I wanted to try something a little different for Favorite Scene Friday this week. Gravity, one of last year's best films, just came out on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday. So I wanted to ask everybody out there: What's your favorite scene from the film?
A cool thing about Gravity is that, despite the film taking place in virtually one setting, there are quite a few distinct, amazing scenes. So what's your favorite? Is it that first sequence where we meet Dr. Stone and the other characters? The initial destructive scene? How about the ending? Don’t be shy - chime in down in the comments. The trailer is below to refresh your memory.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Escape Hatch MishMash: True Detective
Trying something new here. The internet (and my head) is so jam-packed with True Detective hullabaloo that I'm starting this Storify page for it. I'll update it as often as I can! Thanks to CT from Nerd Lunch for teaching me about Storify! Keep in mind there will be some heavy SPOILERS in this post!
Favorite Scene Friday! True Detective: The Locked Room
Are you watching True Detective? Do you love it?
I can’t think of a single show that has captivated audiences as quickly as True Detective has. Only five episodes have aired and already there are parodies, fan sites, and many, many articles dissecting the show. The President has requested advance copies of it!
We don’t feature many TV scenes for FSF. In fact, I’ve only done two of them and one was dedicated to Breaking Bad, a show that was on for five seasons, not five hours. In short, for a TV show to affect me enough to get the Favorite Scene Friday treatment is a big deal.
You may think I’m featuring this scene because of the creepy ass ending (but damn is that guy disturbing - were they trying to model him after this?). But that’s really just a bonus. No, I’m featuring this scene because of Mr. Matthew McConaughey and his character, Detective Rustin Cohle. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've been privy to Mr. McConaughey's career resurgence, and True Detective is a huge part of that phenomenon. He breathes life into this character like few others could. Just give him the Emmy now.
The true highlight of this scene is at 2:23. Detective Cohle has been explaining his investigation of a grisly murder to two present day detectives investigating a similar case. He stops to make some observations about life in a way that only he can. First and foremost, True Detective writer Nic Pizzolatto has crafted some incredible dialogue here, but it's really McConaughey's delivery that brings the haunting speech to life. I absolutely love the way he says "dream". Gets me every time. Also, I like the idea that the mind is a locked room, a room that no one will ever get into but you. Hence, no one can ever truly know you. At least, that's what I think that means.
Suffice to say, this scene is NSFW and pretty disturbing. Also, you can stop it at 3:30 - the rest of the clip is just the closing credits. But that music is creep as hell too! Enjoy!
P.S. Is this show getting to anyone like me? I'm starting to have weird dreams about it and its peculiar literary references to Robert W. Chambers' work. I'll elaborate in the comments if anyone would like to be disturbed.
 |
| Mondo via Geek Tyrant and Hypable |
I can’t think of a single show that has captivated audiences as quickly as True Detective has. Only five episodes have aired and already there are parodies, fan sites, and many, many articles dissecting the show. The President has requested advance copies of it!
We don’t feature many TV scenes for FSF. In fact, I’ve only done two of them and one was dedicated to Breaking Bad, a show that was on for five seasons, not five hours. In short, for a TV show to affect me enough to get the Favorite Scene Friday treatment is a big deal.
You may think I’m featuring this scene because of the creepy ass ending (but damn is that guy disturbing - were they trying to model him after this?). But that’s really just a bonus. No, I’m featuring this scene because of Mr. Matthew McConaughey and his character, Detective Rustin Cohle. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've been privy to Mr. McConaughey's career resurgence, and True Detective is a huge part of that phenomenon. He breathes life into this character like few others could. Just give him the Emmy now.
The true highlight of this scene is at 2:23. Detective Cohle has been explaining his investigation of a grisly murder to two present day detectives investigating a similar case. He stops to make some observations about life in a way that only he can. First and foremost, True Detective writer Nic Pizzolatto has crafted some incredible dialogue here, but it's really McConaughey's delivery that brings the haunting speech to life. I absolutely love the way he says "dream". Gets me every time. Also, I like the idea that the mind is a locked room, a room that no one will ever get into but you. Hence, no one can ever truly know you. At least, that's what I think that means.
Suffice to say, this scene is NSFW and pretty disturbing. Also, you can stop it at 3:30 - the rest of the clip is just the closing credits. But that music is creep as hell too! Enjoy!
P.S. Is this show getting to anyone like me? I'm starting to have weird dreams about it and its peculiar literary references to Robert W. Chambers' work. I'll elaborate in the comments if anyone would like to be disturbed.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
A Peek Through the Hatch: Guardians of the Galaxy
So I stayed up late last night to catch the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy on Jimmy Kimmel Live. And, being that I’m turning into a sleepy old man it was a weeknight, I fell asleep and missed it. I was awake probably about 20 minutes before it aired and 20 minutes after it aired but, in Snoozetown when it premiered. So maybe that fueled my disappointment once I stopped kicking myself and finally watched the trailer on my iPad. The movie looked okay, but just okay.
But then I watched it again this morning. And a second time. And a third. And I love it! I hope I can dismiss anyone’s worries (including mine) about this first trailer by saying that, it’s probably difficult to capture the action of the film, and its comedy in one trailer. This isn’t The Avengers. There’s going to be a lot of comedy (or at least, an effort for a lot of comedy) in this movie, something sort of new for a Marvel movie. To be clear, I find quite a few bits in The Avengers - and other Marvel flicks - to be pretty funny, but I think it’s safe to say this is the first action/comedy from Marvel.
I think the acting looks great (and what a cast - we haven't even heard Bradley Cooper as Rocket or seen Glenn Close yet), and the effects and action look top notch. The final look of director James Gunn's film in general is promising (I really didn’t like that GotG post - or was it mid? - credits scene after Thor 2...it was a little hammy and didn’t look cinematic enough) so I’m relieved.
What do you guys think? Guardians of the Galaxy premieres August 1.
*OBSCENE GESTURE IMMINENT*
But then I watched it again this morning. And a second time. And a third. And I love it! I hope I can dismiss anyone’s worries (including mine) about this first trailer by saying that, it’s probably difficult to capture the action of the film, and its comedy in one trailer. This isn’t The Avengers. There’s going to be a lot of comedy (or at least, an effort for a lot of comedy) in this movie, something sort of new for a Marvel movie. To be clear, I find quite a few bits in The Avengers - and other Marvel flicks - to be pretty funny, but I think it’s safe to say this is the first action/comedy from Marvel.
I think the acting looks great (and what a cast - we haven't even heard Bradley Cooper as Rocket or seen Glenn Close yet), and the effects and action look top notch. The final look of director James Gunn's film in general is promising (I really didn’t like that GotG post - or was it mid? - credits scene after Thor 2...it was a little hammy and didn’t look cinematic enough) so I’m relieved.
What do you guys think? Guardians of the Galaxy premieres August 1.
*OBSCENE GESTURE IMMINENT*
make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif
Friday, February 7, 2014
Robert's 5 Biggest Disappointments of 2013
As with any year, 2013 was full of films that exceeded my expectations. You can check out my top 10 list here. Now for whatever reason - maybe my expectations were too high - quite a few of 2013's films really disappointed me, so much so that I felt compelled to come up with this list. I need to point out two things. First of all, this list really isn’t in any particular order. Secondly, I’m not necessarily saying these are bad films. They just let me down. Let's check 'em out.
5. Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim was my number one most anticipated film of last year. Number one. I even did a series of posts counting down to the film’s release. So imagine how embarrassed I am that it wound up here. What can I say? I didn’t hate the film. In fact, I gave it a positive review. It hasn’t set well with me, however. At the end of the day, parts of the story were really goofy and poorly thought out. And Charlie Hunnam kinda sucked.
4. Room 237
I saw Room 237 - a documentary about the hidden meaning and secrets of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece The Shining - right after said masterpiece as part of a double feature. I was really stoked to see it, being a huge fan of Kubrick's film. The documentary was getting a lot of positive buzz as well. The problem, however, is that The Shining is an amazing film and Room 237...is not.
It’s not that I’m against the theories about the film, either. Some of the more interesting theories have been floating around for a while. Some of the "secrets" and "theories" in 237, however, are a little more...out there. For instance, one theory that pops up is that, if you pause the film at a certain point, it looks like one of the characters - Mr. Ullman - has an erection due to the way his body lines up with an object in his office. Another theory is that a cloud takes the shape of Kubrick’s face near the beginning of the film. In short, The Shining is rife for discussion and these guys ended up talking about dicks and clouds.
3. Upstream Color
I really enjoyed Shane Carruth’s first film, a twisty time travel tale called Primer. Nine long years passed. And then he announced his follow up film, Upstream Color, and I rejoiced and the world danced in anticipation. Then I watched it.
Let's go back a second. Despite initially being excited about the film, the only reason I finally watched it was because I was laid up in bed with a bad back. For some reason, I had pretty much lost all interest in it. But I finally watched it. And maybe I just didn’t “get” it, but it’s definitely not my cup of tea. I’m an escapist and I don’t really enjoy films with vague, meandering plots about worms and pigs and shit. I’m probably coming off as a Philistine but I just really didn’t enjoy this film. In my defense, I actually watched the movie a second time. I may have understood it even less the second go 'round.
2. The ABCs of Death
This fucking film. What a waste of a premise. Remember how I said that the movies on this list aren’t necessarily bad films? THIS ONE IS. IT IS TERRIBLE. Skip this fucking piece of filth and instead check out V/H/S 2, another of 2013’s anthology horror films.
1. Man of Steel
Man of Steel. Yes. It really, really disappointed me. I was expecting a lot more. I was expecting unique, unforgettable action sequences. I (suppose) I was expecting a linear story, because those flashbacks sure got annoying. I won’t start to nitpick, because I wrote a full review for that sort of thing. Here’s the thing...I’ve seen Man of Steel a second time since writing that review. It’s not that bad. It really isn’t. But, man, it could have been better. And despite everything, I'm really excited for Man of Steel 2/Batman vs. Superman. Hopefully Zack Snyder and company get it together.
5. Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim was my number one most anticipated film of last year. Number one. I even did a series of posts counting down to the film’s release. So imagine how embarrassed I am that it wound up here. What can I say? I didn’t hate the film. In fact, I gave it a positive review. It hasn’t set well with me, however. At the end of the day, parts of the story were really goofy and poorly thought out. And Charlie Hunnam kinda sucked.
 |
| Pacific Rim on Facebook |
4. Room 237
I saw Room 237 - a documentary about the hidden meaning and secrets of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece The Shining - right after said masterpiece as part of a double feature. I was really stoked to see it, being a huge fan of Kubrick's film. The documentary was getting a lot of positive buzz as well. The problem, however, is that The Shining is an amazing film and Room 237...is not.
It’s not that I’m against the theories about the film, either. Some of the more interesting theories have been floating around for a while. Some of the "secrets" and "theories" in 237, however, are a little more...out there. For instance, one theory that pops up is that, if you pause the film at a certain point, it looks like one of the characters - Mr. Ullman - has an erection due to the way his body lines up with an object in his office. Another theory is that a cloud takes the shape of Kubrick’s face near the beginning of the film. In short, The Shining is rife for discussion and these guys ended up talking about dicks and clouds.
3. Upstream Color
I really enjoyed Shane Carruth’s first film, a twisty time travel tale called Primer. Nine long years passed. And then he announced his follow up film, Upstream Color, and I rejoiced and the world danced in anticipation. Then I watched it.
Let's go back a second. Despite initially being excited about the film, the only reason I finally watched it was because I was laid up in bed with a bad back. For some reason, I had pretty much lost all interest in it. But I finally watched it. And maybe I just didn’t “get” it, but it’s definitely not my cup of tea. I’m an escapist and I don’t really enjoy films with vague, meandering plots about worms and pigs and shit. I’m probably coming off as a Philistine but I just really didn’t enjoy this film. In my defense, I actually watched the movie a second time. I may have understood it even less the second go 'round.
 |
| Wikipedia |
2. The ABCs of Death
This fucking film. What a waste of a premise. Remember how I said that the movies on this list aren’t necessarily bad films? THIS ONE IS. IT IS TERRIBLE. Skip this fucking piece of filth and instead check out V/H/S 2, another of 2013’s anthology horror films.
1. Man of Steel
Man of Steel. Yes. It really, really disappointed me. I was expecting a lot more. I was expecting unique, unforgettable action sequences. I (suppose) I was expecting a linear story, because those flashbacks sure got annoying. I won’t start to nitpick, because I wrote a full review for that sort of thing. Here’s the thing...I’ve seen Man of Steel a second time since writing that review. It’s not that bad. It really isn’t. But, man, it could have been better. And despite everything, I'm really excited for Man of Steel 2/Batman vs. Superman. Hopefully Zack Snyder and company get it together.
 |
| Man of Steel on Facebook |
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Robert's Top 10 Films of 2013
Superheroes. Witches. The apocalypse. Nasty hobbitses. Last year was a crazy one! I'm a little late in listing my favorites due to our inaugural Escape-athon. Without further ado, here are my top ten films of 2013.
Honorable Mention - Europa Report
This was an engaging, interesting sci-fi flick that flew under a lot of radars last year. A great cast (Sharlto Copley, Michael Nyqvist, etc.) helps tell the story of what happens when a team of astronauts visits Jupiter’s moon, Europa. More than just a found-footage horror, the film's crew utilized NASA data and real footage from the International Space Station.
10. This Is The End
Seth Rogen and the gang’s truly hysterical meta take on their own celebrity/parody of “end of the world” flicks was one of the year’s best comedies. Light on plot (Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, and other celebrities are stuck at James Franco's when the rapture begins), the film made up for it with lots of laughs.
9. You’re Next
This was a fantastic horror film that straddled the line between old-school horror and the more recent, more joyless slaughterfests without going over the edge. A great cast and a fun story completed the package. Check out my full review here.
8. Iron Man 3
I’ll say this for Iron Man 3 - it wasn’t afraid to take risks and try new things. Was it (potentially) a good send-off for Marvel’s flagship series? Perhaps not. But hey, look at all the Iron Man suits!
7. Thor 2
The sequel to 2011’s Thor sees the Thunder God working with an old enemy in order to conquer a new one. The flick started out a little touch and go but by the end credits, I was very satisfied. It had heart, it had action, it even had a great cameo by another member of The Avengers.
6. Star Trek Into Darkness
I personally enjoyed this film but I recognize its faults, chiefly, that it’s really just a remake of The Wrath of Khan when you get down to it. I enjoyed the film's sense of adventure, special effects, and all the actors involved so it’s a good flick in my book. I’m hoping for a little more character development in the next film. And more lens flares!
5. The Conjuring
I loved Insidious. I love any haunted house flick, really. So when I learned that Insidious-helmer James Wan was directing another “family-is-terrorized-by-ghosts” movie, I was very intrigued. And it was set in the '70s - a period horror flick! Read my full review of the film here.
4. Gravity
I think everybody knew this was going to be amazing, right? The ever charming George Clooney, a career-defining performance from Sandra Bullock, an intense, original story, and top-notch special effects. Just an amazing film.
3. Evil Dead
In a somewhat crowded year for good horror, the Evil Dead reboot stood out. Director Fede Alvarez had big shoes to fill but he came through, delivering an original film worthy of its predecessors. Slick and gory, the film nailed the requisite atmosphere. Here’s hoping we get a sequel soon. Full review here.
2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
A fantasy film in every sense of the word, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is also my top “escapist” film of 2013. A definite improvement over its predecessor, the film boasts stellar work from its cast and a great story. Check out my full review here.
1. The World’s End
It should come as no surprise that Edgar Wright’s tale about drinking, friendship, and aliens is my favorite film of the year. Wright has a way of balancing the human and fantastic elements of his films like few others working today. The World's End could have been about an addict's struggle with faded friendship and lost glory and simply left it at that. But then the heads started to roll. To put it bluntly: I’ve seen this movie four times now, and it gets better with each viewing.
Honorable Mention - Europa Report
This was an engaging, interesting sci-fi flick that flew under a lot of radars last year. A great cast (Sharlto Copley, Michael Nyqvist, etc.) helps tell the story of what happens when a team of astronauts visits Jupiter’s moon, Europa. More than just a found-footage horror, the film's crew utilized NASA data and real footage from the International Space Station.
 |
| Europa Report on Facebook |
10. This Is The End
Seth Rogen and the gang’s truly hysterical meta take on their own celebrity/parody of “end of the world” flicks was one of the year’s best comedies. Light on plot (Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, and other celebrities are stuck at James Franco's when the rapture begins), the film made up for it with lots of laughs.
9. You’re Next
This was a fantastic horror film that straddled the line between old-school horror and the more recent, more joyless slaughterfests without going over the edge. A great cast and a fun story completed the package. Check out my full review here.
 |
| Lionsgate |
8. Iron Man 3
I’ll say this for Iron Man 3 - it wasn’t afraid to take risks and try new things. Was it (potentially) a good send-off for Marvel’s flagship series? Perhaps not. But hey, look at all the Iron Man suits!
7. Thor 2
The sequel to 2011’s Thor sees the Thunder God working with an old enemy in order to conquer a new one. The flick started out a little touch and go but by the end credits, I was very satisfied. It had heart, it had action, it even had a great cameo by another member of The Avengers.
6. Star Trek Into Darkness
I personally enjoyed this film but I recognize its faults, chiefly, that it’s really just a remake of The Wrath of Khan when you get down to it. I enjoyed the film's sense of adventure, special effects, and all the actors involved so it’s a good flick in my book. I’m hoping for a little more character development in the next film. And more lens flares!
 |
| Star Trek |
5. The Conjuring
I loved Insidious. I love any haunted house flick, really. So when I learned that Insidious-helmer James Wan was directing another “family-is-terrorized-by-ghosts” movie, I was very intrigued. And it was set in the '70s - a period horror flick! Read my full review of the film here.
4. Gravity
I think everybody knew this was going to be amazing, right? The ever charming George Clooney, a career-defining performance from Sandra Bullock, an intense, original story, and top-notch special effects. Just an amazing film.
3. Evil Dead
In a somewhat crowded year for good horror, the Evil Dead reboot stood out. Director Fede Alvarez had big shoes to fill but he came through, delivering an original film worthy of its predecessors. Slick and gory, the film nailed the requisite atmosphere. Here’s hoping we get a sequel soon. Full review here.
 |
| Evil Dead on Facebook |
2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
A fantasy film in every sense of the word, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is also my top “escapist” film of 2013. A definite improvement over its predecessor, the film boasts stellar work from its cast and a great story. Check out my full review here.
1. The World’s End
It should come as no surprise that Edgar Wright’s tale about drinking, friendship, and aliens is my favorite film of the year. Wright has a way of balancing the human and fantastic elements of his films like few others working today. The World's End could have been about an addict's struggle with faded friendship and lost glory and simply left it at that. But then the heads started to roll. To put it bluntly: I’ve seen this movie four times now, and it gets better with each viewing.
 |
| Mondo |
Monday, February 3, 2014
Escape-athon 2014 in Review
January, a cold month of almost no merit whatsoever, is over! I like to think it went by a little smoother thanks to Escape-athon, our month of sci-fi and fantasy appreciation. Below is a little recap of the event, which featured five scenes, two reviews, and one podcast. I didn’t post as much as I wanted but that just means next year’s Escape-athon will be even more jam-packed. Special thanks to CT from Nerd Lunch and Jess from French Toast Sunday for sharing some of their favorite scenes with us!
Favorite Scene Friday! The Lord of the Rings: “I would have followed you, my brother...”
Escape-athon Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Favorite Scene Friday! Minority Report: You Can Choose
Favorite Scene Friday! Galaxy Quest: “By Grabthar’s Hammer...” by CT from Nerd Lunch
Favorite Scene Friday! Looper: Old Joe and Young Joe Talk by Jess from French Toast Sunday
Escape-athon! The LAMBcast TimeCop Episode!
Escape-athon Review: Riddick
Favorite Scene Friday! Contact: The Machine
Favorite Scene Friday! The Lord of the Rings: “I would have followed you, my brother...”
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| Wikipedia |
Escape-athon Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Favorite Scene Friday! Minority Report: You Can Choose
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| IMDb |
Favorite Scene Friday! Galaxy Quest: “By Grabthar’s Hammer...” by CT from Nerd Lunch
Favorite Scene Friday! Looper: Old Joe and Young Joe Talk by Jess from French Toast Sunday
Escape-athon! The LAMBcast TimeCop Episode!
Escape-athon Review: Riddick
 |
| Wikipedia |
Favorite Scene Friday! Contact: The Machine
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