The Purge: Anarchy

Expectations:
The entire premise surrounding The Purge really fascinates me! In fact, I've considered doing some research to see how such a radically new law/anti-law would impact the national and global economy. I know, I know... I'm the only one who would turn a slasher film into an economic issue! But, regardless, I'm drawn to the idea, and (this is NOT a statement of support for the creation of a real-life "purge") conceptually, it makes sense. That said, I actually enjoyed the first film quite a bit (review here), and I couldn't wait for the inevitable sequel, which came just as quick as can be expected from the folks at Blumhouse, who are also behind the ever-abundant Paranormal Activity franchise (of which I have never seen a single film). Heading in to The Purge: Anarchy, I didn't really know what would be the focal point of the film, but I did know we would get a look at a different dynamic of the purge, after the first film was presented from the perspective of a upper class, suburban family. All I knew was that I would continue to be fascinated by the concept and what it could become...

Plot:
The first film was quite dumbed down and simple, and, considering both the small budget and the complexity of the film's concepts, it was done just right, in my opinion. If they had tried to dive too deeply into the politics of the event, the film would have been a rushed disaster. However, after seeing Anarchy, I'm a little worried that the unveiling of the purge's beginnings and motives may be coming along a bit too slowly, considering that there was very little mention of politics in a movie that was completely and totally focused on the rich dominating the poor. Even after bringing in three or four separate storylines, there was never any true mention of government conspiracy. I was kind of hoping that one of the characters would be the child of a "New Founding Father" or something, but oh well. Nevertheless, the story was still quite intriguing, particularly the 15-minute fight scene that was basically an R-rated (and better) version of The Hunger Games. Add to that the predictably fun end-sequence, and you have yourself an entertaining summer slasher!

Characters:
With a broader range of characters, in comparison to the first film, Anarchy gave us a chance to look more at why different people purge and get purged. However, not all of these characters were necessary or useful, at all.

Negatives:
Zach Gilford's Shane and Kiele Sanchez's Liz were quite possibly the most useless part of any film of 2014. In fact, there characters could have been completely left out, and the film would have gone along just as well. For Sanchez, it was another Paulo/Nikki situation that will never make sense to anyone...

Positives:
On the other hand, I really loved the dynamic mother-daughter storyline between Carmen Ejogo's Eva Sanchez and Zoe Soul's Cali. Additionally, the grandfather character, played by John Beasley helped to make this family storyline the best of the many that were placed throughout the film. They were really the only characters that I gave a crap about, so... success!

Conclusion:
Although I did enjoy The Purge: Anarchy, I've come to the realization that the entire Purge franchise should actually be a TV show. Think about it... We could get many different perspectives, all at once. We could watch the politics unfold, throughout. We could still have a lot of killing (think The Walking Dead). I mean, it makes sense to me, but, regardless, that won't be happening, so we must fight on! And, even though the second film was not quite as spot-on as the first, I'll still be checking out The Purge: Double Anarchy in a couple of years! I give The Purge: Anarchy 2.56 out of 5 stars.

Divergent

 

Expectations:
Trends among teenagers obviously have a lot of pull in the entertainment industry, and films like Divergent would not exist without precursors, such as The Hunger Games. Sure, The Hunger Games has made for two pretty good films, thus far, but do we really need 20 other movies that feature 22 year old teenagers killing the government!?! I mean, do we really need a story to help us understand that teenagers are rebellious? Personally, I don't get it. The vampire trend I got. The zombie trend I got. I just can't say the same for the teenage rebellion trend. Needless to say, my expectations were not particularly high. However, I didn't expect it to be much worse or better than The Hunger Games or Catching Fire.

Plot:
So, my Hunger Games-esque expectations pretty much hit the nail on the head. Don't get me wrong... I was entertained. At the same time, I didn't really care what happened to the characters, which is not a good thing, in case you were wondering. My biggest issue was with the large number of character plotlines that just didn't make much sense, such as Tori, Jeanine, and Al, who I will talk about more in the character section. However, I liked that there was no love-triangle! A love story is good, but I HATE love-triangles, mostly because they are so darn predictable. I mean, did anyone actually think that Bella was going to end up with Jacob?... The answer is NO! Additionally, the willingness of Divergent's author to kill pretty much anybody that she saw fit was quite enjoyable. I know my opinion is not popular, but I love when people die in dramatic movies or TV shows, because it adds so much edge to the story. I've said these things before, but Divergent was downright ruthless, so it's worth noting.

Characters:
Well, Oscar season is long gone, and it's time to transition from great characters and low-grossing films to mediocre characters and big blockbusters, which is exactly what Divergent offered. Of course, the talented Shailene Woodley did an adequate job of portraying Tris that is sure to please teenage girls all over the world. Honestly, she was no better or worse than Jennifer Lawrence was in the first two Hunger Games films. These roles just aren't meant to blow people away, and they don't.

Negatives:
The consistently bad guy who was always there to be mean to Tris, Eric (played by Macklemore... I mean Jai Courtney), made Kate Winslet's Jeanine completely unnecessary. Her character is not actually in the book, and it was quite easy to tell. However, how do you say no to Kate freakin Winslet??? I'm conflicted about this one. I have been told that she is actually in the book, which makes the fact that she was worthless a lot, lot, lot worse, but oh well... The one character that I am not conflicted about is Tori, played by Maggie Q, who was the strangest filler character that may have ever appeared in a movie. Tori was basically the queen of multi-tasking, as she served as a nurse, a tattoo artist, and a political activist, all within the realm of two hours. Considering the fact that the entire film was about the government dictating what ONE job you would be doing for the rest of your life, I found it extremely ironic that this important character had like twelve different jobs.

Positives:
Having seen The Spectacular Now, 21 and Over, and Project X, I've been nothing but underwhelmed by Miles Teller. Fortunately, as Peter, he redeemed himself in what was the absolute perfect role for his repertoire. Hopefully, Teller will continue along this path, starting with his Sundance hit, Whiplash, which I can't wait to see.

Conclusion:
While I didn't really hate Divergent, it was quite underwhelming, and the flaws in the storyline were just blatant. Honestly, I'm surprised that this series of books became so popular, considering how poorly written the story seemed to be. Will I go watch the sequel?... Probably so. As I said, I was entertained by what happened during the film. I just didn't really care what would happen. Hopefully, the holes in the plot will be sewn up in the sequel, but I'm not really counting on it. For now, I would suggest sticking with The Hunger Games. At least you get Stanley Tucci! I give Divergent 2.45 out of 5 stars.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Expectations:
Before beginning this review, I decided to look back at my review of the first Hunger Games film, which you can read here. This look back led me to a grand total of two conclusions... 1. With regard to teen book trilogies being turned into films, my frustration never ceases... 2. My writing really sucked in March of last year! I mean, the movie was mediocre enough. The least I could have done was deliver a memorable review for you guys... Sorry about that! Anywho, after watching the underwhelming Hunger Games, my expectations for its sequel were far from elevated. In fact, I expected things to turn out a lot worse, considering sequels tend to lean in that inferior direction. Plus, why would I just want to watch people fight under the same circumstances of the first film? I haven't read the books, but my bet is that Suzanne Collins was really lacking in originality, when it came time for her to create Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Seriously, Mockingjay is not even an original title! It's a theme throughout! Regardless, I felt it was my duty to check out what I figured to be a duplication of its predecessor...

Plot:
Unfortunately, Catching Fire's storyline turned out to be The Hangover Part II of YA novels, which is not the fault of the filmmakers. Luckily for Lionsgate, teenagers don't really care about originality, as long as you convince enough people to like it (gotta keep it cool!). I must say that it was quite evident that Catching Fire was an after-thought of Suzanne Collins'. Not only were there an excessive number of new characters, but the lack of originality was just blatant. Like the first film, the love triangle felt forced, as Josh Hutcherson's Peeta stole the show, as far as romanticism is concerned. At this point, I wonder why Gale (played by Liam Hemsworth) was even necessary. Maybe the story would have been more interesting if Katniss (played by Jennifer Lawrence) just didn't like Peeta, regardless of the other men in her life. It would certainly cut down on the unnecessary screen time on Gale's part. I guess not as many ravenous girls would be interested if they only had one guy to obsess over. Also, Gale shouldn't call her "Catnip"! The name Katniss has never been had by anyone, so why do you need to give a nickname to someone with a unique name... That's just a personal rant of mine!

Characters:
I must say that the acting and the characters were much better in Catching Fire than in the first film. Of course, we all know that Jennifer Lawrence can act, so that's not something worth discussing, but the other performances, discussed below, made the long, drawn out introduction to the actual games a bit more bearable than in the first film.

Negatives:
Thank goodness that Seneca Crane (played by Wes Bentley) was absent from this film. He was one of the worst characters of all 2012 films, and his absence made the film a lot better. The only Catching Fire character that I just could not stand was Lenny Kravitz's Cinna, who is just so, so awkward! Is it just me or does he not come off as a giant perv, who wants him some catnip (if you know what I'm talking about)? Maybe if I had read the books, I would have more of a connection to him, but, as far as the film is concerned, I just think he is a bit of freak.

Positives:
When watching the first film, I found Stanley Tucci's Caesar Flickerman to be WAAAAY over the top. However, in the last 18 months, I must have become more comfortable with his goofily excited character or something, because I thought he was absolutely brilliant. I honestly think that Tucci is one of the greatest actors alive, and he certainly proved that in Catching Fire. Every moment that he was on screen was just amazing, and, when he wasn't, that mediocrity of the main characters shone oh so bright. Also, I really enjoyed the newfound depth of Elizabeth Banks' Effie, who was much more tolerable than in the first film, and the much more likable gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Conclusion:
In comparison to the first Huger Games film, Catching Fire reigned supreme, in my opinion. It did so not because of its originality or excitement but because of its better performances and more enjoyable minor characters. While the concept of centering the entire film around the games themselves AGAIN may have been lacking in originality, it was still quite dramatic and kept my interest. I assume that Mockingjay will feature a lot more originality, although I'm sure the fact that it has been turned into two films will diminish its drama and excitement. Regardless of what the future may hold for The Hunger Games, I must say that I am intrigued, and I can't wait to see what happened next. Unfortunately, I don't see much Stanley Tucci in my Hunger Games radar, so that could mean it's all downhill from here. We'll see! I give The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 3.45 out of 5 stars.

Great Expectations: November 2013

Marvel and Disney may have done a great job with The Avengers franchise, as a whole, but there are very few sequel-meriting movie characters that I have come to despise as much as Thor. It could be Chris Hemsworth's portrayal of the character. It could be the fact that he doesn't fit in with the other Avengers. It could even be because of those long, flowing locks, featured in the picture above. Regardless, I don't like him, and I don't really expect my opinion of him to be changed by the upcoming Thor: The Dark World. The movie would be way more interesting if it centered on Loki or Heimdall or whoever it is that Mr. Echo is playing! I mostly just want us to all take a moment to realize that Marvel is not quite perfect, and, even though I will be watching Thor: The Dark World, I highly doubt it will live up to the previous three Disney-made Marvel films (Captain America, The Avengers, and Iron Man 3), each of which were absolutely amazing. Here are the films that I am actually looking forward to in November:

 

Last Vegas

(November 1)

 

 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

(November 22)

 

 

Delivery Man

(November 22)



The Host

Expectations:
At the beginning of the month, I couldn't really decide if I should attempt to fit The Host into my movie schedule. Anything written by the Twilight author can't be THAT good, but I was willing to give it a shot. Then, after seeing the measly 12% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, I was officially ready to watch almost anything else (except for G.I. Joe). However, at this point, it was too late. I had already told my girlfriend (huge Twilight fan) that we could go, and I was not getting out of it. So, with my expectations depleted, I headed out to watch a Twilight-written Invasion of the Body Snatchers, hoping that there would be very little sucking face and a lot of socking faces in. With my expectations being so low, The Host had an opportunity to surprise me.

Plot:
Well, the premise was far from original, but the biggest problem was the strangeness and awkwardness of the conversations between Melanie (Saoirse Ronan) and her body-snatcher Wanda the Wonderer. There is nothing logical about a girl having a conversation in her own head with an alien life form that has taken over her body. However, The Host did an absolutely awful job of displaying that unnatural conversation. I just couldn't take any part of the movie seriously, because it almost felt like a comedy, as if it were a sketch on Saturday Night Live. I'm still baffled that the director and/or Stephanie Meyer couldn't figure out some better way to display this conversation. I think the story could have been good if I wasn't laughing at the awkward stupidity throughout. But, I was laughing at the awkward stupidity throughout.

Characters:
The Host was one of those films that centered on one character with the potential for a future that focuses on many characters, much like The Hunger Games. Katniss was the obvious focus of the first film, but I have a feeling that we will delve deeper into many more characters as the movie series moves along, even though she will remain the focal point. Melanie/Wanda was at the very center of the entire storyline, but there were many others around her. They just weren't given a chance to really develop as characters. If these characters would have been given a backstory of some kind, I might've been a bit more interested in their well being, but, instead, I didn't really feel like I was supposed to care about anyone, aside from Melanie/Wanda.

Negatives:
The Seeker, played by Diane Kruger, was undoubtedly the most annoying of the characters in the film, and she just popped up at random moments. Sure, every alien invasion movie needs a villain, but that villain should not be so attractive or annoying. Additionally, I could not stand either love interest. Both Ian, played by Jake Abel, and Jared, played by Max Irons, were randomly thrown into the mix. Jared was not as random, but Ian was head over heels for Wanda in less than three minutes, as was Wanda for him. Love stories rarely work for me, because I'm not a teenage girl. However, these relationships were so illogical and weird that I could not help laughing my butt off at some of the moments that were meant to be serious.

Positives:
Although her decision to play Melanie/Wanda was completely dumb, Saoirse Ronan is a terrific actress with a very bright future ahead of her (and she looks 10 times better than Kristen Stewart). Unfortunately, The Host was not a film that will be receiving many accolades in the acting categories, for Ronan or anyone else. I did like Jamie, played by the young Chandler Canterbury, but that was about it.

Conclusion:
Was The Host better than Twilight? ABSOLUTELY... Was The Host better than anything else? NOT MUCH... Unfortunately, this film was unable to exceed my low expectations, and Rotten Tomatoes, once again, predicted my lack of love for this young-adult adaption. The problem was not the story (I hope Stephanie Meyer reads this somehow). The problem was the way the story was put on screen. The film was directed by Andrew Niccol, who directed In Time (back in 2011), and the film had the same feel as In Time did--dull and quiet. Luckily, I do have some good news... Because the film bombed so hard last weekend, I don't expect we will be seeing a sequel to The Host on the big screen. Actually, the young-adult novel adaptation phase of Hollywood's storied history is finally coming to a close. THANK GOD!!! I give The Host 2.02 out of 5 stars, because the last Twilight film got 2.01 out of 5.

Great Expectations: March 2013

 



With The Oscars and 2012 completely behind us, we can finally get on to new and exciting movies! After the success of The Hunger Games, The Lorax, and 21 Jump Street last year, March has now become a huge month for new films. In the past, there was always a long, dry spell between December and May, but it looks like those days are gone. With a Wizard of Oz prequel, a Twilight-written alien infestation, and a G.I. Joe sequel all due out this March, it is clear that the box office is going to rake in some cash. So, make sure you contribute to the big month!

Also, I wanted to note that my last post (The Above Average Awards) was my 100th post on this blog! Thanks for taking the time to read some of my first 100 posts. Here's to making the next 100 even better!

Here are a few films that I am looking forward to this month:

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (March 15)

The Croods (March 22)

The Place Beyond the Pines (March 29)

A Look Ahead to 2013

Yet another year of blogging has come and gone, and I can't quite believe it. When I started this thing in 2011, I didn't really know how much I would enjoy it. I mean, come on, what college kid actually wants to write MORE. However, I have greatly enjoyed it, and my hope is that you have as well. So, until people stop reading or I get sick of writing, I'm gonna keep on going.

Sometimes I enjoy doing these odd little posts even more than the usual reviews, because I get to really say whatever I want about whatever I want. But, I do try to make each of them have a purpose, and the purpose of this post is to look ahead to what will be happening in movies and with the blog in 2013. Firstly, there will be no Great Expectations for January, because there are really no new movies coming out that I am planning on watching. In January, I will be focusing on catching up on some movies I have been wanting to rent. However, there may be a review or two, because there are a few movies that I haven't yet been able to watch, due to the busy nature of the Christmas season. Also in January, look for my Notscars list, which should be up early in the month. This list will highlight the worst in movies from 2012 but will be much different (and shorter) than last year's list. My Above Average Awards (I think it clever), which is a list of the best in 2012, will likely be out in early February. I know most people have already forgotten about 2012 by February, but, if I give you that list any earlier, I will feel like it is incomplete, because of the number of movies that I want to watch between now and then. The more movies that I watch, the more accuracy I will have in my list of best actors/actresses/movies.

After I take a nap from all the writing for The Above Average Awards, I will then proceed to review more films, as February and March roll around. Depending on what I do during the summer months (internship?), I may have to take a break from blogging, but I certainly hope not. I gotta keep my people informed! I believe that is all I have for now, so here are a few lists for you (release dates and my excitement are subject to change):

Top 5 movies that I can't wait to see in 2013:

5. This is the End (June 14)

4. The Hangover Part III (May 24)

3. Star Trek Into Darkness (May 17)

2. Elysium (August 9)

1. Man of Steel (June 14)

Other huge films out in 2013:

Warm Bodies (February 1)

Oz: The Great and Powerful (March 8)

Carrie (March 15)

The Host (March 29)

Oblivion (April 19)

Iron Man 3 (May 3)

The Great Gatsby (May 10)

After Earth (June 7)

Monster University (June 21)

Despicable Me 2 (July 3)

The Wolverine (July 26)

Enders Games (November 1)

Thor: The Dark World (November 8)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (November 22)

Anchorman: The Legend Continues (December 20)

The Hunger Games

Expectations:
Heading in to the theater, I knew that this film was going to produce one of the most interesting reviews of 2012. The question was whether or not it would be because I loved the film or because I was forced to rain on everyone's parade. There was a lot of doubt in my mind heading in, mostly because I'm not a big fan of the obsession that is caused by a popular book series being turned into a popular movie series. The biggest problem I have is the fact that most of these films HAVE to be dilluted down, in order to appeal to mass audiences. It is difficult for me to judge these aspects. without having read the book, but there is only so much that you can portray with that coveted PG-13 rating. Kudos to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for not caring. My main wish for The Hunger Games, however, was that it would not be Twilight...

Plot:
I will say this right off the bat... this storyline was ten thousand times more intense than I expected. Heading in, I didn't know too much about the storyline, but I had an idea, based on the trailer and the overwhelming gossip. After seeing the film, I was very impressed. It took me a minute to get into the movie, but, once I did, there was never a dull moment. However, there were a few issues. From a story perspective (which is not the fault of the movie makers), I thought the whole thing was a bit predictable. There were plenty of great moments, but never a true WOW! moment that takes the movie over the top. From a movie making perspective (which is not the fault of the author), the biggest issue was with the action scenes. The camera was literally four inches from the actors' faces, which made action scenes turn into giant blurs. The intensity of the idea of these teenagers killing each other is soooo massive and complex, but the intensity is lost when you can't tell what's going on.

Characters:
I think the characters were a bit of a low point for me. Certainly, Katniss was a great leading character, and Jennifer Lawrence did a fantastic job. The problem was that, beyond Katniss, there was absolutely no character depth. I'm sure that reading the book would fill a bit of that void, but that shouldn't matter. There are plenty of movies based on books that have phenomenal character depth, so it's just not an excuse. I couldn't take Stanley Tucci (as Caeser Flickerman) seriously, at all. Donald Sutherland was not at all intimidating as President Snow. Woody Harrelson proved, yet again, that he can't do serious. The biggest problem, however, wasn't an acting issue; it was a character issue. That issue shone bright with the characters of Peeta and Gale (played by Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth). I never, ever felt like they had any character depth. In the Twilight films, I know to cheer for Edward, because he isn't a little girl like Jacob. With Peeta and Gale, I didn't even know which one to cheer for. Gale said like three words, and Peeta had no depth. He liked Katniss and didn't want to die. That's it!

Best Character: This one was easy. Rue, played by Amandla Stenberg, was absolutely the best and toughest character of them all, and she was only like 12. She is the only character that I really, really loved and well...

Worst Character: This one was also easy. Seneca Crane, played by Wes Bentley, was the worst character and was given the worst performance. I don't know how emotionless he was supposed to be, but he had zerooooo character.

Conclusion:
Was this movie the best thing since sliced bread? Absolutely not. However, my review may come off a bit harsh. The main reason that I pointed out all of these negative aspects was because nobody else seems to be doing so. I'm just a little sick of hearing how amazing it is, when there are obviously flaws in both the movie and the story itself. If this movie had gone with the more raw approach that we saw with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it would have been so, so good. But, let's put that aside and give The Hunger Games the credit that it is due. Any film that can make $152 million in one, single weekend deserves to be praised. I am certainly glad that I could be a part of that statistic, and I honestly can't wait to see the next film. I give The Hunger Games 3.33 out of 5 stars, and may the odds be ever in your favor...

Great Expectations: March 2012

Here are the movies that I am most looking forward to in the month of March! Check out the trailers...

Project X (March 2nd)

Friends with Kids (March 9th)

The Hunger Games (March 23rd)

A Look Ahead to 2012

The first half year or so of my blogging has gone extremely well, and I just wanted to thank everyone for reading. I have enjoyed being able to express my opinions on the movies I watch, and I hope that I have provided valuable information to either encourage or discourage your desire to watch certain movies. As always, if you ever have any suggestions on how I could make the blog even better, please let me know!

With 2011 coming to a close, I just wanted to give you a little taste of what's to come in 2012, for the blog and movies in general. I'm sure I will be making constant changes to the way I write the blog, but, if I ever do something that you don't like, do tell me. While I do write the blog for my pleasure, I mostly write to be heard, and I want to give you what you want to hear. In late January, I will be giving you a list of nominees and winners of the first ever "Notscars." This will be an opportunity for me to let you see the worst of 2011 movies. It will be a fun read, as I will be hating on many actors, actresses, and movies. If the crappy movies make you sad, do not fear. In February I will bring you my version the Oscars, giving you a list of nominees and winners from what I believe to be the best of 2011. The real Oscars will air at the end of February, so my lists will be out before theirs, to secure that they are not influenced by the real Oscars.

I will continue to give you a monthly list of movies that I want to see (Great Expectations). This simply allows me to get the word out about which movies are coming out each month, for those of you who don't keep up with it like I do. If you didn't notice, I cut out the Movie News segment of the blog, mostly because I didn't have time to keep up with it. If you do want to keep up with what's going on in Hollywood you can check out IMDB's news section or go to FirstShowing.net. I don't have any marvelous new ideas for the blog, but, if I do come up with one, I will certainly go with it. Along with the special Notscars and Oscars, I will probably do a summer movie preview in April or May and a summer movie wrap up, like I did this past August.

I believe that is all that I myself have for you. For those of you who can't wait for next year, here is a list of big time movies coming out in 2012:

The Woman in Black (Feb. 3)

The Hunger Games (March 23)

American Reunion (April 6)

The Avengers (May 4)

Men in Black III (May 25)

Brave (June 22)

The Amazing Spiderman (July 3)

The Dark Knight Rises (July 20)

The Bourne Legacy (Aug. 3)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (Nov. 16)

Les Miserables (Dec. 7)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Dec. 14)

Life of Pi (Dec. 21)

World War Z (Dec. 21)

Django Unchained (Dec. 25)

Movie News for the Week of September 2, 2011

1. A reboot of The Grudge is now being developed. There is a chance that this movie might go straight to DVD, like The Grudge 3. We will just have to wait and see.

2. There is now a writer for the new Sin City sequel, which means the movie will likely be getting underway soon. I personally hated Sin City, so this is very sad news in my opinion.

3. A potential title has been mentioned this week for the new James Bond film. The name Carte Blanche is being tossed around, which is the title of a Bond book, as was Casino Royale.

4. Bruce Boxleitner, who plays Tron in the Disney series, told reporters this week that a third installment of Tron is a "done deal." He also mentioned that the film would be coming out in 2013. Disney has a new Tron animated series in development, and Tron 3 will probably be dependent on the success of the animated series.

5. The Coen brothers recently announced that their next film will revolve around a struggling 60's folk musician. As a huge fan of the Coen brothers, this is very exciting news about a movie that could include a soundtrack similar to that of O Brother, Where Art Thou. The film will be called Inside Llewyn Davis.

6. Rumors have developed that Anne Hathaway might be joining Hugh Jackman as a part of the cast of Les Miserables. Russell Crowe, Amy Adams, Miranda Cosgrove, and Geoffrey Rush are a few other stars that are being courted to play in the big screen version of the classic musical.

7. It is basically official that Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood will each make some sort of appearance in The Hobbit films. While it is not likely that their roles will be large, this is still very exciting news for Lord of the Rings fans.

This is the first trailer for The Hunger Games, which was revealed at the MTV Video Music Awards. It looks sort of dumb to me, but we will just have to wait and see.

Movie News for the Week of August 26, 2011

Just in case you missed it last week, movie news has moved to Fridays. So be on the lookout for great news to share with your friends each and every weekend.

Also, the first trailer for The Hunger Games will air this Sunday, during the Video Music Awards. Be sure you check that out!

1. A writer named Sean Hood has submitted a screenplay for yet another Rambo film. He reportedly had some help from Sylvester Stallone while writing the script, which makes this something that very well could happen in the near future.

2. The Last Exorcism, made for just $1.6 million, has grossed $67 million since last year, which means there imminently will be an sequel. Production for the sequel is set to begin in the fall, and yet another "Last/Final" movie has failed to wrap up a series (I'm talking to you, The Final Destination).

3. In an interview with Denis Miller, Dan Akroyd revealed that Ghostbusters 3 was definitely happening and hopefully will include Bill Murray, who hasn't been keen on making a third film. Akroyd said that the classic ghostbusters would be passing the torch on to younger stars. Also, Matthew Gray Gubler (Criminal Minds) was mentioned by Akroyd as one of the younger stars that he had in mind.

4. Chevy Chase announced this week that he has scripted a new Vacation movie, without the National Lampoon tag. The story would revolve around the original characters, who would jump off of their cruise ship, thinking that the boat was on fire. The Griswolds would wash up on an island, where good ol' Randy was left after a season of Survivor. Sounds like a funny plot to me.

5. While it has been known that a Popeye movie is on the way to the big screen, this week it was rumored that Jim Carrey will voice the sailor man. Also rumored, Amy Adams will voice the character of Olive Oyl.

6. Although very little detail is known at this point, it has been reported that the Scary Movie franchise will get a fifth installment. No actors or directors have been linked to the film, but the studio wants it out next summer. They better hurry up!

7. There will be an additional bonus when you go watch The Muppets this November. Disney announced this week that a Toy Story short entitled "Small Fry" will play before you see Kermit and crew return to the big screen.

8. Along with the Toy Story news, Pixar made even bigger news this week when they announced concepts for two new films. The first film will be out in November 2013 and will take place in a world where dinosaurs never became extinct. The second film will be out in May of 2014 and will go "inside the human mind." Both of these sound interesting to me, and I cannot wait to trailers.

This is a compilation video that somebody made, and it contains the 25 Greatest Unscripted Scenes in Film. Some of them really surprised me. I think it's definitely worth a look.

Movie News for the Week of August 9, 2011

1. In an attempt to grab a best picture nomination, Warner Bros. is launching a huge Oscar campaign for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. They believe the nomination would mean so much to the series as a whole. Up to this point, Academy members have had mixed opinions on the film being nominated.

2. As I have reported before, a Green Lantern sequel is in the works. But, due to the struggles Green Lantern had this summer, the script is going to be completely changed and rewritten. Warner Bros. has promised an edgier, darker sequel. I have already said how I feel about a sequel. If you want to see what I said, go read my review of Green Lantern.

3. There has been a lot of racial tension in the comic book world. First, Peter Parker was killed of in a Marvel comic book series, and his replacement was a black guy. Now, Laurence Fishburne has been named as the actor who will portray Perry White in The Man of Steel. Many people do not like that a black actor will play the role of a usually white character, but who really cares.

4. Disney has locked up three big release dates for the summer of 2014. Two of these dates will be given to unknown Marvel movies, and the other will go to Pixar. It was recently reported that Marvel is working hard on a Dr. Strange film, so many believe that one of the two Marvel slots will go towards that film. Other rumors include a possible Captain America sequel, which would be awesome.

5. Sony has already set a May 2014 release date for a sequel to The Amazing Spiderman. In my opinion, these people plan way too far in advance.

6. The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, has a release date set for November of 2013. The first Hunger Games film is due out in March.

7. As the release of the Footloose remake is not far away, news has now come out that there will be a remake of Dirty Dancing. Kenny Ortega, who directed High School Musical, is heading up the project. What makes this seem like a sure things is the fact that Ortega was the dance choreographer for the original Dirty Dancing film.

This is a first look at Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Many people are disappointed in the suit, but we must trust in Nolan. I've also included the first picture of Henry Cavill as Superman.