Ted (dir. Seth MacFarlane)

Synopsis: John Bennett’s teddy bear, Ted, comes to life due to a childhood wish. As John and Ted grow older, their friendship is tested when Lori, John’s girlfriend of four years, plans to take their relationship to the next step.

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane

Release Date: June 29th

Here’s the uncensored trailer..much better.

Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy) makes his live-action directorial debut with his first full length feature. I’m almost 100% that if you like Family Guy,  you’ll like this. I’ve heard it’s got everything that Family Guy has, ranging  from over-the-top foul content, pop-culture references and odd flashback scenes. However, this may go above and beyond Family Guy because Seth MacFarlane has been able to outwit the limitations of television content by doing a movie instead (..and its Rated-R!). That means we’ll be seeing a lot of raunchy humour, foul language, racism and sexism. It also means that if your not a fan of that particular type of humour, this may not be the movie for you. Nonetheless, place a pot-smoking, womanizing teddy bear in the mix and we have a recipe for comedy.

Breaking down the story, Mark Wahlberg plays John Bennett, a man who once made a childhood wish to have his teddy bear, Ted  (…played by Seth MacFarlane), come to life. 27 years  later, John and Ted still live together and John also has a long term relationship with a girl named Lori (played by Mila Kunis). Lori feels that Ted is getting in the way of their relationship and that John needs to “grow up”. As a result, Ted is forced to go leave and embrace the world on his own. From that point onwards,  a series of crazy events  occur  including; drug abusing with celebrities , a kidnapping and a car chase. Hopefully hilarity will ensue.

In terms of the cast, Mark Wahlberg has proven he can do comedy (..as seen in The Other Guys with Will Ferrell). Wahlberg plays a grown man who appears to be going through some type of adulthood crisis. I feel like the most humorous parts will come from the interaction between John and Ted, in which Ted seems like he is always capable of triggering John’s childhood intuitions. Mila Kunis is always a good supporting female and love interest to throw into the mix. She started off in comedy, so we’ll be seeing her do what she does best in this….

…And of course, there’s probably the most intriguing character, Ted. I’m already

hearing from people how Ted sounds exactly like Peter Griffin and “It’s like Peter Griffin in teddy bear form”. Honestly, I don’t really care, its entertainment. Get over it. Anyways, steering away from the potential controversy, Ted is described as a drug-addicted and perverted teddy bear.  Ted will most likely serve as the devil on John’s shoulder. Personally, I think the “Peter Griffin” voice suits Ted because it contrasts his cute teddy bear image by giving him a deep masculine, grown-man’s voice.

I’m interested to see what the cheimsitry will be like between Wahlberg and MacFarlane (two pairings which I thought would never work alongside eachother). Based on the trailers, I’ve definitely seen some good interactions between the two actors. Ted’s quick and nimble wit goes well with John’s child-like personality,  which appears to come out once the two start hanging out and reminiscing (…a nod to Wahlberg in terms of acting performance).

John: “I’m taking Lori to dinner. You don’t think she’s going to expecting something big, do you?”

Ted: “What?! Like anal?”

..haha

Something to think about when watching…

Maybe (just maybe) there’ll be a deeper message behind the movie. One that explores the idea of what happens when certain people finally give up that one childhood thing they always held on to. Maybe in the end, John will learn to balance his inner childhood cravings with his some-what desire to be more of an adult. After all, sometimes it’s fun to be immature. Mature people are just too serious and boring..yuck.

Big Easy Express (dir. Emmett Malloy)

Synopsis: Indie folk heroes Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Tennessee’s Old Crow Medicine Show, and Britain’s acclaimed Mumford & Sons, climbed aboard a beautiful vintage train in California, setting out for New Orleans, Louisiana on a “tour of dreams”. The resulting film from this journey is nothing short of magical.

Director:  Emmett Malloy

I was going to write about a film called Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, but was skeptical on it because I don’t think it’ll be as good as intended. Instead I decided I would write a short, quick blog on this documentary.

This seems like it could be an interesting watch for people who are into the new age indie folk scene that is flourishing right now. Basically we have three indie folk bands taking it back to the railroad days by relying on a vintage train to help them tour from California to New Orleans and  make stops throughout six different cities along the way.

It’s a short watch, only 55 minutes and I think thats perfect for this type of documentary because if it were any longer, it could get repetitive and boring. Aside from that, here’s what I think based on the trailer. To start off, this documentary seems like its part musical and part road movie. The  live performances look intriguing (I.e, Mumford and Sons playing with a marching band). These bands look like they put so much energy into their live performances so the viewers will be able to get an up close view of the bands performing and the joyous crowds who have come to celebrate their music. We’ll also be able to see some intimate behind-the-scene interviews and footage of the bands, whether they’re talking about music or just having some laughs. I’m also sure we’ll  see some collaborative efforts done as well. On top of that, it looks like there will be some beautiful American cinematography that’ll capture an array of landscapes ranging from high canyons to beautiful blue skies.

To sum it up, what we’ll witness is the birth of a new musical era that is starting to finally gain more notice throughout the world. It’s clear to see that these guys eat, breath and sleep music. Overall, it seems like a good opportunity to catch an inside glimpse of how dedicated these guys are at their craft.

The Amazing Spiderman (dir. Marc Webb)

Title: The Amazing Spiderman

Director: Marc Webb

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field

Synopsis: Teenage outcast Peter Parker finds a clue that may help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. This clue ultimately shapes his destiny to become Spiderman and at the same time, puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father’s former partner.

First and foremost let’s reflect on the previous Spiderman franchise. The first two films in the trilogy were good and then there was the common mistake of fucking up on the third one. To remind you, thats the one where there’s too many overlapping subplots, poor casting choices (Topher Grace as Venom…wtf?!) and this shitty scene.

LMAO. My favourite part starts 42 seconds in. Okay so if there making a remake they better fix the last film portrayal that we saw of Spiderman where he ended up looking like a self-righteous 90s bachelor. Fortunately, after doing some research on it, I think it’ll pull through as a fresh remake.

The previous Spiderman trilogy was based off the comic books in the 70s. This adaptation takes an influence from the newer Spiderman comics, which is darker and grittier. As we’ve seen from previous comic book adaptions that are darker (Batman Beings, X-Men First Class), will help re-introduce a fresh perspective on Spiderman that’ll also explore the history behind Peter Parker and why he ended up living with his aunt and uncle. There will also be a stronger focus on Spiderman being a vigilante and not some glorified superhero is honoured with parades and marching band theme songs.

From the gecko, we’ll be seeing a teenage Peter Parker (…played by Andrew Garfield, who was also in The Social Network) who is still in highschool and is dealing with all the same relatable problems that all teenagers have and that’s the beauty of it. He’s not some god of thunder or a billionaire, he’s just an average kid from Queens, New York which means this adaptation of a superhero film will take place in a more recognizable universe and not on a flying spaceship. It makes it as relatable as possible to in comparison to any other superhero film and deals with the question: “How does the confused, hopeless underdog cope with his reality?”. In the other Spiderman trilogy, Peter Parker appeared to be bi-polar. He was strong as Spiderman but when he was Peter Parker, he was a soft-spoken defenceless emo kid who wined and obsessed over Mary Jane. Spiderman’s sense of humour was also absent at times. This version of Spiderman appears to be more accurate. He is only wearing the costume to protect the one’s he loves. It seems like he’ll have the sense of humour and wit that Spiderman usually has, whether in costume or not. No bi-polar shit.

Much like Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, we will be seeing a different story within the new Spiderman franchise. There’ll be a strong focus on his parents and the mystery behind their disappearance. Fresh material. Parker’s love interest is Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), one of his classmates who is an intern for a science company called Oscorp. She know’s that Peter Parker is Spiderman so through relationship, they also maintain the secrets about Peter Parker. Ironically, Gwen’s father is the police chief of New York and he is hunting Spiderman because he is labeled as a vigilante.

In the previous Spiderman films, Dr. Curt Connors (Peter’s science teacher) is

portrayed as a generous and kind man who is concerned for Peter’s journey through adolescence. In this film, Dr. Curt Connor (played by Rhys Ifans) is one of the head scientists for Oscorp. His portrayal is alot darker, weird and haywire. His role is more pivotal as he is the main antagonist and is also mysteriously involved with Peter’s parents disappearance, as him and Peter’s father were pioneers on a scientific movement. As seen in the trailer, we will be able to see Dr. Curt Connor’s accidental transformation into the lizard due to his experimentation with a serum that helps re-grow limbs and human tissue. According to the director, the Lizard is a “big bully” so we’re bound to see some awesome ground and airborne action scenes between Spiderman and the Lizard.

Lastly, Denis Leary wil be portraying George Stacy, Gwen’s father and a police chief. As I stated above, there will be a stronger focus on Spiderman being a vigilante who is wanted by police. Judging by this clip below, it seems like he get’s a thrill out of being a vigilante.. Maybe they will grow to accept him..maybe not..?

Overall, with the reintroduction of a new franchise comes new opportunities to see stuff that Spiderman fans haven’t seen before. Hopefully if this is successful, there’ll be  some sequels lined up.

Prometheus (dir. Ridley Scott)

Synopsis: In the late 21st century, a crew of explorers discover a map which contains the origins of mankind on Earth. The crew of the spaceship Prometheus are sent on a scientific expedition to follow the map to the depths of space. They end up exploring an advanced civilization of an alien race and soon face a threat to humanity’s very existence.

Release Date: June 8th (3D & IMax)

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender

Well, I guess the only way to start this off would be to say: This is going to be an epic movie.

 A “Semi” Prequel to the Alien Series: Many have been wondering (..and nerds alike have been arguing) if this is a direct prequel to the Alien franchise (I.e, exploring the origins behind the Aliens in the franchise). Apparently, it’s a separate story which precedes the events in Alien, and is not directly connected to the Alien franchise. However, there are some brief connections that can be made that tie Prometheus to the Alien universe.

To elaborate, the only connections I see between Alien and Prometheus is that in the future, the world will be owned by the megacorporation, Weyland Industries (supplier of weapons, vehicles and androids)  and that there appears to be a similarity between the space pilots who explore the unknown depths of space (..or better known as the “space jockey”).

About the writer, Damon Lindelof: One of the writers for Prometheus is Damon Lindelof. If you don’t know him, he was one of the co-writers (…and eventually became the lead writer) for the television series Lost. Lost had a complex storyline that blended supernatural events with science fiction. It also left many people mindfucked. Lindelof’s writing skills are perfectly set for a movie that is based within the Alien universe. He’ll definitely spice up the storyline with some thought provoking ideas. I’ll elaborate on this briefly below in the next section..

Question for Consideration, Where did Humanity Come From?:Since this isn’t a direct prequel to the Alien franchise, a whole new set of ideas and mythologies open up. Based on what you see in the trailer, a team of explorers find archaeological imagery from several unconnected cultures, which includes the Aztec, Mesopotamian and Magdalenian civilizations. The film will also be providing a bigger and more provocative question towards the existence of humanity. Questions that aren’t usually addressed in other science fiction films. This’ll be good though. It’ll add some , philosophical depth to the movie and leave us intrigued.  To sum up it up,  we’ll definitely be seeing a lot more than just a team of astronauts floating around space while aliens attack them.

About the director, Ridley Scott: Why will this film will be epic? Ridley Scott has been lauded for his science fiction films. In fact, he’s done some of the best science fiction films of all time, Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982). Since then, he’s done nothing, so this will be his first sci-fi in thirty years. There’s a lot of anticipation awaiting this release and I’m sure Ridley won’t disappoint.

In terms of his film style, Ridley’s always been a visual person who puts a lot of detail into his production design (I.e, settings). After watching a video of Ridley at ComicCon, Ridley claims that he wanted to stray away from the “gritty, grunge” look that Alien had and more towards a clean, futuristic look. If you put two and two together…What does this mean?… It means were bound to see some stunning, jaw-dropping camerawork that depicts a sleek, futuristic atmosphere (Such as the image provided above… ISNT IT BEAUTIFUL?).

In terms of soundtrack, Ridley likes to shoot with the score in mind so climatic scenes will be complimented with an intense soundtrack (Demonstrated finely in films such as Inception). If you watch the trailer, you’ll notice how the background music adds on to the intensity of the scene (especially near the end when the loud screeching/siren noises become more prominent). So we can all look forward to hearing an awesome soundtrack that’ll most likely make us jump out of our seats.

R-Rating =  Horrific, Shocking Scenes: This won’t be strictly science fiction. After all, Alien had some horrific moments. Ridley stated that he wanted to scare the audience with the same type of horrifying surprises that occured in Alien. I.e, When one of the crew members chokes, convulses and then has a baby alien burst out his chest.  Since we’re seeing a new type of alien species, we’ll probably see some fresh (..but disturbing) material that’ll hopefully leave us in a horrified state (…This is good…that is, if you enjoy that type of stuff). It’ll be a slow buildup, but the horror will come…oh, it’ll come .

Extra: Here’s two interesting promotional videos attached to the film that surfaced on the internet a while back. Check them out.

The second video is stubborn and doesn’t want to appear on my page, so here’s the link via YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-a7H4eNDH4