The Dark Knight Rises teaser trailer released and I get all excited and scream like a girl

You may remember back in May I posted and commented on the first picture of Tom Hardy as Bane from The Dark Knights Rises which you can read HERE.

This week saw the release of the first teaser trailer for the final part in Chris Nolan's Batman trilogy. I watched this last night for the first time in it's official capacity and not some dodgy mobile phone recording and really got all excited about it.

There are a few good questions that are raised after watching this.

1 - Will Bruce confess to Gordon that he is Batman then?

2 - Is Bane the reason for Gordon's condition in hospital?

3 - Does this mean it won't be the Bat that gets broken? (click on the name Bane in the last point if you want to know what I'm going on about)

4 - Will Tom Hardy manage to pull of a convincing Spanish accent?

"matalo!,matalo!,Bane!,Bane!m​a­talo!,matalo!,Bane!,Bane!"
For those who don't know what is being chanted at the end of the trailer apparently it is "kill him, kill him, Bane, Bane" in Spanish since Bane is Spanish.

I've downloaded this to my phone and will be watching again and again for a while. All we need now is that first official picture of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.

"You fail me yet again Michael Bay" - Transformers: Dark of the Moon

I can honestly say this is the worst film I've ever seen. I booked the ticket on Saturday and since doing that came down with a bad cold. I didn't want to waste my money so yesterday I struggled down to cineworld to see it. I think the other people in there must of misunderstood my sniffles and constant wiping my eyes for joy and sadness with what happens in the film. They thought wrong.
The best bit about this film was Leonard Nimoy (Sentinal Prime) paying tribute to his most famous character. Apart from the "Needs of the many" line there were a few Star Trek nods in this film. Spock's "I am and always shall be your friend" was sampled by Bumblebee when he said goodbye to Sam. Wheelie watching the original Trek TV show and Sam saying the museum looked like the Enterprise.
I couldn't tell you who any of the new Decepticon/Autobot's featured in the film were individually despite their names being mentioned. Only looking ar IMDB now informs me that the great James Remar voiced Sideswipe AND WTF was Shockwave all about!?! I thought he was going to be a major bad guy but all he did was get his giant metal Decepticon penis to destroy buildings. And who was the Autobot with Wheelie? And what was with the hair?
It was nice to see some sort of live-action Lazer Beak on screen finally though.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was just terrible and Megan Fox was seriously missed in this movie. And that is me refering to acting ability there as well.

Overall though this was worse than the second one and as much as I don't like that I'd call it a masterpiece compared to this.

As a fellow SFX forum user said "If you're expecting a decent plot, good acting, humour that's actually funny, etc. then you'll be disappointed. If you're expecting excellently-crafted action sequences, then you'll lap it up with a spoon."

Dear Mr Bay

Please don't make any more movies.

That is all.

James Cameron Previews First Footage of 'Titanic 3D' - Decency Dies

Frame-by-frame conversion of 1997 blockbuster relaunches world-wide in April 2012
This news left me gobsmacked when I first heard about it back in 2010. The film Titanic (one of James Cameron's most successful films) to be converted to 3D!?!
Isn't it a bit wrong to make this film into a 3-D EXTRAVAGANZA! It's going to be released one hundred years and the same month (April) the actual boat sank and 1,517 people died.

And people argue that 3D's isn't gimmick.

I can't wait until Schindler's List 3D is announced and hits theaters in a few years time.

Rubbish.

Doctor Who Series 6: Part 1. Most Disappointing.

I bought the first part of series 6 on dvd last Friday and once again I'm of the opinion a mid-season finale was a very bad idea. Not only were the first seven episodes of series 6 most unsatisfactory (apart from The Doctor's wife), to suddenly end it with a poor finale like it did just added to my "Don't really care" factor for it's return later in the year.
I was a huge supporter of The Moff when he was announced as show runner but now I'm changing my mind as he seems to be throwing in unneeded twists and confusing story arcs that even he seems to be have trouble keeping up.
While a lot of people got bored with Russell T. Davies by the end of his run I think he managed to get the balance right across seasons and while Season 3 isn't a favourite of every ones I think It had just the right amount of arcness(?) about it to make it enjoyable. Season 3 is still probably my favourite series since the show returned.
For now though while Matt Smith continues to shine as the 11Th Doctor I'm afraid he seems to be suffering a lot like Colin Baker did back in the mid-80's when John Nathan-Turner was doing his best to run the show into the ground.

Hopefully the second part of series 6 will pick up. It has to with an episode titled "Let's Kill Hitler" doesn't it?

Fantastic New Pictures From Amazing Spider-Man

You may remember back in January I posted a picture of the first official shot of Andrew Garfield in next years Spider-Man reboot HERE. Well last night Entertainment Weekly released some fantastic pictures from next years Amazing Spider-Man starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors aka The Lizard.

I think these pictures are just "Amazing". Andrew Garfield looks awesome. He looks just like Ultimate Spider-Man. Fantastic!

I so can’t wait for this.
What do yo think?






Click here to go to Entertainment Weekly for more pics…

'Let's find George and Gracie' - A few thoughts on Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

I remember this being one of the first Trek films I ever saw on video back in the 80's and since then it's always held a special place in my heart. Although it is a very shoddy idea (Alien Whales for goodness sake) I still love it to bits.
The whole start of the film with the probe reaching earth is just silly if you ask me and goes on for far too long but I suppose it is setting up the rest of the story. I've always found it rather annoying that we could never understand what the probe was going on about but I suppose that was the point in the first place.

It's only right that the noble crew of the Enterprise would want to go home and face the music for their actions and I love how they rename the Bird of Prey the HMS Bounty (Nice one McCoy). Spock on Vulcan still struggling to discover his true self really interests me.
I love Amanda and her speech which sums it up perfectly.

Amanda: Spock, does the good of the many out weigh the good of the one?
Spock: I would accept that as an axiom.
Amanda: Then you stand here alive because of a mistake made by your flawed, feeling, human friends. They have sacrificed their futures because they believed that the good of the one - you - was more important to them.
Spock: Humans make illogical decisions.
Amanda: They do indeed.

Saavik also has a final scene in the movie where I feel she gives Kirk some sort of peace of mind over David's death in The Search For Spock.

Saavik:[to Kirk] Sir... I have not had the opportunity to tell you about your son. David died most bravely. He saved Spock. He saved us all. I thought you should know.

This film also features the debut of Brock Peters as Admiral Cartwright. For the amount of time he is in this film I enjoy his scenes very much and obviously we all know about his fall from grace in a couple of films time so I will shut up about him for now. I also wonder if it has ever been implied he is a descendant of the Sisko family?(I know I am clutching at straws there because of Brock Peters playing Joseph Sisko in DS9).
When they finally get back to 20Th century earth you can tell this is going to be a 'more for laughs' film from the previous instalments but I don't really think that is a bad thing. 23rd century humans suddenly trying to look 'normal' in modern day is going to be funny no matter what. I must admit though I don't know if I should laugh or groan when the Bird of Prey lands and Kirk says the 'Remember where we parked' line.
There are to many great scenes in this film to mention but a few of my favourites are the scene involving Scotty and McCoy -

McCoy: You realise that by giving him the formula you're altering the future.
Scotty: Why? How do we know he didn't invent the thing?

Scotty talking to the computer via the mouse is a classic.
The crossing the road scene -

Taxi driver: [disgruntled] Why don't you watch where you're going, you dumb-ass!
James T. Kirk: Well, a double dumb-ass on you!

The bus scene with Kirk and Spock and the punk-

(Got to love the lyrics)
Just what is the future?
The things we've done and said?
Let's just push the button
We'd be better off dead
'Cause I hate you
And I berate you.

Spock having his 'funny/crazy' moments through out this film are priceless.
The final scene where Kirk is demoted back to Captain is cheesy but satisfying and also when Spock speaks to Sarek I like that Sarek admits he may of been wrong about Spock joining Starfleet in the first place.

Sarek:As I recall, I opposed your enlistment in Starfleet... It is possible that judgment was incorrect. Your associates are people of good character.

Nothing in this film really bugs me but something that has never made sense to me is Dr. Gillian Taylor and her willingness to bugger off to the 23rd century with just the 'Ive got nobody here' line to cover it!?!

And who can resist that fantastic shot of the Enterprise-A at the end and Kirk saying

James T. Kirk: My friends... we've come home.

It's interesting to note The Shat said he would only do this film if he got a pay increase and the promise of directing the next movie. We all know how well that went don't we but that I think I'll save for another day.

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

I watched Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut again last night.

For the people that don't know.

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is a 2006 re-edit of the 1980 superhero film, Superman II, by Richard Donner, who shot a large part of the original movie before being replaced as director by Richard Lester. It stars Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Terence Stamp, Margot Kidder and Marlon Brando. The cut was supervised by Donner, creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz (who penned the 1977 shooting script for Superman II,on which the Donner cut is based), and Michael Thau, an editor who worked with Donner on the 2001 DVD director's cut and restoration of the 1978 film Superman.

Unlike many "special edition" and "director's cuts" released over the years, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is a very different film, despite both versions following roughly the same storyline. As much as half of the film contains never-before seen material filmed by Donner, including 15 minutes of Marlon Brando scenes as Superman's father Jor-El as well as numerous new Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder scenes. Some of this "new" material has appeared in earlier extended television cuts. Some of the existing scenes were also replaced with alternative takes or footage from different camera angles. There are also several newly-filmed shots and many new visual effects. Richard Donner is credited as director of the film instead of Richard Lester. More than half of Lester's footage filmed for Superman II has been removed from the film and replaced with Donner footage shot during the original principal photography from 1977. Certain footage filmed by Richard Lester remains in sequences that were not shot by Donner (due to the halt in production for this film) for purposes of story cohesion. As a result, approximately 83% of the footage in the film is Donner's footage.

When I first watched this I wasn't really expecting the film to start so differently straight away with Zod. The first scene wit Clark and Lois is fantastic and I love Lois diving out of the window of The Daily Planet.It's classic Superman how he manages to save her while still remaining undercover.
It's scenes like that that make you completely forget the Nuclear bomb opening scenes in France in the Lester version.

The extra bits with Lex Luthor and Miss Teschmacher in the Fortress of Solitude and Marlon Brando in even more scenes as Jor-El is awesome. Jor-El explaining all the little bits Lester cut out is fantastic but was there any need to imply there is a toilet in the fortress?
The scene at Niagara falls is a bit strange to watch now what with the previous scene with Lois nose diving out of the Planet a short while earlier. I like how it cuts to test footage though after the Zod scene splicing two separate test scenes together. The new way Lois finds out he is Superman by shooting him is great. Funny how Clark stitches himself up then Lois admits it was a blank.
I can't help but notice a lot of the slapstick Lester moments are no longer in this.
During the scene with Clark stepping into the chamber and loosing his powers I love how the hologram or Jor-El looks at Lois and she steps back to try to get out of sight. Does anyone else get the impression Lois regrets him doing that? Clark getting smashed up in the diner is still shocking though.
When he returns to get his powers Jor-El brought a lump to my throat with his speech.

The fight in the White House is pretty brutal now. Zod using a machine gun is scary.
"Would you hit a woman"
Again I can't help but wonder how cool a massive face off between Superman and someone with equal powers would look today with CGI effects.The fight in the city in this film still impresses me to this day.
I was expecting a bit of a better ending for Zod and co but it seems they did just fall down the cracks in the fortress in this one as well as the original. Not too sure what I think about the ending with Superman reversing time though. The only gripe I have there is that it's a bit pointless and I prefer the Lester ending in that respect.
So Donner would of ended both films with that trick then???

I remember watching this film for the first time being worried that it would change my opinion of the Lester cut but I can honestly say it hasn't.
The Donner cut is an enjoyable version of Superman II. I wonder how well this version would of done if it had been released back in the day had Donner not been fired?