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review franchise wb united nations vigilantism p2p posting guilty pleasures vigilantes illustrator top five comparisions worst movies downloading movies buffy hulk war superhero registration act michael bay un loeg copyright top ten shra bad movies top 5 copyright protection media intellectual property digital x3 2008 marvel comics watchmen comic book comic alan moore world war hulk hulk civil war recording industry superman returns means and ends webcast series worst films filesharing web comic lawsuits definitive critique online shows future artist tv show namecalling league of extraordinary gentlemen xmen 3 comicbook movies movie list illegal copy the last stand digital download starcraft 2007 negativity digg jlu
Merin's Blog
Merin's Top 5 Lists
(Wed 01/02/2008 07:44pm)
Dark Jedi beat me to this by a bit – what was just an inkling in my mind turned into a full fledged article from him. Kudos.
Now I'll toss out my opinions to be consumed (or ridiculed) and show my hand completely on the things I like, don't like and look forward to. I like sharing my interests with others, and seeing what they like, and in the spirit of such sharing I bring new Top 5 movie lists.
Top 5 Disappointments of 2007
5 – D-War
I was hoping for some good action sequences and a decent story. I got some lame action sequences, a lot of choppy dialog and poor acting, and a plot line that was pretty pathetic. Not horrible, but fell short of my low expectations.
4 – The Messengers
This wasn't that bad. It was ok. But all the positive reviews and good word of mouth had me expecting much more. The ending was pretty blah. I dunno, it really was ok, but I tend to avoid movies I don't think I'll like and only very rarely try something I'm not sure.
3 – Halloween
Rob Zombie, so I should have known better. I shouldn't have expected anything. But I had a small hope that it might be interesting on some level. Nope. About a third of the way through the film (the beginning was so very, very wretched) I leaned over to my friend who I had convinced to come see this movie with me and said “I am so very sorry.” He laughed. Afterward we walked out and both had the same thought - “That was horrible, and it still was better than Transformers.”
2 – The Number 23
Again, not horrible, but I had expected a whole bunch more than this. The number was really meaningless for the plot. All but Carey as the detective character was dull, slow, plodding. The end part of the movie, with all the “revelations” was really a big let down. Yep, prolly should have known better but went in fairly excited. Left kinda bored.
1 – First Snow
Rented it, but I had been wanting to see it. Small release. Guy Pearce and J.K. Simmons, supposedly a mystery/thriller. And it was mostly well acted (Pearce reminding me a bit of Ralph Fiennes in Strange Days) but the story began to drag half-way and really it went nowhere. Typical “run from your fate, run towards your fate” attempt at a storyline, but really more in the spirit of Magnolia it was a “shit happens” plot. And that kind of ending really ruins things for me.
Honorable Mention: Hot Fuzz
No, I liked it. I did. But I had expected so very much more. Too high of expectations for Simon Pegg, I'm afraid, to ever live up to. My fault, not his.
Top 5 Big Surprises of 2007
5 – The Last Legion
Hey, I really liked it. It was low-grade B fantasy, but I only learned of it the weekend it came out and had no idea what to expect. Probably would disappoint many who expected something else from it, but I enjoyed what I got. It is very rare that a movie hits theaters that I didn't know was coming and I decide to check out on a whim.
4 – Ratatouille
I like Pixar, mostly. And Brad Bird had brought me the amazing Incredibles film. Still, a rat chef in Paris – I'm right there with most people on the premise. Still, the story was light-hearted and life-affirming in a good, non-cheesy way. The characters were well developed, unique, interesting and involving. The humor was spot on. And, along with unique characters, it was an amazingly fresh theme/setting/story/set of characters for a big Hollywood film. Kudos to Pixar! I fell in love. With a French rat that cooks.
3 – Beowulf
Seriously, I had extremely low expectations for this flick. Up until the night before it came out I thought it looked stupid and I had no intention of ever seeing it. Then, that night, after checking movies times for the next day I said to my wife “You want to check out Beowulf tomorrow?” We both know the story very well, and I didn't expect much – but it was exciting, entertaining, and very action-packed. The end sequence had me on the edge of my seat! Not the best of the year, but it far exceed what I thought it would be like.
2 – Ghost Rider
Many hate this film. And it has its flaws. I'm neither a Ghost Rider, the character/comic, nor a Nic Cage fan. I don't like the actress at all. And the villains he fights, for the most part, were lame. But for some reason, like Daredevil, the director made a movie that I really enjoyed. Naysayers may dislike the film, and I can't really defend it as being a great film or anything, but it REALLY entertained me and I expected another Punisher (to me, a meh film.)
1 – Stardust
I love Neil Gaiman, but often he writes stuff I cannot read. This novel was one such story. I tried three times to get into it but couldn't. (Perhaps I need to re-evaluate my “love” of fantasy novels – Tolkien, Gaiman and Jordan are all writers who's fantasy I cannot enjoy.) Back on topic, though, this film was so amazingly fun. It was exactly like Princess Bride mixed with Willow for me, and just as fun as both. Sure it isn't perfect, but both the lack of advertising plus the inability I had with getting into the novel had me thinking it would be blech. It wasn't – it was great!
Honorable Mention: Meet The Robinsons
I hate Disney, but surprisingly keep enjoying many of their animated films. The trailers to this made me think it really lame and a one-joke (dinosaur) film. It wasn't lame, and it had MANY awesome jokes.
Top 5 Films For Merin in 2007
(I feel the need to state that these are my favorites, not necessarily the best made or best reviewed or most money making)
5 – Hostel 2
What can I say? I really liked the first one and I found how they did the second one refreshing. It's not a slasher film. It's not a monster film (unless you consider Eastern Europeans and/or the idle rich as monsters, and there is an argument there for that.) I dunno if it really deserves the “torture porn” genre descriptor (only film I can personally think of that deserves that is Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, and even it doesn't really – maybe Devil's Rejects? Yes, that would qualify as “torture porn” to me.) What I do know is that it reversed many of the aspects of the first film, while expanding on the mythos it is creating, and the ending was so perfect and so diabolically ingenious that I was really taken aback. Good, true “horror” films are so hard to come by.
4 – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Based on my favorite novel in the series. A vast improvement on the previous film (I really disliked Goblet of Fire.) It used interesting techniques to advance the story and the passage of time, and it chopped out a lot to focus on really one narrow through plot. The director did an admirable job condensing that mammoth book! Doesn't hurt that the film has an ensemble cast all acting top notch!
3 – 3:10 to Yuma
Not a fan of westerns – at least I haven't been until very recently. I haven't seen the original. And I'm really not a fan of Russel Crowe. This was, however, an amazing film. Great story, great acting, especially from Alan Tudyk and Ben Foster. Of course Christian Bale was great, and I even liked Crowe in this film. I knew from the trailer I'd love it, however, so it wasn't a surprise at all. I got a bit more than I expected, but I expected a lot.
2 – Grindhouse
Unlike many, I prefer Deathproof. I think the story is better, the pacing is better, and the acting is better. On second watching I loved Deathproof more and liked Planet Terror less. Still, here I'm talking the whole package. From opening faux trailers to the final credits of Deathproof. The WHOLE Grindhouse experience was amazing. I wish I had seen it a second time in the theater. Anyone watching the individuals movies without having seen the whole package in the theater has really, really missed out.
1 – 300
Some love it. Others loathe it. Put me in the “love it” camp. I saw it multiple times in the theater, and have watched it a couple times at home. It helps that I'm a history buff and know all about the Battle at Thermopylae . It might help that I like action sequences where I know who's fighting, can see what is happening (yep, I love the slow motion sequences), and feel like each battle has a point in the story. I get that the film, the whole point, is that one battle over 3 days and nothing else, and as such it all focuses on the immediate precedings and the immediate aftermath. Probably the biggest aide to my enjoyment, however, is my catching that the whole film is a recollection by Dilios told to another band of warriors about to fight and hence Dilios, a great storyteller, is vastly exaggerating the actual events to include monsters and vast numbers and god-like rulers.
I love the whole thing. To me there isn't a flaw in this movie save the fact that so many people hate it. If that's a flaw.
Honorable Mention: Waitress
I really enjoyed this film, but as I caught it on DVD and not in the theater AND I enjoyed Hostel 2 more, it fails to make the list.
Finally, with little fanfare and no lengthy explanations, my last list
Top 5 Anticipated Movies of 2008
5 – The Dark Knight
Nolan and Bale. An interesting looking take on the Joker. No more Katie Holmes. A sequel without a title dumbed down for audiences. If I were a Batman fan, this would probably be higher.
4 – Cloverfield
This might be great. This might be a train wreck. Whatever it turns out to be, I really really want to see it.
3 – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Probably my second favorite novel in the series. I'm digging this movie franchise so much.
2 – Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Yeah, it has a 2 in the title. I'm over it. I loved the first film, love the animated films, and love Selma Blair, Doug Jones and Ron Perlman. Barely beaten by . . .
1 – Iron Man
Marvel's first self-made movie (or however that is really.) So I want to see how that turns out. Directed by Jon Favreau, so I really want to see how it turns out. The suit looks good, so do the trailers. But mostly I want to see Robert Downy Jr. as Tony Stark. Talk about PERFECT casting.
I did say Top 5 Top 5 Lists, right? No? Well, I meant to. To make it 5, I toss this one out for fun.
(with acknowledgements to Pat Ferrarra and his lists.)
Top 5 Maniacs Whose Opinions On Movies I Respect
(otherwords, they say something and I strongly consider it)
5 – MXM
He's crazy. You HAVE to listen to him.
4 – Abbie Bernstein
Does a columnist count as a Maniac? I enjoy her reviews and like her logic, even on the few times I don't agree with her.
3 – Dark Jedi
Outside of Lucas. And Bay. Otherwise, we're good.
2 – tjanson
The more he writes the more I like it.
1 – themovielord
Deserving of his nom de guerre.
(Wed 01/02/2008 07:44pm)
Dark Jedi beat me to this by a bit – what was just an inkling in my mind turned into a full fledged article from him. Kudos.
Now I'll toss out my opinions to be consumed (or ridiculed) and show my hand completely on the things I like, don't like and look forward to. I like sharing my interests with others, and seeing what they like, and in the spirit of such sharing I bring new Top 5 movie lists.
Top 5 Disappointments of 2007
5 – D-War
I was hoping for some good action sequences and a decent story. I got some lame action sequences, a lot of choppy dialog and poor acting, and a plot line that was pretty pathetic. Not horrible, but fell short of my low expectations.
4 – The Messengers
This wasn't that bad. It was ok. But all the positive reviews and good word of mouth had me expecting much more. The ending was pretty blah. I dunno, it really was ok, but I tend to avoid movies I don't think I'll like and only very rarely try something I'm not sure.
3 – Halloween
Rob Zombie, so I should have known better. I shouldn't have expected anything. But I had a small hope that it might be interesting on some level. Nope. About a third of the way through the film (the beginning was so very, very wretched) I leaned over to my friend who I had convinced to come see this movie with me and said “I am so very sorry.” He laughed. Afterward we walked out and both had the same thought - “That was horrible, and it still was better than Transformers.”
2 – The Number 23
Again, not horrible, but I had expected a whole bunch more than this. The number was really meaningless for the plot. All but Carey as the detective character was dull, slow, plodding. The end part of the movie, with all the “revelations” was really a big let down. Yep, prolly should have known better but went in fairly excited. Left kinda bored.
1 – First Snow
Rented it, but I had been wanting to see it. Small release. Guy Pearce and J.K. Simmons, supposedly a mystery/thriller. And it was mostly well acted (Pearce reminding me a bit of Ralph Fiennes in Strange Days) but the story began to drag half-way and really it went nowhere. Typical “run from your fate, run towards your fate” attempt at a storyline, but really more in the spirit of Magnolia it was a “shit happens” plot. And that kind of ending really ruins things for me.
Honorable Mention: Hot Fuzz
No, I liked it. I did. But I had expected so very much more. Too high of expectations for Simon Pegg, I'm afraid, to ever live up to. My fault, not his.
Top 5 Big Surprises of 2007
5 – The Last Legion
Hey, I really liked it. It was low-grade B fantasy, but I only learned of it the weekend it came out and had no idea what to expect. Probably would disappoint many who expected something else from it, but I enjoyed what I got. It is very rare that a movie hits theaters that I didn't know was coming and I decide to check out on a whim.
4 – Ratatouille
I like Pixar, mostly. And Brad Bird had brought me the amazing Incredibles film. Still, a rat chef in Paris – I'm right there with most people on the premise. Still, the story was light-hearted and life-affirming in a good, non-cheesy way. The characters were well developed, unique, interesting and involving. The humor was spot on. And, along with unique characters, it was an amazingly fresh theme/setting/story/set of characters for a big Hollywood film. Kudos to Pixar! I fell in love. With a French rat that cooks.
3 – Beowulf
Seriously, I had extremely low expectations for this flick. Up until the night before it came out I thought it looked stupid and I had no intention of ever seeing it. Then, that night, after checking movies times for the next day I said to my wife “You want to check out Beowulf tomorrow?” We both know the story very well, and I didn't expect much – but it was exciting, entertaining, and very action-packed. The end sequence had me on the edge of my seat! Not the best of the year, but it far exceed what I thought it would be like.
2 – Ghost Rider
Many hate this film. And it has its flaws. I'm neither a Ghost Rider, the character/comic, nor a Nic Cage fan. I don't like the actress at all. And the villains he fights, for the most part, were lame. But for some reason, like Daredevil, the director made a movie that I really enjoyed. Naysayers may dislike the film, and I can't really defend it as being a great film or anything, but it REALLY entertained me and I expected another Punisher (to me, a meh film.)
1 – Stardust
I love Neil Gaiman, but often he writes stuff I cannot read. This novel was one such story. I tried three times to get into it but couldn't. (Perhaps I need to re-evaluate my “love” of fantasy novels – Tolkien, Gaiman and Jordan are all writers who's fantasy I cannot enjoy.) Back on topic, though, this film was so amazingly fun. It was exactly like Princess Bride mixed with Willow for me, and just as fun as both. Sure it isn't perfect, but both the lack of advertising plus the inability I had with getting into the novel had me thinking it would be blech. It wasn't – it was great!
Honorable Mention: Meet The Robinsons
I hate Disney, but surprisingly keep enjoying many of their animated films. The trailers to this made me think it really lame and a one-joke (dinosaur) film. It wasn't lame, and it had MANY awesome jokes.
Top 5 Films For Merin in 2007
(I feel the need to state that these are my favorites, not necessarily the best made or best reviewed or most money making)
5 – Hostel 2
What can I say? I really liked the first one and I found how they did the second one refreshing. It's not a slasher film. It's not a monster film (unless you consider Eastern Europeans and/or the idle rich as monsters, and there is an argument there for that.) I dunno if it really deserves the “torture porn” genre descriptor (only film I can personally think of that deserves that is Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, and even it doesn't really – maybe Devil's Rejects? Yes, that would qualify as “torture porn” to me.) What I do know is that it reversed many of the aspects of the first film, while expanding on the mythos it is creating, and the ending was so perfect and so diabolically ingenious that I was really taken aback. Good, true “horror” films are so hard to come by.
4 – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Based on my favorite novel in the series. A vast improvement on the previous film (I really disliked Goblet of Fire.) It used interesting techniques to advance the story and the passage of time, and it chopped out a lot to focus on really one narrow through plot. The director did an admirable job condensing that mammoth book! Doesn't hurt that the film has an ensemble cast all acting top notch!
3 – 3:10 to Yuma
Not a fan of westerns – at least I haven't been until very recently. I haven't seen the original. And I'm really not a fan of Russel Crowe. This was, however, an amazing film. Great story, great acting, especially from Alan Tudyk and Ben Foster. Of course Christian Bale was great, and I even liked Crowe in this film. I knew from the trailer I'd love it, however, so it wasn't a surprise at all. I got a bit more than I expected, but I expected a lot.
2 – Grindhouse
Unlike many, I prefer Deathproof. I think the story is better, the pacing is better, and the acting is better. On second watching I loved Deathproof more and liked Planet Terror less. Still, here I'm talking the whole package. From opening faux trailers to the final credits of Deathproof. The WHOLE Grindhouse experience was amazing. I wish I had seen it a second time in the theater. Anyone watching the individuals movies without having seen the whole package in the theater has really, really missed out.
1 – 300
Some love it. Others loathe it. Put me in the “love it” camp. I saw it multiple times in the theater, and have watched it a couple times at home. It helps that I'm a history buff and know all about the Battle at Thermopylae . It might help that I like action sequences where I know who's fighting, can see what is happening (yep, I love the slow motion sequences), and feel like each battle has a point in the story. I get that the film, the whole point, is that one battle over 3 days and nothing else, and as such it all focuses on the immediate precedings and the immediate aftermath. Probably the biggest aide to my enjoyment, however, is my catching that the whole film is a recollection by Dilios told to another band of warriors about to fight and hence Dilios, a great storyteller, is vastly exaggerating the actual events to include monsters and vast numbers and god-like rulers.
I love the whole thing. To me there isn't a flaw in this movie save the fact that so many people hate it. If that's a flaw.
Honorable Mention: Waitress
I really enjoyed this film, but as I caught it on DVD and not in the theater AND I enjoyed Hostel 2 more, it fails to make the list.
Finally, with little fanfare and no lengthy explanations, my last list
Top 5 Anticipated Movies of 2008
5 – The Dark Knight
Nolan and Bale. An interesting looking take on the Joker. No more Katie Holmes. A sequel without a title dumbed down for audiences. If I were a Batman fan, this would probably be higher.
4 – Cloverfield
This might be great. This might be a train wreck. Whatever it turns out to be, I really really want to see it.
3 – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Probably my second favorite novel in the series. I'm digging this movie franchise so much.
2 – Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Yeah, it has a 2 in the title. I'm over it. I loved the first film, love the animated films, and love Selma Blair, Doug Jones and Ron Perlman. Barely beaten by . . .
1 – Iron Man
Marvel's first self-made movie (or however that is really.) So I want to see how that turns out. Directed by Jon Favreau, so I really want to see how it turns out. The suit looks good, so do the trailers. But mostly I want to see Robert Downy Jr. as Tony Stark. Talk about PERFECT casting.
I did say Top 5 Top 5 Lists, right? No? Well, I meant to. To make it 5, I toss this one out for fun.
(with acknowledgements to Pat Ferrarra and his lists.)
Top 5 Maniacs Whose Opinions On Movies I Respect
(otherwords, they say something and I strongly consider it)
5 – MXM
He's crazy. You HAVE to listen to him.
4 – Abbie Bernstein
Does a columnist count as a Maniac? I enjoy her reviews and like her logic, even on the few times I don't agree with her.
3 – Dark Jedi
Outside of Lucas. And Bay. Otherwise, we're good.
2 – tjanson
The more he writes the more I like it.
1 – themovielord
Deserving of his nom de guerre.
