tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77382887742448928862024-02-06T20:29:21.308-08:00Stoned Horror CritictheStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-45066856397021588982012-09-26T19:42:00.000-07:002012-09-26T19:42:14.338-07:00From Cable, With Love: Shitty SequelsThis month I was featured as a contributor on my good friend Freddie Young's site, <a href="http://www.fullmoonreviews.net/">Full Moon Reviews</a>, as part of his Sequel September series. A very awesome man with a very awesome site, and one of the people without whom I would never have made this site of my own.<br />
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This is basically a prototype, test episode for a series I plan on doing called From Cable, With Love. The series will basically be scripted, out-of-character reviews of genre films I watched on cable growing up, some good and some bad, and ALL cheesy.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="510" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYOEsloA.html?p=1" width="640"></iframe><embed src="http://a.blip.tv/api.swf#AYOEsloA" style="display: none;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-51109997672974743522012-09-23T18:31:00.000-07:002012-09-23T18:31:00.817-07:00My Thoughts On Doctor Who, Season 7 (so far)In which I talk for way too long.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iwcRu5RUp-E" width="560"></iframe>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-15842124077822114312012-08-30T17:42:00.003-07:002012-08-30T17:42:26.825-07:00A Serbian FilmBecause why not.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="510" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYOB8jkA.html?p=1" width="640"></iframe><embed src="http://a.blip.tv/api.swf#AYOB8jkA" style="display: none;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-32952585020912261662012-08-24T16:58:00.000-07:002012-08-24T16:58:43.807-07:00SpideyCast- UndertonesThis week I was a guest on by good buddy Joel Terrero's (one of my super sexy co-hosts on The Haunting) personal podcast SpideyCast. Things get progressively more homoerotic as it progresses.<br />
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DISCLAIMER: Due to some issues with Skype being difficult, I couldn't hear some of what Joel was saying during the beginning, and hence interrupted him a few times on accident. So just so you know, it wasn't me being a dick. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://archive.org/details/SpideycastEpisode13Undertones">Click here</a>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-2608710478893773832012-08-18T20:57:00.001-07:002012-08-18T20:57:51.659-07:00FlatlinersThis is the new Midnite Movies series, after I returned from my one-year creative
hiatus and had a clear vision with what I wanted to do with Midnite
Movies, and the Stoned Horror Critic character. Essentially. the SHC is a
failed film critic (a parody of Armand White, actually), who after
being laughed out of Cannes and Sundance is forced to be the host of an
online riff show, where he reluctantly reviews and blasts cult films,
usually of the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres. I bring alot of
comedic/non-comedic influences to the character, particularly the MST3K
gang, The Cinema Snob, my old buddy The Angry Movie Critic (long gone
from the internet, sadly), Blackadder, Bill Murray, and just a little
Michael Ironside. Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="510" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYOBlHsA.html?p=1" width="640"></iframe><embed src="http://a.blip.tv/api.swf#AYOBlHsA" style="display: none;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-23168592950651401232012-08-06T22:33:00.001-07:002012-08-06T22:33:30.508-07:00The Haunting- Zombies, Presidents and BatmanThe Haunting is a podcast I co-host with Fred and Joel from <a href="http://www.webofcinema.com/">Web Of Cinema</a>, where we discuss all things horror-related and supernatural. We've been on hiatus for a while, but now we return this week. Tonight we discuss plans for the zombie apocalypse, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and The Dark Knight Rises.<br />
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<a href="http://archive.org/details/TheHauntingEpisode10">Click here</a>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-90405524477319004702012-08-06T20:01:00.000-07:002012-08-06T20:01:07.100-07:00Top 10 Best Movies of 2011A little late with this, but here we go.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYOAiXIA.html?p=1" width="320"></iframe><embed src="http://a.blip.tv/api.swf#AYOAiXIA" style="display: none;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-48887191751019467332012-08-03T03:46:00.004-07:002012-08-03T03:46:52.802-07:00My Top 30 Favourite Movies, Part 2The List 2: Die Harder<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="510" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYL_3nsA.html?p=1" width="640"></iframe><embed src="http://a.blip.tv/api.swf#AYL_3nsA" style="display: none;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-89059170792911594402012-08-03T03:45:00.002-07:002012-08-03T03:47:04.609-07:00My Top 30 Favourite Movies, Part 1List-Man Begins<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="510" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYLdjTsA.html?p=1" width="640"></iframe><embed src="http://a.blip.tv/api.swf#AYLdjTsA" style="display: none;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-19771287138012824752012-02-25T21:48:00.002-08:002012-02-25T22:51:40.653-08:00Written Review: The Woman In Black (2012)Directed by: James Watkins<br /><br />Starring: Daniel Radcliffe<br /> Ciaran Hinds<br /> Janet McTeer<br /><br />Genre: Supernatural Horror/Suspense Thriller<br /><br /> I've never made it a secret that I can't stand modern horror. Between the endless remakes and bastardizations of beloved franchises (I'm looking at you, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hellraiser: Revelations</span>), this genre that was once my first cinematic love has been reduced to a shadow of its former self. However, in recent years there have been some slight improvements; 2010 was a particularly decent year in horror, between <span style="font-style: italic;">Let Me In </span>(which I listed as one of the 10 best films of that year), <span style="font-style: italic;">The Crazies, </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Predators</span>. This brings me to the subject of today's review, James Watkins' marvelous supernatural thriller <span style="font-style: italic;">The Woman In Black</span>.<br /><br /> This is a film that I've been looking forward to for quite some time, ever since hearing about Daniel Radcliffe's casting. I've gone on record saying that Radcliffe is one of the most talented young actors of this generation (that, and he's a guy I would love to just hang out with...seriously, he's just a really cool dude), so I was naturally psyched when it was announced that his first post-Potter project would be a ghost film. However, tragedy struck when the film literally <span style="font-style: italic;">wasn't playing fucking anywhere near me</span>. I was just about to give up and say "Fuck it, I'll wait for the DVD"; just then, my wonderful girlfriend (being the awesome person she is) sent me a link to a site that was streaming the movie for free (internet piracy lives on!). So without any further adieu, here is my review for <span style="font-style: italic;">The Woman In Black</span>.<br /><br /> To start off, the script and atmosphere in this film is absolutely perfect. The scare tactics are completely traditional, harkening back to classic Hammer horror films with little gore, atmospheric settings, and palpable suspense-driven scares. There's a fantastic portion of the movie that lasts for a good 20 or 30 minutes where it's essentially a one-man show, with Radcliffe alone in the house, and it's legitimately frightening, which is something I rarely find myself saying about modern horror films, particularly ones rated PG-13. The film also has a clear inspiration from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Others</span>, another fantastic supernatural suspense thriller, and uses this inspiration with perfection. James Watkins, a relatively unknown director, was able to take directorial cues from both that film and classic Hammer films to deliver a modern ghost tale with apperant ease.<br /><br /> But it wouldn't be the film it is without the performances, most notably Daniel Radcliffe's. Radcliffe is the glue that hold the film together; at first he seems a tad too young for the role (his character has a 3 year old kid, and he still sounds like a teenager), but his performance is so convincing, so raw, that it makes you look past it almost immediately. This character is a complete 180 from playing Harry Potter; Arthur Kipps is a very tragic character, a depressed widower trying to piece his life together by holding on to the one last string of joy he has: his son. Radcliffe apperently met with people who suffered from depression to prepare himself for this role, and it really does show in his performance. He portrays depression so realistically, so convincingly, it makes you want to actually find him in real life and give him a "feel better" hug. Ciaran Hinds also gives a delightful performance as always, giving true emotion and depth to a character that easily could have been written off as bland and stockish.<br /><br /> Overall, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Woman In Black</span> is a marvelous horror film, and a welcome sendback to the days of horror when ghost films were more than soulless cash-cows. Hopefully this will be a wake-up call for studios to put more stock into traditional horror films with actual substance; if not, then this will be remembered as a sole becon of light in an otherwise forgettable age for the horror genre.theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-58095003694909837812011-08-23T22:37:00.000-07:002011-08-23T23:10:24.519-07:00And the Horror Blog Award Goes to...Well, yesterday I did my not-so-routine check up on the site, and noticed that my esteemed reader Kyle Scott gave me the Horror Blogger award. I am, of course, very grateful to for this, and especially grateful that there's even some love in the blogger community for me, a man who wrote probabely the most retarded "Transformers 3" review of all time.
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<br />As this involves "passing the torch", so to speak, I would like to list some of my fellow bloggers who are obviously much more talented than I. So without further adieu...um...(insert half-assed transition here).
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<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Gratefully accept this award
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<br /></span></span>As<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>stated<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>above, I'm incredibley grateful for this award. I'd like to thank my fellow bloggers, family, and my crabby neighbor Old Man Johnson...I'm going to burn your lawn...Thanks you all!<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">
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<br />2. Link the person who gave it to you
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<br /><a href="http://thehorrorhotel.blogspot.com/">Horror Hotel </a></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></span></span>Thanks man!<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">
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<br />3. Post 3 interesting facts about yourself
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<br /><span><span><span><span>1) My five favourite movies are Clerks (the movie that made me realize I could be a filmmaker), Halloween, the Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction, and Akira.
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<br />2) My biggest influences as a writer/director are Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, and Shinichiro Watanabe.
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<br />3) My birthday is also the day Hitler died and the day Osama Bin Laden was shot. I think this means I'm The Chosen One.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">
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<br />4. Pass this award around to at least 5 blogs you dig
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<br />1. <a href="http://www.fullmoonreviews.net/">Full Moon Reviews</a>
<br />2. <a href="http://www.disturbingentertainment.blogspot.com/">Disturbing Entertainment</a>
<br />3. <a href="http://www.atopfourthwall.blogspot.com/">Atop the Fourth Wall</a>
<br />4. <a href="http://www.tcwreviews.com/">TCW Reviews</a>
<br />5. <a href="http://www.thecinemasnob.com/">The Cinema Snob </a></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(I know, I cheated)
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<br /></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span></span></span>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-22120253004241050882011-08-09T19:46:00.000-07:002011-08-09T22:46:14.762-07:00Mischief Managed: A Review of The Deathly Hallows Part 2, and a Look Back on the Harry Potter Franchise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELaNNXrLyURaZMVMYfcXRnnaJQvUj_hkXU9NgD8CEjKnRTYIMi7VsZC_tWaYyLWYEMg27sS9HI3S4tX6biEA-X4TYFU_2JzxDbG3C93Y9K9MM7O8ck5gL3k9gtwKZir_2JJqnnu1-MAMn/s1600/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-ii-movie-poster-1020540377.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELaNNXrLyURaZMVMYfcXRnnaJQvUj_hkXU9NgD8CEjKnRTYIMi7VsZC_tWaYyLWYEMg27sS9HI3S4tX6biEA-X4TYFU_2JzxDbG3C93Y9K9MM7O8ck5gL3k9gtwKZir_2JJqnnu1-MAMn/s320/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-ii-movie-poster-1020540377.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639054287663571090" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part 2</span>
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<br />Directed by: David Yates
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<br />Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Micheal Gambon, Raplh Fiennes, Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, James and Oliver Phelps, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman
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<br />Year: 2011
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<br />Genre: Fantasy/Action
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<br />Score: 5/5
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<br /> As some of you may know, I'm a massive Harry Potter fan. It's still my favourite book series, and seeing the movies several times in theatres has been a tradition of mine ever since I saw <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Sorceror's Stone</span> back in 2001. While I would normally just do a traditional review, I feel like this is too important for that; like it deserves something more. Harry Potter has been an instrumental part of my life and childhood, and I wanted to do something different as a tribute to the series' end. So instead of simply talking about the film's acting, direction, et cetera, I'm going to do a reflection, or a look back, on the entire Potter series (books and movies), and how they've impacted my life, and then end it with a review of the final movie.
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<br /> I suppose the logical place to start is the books, considering they were the start of this whole phenomenon. As I've stated above, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Harry Potter</span></span> is my favourite book series to this day, and for a number of reasons. Despite the many books I have read and enjoyed (the many <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Star Wars</span></span> books, <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ender's Game</span></span>, the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Series of Unfortunate Events</span></span> books, the <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Charlie Bone </span></span>series), none of them have had characters that I've felt so connected to as the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Potter</span></span> characters; after reading these books my entire life and essentially growing up with them, it almost feels like I knew these characters personally. Every time I turn a page, or start to re-read one of the books, I feel like I'm reunited with old friends. Another reason why I like them so much is, well, they pretty much taught me to read. Now, mind you, I've been reading comic books since I was around 4 years old, but <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone </span></span>was the very first full-length novel that I ever read, and I was engrossed in it from the start. Of course, I was actually a Potter fan before I even started reading them; I used to listen to the books-on-tape of the first one all the time before I knew how to read, and that's why to this day I always picture Jim Dale's voice in my head when I read the books.
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<br /> I first read <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone</span></span> when I was six years old, and fell in love with the series from the start. While not my favourite <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Potter</span></span> book, it was the book that made me a reader and a die-hard fan, and I still get a chill of nostalgia when I pick it up and read that first chapter, the first chapter of a book I ever read. The follow-up, <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</span></span>, is probabely the book I read the least in the series (mainly do to the fact I misplaced my copy many years ago), but I love in nonetheless. The elements of horror and suspense JK Rowling put into it always resonated with me, a life-long horror fan, and I hope to find my copy so I can re-read it soon. The third book, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban </span></span>(my second-favourite book in the series), is the first book that I found really emotionally gripping, so much so that I felt genuine sadness many times while reading it; that's the mark of a truly brilliant writer. After that came <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</span></span>, which is by far my favourite book in the series. The inclusion of the Triwizard Tournament made it a very fun read, it introduced one of my favourite characters (Mad-Eye Moody) and the ending where Voldemort returns and duels with Harry as the ghosts of his parents appear is still my favourite moment in the series. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</span></span>, the fifth (and longest) book, is a very enjoyable read, but there are definately some very dull moments...but of course, you're bound to come across that when your book is well over 800 pages. The sixth book<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">,</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</span></span>, was certainly an improvement over the fifth book, and focused much more on character development and Tom Riddle's (Voldemort's) past, which made it a very interesting read, and my third-favourite book. Then, of course, came <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</span></span>, the seventh and final book in this fantastic series. Reading this was a very bittersweet experiance for me. While it was an entertaining and engrossing read, like all the other books, the fact that it was the last installment in the series made me quite sad, sad to know that there would never be a time where I would find myself looking forward to another <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Potter</span></span> book premiere. Sad to know that there would never be another moment of me begging my parents to rush me to the nearest book store so I can get the new adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermoine. But mostly, it felt like I was saying a long, slow, sad goodbye to old friends, friends that I had known all my life. As I read on and reached the final chapter of the book, and read those last few words: "<span style="font-style: italic;">All is well", </span>I found something very odd indeed fall onto the page: a single tear. It was an emotional moment, knowing that this was the last time I would see of these characters I had become so attached to. "Oh well," I thought, "At least I still have the movies to look forward to." Which brings us to said movies.
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<br /> As I stated earlier, seeing the movies several times in theatres has become a bit of a tradition to me, ever since I saw <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Sorceror's Stone </span></span>when I was six years old. It was a feeling of relief, going back every year or so to see these characters again, to be engrossed in that magical world. Before the premiere of the last movie, I decided to re-watch the entire series again, so I can share my opinions of the franchise as a whole. The first film, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sorceror's Stone</span></span>, was directed by Chris Columbus and released in 2001, shortly after I started reading the book for the first time. And I was astounded at how well they translated it from book to screen, particularly with the actors. I thought the casting of Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasely, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger were some of the most perfect casting choices since Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins. These actors looked exactly like how I pictured them to look when I read the book, the only difference being that Daniel Radcliffe has blue eyes (not unlike my own), while Harry Potter was always described as having his mother's bright green eyes. But really, that's only a minor complaint. Other casting choices, like Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape, Maggie Smith as Professor McGonnagal, and the late, great Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore were absolutely spot-on, and one of the many reasons why I think that one of the best attributes of this franchise is the casting (seriously, whoever the casting director was is a genius). It remains a childhood favourite of mine, and one that I can watch again and again without getting tired of it.
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<br /> I was actually in for a nice treat in 2002 when I went to see <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Chamber of Secrets</span></span> with my family. We had gotten advanced passes, and were able to see it the day before it premiered. My god, what a great experiance that was. I'm one of the people who consider this to be better than it's predecessor, mainly due to the fact that it got the book's horror atmosphere down perfectly (the voice they used for the Basilisk was especially creepy). In addition to that, the casting of Kenneth Branagh (an excellent actor and pretty good director) as Gilderoy Lockhart was spot-on, and the portrayal of Dobby the House Elf was perfect. The aftermath of the film's release, however, was paved with tragedy. Acting legend Richard Harris, who had portrayed Albus Dumbledore so memorably, has passed away. In addition, Chris Columbus (director of the first two movies) left the franchise due to Harris' death and the stressful shooting schedule, saying "I had a wonderful time working with this cast and crew, but it got to the point where I barely had time to brush my teeth in the morning". The series' future was then cast into doubt.
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<br /> In 2004, the franchise bounced back with <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Prisoner of Azkaban, </span></span>which is in my opinion the best film in the entire series. The new director was Alfonso Cuaron, who was most well-known for his sexually explicit film <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Y tu, Mama Tambien</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">, </span>and additions to the cast included Micheal Gambon, replacing Richard Harris as Dumbledore, Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, and David Thewlis, giving the film's best performance as Professor Remus Lupin. Like the book, the film is emotionally driven, but the thing Cuaron did best was translating the book's creepy atmosphere. The highlight was definately the film's climax, which involved a werewolf and time-travel. Sadly, this was the only <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Potter </span></span>film Alfonso Cuaron directed, but he left his mark on the series by making the best film.
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<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Goblet of Fire</span></span>, directed by Mike Newell, was released in 2005, and this was definately the one I was most looking forward to, given that it was my favourite book. While the film wasn't as good as <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Prisoner of Azkaban</span></span>, and it left out ALOT from the book, I actually find it to be the one with the most re-watch value. For some reason, this always tends to be the one that I can watch over and over again the most, and for a number of reasons. For one, the film has two fantastic additions to the cast: Brendan Gleeson, who was hilarious as Mad-Eye Moody, and David Tennant as Barty Crouch, Jr. (who was one of my favourite actors in the movie). Now, being a massive fan of Doctor Who, I was already a big David Tennant fan. In fact, he's by far my favourite Doctor, as well as my second favourite actor, so his presence in the movie is enough to give the movie a re-watch value.
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<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Order of the Phoenix </span></span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Half-Blood Prince</span></span>, both directed by David Yates, are my least favourite films in the series, but I do like <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Prince </span></span>alot as it's own movie. While it left out alot from the book (the epic battle at Hogwarts from the book is completely dropped from the movie), I love how it's completely driven by the actors. By far the most well-acted installment in the series, it has a particularly great performance by Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, who's emotional breakdown at the end of the movie is incredibley moving. This is also well-known as the movie where Dumbledore dies, a scene which is also done with great care. However, these two are the most forgettable in the series, but still solid films. In 2010, <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Deathly Hallows, Part 1 </span></span>was released, this time still directed by David Yates (the only <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Potter </span></span>director who's helmed more than two installments). A vast improvement over the last two, this film was very slow-paced, and focused more on character development. While this was a very good adaptation of the first half of the book, I wish they could have included the subplot about Rita Skeeter's inflammatory biography of Dumbledore. But either way, they included all the important plot elements, and Dobby's death was done spectacularly (with an outstanding performance by Daniel Radcliffe), so I have no real complaints.
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<br /> So now we finally get to the review of <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part 2</span></span>. Better than <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Goblet</span></span>, but not as good as <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Azkaban</span></span>, this is certainly one of the best films of the series, and done perfectly (although they left out some things that I was hoping they wouldn't). First, I'll get the negative aspects out of the way so I can focus more of the positive. The only real dissapointment I had was that they didn't show Fred Weasley's death. I know that seems odd, given that he and George were my favourite characters, but I feel like they should have done the character justice and made his death just as epic as it was in the books: Heroically fighting off several Death Eaters at once, he makes one final joke, and is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange; his body falls to the ground, and the camera pans up showing "<span style="font-style: italic;">The ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face</span>" (as written in the book). Other than that one complaint, though, they really handled this movie perfectly. Between Neville being a complete badass (honestly, he's one of the best things about the movie), Mrs. Weasley killing Bellatrix (saying her famous line from the book), and Harry and Voldemort's epic fight scene, it was a real blast watching the movie. But the best scene, by far, is when Snape is killed, and Harry goes into the Pensieve and sees his memories; they reveal that Snape wasn't a cold-hearted monster who hated Harry, but that he was actually had an unrequited love for Harry's mother Lily, and that he killed Dumbledore because Dumbledore ordered him to. This scene was done <span style="font-style: italic;">perfectly</span>, and actually started to get me choked up; and when it shows Snape finding Lily Potter's corpse, I full on cried. Not many movies make me do that (the last one I remember doing that to me was <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chasing Amy</span></span>), so I award major props to David Yates for making those scenes as emotional as they needed to be. Overall, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part 2 </span></span>is a perfect end to a great series, and almost like a chapter of my own life ending. It's sad to know that there will never be another <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Potter</span></span> book or movie, but it gives me great joy to see both the book series and the movie franchise ending on high notes.
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<br /> <span style="font-style: italic;">All Is Well</span>
<br />theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-56339878215667611012011-07-03T21:35:00.000-07:002011-07-04T00:04:27.621-07:00Written Review/Rant: Transformers 3 (2011)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_yQSmeyDppv0-LfDp7BS7G0haynwxv9rCYeBO_B_znlKShb9tyW-2uW-ORfrYHsHp1Igje8Rc5F0p8otOBmkwwUrW8smCR0xg5koqny08XwArVqYTbx2LJz2KScKH1uFF8Yej-HHlBI8/s1600/transformers-3-demotivational-poster-1279805738.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_yQSmeyDppv0-LfDp7BS7G0haynwxv9rCYeBO_B_znlKShb9tyW-2uW-ORfrYHsHp1Igje8Rc5F0p8otOBmkwwUrW8smCR0xg5koqny08XwArVqYTbx2LJz2KScKH1uFF8Yej-HHlBI8/s320/transformers-3-demotivational-poster-1279805738.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625352069663883698" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Transvestites 3: Crack of the Ass (2011)<br /><br />Directed by (if you can call it "direction"): </span>Micheal Bay (UGH!)<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Written by (HAHA what a joke): </span>Ehrin Kruger (unfortunately)<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Starring (sadly): </span>Shia La-Butt-Fuck, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Alan Tudyk, Frances McDormand, Peter Cullen, Leonard Nimoy, Hugo Weaving, Ken Jeong<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rating: </span>-10/4<br /><br /><br /> You know, I was really on a roll for a while. For a good long period, I've been enjoying all the movies that I've been seeing in theatres. Sure, the beginning of the year sucked, but in recent months things have been picking up. "Insidious", "X-Men: First Class", and "Super 8" were all fantastic, and hell, I even laughed at "Hangover Part 2" and enjoyed "The Green Lantern" more than most people. Honestly, for a while, I felt that the year was truly beginning to pick up and churn out some good quality flicks.<br /><br />And then I saw "Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon".<br /><br /> I'm going to start this article off by saying this is not going to resemble much of a review. It's not going to be formatted in the same way my other written reviews are. Hell, it's more of a rant than a review. So I apologize beforehand for the fact that this is going to be a very unorganized, VERY angry review...er, rant.<br /><br /> Let me start off by saying: fuck Micheal Bay. Fuck him. Fuck his amateur filming style, fuck his juvenile 4th-grader sense of humor, and fuck him with all the money that he's probabely bathing naked in right now, as you're reading this. This man has basically built a career around shit, low standards, and insulting your intelligence. The man hasn't made one single watchable movie since "The Rock" and "Bad Boys", and those movies were cool because of the actors, not the direction (which was kinda crappy). I don't think I have ever come across a filmaker that I have despised so much as Bay, and I truly hope he dies in a fire made out of AIDS and nightmares.<br /><br /> Now it's not bad enough that this movie is directed by the Anti-Christ of Filmmaking, but it's written by the worst screenwriter I have EVER come across in all my years: Ehrin Kruger...Ehrin "I ruined <span style="font-style: italic;">Blood & Chocolate</span>" Kruger. I could write long droning parables about how much I despise this man and all he has worked on, but I won't. Not because I'm trying to be nice to him by sparing a complete bashing of all he has worked for, but because I'm fairly positive that however long my ranting about Ehrin Kruger is, it would not describe one tenth of the immense boiling hatred I feel toward this man's "work". So I'll simply state this: He's the guy who wrote "Scream 3" and "Transformers 2"! Oh yeah, AND he ruined <span style="font-style: italic;">Blood & Chocolate</span> (a GREAT book) by writing that god-awful straight-to-DVD movie from last year. The only good movie this man ever worked on was "Reindeer Games", and I enjoy that movie because of Ben Affleck, NOT because of the fucking script. That should say all you need to hear about Ehrin Kruger.<br /><br /> Now, I WILL say there are some positive things about the movie...and by "some", I mean one and a half. First off, Optimus Prime is AWESOME in it. He gets more screentime this time around than "Revenge of the Shitten", and is pretty damn badass to boot. The other good thing is that Megan Fox was booted off the movie (thanks to Spielberg), and so she isn't here to annoy the ever-smelly piss out of you this time around. Now the reason I say "one and a half" is because the actress who replaces Fox is also a god-awful insult to thespians everywhere...but she's slightly better at acting than Fox is (she actually CHANGES EXPRESSIONS...more than once!), so it's a SLIGHT improvement. But those are the only two decent things about "Transformers 3". Or rather, the only miniscule glimmers of sunlight on a particularly raw and painful turd, a turd that is just as painful to look at as it was to shat into existence. But now we must move on to the particularly god-awful things about this turd.<br /><br /> I find it rather ironic that in a movie called "TRANSFORMERS", the Transformers themselves are basically sidekicks to these fucking useless, horribly-written human characters. Seriously, the Transformers are supporting characters in THEIR OWN BLOODY MOVIE. Optimus Prime and Sentinel Prime are the only two Transformers that are treated as large characters and don't annoy the living piss out of you. Other than that, Megatron (who was a GREAT villain in the show) is basically there to bitch and is more wasted in this movie than he was in "Transformers 2" (which, by the way, is the worse movie I have ever seen in my life), Starscream (who was probabely the best and most developed Decepticon in the show) has barely two lines of dialogue, and the rest of the Decepticons...shit, there were other Decepticons? I'm sorry, it's hard for me too tell given that they <span style="font-weight: bold;">don't do dick <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">in this piece of ass. </span></span></span>And the Autobots are not treated any better. Bumblebee annoyed me in the first two movies, and it's the same deal here. Actually, ALL of the Autobots are annoying in this movie (except Prime...Prime rocks). I'll give the film credit that they got rid of those god-awful black racist stereotype twin Transformers from the last movie, but the character they replaced them with is a rip-off of Beavis from "Beavis & Butthead" and is just as annoying as the twins. In fact, the only difference is he's not a racist stereotype. The Transformers are basically shafted in <span style="font-weight: bold;">their own goddamn movie</span> so the focus can be put on these god-awful human characters, which is a shame, since all the good parts of the franchise come from the Transformers (NOT the humans), and any scene that vaguely displays emotion involve the Transformers (NOT the humans).<br /><br /> Also, I'm sure I wouldn't hate the human characters if they weren't so goddamn annoying. Shia La-Butt-Fuck's character seems to be in the movie for the sole purpose of bitching, bitching, bitching about how "his life sucks" (despite the fact he's banging his super-hot, not-Megan-Fox girlfriend) and how "he was a hero". Bullshit! He didn't do dick in the first movie, he didn't do dick in the second movie, and he sure as shit didn't do dick in this movie! Oh yeah, and his fucking parents are back AGAIN, and they're soooo funny (note the sarcasm). John Turturro, a FANTASTIC actor who's talent is wasted in these movies, is also back, and his character's still an annoying prick, although he's still not as annoying as Shia LaBitch's character. Another fine actor who is wasted in this movie is Alan Tudyk, who plays the tolken gay stereotype that has to unnecessarily appear in <span style="font-weight: bold;">every goddamn movie Micheal Bay ever makes</span>. Seriously Bay, you have Wash from fucking "Firefly" in your movie! Don't waste him like that!<br /><br /> I'm gonna stop talking before an embolism pops in my brain, but before I go, I'm just going to say that Micheal Bay also invokes images of 9/11, Chernobyl, and the fucking Challenger explosion in this movie! Yeah, real classy, dick-head.<br /><br /> Anyway, don't go wasting your money on this piece of ass. If you're curious, do what I did and find a bootleg online, don't give Micheal Bay any more money to spend for "Transformers 4: Three 'Bots and a Baby".theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-17817503783831389342011-06-29T19:57:00.000-07:002011-06-30T15:37:08.613-07:00Written Review: Super 8 (2011)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGVLW_uyiQYX-KY9aFP_dr1MYRCupjAEzE-PW97tEj2gtPQ_GM51PCWPENP3RBJPc1yN9oX653S7IVJUlSbJMD4cLU3gSsEU9DHBspOvpHe-OroMfCflEfppjW1fP79mkNGUhnzgXQ3f7/s1600/Super+8+New+Poster.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGVLW_uyiQYX-KY9aFP_dr1MYRCupjAEzE-PW97tEj2gtPQ_GM51PCWPENP3RBJPc1yN9oX653S7IVJUlSbJMD4cLU3gSsEU9DHBspOvpHe-OroMfCflEfppjW1fP79mkNGUhnzgXQ3f7/s320/Super+8+New+Poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623842651926553698" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Super 8<br /><br /></span>Director: JJ Abrams<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>Written by: JJ Abrams<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span><span><span>S</span></span></span>tarring: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Ryley Griffiths, <span><span><span>Ryan Lee, Gabriel Basso, Zach Mills, Kyle Chandler, Bruce Greenwood<br /><br /><br />Year: 2011<br /><br />Score: 4/4<br /><br /><br /> Every year, there is always one film that you know will go on to be a classic, a film that will, in years to come, be looked back on as one of the defining movies of its generation. In '08, we had "The Dark Knight". In '09, we had "500 Days of Summer" (that movie has some of the most original and artistic directorial work I've seen in YEARS). Last year, we had "Inception" (which I consider to be this generation's "Blade Runner"). And now, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this year, in 2011, that movie is "Super 8". Today, I was planning on writing my review of "The Green Lantern" (which will most likely be up tomorrow), but after coming back from seeing this movie, I knew I HAD to write a review. This is one of those movies where after viewing it, I felt I couldn't resist talking about it; in short, this is a movie people NEED to see.<br /><br /> I'm going to start this review out by saying that I think JJ Abrams is this generation's Steven Spielberg; and I don't mean the new Spielberg that only really produces, I mean the old classic Spielberg. The brilliant man who's imagination seemed to know no end. The man who gave us "The Goonies", "Jaws", "Jurassic Park", and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (all of which are some of my favourite movies of all time). Spielberg's movies have pretty much shaped my childhood, and he's one of the four directors who made me want to be a filmmaker (the other three being Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, and George Lucas). As JJ Abrams kept churning out true quality movies and TV shows, I found myself becoming a bigger and bigger fan. "Alias" was an absolutely fantastic TV show that had me hooked from the start, "Lost" was great during the first season (although I pretty much gave up on it after the second), "Cloverfield" was one of the best monster movies I've ever seen, "Mission: Impossible 3" is in my opinion the best M:I movie by far, and "Star Trek" was one of my favourite movies of 2009 (a FAR better sci-fi flick than both "Avatar" and "District 9"). However, I think "Super 8" is his best work, by a mile. The directorial style and atmosphere of the movie is so reminiscent of Spielberg's early work (particularly "The Goonies"), that I feel like I'm a small child again, being captivated by a movie in a way I haven't been since I first saw "Jaws" and "Star Wars" as a kid. That's a feeling that I don't get often, and because he was able to get that emotional reaction out of me, Abrams has officially found himself to be one of my favourite directors.<br /><br /> The script is nothing short of spectacular. The dialogue is crisp, intelligent, and believable. The narrative flows perfectly, taking time for us to get invested in the main characters before it wraps up. The quality of writing that was put into this movie is nothing short of amazing, and I can't think of any other movie this year that has moved me to happiness, to suspense, to laughter, and nearly to tears in the span of about 2 hours. The last movie that did that so effectively for me is "Chasing Amy", and let me say that holding "Super 8" on the same pedestal is a VERY high compliment that I rarely give.<br /><br /> Now we get to one of the best things about the film: the acting. Specifically, the acting from the main kids. I really do hope to see these kids in more movies after this, because their performances were nothing short of amazing. They all had great chemistry together (so good, that you really believe they've been friends their whole life). The way these kids work together is actually one of the main reasons why I consider this movie to be "The Goonies" of this generation. While all the kids do a fantastic job, the top three were definately Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, and Riley Griffiths. Courtney displays an immense talent for acting here, often times out-acting the adults who are on screen with him. Griffiths has great comedic timing and wit that you don't see in alot of kid actors these days, yet also brings with him a great commanding presence that even some adult actors don't quite have. The person who really steals the show, however, is Elle Fanning (yes, Dakota Fanning's sister). Fanning absolutely steals every scene she's in, and brings out most of the emotional highlights of the movie. I hope to see her in more stuff like this, because based on what I saw here, she might be an even better actress than her older sister (not to mention she's one of the cutest blondes I've ever seen).<br /><br /> The adult actors are also fantastic. Kyle Chandler is probabely the best of the adults as Jackson, the hero of the movie (not the main character, but in many ways the hero). He shows great range and talent while playing a very three-dimensional character. At times you hate him for being too hard on his son for hanging out with Elle Fanning's character, and yet at times you feel great sympathy for him as he goes to great lengths to save his son and his town. That's the mark of a great performance right there, and the scene where he finally has a conversation with the man who is responsible for his wife's death is one of the most thoughtful and moving scenes of the film. As for the other actors, Bruce Greenwood is a delight (as always) to see, and Noel Emmerich plays a great villain. Overall, the acting couldn't have been better.<br /><br /> Overall, "Super 8" has officially replaced "X-Men: First Class" as my favourite movie of the year. Everything about this movie is executed perfectly, and also has great nostalgia value for me, since I used to make alot of super 8 films growing up. This is a movie that you absolutely cannot pass up the opportunity to see, it's an entertaining and emotional experience that will most likely stick with you long after leaving the theatre.<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-30211876370942955232011-06-05T18:09:00.000-07:002011-06-05T18:51:01.655-07:00Written Review: X-Men First Class (2011) ....SPOILERS!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwVoT7RV0QB4uOpr3KzgcOJf07PfUBA_iyoGeA5fP3K3qx0LlP6C5JXydZl1LlofulsP1nObUsp36Z-stg-OjJvlmZPw19Lyux90TLaGBBmgwXjHecYS_686keLzTZABkpp_GXmJh_Wou/s1600/download-x-men-first-class-movie-2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwVoT7RV0QB4uOpr3KzgcOJf07PfUBA_iyoGeA5fP3K3qx0LlP6C5JXydZl1LlofulsP1nObUsp36Z-stg-OjJvlmZPw19Lyux90TLaGBBmgwXjHecYS_686keLzTZABkpp_GXmJh_Wou/s320/download-x-men-first-class-movie-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614908287107444482" border="0" /></a><br />Year: 2011<br /><br />Directed by: Matthew Vaughn<br /><br />Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence, Lucas Till<br /><br />Rating: 4.5/5<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Ever since I was a wee little tyke, <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men </span>was always my favourite Marvel comics title (well, besides <span style="font-style: italic;">Deadpool</span>). Naturally, I was also a huge fan of the 90s animated series, X-Men: Evolution, and the first two Brian Singer movie (the third one sucked...kiss my ass, Brett Ratner!). Well, after hearing that they were making a <span style="font-style: italic;">Frist Class</span> adaptaion, set in the 60s, I was pumped. Of course, I was a little let-down when I heard Cyclops (my favourite X-Men character) wasn't going to be in it, but my faith was reestablished when I heard that they casted none other than James McAvoy in the role of Charles Xavier. McAvoy has been one of my favourite actors since I saw <span style="font-style: italic;">Atonement</span> a few years back, so I was naturally pumped for this movie. Well, after a patient year of waiting, I finally got back from seeing it on opening weekend. My thoughts? Fucking FANTASTIC!<br /><br /> First of all, the script is absolutely wonderful. It's tightly written and consistant (unlike <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men 3</span>), and it isn't overly cheesy (like <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men Oranges: Tangerine</span>...I mean <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men Origins: Wolverine</span>). The dialogue is brisk, clever, and memorable, and you can tell it was written by people who have a great love for the X-Men mythos and characters. I loved the plot, I loved how the Cuban Missile Crisis was integrated into it, and I loved the 60s setting. Overall, I have absolutely no complaints about the script, the writers did a superb job.<br /><br /> Matthew Vaughn's direction is the best this series has seen since Brian Singer left the director's chair after <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men 2</span>, and he's a huge improvement over Brett Ratner in <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men 3</span> and Gavin Hood in <span style="font-style: italic;">Wolverine</span>. Ever since he blew me away with his directorial works in <span style="font-style: italic;">Kick-Ass</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Layer Cake</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Stardust</span>, I've become a big fan of him. He brings in the same freshness and enthusiasm he used in <span style="font-style: italic;">Kick-Ass</span>, and isn't afraid to take the movie to emotional moments or serious subject matter, which is perfect for a franchise like X-Men. Overall, fantastic directorial work from Vaughn.<br /><br /> The highlight of the movie, for me, is the acting. This film boasts some of the best acting of all the <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men</span> movies by far. First of all, James McAvoy was absolutely fantastic as Professor Charles Xavier. This Xavier is much different from the bald, wheelchair bound Professor X in the first X-Men trilogy. This Xavier is young, enthusiastic, suave, and full of life, and the perfection that McAvoy puts into all these characteristics make his performance the best in the entire movie. The climax when Xavier gets paralyzed is one of the emotional highlights of the movie, largely because of the intensity McAvoy puts into his performance. You really believe his pain as the bullet hits his spine, and you really believe the sadness he emulates when he realizes "I can't...I can't feel my legs". I might get hate for saying this, but I actually think James McAvoy did a better job playing Professor X than Patrick Stewart did.<br /><br /> Michael Fassbender was also a highlight as Magneto. He brings a very Timothy Dalton-esque performance to the table, and every scene with him lights up because of his screen presence. Jennifer Lawrence did alright as Mystique, but it's not one of her better performances. Nicholas Hoult is the best actor out of all the teenage recruits. His performance as Beast really makes you feel for his character, whose inner turmoil and longing to be "normal" is portrayed perfectly. Lucas Till was great as Havok, and Caleb Landry Jones is very funny and enjoyable as Banshee. Hugh Jackman also has a hilarious cameo as Wolverine, and has one of my favourite lines in the movie.<br /><br /> Overall, <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men: First Class</span> is the best movie I've seen so far this year, the best X-Men movie, and one of the best comic book movies since <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dark Knight</span>. It's a great way to start off the summer movie season, and I highly reccomend it.<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goldman" title="Jane Goldman"></a>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-50844465207538083742011-04-14T15:32:00.000-07:002011-04-26T18:48:18.716-07:00Casting Completed! And Other Shiznik<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnYSN8bCC5eWaJ8F9yMhbuVRk5olMRZlucX9Zt8oNeCyY2y_5xj4io9OvO71fXVGvr8Zpa3SMAdSDs6MzJ3Op79TSI6ge2_rRQlPe5H2tJElHg2BU4kSQ_8JWa0XrKmIsWWtprJZDFApt/s1600/1299035762833.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnYSN8bCC5eWaJ8F9yMhbuVRk5olMRZlucX9Zt8oNeCyY2y_5xj4io9OvO71fXVGvr8Zpa3SMAdSDs6MzJ3Op79TSI6ge2_rRQlPe5H2tJElHg2BU4kSQ_8JWa0XrKmIsWWtprJZDFApt/s320/1299035762833.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595571255236385698" border="0" /></a><br />Well, after a good three weeks, the casting for the movie is complete, more or less. So far, the cast for <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Those Guys In The Hall </span></span>is:<br /><br />Stan................................Pj Cignarella<br /><br />Brodie.............................Ethan Dunlap<br /><br />Girl Person....................Jessi Tassini<br /><br />Scuba Steve..................James<br /><br />Sockman.......................Freddy Loeb<br /><br />Karen The Kelpto..............Caroline Giovannucci<br /><br />The Most Offensive Man On The Planet.........Danny Yelin<br /><br />Dad Person........................James Walkins<br /><br />Schizo Bob.........................Jack Duff<br /><br />Charlie Sheen...................Andrew Lemieux<br /><br />Freshman Johnny...........Juan Valdez<br /><br />Sleeveless Mike...............Patrick Golden<br /><br />As of right now, the movie is officially in pre-production. I'm currently working on storyboards, and we should have a filming schedule in the next few weeks. As always, I'll keep you all posted.theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-31341508815779595132011-04-09T22:35:00.001-07:002011-04-26T18:47:31.226-07:00I'm Making a Movie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pRRw7cYvjDOZegb5iEcky2gXRCbvKkqZv5OJ9VC3mOf1OuKTYRNvT8J0xdnAxFezULB0KEx9Q7cbwEr1PkEayY655TVdpgK8Neqw2IpzUMNKBtVnNXXKRDIG7eIDXB4LuY6kNSExcqLp/s1600/sorry_babe_save_the_internets.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 240px; float: left; height: 320px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593825286260890882" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pRRw7cYvjDOZegb5iEcky2gXRCbvKkqZv5OJ9VC3mOf1OuKTYRNvT8J0xdnAxFezULB0KEx9Q7cbwEr1PkEayY655TVdpgK8Neqw2IpzUMNKBtVnNXXKRDIG7eIDXB4LuY6kNSExcqLp/s320/sorry_babe_save_the_internets.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I think I've stated quite a few times that it's my dream to become a filmaker when I'm older. Growing up watching a wide range of movies has given me a perminant love for the art, and it's a field that I desperately want to be a part of. In fact, once I finish high school in three and a half years, I plan on going to film school in California.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Right now, though, I've decided to get an early taste for movie-making. My high school just got a TV Studio in it, and I'm an intern there. The guy who runs it, Mink, talked with me for a good hour about different movies (mostly the works of David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, Richard Kelly, and Kevin Smith), and by the end, he convinced me to go ahead with this idea I've had for a script. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>After a few weeks of tireless writing, me and my partner in crime James finished the script for our movie. It's kind of a love letter to the Kevin Smith movies I watched growing up, namely <strong><em>Clerks</em></strong> and <strong><em>Mallrats</em></strong>. It's about two high school graduates who have nothing better to do than to hang around their old school, and deals with the increasingly odd people they come across throughout the day, and the shenanigans and awkward situations they get themselves into. The title of the movie is going to be <strong><em>Those Guys In The Hall</em></strong>, and will be directed by me, and was co-written by me and James.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>At the moment, it's still in its pre-production stage. We're almost done with the casting process, and are going to begin filming in a few weeks. Basically, when it's all done, I'm going to put it on the site so you can all enjoy it. Also, I would love if any of you guys would like to review it when it's all done. So basically, spread the word about the site and the movie, and I'll keep you updated throughout the entire production process.</div>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-15154951895185678232011-03-30T16:19:00.000-07:002011-03-30T17:15:42.635-07:00New Batman News...WTF?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfXygFb3V4oLsD3A5FSZaQvHp_HfVIEr991dySDxqyBWuLtaFmK49T2JX8yGGyeoQ_05UP2G25qaRAF3qEnQPjAz79JIQCvAufVgZ2Hzt7Hqv8DPoMrd8pcIkQX5rLq1-Sm285uGT_gKF/s1600/youre-fucking-retarded.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590031026425027618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfXygFb3V4oLsD3A5FSZaQvHp_HfVIEr991dySDxqyBWuLtaFmK49T2JX8yGGyeoQ_05UP2G25qaRAF3qEnQPjAz79JIQCvAufVgZ2Hzt7Hqv8DPoMrd8pcIkQX5rLq1-Sm285uGT_gKF/s320/youre-fucking-retarded.jpg" /></a> <br /><div>Let me get this out of the way; I'm a huge, HUGE fan of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies. Don't get me wrong, I like the Burton movies too (Schumacher's can suck on a Bat-Nipple), but on a different level. <em>BATMAN </em>and <em>BATMAN RETURNS </em>are movies that I enjoy simply on an entertainment value (and Micheal Keaton as Batman is always great to watch), but they just aren't....well, Batman (as for the Schumacher movies, those REALLY weren't Batman). <em>BATMAN BEGINS </em>and <em>THE DARK KNIGHT</em>, however, are real Batman movies. They're well-written, well-directed, insanely well-acted, and most importantly, they accomplish something that the movies before them (excluding the excellent <em>MASK OF THE PHANTASM</em>) never did; they actually got the character of Batman/Bruce Wayne right. I personally have enjoyed every actor who has played Batman (except George Clooney, but can we really call that abomination "Batman"?), but I consider Christian Bale to be the only actor in the live action movies who has gotten the character perfectly. I honestly don't give a flying fuck about the voice, he's Batman. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>But the true genius behind these movies are the director/co-writer, Chrisopher Nolan. If I were to make a list of the greatest directors of the past 10 years, he would be on the very top, no doubt about it. Nolan adds the perfect amout of suspense, emotion, and dynamics to the movies that makes him rise above a pretentious prick like Tim Burton, or a hack like Joel Schumacher. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This brings me to what's been annoying me this past...um, day. About a fortnight ago (I'm sorry, Ernest Hemingway likes to possess me from time to time), I read SEVERAL articles online about certain news regarding the Batman franchise. Apperently, after Nolan finishes the third movie, <em>THE DARK KNIGHT RISES</em> (which will be his last installment in the franchise), Warner Brothers is going to reboot the franchise....AGAIN. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>What?? Look, this is just ridiculous. The whole reason they rebooted the franchise in the first place was because, thanks to Schumacher, the series was on a steady downhill spiral that eventually ended with the abomination known as <em>BATMAN & ROBIN</em>. The difference here is that the current Batman movies have been <strong>enormous </strong>critical and commercial successes. Hell, <em>THE DARK KNIGHT </em>was nominated for, AND WON, a good amount of Academy Awards, and is considered to be the greatest comic book movie of all time. So what's the point in rebooting? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>What really urks me is that there are SO much that they can do with the storyline, thanks to Nolan. These movies are all about a very young Batman, and take place during his first year or two crimefighting. If they plan on making new Batman movies, why don't they simply make a new trilogy about when he's been fighting crime for a few years. They could bring in more villians (we could finally see the Riddler...done right!), and maybe even bring in Robin (as long as they take the character seriously). And after that, they could make a final movie about Batman at the end of his life, in his old age, and his last days fighting crime (perhaps the adaptation of <em>THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS </em>that Zack Snyder's been hinting at?). Honestly, I don't see any point in rebooting, when there's so much damn potential to be had with the series. To me, this would be a crime. A creative crime, anyway. </div><br /><div></div>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-5802172934570756032011-02-12T11:30:00.001-08:002011-02-12T11:39:05.152-08:00Where I've BeenWell, it's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry I haven't been posting anything for a while, alot's been going on. It's only right for me to tell you what's been happening.<br /><br />Basically, I've been in a rut these past few months. Due to a number of things, I was depressed from about September up untill January. Earlier in the year, I had a bad break-up with a girl that I really liked, and that hurt my motivation pretty hard. I tried to put more effort into my reviews during this time, but it just wasn't happening. After two reviews, I decided that I needed a break to try and think things over. Because of the depression I was in, I had pretty low self-esteem at this point, and it didn't help that the site wasn't getting that much new viewers and no one was commenting on the videos anymore. Due to this, I just wasn't up to it, and I needed to take a little hiatus. My emotional health was so bad at the time, I still find it really hard to watch the videos I made from September to November.<br /><br />Now, though, I'm back. I'm all better, I'm motivated, and I've got some great things coming up for you guys. The site also now has a Facebook page:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1654287195#!/pages/Midnite-Movies-with-the-Stoned-Horror-Critic/125995194140844">http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1654287195#!/pages/Midnite-Movies-with-the-Stoned-Horror-Critic/125995194140844</a><br /><br />So stay tuned, and tell all your friends about the site. The SHC is back!theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-44623452046516573592010-11-14T00:27:00.000-08:002010-11-14T00:29:11.458-08:00SHC Reviews Yeti: A Love Story...???<br /><br /><embed style="WIDTH: 420px; HEIGHT: 378px" height="378" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYKMuDkA" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-38196463943200661992010-11-02T12:58:00.000-07:002010-11-02T13:03:13.188-07:00Yaah, so about October...yeeeeah, sorry about thatI know I promised a crapload of reviews this October and delivered...um...zilch...and I would like to apologise about that. The month's been very hectic between school and some personal issues, but I DO have a new review coming out this week, so stay tuned!<br /><br />Also, I recently became the staff member of <a href="http://www.webofcinema.com/">http://www.webofcinema.com</a> (username: Ethan Dunlap), and I now host their daily news show, Digital Fix, so if you missed you fix of SHC this month, you can always find me there. Oh, and<em> </em>I almost forgot....<br /><br /> HAPPY HALLOWEN EVERYBODY!<br />-Ethan Dunlap, The Stoned Horror CritictheStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-10453296659076371872010-09-30T03:24:00.000-07:002010-09-30T03:29:05.654-07:00In Memoriam: Greg Giraldo (1965-2010)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7r-buk1V6rdtSTnoDwuHCRVQ-rZ8f3V2wmBJjakR-ym_kVeN0duu24MOHtvUd6lJwOd4-j3E3vnKrpej-UV67MkA4499n8vs7apc7FI3hBfA3sf_iZJUbDeRDnY9HxuTOYDZbVSSAkMm6/s1600/Greg%2520Giraldo.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 274px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522650986129055794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7r-buk1V6rdtSTnoDwuHCRVQ-rZ8f3V2wmBJjakR-ym_kVeN0duu24MOHtvUd6lJwOd4-j3E3vnKrpej-UV67MkA4499n8vs7apc7FI3hBfA3sf_iZJUbDeRDnY9HxuTOYDZbVSSAkMm6/s320/Greg%2520Giraldo.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Today, I came across this article on EW.Com:</div><div> </div><div>"Comedian Greg Giraldo — well-known for his work on such programs as Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil, several Comedy Central roasts, and NBC’s Last Comic Standing — has passed away. Both Comedy Central and NBC confirmed the comedian died Wednesday in a New Brunswick, N.J., hospital, just days after being hospitalized, reportedly for a prescription pill overdose"</div><div> </div><div>I'm still in shock over this. We truly lost one of the best comedians of our time. Rest in peace, buddy.</div>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-29043990083837001682010-09-20T20:24:00.000-07:002010-09-20T20:27:51.363-07:00Plans For October!OK, well, since my review for Yeti: A Love Story will probabely be my last review of September, I thought I'd tell y'all what my plans for October are. See, every October I review only good horror movie I personally love, so here are the planned reviews:<br /><br />1. Killer Klowns from Outer Space<br />2. Stephen King's "IT"<br />3. Creepshow 1 & 2<br />4. The Halloween seriestheStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-49155877972780427102010-09-20T20:21:00.000-07:002010-09-20T20:43:42.175-07:00Dammit by Blink-182 (guitar cover)My mediocre attempt at covering one of Blink-182's best songs. And sorry for all the random-ass videos, the new review WILL be up soon! Promise!<br /><br /><object style="WIDTH: 293px; HEIGHT: 163px" width="293" height="163"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ccRzbOkVKfI?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ccRzbOkVKfI?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738288774244892886.post-3113882441574666122010-09-14T15:38:00.000-07:002010-09-14T15:40:45.309-07:00Check Out My Interview on Deadly Seriouse!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-X1z5nQTNRqSmvkUwJADR7-bXR2VwZ8oSs9wMix7hwJDtNQJogzxDpEoe2JIAVz9INMVzzIcwBIZXAa_nl0YxsBNOrDYCg3NO4dcXPide3r_8CfwGW4fHc8Fe4DTSJExnjMU7evMVRYq/s1600/spotlight.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 100px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516902780783828258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-X1z5nQTNRqSmvkUwJADR7-bXR2VwZ8oSs9wMix7hwJDtNQJogzxDpEoe2JIAVz9INMVzzIcwBIZXAa_nl0YxsBNOrDYCg3NO4dcXPide3r_8CfwGW4fHc8Fe4DTSJExnjMU7evMVRYq/s320/spotlight.gif" /></a><br /><div>Trick r' Treat Pete from Deadly Seriouse interviewed me. Check it out here!</div><div> </div><div><a href="http://trickortreatpete.blogspot.com/2010/09/spotlight-stoned-horror-critic.html">http://trickortreatpete.blogspot.com/2010/09/spotlight-stoned-horror-critic.html </a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>theStonedHorrorCritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866677372336943783noreply@blogger.com4