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VIDEO: Taylor Kitsch John Carter Interview

Taylor Kitsch is a funny dude.  Leo Quinones talks with Taylor about life on other planets, a Civil War lesson & what he never learned from Liam Neeson.  Good stuff, enjoy!

Taylor Kitsch Full interview from DANGVU Media on Vimeo.



Video: Willem Dafoe John Carter Interview

Willem Dafoe talks with Leo Quinones about his experience bringing Tars Tarkas of Barsoom to life in Disney’s John Carter.

Willem Dafoe full interview from DANGVU Media on Vimeo.

 



Video: John Carter Director Andrew Stanton Interview

Andrew Stanton is an Oscar Winning director.  He helmed the Pixar animated blockbusters, WALL*E & Finding Nemo.  Here we are sitting in Arizona desert talking about John Carter.



In Time Movie Review


Justin Timberlake continues his non-stop acting assault.  Last year, he took on the part of real-life Tech Wiz, Sean Parker in “The Social Network,” this year the romantic comedy, “Friends with Benefits” & now the Sci-Fi Thriller, “In Time.” Set in the future, “In Time” is a simple story about the “Haves” & the “Have Nots.”

The currency isn’t money, it’s seconds, minutes, days, weeks, months, years, decades & tens of decades.  In this world, humans age until their full growth peak of 25 years old.  That’s when everyone stops aging.  The time display on your forearm allows just one more year of life.  One year, not a second more or less.

The way to stay alive in this game (of life) is obtain more time.  Beg, borrow, steal.  Most people are poor and only have one or two days worth of time.  You get up, work & you’re given a few precious hours, another day.   Just enough hours so you have to come back the next day, just in the nick of time.

Timberlake plays Will Salas, a guy in the ghetto who lives day to day.   He represents the masses.  In a twist of very good fate, Will finds himself with more time than he ever dreamed.  Imagine, you were walking down the street & you found a wheelbarrow filled with thousand dollars bills & it was all yours.  So now Will is upwardly mobile.  He was to mix it up with the ultra rich.  This is where society takes its time, because they have more than they could ever use.

It’s there where he meets Sylvia Weis, (Amanda Seyfried) a woman who comes from time. Her father, Philippe Weis (Mad Men’s Vincent Kartheiser) owns & operates the largest Time Lending Company on the planet.  Long story/short, Will & Sylvia make a run for it.  I like the cops of this world: Time Keepers.  Cillian Murphy plays Raymond Leon, a time cop that’s been on the beat for well over 50 years.  Sylvia finally learns what life is like when you can only live it day to day.

The film is set and filmed in Los Angeles for a specific reason.  People in LA seem to be much more obsessed with youth & the idea of staying young.  Take note.  You won’t see any graffiti in the movie, because people in this world just don’t have time to waste on such nonsense.  I liked how people in the ghetto were always rushing.  No choice. If you only had 12 hours before you ‘Timed Out,’ you’d hustle, double-step  & eat your food on the run every single day.

At the end of the day, it’s a Robin Hood story of stealing time from the rich & giving it to the poor.  The filmmakers aren’t being coy.  This is social commentary.  Those on the political right will have a field day dissecting “In Time.”  It’s all about redistributing wealth.  Those on the top want to keep it all while those on the bottom are quite literally dying in the streets because they’re out of time.

“In Time” is rated PG-13

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The Thing Movie Review

I can barely remember John Carpenter’s 1982 version of, ”The Thing,”  which is the exact reason why it’s being remade in 2011.  This time, the studio is going after young customers.  It’s no secret:  Teenage males drive box office sales!  ”The Thing” is tailor-made for a new generation ready for a good scare.   All the usual suspects are here.

Close your eyes & you’ll hear the high-pitched squealing from, “Alien.”  There’s a ton of “Alien” here.  Remember, the company man who only wants to contain & monetize the specimen at all costs, even human life?   What’s most obvious is seeing Kate Lloyd, (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) take on the female heroine persona ala Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley. It’s all there right down to the flame thrower.

So if you take away the baggage of seeing  the other two versions of, ”The Thing,” as  if they never existed, odds are you’d have a heckuva good time at the movies.  Again, that’s for first timers.  As for me, there’s nothing new to report here.  I’ve seen this movie already.  ”The Thing” is rated R for bloody, Sci-Fi images.

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Real Steel Premiere w/ VelvetRedCard.com

Being back on the Velvet red Carpet with my good friend, Ellen K was indeed a treat.  Here’s the first video from an amazing site www.velvetredcard.com. Looking forward to many more.

Hugh Jackman Real Steel from DANGVU Media on Vimeo.

Sugar Ray Leonard Real Steel from DANGVU Media on Vimeo.

Evangeline Lilly Real Steel from DANGVU Media on Vimeo.



Real Steel Movie Review

I gotta feel, a feel for Real Steel! At one time, Charlie Kenton, (Hugh Jackman) was a great fighter.  These days he’s just fighting to keep his head above water.  The year is 2020.  The sport of boxing has morphed.  The growing demand for violence in the ring was more than any human could withstand.  MMA & UFC didn’t take the match to the death.  That’s when promoters created the WRB World Robot Boxing League.  These mechanical gladiators could simply ‘knock their blocks off,’ to coin a familiar phrase.

To be honest, the “Real Steel” movie trailer wasn’t doing it for me.  I saw it a few times with the outdoor billboards.  Suffice to say, my expectations were low.    Then I saw the film with a packed movie house filled with real people, not industry insiders.  The audience reaction told me everything I needed to know.  They laughed, they cheered & had an absolute blast. I myself happen to be an industry insider, but I took something away this from the film.

The heart of the story is about second chances.  Charlie gets one reconnecting with his estranged son, Max, (Dakota Goyo.) Max gets his shot at having a real dad.  Finally there’s Atom, an outdated sparring robot that’s left for scrap.  Yeah, these three stray dogs are woven together into a very predictable plot.  I didn’t care.  This isn’t “The Godfather,” or even “Harry Potter.” At the end of the day it’s a story of a boy & his robot.

Dakota Goyo stands out as the “Real Steel” scene stealer.  He’s now the “It” kid in Hollywood.  Also along for the ride is Bailey, (Evangeline Lily.)  Her scenes are few, but she’s definitely the emotional anchor.  Then there’s the bots.  The lineup: Ambush, Midas, Noisy Boy, Zeus & Atom.  Can you say Most wanted stocking stuffers of this holiday season?!?  Nice job by director Shawn Levy.   Four principal robots were built for the production.  They provided the actors with something very real to react to. (Usually they have to stare at a tennis ball on a stick!)

“Real Steel” is a for Real People who loves movies.  Industry insiders will scoff, but who cares about them? They’re the movie misfits.  Just because a movie isn’t Oscar-worthy doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a good time.

Real Steel is Rated PG-13 & is thankfully only presented in 2D, but also available on Large Format Screens.

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Fright Night 3D Movie Review

When it comes to breaking down a movie like,  “Fright Night,” the last thing anyone needs is an intellectual film critic know-it-all.   Horror purists will balk at the idea of this remake or re-visioning of “Fright Night.” Who even cares!?!  First & foremost, this vampire movie plays by the bloodsucker rulebook.  Unlike the undead in “Twilight,” who walk triumphantly in the the blistering sun, the filmmakers paid attention to the Do’s & Don’ts of the genre.  I appreciate the crosses, garlic, holy water, wooden stakes & finding the hidden masters’ lair.

What’s cool about “Fright Night” is its sexiness.  Jerry (Colin Farrell) is hands down the horniest vampire.  His female take downs are legendary! Strippers, MiLFs & high school hotties. Jerry’s favorite blood type is O….M.G.  Farrell is perfect for the role with his eyes always peering, cautiously sniffing scents & scratching things during his scenes.   On the other hand, Charlie (Anton Yelchin) is the clumsy & pasty kid tasked with doing away with a very tactical, 400 year old vampire.

The acting is solid.  The cast also includes Toni Collette & a good performance from David Tennant, who plays a Las Vegas based occult-heavy magician, Peter Vincent.  Ramin Djawadi’s musical score was just excellent.  It just added a terrific layer of tension.  Also, there’s the 3D factor. I have to say, this time around, the 3D plays really well.  I hope you don’t mind having 3D blood spurting into your face.

The Vampire movie genre is alive and well.  All I can say is, “Fright Night” was the bloodsucking torpedo that sank the USS Twilight for ’2011′s Coolest Vampire Flick.’  Sorry Twi-hards.

“Fright Night” is Rated R for bloody violence & F Bombs.

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30 Minutes Or Less Movie Review

Jesse Eisenberg is Nick.   A guy who hates his job, his boss & probably his life.   What does he do for a living?  He delivers pizzas like a NASCAR Ninja in just 30 Minutes or Less.   Nick’s last delivery is gonna be a doozy.  Two second rate losers (Danny McBride & Nick Swardson) hatch a plan to make quick money.  Instead of robbing a bank themselves, they’ll strap a homemade bomb on a stranger & make him do it.

As you’ve seen in the trailer, once the bomb has been planted on Nick, he seeks help from his best friend Chet (Aziz Ansari).  Armed with only knowledge of 80′s action flicks, these two idiots rob the local bank to the tune of 100,00 bucks.

Two familiar faces are scene stealers with limited screen time. First, the hitman (Michael Peña). Very funny.  Also, from TV’s “Rules of Engagement,” is Bianca Kajlich who plays a local stripper. While dancing on Danny McBride, Bianca goes full blown topless. No special digital effects or enhancements. Man, the one time I want 3D & it’s not even there.

The idea of these two numb nuts getting away with this high profile robbery in Grand Rapids, Michigan is certainly a stretch. You’ll just have to go with it.  It’s a straight up rated R stoner comedy.  If you dug “Pineapple Express,” this is your movie.

There’s nothing worse than having a bomb strapped to your chest.  Can you imagine!?!  On the other hand, there’s nothing better than the Film Freak iPhone – iPad App. It’s the movie app that saves you money on movies. Just search Film Freak

I’m not a credible bank robber, but life is fun. Follow me on Twitter @leoquinones



Rise of the Planet of the Apes Movie Review

If you’re looking to compare 1968′s “Planet of the Apes” with “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” don’t even bother.  The former from 43 years ago is a crowning achievement of the Science Fiction genre.  Astronauts from Earth crash land on a planet ruled by apes.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is set in present day San Francisco.  Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist who’s desperately scrambling to discover a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease through genetic therapy.   The experimental drugs are used on chimp apes & gorillas.

People will remember this movie for Ceasar (Andy Serkis).  The motion capture performance by Serkis adds a dimension of reality never before seen in a film.  This chimp shows every emotion from sorrow, happiness, fear & of course rage. Extremely well done special effects by WETA.

The tone of this film is dark & grows darker with each act.  There’s a spotlight on animal cruelty which automatically puts you on the sides of the apes.  The abuse is simply captivity.  These beasts should be in the wild & not locked up in rusty cages.  As the movie progresses, the friction between humans & apes escalates.

As you see in the movie’s trailer, the apes escape, revolt & run rampant through the streets of San Francisco.  The movie is thought-provoking & well made. It is worth seeing.  But for me personally, I prefer the Charlton Heston version.

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To heighten drama, medical advances are catapulted forward at lightning speed.  Crucial steps are missed & experimental drugs fall prey to corporate greed.



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