Most anticipated films of 2012

2011 came with some great movies, but I admit I just wasn't feeling it towards the end of the year.  Winter 2011 was not Hollywood's best moment.  Hopefully 2012 makes up for a lackluster movie season.  I compiled a top 5 list of movies I'm excited to see this year.  Now I warn you, these aren't necessarily Oscar-worthy films, just some movies that I expect to be really entertaining.


Underworld: Awakening (Already Released)
Don't tell me what happens because I haven't watched it yet!  From what I can tell, there is a time jump in the movie and the traditional feud between lycans and vampires has changed a bit.



The Hunger Games (March 23)
The series is a great read but because it is such a beloved tale, it is going to be really hard to meet expectations.  The way I see it, this could go one of two ways; either it explodes in popularity like Harry Potter, or it's trashed by the fans like Eragon.  The pressure is on and the studio knows it.



The Avengers (May 4)
I'm a huge fan of cute superheros, so being teased about this movie since 2008 when the first Iron Man premiered, has been difficult.  I NEED to see this movie.



The Dark Knight Rises (July 20)
The first movie rocked, but I was indifferent about the second.  However the marketing campaign for the third installment got me pretty excited and I'm not ashamed to admit it is the main reason I've been excited about watching this movie.  There's also that element of darkness that has made the franchise so compelling which makes he think the writers might actually let Mr. Wayne die. I'm not rooting for the bad guys, just saying it could be an appropriate ending.



Resident Evil: Retribution (September 14)
This and Underworld are as close as I get to 'scary movies' mostly because the plot is usually worth it.  I'm anxious to see some new, crazy twists in the next movie.  The most intriguing element of this movie is that it looks like we'll finally get more background on Alice before she worked for Umbrella Corp.

Side note: Isn't the beginning of the trailer really corny? Not their best work.



Well what do you think? Are these movies worth the wait?

$54 million weekend premier for 'Paranormal Activity 3'

Is it just me or is their a scary-movie shortage at the theaters this year. With only a week till Halloween, I was expecting a plethora of squeals to movies like 'Saw' and 'Halloween'.  It seems the studios were aiming for quality not quantity this year.

'Paranormal Activity 3' over-performed at the box office on opening weekend, bringing in $54 million. The film is actually a prequel to the original, taking place in the 80's.

The studio reported this was the highest movie premier ever for a horror film.  Not bad for a franchise that started with a $15 thousand budget.

'Paranormal Activity' gained national attention in 2009 when audiences across the nation voted for a national release of the film. Refresh your memory by reading this blog post.

For those brave souls who watched it this weekend, what did you think? How does the prequel measure up to the first two films?

New trailer for 'Braking Dawn'

Whether you're a Twilight die-hard fan or you laughed during the entire movie, which you only watched in response to a dare, we can all appreciate the hype surrounding the franchise.

Every 'exclusive on-set photo' makes its rounds online and commands the attention of millions around the world. Like this new trailer, which was recently released on Yahoo! When I searched for it on YouTube, it wasn't there yet but fans had already posted home videos of the clip.

This is actually a full trailer, not that 'teaser' nonsense executives use to bait you in. (Case in point, the teaser trailer for 'The Hunger Games' during the VMA show) It is worth your attention, again, even if you're not a fan.

Does the hype around big movies ever suck you in? Come on, be honest.

Movies and 9/11

Where were you on 9/11? This has become the phrase that dominates our conversations these days. On the anniversary of our darkest day, we all go back to our own memories of that Tuesday morning.

My memory of 9/11 forever changed the way I process film and its power to bring a story to life.  I was eleven years old when I turned on the TV and saw the news coverage of the World Trade Center. I still remember my exact thoughts: "Wow, this movie looks pretty good."  To this day, that thought follows me, and I find myself analyzing it from every angle.

I had no idea what happened that morning, my mother picked me up from school, and would not tell me anything. She said she would explain after she came home from work. Therefore when I saw the news, my mind could not even consider the idea that this was real, this was really going on in New York. However, there is more to this than me being young and naive.

What if this really was a movie? I processed the tragic and devastating images as good entertainment. Which is what we all do when we watch any end-of-the-world movie. What does that say about our society and our understanding of human suffering. Why do we enjoy watching it so much, even after living through it?

The only way I can make sense of our near obsession with destruction is that maybe we look in these tales for hope and endurance. In every one of these movies, you can see peoples' drive to survive and help as many as possible. Maybe, hopefully, that is why we watch. To remind ourselves that their are still every-day heroes in the world. We as a country should be very proud of those who proved to the world on 9/11 that we are a land of heroes.

'Dark knight rises' kicks-off marketing campaingn

Who ever is managing the marketing for this film has done an impressive job. This is the first officially released photo from the third installment of the Dark Knight franchise. The eerie photo of the villain Bane isn't necessarily the impressive part, its the channel of distribution.

They started with an official website for the film, which leads to a black screen and some strange audio sounds of incoherent chanting. Some clever coders discovered their was an embedded code in the message and came up with a Twitter hashtag #TheFireRises. The tag lead to this image.

According to an article on Yahoo! this is exactly how Batman finds Bane in the comics, by decoding an audio message. This viral-marketing campaign certainly got people interested. The creative team behind this should be really proud.

'Glee' coming to a theater near you

I was crushed when I looked up 'Glee's' concert line-up and found no stop in Texas. Actually, no stop anywhere near Texas! Apparently, Fox felt sorry for me and countless others who will miss "Glee Live! In Concert!"

So prepare yourself, Hollywood Reporter announced plans to turn the tour into a 3D movie. Fox plans to show the movie for a 2 week period starting Aug. 11.

I don't know if I should be excited or mortified. I'm really starting to resent the 3D craze, but I LOVE Glee. I'm emotionally confused. Sad to say this but, it reminds me of the Justin Bieber movie. When that came out, it was easy to hate the idea and laugh at who ever attended the 3D rip off. But now..... it's 'Glee!'

Obviously, I have some serious interpersonal conflict regarding this issue. Let me know what you think. Are you willing to pay to see this 3D movie?

Mom from 'The Fighter' passes away

Alice Ward, played by Mellisa Leo, passed away last week at the age of 79. Leo has often credited her performance, which won her a Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, to Mrs. Ward and her love of her children.

She died in a Boston hospital, one day after being taken off life support. Her family said Ward had been suffering from heart-related problems since early January.

I have no doubt Mr. Ward was loved and will be missed. If she is anything like she's portrayed in the movie, she was a strong women and her family was luck to have her. My heart goes out to her family and loved ones.