Nerd in the 'Noke

House at the End of the Street (2012), PG-13, 101 minutes - My fiance and I decided the other day that we were in the mood for a scary movie.  From the trailer that we had seen part of, we thought that House at the End of the Street might do the trick.  We were under the impression that it was a horror flick, but House at the End of the Street only sets itself up like a horror film.  It really turns out to be more of a psychological thriller.  That's not to say that it is bad, it just wasn't quite what we were expecting. House at the End of the Street gets its start when a mother and daughter (Sarah and Elissa, played by Elisabeth Shue and Jennifer Lawrence respectively) move into a house that they are newly renting.  The house just through the trees (at the end of the street - see what they did there?) has a bit of history and is looked down on by the rest of the neighborhood.  You see, a family used to live there.  That is, until the daughter st...

42 (2013) – Not only is this a historically based period piece, but it is the story of one of the greatest athletes who ever lived.  There have been films made about Jackie Robinson before, but it never hurts to have a new and current retelling of his journey to becoming the first African American player in Major League Baseball.  I also like the idea of Harrison Ford playing Dodger executive Branch Rickey.  I’m not familiar with Chadwick Boseman (playing Jackie Robinson), but the cast also includes Alan Tudyk, Christopher Meloni,  Lucas Black, and John C. McGinley so it should be fairly strong.  42 is scheduled for an April 2013 release, so it will beat the big summer rush and will hopefully find a nice audience.

Lincoln (2012) – Daniel Day Lewis?  Steven Spielberg?  Historically based period piece?  I was sold on this film before ever seeing the trailer.  After seeing the trailer (and the rest of the unbelievable cast that this film boasts), I am adding it to my short list of absolute must see theatrical views (along with Skyfall and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey).  Day Lewis is joined by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Jackie Earle Haley, Jared Harris, Sally Field, John Hawkes, David Strathairn, and many others (more recognizable by face than by name).  I am very much looking forward to seeing Daniel Day Lewis’ take on one of our most popular presidents during a pivotal time in our country’s history.  Lincoln hits theaters on November 16th, which will be here before we know it!

Won't Back Down (2012), PG, 121 minutes - Won’t Back Down is a drama, or maybe I should say a political drama, about two parents – Jamie Fitzpatrick (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a lower class mother holding down two jobs, and Nona Alberts (Viola Davis), a mother who teaches at a school that has seen better days.  The two are both frustrated with the educational system and how it isn't working for their children.  They begin a petition to ‘flip’ or take over and re-structure John Adams Elementary (the school that Alberts teaches at) in Pittsburgh, PA so that they can provide their children with a better education.  Of course, it isn't as simple as that.  There are all kinds of procedures and timelines that have to be met in order to have one's proposal even heard by the proper committee, and on top of that there are the social hoola hoops that Fitzpatrick and Alberts must jump through that effect not only their personal and professional lives, but the lives of those they c...

As some of you may know, from either blog posts long ago, or just from general conversation, Daredevil is my favorite comic book character.  Over the years, many comic book properties have been made into films and subsequently rebooted.  Ghost Rider, Punisher, and the Fantastic Four just to name a few.  As each of these other franchises has been given another chance, I have wondered why good old Matt Murdock - Daredevil himself - hasn't gotten another shot on the big screen? Back in 2003, Fox released Daredevil , starring Ben Affleck.  These days, I'm kind of torn when it comes to the film.  When it first came out, I really enjoyed it.  At that time I only knew who Daredevil was, but I had never read any of the comics.  My interest in the film drove my interest in learning more about the character and led me to the Kevin Smith story arc 'Guardian Devil' that had launched the second volume of the comic a few years earlier.  From there I was...

When I jumped online this morning before work and saw that the first trailer for Paranormal Activity 4 had been released, I was much more excited than I probably should have been. After a comment like that, I should probably explain: growing up, horror was the one genre that I had no interest in whatsoever. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t be exposed to something that I liked now and again - classics like Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, or newer films like 28 Days Later - I just didn't go out of my way to seek them out. I came across the Paranormal Activity franchise in that way. I had heard about the first film and finally rented it after an old college roommate (who knew my preferences in movies) assured me that it wasn’t a gore filled slasher fest. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it.  It was a neat, supernatural thriller/horror flick, but I didn’t really understand why it deserved a sequel. I didn’t even bother seeing Paranormal Activity 2 when it came out. Fas...

For quite some time Skyfall was toiling around, stuck in pre-production, known only as 'Bond 23' because of MGM's financial issues.  Luckily for us the Bond franchise is too popular to get hung up in such problems.  It wasn't so much a matter of if James Bond would return, but when.  So after a longer than planned delay - which allowed him to do The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  - Daniel Craig returns in what looks to be his most action filled turn as 007 yet. There are actually two trailers that have been released thus far, and I want to touch on both as they each illicit-ed different, but equally good reactions.  First there is the teaser trailer.  I first saw this when it aired during the opening ceremony for the London Olympics last week.  I am admittedly a fan of the long running Bond franchise, so there was little question that I'd be looking forward to this film.  After all, it did check in at number nine on my Most Antic...

Hey everyone, please do me a favor and check out the PledgeMe page for Transference: A Novel by Brandon Jones .  Brandon is an old high school pal of mine and an all around good dude.  He's written a novel and has lined up an editor for the project.  He just needs a little help coming up with the funds to get the publishing process off the ground.  So watch his intro video below, check out his page for the project, read an excerpt from Transference, and if you like what you see, help fund his project!

The first teaser trailer for next summer's Superman reboot, Man of Steel , premiered a couple of weeks back at San Diego ComicCon.  It then ran in front of The Dark Knight Rises when it released this past weekend.  The tone appears to be darker than that of previous Superman films, which isn't surprising considering that it is being directed by Zack Snyder (2004's Dawn of the Dead, 300, Watchmen) and produced by Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception).  But that is about all that we get a feel for from this initial teaser.  Don't get me wrong, I will definitely be checking Man of Steel out when it comes out next summer, but it won't be because I got wicked hyped over this trailer. There are actually two versions of the trailer that run in different theaters.  One has a voice over by Russell Crowe (who will play Jor-El, Superman's birth father from Krypton), the other, a voice over by Kevin Costner (who will play his adoptive father ...

The Dark Knight Rises (2012), R, 164 minutes - The final installment to director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is one that I have been waiting for since I walked out of the theater in 2008 after my first viewing of The Dark Knight .  It was also easily the number one flick on my personal  Most Anticipated films of 2012 list, and for good reason.  Nolan shows once again that he is a master at his craft, deftly piecing together character building, story beats, and action sequences to create what just may be the best trilogy finale of any franchise. The Dark Knight Rises takes place 8 years after the events of The Dark Knight.  Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has locked himself away in the rebuilt Wayne Manor and retired the Batman persona. Gotham has experienced an unprecedented time of peace as Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) has taken full advantage of the Dent Act (named after former District Attorney Harvey Dent) and the power it allows him in locking up ...