Upcoming Releases

I won't lie to you, I haven't been to the movies in quite some time. With school and life getting busier by the second, it is getting harder and harder to find the time to get out and watch new releases to review for my blog. So rather than try to trick all you clever people into thinking I saw something recently, I am dedicating this week's blog to talking about upcoming releases that I am looking forward to. The spring and summer season is typically "blockbuster season", and with it comes a plethora of movies both good and bad. So lets get on with it.

Scream 4:

I can't really explain to you why I'm so excited for the fourth installment of the "Scream" series.  The first movie was great, the second was o.k and the third was downright awful. However, I have great faith that the fourth movie has the ability to be really good. With some of the original cast returning, such as Courteney Cox, David Arquette and of course Neve Campbell reprising her role as Sydney, this movie will be at the very least a fun watch. Release date: April 15

Red Riding Hood:

This haunting adaptation of the children's fairytale looks equally thrilling and creepy. The movie stars the supremely talented Amanda Seyfried as the title character, as she attempts to solve the mystery of who the big bad wolf really is. If I'm being entirely honest, I can't wrap my head around what this movie is really about after watching the trailer. However, I'm a huge fan of Amanda Seyfried and it can't be any worse than "Letters to Juliet".Release date: March 11

Your Highness

This movie looks like pure, unadulterated fun. I find it even more amusing that Natalie Portman, recent Academy Award winner and James Franco, recent Academy Award nominee, are two of the film's stars. This movie looks like a good bet if you are looking for some laughs. My only concern is that it will fall into the classic comedy pitfall where all the best jokes are in the trailer. Regardless, I can't wait to see it when it comes out. Release Date: April 8. Content warning: The trailer below has nudity and graphic language. Viewers, be warned.

There you have it. I promise, by next week I will have gotten myself to a theater for another review.

2011 Academy Awards

For this post, I am going to stray a little bit from reviewing films to reviewing this year's Academy Awards. I have a lot of issues about this year's Oscars, so bear with me. It may be a bumpy ride.

First of all, I love Anne Hathaway and James Franco. Really I do. Both are extremely talented actors with extensive acting ranges. Hosting talents? Not so much. I love historic events, and this year marked the first time in the Academy's history that a male/female duo hosted the show together. Pretty cool right? However, if you watched this year's Academy Awards and thought that the young actors did a good job, I apologize. Mostly for your questionable taste. I would go as far as to say that Anne did an o.k job. She tried really hard, and really looked like she wanted to be there. At times it came across as a bit desperate and awkward, but she gave it her all. Franco? Half of the time he looked like he barely wanted to be there as he stumbled awkwardly through his lines. When Billy Crystal came onstage, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Most likely out of desperation for him to stay there.

I am pleased that this year, the Academy brought back the live performances of the Best Original Song category. However, they cut them so short that the segment seems a little abrupt and out of place. Also, where was Corey Haim in the tribute to those we lost this year? Granted he wasn't exactly an Academy Award winning actor, but to include publicists and not him seemed a little odd and insensitive.

All the winners were entirely predictable. This was not the year of the upset by any means. I love the Academy Awards. To me, it is my Superbowl. This year, however, did not meet my expectations. The ratings seemed to reflect my feelings. According to Nielsen, this year's telecast was down 10 percent. Next year, bring back Billy.

"This rock has been waiting for me my entire life"- 127 Hours

127 Hours is an astonishing and true tale of mountain climber Aron Ralston, and the 127 hours he spent with his arm trapped between a canyon wall and a boulder. Excellently played by James Franco, the film is both horrific and uplifting as it tackles the difficult journey Aron must take to ensure his survival.

There is really not all that much you can say about a movie that spends most of it's time with one character, in one place. Just from that description you can tell that the movie has every opportunity to be boring. Somehow, director Danny Boyle manages keep viewers interested and entertained to the point where we forget that the movie rarely moves from this one spot. When it does move, it jumps expertly between the reality of Aron's situation, to hallucinations that involve past relationships, acts of nature and even glimpses into his future. These jumps are rarely confusing to the viewer, and serves to add variety to Aron's situation. The film also makes great use of sound effects, adding vivid detail to every situation and scene where mere visuals just won't do.

James Franco's resume includes everything from the Academy Award winning "Milk", to guest starring on General Hospital as villain Franco. To call him versatile is an understatement, and he has long since proven himself as an actor. Franco's performance as an adventurous, and sometimes foolhardy climber, is spot on. When his attitude must change to keep surviving, he tackles each issue with enough emotion, and sometimes humor, that he is incredibly believable. The real Aron Ralston has an impressive resume, being the first person to climb all 53 of Colorado's mountains despite his obvious physical deficiency. He also climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro six years after his terrible accident. Evidently, Franco filled some very big shoes which is evident by his nomination for Best Actor by the Academy Awards.

The movie is not for the faint at heart. Without ruining the plot, if you know the story of Aron Ralston, you know what he had to do to survive. The film does get incredibly gory and graphic, and there has been multiple reports in the news about film-goers actually passing out.  Indeed, when I saw the film a woman fainted during the graphic scene (although I can't be sure it wasn't for other reasons).

I would definitely recommend this film for those who can stand a little gore but a lot of adventure.