The Most Anticipated Films of 2011

I started this out as a top ten list of films that I am excited for in 2011 but after looking through all the films that are coming out this year, I simply couldn’t do it. So, here is a list of films that I am looking forward to and why.

1. The Green Hornet -
When I first heard about Seth Rogan reprising the role of The Green Hornet, I thought that someone had lost their effing mind. But now that there is a trailer showing just how awesome this movie is going to be, I have to say that I am dying to see it. When Christoph Waltz broke into American cinema with Inglourious Basterds I instantly fell in love with his talent. Also, this will be the first American film for Jay Chou who will be following in the gigantic shoes of one of my personal idols, Bruce Lee. It is known that Jay Chou is a great admirer of Bruce Lee so that makes me feel good to know that Chou most likely won’t be taking this role lightly.

2. Sucker Punch -
I didn’t know that awesome could be this awesome. This is everything that I could ever dream of compiled into a single film, plus it’s directed by Zack Snyder. I know that some people have certain problems with his films but no one can deny his technical prowess. This is a type of film that needs a man who knows how to make things look like platinum coated gold. The only thing that makes me wary of this film is one that has happened with other Snyder films like 300 and Watchmen, which is the casting. Many of the actors involved with this project aren’t exactly A-listers but I think I will be able to forgive that once Led Zeppelin and Silversun Pickups start playing.

3. Water for Elephants -
Normally, I would be totally against going to see a film that starred both Reese Witherspoon and Rob Pattinson but from what I’ve seen in the trailer I have to say that this film looks like it is going to spectacular. I liked both Constantine and I am Legend, both of which were directed also by Francis Lawrence, even though they do have their faults. I think that this will prove to be a true test of where this director will go with his future films. Also, Christoph Waltz is going to be involved and I’ve already let you know just how gaga I am over his talents. (I feel that I should let everyone know that I am not gay. In fact, I’m engaged… to a woman, because that’s the only legal way to be engaged… I’m going to stop now…)

4. Thor -
Question: If the Cap movie is going to be called Captain America: The First Avenger then why isn’t this movie going to be called “Thor: The Mighty Avenger”? It seems only appropriate doesn’t it? Whatever, it doesn’t really matter. This is another one of those movies that I heard talks about long ago but I could never really see this particular superhero movie work but I was relieved when I heard that Kenneth Branagh was going to be directing. Now that the trailer has been “officially” released I have to say that I am quite excited to see the God of Thunder strike another blow for the monster that is Marvel Studios. And for all of you out there who are wondering why there is a black guy playing a Norse God, all I can say is for you to get over it. Idris Elba is a great actor and I’m sure there are reasons why he was chosen. So just have a little faith.

5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides -
Even though this is a movie spawned out of a joke from a scene that came about after the credits of the last POTC that placed the fountain of youth at Disney World, I am interested in seeing if what I call a “corporate film” will achieve its main objective which is to simply take people’s money. Now, I don’t think that I will be going to the theatres to watch this film because I am pretty much against big business in general and this movie is really just an extension of that, but I am more interested in what people are going to think of this movie once it comes out. I’m also not saying that I won’t watch it because if I have the opportunity I will to give as fair a judgment as I can and know what people mean when they say they like certain things and dislike others. Plus, I find Johnny Depp amusing.

6. The Hangover: Part II -
If this film is going to be anywhere near as funny as the first then count me in. I loved the idea of male bonding that the first explored with the whole gang going to Las Vegas for a sort of last rites for their friend who was getting married and would no longer be able to enjoy the freedom contained within bachelorhood. Now that I’ve gotten the intellectuality out of the way, I am also excited to see Bill Clinton who is supposedly going to be involved in some way with this film. I’m not exactly sure how that is going to pan out but I’m looking forward to the possibility of the former President embracing his reputation.

7. Kung Fu Panda 2 -
Yet another sequel of which I am looking forward to this coming summer, which has caused me to deem this summer to be Summer of the Sequels. I am worried, however, that because this one is going to be directed by a different person that I have never heard of (Jennifer Yuh), that it might suffer. Now I do not doubt her ability because I have no reason to. I’ve never seen anything she has done, which by now would be the Spawn television series, which I’ve been wanting to see. I also look forward to Jean-Claude Van Damme doing voice over work.

8. The Tree of Life -
This is going to be one of the most beautiful films of the year by any standard. I love Brad Pitt’s acting ability and the photographic style in which the film is shot making this film one of which I am certainly interested in seeing. I’m not too sure what the story is behind the film but from the trailer there is going to be something to do with Pitt and a baby, so as long as it isn’t a focus on his relationship with Jolie’s kids, I think this movie will be very well received.

9. X-Men: First Class -
The X-Men has always been my favorite comic book and I’m always excited every time I hear about a movie being made based on one of the characters from the team. However, after hearing about the characters that have been chosen to be in this particular film, I have to wonder why. I don’t understand why Matthew Vaughn is doing an origin story that doesn’t involve the original team. I just can’t understand the rationality behind this story but once a trailer becomes available to the general public I hope that the Kick-Ass director (no pun intended) will show us what exactly is going on with this thing that I have been racking my brain over since its inception.

10. Super 8 -
I have no idea what this movie is about but from the teaser-trailer I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve heard rumors that this film is going to be a prequel to Cloverfield but that has been tossed to the wind which makes me wonder what is going on with this movie. I can tell you that this film is directed by J. J. Abrams and involves a Super 8 camera and something very strong inside of a train car. From the trailer, I think that this film is very reminiscent of the style that Abrams showed off in Star Trek which is all the more reason for me to want to see this film yesterday.

11. Green Lantern -
This is another one of my favorite comics of all time which makes me excited for the release of this film. I have some issues with the idea of Ryan Reynolds playing the part of Hal Jordan because he doesn’t exactly strike me as the kind of actor that should be playing this part. I think he would be a much better Wally West version of The Flash because of his wit and I really hope that sometime in the near future, he will end up playing Deadpool. I don’t know how I feel about his suit being entirely CGI but I know that I don’t hate it. I think that all the parts are in the right place but I don’t think that it’s going to be the greatest film ever made or the best superhero movie ever, for that matter.

12. Rise of the Apes -
As a science fiction fanatic I have been wondering when this was going to be updated to suit newer audiences. I liked the ideas behind the original series of films and I think that it discusses some important topics that audiences of today need to revisit for more than one reason. Also, I think that by having James Franco and John Lithgow in this film there is going to be some serious improvement from the most recent version starring Mark Walberg. This is also going to be a step up for relative new-comer Rupert Wyatt who will be directing the film so I think that this will be at the very least interesting.

13. Transformers: Dark of the Moon -
I’m sure that by now, you’ve noticed that the majority of these films I’ve listed are science fiction and that can cause some bias, this I know. But this seems to be the way films are going at the moment and many of the films that are going to be really spectacular for a while to come are going to fall into this genre. Therefore, I think that Michael Bay had better show his audience something better than the horrendous thing that he glued together for the previous movie. Both Bay and Shia LaBeouf have admitted to the last film being a piece of garbage and because I believe that people have the ability to learn from their mistakes, I believe that they will give it their all which gets me excited.

14. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 -
The Harry Potter series of books have a special place in my heart for getting me into reading which makes me feel like I absolutely have to see the finale of the series of films that have not only broken records but recorded the growth of the trio since their pre-teen years. Also, with the relative disappointment that was the last film, I feel that this had better be a mega hit among all of us who love this series. I mean I got together with my fiancé thanks to Harry Potter so I think that David Yates has some very high standards to meet, at least from my point of view. So if he gets some way to steady that camera and keep an action shot for more than half of a second, I think he will make plenty of people very happy.

15. Captain America: The First Avenger -
Even though this film has a terrible title and a director that has a rather shaky reputation in terms of making films, I am excited to see Hugo Weaving as The Red Skull and something tells me that Chris Evans will finally find his niche in the superhero genre as Cap. I don’t think that people realize just how important this film is, in terms of how others are going to have to relate to it in order to create a viable premise for the Avengers movie, making this a crucial film in Marvel Studios place in the film industry for years to come. I think that many people are going to go into this and either really love it or really hate it and I hope to God that the outcome is closer to the first option.

16. Cowboys & Aliens -
The trailer for this film would have the majority of people believe that this film is going to be some sort of comedy but by the general tones of the actors within the film, I think that Jon Favreau has intended for something different with his newest comic-to-film adaptation. I think that because so many people believe that the film is going to be a comedy that more people will be drawn to it, I just hope that they won’t walk out when they realize that what they thought was absolutely wrong. I have faith in Favreau because I really enjoy the way he has brought one of the most important figures in comics to the big screen even though Iron Man 2 wasn’t exactly phenomenal. All I can say is that I will definitely be waiting for this to make a splash in the mainstream.

17. Sherlock Holmes 2 -
I’m a sucker for some Sherlock Holmes, let me tell you. I got so excited over the first one and I’m getting just as excited for the release of this one which comes at the end of the year. I’ve always loved detective films and there is no greater detective than Sherlock Holmes and there is no better person to suit Mr. Holmes than Robert Downey Jr. I love the relationship that he and Jude Law share on camera and it becomes obvious that these two have proven themselves to be some of the coolest customers that can be used for the visual adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famed novel. Not to mention I can’t wait to see Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty.

18. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo -
I was absolutely mesmerized with the Swedish version which literally translates to “Men Who Hate Women” so if you haven’t read Stieg Larsson’s novels or seen the original films then that should give you some idea of just what to expect. I have to tell you that if the masterful David Fincher does his thing to this particular work then you should quite literally be scared. It is going to be extremely hard for some to deal with, which is not to say that the original trio of movies isn’t. I look forward to this film knowing that I am more than likely going to be very impressed.

So there you have it. These are what I feel to be the most anticipated films of 2011 in order of release date. What are you looking forward to?

The Big Sleep, “Stuff Dreams are Made of”

Rating: A+

This is one of those films that reminds me of a time when special effects weren’t needed in order to make people gape over just how good a film really is. And in a time where so many films are acting like 3D is a brand new trend thus inspiring corporate filmmakers, like James Cameron, to jump for joy, I think it’s important to remember the days when acting and story were the driving force. So, I think that a perfect example of such a film is The Big Sleep from 1946 directed by Howard Hawks and written by none other than William Faulkner. I can’t tell you how much I love this film and not just because the director is responsible for some of the most important films in history, like Sergeant York, the original Scarface, and Rio Bravo, or because the writer also wrote some incredible works of literature as well as a ton of screenplays, which a lot of people don’t realize, but because it is one of the first in the film noir genre and it stars my favorite actor of all time (not Sam Jackson, he’s my second favorite), Humphrey Bogart.

The story is one of a typical film noir genre revolving around the private detective, Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart), who gets caught up in some funny business after being hired by a wealthy family. I won’t go into any more detail but I will tell you that a love interest develops between Marlowe and Lauren Bacall’s character Vivian Rutledge. The chemistry between the two works very well which may be because they had been married for about a year by the time this film was released. One of the famous attributions given to Lauren Bacall is that she came up with the name for “The Rat Pack”. I have to say that I like this film more than The Maltese Falcon, which is arguably the first of the film noir genre and also starred Bogie simply because I find the acting to be more enjoyable and the characters are more interesting. Also, by this time the film noir genre was in full swing and there is much more action than in The Maltese Falcon, which I as a man just have to have.

This is a great film for viewing the versatility of Bogie’s acting talents where he goes from being the hard-boiled detective to pretending to be a pretentious book hunter then to being engaged in a very quick-talking argument which always makes me smile in awe of just how good Bogart really is. And just as a side note, there is a restaurant near where I live called “Bogart’s” and seeing this film again has inspired me to go as soon as I get a chance.

I can’t bring myself to like this film more than Casablanca in terms of being a better film but in terms of favoritism, this film outweighs the other because it simply has more personality than the other. Also, as opposed to Casablanca we know Bogie gets the girl in the end, both in the world of the film and in real life. As for the other aspects of filmmaking, this is a straight-forward work focusing primarily on the main character which is traditionally why there is a long monologue at certain times explaining what happened to bring us to that point. Another aspect of this film that I really like is the wardrobe which would be typical of the time and if I had to go gay for any one guy, it would be Bogie just because of how good he looks in a suit, trench coat optional.

If I had to recommend you watch any film that stars Humphrey Bogart just to get a sense of how good Bogie really is, it would have to be this one. The entire film is forced to be carried by the main character which is typical of the genre and I can’t tell you just how well Bogart pulls this off. Normally this would be a tough task to perform for any actor but because of his loving wife and just how talented Bogie is, The Big Sleep becomes a masterpiece.

Superheroes vs Celebrities

So it’s a new year and it’s time to make some resolutions. For this coming year, I resolve to continue writing this comic book and to keep up with this blog on a regular basis (at least once a week). You and I both know that this is not going to stick but I’m going to give it a shot anyway, that way you can’t blame me for not trying, because I know you would love to. Don’t lie, it’s okay, I’ve gotten over it.

Now moving on to more important matters. You may have noticed that I have given the blog a new name. I chose to do this because of two reasons. One, I didn’t think that the previous one completely captured who I am as a person. And two, I am planning on doing more than just reviews of things, that’s what Blippy is for. From here on out I plan to talk about everything that I find to be interesting, which is basically just nerdy stuff like comic books, movies, television, and anything that I just find to be intellectually stimulating; or irritating for that matter.

So to start the New Year off the right way, I have decided to take an idea that came up in a conversation that I had a couple of months ago with the now relatively famous Dr. Andrew J. Kunka. Don’t ask me what the “J” stands for, I have been wondering that ever since I met the man. While discussing some ideas about comics and movies over lunch one day, Dr. Kunka decided to show me something that I, as a lover of comics, found to be awe-inspiring. It just so happened to be the recently reprinted “Superman vs Muhammad Ali”, which is a 72-page long oversized comic that was first published in 1978 by DC Comics.

After showing me this book O’ awesomeness, Dr. Kunka shared with me the idea of putting other superheroes in fights with celebrities. So to take Dr. Kunka’s idea a little farther, I have put together a list of 5 superhero/celebrity bouts that I would pay good money to see.

1. Batman vs Kanye West – This was one that Dr. Kunka came up with and I’m not aware of why he chose Kanye West but I know that I would love to see this fight simply because I want someone to shut the man up. And who would do a better job than Batman? I think it would be a good fight however. Batman is obviously a better fighter but if he would allow Kanye the opportunity for him to open his mouth, I think Kanye would get to Bats. He would tell him that he doesn’t care about black people and that even though he’s a good superhero and all, the majority of the praise he gets should go to Storm from the X-Men. Finally he would assault Batman’s hearing by turning on the auto-tune. From there on out, we would have to see how Batman fairs while being lyrically assaulted.

2. Professor X vs Stephen Hawking – I think that this would be one for the ages. Aside from all of the obvious jokes that can be made about them both being handicapped, I think that this would be a battle fought on the astral plane, and if you thought that Magneto, The Phoenix Force, or Apocalypse were major battles, then you ain’t seen nothing yet. I honestly don’t know who would win in such a battle. Xavier has all the abilities he would ever need to carve a regular man’s mind in two but with the way Hawking’s mind works, I don’t think that he would be able to use regular techniques. I don’t know folks, after this one Cyke and the gang might have to be called “The H-Men”.

3. Rouge vs Bret Michaels – Normally all Rouge would have to do to take down a regular human being would be to just touch them, but Bret has a trick or two up his sleeve. Did I say trick? I meant STD. Because of the sheer ferocity of Bret’s many sexually transmitted diseases they would be so pungent that by simply touching his skin you would become infected. (Reference: every angry female that has been to a Poison concert) This would prove to be an obstacle for Rouge, I’m sure. I know that she might have super strength and the ability to fly, depending on which version we’re talking about, but just look at how long Michaels has survived even after being attacked by his own brain. Leading me to the conclusion that Michaels is actually a zombie. So the super strength, power absorption, and flight of Rouge versus the STD-emitting zombie that is Bret Michaels would prove to be a glorious fight.

4. Flash (Barry Allen) vs O. J. Simpson – Think about it. They could race each other, Flash would be on foot and O. J. would be in his Bronco. Then, because Barry Allen was a police scientist, which would now be known as a CSI, he could be challenged by Simpson to guess whether he truly did do it. This wouldn’t be a straight forward fight but rather more of a challenge for Allen to guess which murders actually belong to Simpson and time is always of the essence in murder trials which is where Flash’s speed would come in handy. The only problem is the darn gloves that just don’t fit. These could prove to be a real challenge for Flash and cause him to fight in a whole new manner.

5. Spider-Man vs Lady GaGa – Paparazzi versus “Paparazzi”. This would also prove to be an interesting battle because while Spider-Man has so many amazing abilities, Lady GaGa has some outfits that could prove to be deadly, so this would come down to camera versus camera. And depending on the amount of sheen that Lady GaGa has to offer, Parker’s photos could be ruined. But Spider-Man has recently developed a suit that is completely invisible which would mean that Lady GaGa might not be able to take photos at all. This would have to be the most epic photo contest ever constructed.

So there you have it, five all-out battles that you probably didn’t even expect. Who do you think would win, and why? And if you have any suggestions for fights you would like to see, let me know. I have to tell you, I think that there would be many hardcore battles between superhumans and celebrities, which is why I have left some below that just didn’t quite make the cut.

• Magneto vs Mel Gibson
• Harley Quinn vs Kourtney Kardashian
• Captain Planet vs Al Gore
• The Blob vs Rush Limbaugh