Отзиви за първия teaser trailer на Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Някой се оплака, че не бил прочел и една смислена критика на тийзъра. А аз още не съм прочел и една смислена похвала. На кое по-точно се очаква да се радваме?

Да, познати и култови кораби летят наоколо. Да, кадрите с роботчето и спидера от Татуин лъхат на автентична Star Wars атмосфера. И да, определено е готино X-wing да прелита над водата... Браво, че сте запазили част от това, което се очаква задължително да присъства и сте внесли нещо ново. Ако единствено тези сцени бяха включени в тийзъра, вероятно щях да съм във възторг.

Уви...

За началото на тийзъра, ...дори не зная как да го коментирам. Абсурдното изскачане на героя е просто странно. Ако го свържем с гласа зад кадър, който ни обяснява че има "пробуждане" - може би това е несполучлив опит за шега - "хехе, той току що се събуди! май е сънувал кошмар... събудихме ли и вас с това изскачане?" Иначе просто нямам обяснение защо това е в тийзъра... за да напълни до обещаните 88 секунди?! Или просто за провокация, да се коментира?!

Карам нататък...

Определено нито остротата на картината, нито балансът на цветовете си пасват между отделните показани сцени - сякаш са взети от напълно различни филми или са недообработени. Пастелните тонове в небето и фона + изкуствен ленс флеър не са запазена марка на Star Wars визията, но поне са в допустими количества.

Трупърите с каски а-ла Star Wars meets Tron са представени по отвратителен начин и просто се моля мигащите светлини и динамичния бърз монтаж да са единствено в трейлъра, а не и в завършения филм. Стандартната изтърката поредица детайлни кадри "героите се подготвят да влязат в битка" + клатеща се камера от нетипичен ъгъл? Това тотално не пасва на темпото и стила на който и да е от предните Star Wars филми. Нали е ЕДНА сага, нали гоним приемственост и консистенция между епизодите? Какви са тия Майкъл-Бейщини изведнъж?

Това се отнася и до въртенето на камерата заедно с финтовете на Сокола - да беше в космоса, където няма горе и долу - разбирам. В кой друг епизод сте имали такава roller coaster движение?! Погледнете например състезанията в Епизод 1 или космическата битка в началото на Епизод 3 колко по-умерено и спокойно са поднесени откъм гледни точки и движение на камерата, и пак са напълно достатъчно интригуващи, "екшънски" и динамични. За снимането на Старата Трилогия, с която уж новия филм трябва да се впише и да осъществи връзка пък да не говорим.

И накрая да не пропуснем да споменем и прословутия "кръстат" светлинен меч... Да, въпрос на вкус е вероятно. Ами не ми харесва. Факт, че от двойния меч на Darth Maul в Епизод 1 насам авторите и дизайнерите се опитват да вкарват какви ли не нововъведения в тая област, но обикновено са освен визуално интересни, то и поне малкото практични. Това граничи с абсурда... И лошкото се намира насред някаква доста стандарна и безинтересна заснежена гора, която доста напомня на примерно Нарния, но далеч не е оригинален, зрелищен и интересен нов свят, който да има логика да покажеш за кратко на точещите зъби фенове.

И така, за сега, на този етап от развитието на филма, на ниво тийзър - опасявам се, че Джей Джей Ейбрамс, Дисни и Лукасфилм далеч няма да успеят да ми поднесат това незабравимо изживяване, което самият Лукас ни е поднасял с всеки един от предните епизоди.

Дано да греша.

Vehicle 19 - review

I gave it 10 out of 10 on IMDb, not because it's the most amazing film out there, but because I feel it's a shame it has a rating below 5, and I'd like to boost it as much as possible! The trailer says it all, what you see is what you get, plus some unexpected turns, which I will save you (no spoilers here!). This is your average "framed & chased by corrupt policemen guy in a car... in another country".

This is a solid entertainment, a highly watchable and quite tense action thriller, which is smart enough to keep it short and simple. Both me and my wife enjoyed it quite a bit.

The film is quite short - less than 80 minutes if you don't count the credits - and I think it's a good thing, because it's light and it's over way before it manages to get boring. I'm sick and tired of overdecorated and pompous action smash hits with tons of CGI, where everything is predictable and lacks any individuality.

Nothing here is over the top or out of place. The main character is far from a saint and still by the end he gets really likable and people cheer for him. The African setting is refreshing. It adds to the odds against Paul Walker, and helps the foreign audience to identify with him - just like the guy we feel lost and kinda desperate.

To me it felt like an EuropaCorp flick - you know, the Besson-produced type of action. So if you like movies like the Transporter, Taken, B-13, etc. then I highly recommend this one!

There are a few things I could criticize. The African rap for example makes my ears bleed, but I admit it was well used to create atmosphere. In some scenes the character "explains" what happens, because it is not shown well (which is a kind of a cinematic failure) - like when two kids steal from him, I didn't get what exactly they took and there was a line like "They stole my glasses." - just a calm statement to make it clear for you. And they could actually add a minute in the end to show us the character AFTER all that happened, instead you get a voice-over of a news report, which explains you where he is and what happened with him, and then the credits roll. We could at least hear Paul Walker's voice... but it was like "OK, no time to shoot another scene, it's a wrap guys, we'll figure something out for the ending later." Here I felt like there's something missing to make the final scene really satisfying, but it doesn't mean you feel letdown or cheated in the end.

And to wrap it up myself - It's a simple entertainment and it's simply entertaining. Wish there were more movies like that coming out - engaging, fast-paced and short (or at least not too long!).

TMNT 2012 Opening Sequence

Lyrics

Here we Go! It's the lean green ninja team
On the scene, cool teens doing ninja things
So extreme, up the sewers like a laser beam
get rocked with the shell shock pizza kings
Can't stop these radical dudes
The secret of the ooze, make a chosen few
emerge from the shadows to make their move
The good guys win and the bad guys loose

Leonardo is the leader in blue, does anything it takes to get his ninjas through
Donatello is the fellow, has the way with machines
Raphael has the most attitude on the team
Michealangelo he is one of a kind, and you know where to find him when it's party time
Master Splinter taught them every single skill that they need
to be one mean, lean, green incredible team

Top 3 movies about favourite writers from my childhood

Miss Potter - the first class cast (Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor) just shines in this heartwarming journey through the life of a visionary author and illustrator Beatrix Potter. Delightful animated segments bring to life Peter Rabbit and the rest of her beloved characters.



Finding Neverland - a touching story about how Peter Pan came to be. Johnny Depp delivers a poweful performance as Sir James Matthew Barrie and gets an Academy Award nomination for best actor... along with 5 other nominations for the film, from which the Polish composer Jan Andrzej Paweł Kaczmarek gets the Oscar for best score.



A Bear Named Winnie is probably the most unpopular from all tree, and as you can guess from the title it recreates the story behind A. A. Milne's inspiration for "Winnie the Pooh". It is a great TV movie and if you are fortunate enough to catch it you'll probably agree that it is worth its possition in this Top 3 along with the two major productions.



I strongly recommend that you spare the time and watch it (the full available on YouTube)

Top 5 documentaries of the last year

This is my personal top 5 of the documentaries I've seen for the last year.
For some reason Trek Nation is not out yet, but I've still included it here, and King of Kong is a few years older, but I just discovered it recently, so it's here as well!

Here we go!

Bébé(s) (2010)



Superheroes (2011)



The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011)



The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)



Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics (2010)



And one that is not out yet, but I'm certainly looking forward to see it!

Trek Nation

15 epic intros of French cartoon series that you have to watch!

With the approach of the new Tintin epic big screen 3D adventure it's time to take a look at some of the best French cartoon series (often based on French or Belgian comics). If you're lucky enough to get your hands on an English dubbing (or even better - if your French is fluent), be sure not to miss these 10 animated shows!

The Adventures of Tintin



Belphegor



Chris Colorado



Bob Morane



Blake and Mortimer




Nanook's Great Hunt



Lucky Luke



Marianne Premiere



Skyland



Oban Star Racers



Spirou et Fantasio



Michelle Vaillant (for marketing purposes released in English as Heroes of Hot Wheels)




Time Jam



Highlander: The Animated Series



Rahan (80s and new)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRf0-TSQ8ZQ

Battle: Los Angeles - Asylum vs Columbia Pictures

VS

OK - we all know what Asylum is all about. Some time before the
Hollywood releases a major blockbuster they release (straight to DVD or
TV) their so called "mockbusters". Transformers goes TransMorphers,
Death Race goes Death RacerS, 10 000 BC goes 10 000 000 BC, Lost + King
Kong = King of the Lost World, etc.

But I'd like to underline - even if the titles, the topics and the
posters and cover designs of the Asylum films are an undeniable rip-off
of major Hollywood hits, the movies themselves are quite often original
and far from the storyline of the imitated movie. Close your eyes for
the rip-off factor and you get a decent TV-feature or an entertaining
B-movie.

None of their movies is brilliant. They are far from masterpieces. But
just plain hate is wrong. You have to appreciate them for what they
are, not take them too seriously and if your expectations are not over
the roof you might find yourself enjoying Asylum's titles.

So far I liked their Sherlock Holmes the best - it was a fresh take and it
had some quite cool ideas, even if the low budget and production value
take away from the movie.

In the case of "Battle of Los Angeles" I would say that Asylum did way
better than the original! Call me crazy, but I enjoyed their B-movie
galore on SyFy channel far more than the misunderstanding called
"Battle: Los Angeles".





The blockbuster is nothing but a flat storyline with cardboard
characters, mixed with shaky camera, random shooting and average CGI.
If there is something to be appreciated there it is the designs of the
alien ships. But come on, "Independence Day" did way better and it did
it 15 years ago! "Battle of Los Angeles" on the other hand manages to
entertain quite a bit, despite the obviously low budget of the
production and weak acting. The resources are used well, the movie
doesn't take itself too seriously, and makes the most of what it has.
There are some neat touches like a chick with a katana slicing flying
robots, classic B-movie flying saucer invasion, post-apocalyptic sets,
pilot in a WWII plane who came from another time, giant alien creature
with tentacles and teeth, Dr. Who's daleks homage, the katana chick gets an eye-patch... Come
on, it's COOL!!! And it doesn't scream "I am an awesome movie, let me
rob you of your 10 bucks and 2 hours, so you can enjoy my awesomeness
on big screen!"

In this Battle... Asylum wins for me!

Give it a try, it's very watchable :)

Take a look at the katana chick in action!

Samurai Jack - Behind the Scenes

I offer you a bunch of DVD bonus features of Samurai Jack, an awesome animated show by Gendy Tartakovsky. Unfortunately the story was never finished. Gendy's latest project, Sym-Bionic Titan, is one of the best shows currently on air and definitely worth watching, but still I consider Samurai Jack an unsurpassed masterpiece. Take a look at its creation!

Книга мастеров / Disney's The Book of Masters / Книгата на майсторите

Това е първият филм на компанията Дисни заснет в Русия!
Историята е вдъхновена от руските народни приказки. Един филм изпълнен с магия и фантастични приключения, подходящ за цялото семейство.

Лично аз харесах филма много. Изключително забавен е, и е много приятно най-накрая след заглавия като Звезден прах, Нарния, Хари Потър, Златния Компас, Хрониките на Спайдъруик и пр. да се появи филм, вдъхновен от славиянските приказки. Ще срещнете познати герои като храбрият Иван, Баба Яга, Кашчей Безсмъртни и други.

Надявам се филмът да мине по кината и извън Русия, според мен заслужава достойно световно разпространение. Ниският му рейтинг в IMDb за мен е необясним.

Ако харесвате филмите-приказки, ако си падате по весело фентъзи, то тогава горещо Ви препоръчвам Книгата на майсторите!

Трейлър: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nv9JHxTeKQ
Линк: http://axelbg.net/details.php?id=41118

Riese: Kingdom Falling

Riese: Kingdom Falling is a science fiction-fantasy series which debuted online on November 2, 2009. The series is about a traveller named Riese, a wanderer, who flees across the wartorn lands of Eleysia with her wolf, Fenrir. Hunted by a terrifying religious group, The Sect, Riese must evade the assassins that have been sent to kill her and discover their true objective.

A must see for steampunk fans!

http://www.riesetheseries.com/

YouTube links to all 10 episodes!
Support the series and keep your fingers crossed for Season 2!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5yXCfzcVhw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUQOYPcuKu0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx30BYoPz-8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUDw4Hp-S1U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li0FWktlVV8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qgpIVkcDq8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9WIsrKFZV8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8kw4tNiAYg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyOMW3sgkqg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7vEWJw8GNI

Kobe Bryant is, "The Black Mamba". Directed by Robert Rodriguez

The coolest cinematic Nike sportswear commercial featuring a major star basketball player since CHAMBER OF FEAR

Alien vs Ninja review

Unfortunately this promising title fails to deliver. When I started
watching this I didn't expect so much goofy and campy humor.

Im a great fan of Keita Amemia's work, especially the ZEIRAM series and
MIRAI NINJA. So when I saw the poster and the trailer for this film I
expected something similar - cool Asian sci-fi action, with great
atmosphere, created by the blend of genres. Aliens and ninjas - looked
like this can't go wrong! But it did. There are a lot of boring
dialogs. The movie's pace is messed up. Even for its 80 minutes it is
still slow. It starts with a great opening shot that leaves you thirsty
for adrenaline and you don't get it for the next 25 minutes. The real
problem is the poor comedy attempts. The parody elements are annoying
and they just ruin it all, which is a shame. It has a production value
high enough to make it a modern B-classic.

It's obviously a B-movie and no one expects state of the art effects
from it. Actually I prefer the practical effects - puppets, costumes
and animatronics are a breath of fresh air in this CGI era.

What I like the most about it is the work of the art department. The
character and creature designs are cool and the costumes are really
neat. Some look like live cation versions of manga drawings. I guess
that Ninja Gaiden fans would appreciate the looks of the main
character.

The martial art scenes are decent, but nothing really remarkable.
Directing, camera-work and acting are mediocre at best.

Alien vs Ninja is a great concept and I regret to see it wasted like
that.

Spare yourself time and watch all the coolness synthesized down to a trailer:

Watch "Tomatoes Eat You" and "Radiation Raiders" trailer at Filmdemic Trailer Contest!

Watch (and rate and comment) the "Radiation Raiders" teaser trailer and "Tomatoes Eat You!" at the Filmdemic Contest!

p.s. too bad the flash video encoding changed the 4:3 aspect ratio to 16:9...

Triggerman Trailer - Terence Hill's new western is here!

Awesome news!! Terence Hill is riding again in "Triggerman" - a sequel to "Doc West"



I hope Terence will stick around the wild west for a while! We all missed him :)

5 Movies Young_Jedi didn't review but he still Wants You to See!

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel





Secondhand Lions





Diary of a Wimpy Kid





Black Dynamite





Cargo

Iron Sky - Trailer

What a neat idea! WWII... in space! I wonder why noone came up with a movie like this before! Looks promising and I hope it will deliver when they release it!



Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Sky
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034314/

Awesome Trailers

MANBORG



GAIKING



SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO (Live Action)



PLANZET

In Memoriam: Frank Frazetta

On May 10 one of the greatest illustrators of all time left this world.
As a kid, I was admiring Frank Frazetta even before I knew who he was. My first encounter with his work was "Fire and Ice" - a Ralp Bakshi animated feature inspired by Frazetta's art.
Today he is one of my all-time favourites, and his unmistakebale stile serves as a great inspiration. I bow before his tallent!

May he rest in peace!



part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4
part 5
part 6
part 7
part 8

Help Save Japan's Dolphins - "The Cove"

I just saw "The Cove" - a documentary that left me shocked and most of all, very sad.



I've seen a dolphin only once in my life - it was many years ago, when I was with my parents at the seaside at Black Sea. The poor creature was playful and friendly but got hit by the spinning fans of a waterbike. I touched the back of the dophin as people were holding it in the water, trying to help. I was too little back then to do anything on my own. Now when I know about this horrible slaughetr of doplins that goes on out there I feel too little to do anything again. But I want to believe that if wea ll work together this we can all put an end to this. Please, don't let this genocide go on!

Visit
http://savejapandolphins.org/
http://www.takepart.com/thecove

Spare some time and Take Part.
Read, watch, educate yourself.
Help in whatever way you can - donate, spread the word, or simply sign the petition.

Lucky Luke is Back!

Days after I found out that the new Terence Hill western "Doc West" is on teh way, another exciting trailer is out! New Lucky Luke movie will premiere on October 21! Terence Hill was Lucky Luke in the movies and the TV series from the early 90s. This time Jean Dujadrin will portray the hero from the classic comic books by Morris & Goscinny. The weird thing is that he had a part in the previous Lucky Luke movie, "Les Dalton" from 2004... and he was not Lucky Luke there.

Official Website: http://www.lucky-luke-le-film.com/

Here's a trailer:



And at the official YouTube channel you can watch some funny teasers with the characters! ...too bad I don't speak French :-/