JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item 7 months ago

Holy balls, 2012 has been the greatest year for film in my lifetime ...

As I was driving home today after finally catching ARGO (I know I'm late to the party but it's fucking phenomenal) a weird thought occured to me that has never really entered my mind before tonight:

"Holy shit, could 2012 be best year for film in my lifetime."

The short answer is a resounding "Fuck and yes!" but if you want the tl;dr version here she be:

For reference I was born at an early age back in September of 1987 with my first memory of going to the theater being Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (which coincidentally received a 3D theatrical re-release this year, full circle bitches!) at some point in the Winter of 1991. I was four and as such don't remember too much except for being mesmerized but for argument's sake let's say my cinematic appreciation began in 1991. That gives me almost a 21 year frame of reference for what follows, so a couple decades for me to create an informed opinion.

In the past 20 years there have obviously been amazing years for film but looking back for me it seemed like even the best years previous to 2012 I can only remember there being a handful of truly great films but this year has truly broken the curve as every movie I have seen in theaters (and I've seen a butt-ton) has been consistently excellent across the board to a degree I could not expected or have dared hoped for.

Let's break it down, shall we?

2012 is the year that the year Marvel's multi-film ambitious gamble culminated in an inconceivably ridiculous perfect storm that is THE AVENGERS. It is the greatest superhero movie ever made, you don't have to agree with me for me to believe it to be gospel truth. Because let's face it, THE AVENGERS is the superhero team and while some came before and many after this movie, the movies leading up to it and the who knows how many will follow has redefined how this genre of film can be made. Any superhero flicks for me are now classified as Before Avengers (B.A.) and Post-Avengers (P.A.) and that's something that I don't think I'll ever be able to forget.

2012 is the year that an original sci-fi movie completely obliterated the sub-genre of time travel. I knew LOOPER was going to be something amazing (how could it not be?) but great Scott! This movie blew my mind.

2012 is the year Batman hung up his cowl. I'm sure many of you appreciate where I am coming from as I am not the only ferocious Bats fan (although Adam West is from my hometown and I once shook his hand, it's kind of a big deal) but I don't think any of could have been prepared for Nolan's Batman. I lived, ate and breathed The World's Greatest Detective for as long as I can remember and I will be eternally grateful for what Christopher Nolan did with his unique and bold vision ... especially when it came time to say goodbye to The Caped Crusader. While this may just be another end to another chapter in the Batman movie mythos for me it is the end of the Batman chapter of my life. I won't say it can't get better down the line in someone else's hands but I can say it's the best it has been so far ... damn near perfect.

2012 is the year Ridley Scott returned to his roots and created what I would say is something visually unparalleled in the movies of my lifetime and if I cheat and go for all-time probably since Kubrick (yeah, I know, easy comparison but still probably true). Whether or not PROMETHEUS is a film that pleases or even works on a narrative level (the more I think about it the more I am learning to love it) it is an uncompromising vision realized by one of the greatest directors ever to work in the medium and that in itself is something to take note of.

2012 is the hardest I have ever laughed while in a theater, seriously. Who the hell thought what appeared to be a hackneyed rehash of an '80's melodramatic cop tv show could be so fresh? 21 JUMP STREET came out of nowhere and made me a fucking Channing Tatum fan, I will never underestimate another actors comedic chops ever again.

2012 is the year Paul Thomas Anderson created a masterpiece. I still don't know how to feel about THE MASTER but I can't think of another movie that turned me into an existentialist for a week and a half as I tried to mull it all over. I'm still trying to figure out where I stand and probably always will be; that's the fucking human condition right there.

2012 is the year I saw the first martial arts film that I truly felt deserved the word "art" attached to it. THE RAID (screw that "REDEMPTION" title addendum) could be used as a masterclass in action filmmaking on its own. The barebones narrative is a non-issue because as soon as shit hits the fan the only time the film lets up on the action is to amp up the intensity on different levels. I am admittedly not a huge martial arts movie junkie (although I love the genre's "greatest hits" staples) but THE RAID has gotten me excited about a genre that I have simply written off as more-or-less throwaway fun up to this point in my life.

2012 is the year I saw the greatest acting renaissance of my lifetime personified in Matthew McConaughey. For real. I don't know what occurred that has allowed him to do this but he has chosen some spectacular roles that go against pretty much everything he's really done up to this point in his career. While that's commendable enough in its own right the fact that he is completely owning this new direction is mindblowing. If you have seen KILLER JOE, THE LINCOLN LAWYER, BERNIE or even MAGIC MIKE you'll know what I'm talking about. I'll let those movies speak for themselves.

2012 is the year the grandaddy of modern science fiction/fantasy got the big screen treatment with JOHN CARTER OF MARS (that's what it should have been advertised as Disney, you screwed the pooch on that one) and I adored the hell out of that movie. It's a seminal story that inspired all of the classics I loved that in turn inspired other great movies and despite what the box office would like us to believe it is a great love letter to one of my favorite genres.

2012 is the year that I can say I became a Ben Affleck fan and if this man continues the directorial run he has been having the possibilities are endless. Some critic recently called him potentially the greatest director of his generation. After seeing ARGO he just solidified that title. Who the fucking hell could have seen that coming?!

2012 is the year that the greatest un-movie of my lifetime was ever made. If you've seen SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS you may get where I'm coming from. This flick was so meta it's surreal ... which I guess is kind of the point. It sure helps that Christopher Walken comes out of nowhere in what was probably intended to be a supporting role and delivers what I believe to be the performance of his lifetime. If there is any justice in this world C. Walk better get an Oscar for his performance, not like I put a lot of stock in The Academy's decisions but they'd be blind not to do so.

2012 is the year Liam Neeson punched a wolf in the face in THE GREY, I just felt that was worth throwing in here somewhere because it's totally badass.

Oh and MOONRISE KINGDOM ... fucking loved everything about that movie.

I could seriously go on all night seeing as I'm already past the point of no return on this beast of a blog I'll wrap this up by answering why the biggest reason 2012 is the greatest year for film in my lifetime; it's only fucking October!

This weekend sees the release of CLOUD ATLAS that appears to be nothing like anything we've seen on screen before. On the 50th anniversary of the Bond franchise SKYFALL, which is already being heralded as the greatest Bond film of all time, is loaded in the chamber and ready to blast my fanboy brains out (I have lived and breathed 007 since I could read, it is unquestionably my biggest fandom) in November. Then in December DJANGO UNCHAINED continues Quentin Tarantino's hyperviolent love letter to cinema and we're going back to Middle Earth with THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.

2012 film has been so amazing thus far it's almost unfathomable that it can still get better.

I am Jacob Riley, I have spent over twenty years of my life going to the movies and 2012 is the greatest year for film in my life so far ... good fucking luck 2013.

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JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item 7 months ago

If you're blue ...

... and you don't know where to go to, why don't you go where fashion sits?

Puttin' on the Ritz!!!

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JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item 8 months ago

Danger 5: The Grooviest, Nazi-kickingest TV Show ever!

So I just discovered the greatest thing to come out of Australia since Paul Hogan (Sorry Hemsworth Bros)!

What could this wonderful thing from Oz possibly be? I assume you ask ... so I'll give you an answer; a little TV show called "DANGER 5"!

Before we go any further you should just watch the koalash*t insane but compellingly groovy trailer for the hybrid somewhere gleefully in between a globetrotting In Like Flynt, Thunderbirds and Inglorious Basterds:

Yeah, it's pretty much the coolest thing you'll probably see this week. It apparently debuted earlier this year in the country that also thinks it's its own continent and has had a run of six 25 minute episodes and a webseries so far. Without further ado I present to you the pilot DANGER 5: "I Danced for Hitler":

I just felt it was my duty to share with all of you my glorious discovery (you're welcome!) and if any of you already knew about DANGER 5 and didn't tell me about it ... shame on you.

JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item 9 months ago

The Thin Man: A Review

Directed By: W.S. Van Dyke

Written By: Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich

Cast: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan, Nat Pendleton, Minna Gombell, Cesar Romero (The original Joker!), Porter Hall and Skippy the Dog

Synopsis: Former ace detective Nick Charles (Powell) is happily enjoying his retirement with his rich heiress wife Nora (Loy) and their dog Astor (Skippy) content to drink booze and crack wise the rest of his days. But when a famous, and notoriously eccentric, inventor is missing and suspected of murdering his wife an opportunity to come out of retirement arises. Nora, who finds the prospect of seeing her husband working exciting, as well as many of Nick's old friends urge him to take on the case even if the only case he is interested in is "that case of scotch".

Reluctant, but no less brilliant, Nick sticks on his old gumshoes and proves why he is the greatest detective in New York, retired or otherwise. What follows is a case of intrigue, deception, lust, alcohol and all of the other fun sins culminating in a classic whodunit dinner party where one of the guests is none other than the murderer!

Quick note: I wrote this review quite a while back but I don't think I ever posted it to MFC (it's an old flick and doesn't appear in the database) so I figured I'd just post it in a blog. I would apologize for the potential re-post but I'm not going to because worst-case-scenario I'm just giving you a reminder that you should watch The Thin Man. You're welcome.

Nick: "Oh ... It's all right. It's my dog. And, uh, my wife."
Nora: "Well you might have mentioned me first on the billing."

Review: The now classic 1934 (hence posting this in a blog, it ain't in the MFC cataloger) screwball comedy The Thin Man wasn't supposed to be anything great, thrown together in under a few weeks and harvesting actors that were under contract with MGM it was at most supposed to be a fun throwaway comedy. What resulted, however, was cinematic magic that still feels fresh and fun almost 80 years later. The Thin Man is pretty much a perfect movie that could end up being your favorite even if you haven't heard of it until now.

Credit where credit is due, the writing by Albert Hackett and Francis Goodrich was nothing less than inspired. Adapting a Dashiell Hammett (also author of The Maltese Falcon) hard-boiled detective novel of the same name and making it into a comedy while maintaining the same thriller aspect was a gutsy move but they sure as hell pulled it off. But as fun as the mystery aspect is it easily takes a backseat to what is the most thrilling aspect of The Thin Man; the performances of Powell and Loy. The reason The Thin Man is a timeless classic is almost undefinable but it surely isn't undeniable. I am speaking of course of the chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. I have never seen a husband/wife relationship on screen that was so genuinely fun and fresh. Between the witty banter and the playful insults lies a believable relationship. Both are accomplished actors, and had also co-starred in the Cary Grant classic Manhattan Melodrama which was released only a couple of weeks prior, but The Thin Man (And it's several sequels) will always be my favorite movie that they are paired up in.

Nora: "I read where you were shot 5 times in the tabloids."
Nick: "It's not true. He didn't come anywhere near my tabloids!"

On his own William Powell puts up a grand nonchalant front as Nick Charles, for most of the film he is laid back and content to drink cocktails and spend his days with his wife. But when he is on the case there is a calculating coldness about him, the wheels in his head are always turning even when he appears to be hungover after a night of indulgance. Yes he carries a gun but his greatest weapons would have to be his amicability and sharp wit. Roger Ebert put it best; stating Powell "is to dialogue as Fred Astaire is to dance. His delivery is so droll and insinuating, so knowing and innocent at the same time, that it hardly matters what he's saying." He can talk his way out of almost any situation using humor and more often than not will acquire a new and steadfast friend, and Nick has many friends. Even the men he has in the past sent "up the river" for various crimes hold him in high respect and treat him as a pal, much to the amusment, and sometimes annoyance, of his wife Nora. Powell carries himself in this manner, somewhere between carefree playboy and hardboiled detective, and he not only makes it work he excells at it. There is no Thin Man without William Powell (Although there was a rumor Johnny Depp was interested in reprising the role a few years back) his dapper deviousness and classy cynicism are the essance of Nick Charles and I can think of few actors that could ever have pulled that off, even fewer contemporary examples.

But Powell is only part of the reason The Thin Man is such a great film, his female counterpart Myrna Loy is just as key. Her depiction of Nora Charles is every bit as witty as her detective husband and even when it comes to knocking back drinks she proves to be his equal. Quite often Loy will steal a scene with a quip or a mock despairing eye roll, some of the greatest moments of the film lie not only in her dialog but her subtle mannerisms and smiles. If this was a film noir she could be the femme fatale but as this is tongue-in-cheek she puts on no airs of superiority and is just too busy just having fun.

In fact that one word wholistically describes exactly what The Thin Man is: fun. The dialog, the performances and yes even the detective story are just simply that. If Shane Black was screenwriting in the 1930's The Thin Man would have been right up his alley and I'm not just saying that because Christmas is the backdrop! The mixture of action, humor and intrigue are exactly what make it such an enjoyable watch and it holds up to repeat viewings. If you fall in love with Nick and Nora and their adventures or were ever to get bored of The Thin Man (impossible) then you will be glad to know that this flick spawned a successful franchise of 5 sequels that always brought in acting heavyweights like Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Dean Stockwell, Shemp Howard (a stooge!!!) and many others. I heartily would reccomend any of the series, but the first is easily the greatest of the six and if you haven't had the pleasure to see The Thin Man just do yourself a favor and pick it up, it still deserves an audience 80 years later as it endures not only as one of the greatest comedies ever committed to film, but one of the greatest films period.

Nora: "You know, that sounds like an interesting case. Why don't you take it?"
Nick: "I haven't the time. I'm much too busy seeing that you don't lose any of the money I married you for."

If you are having trouble finding the films I fully recommend "The Complete Thin Man Collection" DVD boxed set, mine has seen more than it's fair share of use.

Cheers Schmoes!

JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item 12 months ago

JakeLikesMovies vs. the SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival)

Tomorrow (or by the time many of you are reading this "today") I, JakeLikesMovies, will be packing up the ol' battlewagon (a '96 Saturn, jealous much?) and making the 4 and a half hour sojourn to beatiful, overcast Seattle, Washington to partake in the final weekend of the Seattle International Film Festival (or SIFF, as us cool kids say) and to say it will be an epic adventure of epically proportioned epicness would be an epic understatement!

You get that it's going to be epic, right?

Good!

The line-up is looking pretty stellar but I already have three films that have tickets with my name on them! If any of you Schmoes happen to also be partaking in SIFF or are just in the area and want to have a meet-up just let me know, first round will be on me!

On Friday night ... actually at 12:05am Saturday morning, I will pop my SIFF cherry with Unit 7. It's a tight looking crime-thriller out of Spain about an elite squad of cops out to clean the streets of Seville of the drug and sex trade. More details here ...

Then sleep! But not for long because at 1:40pm Saturday we're cheating on the film festival to catch a screening of Prometheus in eye-sploding IMAX 3D. Schmoes, Seattle is not space ... you will hear me screaming ... with unadulterated wonderment and joy.

Cut back to SIFF at 7pm for "An Evening with William Friedkin" in which the acclaimed director (The Exorcist, The French Connection) and actor Emile Hirsch talk-up their new dark comedy/thriller Killer Joe followed by the West Coast premiere of the Mathew McConaughey starring NC-17 flick!

Here's a trailer in case Killer Joe hasn't been on your radar, word on the street is it should be getting a limited release sometime later this Summer:

Then me and my SIFF pals plan on hitting up a bar for an indefinite amount of time to drink, eat and most likely talk about how Killer Joe totally f*cking rocked our faces off. Then stumbling back to our hotel for some sleep ... hopefully we'll all make it but I won't lie to you MFC sh*t may get ridiculous.

Ok, maybe not that ridiculous ... never again tequila, never again ...

Cut to Sunday morning hangover!

This is where the itinenary gets fuzzy as we will have to decide whats the responsible decision (weaksauce!) and what is the awesome one. Apparently SIFF is closing out the festival with an advance screening of Pixar's sure to be awesome Brave. I know, I know ... you're all saying, "But JakeLikesMovies, that's a no brainer!"

But Brave doesn't start until 6:30pm and I don't know if the others in the group will be down for that late of a start home ... I'll be Team Brave all of the way though and I am pretty sure it's going down like a Scotsman's kilt in a Mel Gibson movie!

Then, with weary bodies and uplifted spirits, JakeLikesMovies and his intrepid SIFF companions gas up the ol' battlewagon and hit the highway for home. I already have my iPod "Road Trippin'" mix on standby:

See you on the other side!

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JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item 12 months ago

What if "Game of Thrones" was a buddy comedy?

Did you ever find something insanely awesome online only to forget about it for several months but then stumble back across it again and then feel that it is obligatory to share it with as many people as possible despite the fact that you are so excited that you lead off a blog with an atrociously long run-on sentence that you became aware of around the word "obligatory" but decided to continue anyway despite that feeling that everyone gave up reading at around the word "atrociously" and just skipped to the embedded video below rendering all of your rambling moot?

No? Moving on ...

If you watched the first season of "Game of Thrones" (which all of you should have by now, seriously) then you know one of the greatest aspects of the show is the subtle bromance between half-pint pimp daddy Tyrion Lannister and his bff sell-sword Bronn. Did you ever catch yourself wondering how awesome a show just revolving around these two characters would be? You weren't alone!

Without further ado may I present to you "One and a Half Man":

Get HBO on the phone we've got ourselves a spin-off series!

JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item about 1 year ago

Where are you "Knights of Badassdom"?!

What's the hold up "Knights of Badassdom"?

You doing alright? Because I haven't heard from you in a while and I want to see you, like, yesterday!

Some of you may recall a LARPcentric flick that was shot back in 2010 and had a trailer making the rounds at last years Comic-Con. Its release date is simply stated as "Spring 2012" (that window is closing ... fast) and its official website hasn't updated in months.

It has a hell of a cast including Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn, Summer Glau (actually, maybe she's the reason for the delay ... everything she touches gets cancelled), Daniel Pudi and Ryan Kwanten was directed by Joe Lynch (a dude who knows what he's doing) and I hope to hell i gets a theatrical release.

That's all I'm really trying to say here ...

JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item about 1 year ago

And the winner for "Best Online April Fool's Day Prank" goes too ...

"Who is your daddy and what does he do?!"

This joke would be hilarious if I didn't wish it were true ...

http://www.criterion.com/films/28373-kindergarten-cop

The Criterion Collection who promise a July 24th Blu-ray and DVD release of the classic 1990 Schwarzenegger flick, Kindergarten Cop.

Official Criterion Synopsis:

"Historically, the policier and the family comedy were two distinct categories. Then, in 1990, Kindergarten Cop gave us all a lesson in genre revisionism. With muscular sensitivity, Hollywood’s last action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger embodies detective John Kimble, who is compelled to go undercover as a teacher of five-year-olds in order to catch a ponytailed drug dealer. Though it’s distinguished by pulse-pounding suspense, a Crayola-bright palette by cinematographer Michael Chapman (Taxi Driver), and trenchant observations about education in the Bush I era, the film’s emotional center is Schwarzenegger’s gruff yet good-tempered interaction with a class full of precocious scamps, including a tumor-forewarning death-obsessive and a genitalia expert. By leavening a children’s film with enough violence to please even the most cold-hearted bastard, director Ivan Reitman shows that he refuses to color inside the lines."

As we are all aware The Criterion Collection takes pride in selecting deserving films and giving them the best possible home releases possible and I firmly believe Kindergarten Cop deserves that treatment. Too bad it's a cruel joke taunting us die-hard KC fans ...

Hell, they even made this trailer:

I'd totally buy it ... damn you April Fool's Day for getting my hopes up! Thanks for the heads up Digital Dudes, who I am pretty sure both want this to be just as real as I do.

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JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item over 1 year ago

The Star Wars Relationship Compatibility Test:

So I went on first date with girl tonight.

Cute little thing, funny, engaging and everything was going swell until the TV above the bar played a trailer for The Phantom Menace in 3D to which she responded "Y'know I've never seen Star Wars".

...

I almost did a spit-take with my IPA, almost.

...

Everything around me proceeded to slow down, I could hear my heart beating fast from both the rush of emotions and sheer shock. I could have sat there with, what I imagined to be, a very stupid look frozen to my face but I remembered something ...

So I played it cool, steadily unbuttoned the top of my flannel shirt (Don't worry I live in the Pacific Northwest ... flannel is classy as far as first dates go) to reveal my hidden Return of the Jedi printed t-shirt and calmly said, "Date number two, movie night, my place. I'll make the popcorn."

She giggled, said something like "You're a funny guy." To which I responded in the suavest two words possible in this or any galaxy: "I know."

Thanks Han!

I think a mutual love of Star Wars is the key foundation to any relationship, here's hoping!

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JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item over 1 year ago

Living in a One Theater Town or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Limited Releases

Warning: Sometimes you've just got to ramble and the following probably belongs in the category of tl;dr, but if you're bored feel free. You've been warned.

Side note: I don't personally put a lot of stock into awards but it is always nice to see deserving films get some validation even if some (or many) of the ones you love may get snubbed.

Well living in a podunk town means limited release flicks rarely find their way to the screens of our only theater. It totally sucks but what can you do? I’m not cut out for life in “the big city” so I just patiently wait and suffer … but sometimes some unexpected cinematic salvation does make it out here though if it doesn’t get lost in the wheat and alfalfa fields along the way.

My local ten screen theater which happens to be the only one within about a two hour roundtrip drive finally came around and we now have several of the Oscar Best Pic noms that were originally limited releases that I could never check out before. Needless to say I have some serious catching up to do!

To kick things off I caught THE DESCENDANTS today and it was a powerful movie that deserves the awards recognition it's getting. Clooney and Co. nailed it capturing real emotion and it grabbed me in a way few movies do. I am a 24 year old man, raised on a ranch and when a lone tear went down George's cheek my eyes welled up. I didn’t cry, although I don't think there is anything wrong with that mind you, I have only done that to one film and I was eight or nine at the time (BENJI: THE HUNTED in case you were wondering) but this film strike a chord in me somewhere. I expect high things from the rest of the nominees.

Tomorrow I'm finally checking out either HUGO or THE ARTIST ... probably the latter as I have never experienced a silent film in an actual theater and ours nixed 3D so I won’t be able to experience the former the way Scorsese intended, I’ll see both soon enough regardless. To call me excited about the prospect of seeing a silent movie in theaters would be a gross understatement.

I love silent flicks, some of my earliest memories of watching movies were the silent greats like Chaplin and Keaton or the classics NOSFERATU and METROPOLIS. Hell, I even enjoy the hell out of Mel Brook's SILENT MOVIE. I was young and I can't explain why a kid that age would even give silent movies a second glance but I was mesmerized. Obviously that creates a bias as I am inclined to root for THE ARTIST to win Best Picture without even seeing it, THE ARTIST would only be the second silent film in the 84 years of the Academy to do so (in case you were wondering again WINGS won the very first Best Picture Oscar back in 1927 and has been the only silent film to do so, so far …) and that would be a pretty awesome to see something historic like that happen.

That inclination could change, however, because I predict by the end of the week I'll have seen all of this past years Academy Award Best Picture nominees and then I'll be able to make an informed decision. It will be the first time I have ever been able to do so before the little naked golden dudes are handed out and I have to tell you; that feels pretty good, man.

JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item over 1 year ago

Operation: See TDKR Preview is a go!

It's really happening! So atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed!

The journey will be long and full of peril but I don't have to go it alone. But just to be on the safe side I took the precaution of preparing an itinerary. So don't worry, it's all part of the plan:

8 am: Jake and Ed leave Walla Walla, full of hope and energy drinks. Obligatory "Seattle or Bust!" sign propped up in rear window, right beside "Honk if your other car is a Batmobile!".

See Jake drive. Jake drives fast. Drive, Jake, drive!

8:25 am: Ed needs to stop to pee, coincidentally we're out of energy drinks. Soon the wheels are back to kicking asphalt.

9:30 am: Ed stumbles across Jake's "Roadtrip'n" iPod mix going straight for the requisite "Rolling Down the Highway" by The Doobie Brothers, proceeds to put it on repeat. Not once, not twice ... but thrice. Much headbobbing and tone-deaf singing to be had.

Noonish: Stop for lunch, Jake and Ed order two 20-piece chicken nugget boxes from McDonalds, each. Consequently the rest of the drive will be with cracked windows.

1:30 pm: Jake and Ed roll into Seattle, park the Batmobile and waste time downtown Christmas shopping. To speed up the process they employ the use of a montage.

The song that accompanies it? This:

7 pm: Jake and Ed feast, most likely from something down along Pike's Place Market ... probably sea food, it only makes sense. Post-mastication Jake and Ed head up to The Pacific Science Center to pick up their pair of IMAX tickets. Laugh at the two guys standing in line in Joker costumes, however both are secretly impressed with the one dude in full-on Batman gear.

8:15 pm: IMAX doors open, Jake and Ed take their seats and The Dark Knight Rises preview plays. Both sh*t their pants from how amazing it is but decide to stick around for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol anyway, much to the chagrin of their fellow movie goers.

The Next Day: Jake and Ed head back home in gleeful anticipation for the theatrical release of The Dark Knight Rises. Won't shut up about the IMAX preview, all friends shun them until July 20th.

May the road rise up to meet us as well as The Dark Knight. See you on the other side Schmoes!

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JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item over 1 year ago

Operation: See TDKR Preview

Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed!

JakeLikesMovies is going on a roadtrip!!!

I was initially bummed when the closer (3 hour round trip) "IMAX" theater wasn't going to show the The Dark Knight Rises preview in front of the new Mission Impossible flick. But if there is one thing Batman has taught me is that there is a "Bat" tool for anything (seriously; bat-shark repellent!) ... oh, and not to let adversity get me down. Simply put, that just means I'm going to have to make a roadtrip to Seattle!

Six hours roundtrip for six minutes of Bats footage and a movie's worth of crazy Tom Cruise hijinks? Bring it!

Thankfully I don't have to do it alone. I have a few of my friends psyched up to go to so this will be officially the most expensive movie I have ever gone to ...

Screw it, I've been looking for a decent excuse for a roadtrip and this will do nicely. Stay tuned for updates in the coming days, same Bat-time, same Bat-blog!

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JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item almost 2 years ago

Thinking about watching a Star Wars fan edit ...

Has anyone watched the "STAR WARS: EP IV 2004 SPECIAL EDITION REVISITED" fan edit by some dude that goes by the name Adywan?

Info here: http://fanedit.org/517/

It's apparently awesome and has the best of both the original and the highly criticized but polished special edition from several years back. I have never been a fan of fan edits (heh, "fan of fan edits") but I'm intrigued ...

Anyone know if I should give it a go, check out the fanedited Han and Greedo cantina scene:

Not only does he have editing skills but did you notice all of the little enhancements (GREEDO F*CKING BLINKS!!!)? This Adywan is turning into my hero! Hell he even managed to improve the audio and visual quality from the official 2004 DVD somehow!

Just check out this comparison:

Just look at all of the flourishes he added. LOOK AT THEM! "Imperial March" for the mutha'uckin' win!!!

That almost sells me on it's own! Pretty damn amazing a fan did what Lucas and Co. are seemingly unable to do, serious props! There is a DVD version of this out there somewhere but I have no idea how to obtain it, I guess I just need to find a reliable source to download or stream it from ... if any of you know of one I'd be grateful.

This Adywan guy apparently has his version of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK floating around out there too!

Damn, this is the first time in almost a decade that anything STAR WARS has truly gotten the jaded me excited. It's good to feel this sensation again! :D

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JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item about 2 years ago

Toshiba did it, world's first 3D monocle on the way

A while back when it was announced that the New York Metropolitan would be putting on a 3D Opera and I jokingly said "Quick! Somebody make a 3D monocle!"? Well, somebody at Toshiba was listening ...

The forward thinking company announced their newest 3D peripheral called the "Spectacle" and it packs the tech of your regular bispectacled 3D headgear into one elegant eyepiece. I didn't think such scientific and technological innovation was possible, I was wrong:

If you are still in disbelief on how something like this could even theoretically work head on over to their official site for all of the tech specs (admittedly some of the science is over my head). I guess this means I'm getting a top hat and growing a wicked awesome mustache, how about you guys?

Oh, If you buy this I have some shocking news!

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JakeLikesMovies posted a BLOG item about 2 years ago

Bill Shatner: Horse Enthusiast

Man, it is beyond late, in fact it is early and I am sleep deprived so I figured I would do a write-up on one of the greatest men to ever breath in oxygen and then exhale carbon-monoxide. I should not be doing this, I should be sleeping but as the old saying goes: Let the Shat hit the fan!

People have been writing about William Shatner’s prolific acting career. He has had a simply stellar (Pun not intended, but then I read this sentence and decided that I am not above puns, so deal with it!) presence on TV and the silver screen.

People have mused over Bill “Rocketman” Shatner’s musical accomplishments. I really have nothing to add, his body of work speaks for itself.

All these are things that Mr. Bill Shatner is known and loved for, but what does Bill love? What makes Kirk tick? What does Denny Crane do to take the edge off? Get ready, because this news may come as something of a shock to those of you that have only known William Shatner as a public figure.

William Shatner is many things, actor, musician, Canadian, author, and spokesman. But if you were to ask Bill who he identifies himself as he will most likely say that he is foremost an equestrian.

That’s right Shatner’s one true passion in life is … horses.

Yup, ol’ Bill fancies himself a cowboy! But he doesn't do it solo; he breeds, trains and competes with the other love of his life, his wife Elizabeth Anderson, on his 360 acre horse ranch in Kentucky. The Shatman raises various kinds of horses but primarily American Saddlebreds and Quarter Horses (Yeah, I don't really know what that means either ...) several of which have actually become successful champions.

Shatner doesn't do this for just his own benefit though and in the truest fashion of awesome badassery he hosts a horse show disguised as a charity fundraiser in Hollywood that draws in the big wigs of the industry every year. And you are damn right he wears a cowboy hat!

Hell, there is even a special riding competition named after him; the overly epic sounding Shatner Class.

At this point (if you are still reading this post about Shatner’s love of horses, and I wouldn’t blame you if you weren’t …) you may be asking yourself, “Self, why should I care about Billie’s horse obsession?”

Answer: Because William Shatner does, and that should be a good enough reason for you!

I could go on but because I just couldn’t possibly describe it any better then a shoddily taped, and extremely dated, TV interview so I’ll just let the Shatman explain his love, in his ... own ... SYNCOPATED, PERsonal dialECT!

Enjoy, I sure did:

Aw crap ... now I have to write about his affinity for dogs.

SHATNERRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

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