HOT TUB TIME MACHINE IS A JOYOUS BLAST TO THE PAST

I really loved this movie. I mean...really, really, REALLY loved this movie.

Hot Tub Time Machine gets its heart and spirit from films like Back To The Future and Bill and Ted, it's script from films like The Hangover. It's a winning combination.

Hot Tub Time Machine follows the misadventures of a group of friends that are all living unsatisfactory lives. There's John Cusack as Adam,a man whos still coming to terms with the fact that his girlfriend/wife just left him, There's Clark Duke as Jacob, a lonely seclusive nerd who lives in his uncle Adam's basement and spends most of his time on his precious computer (I'd imagine he's probably allergic to sunlight), There's Craig Robinson as Nick, a man who is stuck in a bad relatonship with a cheating wife and is owner of a doggy spa, and there's Rob Cordrry as Lou, a man who had bigger dreams to his life and is crushed that he never achieved any of them.

After Lou commits what appears to be an actidental suicide attempt, the 3 friends decide to hike it to the ski resort where; as teens; they had the time of their lives. Adam decides to bring Jacob along (Whom Lou absolutely despises)figuring a weekend with the boys and some fresh air will do him some good. They arrive to find that the whole place is boarded up and the ski resort has seen better days. Despairing of their failed attempt to party it up, they hop into their rooms Hot Tub and awake to find themselves stuck in the year 1986. When they realize the size of the problem that they have found themselves in, they do the natural thing, panic.

The film follows most of what previous time travel movies have already established to be "The Rules" of time travel. At first the 4 try to do everything exactly as it happenned when they were there last, but end up realizing that this is their chance to give themselves the lives they dreamed about, and that friends, is when the fun begins.

By far the most enjoyable and funniest character in this film is Lou. Thats not to say that the others aren't great. Each character is hilarious in his own special way. I loved the part where Adam laments that "I hate this decade", and I got a kick out of seeing Nick perform "Let's Get It Started", but none can really hold a candle to the sheer amount of enthusiasm and manly joy that Rob Coddry brings to the character of Lou, the one who has it the worst out of them all and is the first to declare that "The rules can suck my..." well, you get the picture. His antics at the ski resort are sure to leave most in stitches.

Hot Tub also has a great supporting cast. There's the fantastic Crispin Glover as Phil, the lodge's bellhop who has the longest running joke in the film. For the first time in his career Crispin plays a bad-ass and pulls it off brilliantly. This is his first normal guy role he's had in a while and it's just great to see him at it again. Congrats Crispin. There's also the hot hot hot Lizzy Caplan as April, a reporter at the lodge covering the band Poison, Lyndsy Fonseca as Jennie, Adams old girlfriend who is the subject of a memorable quote , Chevy Chase as the mystical repair man (Sadly, he is underused here and is starting to show his age), Collette Wolfe as Kelly, Jacob's slutty mom, and Sebastian Stan as Blaine, the head of Ski Patrol who is sure to remind most of Biff, the bully in Back To The Future. They all pull off superb performances and are ultimately hilarious in the roles they step into.

Hot Tub Time Machine works as a love-letter to the time travel films that we all grew up with while at the same time gently riffing on them and working on its own terms as its own film. I walked into the film expecting a great, fun film. I got that, and so much more. The ending is sure to leave most with their arms pumping the air in victory.

With a superbly hilarious script, a fantastic cast, memorable jokes and a great idea Hot Tub Time Machine is one lean, mean time-trabeling machine that most will not want to miss a ride on. Run, don't walk to this film since it's the first Great White Buffalo to come out this year.

4.5/5 HIGH FULL PRICE

BEETLE REVIEWS LADY GAGA TELEPHONE VIDEO

Hey there Beetle-heads. I know I'm ALOT late on this one, but I just saw Lady Gaga's vid for her new song Telephone and I just had to share my thoughts on it. Most of her videos are like watching a train wreck, their really bad but you can't turn away and Telephone is just like this as well. The video has no point to it. Gaga gets arrested (For killing fashion I'd guess) and is promptly stripped down as the 2 female guards muse that she doesn't have a dick. Eventually she breaks into song, shortly afterward she gets bailed out by Beyonce. They drive around in the Pussy Wagon from Kill Bill and end up poisioning a shit-load of people in a diner. They manage to escape with cops in pursuit. That's pretty much it to the video. There's lots of dancing (alot of it bad), skimpy outfits, and some more bizarre outfits that Gaga wears including one made up entirely of caution Tape and another one that includes sunglasses adorned with smoking ciggerettes. By far, the most bizarre thing about the video though, was the product placements that show up in just about every frame of the video. Virgin Mobile, Plenty of Fish.com, Miracle Whip, Wonder-Bread, etc!!! And the placements aren't subtle, most consisting of extreme close-ups of said product. It just pissed me off by sheer annoyance, which I'm guessing is what Gaga was going for in the video. The whole video was pretty annoying,to be honest. Beyonce takes part in alot of jumpy shots of her hitting her head and yelling into the phone, Gaga blurts out mother-fucker several times, and it all ends with them both driving the Pussy-Wagon into the sunset with the words TO BE CONTINUED pasted onto the screen. Thanks, but no thanks Gaga...I think I'll sit the sequel out.

BEETLES TRAILER MANIA: SCOTT PILGRIM, TRON, GUARDIANS, DRAGONS

Hey there Beetle-heads, it's time for me to review some new trailers for some pretty cool up-comin films.

First up: Tron Legacy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9szn1QQfas

This little baby premiered in front of Alice In Wonderland a few weeks back. It's a shame that it can only be viewed in 2D online, because it really is pretty freakin cool in 3D. It would appear the storyline involves Sam Flynn, the son of gaming genius Kevin Flynn (The hero in the first film). It would appear that Kevin dissappeared from the world after the events of the first film (Weird, cuz I remember him escaping the game in the first one, but whatever). Either way, Sam, following a mysterious lead, breaks into his dads old arcade and is digitized into the world of Tron. Thats about it for the story so far, I'm hoping that the plot is more complex than the trailers are letting on though.

The first Tron is responsible for the movies we have today, it revolutionized SFX Technology and opened the door to more advanced technology for films. I'm going to see this one, just because it's a Tron film, the trailers so far though have failed to bring me fully onboard for this film.

Beetle's Excitement Level: 6/10 Luke-warm

Next is a trailer for a film called Legend Of The Guardians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_lMihSKkgA

In regular 2D I wouldn't have even included this film for review. It looks retarded, to be quite honest. It follows a teen-aged owl as he sets out to find/join a group of imaginary heroes that his mom would tell him stories about when he was young. In 3-D the effects are simply stunning and really bring the audience into the film. I'd say the effects are up there with Avatars. This is one film I will definently see, just to get whisked away by those stunning effects I viewed.

Beetle's Excitement Level: 7/10 Excited


Next up is the newest trailer for How To Train Your Dragon in 3-D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKiYuIsPxYk

Dragons is about a teen-aged Viking, Hiccup, that one day injures a dragon in an attempt to prove to his friends that he would make a good warrior. But, when it comes time to finish it off, he finds he can't kill it and instead nurses it back to health and in the process forms a special bond with this monster.

In 3-D It looks like this film has everything. Amazing Special Effects that give the illusion of motion and really show off these beautiful monsters, a compelling story, and even what a appears to be a pretty good musical score. Quite simply, I'm psyched.

Beetle's Excitement Level: 9/10 Excited

The final trailer for today is Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtKAfoIllbo

Scott Pilgrim follows the adventure of a college-aged male that falls in love with a girl, only to learn that she comes with some serious baggage in the form of 7 evil exes that are now out to kill him. It sounds like a pretty funny concept abd there were several points in the trailer that made me laugh. I mean, who wouldn't enjoy Michael Cera getting his ass whooped.

Beetle's Excitement Level: 10/10 I CAN'T WAIT!!!

That's all for now folks, till next time...I'll see YOU at the movies.

GAMER REVIEW: DEAD SPACE

Dead Space will always hold a special place in my heart as the game that introduced me to survival horror. It is the example which I use to judge all other survival horror games. Why, you may ask? Well, lets delve into my review for Dead Space and maybe you'll figure it out.

Dead Space takes place in the far future where human's bad habits have just about depleted almost all of Earths natural resources, which is why we are now reduced to drilling far away planets for their resources to be used on Earth. The biggest "Planet Cracker" in the fleet is the USG Ishimura, which has just suffered a complete and total comms blackout. Enter Isaac Clark, the hero of the game, it is his crews job to travel to the Ishimura and restore all comms systems. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a normal repair mission quickly turns into the stuff nightmares are made of as the truth behind the blackout rears its ugly head and Isaac and crew quickly find themselves trapped in a battle for survival and drawn into an ever deepening conspiracy that involves the US Government, The Military, and a popular religion known as Unitology.

If it weren't already obvious from the above paragraph, Story is one element that Dead Space isn't about to run out of. The Story of Dead Space starts once the screen flickers on and continues until the tense final shot.

Of course, this wouldn't be a survival-horror game if it wasn't able to scare the piss out of players...and Dead Space does this brilliantly. The game literally uses every element it can to get you to scream for your mommy. The alien-zombies known as Necromorphs are so twisted and disturbing that the mere sight of one is just about gauranteed to give us nightmares, now to have the game sic these bastards onto the player in seemingly never-ending droves while your exploring the ship or locked in a small, dark room during quarantine is what ultimately will drive most players to cry UNCLE!!! The only way to defeat these uglies is to de-limb them in the goriest ways possible. Cut off their legs and they'll start dragging themselves across the floor towards you, it would seem cutting off their heads would do the trick...but no, as after I chopped off some of their heads they still continued to pursue me. For them to cease bothering you, the player MUST cut off all of their limbs.

As if having these things become the new "Crew" of the Ishimura weren't bad enough, as you travel through the ship the sounds of them crawling in the vents above you is a reminder that while you may have fended off the last horde, there are still more waiting to pounce on you when least expected. You may be safe for the time being, but it will never stay that way for long.

Helping in the "Pee your pants" category is the tense music and ship design. The music keeps the player in the right state of mind while playing the game, climaxing or hitting sudden, loud chords when a Necromorph attacks. The ship design feels like something out of HR Gigers vivid imagination. It's all quite disturbing.

Why anyone would even sign on to work in such a vast ship in the middle of a far-away system is a mystery to me, but why Isaac stays on the ship even when things turn deadly is not. The game provides enough motivation for Isaac that the reason why he stays is never a mystery. You see, his girlfriend is stuck aboard the Ishimura and sent Isaac a mysterious message before the ship lost all power. Even if Isaac did want to leave, the Necromorphs were able to successfully blow up the tiny vessel Isaac and his crew used to board the Ishimura. In plain and simple english: They're stranded on the deadly ship until they can find another means of escape.

As if all this weren't enough to give any hard-core gamer a reason to give Dead Space a try, the gameplay itself is also superb in its execution. It's quite entertaining to run around the ship avoiding terrible terrors, and when cornered, de-limbimg them. It feels like the whole game you are stuck in a one-man war for dominance and survival.

Now onto what may be the only downside of the game: The re-playablity. There's not much to Dead Space beyond its story mode(which took me a around a week + to finish). There's no multiplayer mode or online option. Once players finish the game they've pretty much gotten all they could out of it. True, there are countless achievements to...um, achieve but that in itself does not provide players nearly enough motivation to give Dead Space another run-through.

Inspired by Alien, The Thing, Night of the Living Dead, and Solaris Dead Space is a force to be reckoned with. The terror inducing atmosphere stays consistant from beginning to end. The only down-side to this is that the players are rarely given any time to cool down during the game. This is either viewed as a good thing, or a bad thing depending on who is playing the game. Dead Space is definently not for the faint of heart as most of its artistic canvas consists of splattered blood, severed limbs, and disturbing aliens that are relentless in their quest to devour you whole. As a whole, Dead Space is a bloody-fun gaming experience, provided players have a strong enough constitution to see it through till its satisfying end.

9.7/10

GAMER REVIEW: L4D2

Here, as I promised before, is my review of the much-anticipated Left For Dead 2.

Left For Dead 2 is a fairly simple game that makes many, many promises to its players, so the question is not: Is it fun??? but is instead Does it keep the promises it made?

Left For Dead 2 follows a new group of survivors as they traverse the south and attempt to survive in the post-apocalyptic world that we first witnessed in the first Left For Dead. That's pretty much it to then story. There's no twists, turns, or surprises to the game, it's all played fairly safely. Feel free to leave your brain at the door as there's not much use for it in the game. You can pretty much play the game with your eyes closed, just shooting wildly, and I can guarentee you that you will most likely survive.

That's not to say that the game isn't challenging, because it is challenging. There are several levels where the hordes of zombies team up to basically ass-rape the player until he/she is bundled up in a corner, crying for it to stop.

The game trailer promised amazing graphics, a cool story, and general bad-assed-ness all around, but all the promises are forgotten once the game starts. The graphics are nothing to drool over, and as I've already said there is little to no story. Instead L4D2 builds on the legacy of the arcade games we all were raised on. The gameplay is mind-numbingly simple, yet surprisingly fun. While the campaign mode should take most no more than a school week to finish, there is enough fun to be had that most gamers are just about guaranteed to revisit this chaotic little world again and again.

Overall, while the story, gameplay, controls, and graphics are just too simple for its own good, L4D2 gives the player a fun enough experience that it makes the game a must-own for any hard-core gamer or zombie enthusiast. L4D2 is proof that you don't need to make a game complex in order for it to be a good one.

8.0/10

GAMER REVIEW: CoD: MODERN WARFARE

I know this review has been a long time coming, seeing as how Modern Warfare was released in 2007, but I'm one of the few that believes better late...than never. So with that out of the way equip your AK-47s and lets delve into the heart of warfare as I review CoD: Modern Warfare.

Let's start with the story: In Modern Warfare you play as a new recruit for the SAS, John "Soap" MacTavish. Your team consists of Captain John Price, Gaz, and Staff Sergeant Griggs as they wage war on Russia in an attempt to apprehend psychotic madman Imran Zakhaev. At certain points in the game you will switch from Soap to a US Marine named Paul Jackson who is in the heart of the war over in Afghanistan. Your madcap adventure as Soap and Jackson will whisk you through several madcap levels including one on a sinking ship, another in the heart of a russian nuclear facility, and another one on a collapsing bridge. The whole game is executed at a break-neck speed that only serves to intensify the action and tension witnessed in the game.

The main character of Soap also helps to bring the game up as he is without a doubt one of the coolest, most bad-ass game characters I've had the pleasure of stepping into the shoes of. Most of the game he takes orders from higher-ups, but does so with a intensity of his own. It's quite fun when during the last 2 levels I found myself as Soap furiously taking down one armed assailiant after another.

The gameplay, as I already mentioned in the above paragraph, is fast and furious. Players will have to think fast on their feet as enemy forces quickly multiply until your team is vastly outnumbered and every now and then a level will have a time limit to it, making it vital that your actions be swift and precise. The only downside is that the single player campaign mode, while fast, insane, and loads of fun is also somewhat on the short side (it only took me a total of 4/5 days to finish), but this does not detract from the overall experience.

While the campaign may be short, players can go on for an eternity with the multiplayer option, which is also quite fun as me and my brother both had tons of fun riddling each others bodies full of bullets.

Overall, while the graphics may not be the best and the campaign may not be the longest you've ever run into, Modern Warfare succeeds in its ability to surprise and entertain the player. Modern Warfare is one war-torn epic that you'll want to re-visit again and again and again.

9.4/10

BEETLE THINKS OLD DOGS NEED TO BE PUT DOWN

Old Dogs was one of the most negatively reviewed films of 2009 (On Rotten tomatoes it got 78 negative reviews, giving it a rating of 6%). I am usually one who tries to stay as far away from bad movies as possible, but the overwhelmingly negative reviews of this film made it impossible for me to resist reviewing this truly rotten little flick.

Old Dogs is about Best Friends for life Charlie (John Travolta, who plays a completly unlikeable douchbag) and Dan (Robin Williams) as they are on the verge of closing the biggest business deal of their lives. Of Course, disaster strikes in the form of 2 kids that Dan learns he is the dad of. After Dan actidentally causes a pretty nasty actident with their aunt/baby-sitter that leaves her in the ER, Dan is suddenly left to care for them for a few weeks while their mom is taken off to Jail on account of a political activist stunt she perpetrated. Painfully inept at the responsibilities of Parenthood Dan goes to Charlie for help and advice. The only problem is, Charlie is just as inept as he is.

It's amazing at how many promising careers of big name actors this rotten film almost single-handedly destroyed. The Supporting cast includes such big-names as Matt Dillon as a tough Camp Head, Justin Long as his revenge-seeking assistant that wrongfully targets his rage at Charlie, Lori Loughlin as hot translator,Rita Wilson as the cross eyed aunt, Kelly Preston as the mom of the kids, Seth Green as Charlie and Dan's business associate, Luis Guzman as a baby-proofing worker, Dax Shepard as his co-worker, and Amy Sedaris as a condo woman (She's only in it for like, 1 second though). They all seem genuinely in pain to be in such a crappy film as this. I can only imagine how much in need of money they were to sign on for this film. Justin Long and Seth Green are the only ok actors in this, putting on mildly entertaining performances. I wish as much could be said for Preston, Travolta, and Williams who all put on horrific performances. A few memorable "Bad Acting" scenes include when Dan gets divorced in a flashback and when Mom gets the news that Dan has to move to Japan for the deal. Her fake tears created much physical pain, so fake...too fake.

Another problem with the film is that it was actually made 2/3/4 years ago, evidenced by the late Bernie Mac appearing in the film as a puppeteer. Why, after 2 years Disney would suddenly decide to release this film is a mystery to me. Disney had to know it was shit, so I can only imagine that Williams or Travolta must have done something to piss off The Mouse enough that they released this film as their ultimate form of revenge. Why do I say that?? Because those 2 (and almost every actor in the film) are put through so much abuse during the film that the humor actually comes across as quite mean-spirited. Williams is locked in a tanning booth for too, too long and comes out with a tan that elicits Indian and Spanish jokes as members of each race confuse him for one of their own, Travolta is hit in the face by a tire swing from a Gorilla and pecked to death by a bunch of killer penguins, Wilson has her hands slammed in the trunk of Dans car, and Green is hit in the nuts by a golf-ball and abducted by a gorilla whom tortures him to the point where I couldn't help but feel the little dudes pain as he sobs in fear. As if this weren't bad enough the film also makes several gay, Spanish, Indian, and other racial/sexual orientation jokes. The humor in the film is all in VERY bad taste.

Most of the story elements point to the idea that the script was originally written as an adult R rated Comedy, but somehow was turned into a "Family-friendly" comedy. The only problem is that all the adult parts are left intact, making this quite a difficult film to watch with your kids. Another clue: The man who directed Van Wilder also directed Old Dogs.

As Horrible as this film was, I couldn't help but laugh at the actors and their stupidity for getting so locked up into this bad film. I guess in this way the film did succeed, It will make most laugh,not out of humor but out of pain, embarressment, and disbelief.

Old Dogs is the worst kind of comedy that one can encounter. It pictures itself as a funny film because it makes jokes about ethnic sterotypes, gays, and; as the title implies; old people. In fact, now that I think back on it, there are quite a few jokes made about old folks and their bad knees, backs, and need for pills. There are even 2 poorly placed jokes about, yup, OLD DOGS.

It's really a shame that Williams and Travolta ALMOST dodged a bullet when this film wasn't to be released, but then, well...unfortunately it was. In all honesty they kind of deserve this though, I mean, they were the ones who decided to sign on to such a bad, bad film. I wouldn't blame Williams and Travolta for hiding out for the next few years or so until their careers recover, seeing as the lengths they went to completly humiliate and degrade themselves in this movie (as did every other actor, as I said before).

Old Dogs is a poorly done attempt at a family comedy that fails at litterally every step of the way, and while some may laugh, it won't be for why they thought they would. Old Dogs is basically Death To Smoochy wrapped in family-friendly wrapping paper. Old Dogs is one film that needs to be taken out in the back yard and shot, or just left on the shelf next time you pass by it at your local movie store.

.5/5 ( Half a Star out of five) FUCK YOU

Interesting Tidbit: The young girl in the film is played by John Travoltas Daughter. Nice way to fuck up your kids career, DAD.

RETRO REVIEW: SAW

2 men awaken in a rundown bathroom chained to opposite walls. Each are given a rusty saw, but it's not for the chains...it's for their legs. A voice comes on over a tape recorder and the rest...is movie history.

Saw was the film that is cited as being the first ever torture porn film, even though when you watch it again there's a surprising lack of blood and gore, and the camera tends to shy away from some of the more grusome moments, taking the Jaws approach of the less we see, the more scary a thing is. Quite simply the approach works fantastically in the confines of this film.

In Saw, we are thrust into the bathroom with Dr. Lawrence Gordon and Adam as they are forced to work together to figure out why they are there and what they must have the strength to do in order to escape. As the film progresses more and more layers are ripped away until the surprising truth of their situation is finally revealed.

Saw is a great film that grabs viewers and holds you until the last screams die down. The films only flaw is that it really does drag at certain points, but all will be rewarded if you just hang in there for the surprise twist.

Borrowing elements from Film Noir and mixing in a healthy dose of terror and suspense, Saw is a classic that should not be missed.

3.5/5

RETRO REVIEW: SAW 3

Last Night I had the opportunity to see Saw 3 again, the only film in the franchise I haven't seen in a while. I was both shocked and surprised at how great of a film it was.

In Saw 3, Jigsaw is litterally on his deathbed as, for the first time, he willingly becomes a part of his newest game. This time the game involves Dr. Lynn Denlon; a sympathetic female doctor that is forced into taking care of Jigsaw; Jeff; a man who is grieving over the death of his son; and Amanda; Jigsaw's lover and apprentice.

For most of the film we switch between Lynn, who has a lethal device around her neck that will detonate should Jigsaw flatline, and Jeff as he works his way through Jigsaws latest maze. As Jeff works his way through it quickly becomes apparent that Saw is trying to help Jeff move on with his life after his sons death. In each room Jeff passes through he meets a new person that was partly responsible for his sons death and is now in the grip of a deadly trap. Jeff is given the choice to sit back and let them pay, or take the proper steps to save their life, thereby forgiving them. Jeffs action and decisions as he moves through Saws twisted, intricate maze will surprise most.

The latest installment in the Saw Franchise; Saw 6; seems to draw inspiration from Saw 3 as they both tiptoe around the usual formula that can be found in the Saw films. Both also play as twisted revenge Fantasies; Saw 3 for Jeff and Saw 6 for the audience.

Saw 3 is one of the rare Saw films that is actually enjoyable, surprising, and good. It all adds up to another bloody good time at the movies.

4/5

BEETLE'S BUG JUICE: LET ME IN MOVIE INTERVIEW

Let Me In is the American remake of the hit foreign film Let The Right One, which you can find my review of a few pages back.

Let Me In is the vampiric love story about a young boy and his vampire girlfriend. NO, It's not going to resemble Twilight so quiet down.

The Interview: http://www.cinematical.com/2010/03/10/hammer-films-simon-oakes-promises-scary-accessible-let-me-in/

Quite a few interesting details hidden in there. I personally am looking forward to Let Me In. Let's just hope it's not the typical remake we've become so accustomed to.

Till then I'm Beetlejuice and you've been bugged.

BEETLE'S BUG JUICE: INSURGE PICTURES

Another interesting prospect has popped up today (Wow, turning out to be a good day for movie news). Turns out Paramount is creating a small independent studio named Insurge. But this isn't just any normal studio, no. Insurge, from as far as I can make out, will rely upon an interactive online community to help out with the process of making the films. Member of the community may have the chance to vote on who gets the role, which one-sheet is chose, etc. HOW COOL IS THAT?

The Links: http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/03/11/details-on-insurge-paramounts-paranormal-activity-inspired-micro-budget-film-initiative/

http://www.indiewire.com/article/hollywood_studio_boosts_micro-budget_movies/



So if any of you have ever thought that if you were in charge that crappy film would have been a hit, well...nows your chance.

Till next time I'm Beetlejuice and you've just been bugged.

BEETLE'S BUG JUICE: THE WORLDS FIRST INTERACTIVE MOVIE....GOOD IDEA??

According to Slashfilm a new german horror film is looking to change the viewers normal role from passive voyer to active participant via their cell phones. How?? When you purchase your ticket to the film you are asked to submit your cell phone number and then, during the end sequence the main character will call a random person in the audience and ask for their help in escaping. The film will have a different ending each time based upon the audience member's responses.

Here's the link: http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/03/11/the-latest-gimmick-interactive-horror-movie-last-call-will-phone-you-during-the-film/

The film is a german horror film that is named The Last Call. Since it's German is it possible for it to be released in the US?? Personally I like the audience participation idea, not so crazy about the use of cell phones to do it with though. What do you think??

Till then I'm Beetlejuice and you've just been bugged.

BEETLE REVIEWS THE HURT LOCKER (BEST PICTURE OSCAR)

In The Hurt Locker, Jeremy Renner plays a bomb technician named William James that is assigned to a bomb squad after their previous bomb technician was killed in an actidental detonation. Wills job is to seek out bombs and disarm them before they can be set off. One wrong move could send Will and his team blown to kingdom come.

The Hurt Locker focuses on those who resist the self-preservation instinct and put their lives on the line for the betterment of all. It delves deep into these soldiers lives as they race around Iraq defusing bombs and fighting off terrorists. The film firmly places the viewer in the middle of Iraq with the squad as they go about their daily routine. The Hurt Locker has a very gritty and raw feel to it that places it into the same vein as District 9, another film that uses its editing and cinematography to evoke a "YOU ARE THERE" feel.

The Hurt Locker doesn't have much of a plot and instead chooses just to show what these soldiers go through every day. It tears away the superman myth that is associated with most of our troops. These men aren't fearless by any means. They would much rather run from a bomb than defuse it. The film delves into the psyche of the American soldier and brings us into his world that includes everyday terrors that are beyond the comprehension of most Americans.

The film is rounded out with a superb cast of characters. Jeremy Renner plays Bomb technician and main focal point of our adventure William James, Anthony Mackie plays the somewhat cynical and cautious 2nd in command JT Sanborn, Brian Geraghty plays Owen Eldridge, and Christopher Sayegh plays the street boy Beckham.

The team does not always get along with each other and some outright despise one-another. They share a rocky bond that is crumbling at the seams but somehow is held together by the emotions and dangers that their jobs create.

The Hurt Locker is a beautiful, gritty, heartbreaking film that dares to take a peek at what everyday must be like for our troops fighting over in Iraq. It plays like Call Of Duty: The Movie, but is also a smart tribute to our troops. There's enough tension and suspense to keep most movie-goers firmly glued to the edge of their seats for most of the film. Complete with a surprisingly heart-breaking ending, the Hurt Locker is another rare treat brought to us in 2009. It's quite unlike anything I've ever seen. DARE TO SEE IT!

4/5

BEETLE'S OSCAR PICKS

Hey there Beetle-heads, today I break new ground on my blog as I ANNOUNCE MY OSCAR PICKS!!! I'm going to go over every single category so this is going to be one LOOOOOOONG post. So buckle your seat belts and make sure your flying delorean is secured because today I name my Oscar Picks! Let's delve right in, shall we??

First up we have the award for Best Original Screenplay.
The Nominees are:
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Bastards
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

I believe this award will come down to 2 choices: Up and Inglourious Bastards. For me, even though UP! was a great film, There is only one obvious winner: Inglourious Bastards. Quentin Tarantino has proven himself as a master scriptwriter and Inglourious Bastards only further solidifies his status as a master filmmaker and scriptwriter.

The Next award is for Best Adapted Screenplay
The Nominees are
District 9
An Education
In The Loop
Precious
Up In The Air

My pick is for Up in The Air. I Loved District 9 and I've only heard great things about Precious, but I believe that Up In The Air will win this one. True, it was depressing as hell (No happy ending, definently one of the most depressing films I've ever seen) but the script was entertaining and put togther nicely.

The Next Award is for Best Visual Effects
The Nominees are
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

NO-BRAINER!!! My pick and the just about guarenteed winner is AVATAR!! District 9 was a superb film but Avatar single-handedly revolutionized the film industry with it's breath-taking, jaw-dropping setting on the mystical, mysterious planet known as Pandora.

The next award is for Best Sound Mixing
The Nominees are
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourios Bastards
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

My pick would have to go to Avatar.

Next is the award for Best Sound Editing
The Nominees are
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourios Bastards
Star Trek
Up

My pick would have to go to Avatar.

The next award is for Best Short Film (Live Action)
The Nominees are
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants

My pick would go to Kavi.


The next award is for Best Short Film (Animated)
The Nominees are
French Roast
Granny O' Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and The Reaper
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death

My pick goes to A Matter of Loaf and Death beacause IT'S A WALLACE AND GROMIT SHORT!! I haven't seen these characters in ages and it just feels right that their return would win them an Oscar.

The next award is for Best Music (Original Song)
The Nominees are
Almost There- Princess and the Frog
Down In New Orleans- Princess and the Frog
Loin de Paname- Paris 36
Take It All- Nine
The Weary Kid- Crazy Heart

In The end this category is going to come down to 2 Nominees: The Weary Kind and Down In New Orleans. Both are superb, fantastic, enjoyable songs and it's pretty hard for me to choose which one has more of a chance of winning. Personally I think it's pretty unfair that the superior song from Princess and The Frog; Friends on the Other Side; was not chosen to be a nominee because it would have evened out the choices and it was just a great song all around with its fun dark tone, and its creepy lyrics. But I've got to choose, so in the end I'm going to have to go with Down In New Orleans with its infectious tune and catchy lyrics that celebrate everything down south. Consider it almost as a Zip-a-dee-doo-dah for the new age.


Next is the award for Best Music (Original Score)
The Nominees are
Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up

My pick for this category would have to be UP!.

Next is the award for Best Makeup
The Nominees are
II Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

My Pick goes to Star Trek.

Next is the award for Best Foreign Film
The Nominees are
Ajami
El Secreto du Sus Ojos
The Milk of Sorrow
Un Prophete
The White Ribbon

My pick goes to The White Ribbon. A Story about creepy murderous children, how could it go wrong? This one is definently on my must-see list.

The next award is for Best Film Editing
The Nominees are
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Bastards
Precious

I've never seen Hurt Locker and I've heard fantastic things about it, so I'd have to say this one would take the Oscar for this category, but for myself I'd choose District 9. The filmmakers chose to make the editing choppy, fast and real to get that gritty "This is really happenning" look across to the audience. It just appealed to me more. If D9 has a chance of overthrowing Hurt locker for the win in this category is still "Up In The Air" (HAHAHAHAHA) so lets keep our fingers crossed.

Next up is the award for Best Documentary Short
The Nominees are
China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit A La Berlin

My Pick goes to Rabbit.

The next award is for the Best Documentary Feature
The Nominees are
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellesberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

My Pick goes to Food, Inc

The Next award is for Best Director
The Nominees are
James Cameron-Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow-The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino- Inglourious Bastards
Lee Daniels-Precious
Jason Reitman- Up In The Air

The one who really deserves to win this Oscar is Quentin. He is a superb filmmaker and he's never won an oscar yet for his efforts. The Oscars tend to be a bit biased so Lee Daniels or Kathryn Bigelow will probably end up winning, even though Quentin really does deserve this one.

Next is the award for Best Costume Design
The Nominees are
Bright Star
Coco Before Chanal
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria

My Pick would be Imaginarium.

next is the award for Best Cinematography
The Nominees are
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Bastards
The White Ribbon
I think Avatar will get the Oscar for this category even though Hurt Locker and Inglourious Bastards both have an equal chance of winning this as well.

next is the award for Best Art Direction
The Nominees are
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

My Pick would have to be Avatar because obvious choice is obvious.

Next is the award for Best Animated Film
The Nominees are
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and The Frog
The secret of Kells
Up

My pick would be UP!. It's got everything, great engrosing themes about grief for the adults, humor for the family, and stunning visuals for all. I suppose Fox could snatch this one up just as easily but my personal pick is UP!.

Next is the award for Best Supporting Actress
The Nominees are
Penelope Cruz-Nine
Vera Farmiga-Up In The Air
Maggie gyllenhaal-Crazy Heart
Anna kendrick-Up In The Air
Mo'Nique- Precious

My Pick goes to Anna Kendrick for Up In The Air. She portrayed the character of a young Kid being forced to play a role that she isn't sure is really for her is superb and moving...quite possibly the best in the film (Besides George Clooney, of Course).

Next is the award for Best Actress
The Nominees are
Sandra Bullock- The Blind Side
Helen Mirren- The Last Station
Carey Mulligan-An Education
Gabourey Sidibe-Precious
Meryl Streep-Julie and Julia

My Pick goes to Gabourey Sidibe for Precious. It's really a no-brainer when you think about it.

Next is the award for Best Supporting Actor
The Nominees are
Matt Damon-Invictus
Woody Harrelson-The Messenger
Christopher Plummer-The Last Station
Stanley Tucci-The Lovely Bones
Christopher Waltz-Inglourious Bastards

I guarantee you that Waltz is going to run away with this award but my personal choice is Stanley Tucci for the supremely creepy performance he puts on as the child rapist/murderer in The Lovely Bones.

Next is The Award for Best Actor
The Nominees are
Jeff Bridges- Crazy Heart
George Clooney- Up In The Air
Colin Firth- A Single Man
Morgan Freeman- Invictus
Jeremy Renner- The Hurt Locker

My Pick would go to Jeff Bridges even though Jeremy Renner may end up stealing this award in the end.

Next is the award for Best Picture
The Nominees are
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Precious
Up
The Blind Side
An Education
Inglourious Bastards
A Serious Man
Up In The Air

Hurt Locker will probably end up winning this one but my pick goes to DISTRICT 9!!! Once again for me it came down to District 9 and Inglourious Bastards. Inglourious was a superb fun film, but it just can't beat all of the engrossing themes and visuals of D9.

So there you have it, my picks for The 2oo9 Oscar Season. I hope you enjoyed this post, I know I did. Tune in tonight to ABC at 8:00 to see who will win and who will lose. I'm Beetlejuice and I wish you all a very merry time at The Oscars.

Till Next Time...STAY GROOVY!!

BEETLE'S BUG JUICE: NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET INTERVIEW & X-MEN ORIGINS WOLVERINE 2 SCRIPT COMPLETED

Hey there Beetle-Heads, It's time for another segment of BEETLE'S BUG JUICE, where I, your humble host, will dig into the latest news that I've found on the interwebz.

Today I've found an interesting interview with Samuel Bayer: The director of the new Nightmare on Elm Street film.

Here's The link from Slash film: http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/03/03/interview-samuel-bayer-director-of-a-nightmare-on-elm-street/

Personally, there's not much that excites me in this little interview. Most of it is just going over his career so far and how Sam got where he is today. However, there are some cool parts near the end where Sam talks about the new NOES film and his vision for it. It sounds like he's added several cool new bits into the film, like the whole micro-naps concept, but if these new bits may make NOES 2010 worth a viewing is still uncertain.

Personally I look forward to this remake/re-imagining's release date of April 30th 2010 with quite a bit of trepidation. Of course I will see and review this film no matter what I hear or read about it...it's just that time has shown remaking a widely known and loved horror classic is not usually a wise idea.

The 2nd part of business is that the script for Wolverine 2 has been completed.

Link: http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/03/03/wolverine-2-script-finished-shoots-january-2011/

Supposedly W2 is due out Jan 2011. The first film wasn't very popular with critics or fans because of how far it strayed from the actual origins of Wolverine. I personally didn't really care for the film. For me the deal breaker is that the sequel is set in Japan, Overall my excitement for W2 is DOA. I can't possibly describe my lack of excitement for this film. Why Fox thought it was a good idea to greenlight ANOTHER Wolverine film is beyond me. Whatever happenned to the Deadpool movie Ryan Renolds promised us??? I'd much rather see that than Wolverine, AGAIN!! WAKE UP FOX!!

Till then I'm Beetlejuice and you've just been bugged.

RETRO REVIEW: THE INFORMANT

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS: YE BE WARNED















The Informant is yet another brilliant film that came to us in 2009. It is a commentary about the insane, the lies they tell, and the clueless that thoughtlessly buy into said lies.

The Informant is actually based on a true story about the highest ranking whistle blower in U.S History: Mark Whitacre. Mark Whitacre worked for a company named ADM. One day he decided to blow the whistle on what he claimed was a price-fixing scam set up by ADM. The film is filled with the inner thoughts of Mark Whitacre, which he beautifuuly but dully describes to the audience. One such example is Mark's thoughts about how a man can be alive one second and drop dead the next. His thoughts are hilariously boring and dull to the point where they may bring some to tears.

Even though the film takes place in the 90's, it's filmed to evoke the style of a goofy 70's spy film which makes sense since most of the film is from Mark's crazed POV. He sees himself as a hero for the modern day, a cool super smart spy, and the "Good Guy", even though he may be revealed to be quite the opposite later on.

The whole atmosphere the film is set in is crazed, goofy, fun, and surprisingly serious near the end. The film uses fun, goofy music to help set the mood for the rest of the piece. One of the things that makes the film really special and entertaining is that it's quite easy to get caught up in the addictive atmosphere that the film sets up.

Mark Whitacre is played brilliantly by Matt Damon. For the role he dons thick glasses and wears a goofy smile for most of the film. He is supported by a superb cast of characters: Scott Bakula as head FBI agent Brian Shepard, Joel Mchale as his partner Bob Herndon, Thomas F. Wilson (Biff from Back To The Future) as one of the higher-ups at ADM Mark Cheviron, and Melanie Lynskey as Marks wife Ginger Whitacre. All of whom put on fantastic, subtly funny performances.

The Informant is a tale about Lies and the effect they have on those around them. It's quite entertaining and tragic to watch Mark continually dig himself a deeper grave as he goes against all advice in an attempt to build himself up as a hero and lie his way out of the situations he finds himself in. The Informant is a quietly hilarious entertaining moral fable that is pretty hard to forget once the final credits roll.

4/5