The Walking Dead Season 6 Trailer

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Arleigh

“Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?” — Rick Grimes

AMC has unveiled it’s official trailer for the 6th season of TV’s most popular show (so popular that it even beats Sunday Night Football on occasion) during it’s San Diego Comic-Con panel at Hall H.

Last we left the Grimes crew saw Rick Grimes get the go-ahead from Alexandria Safe-Zone leader Deanna Monroe to shoot wife-batterer and neck-slashing Pete in his face. It would’ve been quite a satisfying event if not for Rick’s first BFF, Morgan Jones, suddenly appearing out of the shadows to see him do the deed. This is the same Morgan who went from crazy clear to zen clear who thought all life that wasn’t undead was precious.

So, now season 6 is almost upon us fellow fans of the show and it looks like Rick is turning out to be Alexandria’s shogun with Deanna as the figurehead leader.

Will Rick’s Shane-like attitude to leading this expanded group of survivors be a blessing or be the downfall of another safe-haven for the Grimes Gang? There’s still the Wolves out there who now knows where they are. There’s also the looming shadow of the comic book’s Negan and his Saviors possibly making their appearance which could mean just one thing: WAR.

So, grab those ribs and thick-cut steaks and take a big bite and enjoy the trailer.

4 Shots From 4 Films: The Natural, Eight Men Out, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Arleigh

Today we celebrate the 4th of July, the United States’ Independence Day, and I mean the one from British rule and not from invading aliens.

This day has always been about the balance of one’s level of patriotism (or lackof), gathering with friends and family for barbecues and fireworks. I would also like to add that the 4th of July has also meant watching or listening to one’s favorite baseball team. Baseball, for me at least, will always remain America’s national past time.

So, here are four films that one should check out this day, or any day to understand why baseball remains such a major part for some people’s lives.

4 SHOTS FROM 4 FILMS

The Natural (dir. Barry Levinson)

Eight Men Out (dir. by John Sayles)

Bull Durham (dir. by Ron Shelton)

Field of Dreams (dir. by Phil Alden Robinson)

Scenes I Love: John Wick

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Arleigh

“John wasn’t exactly the boogeyman. He’s the one you sent to kill the fucking boogeyman.” — Viggo Tarasov

To finish off the trifecta of all things John Wick I would like to share one of my favorite scenes from this excellent film. The scene arrives once the introductory session showing the title character’s domestic life away from the world of assassins, gun molls and erudite crime lords.

Most films that uses exposition to explain a certain plot point or describe a character tend to fall flat and forced. It stops whatever momentum a film’s narrative has gained. It becomes the tool of a lazy writer and in the hands of an average to bad director it’d turn out to be a scene killer.

This particular scene from John Wick falls under exposition done right. We see the Russian crime lord Viggo relating to his idiot son his disappointment at what he’d done to John Wick. Of course, the son doesn’t know who this John Wick fella is, but good ol’ Dad was more than willing to tell him a sort of bedtime story that describes John Wick in epic and mythical terms.

It’s a scene that builds up the title character through anecdotal examples. This is a crime lord who rules all he surveys, but the notion that his son has started a chain of events involving John Wick terrifies him. The fact that the son tries to put up a brave front to fix the problem gets a reaction that was one of the funniest bits in the entire film.

John Wick is a film that perfectly shows that a film doesn’t have to be overly complex in it’s plot. Even the simplest narrative of a man out for revenge could be turned into a full on romp of entertaining mayhem.

Song of the Day: Killing Strangers (by Marilyn Manson & Tyler Bates)

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Arleigh

John Wick wasn’t just a surprise hit (relative to it’s modest budget) of 2014, but it was also one of the best films of that year. It was part of a renaissance in action film making that was ushered in by the two-punch combo of The Raid and The Raid 2 that came out of the mind of Gareth Evans.

This Keanu Reeves revenge action thriller didn’t just excel in the visual mayhem and the alternative world the title character lived and killed in, but it also was accompanied by a kick-ass soundtrack created by the underrated film composer Tyler Bates.

“Killing Strangers” is one of the songs from the film’s soundtrack. A song that perfectly captures the character of John Wick that’s sung by Marilyn Manson and composed by Bates himself.

Killing Strangers

This world doesn’t need no opera
We’re here for the operation
We don’t need a bigger knife
(Cause we got guns)
We got guns, we got guns
We got guns, you better run
(you better run, you better run, you better run)

We’re killing strangers
We’re killing strangers
We’re killing strangers, so we don’t kill the ones that we
Love
We’re killing strangers
We’re killing strangers,
We’re killing strangers, so we don’t kill the ones that we
Love, love, love, love

We pack demolition
We can’t pack emotion
Dynamite, we just might
So blow us a kiss, blow us a kiss
Blow us a kiss, and we’ll blow you to pieces

We’re killing strangers
We’re killing strangers
We’re killing strangers, so we don’t kill the ones that we
Love, love, love, love

We got guns, we got guns
Motherfuckers better, better run
We got guns, we got guns
Motherfuckers better run
And we got guns, we got guns
Motherfuckers better, better, better run
We got, we got guns
Motherfuckers better run

We’re killing strangers
We’re killing strangers
We’re killing strangers, so we don’t kill the ones that we (better run!)

We’re killing strangers (we got guns!)
We’re killing strangers (we got guns!)
We’re killing strangers, so we (we got guns!) don’t kill the ones that we
Love, love, love, love
Love, love, love

4 Shots From 4 Films: Sabotage, The Raid 2, John Wick, Fury

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Arleigh

2014 had it’s share of very good action films and here are four that I was particularly drawn to. While the film themselves were of varying degrees of quality in terms of storytelling. These 4 films all had one thing that I enjoyed despite their films’ flaws. They all had action scenes that I thought were quite excellent.

You have gritty present-day action thriller, an operatic gangster epic, a revenge thriller and a war film. One stars an aging action star back from playing politician. Another a foreign film whose filmmaker and star have set the bar for all action films for years to come. Then there’s the stunt coordinators and 2nd unit directors finally making their mark with their first feature-length film. Lastly, a war film that brings the brutality of World War II tank warfare to the forefront.

4 SHOTS FROM 4 FILMS

Sabotage (dir. by David Ayer)

The Raid 2 (dir. by Gareth Evans)

John Wick (dir. by Chad Stahelski & David Leitch)

Fury (dir. by David Ayer)

A Teasing Glimpse Into The Secret Life of Pets

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Arleigh

Pixar and Dreamworks had been the only two big boys in the CG-animated block, but in the last couple years we’ve had another studio make some inroads into that very block. It’s the studio that brought to the world Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2. It is also set to release Minions (itself a spin-off from the Despicable Me franchise).

Illumination Entertainment has released the first teaser trailer for their 2016 offering: The Secret Life of Pets.

From the look of the trailer we may be looking forward to a sort of Toy Story-type narrative but instead of toys coming to life and behaving like their owners it’s pets standing in.

The Secret Life of Pets is set for a July 8, 2016 release date.

Harbinger Down Goes International

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Arleigh

Kickstarter, GoFundMe, Indiegogo are just a couple of ways the general public have been able to crowdfund things they really like. Crowdfunding has even entered film production with a film set for release being one of my more anticipated films of 2015.

Harbinger Down is the brainchild of Practical FX artists Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr. As more and more studios begin to rely heavily on CGI-effects for their films the practical effects and make-up FX industry has taken a major hit. We’ve already seen practical effects master Rick Baker announce his retirement from the industry and many smaller effects studios either close shop or sold to larger studios.

The film by Gillis and Woodruff, Jr. looks to bring back practical effects as not just a viable option for films looking to create fantastical creatures and effects, but also show that practical effects is an art form that lends a certain level of realism to those very fantastical ideas.

From the look of the trailer it looks like Harbinger Down takes some inspiration from two classic scifi horror films of the past with Alien and John Carpenter’s The Thing. With legendary genre veteran Lance Henriksen headlining the ensemble cast, Harbinger Down is something genre fans deserve.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Kwaidan, Minority Report, La Horde, The Exorcist

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Arleigh

A new feature that I thought was a nice way to introduce not just our readers, but also fellow site writers to some films we love, admire and think worthy of checking out.

It won’t be any sort of review or recap of what the film is about, but just a simple, single shot from the film itself that the individual writer considers an worthy and interesting glimpse of the film.

To start off “4 Shots From 4 Films” here’s the first 4 shots. Moving forward it will be just 4 screenshots and the title of the film they belong to.

4 SHOTS FROM 4 FILMS

Kwaidan (dir. by Masaki Kobayashi – 1964)

Minority Report (dir. by Steven Spielberg – 2002)

La Horde (dir. by Benjamin Rocher & Yannick Dahan – 2009)

The Exorcist (dir. by William Friedkin – 1973)

Scenes I Love: Punisher: War Zone

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Arleigh

In honor of Jon Bernthal being cast as the latest in a line of Frank Castles aka the Punisher for Marvel’s Daredevil series on Netflix, I thought I’d share with all my favorite scene from the only Punisher film worth the name. The film this scene is from was Punisher: War Zone by Lexi Alexander.

While the casting of Jon Bernthal looks to be a near perfect stunt-casting by Marvel for Daredevil‘s upcoming second season on Netflix, I thought Ray Stevenson’s portrayal as the psychotic antihero in Punisher: War Zone was the best one comic book fans have gotten. Dolph Lundgren was the first Punisher and the less said about him the better. Then Thomas Jane took a stab on portraying the character to some success though still not doling out enough punishing in my book.

With Ray Stevenson we got a Frank Castle who was well into his vigilante killing-spree of the criminal underworld. This was a man possessed to kill in as brutal and efficient manner every violent criminal he comes across. The film itself was so over-the-top that too many thought it was too campy in a violent sense when Lexi Alexander actually tapped into what made the Punisher tick and put it up on the screen. It also helped that Ray Stevenson owned the role he was given.

Jon Bernthal has some big shoes to fill, but with the success of Daredevil the series I do believe he has a chance to make the character his own.

Song of the Day: Hotel California Fingerstyle Guitar Cover (by Gabriella Quevedo)

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Arleigh

“Hotel California” by The Eagles has been one of my favorite songs and this came about due to my own father loving the band and this song being his favorite. It was hard not to love the song when it’s played over and over. For some hearing the song would get them sick of it, but the song most associated with this great American band remains a classic to fans young and old.

This is why the latest Song of the Day sees the return of “Hotel California” but a cover version by a young talent out of Sweden. This particular cover of the song is by Gabriella Quevedo who is all of 18 years-old. She had taken up the acoustic guitar at the age of 12 and self-taught herself how to play “fingerstyle acoustic” after hearing another musical prodigy, Sungha Jung, play the same style.

Many people have covered “Hotel California” and many more will continue to do so. What makes Gabriella Quevedo stand out if the fact that her rendition of the song she literally plays every section of the song with her one guitar. She plays not just the guitar section, but the vocal melodies as well as the bassline. She also happens to insert the back-up melodies into her playing. What she ends up doing with her version of this song is play an entire band’s worth of playing with just one guitar.

Anyone who has listened to “Hotel California” can easily tell what she has accomplished which for a person of such a young age is extraordinary. She has made herself into a sensation with her many covers of rock songs both classic and new. Of all her covers, this one happens to be my favorite.