1. One Day
It’s got chick-flick written all over it, except it probably benefits from better writing and acting. Dramatic, tear-inducing, revelatory with a 20-something vantage point relatable to someone like myself, I expect to watch it alone when it comes out.

2. Crazy Stupid Love
Story itself does not impress me, but the cast makes it a must-see. While I don’t really know if Ryan Gosling fits the role of a self-absorbed womanizer, I do think his presence lends credibility to almost all his movies. Again, I’ll probably watch this alone. Sort of wish I had some friends who were more like me.

But of course, that’s the stuff of science fiction; Hollywood imaginings designed around dollars signs and mass audience appeal. What about real life? What kind of discourse is currently taking place around technology, science and humankind’s destiny? If curiosity is your compass, then Transcendent Man is a point worth considering.

Ray Kurzweil is a renowned, albeit, polarizing futurist famous for some startling predictions, many of which, according to Wikipedia, have come true. Transcendent Man examines aspects of his life, his beliefs and visions of the future. Some of it sounds pretty preposterous and many will be quick to label him a lunatic who’s completely lost it on the science front. But I’m not too sure what he is. Is he a madman, or merely a genius beyond his time?

Because I wasn’t schooled in the sciences (my bachelors degree was for the Arts), I can’t objectively validate any of his claims or offer further insights into the next stage of human evolution, but Kurzweil believes by 2045, humanity will be altered in ways previously only imaginable to novelists and screenwriters.

Kurzweil envisions a future where humans transcend their biological limits by melding with technology – the creation of “super-humans”. Imagine morphing into souped-up versions of ourselves, with chips embedded into our bodies. Imagine shedding our external selves and living in a complete virtual world. Imagine, as Kurzweil eerily proclaims, defying death altogether. Transcendent Man discusses the direction we may be heading in, and the debate surrounding our outcome if all of it actually happens. Fascinating!

(Update: I didn’t watch this, but I don’t think it broke the crappy video-game movie mold.)

I know, copy/paste is a complete cop-out, but I just couldn’t think of a better way to describe the movie. Needless to say, I can’t wait, mainly for the impressive cast which features Anton Yelchin, Shia LaBoeuf, current it-boy Bradley Cooper and tons of others, including the unambiguously hot duo Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen. With Zach Braff tacked on as a director, it’s likely to be smothered in syrupy-sweet sentimentality – and that’s a good thing!

The first one is The Lovely Bones, based on the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold. Normally, I wouldn’t be too keen to see what unfolds onscreen because the book didn’t move me the way it did everyone else. But two simple words could take me to the ends of Middle Earth… yes, I’m talking Peter Jackson, the man with the magic director’s hand. Is there any doubt this movie will be somewhat extraordinary?

I’ll confess that I’m not the biggest Saoirse Ronan fan (pronounced “Seer-sha” and not “Swa-errs” or anything remotely close to how it’s spelled!) I still can’t get over her character in Atonement, especially for the stupid side-parted haircut (the same one she continued to wear sixty years later). But since she was nominated for an Oscar, I’m sure she’ll do fine here.

And Mark Wahlberg playing the father? That’s a shocker. But a good one! I’m excited.

Overall, the expectations are high. I predict tons of tears, magic, fantasy and life-altering revelations. Good stuffs.

(Update: I never ended up watching this movie. I heard it didn’t do so well. Oh well)

1. Watchmen

Although the movie itself was a bit of a letdown the trailer promised something extraordinary. The Smashing Pumpkin’s song, coupled with some pivotal movie moments really made it happen.

2. Where the Wild Things Are

I have supremely high hopes for this movie based on the theatrical trailer. Seriously, it was so moving that some tears were shed after I initially saw this. More tears were shed when I saw it the second time. If all goes well, I’ll cry a bucketful at the actual screening.

I’ll admit, it does look a tad cheesy and I can already predict what’s going to happen (she’ll realize she loves her BGF and she’ll probably get a job) but I will STILL watch this because…

It stars Alexis Bledel and I’ve always been quite fond of her.
And of course, I can kind of relate to it, which is something I tend to like in movies.
If done right, it’ll probably make me cry!

(Update: I saw this movie on a plane. It was terrible. But it put me to sleep, which was good for my 13 hour ride.)

If you read this site regularly (anyone?) you’ll notice that I haven’t been doing many updates these days. I’m not sure exactly what to attribute this to. It could be due to lack of interest, or lack of interesting occurrences in Hollywood. Or an existential crisis.

I usually do quick internet searches for notable stories or movie releases worth mentioning, but lately, I’ve come away empty-handed. I just don’t seem to care anymore. There’s nothing interesting to talk about, nothing important to relay, nothing that sufficiently addresses the underlying uncertainty of “what exactly am I doing this for?”

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to my own life, my own aspirations, trying to figure out the patterns that have prevented me from attaining true happiness – the kind that can weather temporary setbacks, that keeps you afloat amidst oceans of negativity. Having recently reached that quarter-century milestone, I feel a sense of inadequacy, a sense that my ideal and real self are poles apart.

I’m nowhere near the person I had always set out to be, or imagined I would become at 25. I don’t have a best-selling book, and the self-help guru within has yet to emerge. What’s worse, all the goals that once gave way to a secure sense of identity have unraveled like a loosely fastened knot, detaching a boat from its dock. And here I am, stranded without a paddle in a sea of confusion, hit with the realization that dreams are sometimes just illusions, and degrees don’t always come with guarantees.

In short, I am having a Quarter-Life Crisis. It’s kind of like the mid-life crisis, but for us young folk. Apparently it’s a phenomenon – as in, there are tons of others in my age-bracket going through the same thing. It’s even on Wikipedia, which means it’s true. John Mayer sings about it too.

So what exactly does all this have to do with my movie blog?

Well, I was starting to wonder if merely watching and writing about movies was a waste of time, time that could be better allocated towards self-discovery perhaps. But suddenly, by a random hybrid of chance and fate, I came across a movie that happened to address the very issues I’ve been facing.

It’s called How to Be starring Robert Pattinson (who’s no doubt a household name, having starred in two Harry Potters and all). Rob’s character, Art, is a socially maladjusted 20-something who’s determined to overcome his depressive existence by seeking the guidance of a self-help author, whom he invites to live with him in his parents’ home. Comedic developments are sure to ensue on this road to self-actualization.

But it’s more than just a comedy. It’s one of those instances of art imitating reality, and not an overly-stylized MTV reality of airheads and jocks and a backdrop of sprawling mansions, but a reality of actual relevance – a reference to a life its audience actually knows, though one they may not fully understand. This is a movie that speaks to the subset of our generation who still don’t have it all figured out, who harbor fears about the future and who still wonder “What is this really all about?”

Of course, I haven’t seen the movie yet, so I can’t say whether it satisfactorily addresses these issues. Maybe I’ll decide that it’s a weak attempt at exploring the concerns of the undecided young adult, or that I actually can’t relate to it at all. Maybe I’ll hate the movie.  But final verdicts aside, discovering the film at that exact time was the impetus I needed – to continue writing about and watching movies, to see that it isn’t a complete waste of time, and to realize that there is a certain normalcy in being undefined. For now, at least.

Gotta love that Andy Samberg. I like to think he’s the man who revived SNL. Jorma Taccone is awesome too!

His relatively low-key life changed after he donned that fateful cape. After years of toiling away from the spotlight, he’s finally received the recognition he deserves. But now it seems he’s a household name for all the wrong reasons.

The public seems to know more about his volatile temperament than his laudable accomplishments.  I guess the media has a way of shaping people, of creating whole identities out of isolated incidents. And collectively, consumers can be easily convinced.  Sweeping statements about his anger issues are now the focal point of this man’s impressive career, and little regard is given to the sacrifices he’s made to get here.

Here’s a man who keeps it real. He’s no prima donna, there’s no false pretense, he knows he was in the wrong and he’s sorry. Call me naive, but I believe him. And seriously folks, how can one not forgive  a man with such a bad-ass accent?

Here’s the official apology/explanation/statement/excuse to hear his great English mannerisms:

020609_bale-mp4.mp4

Okay, but do YOU have a movie coming out, in 3D?? No, didn’t think so, but  Joe Jonas does! (Oh, his brothers are in it too). Yeah, apparently the concert that had me screaming, is now burning up the screen! “So what are you saying? You’re gonna go watch this thing?” No… No! But that won’t stop me from replaying the trailer over and over until my speakers explode!

My apologies to family, friends, co-workers, neighbours or anyone remotely linked to me who might feel shamed by association. Thanks. Please don’t be concerned.

While I don’t foresee any Oscars coming their way, I’m predicting a sort of Wayan’s world revival. Enter “Dance Flick” the new movie opening later this summer. It’s a parody of all those cheesy dance movies (Step Up, Save the Last Dance, You Got Served, etc…), the ones so hugely popular amongst the teen demographic, with the terrible writing, useless plots and pretty faces. It’s a pretty easy formula to parodize.  I have high hopes for this film, because my ratio of chuckles to eye roll was about 3:1 for the trailer! High hopes folks!

That is, until I saw the trailer. Man, does it suck. I was excited about KK taking on a role that could see her catapulted into super-star status, but this potentially catastrophic movie seems more likely to cause a career crash.

I kind of saw it coming though. After all, the director’s credentials (Andrzej Bartkowiak) include such cinematic achievements as “Doom” (starring the Rock) and “Cradle to the Grave” (with Jet-Li and DXM) and nothing noticeably successful as far as I can tell.

But being  the true KK fan that I am, I do still intend to watch this movie. Yes, the legit way. Peep the trailer.