finds the most ugly one, wins a prize. Eddie finds the lonesome pacifist Rose working in a coffee shop.
Director: Nancy Savoca
Writer: Bob Comfort
Stars: River Phoenix, Lili Taylor, Richard Panebianco
Monday, September 2, 2013
Title: Pain & Gain
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie
Director: Michael Bay
Genre: Comedy, Action
Summary: A trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong. (IMDb)
Under the arms of director Michael Bay there wasn't many marketing strategies to promote this bad boy, not as much as Transformers and I don't know what it was but it looks to me like it worked. The fact that this wasn't a highly expected and huge movie franchise helped me not to get my hopes up when watching it therefore enjoying it a lot more too.
First let's start with synopsis, a guy, whose name gives the ultimate clue of his narcissism, Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) wants to excel in life and more than muscles he wants to have a lifestyle he can be proud of (or how he would put it "a big green lawn"). So he decides to create the ultimate strike, kidnap some drug dealer and diner owner and extort every single one of his goods. Lugo starts with assembling a team, Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) and ex-con and addict who recently turned to religion and Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) who needs money to fix his sterility problem. But, as it would be predictable everything goes wrong, the perfect plan turns into perfect stupidity and it would be another boring movie about a failed success if it wasn't for the fact that it is a true story. That means it happened the way it was shown and I tell you: do not look for the story before watching the movie it will kill the excitement, for this is truly a point where real life meets fiction.
As for filmmaking the eccentric Michael Bay did it right, he extracted the funny and silliness in the story transforming what isn't suppose to be that funny into a satire of bodybuilders. You will see graphics throughout the movie and colors everywhere, it is indeed a colorful film. Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson both deliver, the first one plays the ideal conceited, "think-I-am-very-smart" man with a head full of ideas but failed figure, the second one shows the weak link of the group in a way you've never seen before using the muscles to distract you from the character's compassion and vulnerability but yet ridiculous all the way.
I illustrated this review with the Soundtrack cover because the motion picture does have some good background to go with it. The true story aspect to it is what makes the movie worthy to be honest, it makes you think 'how could human beings do this?' and then you laugh, I give most of the credits to the screenplay, really strong and not cliché.
As a final evaluation I'd say this movie is worth watching, don't pass it on because you didn't like Transformers or because you just haven't heard enough good things, the reviews are mixed and there's no "just liking" this movie, there's either "hate it" or "loved it" and to me the second one fits.
Stars: ★★★★
What is the latest in Hollywood?? In this new segment we present to you your top ten most exciting news this month!!
1- Ben Affleck is the New Batman (Check our thoughts on it)
2 - One Direction rules Box Office (Check here)
3 - Harrison Ford flies in The Expendables 3??
The picture released recently shows Ford and Schwarzenegger together with the director Patrick Hughes on the set of the new movie in the Expendables saga, in case you haven't noticed Harrison's jacket has a rather Aviator feel to it. Just one of his personal outfits or is it a real movie costume we should look up to??
4 - James Spader to be the next target for the Earth's mightiest heroes in Avengers: Age of Ultron
Everyone had their expectations pointed to Paul Bettany a.k.a J.A.R.V.I.S. but Marvel surprised everyone with the announcement that James Spader would be playing (more like voicing) Ultron. You might have seen him in movies such as The Secretary and Lincoln.
Avengers: Age of Ultron arrives in theaters on May 1, 2015.
5 - Man of Steel 2 in Michigan
The sequel to Man of Steel will set in Michigan and it is to begin next year with director Zack Snyder. The production will be under the $131 million budget. Metro Detroit will be featured either as Metropolis or Gotham City. Let's see how the Wolverine deals with his new neighbors.
6 - Palo Alto
Another drama this time with James Franco and Emma Roberts directed by Gia Coppola. The movie is based on a collection of linked short stories by Franco and he plays a football coach with an unhealthy interest in teen babysitter Roberts. The movie debuted at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado last night and it does not yet have distribution.
7 - Bradley Cooper, the most handsome Raccoon in The Galaxy
Marvel has confirmed that Bradley Cooper has been cast as the voice of Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy, to premiere on August 1, 2014.
8 - Thor updates with new posters
9 - The two Worst and Best posters of the month
This month we're gonna give first and second place to, respectively, Gravity and Robert Redford's All is Lost. Posters do not reflect movies but they can reflect audiences and these two have a stunning visual impact.
For our bottom two we picked Chris Nelson's Ass Backwards poster and the 2013 The Contractor.
Reasons: One just seems silly even though I bet it's on propose, the other just has a bit of amateur feel to it. Then again, Posters do not reflect movies.
10 - Now you see me 2??
Louis Leterrier is known for his work in Unleashed, Transporter 2 and The Incredible Hulk all full of hard action. His Clash of the Titans also confirms that. This summer he got to do something different, an original script. The director confirms that after the success of Now you see me he is ready to continue the story on a second movie, but meanwhile you can buy the extended version of the first one in DVD and blu-ray.
At the end of the month, the Box Office is ruled by the boys of the moment. One Direction takes away the first place from Lee Daniels' The Butler who ruled the chart practically the entire month!!
| Rank | Title | Weekend | Gross | Weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | One Direction: This Is Us (2013) | $17M | $17M | 1 |
| 2 |  | Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013) | $14.7M | $74M | 3 |
| 3 |  | We're the Millers (2013) | $12.6M | $110M | 4 |
| 4 |  | Planes (2013) | $7.76M | $70.8M | 4 |
| 5 |  | Instructions not Included (2013) | $7.5M | $7.5M | 1 |
| 6 |  | Elysium (2013) | $6.3M | $78.4M | 4 |
| 7 |  | The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) | $5.2M | $22.7M | 2 |
| 8 |  | The World's End (2013) | $4.76M | $16.6M | 2 |
| 9 |  | Getaway (2013) | $4.5M | $4.5M | 1 |
| 10 |  | Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters (2013) | $4.42M | $55M | 4 |
Here is our Top 5 trailers for the month of August 2013:
Gravity (2013)
The latest Alfonso Cuarón's movie already has everyone's attention, you might know this director for movies like "Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban" or "Children of men" and he surprises every time starting with the trailer itself. The surprise came with the cast choice first, it really seems odd to see Sandra and George together in space, then it came with the cinematography... Man didn't this Teaser make you feel a bit claustrophobic???!!
Ender's Game (2013)
Released only a few months away from the premiere there's not much to say about it other than it reveals little of the story. Having personally loved it when I read the book I can only hope to see more than the great graphics the trailer demonstrates, we'll see...
Diana (2013)
Diana is one of the most iconic people that has ever existed and this movie being shown only a few weeks after her death's anniversary it is one of the most talked about trailers in the world having been translated to Several different languages. In your opinion does Naomi look like Diana?
Divergent (2014)
The mass making YA film productions seems to be growing everyday and fans around the world see their favorite books turn into visual products. We don't know for sure if this is going to be just another "Twilight" (tons of fans, pour on quality) or the next "Hunger Games" (tons of fans and tons of quality). We know for sure, however that Hollywood is starting to rely on a lot of books, where are the originals??
Vampire Academy (2014)
Yup, another one... What puts this trailer on our top is definitely the bad/good reviews... Are you a VA fan?? What did you think of the trailer?? My opinion: "Mean Girls" turns vampire, was this really the propose of the story??
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Although it is still pretty recent we gotta give it to Affleck, this month's "Bigger Boat"! My feelings for Affleck are still the same, he is an excellent actor and a good director (see the different grades of enthusiasm), if this came up right after "Good Will Hunting" I would have been on board with it 100 % but I have to say I'm still a bit skeptical towards the news. Not because I don't think he will deliver in his performance but because of the character itself. Bruce Wayne is supposed to be a reserved and serious character and Ben seems to have that awkward feeling of skinny and enthusiastic boy.
The truth is I wasn't very found of the latest DC Comics franchise, "Man of Steel" was just not quite there for me so I guess trusting in this director's point of view might be a bit difficult for me but everyone criticized Jennifer Lawrence when chosen to play Katniss and a year later she had an Oscar in her hands and millions of new fans. After all Affleck did beat the odds, he took "Argo" to the top and he kind of proved Hollywood wrong and I'm pretty sure that however this ends up it's gonna be in his favor. And he does have the support of his long time friend Matt Damon:
“I think it will be great. It will be terrific. I know there are a lot of people grousing on the Internet. I just think it's kind of funny. You know, he's not playing King Lear. It's Batman! Certainly within his skill set. If anybody saw Argo or The Town, and all the work he's been doing lately, it's way more nuanced and interesting and way more difficult than Batman! Batman just sits there with his cowl over his head and whispers in a kinda gruff voice at people. Bruce Wayne is the more challenging part of the role, and Ben will be great at that."
This week we bring the Top Five actors on the IMDb "STARmeter" and we give you the reasons
| 1 |  | Chloë Grace Moretz Chloë keeps on rising on the IMDb charts, she has held the Top five for several weeks now and has finally made it into number one, the reason for this (I must say) surprising leadership can be due to her new movie "Kick-Ass 2" which just premiered and has had and incredible success. Since the first one of the saga only reached the hearts of viewers after the DVD release, it is expected that everyone wants to know the continuation and the life of Hit-Girl after losing Nick Cage. | |
| 2 | | Lee Thompson Young This second place isn't hard to justify but unfortunately for the saddest reasons. This month the young actor that took the hearts of Disney fans and was now starring on "Rizzoli and Isles" took his life. Lee Thompson is in everyone's thoughts and his fans refuse to believe in the tragic news but we have to move one. RIP Lee. :( | |
| 3 | | Aaron Taylor-Johnson Another one of the heroes in the "Kick-Ass" franchise has made it to the Top 5 on IMBd "STARmeter". Aaron is winning hearts and protagonism having been confirmed as "The Avengers: The Age of Ultron" new cast addition as Quicksilver. Who knows maybe he does look like a superhero after all... | |
| 4 | | Ben Affleck Why would Ben Affleck be in number four?? Why, haven't you heard?? Batman!! What?? That's right Ben is now Batman, the news considered "scandalous" throughout the web confirm the participation of Ben Affleck in the next DC Comics franchise "Batman vs. Superman". Wait, what happened to Bale?? I guess for the "Man of Steel" and "300"'s director Zack Snyder a new Batman would make more sense... | |
| 5 |  | Jennifer Lawrence As you can see by the red arrow this lady as dropped some spots in the chart but no worries she has been in this list forever so I guess it's time to give her a rest or if you want a boost. Jennifer Lawrence is getting ready for the Catching Fire premiere with two "Grown-up" movies in the horizon too. She seems to be the perfect match for Bradley Cooper since the two of them count with "Serena" and "American Hustle" as upcoming successes. She has the Oscar and the Bradley, sorry Zoe it looks like you'll have to stick with Avatar... |
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Summary: Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
Director:
Sam MendesWriters:
Neal Purvis, Robert WadeStars:
Daniel Craig, Helen McCrory and Javier Bardem
Official Movie WebSite!
Bu's Review:
Official Movie WebSite!
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
IMDb: 8.5 stars!
Bu's Review:
As usual when it's time for credits the studios do not spare on a James Bond typical musical elaborated credits. It's been 50 years and Bond movies adapt to what they have in terms of resources and special effects and I guess this time, throughout the movie, you do not see much of it even though they could have perfectly made some very complicated gadgets without making them look stupid, they did not. I guess it's all about the feeling now, the sarcasm and the story of the character. James Bond is no long just another cool spy but the writers (Neal Purvis, Robert Wade) were able to give this character an interesting background exploring everything they had on it without making the story just about that.
There was no special Bond girl and the love scenes are all very superficial. There are some interesting twists along the plot that make you sigh about the happened but I must say I am very surprise about Javier Bardem's performance, he grabbed a character that is supposedly a big criminal with a private island and he gave it a context of suffer that felt sorry for...
On Daniel Craig, the feedback on either he was a good Bond was very criticized at first, but I guess that with "Skyfall" on your DVD shelf all those claims will fade. Of course it's always bad to see M leave but both the character and the actress needed a break, the truth is, if you think about it, while Mr. Bond is always in shape M grows older movie after movie and baring that in mind I guess it was a good decision for the next 50 years! "Skyfall" is a must see for all Bond fans and it leaves good memories behind, I wouldn't be surprised if it was among Bond's best five!
★★★★ - Bu Loved it!
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