Gravity “I’ve Got You” Trailer: Well, You Did Just Now…

Posted on July 25, 2013 by geelw

OK, I’ve been not paying much attention to the upcoming film Gravity thanks to me not being much of a Sandra Bullock fan (yeah, yeah, she’s America’s Sweetheart #181 and blah-blah) and doing a coin toss with Clooney’s films because they can be great or not so great depending on the director. Granted, this isn’t the first time on the sci-fi carousel for either actor, what with Sandra earning her cred in Demolition Man (dumb flick, but the opening sequence was and is still amazing) and George doing a solid job in that Solaris remake from a while back (it’s a decent flick, but the book is still the best way to go). Of course, everything is really riding on the shoulders of director Alfonso Cuarón (“Children of Men”), as I’m betting a handful of pennies that some going in to see this will be expecting something of equal depth and design on a few fronts. Well, this trailer sure piqued my interest, that’s for sure… et tu?

Seventh Son Trailer #1: This May Be Dragon You Into Theaters Soon Enough…

Posted on July 15, 2013 by geelw

Boy, am I SO behind on my fantasy novel reading… I guess. I’d never even heard of The Wardstone Chronicles until this trailer for Seventh Son rolled around and while I don’t think I’ll be diving into any of the books anytime soon, this trailer looks pretty cool in a flash-forward about a year to “When I finally caught this on cable I was really surprised at how good it was!” manner. Of course, that’s not what WB and Legendary Pictures want to hear, but that’s how I roll these days with those crazy ticket prices. “I’ll take “LESS Expensive Cinema Gimmickry” for $200, Alex!”… or something like that…

There’s a Pacific Rim Video Game? You’d Like to Know If It’s Good. I Can’t Say At All…

Posted on July 12, 2013 by geelw

(thanks again, Game Empire HD)

That’s because I don’t own a tablet at all (tried a few, but I’m like Goldilocks – haven’t found one that’s “Just Right” yet), so I’ve been missing out on these cash-ins that pop up when new blockbuster flicks hit. In a way, I prefer these sorts of licensed games show up as cheaper, well-intentioned games than ones with bigger budgets, longer (but never long enough) development cycles and higher price tags. Anyway, the fine folks at Game Empire HD have saved me the trouble of buying a tablet just for this game (not that I would do this, mind you!) and have posted some nice videos of Pacific Rim: The Game in action on their YouTube page. Do please poke around and check them out. In the meantime, a trailer for the game to ogle since you’re here…

I like the arcade-like look and play to this, but would I run out and snap this up if I did have a tablet? Mmmmaybe… I tend to like more story to my games, but I don’t mind the mindless beat ’em up from time to time…

Pacific Rim TV Spot #11: Believe What You See on TV, Folks!

Posted on July 10, 2013 by geelw

OK, not ALL the time, people. I’m talking about the reviews rolling in stating how cool Pacific Rim is. Even the much despised NY Post threw down a four-star rating and that’s rare for a CG-packed summer blockbuster their critics often slap around for assorted reasons. OK, they get it right with most of the overblown junk that hits theaters, but it’s a review that actually doesn’t go out of its way to toss a stupid jab at the president for no reason, so that’s a welcome relief. I’m also hearing of a few other skeptics getting their minds changed, so it’s all good. As for “reality” TV… er, don’t believe that rot at all unless you think real people waste hours arguing over petty crap (and the same petty crap on ALL those shows!)…

MORE Pacific Rim TV Spots: Damn Jaegers Move Too Fast For This Old Man to Catch…

Posted on July 8, 2013 by geelw

Yeesh. Just as I’m typing up another post about how Warner Bros. got the drop on me and ran a “new” Pacific Rim trailer (above) not more than five minutes after I posted the last post about them doing it, they go and drop THREE in a row, meaning they’re using robots themselves to get past my slower than usual defenses.

Hey, I can blame the heat, age, no socks today and the fact that I woke up too damn early (again!) on all that, but WB doesn’t care at all. Their new baby is getting decent notices, all they really want to know is when your ass is going and how many friends you’re bringing with you.

Oh yeah, they also want to know if you’re buying the Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack when it’s released around oh, December or January… Just nod for “Yes”, as there’s currently no selection for “No” at this time. You can stay on the line and a representative will be with you shortly, but I’m gathering it’s going to be a looooooong wait. And hey, how the hell did you get this number anyway?

Pacific Rim “Second Chances” Trailer: Your Countdown Clock May Be Running a Bit Slow…

Posted on July 7, 2013 by geelw

Oops, I forgot to run this trailer yesterday, so here you go. Only a few more days to go before those theater seats get packed in by the drooling mobs of kaiju fanatics and their mental checklists, so expect to see the Internet world even more flooded than usual with Comic Book Guy-like rants and/or raves about what works and what some of these smarty-pantses think was done “wrong” by Del Toro and company in making their summer epic. Pass the oversize grain of salt, puh-leeze! Meh, some people are never happy (and that’s because if they ever got up in the air on a crane to direct a shot, they’d probably poop themselves and pass out from fear of heights.

Pacific Rim TV Spot #7 (Plus!): Another Smash Hit From Kaiju Goo Goo…

Posted on July 6, 2013 by geelw

Only a few days left before this stomps into theaters, so yes indeed, the ad and future Blu-Ray/DVD bonus features are rolling out bit by bit. I haven’t been following any merchandising on this film at all, primarily to keep me from buying every Jager and Kaiju I can lay my eyeballs on to fill that shelf space I don’t have (hey, nearly every inch of free space has a game in it or nearby). But don’t let that stop YOU from blowing a chunk of your last paycheck or three if you see something that grabs you.

Er, of course… if that something grabbing you is a few hundred feet tall, you can throw all the money you want at it and not much will happen at all. Hell you don’t have THAT much shelf space anyway…

Hey, part of that last sentence rhymed! No charge for that instant poem (as usual)…

Random Film of the Week: Yankee Doodle Dandy

Posted on July 5, 2013 by geelw

Like most Hollywood musical biographies, Yankee Doodle Dandy plays fast and loose with its versions of the facts, but also does a really fine job of keeping you hooked in thanks to great casting, a zippy pace and plenty of great, memorable scenes. James Cagney’s performance as George M. Cohan is thrilling enough (he rightfully won an Academy Award for it), but every other actor playing a major role here does an excellent job or keeping up with Cagney’s fast-talking, speak-singing, loose-limbed portrayal of the legendary multi-talented entertainer.

Released in 1942 to a country recently plunged into the Second World War, the sheer level of flag-waving, heart-clutching, voice booming Pledge of Allegiance patriotism here is eye-popping to the point of unintentionally funny, but it manages to works flawlessly as a morale booster of the highest order. It’s also a pretty decent comedy when it needs to be, as George’s early days are well-played by a young actor who nails his part for some early comic gold before succeeding his part to the snappier, snazzier Cagney.

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There Are 22 Pacific Rim Posters (So Far). That’s A Lot of Wall Space.

Posted on July 3, 2013 by geelw

And that’s just that’s counting the US and Japan, based on the gallery over at Impawards.com (that page has 17- the other five show up if you click on any of the images). I don’t think that’s a record for number of poster designs for a single movie, but it is impressive to see the different sizes and art styles in a few cases that would dress up any boring wall in your home. I’m not one for collecting posters these days, but if I did, I’d say these would be perfect for kicking off a collection. That looooong banner sized monstrosity at the top of this post actually made me laugh the first time I saw it because I could see it running down one of the long hallways here in the home office (thus making the trip to the bathroom a pretty cool one unless there was something stomping around in the shower I didn’t want to see)…

Pacific Rim “It’s About Compatibility” Clip: Yeah, And Who Does The Dishes Later, Too!

Posted on July 3, 2013 by geelw

Ah, the eternal struggle of women versus men! POW! BAM! Geez, how about a hug and a good book to read for both of them? Well, I’d prefer these action films drop the typical guy/gal fights where you know it’s going to be a “she’s cute… but can she fight?” thing where it’s proven that “yep, she can fight!” at the end in favor of actual character development where no one needs to prove anything save how far then can punch some alien behemoth when they’re suited up and out on the battlefield. Then again, this clip only clocks in at just over a minute meaning there’s more time for a block-sized monster to dropkick a few skyscrapers at a charging Jaeger. Of course, nothing beats the EPIC beatdown from They Live for sheer macho overkill extended play craziness. I don’t think that needs to be remade any time soon… but I did write a near-complete design document for a game based on that movie that died with hard drive that went up in smoke. Oh well…