Based on true events, Zero Dark Thirty is one film you won't want to miss. Directed by Katheryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Zero Dark Thirtychronicles the decade long manhunt for the world's most dangerous man, Osama bin Ladin.
Zero Dark Thirty has received many accolades and has been nominated for a few Golden Globes. It has also been met with criticism as it features a couple torture scenes that the CIA say are an inaccurate portrail of how information related to the whereabouts of Osama bin Ladin were obtained. Some critics say the film takes a pro torture stance on the war against terror. On a side note, some politicians have claimed the producers of the film obtained improper access to classified materials during the making of the movie.
Taking place after the September 11th attacks, Zero Dark Thirty takes the viewer through many sub plots and side stories on its way to the utlimate end result we all know is coming if you've read the news (no spoilers here). If you've seen Bigelow's previous film, The Hurt Locker, this movie will come as no surprise. The pacing and feel of the movie is very similar; however, Zero Dark Thirty is a more intense thriller of the two. The fierceness of the action and dialogue give a realism to the film that very few directors know how to deliver.
That realism does come with some caution. There are a few torture scenes that are difficult to watch. Whether these events actually happened is debatable, but regardless they will make you squirm in your seat. The CIA claims those events didn't take place exactly as depicted in the film and the producers insist their research supports the accuracy of the torture scenes.
Zero Dark Thirty is not entertainment but a history lesson about the dark and dangerous world of America's military and intelligence agency. For the most part Zero Dark Thirty is a realistic, accurate depiction of the hunt for Osama bin Ladin; although, there are few times the Hollywood factor leaks out. Some scenes and dialogue feel a bit over dramatic, as if the producers were just trying to make the film as intense as possible. Fluffing up the facts so to speak. Moviegoers should not treat Zero Dark Thirty solely as their source of information but as a visualization to the information they've read or heard about the search for Osama bin Ladin.
Based on the novel by J.R.R Tolkien, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was released on December 14, 2012. The film tells the story of Bilbo Baggins as he is swept into an unexpected journey across Middle Earth. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf, Bilbo joins the company of 13 dwarves. As the group escapes into the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo discovers an underground lake and its sole resident, a creature named Gollum. His encounter with Gollum will change his life forever and set the course for the story of The Hobbit as well as the Lord of the Rings to which the The Hobbit is a prequel to.
The dwarves Bilbo will travel with
While in the presence of Gollum, Bilbo learns about the existence of a powerful golden ring that not only makes one invisible while wearing it but possess a darker, more powerful secret. Directed by Peter Jackson, the film can be seen in theaters in a variety of formats. You can view the film in the traditional 24fps (frames per second) that most movies are shown in or the 3D version boasts a whopping 48fps. This supposedly helps with the clarity of the images you are seeing and allows for more realistic colors and depth. Many critics of the new frame rate say that the high frame rate along with the 3D can causes seizures or dizziness with some people. If you go see the 3D version, close your eyes for a period of a time if you start to feel faint or dizzy. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a positive revisit to Middle Earth. The beginning of the film is slow since they spend a large amount of time setting up the story. There is action later in the movie but it just didn't seem to quite satisfy the way the fighting in the Lord of the Rings did. Unfortunately, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey falls short of achieving the greatness of the Lord of the Rings films. Portions of the film feel drawn out and some scenes would be more at home in the Special Features on the DVD. Part of this problem is because the studio wanted Jackson to make The Hobbit into a trilogy rather than one movie; therefore, there is a lot of content that normally would be excluded but was left in to generate more films and thus more revenue. Grade: A-
Far Cry 3 is a tropical paradise holding dark secrets. You and your friends venture to a remote island for a vacation. Your only focus is having a good time with your friends, but soon that will all change. Suddenly your friends and two brothers are kidnapped by a band of slave trading pirates on the island. After escaping from a prison camp deep in the jungle, you will meet up with some local natives that will help you rescue your friends and family.
Jason Brody
The gamer is placed in the hands of Jason Brody, the main character. This game is a First Person Shooter so you never see Brody running around, only the jungle from his point of view. Exploring is a must in Far Cry 3. One by one you must find and save your friends before they are sold or killed. You will travel across the island killing pirates, hunting animals, gathering plants for medicine, and rescuing your friends. Slowly take back control of the island by destroying enemy outposts and activating radio towers to reveal more of the map. You can learn more about the island to help you defeat the bad guys or simply enjoy the scenery and have some fun hang gliding, driving jet skis or participating in a variety of other activities.
Hang Gliding is a quick way to get across the island
You dictate how the story unfolds. There are many different strategies to approaching missions. When raiding a camp, you can run in and start shooting or take the stealthy approach by staying on the outskirts of camp and taking the bad guys out one by one. This immediately adds a high replay value to the game. It's fun to replay certain moments in the game and try a different approach. My favorite way to take out enemies is from above. Use a zip line or hang glider to come flying into camp, eject at just the right moment and attack before the pirates have a chance to react.
(Above) The intro to the story mode
Single player mode takes place over two islands. One of the islands is ruled by a psychotic slave trader that you meet at the beginning of the story mode and the other is run by a ruthless drug lord. There is also Co-Op mode where 2-4 players can take on a series of challenges together as well as Multiplayer mode where you can battle against other gamers online. Co-Op mode is fun for a bit but most of the challenges are simply taking out wave after wave of enemies or blowing up bridges etc. Multiplayer adds nothing new to the gaming front. It's fun if you love Far Cry 3 and are into online gaming, but it's nothing special. All the online modes will feel pretty familiar if you've ever played Call of Duty or any other shooter. Far Cry 3 is a great game. It doesn't take long to finish the campaign but there is a major downside to breezing through it. The developers have designed the game in a way that encourages and almost forces you to explore the world they've created, and why wouldn't you. The landscape is beautiful and there are miles of jungle to explore. Spend more time exploring the jungle and developing skills to help you defeat the enemy. It will keep you busy and entertained for hours. The more time you spend with Far Cry 3, the more you'll fall in love with the island and the craziness it holds in store for you.
The newest Bond film to hit theaters, Skyfall, puts James Bond (Daniel Craig) in harms way once again. This time M (Judi Dench) is the target as MI6 comes under attack. His loyalty to M is tested as a shady character resurfaces from her past. Bond must stay focused on protecting the agency and his friend no matter how personal things become. From the opening scene, Skyfall gives you non-stop action. The sequences are raw and gritty. That's just how I like my Bond; rough, tough and with a kick of style on the side. The villain in this film, Silva (Javier Bardem), holds MI6 responsible for the pain and misfortune in his life. Silva is a more believable villain than Bond villains of the past because he has a personal vendetta, rather than being evil just for the sake of being evil. He possesses a creepy, psychotic evil that sends chills down your spine. Bond has many moments in the film where his skills put to the test. While chasing a suspect, Bond is being shot at while operating an excavator on a moving train. As chaos ensues, Bond leaps from the excavator into an open train car in front of him, calmly adjusts his suit cuffs, and proceeds. This cool, collected style adds a huge element to the film. Rather than using fancy, unrealistic gadgets like in the Pierce Brosnan Bond films, Daniel Craig's Bond relies more on his 007 skills and training to completethe job. Many moments simply don't need dialogue or music because the acting says it all. One area of the film many movie goers tend tooverlook is the soundtrack. Thomas Newman (Road to Perdition) wrote the score for this film, replacing David Arnold who tracked the first two Daniel Craig Bond films. The Adele theme song is one of my favorite Bond themes in the last 50 years. Casino Royale was a good first step for Daniel Craig. Although it had its dull moments, it ultimately helped revitalize the franchise; however, with Quantum of Solace, many fans were left disappointed and saw it as a step backwards. Skyfall firmly places Bond back on top as the king of action, style, glitz and glamour. Easily one of the best action/thrillers of the year, Skyfall will surely not disappoint.
Following the success of his first solo album, Slash (Guns n' Roses, Velvet Revolver guitarist) has released another solo album entitled "Apocalyptic Love". Slash recorded his last album "Slash" with variety of famous singers from all genres of music. Each song was sung by a different singer. Singers such as Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, Fergie, Kid Rock, and many more. Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge sang two of the songs on the album, "Back From Cali" and "Starlight". For the tour of the solo album, Slash asked Myles to join the band as the lead singer and cover all the songs. Once the tour was over, Slash and Myles decided to write an entire album together. "Apocalyptic Love" is the result of Slash and Myles putting their creative musical minds together to create something special. Fans of Alter Bridge know that Myles is not only a great singer but also a talented guitarist, a talent that is often overshadowed by his voice. The songs on the upcoming album will feature more of Myles' infamous guitar tone.
When asked about the album on BBC's television show Top Gear, Slash said, "The title came from a crazy idea. I thought to myself what's the last thing most people would do if they knew the world was about to end...Get one last round in of course. So it's a bit of a tongue in cheek theme of sex on the eve of an apocalypse."
Slash and Myles Kennedy not only write great music but they are excellent performers as well. Their concerts feature a mix of songs written by Slash throughout his career. Expect to hear new tracks, Guns n' Roses classics and everything in between. Pick up a copy of this rocking album and given the chance go see these guys in concert. They put on a spectacular show.
On March 26, 2012, Alter Bridge will be releasing their second live concert on DVD & Bluray, Alter Bridge: Live at Wembley. The concert took place at Wembley Arena in the U.K. The concert features songs from the band's first three albums.
Their previous live concert DVD Alter Bridge: Live from Amsterdam was met with rave reviews from fans and critics. Produced by DC3 Entertainment, the filming and editing was spectacular. One of the best live concerts I've ever seen on film. It featured numerous camera angles. A camera capable of moving over the entire audience as well as POV (Point of View) cameras attached to the instruments were some of the spectacular shots.
DC3 was on hand at Wembley arena to capture the action once again so the new DVD will surely not disappoint. If you order the Bluray from Amazon you get the Bluray of the show as well as a live CD recording. The other purchase options are a DVD version and live CD of the concert.
Disney Pictures latest movie to hit theaters, John Carter, has been doing poorly at the box office. The film is projected to make roughly $184 million in revenue, making it one of the biggest Hollywood flops of all time. The movie cost $250 million to make and Disney spent another $100 million on advertising. Apparently the advertising didn't work because Disney claims they will be losing $200 million.
The premise of the film centers around the main character, John Carter. He is a Civil War vet who gets transported to Mars where he comes in contact with a strange alien race. He quickly becomes a prisoner only later to escape and meet a beautiful human princess that needs rescuing.
Watching this film felt like watching a remake of a remake that was ripping off another movie's idea. Nothing felt fresh about the content. This story has been told many times before, a studly hero wearing little to no clothing so you can see his perfectly sculpted muscles, getting in lots of intense computer generated fights and still having time to rescue a beautiful woman. The fight scenes were intense and exciting at times but as soon as they ended the dreary pacing returned.
The other problem with this film is that it constantly switches from Disney kid action movie to adult action/romance movie. One minute its a violent action film and then the next moment it's back to the cutesy animated talking aliens. It's almost as if the producers started making a film they would like to see and then reminded themselves that it needs to appeal to kids so they told the editor to scale it back but leave the earlier parts in. It's a socially confused film.
Even reading the synopsis makes it sound lame. At the very least make Carter a WWII vet. I'm surprised John Carter made as much money as it has. Expecting a movie like this to make at least $350 million is like expecting a man with no arms to hit a home run. John Carter was destined for failure before filming even began.
Posts
