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.

'Rio' beats out this weeks' premeirs

Last weeks number one film stayed at number one this week. 'Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family' premiered this week at number 2, failing to upstage the animated hit.

'Rio' raked in 26.8 million at the box office after an already strong opening weekend. Number two, Medea brought in 25.8 million this weekend. 'Water for Elephants' came in third.

Studio executives must be celebrating with champagne over the success of 'Rio' which has helped out during a relatively slow quarter.

Oscar nominated director killed in Libya

ABC news broke the story yesterday that the co-director of 'Restrepo' was killed in Libya. The war photographer was caught in the middle of a violent confrontation between the rebels and Muammar Qaddafi's soldiers.

His last tweet was "In besieged Libyan city of Misrato. Indiscriminate shelling by Qaddafi forces. No sign of NATO."

Earlier this year 'Restrepo', a documentary about soldiers living in one of the most dangerous area in Afghanistan, was nominated for an Oscar for best documentary.

Cannes Film Festival releases line up

The famed film festival has announced its line up for 2011, and the most noticeable films are some sequels. The festival takes place in France and marks the start of the summer film season.

This year the festival will run May 11- 22 with 'Midnight in Paris' by Willy Allen as the opening film.

As far as the U.S. film market, the most well-known films are 'Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Strangers Tides.' Most of the other films are not even going to premier in the U.S. or not marketed as much as these franchises.

So take a look at up coming films:

Rio gives the box-office a boost

'Rio' finished its opening weekend with a stuning $40 million. This comes at a perfect timeing as Holloywood experienced a slump in sales for the past couple of weeks.

Not only was 'Rio' number one this week, its also the biggest opening weekend of the year so far. Hollywood hasn't had such a successesful opening since 'Toy Story 3.' Needless to say, the movie surpassed everyones expectations.

However, I want to point out that just because a movie does well at the box office, does not mean it is actually good. I think 'Transformers 2' is the perfect example. According to the critics reviews on Yahoo!, 'Rio' is not that great, with an average score of C+. Users gave the movie a A-, so it is pretty much up to you to decide if the move is good or it just stinks.

Heres a preview to help you decide.

In case your not sick of Will and Kate's' wedding, watch the movie

It has been in the news for months, heck feels like years, the queens eldest grandson is getting married. Prince William and Kate Middleton will be tying the knot Apr. 29 in Westminster Abby.

Since the royal announcement, the world has been bombarded by news stories about royal plates and designer wedding dress, and everything in between. I don't know about you but I've had it with these people. Yeah it's cool and I might watch a rerun of the ceremony but your ruineing the event. Now, to push us all over the edge with Will and Kate, I present Lifetime's"William and Kate."

Nico Evers-Swindell and Camilla Luddington will be playing the royal couple in the TV movie. I imagine this movie is written as some kind of drama/rom com fashion. However, with such a well-known and current couple, its very likely we already know the whole story. That might get boring. Maybe the makers should have waited a couple of years before making the story into a movie. Or just not bothered.

Regardless of what I think, its happening with or without me. The movie airs Mon, the 18th at 9pm EDT.

Let me know, are you going to watch this atrocity?

Cast addition to the Three Stooges

In case you didn't hear about it yet, there is a film in the works about the Three Stooges. The cast has been monitored very closely.

Today, Larry was announced. Who got the part? We all know him as Jack from Will & Grace! Sean Heyes is Larry.

The first official Stooge to be cast was Will Sasso as Curly. Now, we only got one more to go. And trust me, lots of people are anxiously awaiting the announcement of the last Stooge.

What do you think about the latest casting? And who should be cast as Moe?

2 Snow White movies coming!

2012 will bring 2 different takes on the original 1930's animated classic.

The first is titled The Brothers Grimm: Snow White, and is scheduled for June 29, 2012. according to this article, Julia Roberts is among the cast as the Queen.

The second film is called Snow White and the Huntsman. This film takes a different angle and explores the relationship between the princess and the huntsman that spares her life. The release date, Dec. 21, 2012 will be taking advantage of the holiday season. The film also has an interesting cast, with Kristen Stewart playing the lead role.

So there you have it, same movie, different angle. Let the judging begin, who will be the fairest of them all?

Another addition to new Superman cast

And the new Louis Lane is... Amy Adams.

The makers of the new Superman movie announced Amy would play Lane.

Adams' latest role was in "The Fighter" where she earned an Oscar Nominations for best supporting actress. The was a pivotal role for her to demonstrate she was more than just a sweet, nice-all-around girl.

Adams proved she could play a more dramatic and tough role and I hope they let her do just that in this movie.

I wrote earlier that Clark will be played by Henry Cavill and I think the two make a great combination. What do you think? Will the two live up to the roles?

Remembering Elizabeth Taylor

In case you haven't heard, one of the last remaining movie icons passed away today due to heart failure. Taylor's adult career exemplified old Hollywood glam and captured the hearts of the world with her beauty and grace.

To honor Elizabeth Taylor's career, take a look at her throught the years.

I actually can't say I was around during her prime, but we can all have an appreciation of such an influential figure in American history. She defines glamor and is seen as the poster girl of American cinematography. The American people watched her grow up on the screen and made her a legend.

What are your favorite Elizabeth Taylor film?

Whats next for Scream

In case you havent heard, Scream 4 is coming out Apr. 15th and I'm just going to say it: The only one thats been good so far is the first one!

So is it really worth it to spend 10 bucks on the 4th one when they have such a bad track record? The only way the producers can convince audiences that this one will be good is to market the heck out of this movie. Which has not been happening. But watch the trailer and judge for yourself:

I will say I like the return of that freaky mask, it reminds me of the good times I had watching the first movie. But it'll be interesting to see if people flock to the theater on opening weekend.

Miss Watson drops out but vows to return

Emma Watson dropped out of Brown this week claiming that she it just too busy with her acting career. Here is her statement from her website:

Hi everyone

As you know, I love Brown and I love studying pretty much more than anything but recently I've had so much to juggle that being a student AND fulfilling my other commitments has become a little impossible.

I've decided to take a bit of time off to completely finish my work on Harry Potter (the last one comes out this summer) and to focus on my other professional and acting projects. I will still be working towards my degree... it’s just going to take me a semester or two longer than I thought : )

Hope you are all well! Thank you for all your continuing support.

I guess even movie stars get stressed out by college. I hope people take this as a reminder of how challenging college really is. So many people (I'm talking to you mom and dad) underestimate the work students put into their academic career. Sure we have fun, but most of us are truly dedicated to our course work.

I wish Miss Watson the very best and she better make her way back to school as soon as her work allows.

Post-award season blues

The question everyone should be asking themselves is: Well, what now?

Award season is over and I already miss all the buzz and speculations that surrounds this wonderful time of the year. I'm having a hard time moving on...

I've tried to find some movie stuff to get excited about but I just find something that measures up to the challenge. Its like the excitement has just gone into hibernation.

And I refuse to resort to criticizing what the actors wore to the event! They have feelings you know, and for the most part, everyone looked amazing. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise Nichole Kidman.

So, you tell me: What am I supposed to do now?

Who won in that other award show?

So I'm sure you already heard the news about who won at The Academy Awards, so I won't go into that. However, the night before Hollywood's biggest party, The Razzie's announced their winners.

Most notably, The Last Airbender won 5 awards including worst director, picture, and screenplay. pretty hard hit for the film. I didn't watch it but I've never felt to proud to say I saved my 10 bucks and skipped this one.

Other interesting category's was worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off, or Sequel, which went to Sex and the City 2. Again, no argument here, those hum....ladies, are getting too old for comfort. They had a good thing going with the first movie, but they just had to kill it. Some people just don't know when to quit. Hopefully they won't aim for a comeback.

To check out a list of all the winners check out this article.

Let me know what you think, do you think they left out any horrible movies?