A Post, but not a Good One

Hello everybody! I just wanted to add this post in for a couple of reasons. One to thank you all a whole freaking bunch again because Ramblings of a Cinephile has just passed 2000 views. Thank you guys so much. It means a lot to me that you keep coming back and reading my posts and that you guys actually like them. I literally cried in a corner today out of happiness. Literally? No not literally, that's pathetic, jeez. (I'm saving all my corner cries for when Amy and Rory leave Doctor Who midseason. that will be a truly sad day.) But anyway thank you guys so much. Anyway to reward you I'm going to warn you about Resident Evil: Retribution. Pretty soon my review will show up on SidewalkOnline and I'll link over to it when that happens (it's happened), but in the meantime, just take my brief word for it, don't see it. it's not worth it, no matter your expectations, it will not meet them.
Ok. That's it. Thank you for your patronage. I'm gonna go play Borderlands 2 now.

Movies That Will Probably be Good but Have Yet to Come Out - Part 3, or The Final Installment

The Hobbit – December 14

This film should not require an explanation as to why I am excited or think it will be good. But I’ll give one anyway. Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy was one of the most impressive projects creatively, narratologically, and technically that Hollywood has produced in recent memory. It was not only an extremely entertaining example of the epic Hollywood blockbuster that our society so craves, but also an exceedingly well-told story across three films. The most recent installment in the franchise, Return of the King, is tied with Titanic and Ben-Hur for the most Oscar wins of any film. I can’t help but expect Jackson to produce (and write and direct) something amazing for Tolkein’s prequel to Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit. Additionally, this is the first major studio film to be shot in 48 fps and I am curious to see what sort of effect that will have on the medium. Also Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) plays a dragon and Watson (Martin Freeman) plays Bilbo. Should be a fun ride.

Les Miserables – December 14

If you haven’t seen the Liam Neeson adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel yet, stop reading this and go watch it.

I’ll wait.

Done? It was pretty awesome right? Well that same story has also been adapted into a Broadway Musical that is widely regarded as one of the best musicals ever made. And that musical has been adapted into this film. It has a crazy cast, many with Broadway musical backgrounds: Hugh Jackman as the ex-criminal Jean Valjean, Russel Crowe as Inspector Javert, Amanda Seyfried as Cosette, Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thenardier, Sacha Baron Cohen as Thernardier, and Anne Hathaway as Fantine. Ho. Ly. Crap. And then, on top of all of that, Tom Hooper directed it. You may know him as the director of 2010 best picture/best director winner The King’s Speech. If you don’t, stop reading this and go watch it. The rest of this list will still be here when you get back. (Quick bit of trivia regarding this movie, all of the musical numbers are recorded on set, not in a studio.)

This is 40 – December 21

Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up was one of the most surprising movies I’ve ever seen. Not because it was particularly plot twisty, but because it wasn’t just a raunchy sex comedy like I expected. I mean, it was a raunchy sex comedy, but there was a lot more to it, such as realistic, sympathetic characters dealing with life’s harsh realities and learning to accept responsibility for one’s actions. This is 40 follows the lives of a few of the characters from Knocked Up, Pete (Paul Rudd), Debbie (Leslie Mann), and Jason (Jason Segel) in particular. Since Knocked Up, Apatow has proven himself a talented modern story teller time and time again and I look forward to his return these character’s lives in what will hopefully be an equally touching and hilarious film as Knocked Up was.

Django Unchained – December 28

I like Quentin Tarantino. A lot. He’s clever, intelligent, hilarious, and knows how to direct actors in such a way as to get a completely unnatural and yet totally believable performance every time he steps behind the camera. Django Unchained features some of Tarntino’s favorite actors returning, both Samuel LMF Jackson and Christoph Waltz are back, and some exciting new comers, Jamie Foxx is premiering in the Tarantinoverse in this film and, whom I personally am most excited for performance-wise in this film, Leonardo DiCaprio who, based on some of his previous roles, seems to me to have been born to be directed by Tarantino and should have been introduced to the verse a long time ago. This film looks like it’ll be a killer good time and I will definitely have a review of it over on SidewalkOnline come this December.

BONUS! Seven Psychopaths - October 12

Ok not really a “bonus” so much as I missed this one in an earlier post so I figured I’d tag it on here. But this movie looks hilarious and has, again, a stellar cast: Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Tom Waits, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, and Woody Harrelson. It’s the first project writer/director Martin McDonagh has worked on since 2008’s In Bruges, which was brilliantly and sadistically hilarious. If you haven’t seen In Bruges you should. Seven Psychopaths revolves around the accidental kidnapping of a gangster’s Shih Tzu, and every aspect of it looks hilarious. Just watch the trailer.

Do you agree? Disagree? Did I miss anything? There aren't anymore installments. This is it. If there is anything I missed or you just have something to say, whether pertaining to this post or not, please comment in the comment section right below this. Seriously. It's right down there. I need your comments. I'm so lonely in my apartment with five other people...

Movies that Will Probably be Good but Have Yet to Come Out this Year Part 2

Hello again internet friends! Sorry I’ve taken so long with the second installment to MTWPbGbHYtCOTY (Movies that will probably be good but have yet to come out this year), I’ve been on vacation in Seattle for PAX this last week and chose not to post because video games. I’ll probably share my experience with you on this blog or in a video to my sister (you can get to our channel through the side projects tab) including my impressions of upcoming games (or maybe I’ll share that on 1up, I haven’t decided yet) like which my favorite game at PAX was (hint: it’s The Last of Us). Wow, that sentence was a grammar disaster: way too many asides.  Also Ice cream is good. I share that with you because I’m eating some right now…as in while I’m writing this. Probably not while you’re reading this. Ok. Back to the post at hand. Here is the second installment of MTWPbGbHYtCOTY. Oh and if you didn't read the first installment here it is.

The Man with the Iron Fists – November 2

Why, you ask, would I include in this list a movie directed by RZA (of… some sort of fame. I don’t have time to research every hip hop musician turned filmmaker, here’s his Wikipedia page you go read up on him) and written by RZA and Eli Roth (of Hostel and Inglourious Basterds fame, him I know off the top of my head)? Because it will be awesome. Ok to be fair it probably won’t be good, but it will have crazy bloody action violence, cause that’s what we’ve come to expect from any movie Eli Roth is even remotely involved with. And this one stars Russel Crowe (Gladiator), Lucy Liu (Kill Bill), and Pam Grier (way too many blaxploitation films to count) and is about martial arts. This will probably not be good. For all the reasons I just listed I want to see it. But it will be a damn fun ride.

Skyfall – November 9

Ok, so Quantum of Solace wasn’t great. But Casino Royale certainly was. And the director attached to Skyfall is fantastic (Sam Mendes). And while he hasn’t worked on the sort of action fair we normally attribute to the 007 series, his previous work suggests that he will inject some emotional development into Craig’s new Bond, which is a believable character wracked by previous issues that necessitate some sort of emotional difficulty that I believe Sam Mendes will be able to give this series. Also the Bond movies are cool and I want to see how BenWishaw does as Q.

Lincoln – November -16

This film chronicles the life of one of our most interesting president during one of the most interesting periods during his term: the period when Lincoln fought for the abolishment of slavery. And while this period of time is in all probability not as romantic as we make it out to be, it should still be interesting to see how the masters of historical and biographical films handle this story. With Steven Spielberg (Schindler’s List) directing, DanielDay-Lewis (My Left Foot) starring as Lincoln (its supporting cast features Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy lee Jones, and Sally Field the supporting cast isn’t anything to sneeze at either), and Tony Kushner (Munich) writing, the film promises to be another biographical gem.

(Note: for some reason this movie doesn't have a trailer yet. If you find one can you please put it in the comments? I'd really like to see it)

Edit: I just added the trailer. More evidence of awesome.

Rise of the Guardians – November 21

I like the cast of this movie (Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Chris Pine, and Jude Law). The director has never directed a feature length film, animated or otherwise, and the writer has never written a…erm..what I would call a good film. But I like the premise of this film and I like the cast. And in general I like Dreamworks animations. So yeah. But the premise is basically that Earth gets attacked and all the Holiday mascots have to protect the earth. And Hugh Jackman plays the Easter Bunny. So that should be entertaining.

Hyde Park on Hudson – December 7

To be honest, when I went through my list of exciting upcoming films the second time through I realized I only had fourteen films in the list and so I needed to add one. I picked this one. Mostly cause BillMurray’s in it. And I really like Bill Murray. And since he picks his own scripts without the influence of an agent he tends to pick good scriptsand it looks like he's giving the performance of his life in this film. Additionally, the director has previously worked on Morning Glory and Notting Hill, which was the first chick flik I legitimately enjoyed. Anyway, I don’t really know if this will be good, but I like and respect Bill Murray enough to give it a chance.

Do you agree? Disagree? Did I forget anything? Am I a complete moron for expecting Rise of the Guardians to be good? Probably. But if you have anything to add please do so in the comments. I'd love to hear from you guys!

Movies That Will Probably Be Good But Have Yet to Come Out This Year Part 1

So I’ve been taking a look at all my recent posts and realized that despite being a cinephile, see this blog’s name, I haven’t written a post about a film that wasn’t a link to a movie review I wrote for SidewalkOnline Magazine (my latest, Dark Knight Rises, here) in like…hella days. I’ve been doing some pretty thought provoking and deep stuff lately and, while that’s nice, I thought I’d like to post something else. Something about movies. And since summer’s coming to a close and the blockbuster season with it, I thought I’d give you guys a couple examples of movies that are still coming that I think will be worth watching. So without further ado (which I really say too often, if you know of anything else I can say that means pretty much the same thing let me know in the comments, it’d be much appreciated. [Also when I say “without further ado” it’s almost always followed by more ado. Maybe I should try and work around that. But I digress]), welcome to my three installment article Movies That’ll Probably be Good That Have Yet to Come Out This Year (MTPbGTHYtCOTY-rolls right off the tongue doesn’t it?).

Lawless – August 29

This film about a depression-era bootlegging gang (moonshine, not pirated movies) who runs into trouble with a corrupt deputy (Guy Pearce) who wants a cut of the profits in return for his ‘ignorance’ of their operation stars Shia Lebouf and Tom Hardy as the brothers leading the gang and features Gary Oldman as the leader of a rival gang. With a round of such phenomenal actors and relatively new talents John Hillcoat and Nick Cave directing and writing respectively this movie promises to be at least an entertaining film if not one that will skillfully combine the thought-provoking quality of an independent film with the good-old fashioned gang warfare violence characteristic of older studio films, though this is a Weinstein Company film so very much in the indie realm. That image on the left is the poster and below is the redband trailer: please be aware the trailer does contain violence and nudity.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower – September 21

Point 1: This film is written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, who also wrote the novel the film is based on. So if ever a film could be adapted into a book well, this is the way to do it. Point 2: This is Emma Watson’s second performance since the conclusion of the Harry Potter franchise. That in and of itself is enough to make it worth considering. Plus Paul Rudd is in it. Who doesn’t love Paul Rudd and his adorably-too-short-for-his-body arms? After the primary inclusion of point 1 combined with point 2 and Paul Rudd, the film adaptation of this beloved novel should be considered worth a viewing.

Looper – September 28

Honestly I can’t tell if this is an indie film or a studio pic so I’m just not gonna categorize it like that. Regardless, its stellar cast and intriguing plot make this film one to look forward to. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an assassin who kills targets sent back in time to his location in order to effectively make the assassination untraceable. Until one day future JGL (played in this film by Bruce Willis) drops out of space as JGL’s next target, after which, for lack of a better term, shit goes down. The film looks like an interesting exploration of the sci-fi/action genre combo, and while it doesn’t appear like it will address much in the way of time travel conceptually, it should still prove an interesting and fun flick. It’s written and directed by Rian Johnson, who wrote and directed Brick, which, though I haven’t gotten to it myself, is supposed to be a phenomenal film.

Taken 2 – October 5

And now we come to the first studio film on the list (or possibly second again I’m really not sure about Looper). Taken 2 follows Taken’s plot pretty obviously. Liam Neeson killed tons of Albanian’s in order to save his daughter, and now the father of one the guys Neeson killed wants revenge. Now Liam Neeson and his wife Jean Grey (or Famke Jannsen, however you want to look at her) have been taken and Neeson has to enlist his daughter’s help in order to escape. Here’s what it boils down to: Neeson killed a bunch of people pretty awesomely in Taken. In Taken 2 that promises to happen again. Also the script is written By Luc Besson, who you probably know as the guy who wrote The Fifth Element and Leon:The Professional. I would mention the director, but it made me not want to see the movie when I looked him up. So see it for Liam Neeson being an old Irish badass.

Cloud Atlas – October 26

I can’t explain this film. The plot is way too confusing based on the trailer to glean anything. But regardless it looks cool. It has a stellar cast with so many famous actors in it that I’m just going to recommend you click the link in the subheading so that you can see them rather than me listing them and linking to each of their imdb profiles individually. Also it’s a Wachowskis film. And I love the Wachowskis. The Matrix, V for Vendetta, I even like Speed Racer pretty well. This movie looks neat. And if you watch any of the trailers in this installment, watch this one, because without it you won’t be able to comprehend why this movie looks so good. Though I’ve seen it twice now and I’m not sure I understand.

Do you agree with me? Do you disagree? Do you have movies you think I missed (keep in mind there's two more installments coming)? Am I completely moronic for including one of these? Do you have anyrequests for articles? Or movie reviews? Please tell me in the comments below so we can discuss it. I'd like to hear from my readers. 

Guest Post: Top Seven Theatre Superstitions

Scott's Note: Hello everyone! I know I haven't posted in awhile and I plan to remedy that soon. I've been busy with another project and moving to my new apartment. However, to hold you over till my next  post, here is an addition from Angelina Lawson on popular theatre superstitions. I hope you enjoy her post and please be nice to her. Without further ado:

Watching a musical can be a very enjoyable experience, but one may not be aware on how most theatres have a couple superstitious rituals that the cast and crew always seem to do. Actors and owners of theatres believe that these superstitions can benefit them greatly, though they are aware of the fact that those superstitions have nothing to do with their success.

Not Wishing The Actors Good Luck

It is a known fact that saying good luck to an actor is really bad luck. Some actors even wish each others bad luck or go so far as to curse at each other in order to give each other good luck.

Saying Break a Leg

In the same vein, saying "break a leg" to an actor is also a superstition that has been adhered to for a long time. Instead of someone wishing an actor to do good, they say "break a leg" so as to not jinx their performance.

Not Saying Anything in Regard to The Play Macbeth

The Macbeth play is said to be cursed. This said curse makes actors not want to quote anything regarding the play before their performance, even the play's name, often referring to it as just "The Scottish Play," as it is said to bring bad luck. The curse is believed to have come about because, as is believed by those who believe in the curse itself, the witches in the play are casting real curses in their scene.

The Ghosts Superstition

The ghosts’ superstition is probably the most unusual. Most theatres close their theatre and don’t sell any theatre tickets for one day in the week (usually Monday) so that any ghosts inhabiting the theatre will be able to perform their own plays.

The Ghost Light

The ghost light superstition involves leaving a light burning inside of an empty theatre. Usually, the light is put at the centre of the stage and is said to ward off ghosts. Other manifestations of the superstition say that since theatre ghosts enjoy light, if the theatre does not provide it, the ghost will become angry.

Whistling

Whistling, or rather a lack thereof, is also a popular superstition which dictates that actors not whistle off or on stage. In the past, the stage crew would listen for whistling so that they could inform the actors of the scene changes. Even though stage crews now use cue lights and intercom systems for scene changes, they still don't whistle.

Script Under Pillow

Actors place their scripts under their pillows, as they believe it will help them to memorize their lines much faster. Although there is no relation to placing a script under your pillow to remember your script faster, it is still widely done by various actors hoping to reap the benefits of memorization via osmosis.

All of these superstitions are very common, and have definitely become an everyday part of theatre life. Don't forget to get your tickets at the nearest box office before the show and find out more on other theatrical superstitions. 

Angelina Lawson is a content writer and her interests are Film, Travel & Technology and Eco Living. Catch her on Twitter @BoxOfficeltd

Happy Belated Esther Day

So I'm not going to go into too much detail in this article, but basically yesterday was Esther Earl's birthday. Which in the nerdfighter community we celebrate as Esther Day. We do this for a number of reasons, but primarily it is to celebrate her life and her amazing contributions to awesome and efforts to decrease world suck, as well as to serve as a constant reminder that we have more pressing priorities than our own wellbeing: other people. Sadly, Esther died of a cancer that had been plaguing her for years at the age sixteen, yet she has been forever immortalized by the amazing friends, family, and community that she loved and that loved her in return. The foundation This Star Won't Go Out was founded by Esther's parents in order to continue Esther's legacy of helping people through charitable contributions to children battling cancer. If you want to donate that link up there will lead to their page where you can donate if you so choose. But more importantly I think the lesson that must be learned from Esther's life is that regardless of who you are or what your situation is, we should love other people to the point that serving ourselves is not something that necessarily matters in comparison to what we can do for other people. That's how Esther lived her life, and she was plagued by the disease her foundation combats. How much more than should we who are blessed with healthy bodies fight world suck and increase the amount of awesome in the world?

Anyway, Esther day was established while Esther was alive by John and Hank Green when John told Esther that they wanted to celebrate her birthday every year in whatever way she wanted them to. She said that on her birthday every year she wanted them to say "I love you" to each other, since the vlogbrothers have always had an issue with saying that to each other. As a result, we celebrate Esther day by telling someone in our lives that we find difficult to say "I love you" to that we love them. And while I celebrated a little early when my dad called me on my birthday, I want to let you guys, my readers, know that I love you too. So my friends, family, and random strangers reading this cause you're bored, I love you guys. For your participation in my life. For your commitment to me as companions. For your patronage and support of this blog. And for just being who you are. Because unless you are a serial killer or something, you just being you in this world is improving the world. Because there is no one like you, and so you have something new and exciting to introduce the world to in yourselves and I hope that Esther inspires you to share your light with everyone you encounter and truly improve our global community. Thanks for reading that slightly awkward point and I look forward to seeing your guys' contributions to this amazing planet on which we live.

Milestones! And a Brief(ish) Response to a Yahoo Dating Article

First milestones. Over the last couple days my ramblingsofacinephile hit over 1000 views (1034 as of this writing) and I'm kinda excited. or really excited. Probably that second one. And what means even more to me is that since June 27 there has not been a SINGLE day that this blog has gone without a view. That's amazing to me. Anyway thank you guys so much for all your views and for reading these things. I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I do writing them.
Also I have several side projects I've started working on so the amount of times I ramble on this site will drop, but fear not, I am still posting here, just less often. I will also be announcing those projects here when it gets a little closer to their release.
And now for the rebuttal.
A couple weeks ago I saw this article about what guys find unattractive in women on yahoo. Now I always find these kinds of things funny because they assume that all guys are the same. And as a result we all want the same thing in a girl. Which of course means all girls should act the same way. And since that is ridiculous, I thought I'd point out which of these seven points I agree with and which one's I think are just utterly idiotic. (Also I'm adding pictures of each thing so as to help illustrate each point).

1. Being too drunk

Ok this one is definitely true. Good start yahoo. Yep girls who get disgustingly drunk, you know, throwing up all over the place and stumbling over their words while trying to tell their friends that they used to be the wild ones are...well disgusting. However, I'd like to point out yahoo, that this is universally true for all sexes (and probably species). I submit into evidence Exhibit A:

Case and point.

2. Talking about bodily functions:

I realize that picture has nothing to do with women talking about their bodily functions, but it's funny, I like Harry Potter, and I'm writing this post so pipe down. Anyway, the article claims that guys as a collective don't like for women to talk about their periods, about which he'll get little argument from me. Periods are gross. However, he also goes on to say that if women mention they have to poo or "tinkle" as the professional writer calls it, then that too makes our sex organs crawl into our body. Now as for me, while I don't think it is necessarily attractive, guys talk about poo and pee as well and so we are perfectly capable of understanding that women may also talk about that. I don't expect women to never poo. If a woman never poos I'd be concerned as to the horribly painful constipation she must be having. Knowing women have bodily functions is not unattractive. If a guy doesn't go running for the hills after one of you girls says "I need to poo," it doesn't mean he's weird. It means he's an adult.

3. Excessive Body Hair

Ok so I imagine this one is a personal preference and it's time for me admit something. Not a wookiee fetish - although if that's your thing watch Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus - but that guys (at least I as a guy) am attracted to certain physical qualities of women, such as fitness level, breast size, hair color, eye color, face shape, smell, etc as well as personality, intelligence, and confidence. Just like no matter how many articles tell you girls like guys based on their personality, Channing Tatum will always be considered more attractive than John Goodman. So anyway in conclusion, I don't like lots of body hair, but I'm sure there are guys out there who do.

4. Too Much Makeup

This one I agree with. Ok girls. I like you when you look like you. If you want to put on makeup to make yourself happy, then go for it. But I, like Colin, prefer it when a woman just lets me see what her face looks like. When a women is herself, both physically and personalitally (which I understand is not a word but for the purposes of symmetry I used anyway), she is far more attractive than if she makes herself look like she is always blushing. Cause that's weird. But again this comes down to personal preference. Some guys like makeup. Some guys don't.

5. Belittling Us

Don't make us feel like Bryan Cranston

This is another one I agree with, but I think limiting it to women is extremely sexist.  We, as humans, don't like to be told we're less than. That's why if you go to any facebook profile and correct one of the million people who type 'there' instead of 'they're' you will get lynched by ten or twenty people. People prefer to be built up, told that they are doing well and maybe being told the ways they can improve themselves. So the same goes for men, it sucks when someone belittles someone else. Don't do it. Make other people feel awesome.

Unless you're making us feel like this Bryan Crantson:
bad ass even when not wearing pants

6. Swearing

1:17 seconds into that trailer is the scene where Justin Timberlake tells Mila Kunis she is uncomfortable with swearing and she proceeds to try to prove him wrong. It's adorable. There is nothing wrong with swearing. Swears are words. Just more powerful words. And girls, any guy who doesn't want you to swear, but swears himself, probably doesn't like you swearing because he feels that is a sort of verbal area women should not be allowed to access. Which is sexist. Swearing can be attractive and it can be unattractive depending how it is used. I personally find it to be attractive because it means the woman is comfortable enough with being herself to show me that side of her. It's the same thing with bodily functions. Women, like men, are people. And as a result I find it more attractive when that is the way you act. Like you.

7. Nagging

I also agree with this point, but just as is the case with belittling us, nagging is universally annoying, not just to men. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person in possession of a task to do will become bitter if reminded to do it over and over and over again. Here's why it's annoying. See that picture up there? The way that guys is just looking off into the distance probably thinking about whether he wants KFC or Popeye's for dinner (he wants Popeye's, who wouldn't?)? He is not even listening to her, because he has already logged away the task she's nagging him about as something that must be done. Thus, constantly reminding him of it will drive him crazy. But this is true for everyone. Any person who is the target of nagging will not appreciate said nagging. So in conclusion, don't nag, gently remind once or twice. We'll get to it eventually.

Conclusion Part 1

Women, men are not all the same. I find different things attractive and unattractive in women than the writer of this article. As a result, there is no single archetypal woman that all men think is amazing and thus a single archetypal way to behave in order to attract a man. We're all different, so we like different things. So if you want to attract a specific man, find what he thinks is attractive.

Conclusion Part 2

Don't do that. Don't mold yourself into what you think a guy wants you to be. Chances are we'll find you far more attractive if you just be yourself anyway. And even if that guy you like doesn't find you attractive because of your swearing or your body hair (within reason I mean hygiene is important), then his loss. Move on. Eventually you'll find someone who does. Behave the way you want to behave and eventually you'll find someone who likes you for that exact reason. Unless you want to be an axe-murderer. Don't do that.

So do you agree? Disagree? Have more stuff you want to add? Just ate a delicious sandwich and want to share the recipe? Please say so in the comments.