Old vs. New

Recently I went to the movies to see movies I have already seen. I know it may sound odd to some but I feel that seeing really good movies that I know that I like is sometimes better then risking your money on seeing a movie you may not like at all.

For example I had some time between jobs to see a movie, I had the options of seeing Lawless, The Possession, or seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark (that is the one with Indiana Jones) in IMAX. At the time I thought to myself that I can just easily go home and pop the Raiders DVD I have into my player or even wait a few days for the movie to be re-released on bluray and buy that set and watch it at home. For some reason I have feel cheated by so called IMAX showings in the past because AMC theaters in the Bay Area really only has one true IMAX theater. I know because I traveled some forty five minutes to see The Dark Knight  there once. I did have the time to kill and it had been a while since I had been to see a movie so I decided what the hell, I will waste $15 and go check out this Raiders, in the least I know its a good movie. I might have been swayed even more if it was the first time seeing the movie on the big screen but alas I had seen a midnight showing of it sometime ago.

I came away thoroughly impressed with the entire showing I saw. Like I had said I knew the movie was great but they really made the picture look amazing and not just that but the sound! I think it was the best sounding movie I have seen in a long long time. You could hear every punch, every whip, just amazing picture and sound. I even got a free mini poster on my way out! Re-watching a movie you know you love just might be the way to go. I could have tried to see Lawless or something else but in the end I think it would have just been a let down. Paying the little extra for a movie I own and have seen a lot still was a much better choice. I can't believe I forgot how amazing a movie Raiders is. I think it is in my top 3 Action/adventure movies of all time, if not #1. I was really glad that I decided to take a chance and see Raiders again.

I guess the Raiders experience did change me because last Monday I went out to see another movie I knew I really liked and had already seen a few times, but this time the movie was in 3D. Finding Nemo in 3D wasn't something I thought I must see! I just happened to be off that day because I was coming back from a funeral and me and my wife had the day off. My friend got us from the airport and we got dinner and looked up times to see what was playing. I knew my wife liked the movie and my friend was a Disney nut, so we decided to see a movie that we all had seen and loved before.

Again I ended up paying more then a regular showing, this time because it was in 3D. And again it ended up being totally worth it. I keep saying I will not see movies in 3D but of course it is hard not to when movies keep coming out in 3D. I would say I was somewhat impressed with the movie being in 3D. The good thing for me was that going into the movie I knew it was good already 3D or no 3D. I think the 3D added some depth to the movie, since it's all in the ocean they used the 3D to play around with the surroundings. Was it something totally necessary? No, probably not. But it was fun to see a beloved movie again on the big screen.

I know sometimes there are a lot of good possible movies being released. But I am now more eager to see those movie that I know will not let me down. Movies I love on the big screen again, seeing them with new eyes in ways I haven't seen them before. That is what movies are all about.

NFL 2012

Are you ready for some football?!Here is my annual (and often wrong) NFL Predictions! Although last year predictions I did get 6 out of 12 playoff teams correct! These are just for the love of the game, football has long been my favorite sport and I hope for another exciting season. Hope you enjoy these.

2012 NFL

AFC

EAST

New England Patriots    13-3

Buffalo Bills                     8-8

New York Jets                 7-9

Miami Dolphins              5-11

NORTH

Baltimore Ravens      12-4

Pittsburgh Steelers    10-6*

Cincinnati Bengals      6-10

Cleveland Browns       4-12

SOUTH

Houston Texans        11-5

Tennessee Titans      9-7*

Indianapolis Colts      5-11

Jacksonville Jaguars  4-12

WEST

Denver Broncos         11-5

San Diego Chargers   9-7

Kansas City Chiefs      7-9

Oakland Raiders         6-10 

NFC

EAST

New York Giants       11-5

Philadelphia Eagles     9-7*

Dallas Cowboys         7-9

Washington Redskins  6-10

NORTH

Green Bay Packers   12-4

Chicago Bears           10-6*

Detroit Lions              8-8

Minnesota Vikings    5-11

SOUTH

Carolina Panthers      9-7

New Orleans Saints   8-8

Atlanta Falcons          8-8

Tampa Bay Buccaneers  6-10

WEST

San Francisco 49ers   11-5

Seattle Seahawks        7-9

Arizona Cardinals        7-9

St. Louis Rams            5-11

*= wild card

PLAYOFFS

WILD CARD

Texans defeat Steelers

Broncos defeat Titans

Giants defeat Bears

Philadelphia defeats Carolina

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

Ravens defeat Texans

Broncos defeat Patriots

Green Bay defeats Philadelphia 

49ers defeat Giants

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

Ravens defeat Broncos

49ers defeat Green Bay

SUPER BOWL

49ers defeat Ravens 

Liebster'd

My fellow blogger leopard13 over at his blog It Rains...You Get Wet has nominated me for a Liebster. The Liebster is a blogging award that has made it's way across the internets. While I do this blog just for fun and my own amusement I am honored that some people read and even leave me some nice comments. Since school starts up next week I figured I will give it a shot...here are the rules:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves

2.  Answer the 11 questions the person giving you the award has asked you.

3. Create 11 questions for the people you will be giving the award too.

4. Choose 11 people to award and send them a link to your post.

5. Go to their page and tell them.

6. No tag backs.


11 About Me

• I was born the same year that Alien, Mad Max, and Apocalypse Now were all released.
• I met my wife on an online dating service
• I do not like sushi
• I am lactose intolerant 
• I am Gemini and have often been called a very good one
• One my only scripts was nominated for a small college award, and yes it was an honor just to be nominated.
• I just got married this past June
• Some of my all time favorite movies are: Jaws, Psycho, Once Upon A Time in the West, The Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Knight, and much more.
• I have only seen Schindler's List once and thought it was so well done and so sad that I haven't been able to watch it again.
• Even though I was born after Star Wars was released I have seen all the Star Wars movies in a movie theater.
• I am starting to think the 1970's was the best decade of films ever made

My answer to leopard13 questions:

• What is your favorite book about cinema (whichever book, covering any type of film genre)?

The Jaws Log written by Carl Gottlieb is the first thing that comes to mind. It is a very impressive look into the making of my all time favorite movie Jaws. 

• What is your favorite piece of music or song (score or the needle-drop variety) used in a movie?

with the Jaws theme and the Psycho theme a close second

• Charles Bronson or James Colburn?

For me it will always be Harmonica

• What is your favorite foreign film (one made outside your country)?

Amelie

• When watching a movie at home, what food stuff do you almost always have nearby?

I really do not eat much when watching movies at home, but I would say a soda! At the theater it is popcorn and soda with usually a candy of the M&M variety.

• Vincent Hanna or Neil McCauley?

Oh my, it has been some time since I watched Heat. Now you might make me go back and see it again. I love that movie though, so my cheap answer is: both! 

• What movie cliche are you so tired of seeing?

I think mine would be the bumbling idiot villain. I always feel their needs to be a quality villain to make a movie work. See the Dark Knight and the Joker, Jaws and the Shark, Star Wars and Darth Vader, Frank from Once Upon A Time in the West, etc.. for how a villain should be portrayed. If the villain is of no threat then why should we worry about the hero being in peril. 

• What is the scariest scene or image you ever saw on film (and it doesn't have to be from a horror film)?

Yeah still kinda scares me

• The Howling or An American Werewolf in London?

For me it is An American Werewolf in London, I really like some good humor in my movies and this had it all over. Plus the transformation scene is still an amazing work of art.

• Ever read the source book of a film adaptation that intrigued you, if so, what's your favorite?

Pretty much every comic book movie that has been made. I used to collect comic books but since have stopped. It is nice to see comic book movies getting so popular but it is hard to see how they change most of the hero's and villain's that I grew up seeing. I always pretty much always know the characters in the movies before even going to see the movies. I will always continue to love and try to keep up with comics in some form.

• Have you ever fast forwarded a movie, just to get to the good part?

I am trying to remember if I have even done this... but I think not. Movies should be seen from start to finish to be able to get the entire picture.

Here then, are the questions...

(Be as detailed or expansive as you would like)

1. What is your favorite comic book film?
2. Star Wars trilogy or Lord of The Rings trilogy?
3. What film are you most looking forward to in the next or upcoming years?
4. What was the first movie that made you love movies?
5. What sports movie do you like to watch again and again?
6. If you could just watch one Spielberg movie for the rest of your life, which movie would you choose?
7. Hitchcock or Tarantino?
8. Post an image that most reminds you of film
9. Freddy or Jason...?
10. What is your favorite documentary?
11. Have you ever met or have a story about a celebrity?

My nominees:

(if you can that would be great but no worries if you cannot)

Emily of A Devine Life

Cinema Du Meep of Cinema Du Meep

Colonel Mortimer of Colonel Mortimer Will Have His Revenge

Jeff of Dinner of  With Max Jenke

Mr. Jeffrey of jdbrecords

slasherflix of OBSCURA

My Geekness is Awesome of My Geekness is Awesome

3 guys of 3guys1movie.com

Wesley of Wes Hofmann.com

Mike of Mike Krautter Photo: the blog

Carlos the Dwarf of TheHeroBlog.com

Saving for September

In my previous blog I mentioned my excitement about a few blurays being released in August, especially my all time favorite movie Jaws. Since then I have signed up for amazon prime account and have been getting a lot of emails from them about upcoming releases and I have come to a conclusion that September may personally be the best bluray release month ever. Check out all these titles that I would buy if I had the means (not to say I do not plan on buying all of these, maybe just at a later date).

Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection - Hitchcock has long been one of if not my all time favorite directors and I have eagerly been awaiting many of his classic films on bluray. This set features 15 of his films: Saboteur, Shadow Of A Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, The Trouble With Harry, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, Marine, Torn Curtain, Topaz, Frenzy, and Family Plot. At least 6 of these are my all time favorites and the set has even a few I have yet to see but am eager to watch. I have somehow managed to not buy any Hitchcock blurays yet (I've been really close though) so this set would be really worth if for me or any Hitchcock fan that wants to upgrade their collection. The set is also limited (not sure what that entails) so you may have to get it sooner rather then later. It retails for $300 but is on amazon right now for $225 with a release date of September 25, 2012.

Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures - I love the adventures of Dr. Jones so this set is a must have for me. Sure the latest movie really didn't live up to my expectations  but the first three are some of the best action/adventure films ever made. I have recently been watching some of the films on cable (TBS or TNT...I think) and the movies already look like bluray quality, so I am interested to see if these will just be the same quality or even look better. I am really eager to see what extras come in the set as well. One thing I was hoping for was the original poster artwork on each individual casing in the set. So far it seems that this is not the case, I still think this is a head scratcher why they don't use those posters on the blurays, they are amazing pieces of artwork. The set retails for $100 but can be found on amazon for $75 right now and the set will be out on September 18!

Marvel's The Avengers - A recent movie but still one that really was worth the hype and did justice what was some of the highest expectation put on a movie in the last 5 years. I call this The Avengers but I guess it is now being released as Marvel's The Avengers, just in case you had no idea Marvel was in charge. There is  5 different releases of this on bluray/dvd. If you don't have any marvel comic movies on bluray but loved them all their is a huge set called Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase One -- Avengers Assembled, this set includes: The Avengers 3D bluray, Captain American 3D, Thor 3D, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and the Incredible Hulk plus a few extra discs which total 10 for the set. I personally am not into the 3D gimmick as much as everyone else, especially 3D at home. So I am going for the Avengers set in the bluray packaging. This set has a lot of the extras I am looking for and is $25 right now on amazon, down from the retail pricing of $40. Marvel's The Avengers will be released the same day as the Hitchcock set, September 25th!

The Game - Since my first cinematic viewing in 1997 I have loved this David Fincher film, which I still feel is very underrated. I am so happy to see The Game not only come out on bluray but get the Criterion label on it. The Criterion Collection pretty much guarantees the best special features and that the director has approved everything in the set (not some studio head). I am eager to see the commentary track and delve into the extras. If you haven't seen The Game please go out and do that ASAP, or wait to watch the bluray and see it in all of its glory. The set priced at $40 but can be found at amazon for $28 and the release date is set for September 25th as well. 

Halloween III: Season of the Witch - Long known as the Halloween movie without Michael Myers that no one likes, Halloween III has become sort of a an underground success. After Halloween and Halloween II John Carpenter was looking to get out of just making Michael Myers movies and tried to keep the Halloween series going, but in a new direction. I remember thinking, like everyone else, no Michael Myers no way this will be good. But having revisited this movie a few years back I started to enjoy it for what it was and now its a personal favorite and a must watch every October. The set also features commentary with the director as well as fan favorite actor Tom Atkins! The set also has many other extras that I will love to see! Another really cool little extra is that they have some new artwork on the cover, personally I love the look of this artwork but if you want to have the original movie poster artwork you can simply turn over the wrap and have the original poster as your bluray cover! I find that a really cool little extra in an already impressive set. They are also releasing Halloween II in a similar set on the same day, September 18th is the day you can find both Halloween II & III on bluray in these special editions. Each bluray is priced at $30 but can be found at amazon for $20 or you can directly order from Shout and get an extra bonus if you are one of the first 500 people to order the bluray, act fast!

Ed Wood - A great movie by Tim Burton, Ed Wood should not be missed by lovers of Burton/Depp or people who love movies about movies. The cast is impressive, my guess is that if this movie was released after Johnny Depp did Pirates of the Carribean he would have easily been nominated for an Oscar. At least Martin Landau won an oscar for his roll as Bela Legosi and it pulled in a best make-up oscar as well!  I am excited to add this to my list of great dvd's that need a bluray replacement, of course it might take me a long time to add this after buying so many of the other titles you see on this list. Ed Wood is being relased September 18th with a listed price of only $20 and is on sale for $15 right now!

..so that is why I am saving for September!

My 2012 All-Star Picks

American League Starters:



1B - Paul Konkero -- Chicago White Sox

The White Sox are surprisingly in first place at the writing of this blog. Konkero is a great player who often goes overlooked but should be starting at first because of the amazing first half he has had. Konkero is batting .337 with 13HR and 39 RBI's.

Also deserving: Prince Fielder, Tigers. Mark Teixeira, Yankees. Albert Pujols, Angels.


2B - Jason Kipnis -- Cleveland Indians
The best player no one has heard about is Kipnis. I know that Cano will most likely get the start but Kipnis is just as deserving. He has more RBI's and a ton more stolen bases then Cano as well. Indians are also having a pretty good season so far and should have some representation. Kipnis is batting .274 with 11 HR's w/ 42 RBI's and an impressive 17 SB's.

Also deserving: Robinson Cano, Yankees. Ian Kinsler, Rangers.



SS - Elvis Andrus -- Texas Rangers
I will vote for Andrus even though it seems obvious Derek Jeter will get the nod as starter. While Jeter is having another good season I pick Andrus because he is faster, has a better glove, and has more runs, RBI's, and SB's then Jeter. I like a fast speedy guy as SS so Andrus fits my need here, plus the Rangers are on of the best teams in baseball and deserve a few starters.

Also deserving: Mike Alvies, Red Sox. Derek Jeter, Yankees. Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians.



3B - Miguel Cabrera -- Detroit Tigers

A personal favorite player who is very consistent. Cabrera made the move to 3B so Prince Fielder could take over at 1B. It hasn't been the easiest move for the vet but he seems to hold his own at 3B. Cabrera is having another big season for the struggling Tigers batting .307 w/ 15 HR and 59 RBI's.

Also Deserving: Mark Trumbo, Angels. Adrian Beltre, Rangers.



C - A.J. Pierzynski -- Chicago White Sox
Another White Sox player cracks my starters here, I really didn't expect to have him starting but looking over the stats he seemed like an obvious choice. As stated the Sox are having a good season. A.J. has caught a perfect game and is batting .284 w/ 12 HR and 41 RBI's...his HR and RBI are comparable to Konkero even.

Also deserving: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Red Sox. Joe Mauer, Twins.








DH - David Ortiz -- Boston Red Sox

Ortiz continues to impress hitting .304 w/ 20 HR and 52 RBI's. He is the perfect player to have at DH and is also a fan favorite. I think he is a great choice to have starting at DH for the game.

Also deserving: Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays, Adam Dunn, White Sox.

OF -

Josh Hamilton -- Texas Ranges

Hamilton was tearing the snot out of the ball earlier in the season but has somewhat cooled off since. He is still great with the glove and is helping his Rangers stay in first in the AL West and is an early MVP favorite. He is hitting .318 w/ 23 HR's and 66 RBI's.




Jose Bautista -- Toronto Blue Jays

Even though Bautista has a low batting average I feel his power number make him a starter for the game. He compares power wise to Josh Hamilton despite batting only .237. He is also a fan favorite and will delight the crowd in Kansas City. He's currently batting .237 w/ 24 HR and 57 RBI's.

Adam Jones -- Baltimore Orioles
Mr. Jones has led the surprise Orioles to 2nd place in one of toughest divisions in all of baseball. He is also having a monster season and showing the potential he always had batting .300 w/ 19HR and 40 RBI's to go along with 9 steals and 49 Runs. He is also very impressive in the field, it would be nice to see him starting and represent the Orioles.

Also deserving: Curtis Granderson, Yankees. Josh Willingham, Twins. Josh Reddick, A's.






National League Starters:

1B - Joey Votto - Cincinnati Reds
I feel this is a pretty clear cut choice. Votto is now the man an first base in the NL since Fielder and Pujols are no longer around. The stats more then back up what a fantastic first half Votto has had. Batting .355 w/ 14 HR and 47 RBI's.

Also deserving: Adam LaRoche, Nationals.








2B - Brandon Phillps -- Cincinnati Reds

Two Reds in a row but both are the best at their position. Phillips is always slick with the glove and it was a tough choice between him and Dan Uggla but I went with Phillips because he has a better average, more RBI's and SB's. Plus the Reds are in a tight race for first place.

Also deserving: Dan Uggla, Braves. Aaron Hill, Diamondbacks.


SS - Starlin Castro -- Chicago Cubs

The one standout for the Cubs in what has been a terrible season so far is Castro who is swinging a nice bat. His numbers: .301 w/ 6 HR and 39 RBI's as well as 16 SB's. The SS position has a few good candidates but I think Castro is the best hitter of the group as of now, his defense might not be all that great.

Also deserving: Ian Desmond, Nationals. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies.


3B - David Wright -- New York Mets

The Mets have stayed above .500 for most of the year and one reason is the able hitting David Wright who is hitting an amazing .358 w/ 8 HR and 41 RBI's and 8 sb's. Wright is always fun to watch field and is a great choice to start given his amazing first half.

Also deserving: David Freese, Cardinals. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins.


C - Buster Posey -- San Francisco Giants
A hometown favorite, yes....but also Posey is having one hell of a rebound season. Posey has kept the Giants steady and his hitting continues to impress just as much as his ability to catch a perfect game. Posey's numbers also speak for themselves: .295 w/ 10 HR and 40 RBI's. I know I would love to see him starting.

Also deserving: Carlos Ruiz, Phillies. Yadir Molina, Cardinals. Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks.





OF -
Carlos Gonzalez - Colorado Rockies

Despite the struggles of the Rockies Gonzalez has been a huge bright spot for the young team. He is currently batting .327 w/ 17 HR and 53 RBI...he is currently just tearing up the ball and deserves to start for what may be many years to come.



Carlos Beltran - St. Louis Cardinals

Beltran has loved his new team so far and is off to a monster start with the Cardinals. He is hitting .313 w/ 20 HR and 57 RBI's. Beltran is showing other teams that this old guy had a lot left in his legs and continues to do well for the defending champs.





Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers

Braun is having just a typical year for the Brewers, hitting very well and showing he is one of the primer talents in the game. Braun is hitting .314 w/ 20 HR and 52 RBI and rounds out what should be a really great starting outfield.


Also deserving:  Andre Either & Matt Kemp, Dodgers (one could DH). Andrew McCutchen, Pirates. Melky Cabrera, Giants.


* all stats as of 6/26/12

Underrated Movies Presents: Duel

"When the headlights of a truck become the eyes of a psychopath."




Never a feature movie in the U.S. Duel (1971) was a made for TV movie directed by none other then Steven Spielberg. Working on a low budget Duel showcases that you do not need a lot of money to make a movie that leaves you in awe with suspense. Duel is about one man, actually David Mann played brilliantly by Dennis Weaver. I figure they named him David Mann because this is the story of man vs. man and David is sort of an everyday man type character here, this story could just as easily happen to anyone watching because we all (mostly) travel to work via car daily.

The story is that Mann is going to work and gets cut off by a huge semi truck. Like everyone Mann gets a tad upset and repays the favor by speeding up and getting in front of the huge semi, a task that he has most likely done before (as we all have probably done once or twice). This time though the driver of the semi truck take it personal. The rest of the movie is an amazing and very tense show down between Mann and well...machine. I believe the movie works so well because all drivers have at one point been in a similar situation driving. I know I have cut off or broke suddenly and upset someone but it usually results in them giving you a look or honking. Duel explores the what if situation of if you upset a driver and they just cannot let it go.

Besides having a young and ambitious Spielberg directing you also have a script written by classic novelist Richard Matheson, who has a long and storied history with movies. His books have been used for many movies (I Am Legend, Stir of Echoes, Real Steel, etc...) and he has wrote many episodes of The Twilight Zone, suffice to say the man knows how to write suspense.

Since the entire movie basically takes place on the road with many close ups of  Mann as he drives Spielberg had to really think outside the box of how to make the movie work. I think my personal favorite part about the movie is that you never see the person in the semi truck and better yet you really never know why he is chasing down Mann. If this was to be remade now, they would probably make the semi truck driver the co-star and explain how he just lost his job as a truck driver and was out looking for some revenge. I am pleased that we just have this unstoppable force coming after Mann with no real reasoning behind it. He just wants to kill him for reasons we can only ponder in our heads.

If you are in the mood for a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat, I highly recommend you watch Duel. It has some great acting by Dennis Weaver to go along with a really well done movie that should have been released at the theaters in the U.S. I know it was released as a full length movie in some other countries. The movie is available on DVD as of now, I am hoping for a bluray release in the future.

What I'll be doing August 14th 2012

love the classic cover!

With my upcoming busy summer (wedding, honeymoon, etc) I really am not sure how much time I will have to myself. One thing I can always look forward to is seeing a movie to give me a small 1 to 2 hour break from reality. I have just learned that one of my top three all time movies is making its bluray debut. JAWS has long been a favorite of mine ever since I went on the tram tour an Universal Studios and was scared half to death when the shark would pop out of the water. To be the best horror has to be something you are actually scared of, and a huge man eating sharks has always been tops on that list for me!

JAWS will be released August 14, 2012. Universal is doing a pretty cool tie in coinciding with the companies 100th anniversary by releasing (or re-releasing) a lot of their classic titles on bluray. I have long been waiting for JAWS on bluray especially with many of Spielberg's other movies recently being released in the format. I received the Jurassic Park trilogy as a Christmas present (2 out of 3 of the movies being good and one average). I have also heard rumblings of E.T. being released on bluray soon with possibly both versions of the movie. If you weren't in the loop Spielberg went all Lucas on E.T. and changed some things with CGI. Two notable changes were that police officers guns were replaced with walkie talkies and E.T. was made all CGI in some scenes. Spielberg eventually admitted he made a slight mistake with the changes and would make the original (and unaltered) version available on bluray. The Indiana Jones collection (all 4 movies...3 out of 4 ain't bad!) is also being released on bluray and is on amazon but with no exact release date yet.

I read a great article about the JAWS bluray on Entertainment Weekly's web site. They go more in depth on how they really fixed up the old negatives of the film to make it look extra awesome and original. The bluray will be remastered and restored. There will even be a feature about how Spielberg fixed up the old negatives of the film to make them look their best for the bluray release. They have a video on the same page but I decided to save it to watch when the bluray is released in August. If you cannot wait click HERE and check it out, it looks like a really cool process. The bluray also has 4 hours of extras, including the documentary The Shark is Still Working: The Impact and Legacy of JAWS. I have long heard of this documentary and am really happy they decided to include this with the bluray. If you want to join me watching it on August 14th come on over, but I'm gonna need a bigger couch!

what a difference