Plot Device is the coolest short since the Movie Title trailer.

Hey guys Javi checking in during a much deserved study break.   I stumbled on this thanks to the very handsome @T16Skyhopp over on Twitter who linked it back to this io9 page.  It follows a young kid that finds the true power of the almighty Plot Device through a series of wacky scenarios.  This is yet another example of how technology is helping younger filmmakers and smaller companies do quality work without studio backing.  Plus, I love anything that satirizes movie tropes.


Plot Device from Red Giant on Vimeo.


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Harry Potter Fangirl Conundrum

Nooooooo!

In a few short weeks, one of the most successful franchises in movie history will come to a close. As it's predecessors before, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 will make a crap ton of money worldwide. But I'm not here to talk about the obvious success the movie will have. This movie will be a bitter-sweet moment for millions of fans worldwide...including this fan. It's ending, for real, which is an almost impossible concept to wrap my mind around.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL trailer hits

He's back!  The full trailer for Tom Cruise's newest installment of the Mission Impossible series hit the web today.  Looks like Cruise is back to his old tricks, like crashing fancy parties and hanging off really tall buildings, but really, this trailer looks like so much fun.

And you thought action-packed thrillers were only for the summer....





MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL will be released December 16, 2011 starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway, and Vladimir Mashkov. 

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TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON review: He said/She said

Directed by Michael Bay

Written by Ehren Kruger

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamal, Tyrese Gibson, Patrick Dempsey, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Frances McDormand

Synopsis: A Cybertronian spacecraft, The Ark, has crashed on the moon, and the Autobots, with the help of the humans, and Decepticons battle each other to figure out the secret held within The Ark.

BRAVE teaser trailer

Like most of the world, I love Pixar. I do. However, with their near perfect record of hit after animation hit, they were bound to fail at some point. I did not see CARS 2 because I did not care for CARS. I know based on sales and overall critical acclaim, CARS was a hit, but when I saw it opening weekend back in 2006, I felt that it fell short.

But we're past all that, and next time maybe Pixar will learn not to make a sequel because the original merchandise made a crap ton of money. You're good, actually really good at making movies Pixar...don't give into the merchandise trap!

I digress...thankfully Pixar's next original movie, scheduled for summer of 2012, was given a sneak peak before CARS 2. In short, it's about a Scottish princess who wants to follow her passion to be an archer as opposed to following what her parents want for her. Typical type of story, but man oh man does this trailer look beautiful. Check it out:






BRAVE will be released June 22, 2012 starring the voices of Emma Thompson, Kelly Macdonald, Kevin McKidd, Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters, and Craig Ferguson.

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TV Awesomeness: BREAKING BAD preview

One of our favorite shows here at WDYMS on TV right now is BREAKING BAD. It follows a high school science teacher who turns to making meth with a former student in order to make some money. Through three seasons we've followed Walter (Emmy winning Bryan Cranson) and Jesse (Emmy winning Aaron Paul) as they have tried to climb the drug trafficking ladder, while Walt fights cancer and keeping his personal life separate.

AMC has posted a preview for the upcoming season 4, which by the looks of it, will be just as heart-racing and badass as all the previous seasons. When I say this is one of the best shows on TV, I'm not exaggerating. Do yourself a favor and Netflix the previous seasons, all of which have no more than 13 episodes, and get caught up. You won't regret it.

(If you don't want to be spoiled about anything in the series...then walk away now.)

July 17th cannot come fast enough!

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Beyond the books and movies....Pottermore

Even though the Harry Potter books has a defined ending, like any curious/crazed fanbase, many of us have always been curious about other parts of the world or secondary characters that we loved but their histories were never explored.  Of course, there is always the fanfiction to turn to in which to fulfill those desires, but those can get tiresome.  Last week, Rowling announced a new project called 'Pottermore'.  The details of the project were hush-hush, and the internet exploded with rumors and speculations about what this project is.  An eighth book, even though she said she would probably never publish one? An online game?  A Harry Potter encyclopedia?

In a YouTube announcement yesterday, Rowling announced that Pottermore will have the books available in e-book format.  The website initially be accessible to a million fans from all over the world who will help work out the kinks and help adapt the site before it goes live for everyone else in October.  The site will also have a "gaming aspect" where the fans can walk through the books, get sorted into houses, shop at Diagon Alley, and relive their favorite moments from the series.

However, the biggest, and in my humble opinion, most badass part of this project is Rowling will release extra tidbits from the world that she's kept under wraps:

"I will be sharing additional information I have been hoarding about the world of Harry Potter," Rowling says. She has already written at least 18,000 words of new material for the site, "which will grow and grow and grow."  That "additional information" will include facts about the series' characters, back stories, games, interactive features and a store. 

We get even more information about our favorite characters??  Excellent!

So just when we all thought all would be said and done this July, now the crazed-obessive fans, including myself, will have another world to explore and take up our time.  This announcement thoroughly excites me because it helps me keep the world alive for just a bit longer, or until I can persuade everyone I know to read the books every year with me.

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Netflix Instant Cool TV and Movie Picks: Childhood Edition

Hey guys, Jonesy here with some childhood memories for everyone.  In a themed Netflix Edition this week, here are a few of my favorites from my childhood before the world of reality tv, the Disney Channel, and Sponge Bob (sorry I will never understand the appeal of that cartoon).

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Everyone had their favorite color, mine was totally Pink, and all my friends and I loved watching our Rangers everyday as they try to defeat Rita Repulsa.  I was also so curious how these teenagers balanced fighting aliens and going to school, but some mysteries will never be answered. 

Rugrats

This was part of the really cool "after hours" of Nickelodeon called "Snick".  It was four extra hours of cartoons and variety shows.  RUGRATS was my favorite cartoon because it brought us insight to how babies communicated with each other.  Maybe that's a little too deep...and they were just super cute and never aged.

Ren and Stimpy

Thinking back on this series, I don't know how in the world this made it onto Nickelodeon's line up.  Crude, weird, and completely fits for late night Cartoon Network or Comedy Central, REN AND STIMPY follows our favorite cat and dog on their wild and very odd adventures, almost the kid's version of Beavis and Butthead.

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The Official Muppet Movie Trailer!

Here's your daily dose of awesomeness.

After a few teaser trailers, the official trailer for the upcoming Muppet Movie has been released. Get your childhood memories ready because it's probably one of the most endearing trailers I've seen this year.

THE MUPPETS opens November 23, 2011 starring Jason Segal, Amy Adams, and our favorite muppet friends.

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Netflix Instant Cool TV and Movie Picks

Jonesy here this week again with a classic, a remake of a classic, and an awesome TV series.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The 70s cult classic which has a notable midnight following.  Now is your chance to see it for yourself, so you can be "in the know" when you dress up in your best transvestite outfit to an interactive showing, and you're not the only person who doesn't know the Time Warp.

The Crazies

The remake of the 1973 horror movie, THE CRAZIES tells of a plane crash in a small town that releases a chemical that starts, well, "changing" the locals.  When I saw this a couple years ago, I was surprised how solid the film was.  Remakes of horror movies usually have a stigma, but THE CRAZIES surpasses that stigma.

Gangland

A current series on The History Channel, GANGLAND takes a look at current gangs in today's world.  Focusing on a different gang, including Hell's Angels and Latin Kings, every episode, the series has some unprecedented access and interviews to members and authority figures that paint a frightening picture of how many gangs have evolved and survived. 

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TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON 3D Reel First Impressions

Hey guys, Javi, here briefly back from my hiatus to just talk about my recent Botcon/Michael Bay/TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON experience where we were treated to the full opening scene and about 10 minutes worth of spoiler free clips showing off the use of 3D in the movie.  I was really hoping that we would have been the first people in the world to take a look at this footage, but turns out this was the same 3D demo reel that was shown off at the "3D A Transforming Visual Art- A Conversation with Michael Bay and James Cameron" even that /film covered a while ago.  Either way it was a great experience
 
For those "not in the know", Botcon is the rapidly growing annual Transformers convention set up by the Transformers Collector's Club every year.  There are panels, script readings, behind the scenes looks at upcoming toys, and an overpriced dealer room! The big draw is always the exclusive toys as well as the fun of the convention experience.  This was a particularly fun year as I got to meet and hang and drink with a lot of my Twitter buds. (shout out to all of you guys!)

During each of the years that a movie has come out, Botcon goers have been privy to exclusive first looks at the movie.  In 2007, they were the first audience to see the completed movie, and in 2009, there was a clip, and this year during the second annual Hall of Fame Event, which took place on June 4, we knew that Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay would be inducted, and that we would be receiving the new Cinemasks for the occasion (for those wondering, I got the Optimus). So it felt very obvious that we would be at least getting a clip of the movie. There were suits, a VIP section, and even Tyrese "Left Cheek" Gibson showed up, so the buzz in the room was pretty high with anticipation. 

Michael Bay accepted his statue for the Hall of Fame and talked about the production of the movie and how it was going before introducing the 3D reel which was mostly a clip show. Please be advised of potential spoilers ahead:

SUPER 8 review: She said

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Written by J.J. Abrams

Starring: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning and Kyle Chandler

Synopsis: After witnessing a train crash, a group of friends begin investigating weird happenings in their small Ohio town.

SUPER 8 is not your standard summer popcorn movie, monster movie, scary movie..actually it's not like most movies released nowadays. It's big in scope, yet still feels intimate and heartfelt. On the heels of Spielberg's legacy, director J.J. Abrams has taken his reigns as an engaging storyteller and a director with a clear vision and proves once again his ability to make the supernatural feel natural, while becoming a master of the craft, lens glare and all.

Netflix Instant Cool TV and Movie Picks: The Good, The Awesome, and the What?

Hey guys, Jonesy here with a couple of great movies and one complete guilty pleasure:

Chasing Amy

In one of my favorite Kevin Smith movies, Ben Affleck stars as comic book artist, Holden, as he tries to start a relationship with lesbian Alyssa, played by Joey Lauren Adams.  There are some fun bits with memorable View Askew characters like Jay and Silent Bob, and this is one of the more heart-felt films that Smith has put out.

Pulp Fiction

Tarantino's brilliant film about a boxer, some hit men, a boss and his wife.  Intertwined characters coupled with a non-linear storytelling makes this one of those "movies you must see in your lifetime."  We recently reviewed PULP FICTION as a part of our AFI Top 100 Countdown, and you can check out our conversation here!

Step-Up 3

A have a weird obsessive love for dance movies.  They're all pretty predictable and awful, yet I cannot help myself.  I'm a sucker for that kind of punishment.  STEP-UP 3 is the latest in the franchise, and while the first two are not on instant, fear not!  You don't need to see them to appreciate the pure cheese of this one.  The acting is equivalent to most high schools, the story is one-note, but the dancing mesmerizing and fun.  Also, if you don't fall in love with Moose, you just don't have a soul. 

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Hell Yea for the Day: TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL gets a distributor!

The great thing about film festivals is sometimes you get these little gems-of-a-movie hidden in a midnight showing.  The bad thing about film festivals is sometimes these movies, which you think are brilliant/funny/etc., get lost in distribution limbo and never make it to the screen.  Not this time!

Deadline broke the news that Magnet, part of Magnolia Pictures, has announced that it will be distributing the Sundance and SXSW hit of TUCKER & DALE VERSUS EVIL.  It will be available on video on demand on August 26th then with a full theatrical release on September 30th.  Here's a synopsis:

Directed by Eli Craig and starring Alan Tudyk (Serenity), Tyler Labine (Reaper) and Katrina Bowden (30 Rock), TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL is a hilariously gory, good-spirited horror comedy, doing for killer rednecks what Shaun of the Dead did for zombies.  Tucker and Dale are two best friends on vacation at their dilapidated Appalachian mountain cabin, who are mistaken for murderous backwoods hillbillies by a group of obnoxious, preppy college kids. When one of the students gets separated from her friends, the boys try to lend a hand, but as the misunderstanding grows, so does the body count.

TUCKER & DALE was one of my favorites from 2010's Dallas International Film Festival.  It's a side-splitting horror-comedy with a fun take on the hillbilly-killer plot line.  Almost like the backwoods cousin to ZOMBIELAND.  I love this new horror-comedy genre that has been emerging over the past few years, and I'm stoked that more people will be able to experience this movie. 


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ATTACK THE BLOCK- He said/She said

Directed by Joe Cornish

Written by Joe Cornish

Starring: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, and Nick Frost

Synopsis: A gang of South London youth decide to defend and save their block from an alien invasion.

HUMAN CENTIPEDE II: FULL SEQUENCE gets banned from the UK...

The lovely new star of FULL SEQUENCE.  Doesn't he look charming?

Last year, Tom Six's THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE: FIRST SEQUENCE made its way around the indie-film circuit. The film's plot of an insane scientist who creates a human centipede by sewing his unwilling victims from mouth to end steamrolled amongst the horror crazed movie goers. It almost became a challenge of who had the endurance to go watch. We here at WDYMS took the challenge, and honestly, we were a let down. Maybe that says something about us, but I say it says something about the end result of the movie. Now, the idea of the movie sounds gruesome and horrendous; however, for supposedly "pushing the envelope", the movie was a lot less graphic than I had imagined.

However, the first movie gathered enough clout from the semi-cult following that the director is made a sequel which he promised to be even more gruesome and "involves a centipede made from sixty-four people.. and will have the tag-line "100% medically inaccurate". Six has stated that with the first film having desensitized audiences to the idea of a human centipede with FIRST SEQUENCE being "My Little Pony" compared with part two.

So with that awesome promise, the sequel went in front of the UK Film Board and has been denied any possibility of release. Here is their statement, as reported by Empire: (statement below contains some pretty gross PLOT SPOILERS....)

The only good thing from the MTV movie awards: a brand-spankin new HARRY POTTER clip!

While the MTV movie awards have become a bit of a joke the past couple years, the one glimmering bit of hope that always surfaces is their exclusive clips from upcoming summer movies.  This year with the traditional preview of the next TWILIGHT movie, we were treated to a wonderful clip from the upcoming HARRY POTTER. 

If you're not familiar with the series at all (which have you been sleeping under a rock the past ten years??), be warned that the first part is somewhat spoiler territory: 

2011 MTV Movie Awards - Movie News

For anyone who has read, or obsessed, over the books like I have, that clip leaves you breathless.  It's hard to imagine that this is all ending in a about six weeks, but it looks as if the final installment will do the books justice.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS directed by David Yates and starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and almost every awesome British actor living will be released July 15, 2011.

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X-MEN: FIRST CLASS review: She said

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Written by Ashely Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman, and Matthew Vaughn

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Kevin Bacon

Synopsis: During the Cuban Missile Crisis, fellow mutants, Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, join together with the US military to help stop evil mutant, Sabastian Shaw.

Hiatus and all that fun stuff

                                   

Pictured above: not me. I'm not a girl.

Hey cats and kittens, Javi here, just wanting to let all of the millions of fans we have out there on the interwebs that I'll be temporarily discounting my magical words here until at least late July.  You see, I got a big kid job with a rather stressful test that I need to pass in order to continue.  So unfortunately, I'll be less available to talk about Transformers, geek movies, and other such awesome stuff.  I'll try to make it to screenings as much as I can, but Jonesy will be running this show for a while. Trust me when I say, I want to continue, but it's just not possible right now.  To show you how committed I am, I'm freaking studying for said test during this vacation as we speak. In the meanwhile, if anyone wants to contribute posts to us or ideas, drop us a line to our email. Don't think for a second I won't be here for GL and TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON though! Until then, enjoy and love Jonesy as she deserves. 
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THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO trailer hits! Plus the International teaser poster

After the red-band trailer hit Europe and some theatres in the US and after a bootleg version hit YouTube, we now (officially) have our first teaser for David Fincher's THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. The trailer is fast-paced and makes the movie look damn exciting, and actually makes me somewhat want to see the movie. (I read the book like most of the world, but didn't care too much for it, and I thought the original movie was slow and kind of boring.)

This will no doubt be one of the biggest hits of the Christmas season and the year.  The first book sold 30 million copies worldwide and has been one of the "must-reads" for the past couple of years. 




Synopsis: An investigative journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, is hired to solve a very old missing persons case. During the investigation, he befriends Lisbeth Salander, local computer hacker, and together they team up to solve the mystery.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO will be released this Christmas starring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and Stellan Skarsgard.

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