Category: Movies

“World War Z” Is Expected Fun (short review)

World War Z poster World War Z (2013), starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster, is about what you expect from the preview. And that may be a good or a bad thing, depending on what you expect. I found it to be a fun ride with some high-tension scary scenes (without long shots of gore). Just make sure you are not holding your soda during one of the many times something jumps out at you, especially if you see the movie in 3-D like I did.

The movie follows the beginning of an outbreak of zombies attacking people around the world, as Brad Pitt tries to get his family in Philadelphia to safety. Then, Pitt is called upon by his former employer at the U.N to go on a global journey to try to track down how the zombie outbreak started and to find a way to stop it from spreading.

If you are a fan of the book by Max Brooks, World War Z, which I have not read, my understanding from others is that the movie only has one thing in common with the book. While the movie has made me interested in delving into the book’s deeper subtext, the superficiality of the movie is not necessarily a bad thing if your expectations are adjusted.

Conclusion? I will not go into greater detail to ruin what happens in the movie, but if you are looking for a summer popcorn movie with some excitement that does not require too much thinking, check out World War Z. Maybe I even will watch the sequel.

Other Reviews Because Why Should You Trust Me? According to Rotten Tomatoes, critics do not especially love World War Z (with a 67% rating), but audiences like it better (with an 86% rating). Peter Travers at Rolling Stone finds the movie is a “pleasant, suspenseful surprise.” Mark Kermode at The Observer, though, finds that the movie lacks a sustainable pulse.

What did you think of World War Z? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Ron Burgundy Enters the 1980s in “Anchorman 2” Trailer

    In the new trailer for Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, the sequel to 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, we see that the famous San Diego news team led by Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) goes to New York City in the era of 24-hour news. The change in setting offers some promise that the new film will come up with some new laughs.

    The trailer reveals that key characters Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Champ Kind (David Koechner) and Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) return to the screen with Burgundy. Slate, which critiques the trailer, notes that reported cameos in the film include Kanye West, Tina Fey, Harrison Ford, Will Smith, and Nicole Kidman. Such an esteemed group ensures the movie will stay classy.

    Do you think Anchorman 2 can match Anchorman’s laughs? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Predetermination and Kubrick’s “The Shining”

    Stanley Kubrick The Shining Free Will Critics and scholars have been debating the meaning behind Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) for more than three decades. A recent documentary, Room 237, which is available for viewing in theaters and through Amazon, explores the possible meanings behind the film, prompting a response in the form of this visual essay “Free Will In Kubrick’s The Shining” provided through Vimeo . The essay is by Dr. Drew Morton, who is an Assistant Professor of Mass Communication at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. Dr. Morton argues that Kubrick made the film about the “predetermined damnation” of Jack Torrence, played by Jack Nicholson.

    Using split screen video and some of the disturbing scenes from the film, Morton compares Kubrick’s film to Stephen King‘s novel, noting how King focused on a decent man haunted by the ghosts of the house while Kubrick changed it to focus on a flawed main character is haunted by his own ghosts. Kubrick focused on the psychological instead of the supernatural in King’s novel, and Morton explains how the film foreshadows Jack’s predetermined future. If you are interested in Kubrick’s work, the 18-minute video is worth your time.

    Free Will in Kubrick’s THE SHINING from Drew Morton on Vimeo.

    Morton makes some interesting arguments, and other films have addressed themes of free will and predetermination. For example, many film noir movies tackle such complicated themes about fate and will. Anyway, I would like to see Morton take a similar approach to interpreting Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999).

    What do you think about the free will theory of “The Shining”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    “That, My Lad, Was a Dragon” in the New Hobbit Trailer

    Director Peter Jackson has released the first teaser trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which is the second of The Hobbit series following The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. In the new film, Martin Freeman again plays the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins. Check out the trailer.

    Benedict Cumberbatch, fresh off his turn in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) as well as his work in the TV series Sherlock, plays the dragon Smaug (created through motion capture), although we do not yet hear his voice in this trailer. And yes, that elf is Legolas (Orlando Bloom) from The Lord of the Rings trilogy making his debut in the Hobbit films. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will appear in theaters starting on December 13, 2013.

    Are you looking forward to the new Hobbit film? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    D-Day Flays Open the Soul

    normandy invasion
    On June 6 in 1944, during World War II, around 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces crossed the English Channel and landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of Normandy, France. The deadly fight of D-Day thus began the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi dominance. By late August of that year, northern France would be liberated and the Allies would defeat the Germans the following spring.

    One of the most famous depictions of D-Day occurred in Saving Private Ryan (1998), when the movie opened as the Allies arrive and land on Omaha Beach. The movie tries to capture the horrific and deadly chaos that the soldiers experienced as they made the historic landing.

    Recently, CBS Sunday Morning featured a story about the Normandy invasion and some of its dark sides. The piece discusses the destruction of France and, as in almost any endeavor involving a large number of people, notes that some of the soldiers did not act honorably. [2016 Update: Unfortunately, the video is no longer available.]

    Of course, the bad acts do not diminish the importance of the victory over the Nazis or the heroism of many others, but we should remember all aspects of the story to understand history. As Rick Atkinson, author of The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945, notes near the end of the video, “war really flays open the soul.”

    Many brave souls rose to the occasion after being thrust in a dangerous situation, but some later showed they were not perfect. So on this anniversary of D-Day, we celebrate the victories but also remember the many types of losses that are inevitable when humans go to war.

    What will you do to remember D-Day? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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