Battleship (Movie Review): Iron Man Meets John Carter in the Navy
When I first heard they were making a live adaptation of the infamous Parker Bros. (now owned by Hasbro since 1991) game, Battleship, I thought oh my, what a huge naval epic it could be. The possibilities were endless, in my opinion. A grand scale naval adventure hasn’t seen success on the silver screen in many years now. So bring it on! But wait! Two things instantly ruined my anticipation of this onscreen adaptation. First there was the inclusion of Rihanna. Really? Come on! Why not include Brittany Spears and maybe even someone old school like Tiffany too? And then…there was this reveal of the film’s plot…ALIENS! Really?! I don’t exactly remember saying watch out for that alien ship when I sunk my dad’s battleship on A5. I only have one word to describe my feelings about all this…W-H-A-T-E-V-E-R. Continue reading ‘Battleship (Movie Review): Iron Man Meets John Carter in the Navy’
The world needed another Underworld film, right? Of course it did! Don’t kid yourself for one single minute that Kate Beckinsale’s tight, formfitting black leather outfit doesn’t fill theater seats. Of course it/she does! And don’t fret! Sony Pictures didn’t let us down. Not by a long shot, in my opinion. There’s plenty of Kate Beckinsale a$$ shots to go around. Rest assured…even if you’re Gregg Senko and this is your most anticipated film of 2012, it’s hard, again…in my opinion, not to at least have some fun with this a$$ kicking fourth entry in the Underworld franchise. Everyone loves a good time, right? Why so serious?! 
Did they really need a sequel to 2010’s remake of the classic Clash of the Titans? Of course they didn’t. But if the success of 2011’s Insidious taught us anything, it’s that any movie that meekly survives to cultivate a profit in this tumulus day and age…well…deserves a sequel. And rightfully so. Why not?! I had fun with the 2010 remake. And why not? The CGI was light years better. Hell…bring on a sequel…I always say. Low and behold, it’s March 2012 and my wish has come true. Never did I see this coming as an adolescent child of the 80’s, but say hello to my little friend…Wrath of the Titans. 
Come on! Show some love for the “Material Girl.” If Gene Siskel gave it “Two Thumbs Up!,” then you know this “rock doc” has to be good, right? Right! Madonna has sold more than 300 million albums worldwide and is the top-selling female artist of all-time. And it’s only befitting for me, being the biggest Madonna fan on this site, to not only enjoy this one on the Blu-ray format, but tackle the review too. I don’t think any of my fellow reviewers will argue that point. Mute! Drum roll please…Presented for the very first time in a stunning new 1080p High Definition transfer and 5.1 DTS Master Audio, Madonna: Truth or Dare premieres on Blu-ray April 3rd and thinking back, I remember the 1999 VHS tape like it was yesterday. Does that make me really old or just someone with a very good memory? I’m not sure. 
Many film fanatics and critics hail 1942’s Casablanca as one of the greatest movies ever made filled with infamous lines of dialog, robust characters, an iconic soundtrack and many memorable scenes. But you want to know the real kicker here (not that staff writers Aaron Neuwirth and Gerard Iribe aren’t already making fun of me for it…they are mean in that way)? It’s the fact that I have NEVER seen Casablanca before. How does that happen? How does a person who calls himself a heralded member of the press and glorified film critic (I’m kidding about the glorified and heralded part…I kid…I kid…) never seen what is considered one of America cinema’s finest? How does that happen? I’ll tell you. It’s sheer ignorance. The blame is all on me. I’m usually too busy in life, especially in my current “situation,” to take the necessary time to view and appreciate the classics I have missed out on in my sheltered life. 
I had many mixed feelings going into Project X this past Tuesday evening. Sure, I thought. It looks like a wild and raunchy, good ole time, but where will the story ultimately go? Being not a person to partake in such wild festivities myself in real life, I knew I would only be able to take so much before my senses eventually dull and I start to feel like I’m watching the first twenty minutes of Bellflower at 2 AM after working a 12-hour manual labor day. But there’s a name attached to this “project’ that I guess you could say, kind of gave me a sense of proverbial hope. That name belongs to none other than The Hangover director, Todd Phillips. The fact that his name is attached to this “project” gave me a glimmer of shiny hope that maybe; just maybe…this might work out after all. With his source credit, I figured the least I could do is give it an unbiased, fair try. That’s what being a reviewer is all about, right? 
Growing up, I remember being enamored by Mad magazine, particularly one regular strip in particular, Spy vs. Spy. Do you remember those? Those black and white characters had me in stitches every time I read their strip and I was overjoyed when they were eventually commercialized into everything from an animated television series to trading cards and video games. The reason I mention these crudely animated little fellows is because they are exactly what I thought about the first time I saw the theatrical trailer for This Means War. And it also meant the return of McG. In the eyes of the critics out there beside myself, I wonder what fairs worse? I’m not going to lie. This Means War looked like a fun little movie, but it didn’t win me over instantly. What did was the controversy behind it. I’m referring to how it went from losing the appeal of it being labeled a Rated-R comedy by the MPAA and how it was excised down to a PG-13 cut. 
Why So Blu is committed to taking you where no other Blu-ray review website has ever gone before. We’re taking you MOBILE! That’s right! Fellow iOS developer Alexander Magdics (MacEnvy) and myself have recently combined forces to produce the world’s first Blu-ray disc review mobile app where you can read all about the latest in Blu-ray, movies, comics, gaming and more on the go, wherever you go. Now…using the ever-popular Apple iPhone or iPod Touch line of devices, our readers can stay in the know, on–the-go! Check out the rest of the press release below! 
It’s that time again. Another year has flown by and I’m still proverbially in the same place and physically in the same chair as I was last year. My how things don’t always change like you want them to, but that’s the beauty of looking forward to next year and all the endless possibilities dreams, hopes and endeavors may bring you. Here’s looking to 2012! But before I “turn the page” (a nod to Bob Seger, not Metallica), it wouldn’t be right without first recapping my favorite movies of the year and cramming down your throat why I think the way I do. Who’s right and who’s wrong when it comes to these? Absolutely no one is. We each have our own opinion, beliefs and value systems. That’s what makes us individuals. But when it’s your day to shine here on Why So Blu, your Top 10 list becomes as powerful as the almighty scriptures of the past. So for today, December 22, 2012…this is the new law being enforced upon you around here. Follow you will! 
Just what the world needs…another reboot of a legendary franchise. That was exactly my sentiments when I learned about the production of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I remember watching and enjoying the original films as a kid, but not enough to warrant my full attention to what was going on behind the scenes of this new production. I still cant get the bad taste of the Mark Walhberg adventure out of my mouth. Then one day I had not one, but several friends asking me if I caught the new trailer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Astonishingly, all of their recounts and tales had one thing in common. They all included the word bada$$. How could they all be wrong? So I reluctantly caved in and gave it a watch. And much to my surprise I thought…not bad! But that didn’t mean I became an instant fanboy overnight. Quite the opposite happened. 
It’s that time of the year already. I have been through so much this year so I thought f$&k it. I want to try something new this year. In the past few years, I had this complex algorithm where I weighted a disc by its film score, audio/video presentation and how many special features it had. In the past, that meant discs that I loved that didn’t have hefty quantities of special features (which I usually tend to ignore anyway) generally fell short on my lists. That’s bullsh!t. I’m not being that fake person anymore. I don’t care. This is my list dammit. These are the Blu-rays I personally own and are proud to call my favorites of the calendar year 2011. If you don’t agree with any of my selections, then A) I have to ask myself why are you reading this and/or B) that’s what the comment fields are there for. Hit me with your best shot. Let’s get this party started! 
I know what you are already thinking. Believe me. You are probably thinking the same thing I thought when I received the press release for this book we are about to cover here. Oh yes…I’m talking about your temper flaring and accusations accosting as you proclaim out loud how many damn, boring screenwriting books can you possibly read. But what if I told you there was one out there that was a completely different take on the art that’s both bold and refreshing to read? Would you believe me? I wouldn’t. But that’s where you and I would both be dead wrong. Sure, there’s no replacing Syd Field’s Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting or Blake Snyder’s heralded Save The Cat!, but perhaps there’s a companion book that would bode well sitting next to these two classics on your writing desk. Would you write off such a possibility? I sure hope not because that’s exactly why you are still reading this. Isn’t it? Like me…you want to know all you can about the art of screenwriting. Well, that’s good! Because that means you’re in the right place. Read on! 
Unbeknown to anyone else beside myself, at the beginning of the year I decided there were a total of three movies I was really looking forward to in 2011. The first, not a critic’s choice by any means, is the Independence Day sequel (joking), Battle: Los Angeles. Unlike the majority of critics, I was able to enjoy myself immensely throughout the film. Wait! That doesn’t sound right. LOL. Anyway, the second was Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Why was I looking forward to this? Well, being a huge fan of the first film, I was really curious to see if Michael Bay could knock this one out of the ballpark and totally redeem himself for that POS he put out in 2009 or if he would fail miserably much like most of his horror produced films do. And needless to say, I would rather not converse about the outcome in this format. However, neither one of these two flicks compare to the loving endearment and the overwhelming anticipation I had reserved in my heart for The Hangover Part II. You know how people always warn you to get your hopes up? Well, let’s talk about that some more here. 
There are some pros and cons about being in the business I am in. The cons are what you would most likely expect…long hours and little pay. However, the pros always outweigh the cons no matter how you slice it. We get free product to review, invites to exclusive events and most importantly…we get to meet and interact with talent that most people only see and read about in US Weekly. So from that point of view, I love my job. One such talented actor I had the chance of meeting this summer is a cool cat by the name of Anton Troy (see my interview with him 
Let’s be completely honest, I agreed and wanted review Gia because of Angelina Jolie. Okay, let me clarify…because of the nudity associated and promised with this title. Many Bothan spies died getting me this information, so I was hoping their deaths wouldn’t be in vain. Thankfully for me, and the memories and valor of those brave soldiers, they weren’t. Much like HBO’s biographic Norma Jean, I was not only pleasantly surprised, but also rewarded for trusting my beliefs and those of the former Bothan spies. I’m going to start recruiting that species more often. 
So I somehow managed to double-book myself between press screenings for In Time and The Rum Diaries. Bummer! It was a hard decision to make between which one I would ultimately have to pass on. In Time looked promising in the action department, where as The Rum Diaries features my new favorite, the beautiful Miss Amber Heard. What’s a guy supposed to do? I reluctantly chose In Time and graciously let Mary Welms have Johnny Depp all to herself. I’m such a nice guy sometimes. It’s a crying shame people don’t see my inner beauty more often. Instead, they seemingly focus on my skeleton bike jacket and my long sexy hair. Boo! 
Don’t ask me why, but I have just concluded reading some prose from William Shakespeare. Anyone familiar with his writing knows that he liked to write in metaphors. One such line I just read goes like this, “I cannot do it; yet I’ll hammer it out.” That’s exactly how us, as reviewers, feel from time-to-time when we are forced with deadlines, an overwhelming amount of material to cover or simply the lack of desire to talk about a particular title we hate. But Shakespeare is right. Despite the adverse feeling that grinds mentally in your skull like the gears of your automatic transmission failing, you just have to bear the load, find the “strength to endure” and carry on. You have to find that proverbial Thor’s hammer and just conquer with it. And so ladies and gentlemen…that’s exactly what I’m doing here. I’m laying waste to the land and conquering this review. 
