First official poster and first look at Paul Rudd as Ant-Man

While we wait for the first trailer for the next solo superhero venture by marvel we're teased with a very minimalistic (pun intended) and clever poster. If it's proving hard to find a microscope to see what our hero will look like don't worry because Entertainment Weekly has also given us our first human sized look at Paul Rudd in the Ant-Man costume. 

This film is looking to be as much as a gamble for marvel as Guardians of the Galaxy was since he's a lesser known albeit original member of the avengers. The release date is July 17th and it seems it doesn't have any real competition that weekend as of yet. 

What to watch: Calvary (2014)

Calvary came out of nowhere and jumped right into my top five this year! I'd heard almost nothing about this until about two weeks ago and all I did here were raving reviews so I had to find out what all the buzz was about?

So without giving away too much this movie is about a priest who is threatened by a mysterious person in his church, he is given a week to try and gather his flock who all seem to have a reason to have a grudge against him and all seem to be struggling with their faith. This film does a great job keeping you guessing right until the end and surprisingly it's full of big laughs and great performances all around. 

This movie features some of my favorite characters I've seen all year and the film itself is heartfelt, fun and even rather tragic at times which is all to be expected from such a great dark comedy. The scenery is amazing and every scene is beautifully shot providing many wonderful stills that I've screenshoted and shared with you today. 

Like I said before this film is one of the best I've seen all year but that is rather trivial depending on what you're asking. You definitely have to have an idea as to what this is before watching this or else it might fall flat and you won't be able to appreciate it for what it is. If you're ready for a great story with dysfunctional characters and some morbid but still not tasteless jokes than this is something you'd enjoy and maybe even love! Like I've said before this was a beautiful movie and here are a few more of my favorite shots. 

And another that seemed to share a certain theme. 

Rating: Full Price!

What to watch: The Interview (2014)

First off let me start by saying that if you are going into this with all of it's hype in mind you're going to be disappointed. People don't seem to understand that all the buzz around this movie was not for it's quality but for it's actual release. It is still uncertain who is behind the Sony hack attack but one of the main demands was to have the film pulled due to it's controversial depiction of dictator Kim Jong Un. Sony shortly pulled the plug and many thought we'd never see the movie and claimed that nobody and  especially terrorist have the right to censor a form of artistic expression. The reason this movie is so anticipated is more out of protest against censorship and because people want to see what was so "controversial". Another thing was the rating people were giving it on iMDB for example, the film had a 10/10 and people misinterpreted this as people saying it was a great film but the reason behind this was to show that people cared about the movie and they wanted to see it. So that's what all of that was about now let's get into the actual movie review. 

There's only one way to review The Interview for me and that is comparing it to two other films, one is Pineapple Express and the other is This is the End. If you've seen either of those two movies you're familiar with this type of comedy. This movie is Seth Rogen and James Franco playing themselves in yet another crazy situation the only difference is this time they don't smoke their weight in weed. The overall plot is simple and the jokes are decent throughout the entire movie and I didn't feel bored at any time during the movie. The pacing was okay and the music did standout as it tends to do in these movies but one of my major problems with the movie was the lighting, I kept wondering why certain scenes were so unnecessarily dark and in most scenes only parts of people's faces were visible due to shadows. I'm not sure if that was an artistic decision or if someone forgot to fix that but to me it felt fairly noticeable. 

How does this compare to Pineapple Express and This is the end? Well it's not as funny and not as memorable either. The Interview relied more on the chemistry between the Skylark and Un characters and those two were great together but a lot of the rest of the film is predictable and there doesn't seem to be any wow factor. One of the best things about this movie is the Skylark Tonight interviews though, eminem has a cameo within the first five minutes of the movie and I'm so glad it wasn't shown in the trailer because in my personal opinion it was the funniest joke in the movie. I would've love to see more of that part of the story but that would've been asking to much since it would've been irrelevant to the story. 

Do you like Pineapple Express and This is the end? If you do then go see this and even if you only like them a little then at the very least rent this. If you didn't then this isn't going to be any different and I recommend you skip unless you really care about the fact that this film was almost pulled and you want to show that we here in the U.S. take our right to free speech very seriously. 

Rating: Full price (or rental) 

Where will you be watching The Interview?

Sony decided to release the highly controversial comedy on Christmas Day after all but the biggest news is Sony's decision to release the film for rent or own on several different platforms including YouTube, Google Play and ITunes. 

So where will you be watching the most talked about comedy of the year? 

Trailer Talk: American Sniper (2014)

Clint Eastwood directs Bradley Cooper as Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle in American Sniper. This is the second official trailer released and in this version we get a lot more than just the one tense rooftop scene. Bradley Cooper seems completely immersed in this character and the amount of plot shown is enough to give a good idea while not ruining the story. The fact that this is releasing around christmas makes it obvious that it is what some would call "oscar bait" but I couldn't care any less...this movie looks intense and Cooper looks to have given the performance of his career. Seeing Cooper as Kyle take aim at a child while begging him "not to pick it up" perfectly portrays the tone that this film is looking to establish followed shortly by Kyle on the phone exclaiming "i'm ready to come home" all while under fire. This right here is how you make a trailer! It's very late in the year and yet this trailer has jumped right up there in my top five of the year! Remember that is including Avengers: AoU Jurassic World and Star Wars ep. 7! So what did you think of the latest trailer for the war drama American Sniper? let me know in the comment section here or on any of the social media sites I've shared this on. Thanks again for reading and I can't wait to discuss this trailer with you

Star Trek 3 nabs a Director!

Set to replace Robert Orci in the director's chair is none other than Fast and Furious franchise director Justin Lin! 

Sources over at TheWrap.com say that Skydance and Universal have both confirmed that Lin will be directing. While this news does come as a surprise to me I'm still interested in how this will play out for the Star Trek universe, Lin is no stranger to large scale big budget action movies but this does seem to be his first SciFi film. Check out the full story at TheWrap.com HERE.

Trailer Talk: Get Hard (2015)

So the official trailer for the 2015 comedy starring Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell was released. It was just a matter of time before these two were paired up together so I guess this movie is no surprise.

Plot summary: When millionaire James King is nailed for fraud and bound for San Quentin, he turns to Darnell Lewis to prep him to go behind bars. 

So in this trailer we're introduced to both characters and given a brief rundown of what the movie is about but like most comedies nowadays the trailer seems like it's shown all of the best bits in the movie, that being said some of the jokes in the trailer actually made me laugh for example seeing Ferrell trying to drink wine while sitting in a massage chair was great and Hart being used as an exercise tool had me laughing pretty hard. The story sounds predictable but it seems that a redeeming quality of the film is that it'll be rated R which is good to see, this could've easily been watered down and turned pg13 by producers to widen the audience and rake in more cash which in hoping Hart and Ferrell both fought against. I'm not super excited for this but I won't dismiss it completely since it'll probably end up being at the very least a rental but here's hoping I'm wrong and this turns out to be a nice surprise like the Jump Street movies. What did you think of the trailer? Are you excited? Did you hate it? Let me know in the comments section here or on any of the social media sites I share this on. 

What to watch: Men Women and Children (2014)

I was very excited for this when the first trailer was released, Jason Reitman has made some wonderful movies in my opinion and this didn't seem to be any different. 

This film is....well it's like an interesting book, and that seems to be the only way I can explain it. From the narrator to the way we're treated as an omnipotent presence in the lives of all of these characters, it is obvious that this is an adaptation of a novel. I personally liked the style but I've read negative things about this aspect of the film. 

We follow several different characters as they make their way through certain situations such as love, personal dreams and abandonment all while seeing the different ways people use social media in their day to day lives. Certain performances are better than others which is understandable since some did get a little more development than others but overall nobody was particularly bad. 

The use of social media isn't innovative but it is the best use I've seen so far but sadly this will cause the film to feel terribly dated in the future which is to be expected. The feel of the movie is somewhat slow and it might translate poorly to certain audiences if they aren't expecting a character driven drama, otherwise the slower pace shouldn't be a problem. 

I enjoyed this quite a lot since its right up my alley but I'd have a tough time recommending this unless I know the person would enjoy this type of movie so it's not for everyone. If anything I've said here is something you'd like to see then by all means check it out otherwise I'd say don't rush to see it. 

Rating: Full Price (if you like things like "the social network or perks of being a wallflower") Rental (if those aren't your favorite types of movies.)

Get Hard - Official Trailer - Official Warner Bros. UK

Game of Thrones author offers his Theater to show The Interview

Many celebrities have voiced disdain about Sony's decision to pull The Interview from theaters and most recently Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin has even offered to show the film in his personal Theater.

In an interview with Esquire the prolific author and producer had these strong words to say 

"The level of corporate cowardice here astonishes me.  It's a good thing these guys weren't around when Charlie Chaplin made THE GREAT DICTATOR.  If Kim Jong-Un scares them, Adolf Hitler would have had them shitting in their smallclothes." 

This is my personal favorite opinion on the matter since it brings up a rather interesting point and comparison to the hitler regime that somewhat puts things into perspective. 

See the full interview and story at esquire.com HERE.

Sony will NOT be releasing The Interview after all!

With the recent threats of terrorisic attacks on theaters showing the film, it seems Sony isn't looking to take any chances. Many consider the threats to be mere talk but Sony isn't willing to roll the dice and find out. 

I'm sure they'll end up doing a VOD release or just release it online all together but Sony has taken a blow nonetheless. Many people aren't pleased with the news claiming that "this means the terrorists win" since Sony is submitting to the terrorists demands. The hackers claimed they had a "big Christmas surprise" that would leave Sony pictures at its lowest point but it is unknown if they'll go through with those threats since the movie has been pulled. 

What to watch: This is where I leave you (2014)

From the amazingly versatile director of 5 episodes of Animorphs and Jett Jackson: The Movie comes a wonderful dark comedy called "This is where I leave you". 

Yeah Shawn Levy has a strange filmography, so I was a bit hesitant going into this but looking at this cast I just had to see it. Seriously this cast is fantastic! I loved each and every one of these characters. This family is dysfunctional, witty and extremely charismatic. The story here has been done to death but that doesn't even matter since the actors all do such a great job with their respective roles. 

I really can't say much more since that is all that this movie is about. The film heavily relies on the chemistry between these people and I must say they do a terrific job. Every aspect of this movie takes a backseat to its dialogue and banter between these siblings who just can't seem to be a normal family. 

So this movie is fun and has a lot of heart but does it need to be seen in theaters? No, not if you don't want to. It's a good movie so if you'd like to give it a hard earned 7-10 bucks then sure go ahead, but I know most people would rather wait until it's out on DVD and Bluray so that's probably your best choice. 

Rating: (a very enthusiastic) RENTAL

What to watch: The Maze Runner (2014)

With the recent surge of Young Adult novels being turned into movies, it seems producers are throwing every idea at a wall and seeing what sticks. It looks like The Maze Runner has stuck. 

A solid plot is really what drove this story because aside from Will Poulter as Gally, the actors portrayals weren't very inspired. The story was interesting and managed to keep me entertained and while the visuals weren't the best of the year, they do hold up against other visual films this year. All the maze sequences were so big in scale that this aspect alone warrants a trip to the theater. 

This movie is obviously for a younger audience but with the amount of action, suspense and some profanity it seems the studios also tried to market this towards an older audience. Doing that can sometimes translate poorly especially with the profanity because it makes it feel forced and fake but I'm glad to say this film didn't suffer from that. 

The characters have very little development since the movie mostly focuses on them as a community so sadly they feel very interchangeable thus causing detachment and ultimately little to no caring of the minor or side characters and their demise. Another flaw is the pacing since somewhere towards the middle it felt like I'd been watching for well over an hour and it'd only been about 40 minutes. 

I can nitpick at this movie all I want since it wasn't perfect but I won't deny that I enjoyed it. Would i recommend seeing it? Absolutely, like I said before the visuals and Maze scenes would be best enjoyed on the big screen so I'd say see it in theaters if it's still available in your area, but I wouldn't pay full price. It's a good solid young adult novel turned summer blockbuster and the end of this film left me considering seeing the sequel. 

Rating: Matinee (see it in theaters but don't pay full price) 

Trailer Talk: Insurgent Trailer

In the first ever Trailer Talk we'll be discussing The Divergent Series: Insurgent...here are my thoughts. 

Overly dramatic, cliche and a blatant rip off of The Hunger Games? Some might find it unfair but I think this looks terrible. It feels like this movie is just trying way to hard to compete with The Hunger Games, more specifically MockingJay. With a full cast of rising stars It seemed like every frame of this trailer was trying to reveal a new character to get people to say "whoa he/she is in this too!" And the overall feel of the trailer is almost parallel to MockingJay! Now I'm not some Hunger Games fanboy by a long shot so that's not the end of my complaints because this trailer is oozing with YA cliches like "you have to fight yourself" or "you're the chosen one so you have to be the martyr" tropes. Obviously I'm not the key demographic here but I honestly don't have to be as long as the film is decent enough but this just looks like a clusterfuck and a cash grab to me. All that being said I haven't seen the actual movie of course so I can't completely cast this aside so we'll have to see when this is released. Although I don't know if I could sit through the first which I was hoping to never have to do. Now remember anything and everything I've said here today are strictly my opinion and I'm glad to discuss this and maybe even change my mind. What did you think of the Insurgent Trailer? 

What to watch: Horrible Bosses 2

Since it was announced that Horrible Bosses would get a sequel I've been on the fence. I enjoyed the first and the casting of Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz had me optimistic, but I always had that voice in the back of my head that kept saying this could very much go in the wrong direction. 

Horrible Bosses 2 is mediocre at best, with adequate writing and a recycled plot it seems it's only saving grace is the chemistry between the cast. Bateman Sudeikis and Day all return as our leads and their antics are carried over pretty well from the first. Waltz delivers a bland performance that is very forgettable. While Chris Pine really shined and really tied the cast together pretty well. 

I did find myself laughing throughout but it was mostly situational comedy and the back and forth between these characters. This didn't feel like an all around fun movie since all of this fun can be had on some sitcom so the film itself felt weak and dismissible. At the same time the movie did seem self aware and didn't take itself too seriously so it wasn't boring and I don't regret seeing it. 

I do enjoy these actors working together but I can't say I'd like to see a third film although I'm sure the production process has already started somewhere in some Hollywood office. This movie is nothing special and yet I was not bored so if it's available for rent or on tv I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to watch it. 

Rating: Rental