Trailer Reaction: Noah

Board the ark and brace yourselves for a natural disaster more disturbing than Evan Almighty, because the trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s Noah has just hit the internet.

Based on the biblical tale, Noah follows the titular Patriarch (Russell Crowe), a man who sees visions of the end of the world in a giant flood. Noah attempts to convince his people of the oncoming catastrophe, but he is cast out by his village (lead by Ray Winstone) for his “crazed rants” along with the rest of his family. Said family, which includes his grandfather (Anthony Hopkins), his wife (Jennifer Connelly), his sons (Logan Lerman and Douglas Booth) and his adopted daughter (Emma Watson), must now fend for themselves in the wilderness, where Noah seeks to build his ark and save his family (along with an animal or two… of every kind) from the flood. The trailer can be viewed below;

Now, I’m not a religious man myself. Most of my biblical knowledge comes from Veggie Tales and The Prince of EgyptHowever, I (like most) am familiar with the story of Noah and his ark, which is why I questioned Aronofsky’s initial interest in the biblical tale. Aside from the obvious spectacle of the flood, I wondered what drew him and the all star cast to this project story. Then this trailer comes long and it hits me; this totally fits as material for Aronofsky to cover.

I can hear a few readers now (unless those are just the voices in my head) crying out “But Thomas, this is certainly a change of pace for the man behind Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream!” Sure, the fact that it’s a biblical epic with heavy special effects might seem like something totally out of Aronofsky’s wheelhouse at face value. However, the trailer gives hints of themes familiar to the director’s earlier works; visions, question of sanity, our main character being outcasted from society, mad obsession, etc. Aronofsky appears to be taking these themes he loves to explore and applying them to a story that is both universally recognizable and palpable material for a huge blockbuster. Who’s to say that the struggles of Noah has with his visions can’t parallel Nina’s struggles with her psychotic breakdown in Black Swan? Or that the exile of Noah and his family won’t mirror Randy “The Ram” Robinson’s displacement from the modern world in The Wrestler? Or that eventual rebirth of the world won’t recall the reincarnations of Thomas in The Fountain? Maybe I’m reading a bit too much into this, but I can see the familiar signs with scenes like the one of Ray Winestone casting the Noah family out or Noah waking up from a haunting vision.

On a more trailer specific note, it looks as if the budget is all there on the screen. The expansive flood destruction, plentiful variety of animals and massive size of the ark all give the film this grand sense of scale. Plus, the performers seem like they’re giving it their all, particularly Russell Crowe, Anthony Hopkins and Ray Winestone in any of the scenes where they’re confronting each other. They don’t seem like subtle performances, but they’re performances that fit the giant nature of this end/rebirth of the world story. I may not be a religious man, but I can appreciate a story with the appropriate amount of powerful steaks and emotional turmoil, which seems to be present in the trailer. So, if it wasn’t obvious before, I’m fully onboard with seeing this latest vision from Darren Aronofsky come to life.

But what do you all think? Is this destined to be the new Ten Commandments or will it be lost in the flood? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

Via YouTube

Video: ’30 for 30: The Space Jam Game’

I can’t believe we are still having this discussion, but I want to start off this article with an honest assessment of reality.

Space Jam is not a good movie. It is entertaining, it is unique, I will even go as far to say that it is an iconic part of the 1990s. But even the most ardent Space Jam fans (there’s a phrase I thought I’d never have to say), after a few moments of honest reflection, would say to themselves, “Wow, this movie kinda sucks.”

And that’s fine! Personally, I think that its stupidity is its greatest strength. While most films actively try to avoid being terrible, Space Jam lathers itself in absurdity and failure, to its great benefit.

Regardless of the film’s quality, many people have an unbreakable love for Michael Jordan’s foray into acting. Some of those people have produced something wonderful. The team behind Yahoo’s comedic short video series Sketchy has a Space Jam documentary entitlted 30 for 30: The Space Jam Game. The video is a parody of ESPN’s highly-acclaimed documentary series and it is better than it has any right to be. Check it out below:

 

 

While that was thoroughly entertaining, the documentary I would love to see is an in-depth feature about how the hell Space Jam went from someone’s coked-out fever dream to an actual film. Call me when that’s done.

Care to suggest other films that could use documentaries? Would you like to rant about how much you love Space Jam? The comment section is open!

Via Yahoo

 

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‘Write a Movie With Us’ – Week 3

So, week Three. After another highly creative and engaging week we have arrived at our first major decision to be made; what our script will be about.

So take a look at the catch up video below and continue reading before heading off into the comments section once again.

So, based solely on the content provided over the past two weeks, I have created three individual pitches for our script. I want you to choose which one works the best and which we should pursue. Feel free to discuss what works in each one, what could potentially be added but make sure to make sure which one you want to pursue.

Possibility 1.
The future is here. With computers, smartphones and digital technology we are truly living in a new age. But what about the communities, struck with poverty and crime, that are left behind. Looking for his break, documentary film maker John Smith takes on a local urban legend serial killer, who maimed and tortured within a housing block many years ago. As he begins to investigate the legend, he finds that all is not as it seems with the block and the residents may know more than they let on.

So, this stemmed from the concepts of home invasion and an institution or location filled with people who weren’t quite right. Here, the character would investigate and pry into the lives of the people who live in this block, the older ones who were alive when the murders occurred especially. His obsession grows, and he finds himself, possibly with his crew trapped in the building block full of psychotic characters who take pleasure in their torture.

 

Possibility 2
John Smith, photographer by trade finds an intriguing camera at a garage sale. The seller is keen to remove it from his own possession. John finds a strange figure inhabiting the camera with every photo he takes regardless of where it is took, getting closer and closer to the lens. John’s obsession with the camera grows and he begins to experience strange dreams and visions. After multiple attempts, the original owner allows John to meet with him, he begins to understand the origins of the camera but the owners Suicide ends the meeting. John needs to figure out what is going on, what he can do and why he can’t seem to help wanting to press that shutter over and over again.

So obsession and elements of the supernatural are very present here. We can play around with dreams/nightmares (even the uncanny valley) and focus on his descent into madness. Perhaps somehow the figure haunts him, in every single reflective surface? Taunting him. We can create a fascinating origin, a ghost story even, take influence from things like The Ring, Shutter, The Grudge. Certainly slow, building the tension. A possible conclusion could be that final shutter press, releasing whatever it was in the camera, trapping him now, until someone else finds the camera.

Possibility 3
Renowned Serial Killer “Killer Joe” (name TBD) contacts film maker John Smith. He wants him to create a documentary film on his legacy. John is hesitant, but he needs a break and Joe promises to hand himself in afterwards, and tell the police he made him do it. John reluctantly accepts and begins to “rabbit hole” into the killers world. He will be tested – witnessing (filming) murders and engaging with a very intellectual killer his world begins to change.

So this description is slightly vague, for good reason. It could go two ways – perhaps it is simply he follows the killer etc etc, or we reveal, perhaps, in part using what has been shot (touching, though not following found footage) to reveal that he was the killer the entire time. He has split personality and his mind had put them both at odds for one to win. This, again touching on elements that cropped up frequently the past two weeks. Joe can try to rationalise what he does as he brings John into this world. As John slips, who do we identify with? Potentially interesting.

There are three, distinct roads to travel down. It is your decision which we take. The roads themselves haven’t been fully built yet, so names, situations, characters can all still evolve, be added and change over the next few weeks. Think of this as the groundwork.

Of course, this process is organic and can grow at any moment! So don’t worry if you missed the previous weeks and want to catch up on what’s going on; you can do that here for week 1 and week 2.

Next week, we’ll be looking at bringing these characters to life. So once you have made your decision start thinking about these characters, who they are, where did they come from? what makes them tick, who can we include beyond “John”. Keep those things in mind for next week, and I’ll see you in the comment section.

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Support The Death Penalty (Documentary): ‘There Will Be No Stay’

I don’t believe in the death penalty.

Forgive me if the title of this article initially appears misleading, but I assure you that all will be made transparent once ramblings have ceased.

I don’t believe in the death penalty. Not out of some saintly consideration for all living beings or a desire to live by a Biblical edict to “love thy neighbor.” I have neighbors, I can’t stand them. And my sense of justice is bred of a lifetime of watching Charles Bronson movies and caring so deeply about the ones I love. If someone were to harm my loved ones, you had best believe retribution would be swift and only administered by law enforcement if they sped to find the guilty parties before I did.

No, I don’t believe in the death penalty because of the corruption and/or completely apathetic ineptitude of our criminal justice system. Too many innocent people are executed in this country every year simply because they cannot afford to pay for the DNA testing that could exonerate them; oh yeah, the burden of that expense falls on them under the law. That, along with racial bias and bureaucratic nonsense strips away any sense of absolute justice and therefore renders a death penalty unacceptable. The system is broken.

So why would I support the documentary There Will Be No Stay? Is it not a chronicle of the lives of the “men and women tasked by society with carrying out the death penalty?” You bet. But I do support this doc, and after you’ve had a chance to watch the trailer below, and examine the Kickstarter page, I’ll tell you why I support There Will Be No Stay.

 

I believe in documentaries.

I believe in the power of strong documentaries to transcend the limits of individual interests and circumvent esoteric value sets. I also believe understanding is impossible without confrontation, without contextualization. Documentaries pull back the curtains and shine a light into even the most obscured or infinitesimal corners of the human existence; sometimes triumphantly, sometimes to our great horror, but always for our benefit.

But most of all, I believe in Arcanum Pictures. Arcanum is a local production company that was started by two of my very good friends, but their friendship alone does not purchase my endorsement. I have seen how tirelessly they work, and I know the raw potential of the talent they are currently cultivating. I believe that their efforts will continue to bring the best possible content to the forefront when, much as in the cases of revealing documentaries, most of the world seems not to notice.

For these reasons, I believe you should support this Kickstarter and help fund this documentary. Watch the trailer again, consider contributing, or if not, help spread the word so that those with the means can navigate to the cause.

I believe the guys at Arcanum would appreciate it.

 

CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECT TO THE FILM’S KICKSTARTER SITE

Bound For Banality: The Current State of TNA Wrestling

(Our good friend, and diehard wrestling fan, Gene has some insights as to the problems currently facing TNA wrestling. Welcome him to the site and, if you like this article, let us know. He might just turn up more often.)

We are less than a month removed from TNA Wrestling’s marquee pay-per-view event of the year, Bound for Glory. As I’ve watched Impact the past few Thursdays, I can’t shake the feeling that the new landscape for the next twelve months already feels eerily similar to the old landscape.

Sure, there have been changes, so I will give the Carter her due. A.J. Styles is the new heavyweight champion. The Aces & Eights faction is a hair away from imploding, and there’s trouble in paradise within the ranks of the Main Event Mafia. Seeds of the possible full-time return of the monster, Abyss, seem to have been planted. The problem is that none of this feels fresh or game changing.

When the dust has settled after the players have walked off the grandest stage of them all (that isn’t Wrestlemania), the audience should feel as if we’re watching opening game kickoff and the season premiere of your favorite primetime drama all rolled into one dynamite package. Instead, I feel as though I’ve seen last week’s episode of Impact three weeks ago. And eight more times before that throughout 2013. Being fair though, the WWE have also been guilty of this the past few years (especially since they discontinued the post-Wrestlemania draft lottery).

The solution is not some Herculean feat. The week prior to each pay-per-view event, upper management needs to get with creative and they all need to lock their asses away and do a better job planning. Not just to navigate the course of the next twelve months, but to make damn sure to not navigate the exact same course that we’ve just traversed. This doesn’t just go for Bound For Glory but EVERY one of your pay-per-view events in the future. That first episode of Impact right after had better be balls to the wall excitement. Also, there needs to be a yearlong building of momentum towards Bound For Glory. So those peaks and valleys need to intensify throughout the year. Meaning, don’t blow your load at Slammiversary or one of the less important pay-per-view events, then have a mediocre Bound For Glory. The WWE fails on several levels in the modern era (which I will happily expand upon in the near future), but they make sure the week’s prior to and coming off of a pay-per-view event feel special, but all pale in comparison to Wrestlemania.

New wrestlers that have been in developmental really need to be brought onto the tv program right around now as well. Yes, we don’t want it to be predictable every year when the talent debuts. But, once again, this is akin to the new season of NFL/NBA or the season premiere of a tv drama, so fresh new faces the first few months off of BFG would go a long way to making it feel fresh for the new year.

It is a given, for any wrestling promotion, that the first episode of your television programming after the pay-per-view needs to start that next monthly cycle with a bang. TNA’s biggest pay-per-view of the YEAR, instead, has been followed up by an uninspiring and unforgiveable whimper.

‘Day of the Doctor’ Prequel Welcomes Back Classic Doctor!

“I’m a Doctor. Though probably not the one you were expecting.”

Behold Doctor Who fans; your wishes, nay demands have finally been granted.

Today the BBC unveiled the official prequel episode to the 50th Anniversary Episode “Day of the Doctor”. Despite the countless rumours and reports to the contrary, the seven minute episode stars a very welcome classic Doctor.

Take a look…

 

Did you hear that noise? It was the sound of the entire internet collapsing on itself. So, by all accounts this episode has gone down incredibly well. Now that Moffat got something unarguably right, does this mean the world will end?

Has this made you more excited about the Anniversary Episode? Did you enjoy this prequel? Comment below, and expect more Doctor Who discussion in the final days of the time war (err, I mean, final countdown the anniversary)

Source: BBC 

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Melissa Rosenberg To Head ‘Jessica Jones’ Series On Netflix

Sometimes news totally confounds me, not because I don’t understand it, but instead because I cannot tell if the news is good or bad.  One such story is the release this week that Melissa Rosenberg will the person in charge of the upcoming Jessica Jones series that is being produced as part of a deal between Marvel and Netflix.

What perplexes me here is Rosenberg’s record, she was one of the executive producers and writers of the hit show and critical darling, Dexter, but this is also the person who wrote all the screenplays for the Twilight Saga. Even if I give her the benefit of the doubt and say she did her best  to  make the pile of feces that is the works of Stephenie Meyer as entertaining as possible, Rosenberg was also a writer on the armpit that was Birds of Prey. I don’t know what to make of Rosenberg’s career, nothing in it leads me to any sort on conclusive feeling about her ability to take on this project, which makes her selection for this project all the more baffling. Marvel and Netflix have a lot riding on this whole thing so the hiring of Rosenberg with her mixed bag of a history seems off,  it feels like they should have grabbed somebody with more clout.

Whatever the case may be, it’s her baby now and I hope she makes the most of it. I sincerely hope that when I see the series I’ll be kicking myself for even being the least bit doubtful of her skills, but we’ll all just have to wait and see.

So what do you think of the choice Melissa Rosenberg for Jessica Jones? Let us know in the comments below.

Via Deadline

 

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‘Maleficent’ teaser trailer drops, and it looks pricey

It appears that the marketing for the Sleeping Beauty villainess’ film has awakened.

Walt Disney Pictures has just released the first trailer for Maleficent, the upcoming live-action film adaptation of the titular antagonist from the aforementioned classic 1959 animated Disney film. Although not spelled out in the teaser, the story centers around the iconic baddie, played by Angelina Jolie, as it reveals how she became the sinister sorceress we all know. Helmed by first-timer Robert Stromberg, the film also stars Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copely, Juno Temple, Miranda Richardson, Imelda Staunton, and Peter Capaldi, and will be released May 30th of next year. You can check out the trailer below:

Empty Space

 

While Sleeping Beauty was one of my favorite Disney films growing up, I’ve been indifferent about this project ever since it was announced. Aside from the amusing callbacks to elements from its source material (the crow, the spindle and the thorned branches), this teaser not only failed to pique my interest significantly, but it’s made me worried for Disney’s financial well-being when it comes to budget. The visual effects shown in here looked great, but maybe a little too great. My fears were halfway realized when I went to Wikipedia and read up on the budget of this film: a whopping $200 million.

If anyone has kept up with Disney’s tentpole blockbusters outside of their work with Marvel, it’s been proven that their forays into adapting older properties have thus far shown to be unsuccessful at the box office. We thought they had learned with John Carter, but it was only a year later with The Lone Ranger that they had another bomb on their hands, and both films combined had lost them hundreds of millions of dollars due to lack of profits. On top of that, they both received mostly less-than-stellar reviews. Now, with their tackling of the character of Maleficent, the elements are there for this to follow a similar path. But to be fair, unlike the relatively obscure and aged licenses of John Carter of Mars and The Lone Ranger, this is homegrown from one of Disney’s most popular animated films (and antagonists) and could garner a much wider audience who are craving for nostalgia. So really, it could go either way. All I’m saying is that the teaser, while decent-looking enough, shows warning signs of Disney making the same mistake a third time.

What do you guys think? Does the trailer excite you or make you go “meh?” Do you have similar concerns about how much money Disney is putting into their films? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

 

Via YouTube: DisneyMovieTrailers

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Drew Goddard Writing for Netflix’s Daredevil

Hot off the heels of Thor: The Dark World and the recent Netflix announcement, Marvel has revealed that television veteran Drew Goddard might be leading blind lawyer Matt Murdock onto our streaming devices.

Goddard (whose resume includes shows like Angel, Alias and Lost, as well as films including Cabin in the Woods and World War Z) is reportedly in negotiations with Marvel and Disney to write for the Daredevil series based around the titular blind superhero. Marvel and Netflix haven’t made any sort of comment on the subject of Goddard’s involvement. This Daredevil series is part of Netflix & Marvel’s plan to create four different mini-series based on Marvel characters, with the other three being Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones. The four will then team up in a fifth mini-series based around the concept of The Defenders, a group of outsider Marvel heroes that team up in a similar manner to The Avengers.

Now, I’m merely a casual reader of comics. Hell, most of my knowledge of Daredevil comes from his appearances on the 90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series and the infamous 2003 film which starred Ben Affleck. Of course, I’m sure both are exaggerations of this beloved character (especially with scenes like the see-saw fight from that film), so I’m welcome to see this incarnation bring the character to life in a more faithful manner.

Plus, Drew Goddard is a fantastic choice to write for the show. The man’s already had experience with writing for powerful beings in urban environments after co-creating Angel with Marvel Guru Joss Whedon. That show was a perfect example of how to give a brooding hero the spotlight, exploring his character flaws and deeply held in emotions while at the same time showing off how much of a skilled badass the man could be. Plus, when Daredevil does eventually have to work as part of a larger team, it could easily mirror Angel’s own team building with his Angel Investigations teammates. All Goddard needs to do is apply the same sort of writing to Matt Murdock’s character and this Daredevil show could end up being some prime quality entertainment… or at least be better than Agents of SHIELD. 

So, what about all of you out there? Is Drew Goddard the right fit for Daredevil or would Marvel be better off getting back Mark Steven Johnson? Post your thoughts in the comments below!

Via The Wrap

 

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Introducing Our Newest Blog: Meet Ash & Fern!

Hey! We’re Ash and Fern, two best friends from Indiana. We may be pushing 30, but we like to think we’re still young and energetic enough to pull an all-night Lord of the Rings marathon every now and again. We pride ourselves on our above average Oscar winner predictions and ability to name every player on the US men’s national soccer team. Our interests are wide-ranging, as you’re sure to see, but we are always looking to expand them!

 

I’m Fern.

 

I grew up pretending to hate it when my dad made me watch Star Trek: The Next Generation, then sneaking to read his comic books when he was at work. Liking superheroes and spaceships was weird for a girl, and it took me until I was a little bit older to realize that weird was actually awesome.

Now I wear my geekiness with pride. I can recite every episode of Battlestar Galactica and try to convince every person I meet that they should watch it. I give the complete series of Firefly as the gift in my office Secret Santa exchange every year because I believe everyone should own it. And based on what I grabbed when the fire alarm went off in my building at 3:30 am recently, my prized possession is my autographed picture of Liam McIntyre as Spartacus.

 

I’m Ash.

OmNom

I grew up with a love of reading that meant that my punishment was to always have my books taken away until I could do my chores. That habit to completely ignore the world around me has served me well as a middle-school math teacher. When the natives get too restless, I have an uncanny ability to tune them out until the bell rings. Besides lame geometry puns and engulfing novels, I love running, captivating advertising campaigns, making lists, folk rock, climbing things, consuming random bits of knowledge, and cinematic experiences.

While my friend and counterpart is a huge television buff, I have a tendency to shun time-consuming TV series in favor of a dark movie theatre where no one judges you for having popcorn with butter for dinner. The hardest part is making sure I read the book first!

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Stay tuned for more articles and adventures from OneOfUs.Net’s buddy cops of geekdom: Ash & Fern. Follow them on Twitter…

@adonnell5
@FernMays