The DLP Chip Awards

Introducing the DLP Chip Awards, an award for the best at the box office in the Summer season.  I put a lot of thought into what this award should be, and I thought “why not call it the DLP Chip awards,” simply because they always play that ad before the movie for the digital projectors with DLP chips.  So here are your winners for the Summer of 2008

Outstanding Production Company: Marvel Studios

Winner: Best Production Company

Outstanding Special Effects: Wanted

Winner: Outstanding Special Effects

Best Comedy of the Summer: Tropic Thunder

Winner: Best Comedy of the Summer

Best Animated Feature Film: Kung Fu Panda

Winner: Best Animated Feature Film

Best Screenplay: You Don’t Mess with the Zohan

Winner: Best Screenplay

Best Actor in a Lead Role: Will Smith, “Hancock”

Winner: Best Actor in a Lead Role

Best Movie of the Summer: The Dark Knight

Winner: Best Movie of the Summer

There you have it folks!  This summer was truly an enjoyable one, and I look forward to continuing this blog throughout the year.  I’ll see you at the movies in the fall!

DVD Review: Awake

Awake hit theaters in November of 2007 and is now available on DVD. The story centers around Clay Beresford, (Hayden Christiansen) an executive big-wig who helps mega companies merge together. He’s got a bum heart and is on a waiting list for a transplant. Clay’s mother Lilith, (Lena Olin) is the very definition of overprotective and is the very reason why Clay is afraid to tell her about his girlfriend Sam (Jessica Alba). When a heart finally arrives, Clay’s heart surgeon friend Jack (Terrence Howard) is the one that Clay wants to perform the operation. Clay undergoes anesthetic and drifts off to sleep, only to regain awareness as they’re about to cut him open. He is aware during the entire procedure, and scared out of his mind. Scared because he can hear the surgeons, and they’re strategically planning to “fail” the operation, and kill Clay “accidentally.” To make matters worse, Sam is in on it for the inheritance. This was a good movie, my full analysis is below. Here is the theatrical one-sheet from the film.

The Theatrical One-Sheet for Awake

Awake is one of those horror/thriller movies that keeps you up at night, afraid to go to sleep. The concept of the film was brilliant simply because it happens to 700 patients a year. I also loved Jessica Alba’s role in the film. She rarely gets to play a dark role and this was a nice change-up from her normal all-American girl type of film. Overall I’d give this film a 4 out of 5 stars, and I’d say this film is definitely worth owning.

Tropic Thunder

Audiences get a glimpse into the lives of four Hollywood Pre-Madonna’s in what some are calling the best comedy of the summer.  Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., and Brandon T. Jackson play Tugg Speedman, Jeff Portnoy, Kirk Lazarus, and Alpa Chino, four eccentric actors who don’t work well with each other.  The solution to director Damien Cockburn’s (Steve Coogan) problem is simple.  Shoot your epic war movie in a documentary type of style.  There are only a few problems.  Cockburn steps on a land mine and dies, leaving the rest of the actors to get captured by a Vietnamese Heroin factory.  Tropic Thunder certainly lives up to the hype as it delivers the laughs in 1 hour and 47 minutes.  Here are some photos from the film, my analysis is below:

Jack Black in Tropic Thunder

Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder

Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Black in Tropic Thunder

Promotional Poster for Tropic Thunder

I thought this movie was hilarious.  The trio of Stiller, Black, and Downey Jr. did a great job at portraying needy, self-indulgent actors, and their comedic timing was excellent.  This movie is definitely worth the full admission price and definitely gets my nod for my award for Best Comedy of the Summer.  I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Brendan Fraser returns as Rick O’Connell in the third installment of the Mummy franchise.  In this film, Rick O’Connell, his wife Evelyn (Maria Bello), and his son Alex (Luke Ford), must fight the evil Emperor Han (Jet Li) before the emperor can take over all of China.  To make matters worse, Emperor Han has an evil army helping him out.  To defeat the evil Emperor, Rick, Evelyn, and Alex must raise Emperor Han’s enemies from the dead to combat the evil Army.  Here is the theatrical one-sheet from the film, my analysis is below.

The theatrical one-sheet for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

I was honestly disappointed by this movie in a lot of ways.  I was most disappointed in the acting in this film.  Brendan Fraser is a good actor and I respect him, but I think this was really below his level.  I also disagreed with the way the script was written.  Some of the puns in the film were really corny and therefore hard to watch.  I left the theater thinking “how did this franchise earn enough money to get to a third film?”  I give this film 2 out of 5 stars.

Introducing the Upcoming Movies Page

I wanted to start a new page to this blog that gives viewers a chance to see the preview to a worthwhile flick coming out a little later.  Click on over to the upcoming movies page to see a preview of the new comedy Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, set to hit theaters on October 3rd.

Pineapple Express

Seth Rogan reunites with Judd Apatow and the rest of the guys from Superbad in the comedy Pineapple Express.  Rogan plays Dale, a pothead who’s job entails him finding people who’ve been served and hand out their legal papers.  After buying some dope from his dealer Saul (James Franco), he accidentally witnesses a bigger drug dealer murdering someone.  To make matters worse, the big time dealer sees Dale, thus beginning a manhunt that takes Dale and Saul on a wild run away from the dealers in this comedy of errors.  Here are some photos from the film, my analysis is below:

Seth Rogan and James Franco in Pineapple Express

Seth Rogan and James Franco in Pineapple Express

Seth Rogan and James Franco in Pineapple Express

Some film reviewers have called this movie the “greatest stoner movie ever.”  Pineapple Express certainly lives up to the hype.  The movie is completely about pot, which is the sole reason why it garners an “R” rating.  While the movie was funny in a lot of parts, I thought at some points the film was just trying too hard.  A few scenes felt to me like they didn’t fit, thus causing me to say to myself “what was that scene for?”  Overall however, I did laugh at several points, which is why I give this movie a 3 out of 5 stars.

Swing Vote

Kevin Costner shines as Bud, an apathetic American who could not care less about politics.  The person who finally does make him care about the world around him is his young daughter Molly (newcomer Madeline Carroll), a whip smart elementary schooler whose forte is civics.  When Bud fails to show up on election day to pick up Molly from the poll station (she made him promise to come by and vote), Molly takes matters into her own hands.  She goes into the polling station, slips past a sleeping poll officer, forges her father’s signature and proceeds to vote.  While she is in the polling booth, however, a janitor accidentally pulls the plug on all of the polling machines, leaving Molly spooked and Bud’s ballot left in the machine.  What ensues is the closest thing to election pandemonium that the country has ever seen.  The pandemonium, however, is solely focused on Bud’s vote.  Bud’s one vote will cause all of New Mexico’s electoral votes to swing to one of the two candidates, therefore giving that candidate the Presidency.  This comedy provides some great laughs as well as a valuable non-political message.

Overall, I thought Swing Vote was an extremely balanced and well written comedy about the importance of voting in American society.  The message that I took away from the film was to avoid apathy at all costs.  Bud is the kind of guy who just doesn’t keep up with, or care about politics.  I think the most important thing we can learn from this movie is to take a side.  I really don’t care what side you take, but it’s important to formulate an opinion on certain policies and vote for the candidate that best represents those policies.  I give Swing Vote a 4 out of 5 stars.