I wish to share with you what I can assume most of you already know.
A series of films most dear to my heart (yes, even the Tina Turner one) is getting another sequel.
Another sequel?
30 YEARS AFTER THE THIRD MOVIE!?!?!
I know what you're thinking....
"There is no way that could be good."
Foolish mortal! Allow me to present the following as evidence to the contrary:
TRAILER
Click that thang!
Tom Hardy
Normally... that would be enough to merit at least curiosity.
... but there was that whole This Means War thing.
Here's the deal, though: "Mastermind George Miller" as he is credited in above-linked trailer is back at the helm. The creator of the series has returned to present his new vision of the post-apocalyptic demolition derby. That doesn't happen very often... especially in Hollywood. It might be good. It could be great. It could, admittedly, be a tired re-working of the previous installments' best moves.
Fingers crossed for that middle option!
I would also like to alert you to this little morsel:
This is the first time the entire trilogy has been released in the same package. Apparently it comes complete with zero supplementary material... we might have to wait for the release of the new film to get at Mr. Miller's extra bits of film. Regardless, I will be picking this up when I review the series before the release of Fury Road next year if I must (first world problem).
Monday, July 28, 2014
Friday, July 25, 2014
Review of Hercules, starring The Rock
Hercules (2014)
Click that shit up there and see what I thought of the latest Hercules movie!
Not sure what the next project will be... but it will most likely be written for this blog, rather than for the good folks over at Cinapse.
If any of you happen to feel like suggesting a series of films, or a single film to review, I would wet myself with delight! Just comment on this post, or head over to my facebook page here.
Give me a like and tell me what you want reviewed!

Click that shit up there and see what I thought of the latest Hercules movie!
Not sure what the next project will be... but it will most likely be written for this blog, rather than for the good folks over at Cinapse.
If any of you happen to feel like suggesting a series of films, or a single film to review, I would wet myself with delight! Just comment on this post, or head over to my facebook page here.
Give me a like and tell me what you want reviewed!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Post #3 on Hercules at Cinapse!
http://cinapse.co/2014/07/21/the-champion-of-men-hercules-the-hollow-humanitarian/
Cinapse Ho! Get thee to yonder website and make read of it!
Only a couple days left before we finally receive the latest iteration of Hercules, so it's time to catch up with what has happened in the 90's and later. Click the link, read my editorial, and let me know what you think by leaving a comment.
Special bonus: a likeness of Hercules I graphically designed.
Cinapse Ho! Get thee to yonder website and make read of it!
Only a couple days left before we finally receive the latest iteration of Hercules, so it's time to catch up with what has happened in the 90's and later. Click the link, read my editorial, and let me know what you think by leaving a comment.
Special bonus: a likeness of Hercules I graphically designed.
I know.....
I'm brilliant.
My review of the new film will be online Friday afternoon.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Part 2 of Hercules in Cinema!
http://cinapse.co/2014/07/15/quantity-over-quality-hercules-gets-pumped-up/
My second post on Hercules can be read at Cinapse! Click the link and leave a comment!
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Editorial posted at Cinapse!
Hey Everybody!
For those of you I am unable to bug through facebook: new column over here...
Give 'er the old click treatment, and read the first of three write-ups on Hercules in Cinema.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Red, Black and Blue: A 4th of July Action Marathon Curated by The UCM
White House Down
(2013)
Roland
Emmerich
Rambo III (1988)
Peter
MacDonald
Team America
(2004)
Trey
Parker
Independence Day
(1996)
Roland
Emmerich
This
Friday morning, when you greet the blood-red dawn by leaping out from under
your American flag comforter, landing feet-first in your American flag thongs,
clutching your limited edition Lynyrd Skynyrd alarm clock by the testicles and
smashing it against the wall nearest you like it called your father a coward, then I know you know what time it is.
...and that’s a real weird existence you’ve got there, partner.
...and that’s a real weird existence you’ve got there, partner.
But damn, have I got the ultimate cinematic experience
prepared for the greatest birthday on earth(second only to that of Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Savior, of course): Inde-fucking-pendence Day! Four films have been hand-selected by
The UCM in honor of the four most important days in the history of the entire
6,000 year-old universe: July 1, 2, 3, and 4! Strap in, beer up, and burger out, because it’s time to
watch Old Glory teach the world, and anyone foolish enough to invade: they best
behave.
To be earnest folks, I devour the hours
leading up to any holiday planning how to best celebrate it. I’m a dweeb that way. I devote as much October time as
possible to watching Horror movies.
When Christmas comes along, I do all the Christmas things all the
Christmas time. Hell, even St.
Patrick’s Day receives a solid 16 hours of my aural attention by way of The
Chieftains, or some other Irish ensemble.
Why should The 4th of July be any different? You’re not working (unless you’re in
retail…sucker), you fear the outdoors, and you find that packing a holiday full
of art and culture speaking directly to the chosen day’s values is the best way
to get at its significance. I
doubt many of you are making plans for vigorous flag-waving, or even launching
fireworks, but it doesn’t matter. You
don’t have to be a patriot, or a war hawk, or in any way fond of your home
country to find enjoyment in studying its people’s outlook on Independence Day through
cinema.

I
recommend we begin with White House Down,
the latest work from apparent left-wing nutcase, Roland Emmerich. You may recall this movie’s quiet
arrival and quieter exit one year ago… and you may not. Nobody saw this thing, and what a
shame! The film begins harmlessly
enough, telling the story of the Speaker of the House’s bodyguard (Channing
Tatum) who dreams of joining The Secret Service. He takes his daughter on a tour of The White House when it is
attacked by American Terrorists, and he is The Only One who can save President
Jaime Fox, or whatever his name is.
It offers loads of fun, charm, and dumb, and then it loses its damn mind. Saving the finer details for your maximum
viewing pleasure, I will tell you the third act closes on what might be
considered the Democratic antithesis to the Rambo
franchise. This is an almost
hateful liberal action fantasy.
Imagine if Fox News supported the Obama Administration and made movies…
instead of whatever it is they think they’re currently doing. I was struck by irrepressible claughter
(simultaneous laughter and clapping) at the climax, and it was just my
girlfriend and me at home on a Sunday.
I can’t imagine what it would be like seeing it in a crowded theater.


Although
these selections may seem obvious, I did not come to this assortment
rashly. I realized I had never
caught an entire Chuck Norris movie, so Missing
In Action was my maiden voyage into his hairy-shouldered world. If you thought Rambo had a neurosis
over the “unfinished” war in Vietnam, Norris’s James Braddock is certifiably
insane by comparison. I also watched White House Down’s darker twin, Olympus Has Fallen, and I considered The Patriot, but none of these movies
met the mark, and couldn’t even aspire to the fun-levels achieved by the “title
track” of this E.P. of super-patriotism.
I
have always loved Roland Emmerich’s entertainment masterpiece, Independence Day. It is appropriate that we should
bookend our 4th of July with films directed by a German dude who
loves America in the weirdest ways imaginable. I saw this in theaters when it was released, and at age 9,
it was tailor-made for my attention span.
What a clip! At only 13
minutes, the aliens have already arrived.
It’s party time from beginning to end. The characters are appealing, though mostly one-dimensional,
the action sequences are unique visions of epic destruction, and the jingoism
is ripe and bountiful. Some of the
effects work might not have aged well, but the nationalism is just as cuckoo
and delicious as it was almost 20 years ago. The rest of the planet wasn’t exactly sitting around waiting
for America’s word to start fighting the invaders, but they sure are excited
that we have a plan to lead a world-wide counter-strike! “Sure, America! We will immediately jump into whatever
preposterous strategy you have, current enemy/current-and-somewhat-trusted-ally! Thank God for you! No qualms here, smartest country on
earth! We are so lucky your M.I.T.
graduate cable repairman is the only science person around who could think of
using a computer virus to bring down force fields. Boy, it’s fortunate those alien operating systems apparently
function pretty similarly to ours!
Makes perfect sense to us!”
Of course, the best part for all those other countries is now, they get
to celebrate the best holiday ever, as was so eloquently expressed by Bill
Pullman at the final battle’s dawn.
By
now, if you’re doing it right, you have narrowly escaped alcohol poisoning, and
consumed so much red meat, you resist a supernatural urge to “moo”. As much as I would have liked to
present you with something thoughtful… some sort of thesis to prove about
Hollywood’s skewed position on our military might, perhaps… that just wasn’t my
plan. I wanted to recommend a
perfect day of America-centric patriot-sploitation for your eyes and hearts to
munch. Congratulations,
U.S.A.! You lost the World Cup (2014),
but you could still win your freedom from Britain if you somehow lost it again!
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