Star Wars Pre-sales Crash Fandango

Last Monday Disney released the third and final trailer for its upcoming blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  This is likely the last footage to be shown before the release of the film on December 18.

In conjunction with his trailer, tickets for the movie went on sale on Fandango and other various ticketing services, causing an immense spike in internet traffic.  Specifically, the spike resulted in Fandango temporarily going down due to the mass number of people trafficking the site.

Forbes released this article explaining the cause of the crash, the number of tickets purchased as well as the ticketing records this new Star Wars film is already breaking.  It's interesting to watch this phenomenon unfold as this is one of the most anticipated movies of the century, reuniting a cast of heroes for the first time since 1983.

My Top 10 Favorite Movies of All-Time

I love movies, and one of the reasons I started this blog was to even further integrate myself with the staples of the industry.  But I've still seen many films in my time, and some of them have actually deeply impacted me growing up.  Here's a list of my ten favorite films of all-time, movies for which I tend to say to others "I can't believe you haven't seen that!"

Honorable Mentions:
The Dark Knight
The Empire Strikes Back
The Natural
The Sting
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Inception
Finding Nemo
Good Will Hunting
The Avengers
Jerry Maguire




10. Ocean's Eleven
This movie had all around great performances by a really fun cast, it was smart, funny and just a great heist movie.  I believe it is the best film in it's subsequent trilogy, and it's my favorite George Clooney performance by far.












9. Toy Story 3
This movie came out the year I left for college.  In fact, I watched it for the first time about 2 weeks before I moved out of my childhood home, and I think I wept for a solid hour after watching.  This movie has an incredible emotional impact, I do believe it is the best in its trilogy, although the other two are amazing as well.





8. Django Unchained
This movie is not as widely loved as other Tarantino movies, but personally I love westerns, I thought the dialogue was incredibly smart, and Christophe Waltz's character King Schultz is one of the most well written personas of the 21st century.  This movie also stirred a lot of controversy and discussion, which no matter what side of the debate you're on (regarding the film's use of the N-word), it is good to see movies causing a dialogue in our country.







7. Iron Man
The one that started it all.  This film is fun, action-packed, smart, and gave Robert Downey Jr. (my favorite actor) the opportunity to play the role he was born to own.  It was so different from other superhero movies that had been released to that point, not to mention the effect it is still having on the entertainment business with it's founding of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.







6. Top Gun
Tom Cruise is a movie star, man.  Talk about a movie that defined a decade, this film screams 80's.  It has emotional stakes, high-speed action, romance, great music and oiled-up men pounding some volleyballs. Because of this movie I refused to buy sunglasses that weren't aviators until I was 25 years old, which is true because I'm only 21 and I still only plan on wearing aviators for at least that long. Fun Fact: I have a poster of that picture of Tom Cruise having on my wall as if to look at me and say "go get 'em today Evan, you can do it." Danger Zooone!





5. Gladiator
It's has violence, it's has politics, it is a thrilling story about love and revenge.  Russell Crowe gives an Oscar winning performance playing off one of the most treacherous movie villains of all time in Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus.  Ancient Rome is such a fascinating setting for a film, Ridley Scott knocked it out of the park with this adaptation of the Spaniard Maximus.








4. Casino Royale
The name's Bond. James Bond. But not just any James Bond, it's Daniel Craig's James Bond, also known as the greatest James Bond to ever grace the silver screen.  Sorry Sean Connery, and suck it George Lazenby, because Daniel Craig brings a brutality to this role that is unmatched.  This film is dark, smooth, excellently paced and contains smart, believable dialogue from start to finish.  It is currently the best in its subsequent trilogy, although Skyfall was fantastic and I'm very much looking forward to Spectre coming out next month.












3. The Shawshank Redemption
What a beautiful film. The greatest story ever put to film portraying the persistence of the human spirit. Perfectly executed roles from both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman put this movie over the top, not to mention the brutal truths that are revealed about many corrupt penitentiaries within our own borders. The way the music plays into this film is also masterful, the representations of water and color only add to the depth of this film's meaning. This is not just one of my favorite movies, it is one of the greatest of all time.





2. Jurassic Park
No movie has scared me so much, but also left me with so much joy.  I thought Jeff Goldblum was the coolest person on the planet for about a decade after watching this movie (who am I kidding, he still is), and Steven Spielberg's use of practical effects to bring these dinosaurs to life was incredible.  This is by far the best film in the series that followed, and I'm happy they have revived the franchise, but nothing will ever top the original. And the music? Keep your Star Wars Main Theme, I'll take the Jurassic Park Theme Song any day.





1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
I know, this is kind of cheating.  But this trilogy tells a story as a cohesive unit, while all three films can subsequently stand on their own if needed. I've read these books countless times, and I think the film adaptations could not have been done any better.  They are beautiful, dark, accurate and exciting.  The emotion injected is all thanks to Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyen's respectful transition of J.R.R. Tolkien's incredible characters from page to film.  There's Aragorn, the warrior who is reluctant to becoming too powerful.  Gandalf, the teacher who is fierce but loving.  Frodo, the hero who offers himself as a sacrifice to to the salvation of his homeland.  And the greatest character in the series, Sam, the protector, who has no business being a player in the war of wizards and warriors, but enters bravely nonetheless.






As a Christian I value this movie's integration of Tolkien's faith, which he drew inspiration from while writing the epic.  While maintaining it's spirit of fantasy these films are able to tell a much larger story that goes beyond goblins and magic.  More so they are a story about a person's need for adventure, and that no matter how far one is pushed to the edge, you must always have hope.  It's like Sam says: "There's good in this world Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for."

Remember, these are my favorite films, not necessarily what I believe to be the best films! I have emotional connections to these movies which is why I value Top Gun over Citizen Kane, these are just my opinions. Thanks for reading!

The Marvel Problem

Since 2008 with their hit blockbuster Iron Man, Marvel Studios has become a juggernaut in the entertainment business.  They have released 12 films since, all of which have been integrated into what is called the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or the MCU.

All of these films have done well commercially, specifically The Avengers, which broke record after record of summer box office numbers.  Some of these films were not quite as well received critically, such as Thor or Iron Man 2.  But a few have succeeded both commercially and critically, like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy.

With their more recent television pursuits in Agents of Shield, Agent Carter, Daredevil and starting in November Jessica Jones, as well as 11 more films coming between now and 2019, it's fair to beg the question: When will Marvel fail?

Many would argue that they already have failed, as their films can at times seem formulaic due to their narrow sources of inspiration and similar styles.  But for the most part, Marvel has continued to prove their creative prowess, as they most recently made famous a superhero called Ant-Man, and the biggest characters of the 2014 summer were a an alcoholic raccoon and a talking tree.

The problem with this MCU is that eventually it will become bloated, and now it actually limits Marvel's ability to make fresh, exciting content.  It will always be exciting to see our favorite characters crossover with each other in different movies, and have big team-up moments like we get in the Avengers films.

But just this summer Avengers: Age of Ultron was released, and critics argued that it was too packed with characters and lacked story depth, whereas just three years ago we were going berserk for Avengers mania when the first film was released.

So what has changed? Does this speak more to the selfishness of consumerism? That we are already bored with this integration of characters that ten years ago seemed impossible? Or does it mean Marvel can feel the walls closing in on itself, as they know superhero fatigue is starting to set in on the public?

Personally, I love the MCU, I think it is masterful what Kevin Feige and all those over at Marvel Studios have been able to weave over the last seven years.  But when the inevitable day comes that Marvel announces that the MCU is coming to an end, and they are going to pursue new movie-making projects, it is up to us, the consumer, to have the appropriate reaction.

We must demand more than these reboots, these retellings of the same story that studios use to prey on the nostalgia of the audience.  Marvel, with its pioneering, has also given us the age of the franchise.

Coming soon we will see a new Ghostbusters movie, Bad Boys III, more Jurassic Park films, Ninja Turtles II, Harry Potter spinoffs, a slew of new Star Wars movies, not to mention at least four more Transformers movies.

Sorry, I just had to take a break to vomit at the sound of more Transformers films, but my point is clear. The movie business is just that, a business.  So now that Marvel has created this intricate pillar of a franchise, other studios will try to do the same and some will be great, but many will fail.

So my call to you, the viewer, is as I said before: demand more from these movies.  Not just Marvel, but all studios bringing big franchises to theaters.  Marvel makes quality films while racking in immense profits, which I will gladly patron.  But next time you go to the theater, maybe consider skipping this year's Terminator movie, or whatever garbage fire Michael Bay decided to put to film, and let's raise the bar for Hollywood going forward.

I Can't Believe You Haven't Seen The Flash: Season 1

For those that are following this blog, you'll notice that typically it is films being reviewed, but in honor of Pilot season and the return of many autumn shows this week, I'm launching my TV review series.  The Flash is a spinoff of the successful CW superhero program Arrow.  At first I avoided this show because, come on, how could anyone make a successful show about The Flash on a mid-level network with a tiny budget? I was wrong.  So wrong, in fact, that now I can comfortably say The Flash is the most innovative show currently on television, and we need more programs like it (good thing we're getting them!)

Story:
Barry Allen (played by Grant Gustin) is a nerdy, slightly awkward police forensics scientist with some very bad luck.  As a child his mother was murdered by a mysterious force that entered his home, no one was able to explain what it was.  Due to this, Barry's father is accused of the murder and has been sitting in prison for 14 years.

Barry's role model and idol Harrison Wells (played by Tom Cavanagh), is a brilliant scientist who is about to breakthrough and turn on his particle accelerator, a revolutionary device that was supposed to change every understanding of the world's knowledge of physics.  Something goes terribly wrong, and the accelerator explodes, emitting a blast that effects all of Central City.  With this blast came side effects that afflicted certain people, giving them strange abilities, they would later be known as metahumans.  The blast, coupled with a perfectly timed lightning bolt, struck Barry and put him in a coma for nine months, and when he woke up he had the ability to run impossibly fast, upwards of mach two.

Grant Gustin stars as Barry Allen

Barry is taken in by Harrison Wells and his employees at Star Labs, Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes) and Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), to study his condition.  Much to the dismay of Barry's legal guardian Joe (Jesse L. Martin) and his foster sister Iris (Candice Patton). Eventually, the crew at Star Labs and Barry begin to hone the skills of 'The Flash', and hunt down metahumans who are using their abilities for evil.  Barry becomes a symbol to Central City as a protector, while trying to keep his identity concealed and solve his mother's murder, a task he has been burdened with his entire life.

Characters:
The luxury TV shows have over films are 23, hour long episodes to develop characters over multiple seasons, rather than the two or three hours of a movie.  The Flash has a huge cast, all parts being essential and intricate to the plot, none being more vital than Barry Allen, played by Grant Gustin.  Gustin perfectly captures the dorky side of Barry, the Peter Parker-esque quirks that make him relatable to the nerds (myself included) that watch the show.  His everyman qualities are what make him such a strong leading man, and he perfectly balances the naiveté of a regular with the courage of a superhero.

Tom Cavanagh is Harrison Wells

One year ago, I only new Tom Cavanagh as J.D.'s deadbeat brother on the show Scrubs.  Today, I know him as Harrison Wells, the best comic book (spoiler alert!) villain put to screen since the Joker in The Dark Knight.  He is cunning, brilliant, creepy, malicious, but also fatherly, nurturing, caring and trusting.  His deceit knows no bounds, as a man out of time he is always 10 steps ahead of Barry, who for most of the season is living in the dramatic irony of his love for Wells.  this show does not work without Tom Cavanagh, he is equally important to cameras and writers in terms of the program's ability to function.

The host of supporting characters all bring different qualities to their roles.  Cisco provides comic relief and scientific exposition, Caitlin adds an emotional aspect as well as a potential love triangle, Iris is typically the driving force behind so many of Barry's actions and feelings, and Eddie Thawne (played by Rick Cosnett) is a strong foil to Barry as a sexual competitor.  One of the best characteristics of the show, however, are Barry's many father figures.  He has one in Harrison Wells, one in his actual father Henry Allen (played by John Wesley Shipp) and his foster father Joe West.  Barry's greatest goal is to clear his dad's name and get him out of prison, something that has tied them together for years.  But nothing beats the relationship between Barry and Joe.  Sometimes Barry lashes out at Joe's care because he's not his real father, but the man relentlessly pursues him with the means to protect and serve. Joe's love for Barry is a masterclass in fatherhood, and the two have an amazing rapport together.

Jesse L. Martin is Barry's legal guardian Joe

Cinematography:
As I stated above, who would've thought that a show like this could be pulled off.  Usually these powers and fantastical elements are better left to films, where the budget is higher and the suspension of disbelief is more quickly enabled.  This show was crafted impeccably, providing so many details to engage the viewer from start to finish.  It's rare that a spinoff is as successful as it's predecessor, but The Flash holds up, and as a huge fan of Arrow, it is an amazing treat to see the two casts interact and intertwine.  As The Flash starts its second season, I hope the writers can up the stakes even higher, and keep bringing the masterful combination of comedy, heart, drama and action that they did for their first 23 episodes.

OVERALL GRADE: 8.3/10

FAVORITE EPISODE: Ep. 9 The Man in the Yellow Suit

I Cant Believe You Haven't Seen Mad Max: Fury Road

Mel Gibson is a great actor.  He is charismatic and believable in most roles that he takes on.  However, his most convincing role to date is that of washed up anti-semite.  Now, one would think that with the death of an actor's career would also mean the death of the iconic characters he has portrayed.  On the contrary, Max Rockatansky lives on better than ever through Tom Hardy and the genius that is George Miller.

Story:
If there is anything that this film lacks, it is plot.  While it's not direly detrimental to the quality of the experience, the story is pretty simple and congruent of a smash and grab action movie.  We're introduced to the post-apocalptic Australia when Max (Tom Hardy) is being run down by a group of War Boys, under the jurisdiction of Immortan Joe, a dictator clad in armor and a mask made from the skull of a horse.  A man of few words, Immortan Joe is a ruthless ruler who controls the locals by dominating the water supply, and being the sole provider of the cherished resource in this desert land.

Max is eventually captured and brought to the stronghold of Joe, where he is labeled as a universal donor do to his O Negative blood type.  This blood is stolen from "donors" to keep certain War Boys alive.  Max happens to be hooked up to a young War Boy named Nux (Nicholas Hoult),
who wants to go to battle more than anything, but is so weak that he needs to be hooked up to Max at all times to replenish his blood.

When Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a former servant and warrior of Immortan Joe, betrays the dictator and takes off with the colony's horde of women who are considered "breeders," Nux can't stand being left behind while the rest of the War Boys pursue her.  So he hops in his vehicle and brings Max along for the ride with him.  What ensues is some of the most practical, well-shot action ever put to film.  With Max and Furiosa eventually crossing paths and pursuing an end to the Immortal Joe's reign together.

Charlize Theron play's 'Furiosa' in
Mad Max: Fury Road

Characters:
This film should be called Furious Furiosa: Fury Road, but that doesn't quite roll off the tongue as well.  Charlize Theron is really the lead in this film.  She brings a quiet anguish that makes her one of the coolest female action heroes in film history.  Furiosa leads the charge against Joe's usurping theft of critical resources, and sets out to escape and form a better life for herself and generations to come. Charlize Theron steals the show by proving that action movies CAN be female driven (looking a you, Marvel Studios), and the simple plot allows her character to be the compelling attraction that keeps the audience enthralled.

Tom Hardy takes over for Mel Gibson 
in the titular role of 'Max'

Tom Hardy doesn't say 100 words in this film, but he delivers in other ways.  Hardy as a quiet animosity about him, one that is consistent with a grizzled road warrior in a post apocalyptic hell.  Hardy gives a stand offish performance, not in an arrogant way like he doesn't want to be there, but an accurate portrayal of Max being pissed off that he's been thrown into all this ruckus.  This movie further proves that Tom Hardy is one of the most adaptable actors in Hollywood.  From the villain Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, to a smart and polite criminal in Inception, to a mentally wounded fighter in Warrior, and now being courted to potentially take up the mantle of James Bond and Wolverine, Tom Hardy can bring it in any situation and Mad Max: Fury Road is no exception.

Nicholas Hoult underent cosmetic transformation to portray 'Nux'

I've never really liked Nicholas Hoult.  Not that I don't like him, it's just that he's never really come across as a stand out actor, more of a one-note, typical brown hair baby that looks smart when you put glasses on him.  I still believe those things are true, but he knocked this performance out of the park.  Due to hair and makeup, combined with his righteous portrayal, the character of Nux was just that.  He was Nux, he was not Nicholas Hoult.  As good as their performances were, to some degree throughout the film I was always thinking "That's Tom Hardy," or "That's Charlize Theron."  Nicholas Hoult had me lost in his performance, and it will be remembered for many years to come.

Cinematography:

George Miller has been the mastermind behind all four
films in the Mad Max franchise

There are certain places where particular phrases are deemed unacceptable.  If I am walking through the streets of Dallas singing the Philadelphia Eagles fight song, I'll eventually get punched.  Same thing would happen if I started screaming obscenities about Zac Efron at a middle school girl slumber party.  But if I walked into Albert Einstein's living room and told him George Miller is a genius, I'd like to think Einstein would agree with me.  PRACTICAL EFFECTS! Are you watching and learning J.J. Abrams? You promise us practical effects for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, well here they are, George Miller has brought them to the screen in the most realistic action sequences ever put to film.

This is a beautiful film.  It fulfills the needs of the artistic critics while entertaining and impressing fans of old and new.  George Miller knows how to commit to his vision and for that reason this reboot is a smashing success.

OVERALL GRADE: 8.9/10