Best of 2009!

So ends another year. We have not only that change, but the end of the decade and a full moon! The wolves are going to be out tonight!


Anyways, Yahoo! put together their "Most Watched Trailers of 2009". Over at RopeofSilicon was their opinion on the top 25 movies of the year. Im going to give one final post of the decade and rate my favorite trailers, top soundtracks, and my favorite movies.

Trailers of 2009: KEEP IN MIND. IM NOT SAYING THESE WERE ALL GOOD MOVIES. The trailer simply got me more excited than other previews...

12. Inkheart


11. Drag Me To Hell



10. Sunshine Cleaning



9. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince


8. Avatar

7. Nine



6. Watchmen



5. 2012

4. UP

3. Where the Wild Things Are



2. Transformers


1. Star Trek

BEST SOUNDTRACKS OF 2009:

5. Grey Gardens (Rachel Portman)

4. Coraline (Bruno Coulais & other various artists)

3. Star Trek (Michael Giacchino)

2. Up (Michael Giacchino)

1. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Nicholas Hooper)


The Ones Buzzing That I Havent Seen Yet that will no doubt change my best movie list.
Single Man
Me and Orson Welles
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Red Cliff
The White Ribbon
A Prophet
Up in the Air
The Hurt Locker
The Lovely Bones

Biggest Disappointments
5. Wolverine (I knew it would suck… but a tiny part of me wished it would have be amazing… something more serious -instead of campy/cartoony)

4. Monsters Vs. Aliens (Dreamworks follow-up to a favorite of mine (‘Kung Fu Panda’)… did not wow, and was just another film that over did the 3D)

3. Inkheart (I loved the Trailer… which tricked me into thinking this would be a great movie)

2. Transformers 2 (No story / just graphics only works for the box office)

1. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Stunning cinematography, soundtrack, and graphics could not save a screenplay overly saturated with teen romances and an ending entirely void of emotion and action – notice I said screenplay… not story.)


Best movies (While thinking about this… I really realized how few non-blockbuster movies Ive seen...pathetic)
6. Coraline
5. Fantastic Mr. Fox
4. Star Trek
3. An education
2. Inglorious bastards
1. Up

Potter 7a

The blu ray for Potter 6 is out. To be honest... I wasnt very impressed with its transfer as the previous (Order of the Phoenix) looked stunning. But I suppose it has to do with how outrageously dark the film is. Its hard to make something look so pristine when there is so little light involved.

One thing that was great about the home video is the special features. A few of the cut scenes really could have added a little to the story. I dont usually care for cut scenes, as there is typically a reason to why they were cut. But I enjoyed these.

Anyways, the main attraction was the preview to the final chapter, The Deathly Hallows. The last book is being split into two (something I think they could have done with the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th film). Personally I would cut each story into two, and make the films shorter as a whole (each is about 2 1/2 hours on average and they could be nice at about 1:45-2 hours with a bit more substance). For example... one major thing this past film left out was (aside from hardly any action) any real attention to the story. We got the bizarre love triangle... but what about more on the Prince? By the end of the story... when the prince is revealed... who actually still cares?

ANYWAYS, I digress... here is the preview for the next chapter. Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter: My Review

I know this is long, so I’ll stick my conclusion up here, because it’s a simple review if you don’t feel like reading an in-depth one: Like I said. The film is a strong film by itself. It handles the lighthearted humor well, but fails to entertain on a serious level. It is certainly a spectacle and I highly recommend watching it. Reviewers have said that they believe the director and producer probably dumbed down the film to pave the way for the final two-parter. But other notes from critics saying that fans of the book will be happy with the film are probably incorrect.

And if you can handle some reading, lets proceed.

I can remember when my high school had ‘Harry Potter day’ way back before any films had hit the screen. I thought, ‘what is this sensation that I have no clue about’. The story of how I came to see the first movie might surprise you, I was practically forced into it. It was between going to see the movie with my mom and sister or stay home and help make Thanksgiving dinner, which no self absorbed high schooler I know dreams of. I enjoyed the film and was curious about the sequel, due out a year later. When “Chamber of Secrets” was released, I was in college. By that point, I was hooked. I started reading the books, with “Azkaban”, and was blown away, over, and over again.

What the films are today is nothing like what they were when I first walked into the theatre and Harry still lived under a stair case. I also find them more and more difficult to enjoy as book adaptations. The most successful story, I believe, is the third installment. That seemed to capture the magic and stay truest to the book.

Now we are on “Half-Blood Prince”, which I was lucky enough to be offered a ticket to last night at 1am (yes, I am currently tired). I will look directly at three things: it’s strong points, weak points, and what I disagreed with in book to film changes (pre-spoiler alert).

The film itself is a good film. I whole heartedly agree with a solid “B” rating that Rope of Silicon awarded. It has plenty to be excited about, most bold of these is the setting and cinematography. The combination of the shots and sets are outstanding. The depth is spectacular, the outside shots are rich and expansive. All the while, indoor shots refuse being left out. They are intricately set and seem to encompass the look from all the previous movies.

I would argue the second strongest aspect of the film is the use of humor. The trio is spot on throughout the film with fun moments of the supporting cast weaving in and out. I’ll especially note Jim Broadbent’s Slughorn, Evanna Lynch’s Lovegood, Jessie Cave’s Lavender Brown, and Maggie Smith’s (always on point) McGonagall.

Another strong point is the use of graphics. I read a few reviews and didn’t really understand what they meant about the “seamless use of CGI” until I saw the film. Although the action wasn’t strong (which I’ll get to in a minute), the graphics seemd so well done, that you hardly notice them. And being that this is a series with magical things happening all over the place, that is really quite impressive.

Then there is the music. What I want to point out is that Nicholas Hooper has yet again created his own take, but integrated themes from the previous films. The music, like the film, seems to be setting up for the next. As though you almost expect more, but know it’s coming with “Deathly Hallows” in 2010. It certainly isn’t disappointing, it is actually quite beautiful, but leaves the listener waiting, on edge, for more.

Then for what felt weak about the film. There isn’t much to report, but what did contribute, did so in a very memorable way. The film is long. People all around me were falling asleep (granted the movie was released at almost 4am), but why was the sixth installment of the fantasy/family/action film series like this? Lack of action. No one can argue that this film had too much action. Because it hardly had any. Even the Quittich scenes seem lackluster. And when there was some action (only two scenes), they were short and felt almost meaningless. Especially the finale, which leaves everyone feeling shortsided and cheated. The end of this book was perhaps one of the most intense and shocking moments of the series and it just whizzed by, completely sapped of emotion. For me, that was the most disappointing moment of all. Had we just spent almost two and a half hours to get such an unfortunate gut punch? When the scene ended on the astronomy tower, and we learn what/who/where/when is the Half-Blood Prince I was hoping for something a bit more chilling. And AGAIN it fell very, very short of my expectation. It leaves the audience thinking… “Oh. Well, ok. What’s next?” What was next for me in the book, was the moment when I thought Hagrid’s dog was going to die. Bellatrix (though not in the book), set Hagrid’s home on fire with the dog inside. Just as Harry confronted the biggest villain of the book, the dog was set to die. Though he was rescued by Hagrid, these moments were essential for igniting hatred for a certain character. But were lost and contributed to an emotionless ending.

**I tell you now, don’t blame me if you haven’t seen the movie. Because reading on will ruin any surprise**

Now for what should have stayed the same about the book. I fully understand that it is near impossible to get everything into a movie. You just cant. But again, it’s so hard to bring myself to agree with the producer/director’s choice to omit scenes (especially the few action scenes in a book that was all information and back story to ‘You Know Who’). I think the films that have started out negatively (“Goblet of Fire” in particular) did so by omitting Harry’s only family, the Durselys. They are an important part of the story, and leaving them out to create a scene of Harry in a coffee shop flirting with some girl… is rubbish. Next, I’ll note that I liked the scene of the attack on the burrow. But it only served to wake up the sleeping audience. If they wanted more action, put in another scene of what Voldemort was actually doing. Make something up, perhaps about him killing someone. It just felt needless. The biggest disappointment, I already mentioned, was the end. When Snape kills Dumbledore, its supposed to be shocking. While all this is happening, Harry is frozen (by Dumbledore) under his invisibly cloak. Once Dumbledore falls, Harry is freed and chases Snape and the Death Eaters through the castle. But something important is happening. The students and teachers are not hiding in their rooms. Many of them have come out, to fight for their school. They spent half of the previous movie training these kids for this battle, let them fight it! (Mainly, I wanted to see Maggie Smith in her night gown kicking some tail.) These films are just as much about the school as they are about Harry, Ron, and Hermione. It was a mistake to leave this out; regardless of what the producers think. And when Harry is chasing Snape, the two have a much more intense interaction. Snape is finally able to take his aggression out against Potter. And he does so. All the while Hagrid’s dog is barking from within a burning hut and the Death Eaters run for the borders of the school. One of the most iconic images of the book to me was when Hagrid finally freed Fang, and Harry told him what had happened. Hagrid doesn’t believe him and they walk back to the school together. When Hagrid finally sees Dumbledores body, he is…as Hagrid can be… a mess. The moment I think of specifically is when Hagrid covers Dumbledore lifts him up, and takes him from the student’s eyes. These were moments that were very crucial. And should have stayed to assist the audience’s emotional involvement. I understand that the ending is similar to the end of the last book. But only slightly. And the book readers were not disappointed, film go’ers shouldn’t be either. And to leave out the funeral of Dumbledore, continued the wash away of emotions. The funeral brought together all characters of the films, those liked and disliked. But it meant something else than just showing these people again. It meant the end of Hogwarts. The school will never be the same again, and that is why it felt right that Harry decides to not return the following year. I think it would be interesting if the director/producer filmed the movie, and didnt read the final book. Its clear they had.

Like I said. The film is a strong film by itself. It handles the lighthearted humor well, but fails to entertain on a serious level. It is certainly a spectacle and I highly recommend watching it. Reviewers have said that they believe the director and producer probably dumbed down the film to pave the way for the final two-parter. But other notes from critics saying that fans of the book will be happy with the film are probably incorrect.

Sorry, but More Harry Potter

Rope of Silicon has a HP6 review! Giving it a "B" rating and saying that the film is fun, beautiful, and will not disappoint fans of the book. Im not sure how I feel about a "B" but hey, Ill just have to wait and see tomorrow!

Heres the review: Movie Review

Early Potter Reviews

It may be no surprise that Bruno has taken the number one spot at the box office this past weekend. But oddly, the reviews are not saying much for the film. Yahoo! Users are rating this a sad C+ with Critics giving it a slightly better B-. "Bruno" is not something I would rush out to see, but will probably see someday.

But, lets take a turn and talk about the movie that is no doubt going to upset it from the Box Office throne. "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" comes out tomorrow at midnight (or Wednesday at midnight, if you want to get technical). I wanted to share some info about it from Rotten Tomatoes.

Rotten Tomatoes is breaking down the film with early reviews from critics. One of the most impressive notes is on Jim Brodbent's portrayal of Slughorn.

"If this were any movie but part six of a series, I'd say [Jim] Broadbent does 'Best Supporting Actor' level work here. It's a master class in how to make the most of every moment onscreen without ever once overpowering the film around him." - Drew McWeeny, HitFix.com

I really liked the character of Slughorn in the books, so this is good news, especially since I was dissapointed by how he didnt look to me how I had imagined him.

But there is also some dissapointing news, the film is 153 minutes long and one critic thinks that it was tediously long.

"By the time we get back to the actual plot, almost two hours have passed, and by then, you might have completely given up on caring who the titular "half-blood prince" is. That makes it the first time in the series you really start feeling the movie's length before the two-hour mark due to the amount of needless filler." -- Edward Douglas, Coming Soon

This is interesting to me, because the book itself was very slow paced with an intense ending. And since the climax was actually removed from the film (regardless of the producers comments on the similarity of the finale of the final book, its still a stupid idea), it will be curious to see how this film reviews by the public.

That brings me to my next note.

"There are surprisingly few action sequences ... But those there are - a chase in the corn between Harry and the Death Eaters, the scene in a forbidding cave where Harry and Dumbledore seek to unravel Voldemort's secrets - crackle with a chilling sense of threat." -- Sarah Crompton, Telegraph UK

I just dont understand. People love the action sequences of the Harry Potter series. They are just as needed as the element of magic in the story. Not to mention there was no part where Harry is chasing Death Eaters in a corn field in the book. Why do filmmakers add scenes and then take some out. Yuck.

Rotten tomatoes is showing that the film has taken on an artistically beautiful look. I was unaware that cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel (responsible for the eye candy in "Amelie") worked on HP6.

"Not only has [Yates] made the film look gorgeous, but he has a much surer grip on the special effects, deploying them in the service of big set pieces that actually flow with the rhythms of the story, as well as a better understanding of what his younger cast can do." -- Alistair Harkness, Scotsman

So, we are just going to have to wait. I hope that this film turns out better than how I currently feel it will. Reguardless, Im excited to finally have a movie coming out that isnt being bashed by critics. And based on these posters, all I can say is that I hope they dont handle the love stories like they did in the near-nightmare that was "Goblet of Fire".

More HP6

More and more Harry Potter.... EVERYWHERE. Im serious. Warner Bros. is promoting the 'you know what' out of this flick. As they should! It has taken them so long to get it out that people are most likely forgetting what even happened in the previous.

But, with the film exactly a month away... (whoo hoo! the countdown has now begun...) Im seeing far more advertising than for the Transformers sequel (which is less than two weeks from its debut).

I'm actually finding it really impressive how much they are promoting 'HP6' here in Los Angeles. Posters lining the sides of buildings, every bus stop showcasing some hero or villain, and billboards all over the place. And what is really interesting, is that all the advertisements are different. They must have like 15 different ads. And you know what is really neat, the ads dont actually say "Harry Potter" on them. Its written in the background but also cut off. Its to the point where the characters are so well known that everyone just assumes its the next HP film. I think that is neat.

Here is one I took a picture of, just off of Hollywood Boulevard, showcasing the heros (though not far away is a building sized poster showcasing the villains).

One thing... I just have to mention.... Is what I read is being omitted/added from/to the film. I found out recently, that a very important scene is being taken out. I understand that you cant possibly include everything from the book (Tom Bombadil), but the HP franchise has taken out so much.

And be warned... Not a lot of action happened in this book... so why cut out stuff... and add other stuff... no clue.

Wikipedia is reporting that the Dursleys have been cut out, the final battle omitted, Dobby/Kreacher both gone, Fudge/Scrimgeour.... and another final scene... which I wont go into for 'spoiler' purposes. But then... director David Yates is adding scenes. WHY? I have no flipping idea. *Grumble*. Hopefully, some nerd got on wikipedia and changed everything.

Lets keep our fingers crossed that this movies turns out... (all the sudden I'm much less excited....)

Harry Potter 6... MORE DELAYS!?!?

Hitler would not be happy... (if you dont get it, read past articles).

So the Chief Exec. of Imax theatres has now confirmed, that due to Warner Bros. being indecisive about when to release their flick 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince' it has messed up Imax's schedule.  As a consequence for Imax fans, this movie will not be released until two weeks after its initial release in theaters.

I see this being either a good or very bad thing. On one hand, people might be more tempted to see it twice, especially with the highly anticipated graphics and ending that will be in 3D.  But then again, it is a recession and people might be holding back on spending 18 dollars... or whatever it is... to see movies again.

Here is the link to the very awesome HP site and the article: 'The Leaky Cauldron'

Film Promotion

Since I started writing this page, I began to take more interest in film as a whole. Note: I studied film, so I always have paid attention to film as a whole- but now a different aspect is catching my attention. Trailers are much more elaborate than they were ten years ago, as film posters have quickly followed suit. Just a few years ago we would get a poster or two for a movie. Now there are posters of each character, and multiples of them- at that. Not to mention, they are much more stylized in appearance and simpler than those of the early 2000s and before.

What do you think of this summers choices? Notice any similarities (focus on characters? color schemes? placements?)? Anything you like/dislike?

UP:

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen:

Terminator:Salvation:




Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: