Revisiting 1982 - The Thing

It is time for the second entry in my year-long series in which I revisit some of the most classic films to be released 30 years ago in the year 1982 (the year of my birth).

Since February is typically the coldest month of the year (though apparently that's not the case this year in Toronto), I thought that I would make this month's film John Carpenter's icy cold sci-fi/horror film The Thing. As always, I may go into SPOILER territory in my discussion, so proceed with caution.

Let's begin.

Oscar 2012 Wrap-Up

It was very crazy Oscars last night with top awards being even split being The Artist and Hugo, who got 5 a-piece (though the top award went to The Artist).  There were many unexpected wins this year, which really affected people's Oscar pools.  I for one only got 13 of my predictions correct, which is my lowest tally since 2008.  Most of my misses were in the technical awards and I still managed to get all, but one, of the main awards correct.

I also have to note that after waiting 8 years for Billy Crystal to host again, I found that it didn't have the same "oomph" of his previous hosting gigs.  That said, he was still better than many of the other recent hosts.

2012 Oscar Predictions

Well, it's that time of the year again and I have made my Oscar predictions.  In a bit of a high-tech add-on this year, I have posted my picks on the official Oscar website, which can be used to create a pool with anyone I follow on Facebook (gotta love technology).

Anyways, here's my picks for you old-fashioned types.

My Thoughts on Pink Ribbons, Inc,

While the focus of this film is Breast Cancer charities, the question it asks is universal: When you give money to a charity, does it truly go to helping the cause?

Breast Cancer awareness (and its accompanying Pink Ribbon campaign) is probably the most mainstream of all charities and it's also the most commercialized.  I would be surprised if anyone went out to see this documentary and wasn't absolutely disgusted with how Breast Cancer awareness is literally sold to the world ( the film features commercials from everything from Ford to Kentucky Fried Chicken).

My Thoughts on Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

The directorial duo of Neveldine/Taylor had a somewhat entertaining start to their career with the original Crank.  However, in every film they made since (Crank 2, Gamer, and now Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance), they have steadily become my least favourite filmmakers.

Through their direction, Neveldine/Taylor took the sequel to 2007's Ghost Rider (a film that was campy, yet entertaining) and just turned it into a big fat joke.

For starters, there's Neveldine/Taylor's trademark of filming most scenes in low-angle close-ups, which I'm definitely not a fan of.  Then there's these comic-booky narration scenes, which are just plain goofy (Jerry Springer as the devil anyone?).

DVD Pick of the Day: Videodrome Criterion Blu-Ray

For the uninformed, the Criterion Collection is a series of high quality DVD/Blu-Ray releases for "important classic and contemporary films."  Criterion releases are generally aimed more at serious cinephiles and are often loaded to the brim with special features, as well as a booklet of essays.

I've been meaning to get myself a Criterion release for quite a while now.  However, since they are generally twice the cost of mainstream DVDs and I try my best to limit the amount I spend on discs, I haven't before taken the plunge.

Trailer Thoughts: The Bourne Legacy

Even though the film series apparently concluded with The Bourne Ultimatum, Jeremy Renner takes the reigns as a new superspy, who to aims to continue The Bourne Legacy.

Trailer Thoughts: The Amazing Spider-Man

A new trailer has just debuted for the new reboot of the Spider-Man series, which is directed by Marc Webb and stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Rhys Ifans.

My Thoughts on Man on a Ledge

Last week when it opened, Man on a Ledge was overshadowed by The Grey and barely registered in the top five with an opening gross of only $8M.  However, after finally getting around to seeing the film today (I chose it instead of Woman in Black, which I already saw or Chronicle, which I feared would make me motion sick), I can say that it was a very entertaining heist thriller.

The story of the film is very simple: Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), a cop wrongly accused of stealing a diamond from wealthy real estable mogul David Englander (Ed Harris), breaks out of jail and, in a desperate move to clear his name, climbs out onto a ledge of a hotel to act as a distraction, while his brother Joey (Jamie Bell) tries to steal the diamond for real to prove with was still in Englander's possession.  Rouding out the cast is Elizabeth Banks as police negotiator Lydia Mercer, Anthony Mackie as Nick's old partner Mike, and Genesis Rodriguez as Joey's girlfriend Angie.

The film is a very straight-forward thriller, however I thought it was extremely fun to watch and since the film moves back and forth between Nick on the ledge and the heist, it's not as monotonous as you would expect a film entitled Man on a Ledge to be.  I definitely recommend checking it out.

8/10

My Thoughts on Kevin Smith: Live from Behind

Last night Kevin Smith (along with Jason Mewes) returned to Toronto for a live podcast/Q&A at the Scotiabank Theatre.  The event was streamed to movie theatres across North America and that is how I watched it (at the Queensway Cinemas).  To be completely honest, I think the stream was probably better than seeing it live, since for the whole show I was treated to a full-screen HD image of Smith, which is definitely a better view than if I was there in person.

One thing I quite enjoyed before the event was that, instead of the usual Cineplex pre-show, there was a sort of "greatest hits" clip reel for Smith, which showed trailers, movie clips, past Q&As, and, my personal favourite, old Nike commercials starring Jason Mewes.