Just a few more...

True Blood and Genius Advertising

First of all, the classic white background True Blood adverts are so punny and great: "vamp stamp", "cup o Joe", there are so many more. But on top of that they actually put out these posters supposedly sponsored by the Fellowship of the Sun (an anti-vampire "church" in the show) and the American Vampire League (who are trying to pass a Vampire Rights Amendment). Then, a few days later, the signs will be defaced, graffiti-ed, vandalized by the advertisers. It's genius I tell you. These guys are amazing.

Thanks

to everyone who encouraged me to keep posting! Thanks for the inspiration! I'll have more for you soon!

Distinctive Face: Angelina Jolie

Okay come on, you knew this was coming. She has one of the most distinctive faces ever. Is it the jawline? The enormous eyes, the lips? Oh it's definitely all of those. Angelina Jolie has been the face Hollywood has love to love for the last twenty years. She's was making three or four films a year even before her breakout role in 1998's Gia, and has continued to work prolifically. Although perhaps being the daughter of Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight didn't hurt her getting started either.

Also being insanely good looking helps

She's done about every genre there is, and excelled in each of them, although she tends toward action and high tension films. Even in movies in which she's not the main character, she's been known to steal the show (See Girl, Interrupted).

NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE PICTURE: JUST HAIR

Angelina really became a household name when Lara Croft: Tomb Raider came out. Yeah, they picked Jolie because of her acting capabilities, you can say that if you like, but Angelina also shared other...famous assets... with the video game character. It was an entertaining action flick, and it really gave her the boost she needed. She's had her pick of awesome films ever since.

Seriously, who wouldn't give this lady anything she wants?

Her next film is Cleopatra, in which we can only hope she does a better version of a "historical" figure than she did in Alexander. It wasn't really her fault in the latter, the script was horrible. Jolie took a slow-down in her career in 2005 and 2006, and it looks like she's taking a two year break now because Cleo won't be out until 2013. But, having like several bazillion adopted children, she's probably pretty busy at home. Okay, that's an exaggeration, she has three adopted children and three kids by partner Brad Pitt. In addition Ms. Jolie-not-Pitt-until-gays-can-marry-freely is also active throughout the world for humanitarian causes, often inspired by her adopted children and their birthplaces, and disasters the rest of the world neglects. The actress refuses to shy away from danger, often visiting nations at war to bring aid and a message of hope.

YUP, I'M TOTES AWESOME but this position is uncomfortable and weird kind of

We So Excited: Drive

This looks amazing. It's part Transporter, part Human Target, part RyanGoslingIsAwesome.



In the film, Gosling plays a stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver. Gosling, who came out in Remember the Titans, got our attention with Murder by Numbers, and exploded into teen fandom with The Notebook, has been doing his greatest work in the last five years. He's explored dramas, comedies, devastating tragedies, and indie films. This is his first role as an action hero since Young Hercules 1999.

And yes, I've been waiting for this. Every actor of Gosling's caliber dabbles in all the genres. Well it looks like he's picked a winner, that's for sure. The cast is subtle, but solid. These aren't huge blockbuster names that everyone knows, but they're very very good. And Gosling is surely right for this part. His quiet demeanor, and soulful eyes, will bring a lot of humanity and character to a piece that may have otherwise come across as merely violent and adrenaline-hungry.

"Oh hey you're all greasy and cute, and I'm adorable too, let's hang out"

The movie also stars Carey Mulligan, one of Hollywood's hottest up and comings. She's like Saoirse Ronan, she can do no wrong. She's brilliant.

Also did I mention this film already won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival?  Yeah. This is going to be really good.

Footloose?

I give you the new Footloose trailer from Paramount Pictures starring unknown Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, and Golden Globe Nominee Dennis Quaid. Wormald is the new Ren MacCormack, once played by Kevin Bacon in the original Footloose film. Julianne Hough is the preacher (Quaid)'s daughter, who likes dancing and bad boys. Just to put things in perspective Wormald has been a backup dancer in films for the last ten years, Hough is a country singer, and according to her IMDb profile, a "professional dancer". Right.

c

It's like Step Up 4: Country Style.

IMDb

Review: Green Lantern

Look everyone's been ripping into Green Lantern because either they're fanboys and it doesn't live up to their expectations, or because it wasn't as good as Dark Knight, or because it has "clunky writing" as Rolling Stones' Peter Travers puts it. Eh, I guess all those things are true. It isn't a fanboy's film, and Dark Knight created a new standard for superhero films, and it does have some dialogue that doesn't work too well, but I found it really entertaining.

He has super powers. It's hard to not be entertaining. Unless you
turn into like a green troll as your super power. Man that would suck.

Green Lantern is the story of the irresponsible, but born-to-do-this fighter pilot, Hal Jordan. Then he is selected to be part of an elite fighting force, the Green Lanterns, who protect the universe from evil with  a no-fear attitude and a magical green ring that can conjure anything the wearer’s imagination can conceive. Will Hal become a hero or walk away? Hm. I wonder.

From this poster I deduce he chooses hero.

 I've been very apprehensive from the start about Green Lantern. I saw the  trailer and noticed a few things: first, Blake Lively. Anybody seen her acting? Yeah, not great. I don't care how much you like Gossip Girl or The Town she isn't what makes either of em any good. Second, the suit looked a little fake. Third, Ryan Reynolds. 

Yeah. You know why. You know.

So as it turned out I ended up being right. The suit was really tight and a little unbelievable even if it is created by Hal's magical green lantern powers. And Lively seemed to ruin all of her lines, clunky writing or no. In addition it was predictable. Like I called the villains and their backstories, and I'm not even a fankid. Plus I called the ending and the sequel story. And I’m not even a fankid. 

Hal: So you've never been able to act? Wow
Whatshername: Nope, never. But they keep hiring me. I'm pretty I guess.

ALSO RYAN REYNOLDS

"Hey there. It's me, Ryan Reynolds, just doin' some of my best
work ever in Blade Trinity. I stole Wesley Snipes' own movie from
him. I know. I should be dead. But I'm too awesome."

Did you know he has some magical ability to make any movie better? Yeah that’s right. I hate predictability and I loathe bad acting, especially by “strong female characters” and Reynolds pretty much makes up for all of it. He’s funny, he’s entertaining, he’s good lookin’. Done.

Wow, look at that. No, not at his abs. Look at the fact that he’s making this review like ten thousand times better. I know. Amazing.

Other reviewers have been complaining that the effects are boring or not very good. My dad complained that Hal Jordan didn’t do a lot of hand to hand combat. But every action movie has some rolling on the floor fight with the good guy getting the crap beat out of him before making a comeback and defeating the villain. Personally I thought it was interesting to see how Hal Jordan used his superpower, instead of a cliché fight with the bad guy.

ALSO RYAN REYNOLDS

Blake Lively's best acting: pretending to be unconscious

Oh did I mention that already? Sorry.

Look, nothing’s going to measure up to Dark Knight. Maaaaybe the next Batman might have a shot, might, and it’s directed by Chris Nolan himself. But the Iron Mans? Eh. The Spiderman sequels? Disasters. Honestly, I’m hoping Captain America  will be awesome, but the trailer makes the dialogue sound a little hokey, and the relationship between Captain America and Whatsherface seems a little cheesy. The new trailer looks aight, and the villain is played by the incredible, the talented, the wonderful Hugo Weaving (Lord of the Rings, V for Vendetta), but I’m not gonna lie it does kind of look like some kind of weird government propaganda, and Weaving looks a little plastic as the villain.

"Americaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

 Green Lantern was fun. I laughed, I liked Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, it was short and sweet and didn’t drag. And it wasn’t some movie about saving the rainforest. I’m all for political messages in movies, but sometimes when the superhero turns out fighting global warming itself it’s kind of weird. This had a regular villain, who’s super evil and wants to destroy everything, and a great hero who wants to save everyone. Bing bang boom, done.

"I'm a hero. Look how serious my serious face is. Also I have great hair."

If you have low expectations, then see it. If you don’t then don’t, okay? Not that hard.

Rating: PG-13

Trivia: A Central City sign can be seen in the film. Central City is the home of Green Lantern's superhuman ally and close friend, the Flash.

IMDb

Whoops, how did this get in here?

Yep, that's a rescue pup.