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The Film of the Week
The WORD of the Week

Matthew 3:7-10

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.


Stupid Fact of the Week
There was only one civilian casualty during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg

08 January, 2008
Coming in 2008, part the final
Scanners
Wow. Bousman has been busy. Not only is he releasing "Repo! The Genetic Opera!" (discussed in the third installment), he'll also be spewing forth this remake of the 1981 horror classic. This has fail written all over it, though not to the extent of repo, so... D

Semi-Pro
Ouch. They recently released a red-band trailer of this and I was all excited... then I watched it. This one looks to have the same testosterone-induced groan factor of Anchorman, with less of the stylish (or lack thereof), vintage flair. I'll wait for video. C

Sex and the City: The Movie
Boo. Boo. Just all around boo. I tried watching this tv show once. It was almost painful. And not because I'm a man, but because I have a brain. The early reports are that while the die-hard fans will love this, most other people, including those who enjoyed the show every now and again, will loathe it. I'm sure I will loathe it and never see it, even on video. However, as much as I'd like to give it an F, I have to be (somewhat) objective, so... D+

Son of Rambow
"Son Of Rambow is a comedy about friendship, faith and the weird business of growing up." I'm really excited about this one. It's from Garth Jennings (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), it apparently did very well at Sundance this past year, and looks to be a strong candidate for "fun and fancy free feel-good comedy of the year." I'll check it out at full price if I must. B+

Speed Racer
I can't make up my mind here. It's the Wachowski Brothers (boo) directing Emile Hirsch (yay) as Speed Racer (hmm), Christina Ricci (eh) as Trixie (yes), Susan Sarandon (no) and John Goodman (yup) as Mom and Pops, and Matthew Fox (eh) as Racer X (sure). True, there is some dazzling photography in it, however, while I think that (from the looks of it) the Bros. will do the cartoon justice to creating an authentic look for this film version, from the looks of the trailer they may be going a bit "Transformer"-esque in their rapid-fire editing, resulting in cg images that (brilliant though they may be) get lost in the fray (it could just be the way the trailer is cut). Either way, this will be one of the biggest movies of this year, and while it probably deserves an A-, it's the Wachowski brothers (screw objectivity), so... B+

Star Trek XI
Yuck. J.J. Abrams. Not a fan. But every Trekkie I know is looking forward to this with insane anticipation. Of course this means there are only two options: Big success, or utter failure. I think we all know which way I'm leaning, not only because of the director, but because this is basically the "Dumb and Dumberer" of Star Trek, bringing in young, fresh (hot) faces to tell the early stories of the crew... I just sense failure. Maybe that's just the J.J. thing. I don't know. I may even go see this, if a group of friends are going, because SIMON PEGG is SCOTTY. At least the casting people got one right. It pains me to say it... B

Trailer Trash
Man oh man oh man oh man oh man. "What's this?" You ask. "Britney Spears' biopic finally got greenlit?!" No. Unfortunately no. This is a whole bunch of fake movie trailers (previews) combined into a feature length film. Go ahead and re-read that last sentence. I'll Wait. Ok. The director is Eli Roth who is most famous for the brutally twisted horror flick "Hostel." However, Eli also directed the fake trailer segment "Thanksgiving," that appeared between the two (abysmal) "Grindhouse" films by Tarantino and Rodriguez. Unfortunately for Eli, this time around his work will have to stand alone rather than stand out as "not as awful as Tarantino or Rodriguez's work." D- (the only reason it's not getting an F is I really want to distinguish M. Night's work as truly horrendous)

Valkyrie
This just got pushed back again due filming complications associated with the writers strike. It should still make it in 2008, though, and despite Tom Cruise's presence, it will actually be quite good. Bryan Singer and Christopher McQuarrie are teaming up again for the first time since "The Usual Suspects," and a strong supporting cast (Bill Nighy, Carice van Houten, Kenneth Branagh, Stephen Fry, and EDDIE IZZARD) should more than compensate for Tom's presence and American accent. I can't help but feel some Oscar pull here, too. True story, war story, love story, espionage, plot twists, strong cast. I'd say this will be a strong contender for quite a few Academy Awards nominations, possibly even breaking into the double digits. A-

Vantage Point
This one looks (based on the trailer) like a fairly interesting action/suspense film. Unfortunately, it also looks a bit like the Nick Cage conspiracy thriller "Snake Eyes." The cast is better, though, so there's hope. It won't win any awards, change anyones life, or blow anyones mind, but I'll watch it in theaters if I'm looking for a weekend matinee. C+

Wall-E
Pixar animation - check. Sci-fi - check. Cute protagonist - check. They pushed a teaser for this thing nearly one full year ago and the hype has steadily grown to many critics assuming this will be the best Pixar film to date. I hate it when movies get over-hyped (and don't believe this will top Toy Story), but this one looks amazing never-the-less. Plus, you gotta believe this will win the Animated Oscar next year, so I'll pay full price. A-

Wanted
I just watched this trailer again, and although it's got some really awesome special effects/stunts, the plot, along with much of the action, seems quite hokey. As far as action films go, it'll do fairly well and make a decent amount of money. As for me seeing it... maybe. C+

Where the Wild Things Are
I approve of this. You gotta love the book. You gotta love the cast: Paul Dano, Catherine Keener, Benicio Del Toro, Forest Whitaker. And you gotta love that crazy Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, some of the best music videos ever) is gonna direct this thing. Thumb up. Definitely seeing this wicked trip of a movie. B+

The X-Files 2
10 years after the release of the first film chronicle of the cult hit tv show, Chris Carter (whose only prior directing experience has been on the television series of the same name) brings you a stand-alone X-Files film (something even the first didn't do) with a truly odd short list of supporting actors (Billy Connolly, Xzibit) that is sure to keep the average viewer at home and leave the true fan mostly disappointed. I'll pass. C-

Zack and Miri Make a Porno
I don't know what to think of Kevin Smith anymore. Clerks was edgy, unique, and completely groundbreaking for independent film making. Mallrats was funny, different, and birthed several (moderately) successful acting careers. But it is growing more and more evident that he is just a one-trick pony with one outfit (although, you gotta love the shants) and an ever-diminishing box-office presence. After the luke warm success of Clerks 2, I don't think this will make a huge splash. I may or may not check it out on video. C-
posted by Rockel @ 8:23 PM  
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Lyrics of the Week

ON THE NICKEL
by Tom Waits

("I'd like to do a new song here. This is eh, it's about downtown Los Angeles on 5th Street. And eh all the winos affectionately refer to it as The Nickel. So this is kind of a hobo's lullaby.")

sticks and stones will break my bones,
but i always will be true, and when
your mama is dead and gone,
i'll sing this lullabye just for you,
and what becomes of all the little boys,
who never comb their hair,
well they're lined up all around the block,
on the nickel over there.

so you better bring a bucket,
there is a hole in the pail,
and if you don't get my letter,
then you'll know that i'm in jail,
and what becomes of all the little boys,
who never say their prayers,
well they're sleepin' like a baby,
on the nickel over there.

and if you chew tobacco, and wish upon a star,
well you'll find out where the scarecrows sit,
just like punchlines between the cars,
and i know a place where a royal flush,
can never beat a pair, and even thomas jefferson,
is on the nickel over there.

so ring around the rosie, you're sleepin' in the rain,
and you're always late for supper,
and man you let me down again,
i thought i heard a mockingbird, roosevelt knows where,
you can skip the light, with grady tuck,
on the nickel over there.

so what becomes of all the little boys,
who run away from home,
well the world just keeps gettin' bigger,
once you get out on your own,
so here's to all the little boys,
the sandman takes you where,
you'll be sleepin' with a pillowman,
on the nickel over there.

so let's climb up through that button hole,
and we'll fall right up the stairs,
and i'll show you where the short dogs grow,
on the nickel over there.

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