The Reason Why 'Anaconda' Is One Of My Favorite Movies

So, generally when I tell people that Anaconda is one of my favorite movies I either get a chuckle, a weird look or a dead silence and then the conversation switches to another topic like the weather.  I rarely ever share the reason behind why it is one of my favorite movies, but I am going to share it with you all now.

Anaconda was first released to theaters on April 11, 1997, five days before my 12th birthday which is beside the point because I never saw this movie in theaters and it probably wasn't until two years later when I actually did see it.  Anaconda starred Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight and at that time a budding actor named Owen Wilson. 

A number of years ago NBC on Saturday and Sunday nights would show movies and one night this was the movie of the week sort of speak.  Now, in the 90's and even today, it was a common joke in the media and amongst black people that if there is a black person more specifically a black man in some type of horror film then most likely he would be the first to die.  So, I am watching this movie just waiting for Ice Cube's character Danny to be the first to go and halfway through the movie he is still alive and I'm thinking Jennifer Lopez's character Terri certainly isn't going to die because she's the lead.

Hmmm...so the end comes and everyone else has met their demise except Danny, Terri and Jon Voight's character Paul Serone.  This is interesting.  Then Paul Serone dies and after killing the anaconda Terri and Danny have survived the ordeal. 

Yay! The minorities live!

So, the long and the short of why Anaconda is one of my favorite movies is not because it was excellent acting or writing (written by Hans Bauer, Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr.) or directing it is because the Black guy and the Latina made it to the end.  That may be a racist thing to say, but it had a profound affect on me in terms of my movie watching.  I may still get snickers when I refer to this movie as one of my favorites, but at least now you know why.

By the way, I've easily seen this movie 100 times.  I watch it just about every time it comes on television.

End of Post
(John 3:16)

Washington Plus Wahlberg Equal '2 Guns'

The movie 2 Guns stars Denzel Washington as a DEA agent Robert Trench and Mark Wahlberg as undercover NCIS officer Michael Stigman.  Trench and Stigman are partnered up without them both being suspecting of the others true identity.  Trench and Stigman with good intentions believe they are going to take the money from a drug kingpin named Papi Greco played by Edward James Olmos, but this turns out not to be the case and Trench and Stigman wind up trying to piece together a very large puzzle.
Washington and Wahlberg played off each other very well in this buddy action film with its spats of humor.  The first twenty minutes or so could have been better portrayed, but overall the film ultimately comes together nicely.  Paula Patton is also in the film, but her role is so mediocre there was no real acting involved on her part.  Patton was put there to play the pretty girl and indeed mission accomplished.
I give 2 Guns 2 thumbs up.  If you are looking for a good action film with fluent dialogue, chemistry and want to see Paula Patton's breast then go see 2 Guns.

World War Z

After watching Dawn of the Dead a few years ago I gave up watching anything that had to do with zombies.  Deformed, discolored beings wanting to eat my flesh is my second biggest fear and my first fear is an alien invasion, but let's move on.
World War Z stars Brad Pitt (Angelina Jolie's baby daddy) and Mireille Enos (The Killing).  Gerry Lane (Pitt) is a former United Nations investigator and on a seemingly normal day with his wife Karin Lane (Enos) and two daughters things take a change for the worst. 
They do not explain in the movie what actually starts the outbreak, but of course I'm sure they will fit it all in on the second film. 
World War Z is suspenseful and full of action.  For someone that does not care for zombies there is a scene near the end when Gerry is a little too close for comfort and that scene was on my mind for the night.  If you are seeking a good thriller film then I definitely recommend World War Z.

The Purge

I am very funny when it comes to seeing movies in the theater.  Usually if I do not see a movie within the first week or two then I do not see it until it comes to television, Netflix or another outlet.  I did however go see The Purge the second week it was in theaters when everyone else was going to see Man of Steel.  This suspenseful flick starred Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Daybreakers) the biggest name in the entire film. 

The Purge takes place in the year 2022 and there is a new America where crime and unemployment rates are at an all time low.  The government allows for one night a year a 12 hour period were all crimes are deemed legal including murder.

I was drawn to this movie because of the interesting storyline and a hint of a question in my mind, could this come true?

The Purge centers around the Sandin family James Sandin played by Ethan Hawke, James' wife Mary Sandin (Lena Headey), and his two children Zoey (Adelaide Kane) and Charlie (Max Burkholder).  The Sandins live in a gated community were they as well as their neighbors are considered to be the upper crust of society due to their wealth. 

Moments before the alarm sounds to commence the night of violence the Sandins arm their home and get settled in for a peaceful night, but it will turn out to be anything but peaceful. 
Charlie decides to provide sanctuary to a stranger desperately in need and it brings the attention of a band of preppy hunters only looking to purge on the helped stranger.  The leader of the hunters make a request to James Sandin, but when James refuses to comply the action begins.

The Purge has received mixed reviews, but the film had a production budget of $3 million and in its first week opening made $34.1 million and was number one at the box office.  A sequel is already in the works.

I give this film one thumb up because it does not have the greatest acting in the world and the action is mediocre.  I say wait until it comes to Netflix which will be in a couple months anyway.

I Did NOT like The Avengers

I think the reason I did not the blockbuster, number 1 for two weeks, action flick is because I went into the movie with high expectations and was sadly disappointed.  The very first scene left me with a feeling that the rest of the movie would be a let down.  The film did have its moments of laughter and of course action. 

It was nice to see the banter between the various personalities of Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and the various other superheroes.  All from different backgrounds and times all brought together for the common good and to, of course save the world from impending doom.  Doom that is being caused by Thor's brother.

This is a film I would have to say you would have to go see for yourself. 

2013: The Hangover 3

I sure do hope that the world does not end in December because it has been announced that The Hangover Part III will be coming out some time in 2013. And yes, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galafianakis have all signed on to reprise their roles as Phil, Stu and Alan. This will be the last film for 'The Hangover' franchise. I cannot help but wonder what exciting lays ahead for the wolf pack. So many questions like, will they go back to Vegas? Will Alan be the one getting married? Who will get lost and this trio will have to find them? Or will this be a totally new movie with a new plot? For right now those are all unanswered questions and we will just have the wait and see.

40th Anniversary of The Godfather

On the AMC channel, best known for the shows Mad Men and The Walking Dead this week premiered The Godfather as a celebration of the films 40th year anniversary. Every evening AMC would rotate showing The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. All day Saturday they showed the entire saga in chronological order. It was quite unique and interesting to watch it in this way instead of the original movie version which in The Godfather Part II does flashbacks between Vito Corleone's boyhood and Michael Corleone's present day acension. In showing the film in chronological order we the viewers saw scenes that are not in the original film and it gave a wider glimpse at the various characters affiliated with the Corleone family such as Clemenza, Hyman Roth and many more.

The Godfather is one of the greatest sagas of all time and if you disagree, then you do not know movies. In my opinion it was perfectly cast and my fear is that someone will try to remake this iconic saga. If someone director, writer or producer wants to try their hand at a remake of this film then they have to have the perfect cast. Or better yet do not attempt to make a remake.

The AMC presentation of The Godfather really made my weekend grand.

Best Picture: The Artist

The Academy Awards were held last night and who would have ever thought that in the sophisticated world of film making a silent film shot in black and white would win for Best Picture? It certainly left me a gasp considering that the Martin Scorsese film Hugo was racking up the Oscars at the start of the night. The Artist was the underdog film that seem to have come out of nowhere and once again the underdog film triumphed. Not only did the movie win Best Picture, but the films leading actor, French star, Jean Dujardin walked away with a golden statue for Best Actor In a Leading Role.
Could this be Hollywood's way of moving back to an era when everything was not given to us in a film, but we had to use our imagination as well? No fancy 3D or freeze framing, but people performing on a screen no words spoken. All this is possible and in my opinion this will not be the last film we will see like this because due to the success of this film there are bound to be copycats.
CONGRATS TO ALL THE WINNERS AND NOMINEES OF THE 84TH ACADEMY AWARDS!!

A Movie Lovers Super Bowl is the Oscars

On Sunday February 5, 2012 on NBC millions of sports fans and football fanatics will gather in homes and bars eyes glued to the television to watch the New York Giants and New England Patriots battle to become Super Bowl champs. The Super Bowl is the highest viewed football game of any season. Many watch just for the highly anticipated commercials that have become ever so famous and others watch to see modern day gladiators battle for victory.
For those of us that are movie lovers or even #movienerds our "Super Bowl" is the Academy Awards which will air on Sunday, February 26, 2012 on ABC. Like the Super Bowl some watch for the fashion and celebrities and others of us watch to see who will take home that coveted prize...the Oscar.
The Super Bowl which is the highest achievement for a football team, so can be said of the Academy Awards for actors and directors. Even if a person is nominated and does not win they will forever be known as Academy Award nominee... which cannot be said of the Super Bowl. A team goes to the Super Bowl and loses they will be known as a LOSER.
Some have called the Academy Awards boring, but it really is not if you can understand the dynamics of the show. The very vibe of the show is "old Hollywood" a time when people did not use profanity on television and ladies were ladies and men were gentlemen. It is a classy, classic award show that holds the highest honor for actors, directors, writers, wardrobe stylist and many more. It is timeless.

My Review: J. Edgar

The film J. Edgar directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Leonardo DiCaprio tells the story of famed FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. The film opens on screen with an aged J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) recounting how he first became interested in the FBI.
Within the first few minutes of the film there is a flashback to the year 1919 where a bombing took place at the home A. Mitchell Palmer and a young 24-year-old J. Edgar arrives on bike and notices the way authorities handled or rather mishandled potential evidence and there he began his life with The Bureau. At 24 he becomes the Acting Director of the FBI.
The film goes on to show J. Edgar's awkwardness, seriousness, caring and mean spirit. This film had its moments when it was comical which is something I did not expect and it even had its moments when as the viewer you were drawn in and could relate to his plight. The film shows that although he was more powerful than the president underneath it all he was as Clyde Tolson, played be Armie Hammer (The Social Network) said "A scared little man."
Also co-starring in this film was Naomi Watts as Helen Gandy, J. Edgar's personal secretary, Judi Dench as J. Edgar's mother and although Jeffrey Donovan was only in a few scenes I enjoyed his performance as Robert Kennedy.
Some seem to think that this film is a little controversial because there is a certain scene that could make some people feel uncomfortable, but homosexuality was a part of J. Edgar Hoover's life and I feel that the film would not have been genuine if it was not included. The overall film is not about a gay relationship between J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson (Hammer) to me there relationship throughout the film was more so a friendship. The film portrayed Tolson as being the only person Hoover could turn to and trust.
Leonardo DiCaprio did an excellent job as J. Edgar Hoover and will almost surely receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and the film itself will likely get a nomination for Best Picture. Also, kudos to the make-up artist that worked on the film because they made Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer look almost unrecognizable as an aged Hoover and Tolson.
If you are a person fascinated by history, a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio or just want to get away from seeing the usual shoot 'em up action flicks then this is the film for you.
THUMBS UP.

Puss in Boots towers over 'Tower Heist'

Puss in Boots is a spin off prequel of the character made popular in the Shrek franchise. The cute kitty made his first film appearance in Shrek 2 and is voiced by Antonio Banderas. Puss in Boots follows the adventures of Puss before he meets Shrek. The film opened in theaters on October 28th and although it was expected to capture the number 1 spot for that week it was not expected to stay number 1.
The Brett Ratner film Tower Heist opened on November 4th starring funny men Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller and also starred Matthew Broderick, Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), Alan Alda (television show MASH) and many others. With such an all-star cast Tower Heist was expected to knock the saucer from the kitty and grasp the number 1 spot in the box office, but it did not. Puss in Boots stayed number 1 for a second week raking in $33 million and Tower Heist made a cool $25.1 million.
Can Puss in Boots stay number 1 for a third week? We just have to wait and see. This was a bit of a surprise because I expected Tower Heist to dominate, but $25 million is far from chump change.

Eric Bana is set to play Elvis

Eric Bana will play Elvis, but do not get too excited or upset this will not be a bio-pic. The title of the film is "Elvis & Nixon" and the setting is December 21, 1970, when Elvis Presley had a historic meeting with then President Richard Nixon at The White House.

The Actors

Can Eric Bana pull off playing Elvis Presley? In this age of film making anything is possible, but the part of Elvis will require more than slicked back hair and costumes. It will require a swagger, charm and Southern twang. At first there was only rumors that Danny Huston (from X-Men Origins: Wolverine) would play the role of Richard Nixon, but now it has been made official.

The Director

This film will be the directorial debut of actor Cary Elwes probably best known for his acting in the films The Princess Bride and most recently Saw and will be in the upcoming film The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. He was so intrigued by the unlikely meeting of the two, Elvis and Nixon that he decided to write and direct this film.

My Opinion

As of right now there is no official release date for this film so stay on the lookout. With the little bit of information that I have I must give my opinion that this film will drag on with dialogue. This meeting between Elvis and Nixon could not have been that long, but maybe there will be more to this film. Hopefully Elwes has written wonderful dialogue, scenes and historical references that will not only intrigue the movie viewers, but the history buffs in attendance. I will just have to wait and see what the movie trailer brings.



Thank you: www.cbsnews.com and The Washington Post Express

17 Minute Gangster Film

The year was 1912 and a film titled "The Musketeers of Pig Alley" hit theaters and no one knew at the time, but this film would open the door for a whole new genre of movies that would span decades. This was the first gangster movie in history or so it is accredited to being so.
This film was written and directed by D.W. Griffith and co-starred Lillian Gish, who is said to have been one of the best actress' in her day.
The Musketeers of Pig Alley is about a poor married couple living in New York City and the husband is a musician who has to travel a lot. On a day when he is returning from one of his trips his wallet gets stolen by a local gang member. The husband's wife (Gish) goes to a ball and a man tries to drug her, but the attempt is stopped the very gang member that stole her husband's wallet. Upset that his plan to drug the woman was spoiled the man and the gang member become rivals and a shootout occurs. The husband recognizes the man that stole his wallet and the husband takes the wallet back. The woman (Gish) grateful for the gang members interference she and her husband hide the gangster in their apartment. When the police come the woman gives a false alibi for the gangster.
This short 17 minute silent movie was filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey and location shots in New York City used real street gang members as extras.
Back in 1912 this short film may have really shocked and surprised people, but by today's standards this film would not even make a 10-year-old gasp. Considering the society back then and now things have definitely changed. Now days everyday a person hears about someone getting robbed or shot or stabbed or whatever and a person just chalks it up to this is everyday life, but back then to hear about someone getting robbed or there was a shootout it was a big deal, people got frightened.
This was the first film to show the public at large the crime that was taking place in the city streets and made the way for many gangster films to follow.

Neo Ned

The film Neo Ned is about acceptance, a need to belong and it is about a white supremacist that falls in love with a black woman while they are both in a mental institution. This film stars Jeremy Renner (from The Town) and Gabrielle Union (from Daddy's Little Girls). Ned, played by Jeremy Renner is sentenced to a mental hospital after he is charged with having been involved in a racially motived murder. Ned is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, but as the movie progress' it is shown that Ned's love for Rachael, played by Gabrielle Union, is not so strange.

Rachael (Union) is admitted to the mental hospital because she believes that she is possessed by the spirit of Adolf Hitler and shouts out in German. At first Ned (Renner) mocks and provokes Rachael, but then over time they start to open up to one another and reveal their past. Rachael reveals to Ned that when she was younger she was sexually abused by a man who ran a child photography studio. She also shares with him that she has a young daughter.

Later in the film Ned tells Rachael the real secret behind the hate crime that landed him in the mental hospital.

When Ned is released from the mental institution and is at the bus station he changes into his racist gear (black boots and pants and white t-shirt with a black swastika printed on the front). In this scene one would think that Ned is going back to his old ways until he cashs in his bus ticket, steals a car with ease and sleeps outside the mental hospital he was just released from just so he can follow Rachael and the other patients on there outing to the zoo that was taking place the next day.

At the zoo Ned convinces Rachael to run off with him and so she does. Outside of the hospital the two do not seem to mesh so well. Ned is childish and immature were as Rachael is level headed and mature.

Ned shows his immaturity in many ways such as continuing to wear his swastika shirt even though he was fully involved with Rachael and he would throw tantrums like a child. In one scene they are at the grocery store and he is riding on the front of shopping cart like a child would.

Eventually they break up and Ned forces Rachael to confront the man that molested her when she was young. I will not tell what happens at the end, but it is something I did not expect.

I had never heard of the movie Neo Ned. I was flipping through Netflix and thought it would be good to watch because it starred Jeremy Renner and Gabrielle Union. I was glad I picked it. Neo Ned was an independent film that was first shown at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. It was written by Tim Boughn and directed by Van Fischer. Neo Ned has won 10 film awards and premiered on Starz in August 2008 and was picked up for distribution by CodeBlack Entertainment in 2008.

This film has a great love story, theme, a few comical moments and some good life lessons. I recommend Neo Ned for your viewing pleasure.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Many are familiar with the 1968 Charlton Heston film classic Planet of the Apes and may also be familiar with the 2001 Mark Wahlberg film version also of the same name, but the 2011 version gives the us the watcher a view into how it came to be the planet of the apes.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes stars James Franco as scientist Will Rodman who has desperately been working to find a cure for Alzheimer's because his father Charles Rodman, played by John Lithgow, is suffering from the debilitating disease. The actor Andy Serkis (best known for his role as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy) plays the chimp Caesar who is taken in and raised by Will (Franco). As the film progress' you see Caesar growing up and developing, but after an incident he is taken from Will and that is where he starts to really discovery who he is and finds a purpose. I do not want to give too much away so I will leave it at that.

This film had a great storyline, action, substance, and good acting. The film did seem to have its slow parts, but overall it does not take away from the heartbeat of the film. You may walk out of the theater thinking, DEATH TO ALL CHIMPS! Or maybe the thought, scientist need to stop experimenting on them, but either way this is a good film and I recommend to go see it.

QUESTION: Do I have to see any previous Planet of the Apes movies before seeing this one? Overall I would say NO, because I have not even seen the 1968 version, but seeing the 2001 Mark Wahlberg version would kind of help put that extra outlook on the film, but even still nothing is added or taken away. If you haven't seen either one you will still be able to keep up and know what is going on.

TWO THUMBS UP!

ACTION America!

Theaters were filled across the country to see the film Captain America: The First Avenger. From the very first scene my curiosity was sparked. Going into this film I really did not know anything about Captain America. I had not viewed any other movies or read a comic book about him or seen a cartoon. So with all honesty with nothing else to compare the performance with I will say that Chris Evans portrayed Captain America magnificently.

His look and his mannerisms were very on point because the image of Captain America is strong, but at the same time very meek and humble.

Hugo Weaving, probably best known for his role as Agent Smith in The Matrix trilogy, played the nemesis Red Skull. His look and speech added the icing on top of the proverbial villainous cake.

Hayley Atwell plays Peggy Carter the love interest of Captain America and she is tough because she is a woman in a male dominated time it is the 1940's.

Also in the film is Tommy Lee Jones who plays Colonel Chester Phillips, Stanley Tucci as Dr. Abraham Erskine as well as Derek Luke as Gabe Jones and others.

This film was GOOD. The action scenes, dialogue, and acting were very good, but my only problem with the film was that a few of the scenes were too long and drawn out. But, is it worth your time and money? Yes.

The ending is a bit of a surprise.

Horrible Bosses

Horrible Bosses tells the story of three friends Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) as well as the bosses that make their lives miserable Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey), Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston) and Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farrell).

Also in the film Donald Sutherland as Jack Pellitt the owner of the industrial company where Kurt works and enjoys his job until Jack's sudden death which leaves his cocaine addicted son Bobby (Farrell) in charge of the company and that is the turning point for Kurt.

Nick (Bateman) worked hard to get an upcoming promotion at work, but is screwed over by his boss Dave Harken (Spacey) and Dale (Day) is being sexual harassed by his boss Julia (Aniston).

The three friends begin to contemplate killing their bosses and by chance end up meeting Dean "Motherf**ker" Jones who becomes their murder consultant and gives them the idea to kill each others bosses.

This film was just OK. It had its funny moments, but for the most part I felt like the writers, director and even actors were trying too hard to get laughs out of the audience. The two standout performances would have to be Jason Bateman and Kevin Spacey. Bateman was subtle in his comedy. The littlest thing he did or said could get a laugh. Kevin Spacey was excellent at playing a pure jerk. He made the role of Dave Harken very believable and it made me think that somewhere in the world there is a man that acts just like Harken and although its funny to watch on a movie screen I would not want to work for him.

Horrible Bosses is not necessarily my brand of soda, but for you just may be.

My Prediction For #1

On today July 22nd the movie Captain America: The First Avenger opens in theaters nationwide. My prediction is that this film will top the charts and will be the number 1 grossing movie for this weekend knocking Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from the number 1 spot and trumping the Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis romantic comedy Friends With Benefits.
I do want to go see Captain America, but I am sick of 3D so if I do go see this film it will be in its regular format.
Captain America: The First Avenger stars Chris Evans as Captain America and also in the film Tommy Lee Jones.
The movie seems interesting and just may be worth my money.

Who Told Justin Timberlake He Could Act?!

This summer Justin Timberlake can be seen in two films, Bad Teacher (already in theaters) starring Cameron Diaz and sharing the screen with Mila Kunis in Friends With Benefits in theaters July 22nd.
Justin Timberlake has been in numerous films such as Alpha Dogs and Black Snake Moan both released in 2006. He was the voice of Artie Pendragon in Shrek The Third (2007), Shrek Forever After (2010) and of course his role as the Napster creator Sean Parker in the 2010 blockbuster The Social Network.
I have always thought that there are three types of actors they are either good, bad or great. But Mr. Timberlake's acting has thrown me for a loop because his acting isn't good, not necessarily bad and DEFINITELY NOT great.
I may have to put him in another category. He is a purgatory actor- he just floats around and does films putting in no real effort, but hey it makes him money.
Justin Timberlake, you are a singer so SING! And leave acting to the people that can really act.

Silly Ol' Bear- The Relaunch Of A Franchise

On July 15th Winnie The Pooh comes to theaters nationwide. The makers have gone back to the original format of drawing like on the television show The New Adventures of Winnie The Pooh. Parents taking their children to see this film will become reacquainted with and their children introduced to the cuddly, lovable characters of Winnie The Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit, down in the dumps Eeyore, Kanga and Roo, Piglet, Owl, and the boy who calls them friends Christopher Robin.

Relaunching this franchise was brilliant because they have now opened the door to a whole new way of marketing and branding. Kids who are very young now and don't know about Winnie The Pooh and the rest of the gang will now leave theaters all across this nation and want the Pooh Bear or the Tigger. They should also think about releasing The New Adventures of Winnie The Pooh on DVD and Blu-Ray because I know that when I was a child I enjoyed those movies, but I had them on Beta Max.

If I had a child I would definitely take them to see this movie, but I know that the theater will not just be filled with parents with children, but there will probably be some adults sitting in the theater and for 69 minutes they will feel like a kid again.