This is not the Joss Whedon article I intended to write…

I had every intention of writing an article exploring Joss Whedon’s treatment of sex in his various works, and then I started doing some research online.  When I write articles like the one I was envisioning, I worry about unintentionally copying someone else’s ideas, so do a bit of searching to make sure that I still have something new to say.  Sometimes I find that someone else has put out an essay that says exactly what I wanted, only better, and I’ll simply abandon my idea.  Other times, I’ll find an article arguing the opposite of what I want to say, but in a way that allows me to write my opinions as a rebuttal (this worked really well for my Star Wars prequel analysis).  It’s important to read a variety of opinions, because challenging ourselves is the best way to grow, both as a writer/blogger and as a person.

But something different happened to me when I started searching for articles about Joss Whedon and sex.  I still have a lot to say, and maybe I’ll write that analysis soon, but for the moment I’m giving up on it.   Continue reading

Trailer Tuesday: Austenland

Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies, since I’ve always found them to be endlessly fascinating.

Jane Austen has been in the news a lot lately (see the horror that is this and the awesomeness that is this), so it’s fitting that Austenland is due to be released next month.  Take a look at the trailer, and read on for my thoughts:

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Review: RED 2

So far this year, Bruce Willis has starred in two action sequels which take place in Russia.  The first, A Good Day to Die Hard, was a joyless mess of a film to which I gave an overly generous review.  It wasn’t bad, per se, but it was bland and uninteresting, and seemed to have no concept of the films that had come before it.  The second, RED 2, fares considerably better, staying true to the spirit of the original while adding new characters and despite having a new director.

After the events of the first film, Frank (Bruce Willis) is trying to settle back into the quiet routine of retired life, along with his girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker).  He hasn’t killed anyone in months, and the two spend their days shopping for deals at Costco.   Continue reading

John Williams Returning to Star Wars!

John Williams Autograph

From my autograph collection.

As I’m sure you have read by now, John Williams is returning to compose the score for Star Wars: Episode VII.  This is, of course, fantastic news.  When J.J. Abrams was announced as director, many people assumed that his longtime collaborator, Michael Giacchino would do the score.  This would have been a suitable second choice, as Giacchino is really an excellent composer, and seems to have been very heavily influenced by Williams, but nothing can compare to having Williams back.  He recorded this interview for the Star Wars convention at which his return was announced.  Check it out: Continue reading

Friday Favorites: Favorite Moment – Pitch Perfect

Welcome to “Friday Favorites” which highlight some of my favorite movie-related things.

I’m a big fan of movies that manage to capture the entire film in just one scene, especially when it is done in a way that doesn’t scream, “This is what the movie is about,” in an annoyingly obvious way.  Hook is by far the best example of this, but discussing that scene is an essay for another time, so instead I present you with a similar scene from Pitch Perfect.  Take a look:

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Poster: Saving Mr. Banks

I love movie posters, I even have a frame in my office at home that I use to rotate posters that catch my eye (it currently is displaying one from Skyfall).  Today, the Disney Parks Blog exclusively debuted the new poster for Saving Mr. Banks.  I looked at the trailer just last week, but check out the poster: Continue reading

Trailer Tuesday: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies, since I’ve always found them to be endlessly fascinating.

This weekend at Comic-con saw the release of a new trailer for Catching Fire, the upcoming sequel to last year’s The Hunger Games.  I covered the first trailer back in April, but watch the new one and then read on for my thoughts:

We get a lot of new footage in this trailer, mixed in with some things we’ve seen before, so let’s take it from the top. Continue reading

Review: Pacific Rim

I was 12 when Independence Day came out in 1996, and it had so many things that appealed to 12 year old me.  It featured alien monsters, massive cinematic destruction, stunning effects, explosions and lots of action.  I imagine that if I were 12 years old today, Pacific Rim would seem to be right up my alley.  It’s got alien monsters (technically transdimensional monsters), destruction and explosions and stunning effects.  But, I like to think 12 year old me would have left Pacific Rim with the same sense of dissatisfaction that 29 year old me has.

Pacific Rim tells the story of humanity’s fight against Kaiju, giant Godzilla-like creatures that appear from a dimensional portal at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and wreak havoc on the cities that border that body of water.   Continue reading

How do we deal with Orson Scott Card and the Ender’s Game movie?

The discussion about Ender’s Game has reached a head in the last several days, with new statements from Orson Scott Card, Lionsgate and now with the film appearing at Comic-con, so I thought I’d give my two cents worth.  For those of you who don’t know, Ender’s Game is a science fiction book from 1985 written by Card, which has a movie adaptation of it coming out on November 1st.  I remember reading the book repeatedly in middle school; at the time it was one of my favorites, though I never read any of its sequels.  It wasn’t until later that I learned the truth about Orson Scott Card.

You see, Card is the worst sort of homophobe.   Continue reading

Friday Favorites: Favorite Scene – Star Trek: Generations

Welcome to “Friday Favorites” which highlight some of my favorite movie-related things.

It would be safe to say that Data is one of my favorite characters in all of art, literature and storytelling.  He’s most certainly my favorite TV character.  There’s something about his story of an android longing to be human, without realizing that in all the ways that matter he already is, that’s innately compelling.  Add in a dash of Pinocchio and Frankenstein’s Monster and you’ve got Data.  Those of us who were big fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation were thrilled for many reasons when it transitioned to the big screen at the end of its run.  But for me, one of the greatest joys of the movie is Data’s acquisition of the emotion chip, leading to this small scene, which remains one of my favorite things I’ve ever seen:

In the film, Data installs the emotion chip after a failed attempt at humor during Worf’s promotion ceremony. Continue reading