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This just happened minutes ago. Yesterday after class I walked out to my car to find a parking ticket, dripping wet, stuck to my windshield. It’s only $10, so it’s not too bad, but I was quite aggravated. Not even a month into my classes, and I already have a ticket.

Today after class I came over to Caleb, Tim, and Kevin’s apartment to hang out before we go see The Dark Knight. Tim, Kevin, and I went to eat, and Caleb set up his Hookah with Andrew. It wasn’t five minutes after we returned the incident happened. I was watching “the most awesome preview for a school project ever” only to be distracted by Caleb saying, “Oh shit” and scrambling around. Come to find out, he dropped the coal for the Hookah on the carpet. Here’s a picture of the damage:

Unfortunately my photos are limited to coming off of my computer, so they are kinda bad.

Anyway, after vacuuming up all of the excess coal dust, some of which was still aflame and made a really cool cyclone effect in the Bissell, there was still a sizeable portion of the carpet damaged. Instead of just covering it up, we did what any group of college kids do, we made a bad situation worse. Here is the hole:

I can’t tell you how funny this whole ordeal was. It only lasted a few minutes, but it was very funny. Hope you enjoyed it.

- Robert

I have taken it upon myself to provide you with the sleek hotness that Zack Snyder is releasing next March. I’ve already posted the trailer for this amazing film, and now I am going to show you what Entertainment Weekly has been up to. Apparently they have these things called “connections” and they were able to get onset, take pictures, and put them in this thing they do.. what’s it called; a “magazine.”

And that’s just the cover. Right after this little snippet there are five production stills. Each portrays some form of awesomeness in one frame. Here, be blown away:

If that’s not enough to convince you Zack Snyder has made some good stuff, here’s some proof that he has stayed true to the graphic novel, just as he did with 300. These are comparisons done by Rope of Silicon.

Stay tuned, because Snyder is supposed to be at Comic Con and release all kinds of sweet stuff.

- Robert

There isn’t quite any other way to say this, you are about to see God. Not really. Zack Snyder, the immensely talented Director of 300, was tapped to make one of the “Most Celebrated Graphic Novels of All Time” into a feature film, and he has delivered. Unfortunately we must wait until March 6th of next year to see the masterpiece, but I have a gift that will give you those same chills you got when you saw the first full The Dark Knight trailer. Enjoy!

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- Robert

I am about to quote an entire review of The Dark Knight, a film I am going to see twice in one day. Both, of course, in IMAX. This Christopher Nolan film is not a Comic Book Movie. It is a Crime Drama. That’s the word on the street, and from every report, review, and article I read, I sure believe it. Before I delve too much further into it, here is Kevin Power’s, of Firstshowing.net, review of the daunting movie:

US Release Date: July 18, 2008
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
MPAA: Rated PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and some menace)
Running Time: 142 minutes
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight on IMDb
10/10

It feels completely counter-intuitive to care little about the special effects and action in The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan’s sequel to his 2005 Batman Begins. For a movie like this, you naturally expect to be engrossed by garish gadgetry, incredible stunts and seat-gripping adventure. The Dark Knight has all of this, don’t get me wrong, but even the most intricately executed explosion or choreographed car crash does little to shock you out of the stunning, unrelenting dark drama created in what amounts to one of the best sequels in cinematic history. Nolan takes the basic idea of good versus evil to depths rarely seen, and awes the audience with the heady psychology and physics of what happens when “an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object.”

Obviously, The Dark Knight’s intensity is enhanced by the incredible performance of the late Heath Ledger. His ability in Brokeback Mountain is something else. His turn here is almost too wicked for words. Put plainly, Ledger’s Joker is one of the most frightening, smart and well-played villains ever. Ever. Believe me when I say I’m not being hyperbolic – it’s just unavoidable. What makes Ledger’s clown so amazing is the sheer awareness and purity he brings to the role. The Joker isn’t a bad guy, so much as a perfect, un-bargaining force of chaos and anarchy. And he knows it. Throughout much of the film, the Joker delivers some of the best existential answers I’ve ever heard. “He’s like a dog chasing a car. He’ll chase it forever, but wouldn’t know what to do if he catches it.” The Joker is that unwavering and motivated. He simply follows his instincts for mayhem and disorder. Ledger not only disappeared into the Joker (as many reports have lauded), but he also caused the Joker to disappear into unmeasurable destructive purity.

What makes The Dark Knight so compelling is the mind-wrangling dichotomy of Batman and the Joker. Despite their near super-human abilities and diametrically opposed natures, neither wants to kill the other. Batman cannot premeditatedly take a life, while the Joker won’t destroy his only worthy adversary (or play thing). In essence, the two exist because of each other. Congrats to Christian Bale for stepping up his game, then, and bringing a new brooding quality to Gotham’s protector that is complementary to Ledger’s performance. Batman grapples with his own character, battling his obligations to the city, what it means to be a hero, and how to handle someone who is his complete antithesis, physically and mentally. Both have a rage that motivates them, but in entirely different ways.

Speaking of opposites side of the same coin, sitting smack between the two is Harvey Dent played by the very capable Aaron Eckhart. While Batman and the Joker remain on their respective sides of good and bad, Dent manifests what it’s like for someone to shift, painfully, from one side to the other. As Dent gains political prominence in Gotham, Batman begins to retreat from the spotlight as the city’s hero. Dent is poised to be the shining knight of Gotham – that is until the Joker systematically breaks the optimistic crime-fighter down, poisoning him with resentment, anger and the desire to act. It shouldn’t come as a spoiler that Harvey Dent eventually becomes the villain Two-Face. If you look at the moral poles of the film and Dent’s inner turmoil, the division of his face takes on a wonderfully complex meaning. The Dark Knight is riddled with so many intellectual wells like this, you’ll be dissecting the film for hours.

The Dark Knight certainly has a dark shadow cast over it because of Ledger’s death. However, I would venture to say that seeing him in one of the last roles of his career is almost a fleeting concern. The truth is, it’s not Ledger in the film. The young actor delivers such a dark, forceful and complete performance that you don’t discern the actor behind the make-up, but rather see only the hypnotic chaos within. There is not enough that can be said of Ledger’s performance, and yet, at the same time, there are no words. But to be fair, Ledger is just one part of the film. At two-and-a-half hours, believe me when I tell you the The Dark Knight feels short. Everything from the supporting cast (Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine) to the cinematography to the score come together to create a thick, poetic and realistic drama unlike any other. Well done, Christopher Nolan! Well done!

Obviously, this is the only absolute MUST-SEE this year. Reports are indicating that this film could possibly stand to bank $200 Million in it’s opening weekend. The first time in history that it ever happened. Regardless of the actual numbers, Christoper Nolan and his cast and crew will NEVER need to worry about being turned down for a job ever again.

After I watch the film twice on Saturday, I will write up my own review and post it. I can’t wait, and I’m sure none of you can either.

- Robert

Well, first off, because the Transformers: Rise of the Fallen Director likes having everything that surrounds him to be awesome as well:

Yeah, he’s soooo cool I want to pick someone to bear his children. Email me, all of you willing volunteers!

- Robert

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t bring up the latest Bond film, now would it? Daniel Craig reprises his role as famous 007 in the 22nd film of this franchise, Quantum of Solace. The film is due out in the beginning of November, and the trailer makes you want to drive fast, shot guns, and beat people. The influence of any good action movie. Joining the cast as this film’s “Bond Girl” is Olga Kurylenko (Hitman). Here’s the teaser trailer:

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I think it’s going to be even better than Casino Royale, and it’s not easy to do that. The script is written by them same guys that did Casino Royale, and Directed by Marc Forster. The trailer hints very clearly at the plot of this one. Picking up almost right on the tail end of the last film, Bond will track down anyone that le to Vespyr’s demise. He’s on a revenge mission, and he’s taking no prisoners.

- Robert

For those uninformed in anything going on in Hollywood, the Terminator franchise is not dead. Director, McG, of Charlie’s Angels and We Are Marshall fame, is releasing movie number four next summer. I could not be happier. Granted that Arnie isn’t going to be in it, it will still make a load of cash and be a full-fledged summer blockbuster. You want proof? Check this teaser trailer out:

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Yeah, it’s going to be awesome! Christian Bale takes on the iconic role of John Connor, Bryce Dallas Howard as Kate Connor, and Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese. McG, as stated before, is directing, and written by a duo of John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris. They most notably penned the Terminator 3 script.

Let me know what you think!

- Robert

Frank Miller’s upcoming film set for release this Christmas is going to be one sexy film. I’ve been watching the release of the teaser posters showing off all of the lovely ladies that were cast in the film, as well as seeing the first trailer. Now, there is a new one. I recommend you watch this:

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If that’s not enough to make you want to watch it, here are some of the posters that were released earlier this year featuring Eva Mendes:

Regardless of the sassy attitude each one shows off, I think I’m going to go see this because it’s a Frank Miller movie. The ladies are for the mainstream audiences, to pull them in.

–Robert

Recently the marketing for Eagle Eye, starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan, kicked into gear. A trailer was released, one you may be familiar with, and they have now come out with a teaser poster. Eagle Eye is a thriller thought up by Steven Spielberg and directed by Disturbia‘s D.J. Caruso.

Below I have the trailer that you can watch to recap, and below that is the new poster.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

- Robert

Roland Emmerich, the political director famous for Day After Tomorrow, and the recent flop 10,000 B.C. has his next film lined up and in the casting phase. The film, 2012, due out at the end of 2010 is based on the “End of the World” theory derived from the Mayan Calendar that ends with the year 2012.

Let’s be clear: I’m not a Roland Emmerich fan. His directing is average, and his vision that is conveyed in each film he does is everything we’ve seen before, in better films, originated by far greater directors. He doesn’t add any talent to his plate. Now to the proof this movie is going to suck:

Woody Harrelson to star in Roland Emmerich’s 2012

Dear Roland Emmerich, you cannot out-destroy our planet better than Michael Bay. We’d rather you burn the $200 million budget for 2012 in a pit on the beach and film Woody Harrelson and Danny Glover dancing around it. MTV confirms that Woody has signed to star in Emmerich’s Mayan Doomsday Bonanza, 2012, and, yes, he’ll play the token “told you so” paranoiac…

“I play a guy who’s been talking for a long time, the whole world thinks he’s crazy,” Harrelson said of his character. “But he’s been talking that there’s gonna be hell to pay for what’s been going on ecologically and everything.”

Harrelson added, “I don’t know why they thought of me.” Yep. He’ll join a cast that includes
John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Amanda Peet, Glover and (of course) Oliver Platt. Emmerich’s last two films, 10,000 BC and The Day After Tomorrow, were godawful and probably cost more than the Iraq War. He also made The Patriot, which has a growing ironic following due to the Pineapple Express tribute posters.

Michael Bay has a “competing” project in development called 2012: The War For the Souls. If anyone out there has a voice oft-mistaken for a cool demon’s, please leave the previous sentence on Emmerich’s voice mail every single day until his film is released on July 10, 2009.

That quote was from Slashfilm, and I couldn’t have said it better myself. The fact that John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Amanda Peet, and Oliver Platt are in it give a redeeming hope that at least the acting may not be complete garbage, but I don’t see this as anything other than crap. Crap covered in gold, but crap nonetheless.

- Robert