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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Baseball Opening Day and Happy Resurrection Day/Easter!

The opening day of Baseball season starts today! While I rarely blog about it, I am a die-heart Atlanta Braves fan and a fan of baseball history in general. More importantly, Happy Resurrection Day/Easter everyone! Because it is Easter and the Baseball Opening day, what are your favorite Baseball movies and Easter related movies. Favorite Baseball films are "Field of Dreams", Moneyball and The Natural. Since "Passion of the Christ" is the only Easter related film I can recall watching, it would be my choice. What are your favorites? Please comment below. Check back tomorrow for Reader's Choice and an important announcement.
 
 
 
If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Doctor Who Season 7 Premier!

 Season 7 of Doctor Who will premier tonight! Technically it is Part 2 of Season 7 and I still hate it that we only got six episodes in all of 2012! Despite that, I cannot wait until the new episode tonight. Since I have avoided as many spoilers as possible, I have not even watched the trailer and did not post it here. However I have posted a prequel video, which leads into the new episode tonight. It is not very long, but very good scene with Smith. Not entirely sure if it is the video's quality, or Smith sounds a little different. Now, a very important question for the readers, who of you plan to watch the season as it airs? Many fans to the series have just started the series or watch them on instant video after release, however, if there are enough readers that plan to watch the new episodes, I might just review them. With the recent cancellation of The Clone Wars, there is not a lot of popular TV series to review right now, so I want to find something that the readers will enjoy reading. 
For more information on why you should be watching Doctor Who and my thoughts on the different Doctors, Click here to read my recent about it.
 
 



 
If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Friday, March 29, 2013

The Wolverine Trailer!

 

The Wolverine trailer has finally been released! And I have to say that I am impressed. After the mediocre X-Men Origins: Wolverine that completely butchered Deadpool, one of the best comic book questions, and Wolverine' origin story. Fortunately The Wolverine looks like a true Wolverine film, about Wolverine, not the X-Men. While I am skeptical, I am very optimistic considering how well done X-Men: First Class was and Fox really wants to make things right after Wolverine's first standalone film. There are two trailers, the domestic and international, both offer some great clips from the film and makes me excited to see it. Although some are excited to see Wolverine loose his Healing Factor, I am not so sure if this is the best storyline to do it. Because X-Men: First Class changed the comics so drastically, and it actually worked so well, I believe Fox, who owns the X-Men franchise, wants to try something different and new. What I find odd is that the character Viper (aka Madame Hydra), is in the film. She is one of the leaders of Hydra from the comics, yet Hydra is owned by Disney and was used in the Captain America film. Not exactly sure how Fox acquired the rights to the character, but it is confirmed that they cannot have a direct reference to Hydra in the movie. In the end, I am much more excited for The Wolverine than Man of Steel, and cannot wait until it is released!
For newcomers to the blog, I am a big X-Men fan and it was one of the comics that got he started into comic books. Below is a great rewind of the trailer comparing it to the comic book story. What are your thoughts on the new trailer? Please comment below.
 
 



 
If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Inception Vs The Matrix: Part 3

The final round of Inception Vs. The Matrix is finally here, who will win? Click Here to read part 1 and Click Here to read part 2.


 
Acting
The Matrix: Keanu Reeves is often criticized for his performance, but as I previously stated he was intentionally an empty shell and gave a solid performance for his role. Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity played one of the coolest female roles in a film. As I said before, Hugo Weaving was awesome as Agent Smith and Laurence Fishbourne was good as well. Sure, none of the actors gave Oscar worthy performances, but they played their roles well.

Inception: Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance should have won him the Oscar for Best Picture. Ellen Paige was fantastic as the likeable Ariadne. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s performance made me a JGL fan; he is another likeable actor with that relatable “everyman” type personality. Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, and Michael Cain were all amazing in their roles. 

Verdict: Inception: There is no contest, Inception’s cast is one of the best of all-time and easily takes this category. 
 
Premise/Concept/Plot
The Matrix: The Matrix is packed with philosophy and hidden meaning. The concept is very original and I have never seen anything like it before or since. Many of the ideas proposed in the film are far more relevant today than they were nearly 15 years ago, in this new age of technology and cyber warfare.

Inception: Not only is Inception highly complex and one of the most original plots I have ever seen, Nolan manages to mix a very personal story into the complex narrative. 
 
Verdict: Inception: As much as I enjoyed The Matrix’s plot, Inception was more personal and complex.
 
Cultural Impact
The Matrix: Not only did The Matrix revolutionized special effects, it also popularized the famous “Bullet Time” effect and other slow-motion effects are now common in today’s cinema. 

Inception: While The Matrix has much more time to be ingrained in culture, Inception’s popularity is growing and most people around the internet know about the ridiculously loud horn sounds in the trailer that is often parodied.

Verdict: The Matrix: Although Inception is growing in popularity, it will never reach the popular-culture heights of The Matrix, due to Inception narrower appeal.
 
Soundtrack
Don Davis/Other Artists
Don Davis/Other Artists: Don Davis gave the film a perfect mix of synthesized and orchestral elements to the score. The other techno tunes in The Matrix were fantastic and worked well in the film.

Hans Zimmer: Inception’s score is Zimmer’s second best, and on my Top 10 list of all-time soundtracks. It conveyed the disorientating feel of a dream and transported the audience into the film’s dream world. 
 
Verdict: Hans Zimmer: While The Matrix’s soundtrack was good, it cannot beat Zimmer’s mind-bending score.

 
 
 
Overall
The Matrix: The Matrix is the ultimate tech-geek/cyber-punk film, filled with intense action scenes, and mind blowing special effects. As a tech-geek myself, I love The Matrix movie. 

Inception: Thrilling, suspenseful, immensely complex, and action packed, Inception is completely unique and original, with fleshed out characters and various interpretations of what the film is actually about.

Verdict: Inception: After lengthy debate, I have decided Inception should take the victory. It is more original and it is a better film overall. However, it was an extremely close fought battle between two of my favorite films and if you like The Matrix better, I could not disagree.

Which is your favorite? Please comment below.
 
 
 
If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Inception Vs The Matrix: Part 2

Here is Part 2 of the Inception Vs. The Matrix Film Versus! Thus far the score is tied with both Inception and The Matrix scoring 2 points each. Click Here to read Part 1 of this Film Versus.
 
 
Villain
Agent Smith Vs. Mal/Subconscious
Agent Smith: Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith is one of the greatest film antagonists in movie history. His demeanor and mannerisms make him a very menacing villain.

Mal/Subconscious: Inception does not have the typical villain character as with most other films. The true antagonist is the protagonists’ and Fisher’s subconscious mind. However, Mal (Cobb’s subconscious), played brilliantly by Marion Cotillard, would be considered the film’s “villain” and she was fantastic in the role.

Verdict: Agent Smith: As complex and interesting as Inception’s subconscious antagonists are, Agent Smith is nearly unmatched in villainy.
 
 
 
Most Memorable Scene
Bullet Time Vs. Inception’s Ending
 
Bullet Time: When I watched the film, the Bullet Time scene blew me away! The scene is indescribably cool and easily one of the best moments in cinema history.


Inception’s Ending: *Inception Spoiler* Could the film have ended any more thought provoking and ambiguous? Nolan left us with Cobb’s spinning totem possibly on the brink of toppling but never gave a final explanation.

Verdict: Bullet Time: While I almost want to give this to Inception, “Bullet Time” has made a more cultural impact and I will never forget the first time that watched the scene.
 
Visual Effects
The Matrix: At the time, The Matrix’s special effects were revolutionary! Almost nothing at the time even compare and they hold-up well today.

Inception: The use of practical and CGI effects was seamless. In the hallway fight, the hallway was actually rotating with while Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the stun-men were performing the scene. 

Verdict: The Matrix: As great as Inception’s visual effects are, The Matrix is in a league of its own, and may even have better effects than Inception does today. Without The Matrix, “Bullet Time” would have never became so popular.
 
Academy Awards
The Matrix: 4 Nominations and Wins:
Best Film Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Sound Editing
Best Visual Effects

Inception: 8 Nominations and 4 Wins:
Best Picture
Original Screenplay
Best Original Score
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Art Direction
Best Visual Effects
Best Cinematography

Verdict: Inception: The numbers don't lie, even though they won the same amount of awards, Inception had twice as many nominations. 
 
Woman in Red and Woman in Black
Although this is not one of the “Versus” categories, it is a similarity that is worth comparing. Both scenes use a woman as a distraction to demonstrate an important point in the story and both were constructs of the film’s tech/deception experts, Mouse (The Matrix) and Eames (Inception). However, in The Matrix the scene is more important opposed to Inception were it was more of a plot device, not a philosophical metaphor. 
 
 
It appears that The Matrix is taking the lead in the second round but can it hold it down the final stretch?
 
 
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Inception Vs The Matrix: Part 1.

Inception and The Matrix, two of the most mind blowing and bending films ever made, are two of my favorite all-time favorites. There could not be a better or more closely matched Film Versus. They are literally number 11 and 12 on my favorite films list, and every time I watch each film my opinion as which is better changes. However, for this battle I will have to come to a final decision. Unlike many others, I watched Inception first and then watched The Matrix because it was said to be similar to Inception. Therefore, I do not have the typical bias towards either film. As before, I will break the Film Versus down into multiple categories and determine who is the winner. Let the battle begin! 


Hero
Neo Vs. Cobb
Neo: Despite what some say, Keanu Reeves played the character of Neo well. He was more of an empty shell for the viewer to project himself into the role thus, giving the audience a vehicle to help them understand the strange new world of The Matrix. Neo is the modern man’s action hero; he is not a big muscle-bound guy like Rambo or Chuck Norris, but a normal guy with a greater calling similar to Luke Skywalker or Frodo Baggins of other classic tales.

Cobb: Cobb is a very conflicted character. He is not the typical “Hero” character because what he does “Isn’t strictly speaking…. legal”. Despite this, he is a very likable protagonist and the viewer desires him to succeed.

Verdict: Tie: While Cobb is definitely the deeper and better fleshed out character, Neo is the quintessential hero and eventually *Minor Spoiler* understands his greater purpose. *End of Spoiler* That is why I gave it a tie.

Action
The Matrix: The Matrix has some of the best choreographed fight scenes ever filmed. They set the new standard for the action genre and are still unmatched today. It is difficult to choose just one fight scene from the film, but the ending battle between Neo and Agent Smith was the most memorable.

 
Inception: In Inception, the rotating hallway scene was easily the highlight in terms of action. However, after they entered the dream world the film was thrilling and action packed.

Verdict: The Matrix: While Inception has some of the best action scenes, The Matrix is in a league of its own with masterfully choreographed fight scenes throughout.

 
 
Best Direction and Writing
 The Wachowskis Vs. Christopher Nolan
Note: Both The Wachowskis and Christopher Nolan wrote and directed their own, this another similarity between these two legendary films. Also Nolan's brother John helped in writing and producing the film, similar to how the Wachowski siblings worked together on The Matrix. 
 
The Wachowskis: The Wachowskis revolutionized sci-fi making bring their unique vision of The Matrix to life with stunning action set pieces and surprising deep philosophical subtext. No one else could have brought the mind blowing world of The Matrix than The Wachowskis.
 
Christopher Nolan: Nolan vastly improved his directorial skill that he showed in The Dark Knight, with crisp and clear action directing, amazing cinematography, and character depth. No one else could have taken this concept of dreams and made it so original and mind blowing.
 
Verdict: Christopher Nolan: Nolan is a better director in nearly all aspects except action, there is no contest.
 
Thanks Buddy2Blogger for suggesting this category.
 
If you have any ideas for more categories, please comment below with your idea. Have you are thoughts on the battle thus far? Please comment below.
 
 
If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Doctor Who is Now Cool.

Doctor Who is my favorite TV series and when I first started my blog nearly two years ago, not many other Bloggers watched Doctor Who, so I never posted about it. However, it has recently become extremely popular, even being voted "Fan Favorite Show" for TV Guide and being featured on the cover. As the 11th Doctor would say "I'm the Doctor. Doctor Who is now cool." Since Doctor Who is premiering this Saturday, here are some thoughts about the different Doctors. Because many viewers have just started watching the series, this post will be spoiler free.
Note: I have been watching the series since the reboot of the series aired in American.



9th Doctor: Christopher Eccleston
Christopher Eccleston, is the first actor to play the Doctor in the 2005 reboot of the series and is all too often forgotten. Although the first season could be considered cheesy and weird by today's standard, it was mostly due to the low-budget but the season (or series if your British) offered some original concepts and unique sci-fi story telling. Eccleston was one of the more serious Doctors, yet had a great sense of humor. He is not my favorite Doctor, but started the series off with an excellent interpretation of the Doctor.


10th Doctor (David Tennant)
David Tennant might be the most popular actor to play the Doctor and definitely had some of the best episodes of the series. He gave the perfect mix of humor and darkness to the character and had some of the best writing in the series. Tennant also had the best villains, including the Master, Cybermen, and of course the Delek (which the 9th Doctor also fought). 



11th Doctor Who (Matt Smith)
Now, on to my favorite Doctor, Matt Smith! When I saw Matt Smith after the Regeneration my first thought was "I don't think I'm going to like this guy." but wow I was wrong! Easily the funniest Doctor and an extremely likable performance as the Doctor. His last few seasons have taken some of the biggest risks of the series and offered some incredible story-lines.


Who is your favorite Doctor (was not even intended to be a pun)? And if you have not seen the series you should
And find a way to watch the series, because it is fantastic.


This is for anyone who hates Doctor Who.


Fezzes Are Cool!



If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Trivia Questions and Answers.

Here are today's trivia questions and last week's answers.
 
What on Doctor Who's TARDIS broke making it always look like a blue police box?
 
Which color pill Neo take in The Matrix?

In The Lord of the Rings, which of the four hobbit actors (not characters) are the oldest? And can you put them in the correct order by age, starting with the oldest?


 Name the movie and characters that these quotes are from:

Character 1: “How’d you do that?”
Character 2: “Work out, plenty of rest. You know. Eat your green vegetables “
Character 1: “That’s what my mom’s always saying but I never actually believed her.”

 
Name the movie and characters that these quotes are from:
Character 1: “How does it look?”
Character 2: “Like Christmas but with more me.”
Answer: The Avengers: Pepper Potts, and Tony Stark

Where did Agent Phil Coulson say his girlfriend lives in The Avengers? And what was her occupation?
Answer: Portland, Oregon and she was a chelloist.
 
Jamie answered the questions correctly.
 
 
 
If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Doctor Who, Inception, and The Matrix Ahead!

Here is a preview of what is coming up for the blog next week. Starting Monday, I will have post about my favorite TV series, Doctor Who, followed by a three part post about Inception Vs. The Matrix for my "Film Versus" post series. Below are the various categories the films will be battling in, if you have any ideas for more categories for the Film Versus, please comment with that idea.
 
Hero
Villain
Action
Visual Effects
Acting
Soundtrack
Cultural Impact
Premise/Concept/Plot
Woman in Red and Woman in Black
Most Memorable Scene
Academy Awards
Overall

For those who are new to the blog, I am a huge fan of both Inception and The Matrix, two of my all-time favorite films. If you have any ideas please comment below.

Official Schedule
Sunday: Trivia Questions and Answers
Monday: Doctor Who is Now Cool
Tuesday: Inception Vs. The Matrix: Part 1
Wednesday: Inception Vs. The Matrix: Part 2
Thursday: Inception Vs. The Matrix: Part 3
Friday: Name That Soundtrack

In preparation of my Inception Vs. The Matrix post series, here is a cool video my Movie Feuds. They do not take themselves seriously, but it is a fun video.



If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Funny Pictures.

Here are some funny pictures for everyone to enjoy. Hopefully next week I will have a Doctor Who post and some more Reader's Choice.

Someone please actually make these. Because I will buy them!





Not sure how well that is going to work, but we are going to look dang cool doing it!












 
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