Apparently They Heard Our Complaints

A couple of weeks ago, i posted an early review on the first couple episode of Heroes season 2. It is not a secret that many people, including me, are disappointed on how the series is going. Apparently, Tim Kring read this numerous complaints and he recently issued a statement apologizing for the laclustre season 2. Click this link to read his statement.

The series itself has made a significant progress entering its 7th episode. On this particular episode, we can see the joy and excitement of last season, great pacing, great action, and crazy-cool cliffhanger. We also see what the heroes are facing in the future, we get to see Hiro back in our time, and we see less of the Mexican brother/sister (Thank God). Hopefully it will be better from now on. We'll see how it goes from here.

The awesomest video series ever

For you who love comics, or at least enjoy comic book movies such as spiderman, batman, superman, and punisher, you would've like the videos posted by itsjustsomerandomguy on youtube. It features numerous action figures with voice overs.

The interesting part is the guy who made this actually has a great writing skill. He can create a plot, drama, and some action to his video. I guarantee the video would make you laugh so hard. I'll give you a teaser below. And also check out his Marvel/DC after hours video. It's GREAT. I can not thank the internet (and youtube) enough for enabling the world to see a masterpiece like this.
Click this link for hilarity.
Marvel/DC After Hours part 1

Whatever Happened to Heroes?

Heroes is one of the most watched tv shows on air. The rating's always high for every episode. To be frankly honest, Heroes started off slow in the first season. The first two episode was uninteresting and had some writing problem. But, when it started to catch up its pace, Heroes is a very fun ride. And now, entering its second season, the expectations are high. Kristen Bell from Veronica Mars fame joined the show. The rumor was Bell refuses to join Lost to join Heroes. The hell with it, Bell is my favorite actress on tv. she's become a cult favorite for those who watched Veronica Mars. It's only going to better from here right?

Nope. sorry for saying this, but the second season sucked so bad (at least until now).

All the hype, and expectations falls short. Peter now has gone amnesiac, Mohinder and Parkman plays the "two dads" with Molly, sylar lost his powers, Hiro stucked in feudal Japan, and Claire cuts his own finger just to show us she can re-grow it. This laclustre second season suddenly lost its grip, pacing and gained some dreadful writing. The good things with Heroes is that everything can be somehow connected, and it has a crazy cool cliffhangers. Those things are gone now. I don't know what Tim Kring is thinking. I really think he should take advice from someone like Joss Whedon, or Brian K. Vaughan. I know there's Jeph Loeb in his staff, but i don't really know if he contributes anything for the show.

The new characters are introduced. None of them are interesting. The worst of all are Maya and Alejandro. I thought they have a terrifying power, but no, it's not terrifying at all. They just have a magical tears that can kill people. They met the powerless sylar on the road to America to find a "cure". Each episode, i pray for sylar to kill those guys. The other new character is Monica, Micah's auntie who survived hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. she discovers that she has a cool power, the ability to learn anythin fast just by looking at it. In one episode there's this scene when she remembers how the hurricane destroyed her city. should be heartbreaking rigt? nope, it was badly constructed it almost looks like Uwe Boll is directing it. The worst part about her is that she keeps showing the audience that she has powers. We get it, we know your powers, why are you repeating it over and over again? The audience is not that stupid, you know. Kristen Bell character, Elle, has just been introduced in episode 5 as the evil electric girl who works for the company. At least i know she can act, but i'm not sure she can save the show single handedly. Claire's new boyfriend, West is also annoying. He's just a little high-school boy who apparently could fly and occasionally stalked Claire. I don't know why Claire wanted to go out with him in the first place.

As for the story, it hasn't make any significant progress. We just know that the Company still exist and still try to abduct people. There's a new bad guy who kills the company's founder. Parkman discovers that the bogeyman is his own father, and there is something wrong with Nathan everytime he looks in the mirror. Out of all the characters i only take interest in Parkman, sylar and Nathan. Their characters are complex, and interesting. They obviously are the people who actually can act on the show. Hiro, who's always been a fan favorite, has lost his charm just like he lost himself in the past.

Episode 6 is coming, and i'm still hoping that the show can improve. If the show still wants to keep its rating, it better find a quick way out from this whole mess. And i mean QUICK.

Another JLA Post

This is a follow through of my last post. This basically just my dream cast of the Justice League movie, this time with photos.

Superman: Brandon Routh




















Batman: Christian Bale




















Wonder Woman: Kate Beckinsale




















Green Lantern (Hal Jordan): Nathan Fillion
















The Flash (Wally West): Ryan Reynolds




















Zatanna: Zooey Deshanel




















Martian Manhunter: Laurence Fishburne




















Green Arrow: Eric Dane















There you go. I also wanted to put Black Canary there, but i haven't found anyone who fits to play her. Maybe i'll post it some time later.

That is all for today.
Have a good one.

About the New Live Action Justice League Movie...

The live-action Justice League movie is being prepared in production. George Miller, the director of the Mad Max series and also the director of that pig film, Babe, is on board to direct. While i'm a fan of the JLA comic books (especially during Morrison's run), i found this project to be forced. It's been on the news that neither Brandon Routh nor Christian Bale will be in this project. Considering that they are the two main characters in the Justice League, i think it's important to put both of them in the film for the continuity of their characters. Now they said that they're looking for a set of new stars to fit in that roles.

First of all, it would not make any sense in doing the movies without Routh, and Bale. I'm afraid many people will get confused about the different people who played the characters. Secondly, i think it would be wiser to make the solo series for the other member of Justice League before making the Justice League movie itself. I would much prefer they do at least Wonder Woman, and The Flash films first, just like what Marvel is doing by making the Captain America and Iron Man movies before starting on the Avengers movie. Thirdly, if Routh and Bale are not going to be in the movie, it would be better for the studio to do the Justice League without Superman and Batman. I know it would sound lame, but it would be fun to do the movie without them. It will give a chance for the other characters to develop themselves into a likable figures, because if there are Superman and Batman, the other characters would only be a shadow of those two iconic DC character.

Following the report of the opening cast for the JLA members, including Superman and Batman, people are starting to voiced their choice in the internet communities. Many of them said that Tom Welling of Smallville should be cast as Superman, and some of them said that the entire Justice League members are taken from Smallville. I respect what people said, but i still can't figure out why they think Welling will fit as Superman. You might find my earliest post, in which i stated that i hate Smallville. I think Smallville is not a bad idea at first, but it turns out that it IS a TERRIBLE idea. And the worse thing is people actually watched it. They even adored it. Oh My.. I personally like the pilot episode, it kinda sets up the environment for Clark Kent hometown well. But as it approached the latter season it became worse. None of the actors in the that show can act, except for Rosenbaum. The show itself has become more just like another Dawson's Creek with Clark Kent in it. And then, the show slowly alter the Superman legacy that has been build since the first Action Comics was published. Lois Lane came to Smallville and gets involved with Clark, General Zod came to Smallville, and they also made Jor-El an asshole. Don't they think that with Lois knowing the teenage Clark that she would easily know who Superman is in the future? And as for Welling, his Clark Kent is just a whiny teenager, unworthy of wearing the Superman cape. I would be very, very disappointed if Welling is cast as Superman in the movie. And for Batman, i agree with most people who said that there is no Batman without Bale.
I really hoped that the movie can be successful, even though i haven't seen any sign of it. I'm afraid the movie will come out real bad like The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, a couple of years back. I just hope that the producers would hold this project for a couple of years to finish the whole Superman, Batman series, and creates the Wonder Woman and The Flash project.

Just for fun, this is my dream Justice League cast:

Superman: Brandon Routh
Batman: Christian Bale
Wonder Woman: Kate Beckinsale
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan): Nathan Fillion
The Flash (Wally West): Ryan Reynolds, or Ryan Gosling
Martian Manhunter: Laurence Fishburne

Envy

I've read a headline in a magazine that says, "Is Jason Schwartzman the coolest guy in Hollywood?" I'm afraid i have to admit that he is a serious contender for that title, at least that's what i thought. Here's some of the things that made me think so:

1. He chose his films wisely, and almost never falls into a typical shallow Hollywood blockbuster movies. And all of the characters he played are somewhat likable.
2. He's a friend of Wes Anderson. Wes Anderson is a great director, and he always seems to cast Schwartzman in his movies.
3. Not only he acts in a movie, he actually wrote his new movie with Wes Anderson "The Darjeeling Limited". This is the proof that he is also very talented.
4. He is a member of the Coppola family. Talia Shire is his mother, Francis Ford Coppola is his uncle, and he is also the cousin of Nicolas Cage and Sofia Coppola. How awesome is that?!
5. Schwartzman is also a drummer. He is the ex drummer of "Phantom Planet", a band which creates the theme song for the O.C, "California".
6. Last year, he recorded his solo project called "Coconut Records". He compose all of the songs, played all of the instruments in the album, and sings too. The album itself turns out to be great. Believe me, it's great.
7. He's just finished a short film with Natalie Portman, And Natalie Portman is nude in this film. That lucky bastard!!
8. Lastly, He dated my favorite actress, Zooey Deschanel. I also posted some of Zooey's pictures to give you an idea of how lucky he was:

There you go. How could you not want to be him? I believe the reason he got so many good things like that is because, you know, he's cool. Jason Schwartzman, I envy you. All that good things in the world...
but still, i truly think that he is a man with a lot of talent. And i'm looking forward for his next project.

until next time,
be kind, rewind.

cheers

Festival Fever

Reports are flowing from critics around the world following the Toronto Film Festival and Venice Film Festival that are being held respectively in the past month or so. Some of them are praising many of the films, and some are not. From all the hype around that, i managed to compile some of my own "to-watch" list. The following are not listed in any order or whatsoever:

The Darjeeling Limited
I wanted to see this film mostly because i'm a fan of Wes Anderson. His quirky sense of comedy, and off beat drama are very interesting to watch. He got his own style of film making, which makes him one of the most talented yet the most unconventional filmmaker in Hollywood (see his earlier film, especially Rushmore, and The Royal Tenenbaums). The Darjeeling limited is a story about three brothers who travel together in India to figure out why they haven't spoken in years. Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman played the three brothers. The premise did not seem to be any different than the previous Wes Anderson's movie, but he seems to always deliver some extraordinary experience in every movie he made. Given the premise, the essential style of filmaking from Wes Anderson, and the strong cast, i see no reason at all for this movie to disappoint.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The title is a dead giveaway to the audience. We know that Jesse James would be dead by the end of the movie, having killed by his own friend and devoted follower, Robert Ford. What makes me interested in the movie is why would Robert Ford want to kill Jesse James? This film is directed by New Zealand based director, Andrew Dominik, which his previous movie was Chopper (a supposedly great movie, starring Eric Bana). Brad Pitt played the title role, while Casey Affleck played Robert Ford. Early reviews that comes in the internet said the movie is so powerful, thanks to the performance by Pitt and Affleck. Casey Affleck received numerous praise for his role as Robert Ford, while Pitt won the best actor award in Venice film festival. However, critics are concern about the running time of 160 minutes which they find too long and too slow. Also, please take note, my favorite actress, Zooey Deschanel also stars in the movie. She played Dorothy Evans, a love interest for Robert Ford. A reviewer said that her role is short, but very important for Robert Ford's character development. Mary-Louise Parker from the tv show, Weeds, also stars as Jesse James' wife. It looks like it's going to be an Oscar contender next year. We'll see about that later.

Juno
Juno is a comedy story about a young girl, Juno Macguff (played by Ellen Page), who is pregnant with a baby from Paulie Bleeker (played by Michael Cera from Superbad). Her parents (J.K Simmons and Allison Janey) are surprisingly supportive about her pregnancy, but Juno decided to put her baby for adoption after she gives birth to her baby. The couple who's going to adopt her baby is Vanessa and Mark Loring (played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman). Juno is helmed by Jason Reitman, who also directed Thank You for Smoking a couple of years back. I have no doubt that Ellen Page is a great young actress, just look at her acting in Hard Candy. I guarantee it will blow you away. As for Michael Cera, he is known for his comedic appearances in Arrested Development and Superbad, so i expect some good comedic flavor in this movie. Early critics said that Juno is funny and warm at the same time. Many of them compared Juno to last year's surprise, Little Miss Sunshine.

There Will Be Blood
Paul. Thomas. Anderson. Bear that in mind. He is the director that brought us many of the best film in the past decade. His films hasn't disappoint me yet. Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love are all great films. He always seems to impress the audience with his visual and in depth characterisation. There will be blood is a film about oil, but not in middle east. It's a story about how oil affect people in USA. From the trailer, it looks like it sets somewhere in the 50's, or 60's. Daniel Day Lewis played the main character, with young Paul Dano as the supporting cast. Early critics are comparing this movie with one of John Huston's finest film, The Treasure of Sierra Madre. I've seen that film before, and it's really good. It's a classic. If someone can make a movie of that calibre, P.T Anderson is the man.

I'm Not There
From all the films that are being screened at the festivals, this is the most interesting and strange film. I'm Not There is a biopic film about Bob Dylan. Here we're going to see Dylan played not by one, but many actors. They portrayed the life of Dylan at different times of his life. Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, and Cate Blachett (yes, that Cate Blanchett) are some of the actors that played him. Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, Far From Heaven, Little Children) is directing. Just right there we can see that this is going to be a strange controversial film. I'm sure there will be a mixed receptions toward this film. but, i'm still curious about how it's going to work out. And, Cate Blanchett won the Best Actress award for her role as Dylan in Venice Film Festival.


Those are the films that i'm looking forward to see. There are still many interesting films that i'm sure are going to make me interested to watch, so these are the other honorable mentions:

Brian de Palma's Redacted
Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men
Gavin Hood's Rendition
Paul Haggis' In the valley of Elah
and
Ang Lee's Lust, Caution.


Yes, that's it. I'm done compiling the films. And i'm looking forward to watch them. I'm gonna post a review once i saw those films.
until then,
goodnight, and goodluck

Who Watches the Watchmen?

I've been reading watchmen, again, for the fourth time. This time it's because i'm curious about how Zack Snyder will approach the movie. For you who has already read the graphic novel, you would agree with me that the graphic novel is very, very hard to be pictured in a big screen. Watchmen has layers of stories. Many flashbacks, character backgrounds, philosophical background, and extraordinary sets.
I still doubt Snyder's ability to tackle this one. His Dawn of the Dead is pure fun, and 300 was visually great, though the dialogue are a bit corny. I didn't doubt his vision of visual direction. Those two films that i mentioned are the proof. The thing is, Snyder has not prove himself to be a director who can deliver a story with so much intensity and complex issues. Alan Moore himself said that he wrote Watchmen because it is impossible to make it for the big screen. That's why he chose to write it on graphic novel medium.
Terry Gilliam and Paul Greengrass, two directors that previously attached has backed off from the project, possibly because they didn't find the right vision to put the big screen.
However, i still got my finger crossed for the project. I hope Snyder didn't change any part in the graphic novel, because it would be a betrayal to the original piece. It is a very big responsibility for him to direct a movie like this. For you who haven't read the graphic novel, i suggest you to read it. It is the Godfather of comic books. It is one of the finest literary ever written. It took me to read it twice to understand the book itself. I assure you, this is one of the best novel/graphic novel ever written.

Cheers to Zack Snyder,
All the best.

A Fresh Idea.

I’ve been watching a lot of movies lately, thanks to the existence of a video store, which is strategically located within a hundred metres radius from my apartment. I rented 5 dvds each week. After renting for a couple of week, I began to notice the type of movies that I tend to watch. To give you a picture, I will give some titles that I really enjoyed watching:

Almost Famous
Elizabethtown
Garden State
Eulogy
The Royal Tenenbaums
Rushmore
Orange County
The Good Girl
Punch-Drunk Love

Most of them are movies which deal with self-discovery, and dysfunctional families. They are basically off-beat drama movies, with a hint of comedy inside. Off-beat, please take a note, I come to a definition that an off beat movie is a movie that has somewhat slow pace, and frequently the scenes in the movie are bizarre and out of the ordinary. Well, like it or not, that’s my own definition.

Among those titles, I found that I really like Cameron Crowe’s film. I just think that he got this brilliant writing skill, and a good choice of soundtrack. His work on Almost Famous is just brilliant. A story about a young Rolling Stone reporter who gets involved in a rock band’s journey to stardom. On most of his films, Cameron Crowe often creates extraordinary characters, like Penny Lane from Almost famous. His characters drew my attention to the movie, and made the movie seemingly more colourful.

Also, on the movies that I mentioned above, they are often had a great soundtrack behind them. A great soundtrack is on of the key success to that kind of movies. I particularly like Zach Braff’s choices of songs on Garden State. He got a brilliant vision of choosing a soundtrack. Garden State soundtrack is loaded with great numbers of brilliant songs, which complement each other perfectly. I’m always a big fan of Braff’s works. He’s one of the most talented actors in hollywood right now.

So then I come to think, I’ve already found my favourite genre of film. I’ve had many references in that particular field of genre. Why not give a shot at writing a screenplay? So one day before going to bed, I got the idea of a film. This is a story of a man who is living in a big city, away from his family. He couldn’t stand his dad, which is close minded and hot headed. He chose to leave his family to pursue a writing career, in which he has not succeeded yet. Instead, he’s stuck in a minor local newspaper agency. One day his little sister called him from home, said that he needs to get home, because his Mom is getting relentless, sick, and have been calling his name frequently in her sleep. He reluctantly went back home to see his mom. On the way there, he encounters a hitchhiker. She's a free spirited, adventurous girl who is taking her time off from work to travel around the country. They immediately become friends and decided to travel together.

That's the main plot. I think it's pretty decent (at least that's what i think). And i also have a couple of thoughts regarding the cast and crew.Zach Braff is the actor that I have in mind to play the main character. But, I’m afraid that the character will be similar to Large in Garden State. So I changed my mind, and put Braff on the director’s chair. He would be an awesome choice to direct this movie. As for the main character, I would prefer Colin Hanks. I think he is a good actor, but he is rarely given a chance to show it. For the love interest, i would cast Zooey Deschanel. She would be perfect to play a free spirited girl who accompanied Colin Hanks in the main character. The parents will be portrayed by Brian Cox and Joan Allen. Two great character-actors. As for the sister, Kristen Bell from the tv show, Veronica Mars, will be a great choice.
So, there you go. A promising storyline, and a choice of cast and crews.
I will be posting the progress of it, when i have started the script.

An Introduction

First thing first, a proper introduction. I'm not going to state specifically about who i am. I'm more interested in what i like, what i don't like, and what's on my mind.

I am currently studying in Melbourne
I really like reading comic books. American comic books, that is.
I enjoyed good movies.
Donnie Darko, Usual Suspects, Big Fish, Almost Famous and Garden State are the movies that inspired me.
I like to listen to good music. Although not everybody necessarily liked what i like.
I consider myself a geek.
and last but not least, I hate Smallville. I really do.

Modernage is the place where i'm gonna pour all the ideas in my mind. I assure you, this is not the place where i 'm going to talk about private matters. Please don't take it personally if i offended you in any way.

Enjoy.