Let's all go to Asgard!

 Greetings and salutations all you awesome night owls out there! I'm the always bubbly critic TheCinemaChick and if I get a bit goofier than usual, blame the cold medicine. Yes, I came down with a doozy of a cold and have been fighting it for a few days. However, this isn't about me or my illness, this is about the newly released teaser trailer for “Thor The Dark World”. Joining me for this commentary will be the oft neglected Kit Kat. While I dust her and make her all shiny again, lets let her reintroduce herself.

Why thank you CinemaChick. ‘Alo all you people out there. CinemaChick and I decided it was time for my triumphant return to her movie reviewing blog. I can honestly say that I can’t wait to get rolling.

As I mentioned, this will be all about our reactions to the trailer. Having seen “Avengers” (in this case, I basically forced her to see it one night and honestly, who hasn't seen it?), you know this is going to pick up where that left off. So, we know that Thor took Loki back to Asgard. Now we must find out what has happened to Loki. Stop me if I'm wrong, but he goes back into the same prison he was in during “Avengers” only know it's on a different planet and underground. Yeah...what's stopping him from getting out?

Well, in any case, I’m glad you “made” me see it. It was a great movie. And again, good point. I think back to the pintrest pin talking about how there is no possible way for a psychopath to escape from a glass prison. I guess people never learn do they?

You know what, let's get to that part last because there's one crucial thing to touch on with that. For now, let's look at Malekith, Thor, Asgard...and Jane. Interesting tidbit, When the first director left the project, Portman wanted to quit but she is is bound by contracts to see this through. I would have been fine with this because in the films, Jane Foster adds nothing. Her main use is for the romantic angle as shown in the trailer when Thor basically kidnaps her and puts her in danger. Does she live? Does she die? Who knows.

Yes, I noticed that as well from the trailer. While I’m not a fan of the damsel in distress motif, I can understand how it’s useful. But really, Jane is on a plane where bad things aren’t happening. Then Thor shows up and takes her to a place where she is in mortal danger. And this helps keep her safe…how? And you love this chick eh?

And it seems everyone's back in this film, however, Josh Dallas will now be playing Fandral, or as I liked to call him Laughing Boy. That's right, all your rarely seen, barely mentioned characters are back in this sequel. Darcy comes back, along with Sif, Frigga and Odin. From what I've heard, those characters have been fleshed out a bit more so we get to know them better. Hey, Darcy came back, so there's a huge perk. And I hope she brought her taser with her this time. But of course, most of this not even two minute trailer is spent focusing on Thor.

Pretty much all the voice overs in this footage are by Thor. He grabs her brings her back, there’s a slight bit of relationship drama they try and shove in but that’s not important because then we get what we all came for anyway, the actiony bits. Thor saying they must do something about this tragedy and all that jazz. But, of course, as TheCinemaChick mentioned, Jane Foster is pretty much useless save for getting taken by the baddy for Thor to save her. Though, isn’t stopping “the bad guy” what the movie is about anyway?

Speaking of the bad guys, let's discuss the best part of this little trailer. Guys...Loki is back. He is in what appears to be a giant glass cube underground. His hair has grown out and apparently, they do not believe in hair dryers and flat irons for prisoners. Seriously, was his punishment to be given a bad perm and stuck in the cube? While Tom Hiddleston is a drop dead gorgeous man with an equally sexy voice, I just...I can't. The hair bothers me so much. First of all, that's what my hair looked like on a daily basis (I chopped off 7 inches of hair this morning). Second, if you don't know who Tommy Wiseau is, look him up and compare him to this Loki. Yeah. I went there. Loki is trapped in a room looking like the man who made The Room.

Yes, here is where I again agree with CinemaChick. I actually was asked to watch the YouTube video Everything Wrong with The Room in 6 Minutes or Less. And yeah, it is that bad. Couldn’t they just…let him comb his hair out or something with a few guards present or something? Sure he’s dangerous but again…he’s in a glass cage under ground. Something which he has all ready escaped from once. Give the man hair care products.

Oh we both know there will be thousands of fangirls lining up to help him out. Me, well, we all know I too am in Loki's Army. However, until the man gets a flat iron, I refuse to fall in rank, whatever my rank is. I'm excited to see this, but I demand continuity! Don't just get it going and not explain how the bridge was fixed. Joss Whedon took the time to explain how Thor came to Earth in The Avengers, you can tell us why he got back this time. So, Kit Kat, what are you most looking forward to, other than Loki's impending shower?

I’m actually looking forward to seeing more interaction between Thor and Loki. Heck, he goes to his brother for help but also says that when Loki betrays him that he, Thor, will have to kill him. Means some serious stuff has gone down if that’s the best option you have. Seeing this trailer has honestly made me wanna see the first Thor movie as a way of getting even more background into these characters.

Also, let's talk about the amazing addition of Christopher Eccleston! He was my first Doctor and as far as I'm concerned, my favorite, with Matt Smith and Tom Baker in a very close second. I'm excited to see his role as the villain. The hotness in this movie is off the charts. Yes, I went there as well.

Hotness abounds and the fangirls will lap it all up. And even for those who aren’t Doctor Who fans (you should be ashamed of yourselves) Christopher Eccleston is an amazing actor in other roles like Gone in 60 Seconds and G.I. Joe. Plus the accent.

That's right. There you have it everyone. Thor The Dark World is destined to become another Marvel mega box office hit, just like Iron Man 3 is. All right Kit Kat, say farewell to the lovely folks.

So yes, my final verdict: Definitely going to see this movie. It’s got me interested and hooked. Time for a count-down till it’s opening in theaters. Thanks for the invite back to your blog CinemaChick. This is Kit Kat and I’m pumped for new movies.

I'm TheCinemaChick and you can find me at Harkins Southlake this Thursday for their Ultimate Iron Man Marathon.

A Comedic Host

 Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog full of useless information about films! I'm the ever effervescent critic TheCinemaChick and I watch a lot of movies because I can. Now that I'm back and...well...I'm the same as I was before...I've got a lot to catch up on. For instance, let's talk about the latest box office bomb, “The Host”.

I can honestly say this one shocked me. Because it's from Twilight author Stephanie Meyer, I thought the Twi-hards would come in flocks to see this one. To my surprise, this movie has done horrible. I'm not saying I wanted this movie to do well, but I certainly didn't want it to fail. I have read the book and while it's not the best thing I've ever read, the concept is interesting.

Once again, anything I say about the plot is not a spoiler because the book has been out for a while. “The Host” along with hundreds of other wonderful books are available for you right now at your local library.

Basically, it's sort of a post apocalyptic story where aliens have come and taken over the planet but there are a few humans left. And these aliens are called souls, which can be implanted into bodies. This story focuses on Wanderer, who has been around for a while and seen several different worlds. She comes to Earth and is implanted into Melanie. Now Melanie had been part of the resistance, but when she was caught, she tried to kill herself instead of becoming one of them. The Keepers use Wanderer to tap into Melanie's memories in order to find the other humans. However, to their surprise, Melanie didn't die. She resists at every opportunity. Finally, they escape the Keepers and rejoin the other humans, who happen to live in this huge underground cave in the middle of a desert.

Wanderer is taken in and basically held hostage even though Melanie comes through every so often to try and explain what happens. And this is about the time I started hating the book. It turns right back into Twilight. It's a four sided love triangle. Melanie and Wanderer share a body and Melanie's boyfriend still loves her but there comes a rival to his affections. Jared loves Melanie but Ian falls in love with Wanderer, who they affectionately call Wanda. Talk about falling in love with a girl for her personality. This drags on for a while, almost painstakingly slow. When Jamie, Melanie's little brother, has a severe infection, she risks exposing herself in order to save him.

Blah blah blah...attempt to kill her, she is accepted as a part of the community, she teaches them how to remove souls from bodies...I'm really summarizing now. This book is over six hundred pages, so bear with me. Basically, it ends like the Twilight series. Everyone is happy, everyone gets the person they love and there is perfect resolution to all conflict.

However, this story ends with Jared, Ian, Melanie and Pet (which for some reason is what the call the body Wanda is now in, since the host body was brain dead and technically Wanda saved it...don't ask) meeting another group of humans. This group happens to have a soul in their clan and they discover not all souls want to take over. Burns (the soul they meet at the end) says something about how he thought he was the only one who changed teams. He says “Strange world?” to which Pet replies “The strangest” and it ends.

There, I just saved you 619 pages and like two hours of time. Thank me later.

Now, the film isn't a bad adaptation. It's actually fairly faithful given that a lot of stuff is left out. Seriously they barely scratch the surface. For what its worth, it isn't bad, but it suffered from a lot of major issues. The biggest issue of all was the script. Whoever wrote it clearly did not care at all because it was just so mediocre and bland. There wasn't really anything memorable about it so basically, nothing stuck with me.

“The Host” is basically tofu. It's there but there's just no flavor.

What makes it worse is that it is unintentionally hilarious. This film is not a comedy. It's meant to be science fiction and action and drama with a touch of romance. What we actually get is a romance set in a cave with really bad dialogue. And sadly, about...80% of this movie is just dialogue. Most of the run time just has the characters talking or sitting somewhere. There isn't much action. It's not even visually appealing. Since most of the film is in this cave, it's dark. The eye gets bored, then suddenly its outside for like two minutes. The visual monotony just gets to be too much and I stopped caring.

You want to know how boring this movie is? I fell asleep. I drank a cherry icee and slept. I had to finish off Fry's coke icee in order to stay awake. Then, at the most inappropriate moments, I was cracking up. Like I said, this was not intended to be a comedy but it was so bad that it's funny. Basically, the acting is as good as Kristen Stewart. Sure, they're supposed to show emotion but its just not there. You start wondering if they are even capable of doing so.

If you're a huge Stephanie Meyer fan, you'll enjoy this. Otherwise, don't bother. It's Twilight in a different package. Expect to see this one hitting the DVD shelves sooner than planned.

I'm TheCinemaChick and I learned I do not like blood orange Greek yogurt.

Disconnected

 Hello everyone, I'm your friendly neighborhood absentee film critic, TheCinemaChick! I know, I know, I promised I'd stop being such a slacker but you know...things happen and I slack off. Well, it's not like I just decided to stop doing this. I'm taking a class (yes, the same class, no snarky remarks please) so that's eating up a huge portion of my time. I've also begun working out, which is actually turning out to be something I'm enjoying. And, lets see...I've been working on another blog, Curves, Chicks and Clothes, which is about fashion and self image. Also, you know...boys. Yes, boys again. And once again, it's a younger guy. Since I prefer anonymity (which is ironic since I've made vlogs before), I'm not going to talk about them. And in case you're wondering, no, I am not dating multiple boys, I just happen to have two in my life. Before you tell me I'm a hypocrite, one of them is my little nephew. He and I have an attachment.

Plus...I've just been really depressed about my mom again. I was ok for a while, but something in me changed and I'm just always sad about her. Like, I went shopping with Fry last night and there were a ton of mother's day cards and gifts. One sign said “Don't forget Mom this Mother's Day”. I know it's designed to be universal but it still felt like a punch in the chest.

Needless to say, I am not over her death.

Enough of my wonderfully depressing personal life. Let's move on to the real reason you (hopefully) still click on this blog. You want to know about movies. And today, I have one that I actually saw several months ago. However, due to a contractual obligation, I was not allowed to talk about it until its official release, which was on April 12. I have been dying to review this one guys. I seriously loved it. Fry didn't care for it, but we are quite different.

I was invited to an early showing of this film, so it was a rough cut. Almost no music, no sound effects, some minor editing errors, things of that nature. Even though it wasn't the final draft, I still loved it because it is very relatable.

Ladies, gentleman, nerds...everyone, let's discuss the limited release film, “Disconnect”.

Don't worry if you've never heard of this film because very few people have. It doesn't have much star power in it, but it's not the actors you should be seeing it for. “Disconnect” is three stories that are sort of intertwined and they are all about the negative impact technology has had on our lives. While I do realize the irony of discussing this while using a blog that you read on a computer, I still see how some people can see how it is a problem. Let me explain the three stories and you'll get a better sense of what I'm talking about.

Alexander Skarsgard and Paula Patton play the married couple Derek and Cindy Hull. They have lost a sense of intimacy since the loss of their child. Derek spends his time gambling online while Cindy becomes involved in a chat room. Both of them are shocked when they suddenly have no money. After hiring a private detective, they learn the potential thief is in a neighboring city so they decide to confront him. When they learn he too was a victim, they have to reevaluate their plans.

Rich and Lydia Boyd (played by Jason Bateman and Hope Davis) are living in two separate worlds. He is a lawyer who spends more time on his phone than with his children while she is trying to bring the family together. Abby and Ben (Haley Ramm and Jonah Bobo) are typical teenagers. Abby loves being around her friends and texting while Ben is an introverted musician. Life gets turned upside down when two of Ben's class mates decide to torment him, leading to a revealing photo of Ben being sent to everyone in school. Humiliated, he attempts suicide, but Abby finds him and saves him before he dies. The rest of the family has to cope with this but also try to figure out why he would do such a thing. Rich discovers who is behind it and tries to get answers.



Nina (Andrea Riseborough) is a reporter who is trying to expose a certain website that hires underage teenagers to perform sexual acts on camera. She befriends Kyle (Max Theirot) and they become somewhat attached. He wants to escape the life and try to make something of himself. Nina offers to help, but secretly just wants her story. They end up have a romantic attraction but when the FBI steps in, he sees that she is using him. He flees with the other teens but Nina tries to come after him, to save him. Things to a huge turn when Kyle refuses her help, saying he knows that she only wanted to use him and that he plans to stay where he is. Nina is hurt and Kyle leaves with the other teens, giving a final glance back to her. Fashion designer Marc Jacobs plays Harvey, a small but crucial role as the man recruiting the teens to his website.

What I loved about the movie is that almost everyone can find something that they either agree with or relate to. Perhaps you know someone who has been a victim of identity theft. Maybe you've been cyber bullied. Or a friend of yours has a gambling addiction. I don't know, but then again, I have my own connections to this film. I have been cyber bullied many times because of what I look like (another reason I prefer to remain hidden). We use the internet and cell phones and tablets every day, but do we ever think about the negative actions that could come from it? Look at Rich and Lydia. They were completely out of touch with their children. Derek had no idea his wife was confiding in others about their marital issues.

Its almost like asking “Are we safe at all anymore?” People can attack us online and make things worse, thanks to things like photoshop and even Facebook. Certain websites are specifically designed to humiliate people. There are millions of teens like Ben out there, not all of them with siblings like Abby to save them. Ben's fate is also left unclear. The last thing we see is Abby laying on his hospital bed as he remains unconscious with a breathing tube. I don't know if he died or if he pulled through.

My favorite thing about “Disconnect” is the style in which it was presented. As the movie progresses, it becomes more fluid and less jerky. It starts over very disjointed. The transitions are rough so its like watching one story then being shoved into the next and repeated.

This isn't going to be a major blockbuster. In fact, you probably won't see it in theaters. However, I honestly think “Disconnect” is worth the watch. It's relatable and it will break your heart before repairing it and ultimately breaking it again. To me, its one of the best films I have seen in 2013. Others will disagree, but to each their own. Like I said, Fry didn't care for it, but I honestly loved it. All I ask is that you make your own opinions.

I'm TheCinemaChick and I could possibly be barefoot right now.

...but I'm not. I'm actually about to go see Fry.

And the winners are...

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight 

Who will get it: Daniel Day-Lewis

Who should get it: Joaquin Phoenix

Who I’m rooting for: Bradley Cooper

Who got it: Daniel Day-Lewis

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Alan Arkin, Argo
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained 

Who will get it: Tommy Lee Hones

Who should get it: Cristoph Waltz

Who I’m rooting for: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Who got it: Christoph Waltz

Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts, The Impossible 

Who will get it: Emmanuelle Riva

Who should get it: Jessica Chastain or Jennifer Lawrence

Who I’m rooting for: Quvenzhané Wallis

Who got it: Jennifer Lawrence

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook 

Who will get it: Anne Hathaway

Who should get it:  well…pretty much everyone is saying Anne Hathaway.

Who I’m rooting for: I’m going for an upset win with Sally Field.  Sally Field for the WIN!

Who got it: Anne Hathaway (and they aren't playing the JAWS theme for her like they did for everyone else! This is crap!)

Best animated feature film of the year:
Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, Brave
Tim Burton, Frankenweenie
Sam Fell and Chris Butler, ParaNorman
Peter Lord, The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Rich Moore, Wreck-It Ralph

Who will get it: Frankenweenie (seriously?  It tanked!)

Who should get it: Wreck-It Ralph (meh)

Who I’m rooting for: Brave (my personal favorite)

Who got it it: Brave

Achievement in cinematography:
Seamus McGarvey, Anna Karenina
Robert Richardson, Django Unchained
Claudio Miranda, Life of Pi
Janusz Kaminski, Lincoln
Roger Deakins, Skyfall 

Who will get it: Skyfall

Who should get it:  The Master

Who I’m rooting for: Life of Pi or Anna Karenina

Who got it: Life of Pi

Achievement in costume design:
Jacqueline Durran, Anna Karenina
Paco Delgado, Les Misérables
Joanna Johnston, Lincoln
Eiko Ishioka, Mirror Mirror
Colleen Atwood, Snow White and the Huntsman 

Who will get it:  Les Miserables   (seriously?  Why?)

Who should get it: Anna Karenina

Who I’m rooting for: The Hobbit (I know it’s not listed, but there are seriously like 20 films nominated.  I went with the top ones.)

Who got it: Anna Karenina (nailed it!)

Achievement in directing:
Michael Haneke, Amour
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook 

Who will get it: Steven Spielberg

Who should get it: Ang Lee

Who I’m rooting for: David O. Russell or Benh Zeitlin

Who got it: Ang Lee

Best documentary feature:
5 Broken Cameras
The Gatekeepers
How to Survive a Plague
The Invisible War
Searching for Sugar Man 

Who will get it: Searching for Sugar Man

Who should get it: How to Survive a Plague

Who I’m rooting for: 5 Broken Cameras

Who got it: Searching for Sugar Man

Best documentary short subject:
Inocente
Kings Point
Mondays at Racine
Open Heart
Redemption 

Who will get it: Open Heart

Who should get it: Kings Point

Who I’m rooting for: Redemption  I haven't seen any of these films.  They are all wild guesses

Who go it: Inocenta

Achievement in film editing:
William Goldenberg, Argo
Tim Squyres, Life of Pi
Michael Kahn, Lincoln
Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers, Silver Linings Playbook
Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg, Zero Dark Thirty 

Who will get it: Argo

Who should get it:  Lincoln

Who I’m rooting for: Lincoln

Who got it: Argo

Best foreign language film of the year:
Amour (Austria)
Kon-Tiki (Norway)
No (Chile)
A Royal Affair (Denmark)
War Witch (Canada) 

Who will get it: Amour

Who should get it: Really, any of them could win

Who I’m rooting for: Amour  I’ve heard wonderful things about it, so might as go for the favorite

Who got it: Amour

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling:
Howard Berger, Peter Montagna and Martin Samuel, Hitchcock
Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell, Les Misérables 

Who will get it: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (I support this decision fully)

Who should get it: Lincoln

Who I’m rooting for:  I think it’s obvious.  The Hobbit for the win!  I mean, did you see Richard Armitage as Thorin, or Lee Pace as Thranduil or Martin Freeman as Bilbo?  Yeah, I’m Team Peter Jackson on this…why are there teams?  Everyone’s Team This or Team That.  Sorry, ADD moment there.

Who got it: Les Miserables

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original score):
Dario Marianelli, Anna Karenina
Alexandre Desplat, Argo
Mychael Danna, Life of Pi
John Williams, Lincoln
Thomas Newman, Skyfall 

Who will get it: Life of Pi

Who should get it:  Lincoln

Who I’m rooting for:  The Hobbit.  It’s a long shot and I mean, there’s like a 1% chance it will win, but one can hope.  Besides…Howard Shore is awesome.

Who got it: Life of Pi

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song):
“Before My Time” from Chasing Ice
“Everybody Needs A Best Friend” from Ted
“Pi’s Lullaby” from Life of Pi
“Skyfall” from Skyfall
“Suddenly” from Les Misérables 

Who will get it: “Suddenly” Hugh Jackman

Who should get it: “Skyfall” Adele

Who I’m rooting for: Adele all the way.  “Skyfall” was one of my favorite songs this year

Who got it: Skyfall (Finally, something the Oscars did right)

Best motion picture of the year: 
Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook 

Zero Dark Thirty 

Who will get it: Lincoln

Who should get it: Silver Linings Playbook

Who I’m rooting for: Silver Linings Playbook.  I’m biased.  I admit it.

Who got it: Argo


Achievement in production design:
Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer, Anna Karenina
Dan Hennah, Ra Vincent, and Simon Bright, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Eve Stewart and Anna Lynch-Robinson, Les Misérables
David Gropman and Anna Pinnock, Life of Pi
Rick Carter and Jim Erickson, Lincoln 

Who will get it: Anna Karenina

Who should get it: Les Miserables

Who I’m rooting for: Once again, I have to go with The Hobbit on this one.  Another bias of mine.

Who got it: Lincoln

Best animated short film:
Minkyu Lee, Adam and Dog
PES, Fresh Guacamole
Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, Head over Heels
David Silverman, The Longest Daycare
John Kahrs, Paperman 

Who will get it: Paperman

Who should get it: Guacamole

Who I’m rooting for: Uh…I only saw Paperman.  

Who got it: Paperman

Best live action short film:
Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura, Asad
Sam French and Ariel Nasr, Buzkashi Boys
Shawn Christensen, Curfew
Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele, Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)
Yan England, Henry 

Who will get it: Henry

Who should get it: Buzkashi Boys

Who I’m rooting for: I haven’t seen any of them.  I’m good with whoever wins.

Who got it: Curfew

Achievement in sound editing:
Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn, Argo
Wylie Stateman, Django Unchained
Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton, Life of Pi
Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers, Skyfall
Paul N.J. Ottosson, Zero Dark Thirty 

Who will get it: Zero Dark Thirty

Who should get it: Skyfall

Who I’m rooting for: I don't know.  I kind of don't care either.  Let's go with...Argo, why not?

Who got it: Zero Dark Thirty AND Skyfall. I just want to point out how rare this is. There is almost never a tie when it comes to the Oscars.

Achievement in sound mixing:
John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Jose Antonio Garcia, Argo
Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes, Les Misérables
Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill and Drew Kunin, Life of Pi
Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Ronald Judkins, Lincoln
Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell and Stuart Wilson, Skyfall 

Who will get it: Skyfall

Who should get it: Zero Dark Thirty

Who I’m rooting for: meh…The Avengers is nominated (not listed again).  Let’s shoot for that.

Who got it: Les Miserables

Achievement in visual effects:
Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and R. Christopher White, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott, Life of Pi
Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams and Dan Sudick, Marvel’s The Avengers
Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley and Martin Hill, Prometheus
Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Philip Brennan, Neil Corbould and Michael Dawson, Snow White and the Huntsman 

Who will get it: Life of Pi

Who should get it: The Hobbit

Who I’m rooting for: I’m not sure.  There are some really good nominees here.  I’d lean towards The Hobbit here but still, so many good options.

Who got it: Life of Pi

Adapted screenplay:
Chris Terrio, Argo
Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
David Magee, Life of Pi
Tony Kushner, Lincoln
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook 

Who will get it: Lincoln

Who should get it:  Beasts of the Southern Wild

Who I’m rooting for: Beasts of the Southern Wild or Argo

Who got it: Argo

Original screenplay:
Michael Haneke, Amour
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
John Gatins, Flight
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom
Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty

Who will get it: Amour

Who should get it: Django Unchained

Who I’m rooting for: Moonrise Kingdom

Who got it: Django Unchained

One more chance for One Life...and a review!

                Hello everyone, you may call me TheCinemaChick.  I’m all about what’s hip, what’s cool and what’s new.  So, let’s talk about what’s new in theaters.  Well, it’s also limited.  There were two showings of this film and tonight was the first.  So that means there is only one more chance to see this.  That’s right, your only other chance to see “One Life” is this Sunday at 7 PM at Harkins Theater.  Now, you’re probably wondering why you should see this movie.  Well, for one, it’s really, really, awesome.  I’m not kidding.  Visually, the entire thing is just beautiful.  Not only do you get to see a bunch of adorable baby animals, you get to see where they live.

                And the documentary doesn’t just stay in one area.  It’s like a worldwide trip that goes from Florida to Africa and back up to Canada.  If that’s not enticing enough, you have to take my word on all this.  The cinematography is to die for.  It’s like a high definition masterpiece.  While watching, I was amazed at how close the cameras could get to the animals and still get an amazing shot.  Plus, the documentary was so bright and colorful.  I never would have known there is such thing as a strawberry poison frog if I hadn’t seen this.  It’s tiny, bright red, climbs trees.  Did you know it’s also smaller than a human thumbnail?

                Or…there’s a frog in South America that can literally bounce of stones when it falls from a great height.  It’s called a stone toad.  I guess that should have been obvious.  It can’t hop, but I can climb up mountains.  When it encounters its archenemy, the frog eating spider, it just tumbles down.  What was really cool about it is that it lives near a waterfall and it’s just like the falls from the Pixar movie “Up”. 

                I could go on and on about each animal that was shown, but I shouldn’t.  This is one of those cases when something is so good, I dare not ruin it.  Also, it’s no one long drawn out thing.  “One Life” is almost like a series of short films.  With each species, there is a new story.  There’s no confusion as to whether you’re watching something about capuchin monkeys or komodo dragons.  And the transition is seamless so you’re not taken away from the experience.  Each location is written out in a small subtitle so you always know where you are.  It’s noticeable but not thrown in your face.

                Normally, I’m not a fan of documentaries, but this one really got me.  It was just a bunch of facts being thrown out as you watched the film.  It actually had moments of humor, sadness, joy, fear…it ran the gamut of emotions.  There were only ten people in my showing, which is a little sad, but that means ten people got to enjoy it.  I wish I had asked them what they thought, but most of them hurried out, like normal people do at theaters.  We were all laughing about the stag beetles though.  See, the male tries to find a female by climbing a tree.  He encounters rivals but has to throw them off the branch in order to proceed.  If the female rejects him, he throws her down too.

                There are some moments that might be scary to little kids.  Seeing an ostrich get taken down by three cheetahs disturbed me a little.  I also got a little nauseated seeing a group of komodo dragons devour a water buffalo.  It’s not graphic at all.  The violence and gore is tasteful.  For me it was just the fact that the dragons killed a buffalo and I felt sad for it.  Then I realized I didn’t know a giant lizard could take down an animal that huge.

                I usually need a few hours to soak something in before I review it.  “One Life” made me want to go to the library and learn more.  There is so much information packed into the 85 minute run time.  That’s really the only thing that bugs me.  It was too short.  I mean there was about 10,000 hours of material shot, but they only used 85 minutes?  I wish it had been much longer.  Well, maybe not much…but still, there was room for more.

                Having Daniel Craig narrate the film was a very wise idea.  His voice was very smooth and relaxing.  He taught without sounding like he was lecturing.  One again, I wish there was more of it.

                As you all know, I rarely see a film that leaves me speechless.  And when I do, it usually means it was just that bad.  This is not the case.  “One Life” is an amazing film that you can take the whole family too.  Seriously!  For me, I think about my four and six year old nephews.  If I think they could see it, then it is suitable for all children.  Not only is it visually stunning, it’s packed full of cool information about animals and the planet.  I would seriously see it again.  I can’t because I’m going out of town for my great aunt’s birthday, but you should.

                The ONLY other showing for “One Life” is this Sunday at 7 PM at Harkins Theater.  It’s located in Southlake, over in the town center.  It’s only 85 minutes, about an hour and twenty five minutes.  You could easily do dinner and a movie. 

                I cannot recommend this film enough.  I’ve already got it on my best 13 of ’13 list.  It’s seriously that amazing.  It’s something you should not miss. 

                And if that’s not convincing enough…there’s a baby ibex climbing a mountain in it.  You can’t say no to the baby ibex.  There are birds that eat bones.  Monkeys know how to crack nuts with rocks.  The film even has a baby elephant stuck in mud!  Baby elephant, mud and Grandma Elephant coming to the rescue equal total awesome-ness.

                I’m TheCinemaChick and I wish a very happy birthday to my great aunt.

One Life, Two Chances to Catch It

                Hello world of internet blog readers and potential movie goers!  I am the one and only, TheCinemaChick and I let you know what’s good out there.  Well, I’m behind one review, but when opportunity knocks, you take it.  So today, let’s talk about life and love and birth.  Now, imagine someone much cooler than me talking about it.  Picture Daniel Craig talking to you about all that.  Now, you’re probably going, “CinemaChick, where can I see such an awesome thing?”

                You are in luck because such a thing exists.  There is a BBC wildlife documentary called “One Life” that is a very limited showing.  For some of you, this may be a bit short notice, but if you have the chance to see it, go see it!  If you don’t know what “One Life” is, don’t worry.  I’ll fill you in on the details, so lets get started.

                Put simply, it is a story about the journeys we all face in life.  And by we, I don’t just mean you and me.  If you think about it, don’t humans and animals all have some of the same goals?  We are born and learn how to survive from day one.  We have a nurturing parent (in most cases) and as soon as we can manage ourselves on two feet, life becomes nonstop.  Eventually, it becomes a life long struggle to find yourself, to explore the world and even to find love.  Both humans and animal live to fulfill specific needs.  We’re not so different after all.  That’s what “One Life” is about.

Narrated by Daniel Craig, the documentary shows the struggles and triumphs of all living things, whether they have four legs, two legs, fins, wings or flippers. It goes to show that we really are connected in the wondrous circle of life.  And if you don’t believe me, definitely check out “One Life”.  It’s got some awesome footage in there.  In fact, there was over  10,000 hours of footage taken for this.  So there is a lot you will see.  Think about it, they pulled out the best just for this showing.  There’s no way you can say no now. 

Of course, let’s ask the obvious question, the one I have been avoiding since we began this lovely little blog.  Go ahead and ask it. 

“CinemaChick, where can I see such a beautiful masterpiece?”

Well, I am thrilled that you asked.   “One Life” is showing at Harkins Theaters.  Now, I go to the one in Southlake.  It happens to be the closest one to me.   I’ll admit, I absolutely love going there.  Also, this is seriously just my opinion.  I’ve mentioned before that I have mobility issues due to a complication from spinal surgery.  The managers have actually approached me and asked if they can do anything to help me.  During the Marvel marathon, they made sure no one pushed me over.  I have been to many theaters in my area and I can say in all honesty, Harkins really cares about their customers.  They listen to all suggestions (or at least mine) and improve their theater.  I have never experienced a sticky floor, never seen a dirty bathroom and the popcorn is seriously always fresh.

Now, Harkins is showing this film on February 21. 2013, which is this Thursday, but there is another showing on Sunday, the 24^th.  It’s also not rated, which means you can take the little ones to see this film.  There may be some scenes that scare them.  Like I said, it’s a lovely little nonfiction piece that celebrates life and all its adventures.  It’s an in depth look at the diversity and tenacity of the heart.

If you can’t come to Harkins Southlake with me, don’t worry.  Check your local Harkins Theater to see if it is playing, which it should be.  Both showings will be at 7:00 PM.  I know it’s short notice, but trust me, it’ll be worth it.  Think of it as a great educational movie for the little ones.  It’s a great chance for them to see a documentary.  Mothers, there’s also stories about protecting and nurturing their offspring.  No one can say no to adorable baby animals!

If you don’t believe me, read my review on Friday.  I’m going on Thursday, so I will tell you what I think on Friday.  My opinion won’t change.  I will still see it as a fascinating look into the natural world.  The way I see it, no matter what, there is always something to learn.  I’m 28 and I still have tons to figure out.  I know Thursday is a strange day to see a movie, since a lot of people have to go to work and/or school in the morning.  Well, guess what?  “One Life” is 85 minutes.  You don’t have to worry about being out til midnight and if you bring younger ones, they will still be able to make bedtime.

I will leave you with the trailer for “One Life”.  I’ve watched it several times and it just looks amazing.  Enjoy this glimpse into nature:

I'm TheCinemaChick and I believe I'll see you at the show.

Zom Rom Com!

            Hello all you potentially Valentine’s Day loving people!  I go by TheCinemaChick and I’m here to let you know what sucks and what rocks in the theaters.  I know, I know, I still haven’t quite gotten back into my groove yet.  My apologies loyal readers, all…five or six of you.  You see, I’ve had some unfortunate paperwork to deal with.  As you all know, my mother passed away a few months ago so we (by that I mean my brother, my uncle and myself) have had to finish up with a few affairs.  One aspect of it is completed, meaning we only have two more major things to address.

            That aside, I did get a chance to see “Warm Bodies” this past weekend.  Butterfly and I met up and saw it together.  I’ll admit, the zombie romance comedy isn’t one of the more prominent genres out there, but it should be.  Who says all zombies have to be creepy horror monsters?  If vampires can have compassion and human qualities, why can’t zombies?  Ok, maybe it’s because they feast on the flesh of the living in order to survive.  That might be a major problem there, I admit.  But other than that, the zombie is one of the lesser used supernatural creatures.  Let’s face it, for the past few years; we’ve all been swept into vampire mania.  I blame you, Edward Cullen!

            Anywho, I like “Warm Bodies”.  It’s not my favorite film this year, but then again, the only other film I’ve seen in 2013 is “Hansel and Gretel” which sucked.  Wow…mid-February and I’ve only seen two movies this year.  I am slacking hardcore.

            If you haven’t seen this latest topper of the box office, you should.  Well, not everyone should see it.  I wouldn’t take young kid to see it because there is some cursing, semi-sexual moments and some zombies snacking on humans.  Oh and a lot of people get killed.  “Bonies” which are like…super dead zombies, sort of…eat people as well.  Not to mention, there are scenes where our main zombie R (Nicholas Hoult) is snacking on a brain.  Mmmm…brains…

            I’m not saying it’s cool or that it’s lame, but I can’t handle stuff like that.  Gore tends to make me physically ill, so I had to turn away a few times.  Then again, all the nasty stuff is over after about fifteen minutes.  It sort of defeated the point of it being a zombie movie in my opinion.  After that, it seemed to focus more on the romance, which I get it.  This is a romantic comedy after all.  But then I get confused with another point.  In the beginning, R says they can really only grunt and occasionally speak words.  Once he has Julie (Teresa Palmer) in his grasp, he seems to be able to speak fairly well.  Ok, so it’s not exactly that great, but he can communicate with her.

            He basically holds her hostage for a few days before they strike out on their own to find her dad, who happens to be the guy heading up the “kill all zombies” crew.  They take a car and hole up in a house.  She leaves, he goes home only to find that his friends are turning human as well.  The “bonies” are after them, so they have to protect Julie.  Basically, they convince Grigio (John Malkovich) that zombies are becoming human again, there’s a mediocre battle and it’s over.  It’s a decent ending for a decent film, but I guess I was wanting more.  I know, I know, I’m super critical.  And you may ask, why am I so critical?

            To quote Jim Moriarty from BBCs Sherlock, “THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE DO!”

            Yes, I just quoted Moriarty.  Any possible argument you had is completely invalid.

            My main issues with the film are that I’m not entirely sure what happened to get the world to where it was.  All they mention is an apocalypse, but what caused that.  Was it nuclear, biological, chemical…don’t say the world ended and not tell me how.  Even then, how did some people survive and remain human but some of them turned into zombies?  How long ago did this apocalypse happen?  Was it like world war three?  It just starts with R and goes on from there.  Also, it feels like a cop out because instead of explaining things, they just say that he doesn’t remember anything, therefore they don’t have to explain it.  Well, there are humans who remember what happened, so why can’t they explain it?

            But then another question is raised.  How do the zombies come back to life?  I understand that seeing something about love sparks something inside of them which causes their heart to start beating again, but that just doesn’t make sense.  After seeing R and Julie hold hands, the others realize something’s changing.  Later, they see a sign in the airport which causes even more change and that begins the revolution.  If I’m correct, that sign has been there the whole time and they just never noticed it.  Once again, that doesn’t make sense.  Unless they needed the initial push in order for them to completely undergo the change. But if that’s the case, it should have been explained as well. 

            Then there is the weird tie in to “Romeo and Juliet”.  Seriously, his name is R, she’s Julie and they are sort of star crossed lovers.  There’s even a scene with him on the ground, calling up to her.  I thought that was pretty cool.  It’s a modern retelling of a classic only with zombies and everyone doesn’t die.  Could it have been better, yes.  Was it good for the price I paid, meh.  I wouldn’t want to own it but it’s still an ok film.  It’s nice to have something fairly new, that hasn’t been done a million times already. 

            Oh, a note to Summit, we get it already.  You’re super proud that you snagged the “Twilight” franchise.  You can stop making a nod to it in every single freaking movie you put out there.  Seriously, the nods aren’t even subtle anymore.  In this one, Julie and Parry (Dave Franco) are lying in a field together, being all sweet and romantic.  Tell me this isn’t a coincidence.  Julie even dresses like Bella.  Geez, find something else to be proud of already!  We get it!  Twilight is over and it’s time we all move on!  I wish Summit could realize this since everyone else in the world has.

            I’d say that you should see “Warm Bodies” on Valentine’s Day.  It has something for everyone in it.  There’s a nice shot of Nicholas Hoult in the shower and a scene with Teresa Palmer stripping.  There’s no nudity though.  And when you see the film, you’ll understand why she takes off her clothes.  The ending is sweet, which is something you don’t expect to see in a zombie movie.  Think about it, this is a post-apocalyptic zombie film, but it’s a light hearted, happy one.  Once again, not something you see every day.

            I know this is fairly short for me, but htat’s really all I have to say on the matter.  It’s a good movie, well worth watching but not for the little ones.  It is a little predictable and there are a few times when the movie lags.

            Honestly, this has been a terrible year for movies so far.  Everything has been rated horribly or it’s just not worth it.  The only films I’m really looking forward to come out in the summer.  “Star Trek” comes out, along with the next “Iron Man”, which I won’t be able to see the day it comes out.  I’ll be at a wedding down in Austin.  Yes, my cousin is getting married.  Maybe I’ll see if Mumford’s free and go see it with him.  That’d be pretty cool.

            So far, the next films in my queue are “Side Effects”, the thriller about pharmaceuticals. “Beautiful Creatures”, about some girl in Georgia who’s also a witch or something and I have no idea.  I haven’t been keeping track mostly because nothing appeals. 

            My kingdom for some good movies.

            And you may say, “CinemaChick, I’ll find you a good movie to see in February or March.”

            To which I respond with yet another quote from Moriarty, “No you won’t!”

            I’m TheCinemaChick and I believe I will be at the Dallas Sci Fi Expo this Sunday, February 10, along with Fry.  We will be wearing Doctor Who shirts and seeking out Billy Boyd who will be at the expo as well.  If you’re there, come find me.