Movies 2013

Another year has come and gone and it is once again time for my post of movies to be excited about for the year! But, before I go ahead and get into that, let us take time to also reflect on the movies I was looking forward to last year and how they measured up:

The Lorax - It was pretty good. I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

The Hunger Games - Did not let me down. Jennifer Lawrence did a great job. Excited for the next one.

Mirror Mirror -  Wasn't that great.

The Avengers - Great movie! Really enjoyed myself. Keep those comic book movies coming (and they are).

Snow White and The Huntsman - Boring. It was ok.

Brave - I wanted to like this movie. Didn't happen. And it even just won a Golden Globe. Eh. Her hair was amazing.

The Dark Knight Rises - What a great movie, possibly my favorite of the year. Nolan knows what he is doing and Christian Bale is the best Batman ever. Anne Hathaway actually made out to be a great Catwoman. Tom Hardy did a great job with Bane, but I think we all missed Heath Ledger as the Joker. Great conclusion. Sad to see the movies end. Let's hope Superman this year will surprise us all with a great flick.

The Hobbit - Yeah! I really enjoyed the first installment of The Hobbit trilogy. I too was kind of disgusted by the fact that they were turning it into 3 movies. The Hobbit is a pretty short and straight forward book, but I like the fact that they are building up on the Lord of the Rings and providing some nice background too. Very well done, didn't notice anything weird with the speed of the filming. A little more reach for humor in this movie than the Lord of the Rings movies it seemed like to me. And the little messenger goblin on a zip line - what were they thinking?

Les Miserables - Very well done. Great story, great cast, and it was perfect.

The Amazing Spider-Man - Even though I don't believe that this should have been remade so soon, it was actually really good. Liked the cast a lot in this one. Don't get me wrong, I actually still really like the Toby in the first ones, but Emma Smith is a nice upgrade.

MIB3 - Out there fun. A nice ending.

I didn't even get around to watching these movies: John Carter, Madagascar 3, G.I. Joe Retaliation (pushed back 'till March 29th - might still watch this if there is nothing else to watch from redbox and I have a free rental), Ice Age: Continental Drift, The Bourne Legacy, and The Great Gatsby (which was pushed back 'till May of 2013 and is no longer on my list - it is going to be trashy). I did see the first 30 minutes or so of Continental Drift (wasn't great). Still would like to see John Carter and The Bourne Legacy.

Also, still need to see Lincoln and Life of Pie.

Now that we have that out of the way, bring on what is upcoming this year!

January 25th - This will be a "redbox movie" when it comes out. Could be a good time, especially with Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as leads.

March 8th - Again, big stars and should be pretty cool. Visually will be great and I enjoy a good background story. They could make a really great one here. Hope it doesn't turn out to be a flop.

March 29th - Now that Stephenie Meyer is done with her twilight movies (for now...) movie makers must feel the obligation for some reason to make all of her books into movies. I would like to watch this one just out of curiosity. From the trailer, I can foresee this type of story line to be more interesting to me than vampires.

April 19th - Tom Cruise is not really a great actor, but this movie looks like one that I could enjoy.

May 3rd - Iron Man being my favorite of the marvel characters in The Avengers, I am definitely excited for this one. Also, Ben Kingsley is one of my favorite actors, and to see him as the villain this year will be grand.

May 17th - Has it already been 4 years since the last Star Trek movie? Remember that one? It was awesome, and with that cast returning and you throw in Benedict "Sherlock" Cumberbatch into the mix and you have yourself a sequel that could be even better! Very excited!

June 7th - An "Ocean's Eleven" type movie that has the big names such as Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, and Woody Harrelson. Then you add magic tricks to the equation...nice!

June 14th - It is about time for a great Superman movie, and I have faith that this will be it. A little worried about Amy Adams as Lois Lane, but I know that I will enjoy this one a lot!

June 21st - Boo!

July 3rd - "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!"

July 3rd - Johnny Depp gets out his old Jack Sparrow makeup. Hi D Hoe Silver!

July 19th - A snail who wants to win the Indy 500. After watching the teaser trailer, I can look forward to this one.

July 26th - The X-Men movies are great and so was the X-Men Origins Wolverine movie 4 years ago. Hugh Jackman is the perfect actor to play Wolverine - keep them coming.

August 9th - What do you do when you feel just about done with movies about talking cars? You start making movies about talking planes of course!

August 23rd - This one is similar to The Host; I am curious to see what they hype is all about.

November 1st - Ender's Game finally hits the big screen this year. I was always a bit worried how this amazing book would translate to a movie (and I still am), but they do have some great younger actors (Abigail Breslin, Asa Butterfield, and Hailee Steinfeld) and Harrison Ford with Ben Kingsley doesn't hurt either. Excited to see how it all turns up.

November 8th - Chris Hemsworth is back as Thor along with his girlfriend Jane (Natalie Portman). For Nathan who didn't like the first Thor movie, but loved the show Chuck - we will see if Zachary Levi can make this movie more enjoyable for you.

November 22nd - The second Hunger Games' book comes to life this November and it will be intense. The first movie adaption was pretty good and I'm sure this will be likewise.

December 13th - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Sherlock and Dr. Watson are at it again. These guys are great. Martin Freeman continues his journey as The Hobbit Bilbo and Benedict Cumberbatch gets to be the bad guy yet again (see the Star Trek movie above this year) as he plays The Necromancer/Voice of Smaug. Going to be epic!

The year starts off a little slow, but it sure picks up and that is How Lou Sees It. What movies are you looking forward to this year? 

Seattle: The New Gotham

Apparently Seattle has become corrupt and dangerous just like Gotham, but don't fear just yet because where crime is...there can also be found Phoenix Jones Guardian of Seattle. Phoenix Jones is just your average citizen with some body armor and some fight training going out in costume to do good. He apparently isn't the only one either, being joined by Thorn, Green Reaper, Gemini, Catastrophe, and Buster Doe among others calling themselves the Rain City Superhero Movement.

Unfortunately Benjamin Fodor (aka Phoenix Jones) made headlines in a bad way this week as he is being charged for assaulting some people with one of his high tech gadgets...pepper spray (Seattle Superhero Arrested). You can also read more articles about Phoenix Jones @ www.seattlepi.com. There is supposed to be a decision on this case come Thursday and until then his costume has been confiscated. Our capes are off to you Phoenix, may you forever continue with vigilante justice and the Batman way.

With more and more superheros surfacing, I believe it will be only a matter of time 'till America's Superman will reveal himself to us. Until then, keep your eyes to the skies and be aware of any new newspaper writers in your area.

My thanks to all you superheros out there who are keeping our streets clean.

On a somewhat related side note, here is a picture of what could be $2,000,000:

If only I had millions of dollars to spend on a comic book. This Action Comics #1 (the first appearance of Superman) is the best known condition and could be auctioned off for 2 million dollars. This comic recently (April of this year) was recovered from being lost to the world. It was stolen back in 2000 time frame and now is to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Nicolas Cage (the previous owner who had his copy stolen) is hoping to have it returned to him, but it looks like a sticky situation.

The famous cover has appeared in different cover variations throughout the years on more recent comics...and in comic book story-lines:

Action Comics #1 will forever live on, and for around 2 million you could have the comic that started it all. Not a bad investment if you ask me.

Good grief Charlie Brown? How about good grief Clark Kent...and that is How Lou Sees It!

A Dark Red Summer

Dark Life by Kat Falls

My goodreads rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love goodreads and scholastic! I received this book for free from the goodreads giveaway area, and I am very glad that I did.


Dark Life is a fantastic book, and the best one I have read all year. It has all of the right elements to a great story. Great characters, a fascinating setting, and an intriguing plot (there is even a little romance for the ladies, or the guys...I'm not judging - its really a perfectly balanced book). I really appreciated the attention to detail concerning the underwater homesteads. I also love water in general and the ocean. The book has some, what I like to call, Star Wars elements to it. Its not a long book and makes for a quick read. This is one of my new favorite books, and I can hardly wait for the sequel! Great work Kat! Keep them coming.

Superman: Red Son

This really is an intriguing graphic novel. This story takes place during the cold war time period, and is a "what if" scenario...that is...what if Superman (who stands for Justice and the American way) had landed in Russia? Brought up on the communistic ideals and who takes over after Stalin dies. Batman and Wonder Woman are also a bit different, and with Superman landing in Russia, Lois Lane is now...Lois Luthor. A good read, and a very interesting look at what it could have been like if Superman was Comrade Superman. Interesting stuff. 

Summer Movies
Some of the movies coming out this spring and summer that have caught my attention.

 

And these are just some of the movies Lou will See.

P.S. How Lou Sees It has now been viewed in 10 countries!

When in 2 Cities, Ask for the King of Theatre

Live Theater
"To be, or not to be...that is the question." My wife and I are officially area reps for the Utah Shakespearean Festival located in Cedar City, Utah. When you are asking yourself to be in a live theater or not to be in a live theater, the answer should be to be. Live theater (i.e. musicals and plays) has an impact that movies and books just do not have. There is something about sitting in a theater and the actors just pull you right in..."its like your there" (see the great commercial below! Two of my favorite things in one video...you can see the others too...check them out)...you're involved with the show and it makes it that much more powerful and enjoyable.

Superman & Seinfeld American Express Commercial A Uniform Us - The funniest videos are a click away

The Once and Future King

T.H. White brings to us a classic. The Once and Future King  compiles four different books into one telling of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. The first book is basically the Disney movie The Sword in the Stone. It shows us King Arthur's childhood (or I should say Wart's childhood), and his education with the wizard Merlyn. "Education is experience, and the essence of experience is self-reliance."

The other books are "The Queen of Air and Darkness," "The Ill-Made Knight," and "The Candle in the Wind." These books have a very melancholy feel to them even with White's clever humor. It goes into depth about Sir Lancelot and one of the most famous third wheels of all time. It is a good classic read, but was a bit slow at times.

When in Rome
A movie that I watched recently for a good laugh. It was actually a pretty entertaining movie and it made me laugh. It just didn't have the nice quality that other flicks of the same genre have such as Hitch, The Proposal, and Dan in Real Life. I don't know if it was a problem with the actors/actresses (Napoleon Dynamite and Pedro were perfect), but it just didn't get passed two up for me.

The Tale of Two Cities (The Musical)
The Hale Center Theatre is currently showing "The Tale of Two Cities," a musical version. It is an amazing show. I have not read the book myself (not yet anyway), but what a powerful performance. The talent was amazing, and the show was dead on. There was some really good musical numbers (although the music over all was not as powerful as the story of the show, excluding one song which was just amazing), and if you have the chance, you should see the show. "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."

Oh...Yes! Wyoming! And that is How Lou Sees It!

Superman Grounded

Superman and I go way back, and believe it or not I owe it all to Holiday Inn. Not only did kids stay free back then, but one night back in 1994 they were also giving the kids a free comic book if they wanted one. Being the charming child I was...I got 4 (Animaniacs, Batman, Supergirl, and Superman). Little did they know that that simple act would change a lot about my life.

That simple introduction to comic books was a very dangerous one and for one obvious reason...I'm a collector. I have a coin collection, stamp collection, rock collection, marble collection, dice collection, pin collection, and a game collection, just to name a few. Oh, yeah, and I also have a comic book collection. What started out as 4 free comic books is now a collection just over 300 valued over $1,000.

I really enjoy the collecting of comic books, but I also really enjoy reading them (an important thing in my opinion when one collects something). Comic books to me are art and story. To help you appreciate the art form and writing style that is comic books, let me recommend a few things: take a look at my favorite comic book artist's work (Alex Ross), read "Maus", and take a look in a comic book shop and pick out one that stands out to you and read it (or ask to borrow one of mine, I have favorites).

As we are on the subject of comic books already, let me discuss movies/tv based on comic books. Comic book stories and characters have always been portrayed in other media besides the actual comic book. If you are going on a long road trip, let me recommend  getting a few old radio shows for the drive (Superman in radio form is pretty entertaining or my favorite may be The Shadow). As the world moved from radio to the screen, so did follow our super friends.

In 2002 Spider-Man changed how comic book movies were viewed and how superheroes were viewed in general. With Spider-Man's huge success on screen, Spider-Man was everywhere! Comic book movies could be highly profitable, and thus the movies followed....X-Men, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Superman Returns, and Batman etc. Some more popular than others. Not only did other superheroes  join Spider-Man on the screen, but they returned in sequels! We are only brushing off the surface now. With many more movies scheduled for release...Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, Thor, The Avengers (Introducing Captain America), another Spider-Man, Green Lantern, and many more. For a current list of all the movies based off of comic books, click here.

I have really enjoyed most of the superhero movies myself. The movie industry and the world population is eating it up. Why? Because a lot of people enjoy the story telling and characters that come from the comic book universe. Each of these superheroes have a legendary origin and stories upon stories have been written about them already (some for over 70 years). The characters have a lot of depth to them and have refined themselves over the years.

Comic books transport us into another universe; people with amazing powers or abilities standing up for what is right. I really enjoy Alex Ross and the comic books he has been involved in, because he makes them more real (click here to see some of my favorites in one book). They also include my two favorite pieces of artwork (Superman and Batman), where Superman and Batman are shown like never before. After the battles and it gives a look more inside their lives.

Let me update you on what Superman is up to currently. Superman has been away on New Krypton, and when he comes back to earth (similar to Superman Returns the movie) and people have mixed views of his return. Some people are angry with Superman for leaving them for a different planet. They feel that more and more Superman has lost touch with the American people. Superman gets to thinking about that, and decides to slow things down. He is going to walk across America, no flying and no super speed. He is going to walk through towns and get to know the American people and their every day problems (the series is entitled "Grounded"). He started this back last year and will continue for the next few months (there was a contest before the storyline started and people could enter and say where Superman should go close by near cities...one being Salt Lake City).

Currently Superman is in Boulder, Colorado and is on his way to Salt Lake City next month (along with Bruce Wayne)! I'll keep you updated each month on where the Man of Steel is on his journey.

And that is How Lou Sees It!

A Night at the Movies

Welcome to another installment of rapid review, where I rate some movies that I have seen recently, as well as movies from way back when:

Knight and Day

An action, adventure, and comedy starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. This is a pretty entertaining action flick. Now, I didn't say it was the greatest action movie, or the best movie in general, but it was entertaining. One that I would perhaps watch again, but one that I definitely would not buy. Rent it, enjoy it, forget about it.

Tron

A great video game back in the day (basically the game of snake with opponents, but cooler because you are on motorcycles in the future). The sci-fi action movie starring Jeff Bridges and Olivia Wilde did the best they could with what story they had to go off of. The movie did not really get stellar reviews from many, but I actually really enjoyed it. Maybe it was because it reminded me of the feeling of watching Saturday morning cartoons, I don't know. It had some fun action scenes and some great music. I liked it.

Sydny White

Another Amanda Bynes movie. That pretty much describes the movie. Her movies are funny and are good for a laugh. This movie actually was not as great as some of her other movies, but it made for a good night. The story is roughly based off of Snow White.

Copying Beethoven

Drama starring Ed Harris and Diane Kruger. The movie is about Beethoven in his dying days and a female copyist. It was a very well done movie, and similar feel to Amadeus. Although it was a good movie, it felt long and by the end we were ready for Beethoven to die.

Melinda and Melinda

A movie with an intriguing story concept, the movie written and directed by Woody Allen fell short of my expectations. It is a drama comedy starring Will Ferrell. It tells a story two different ways; one telling of the story is a drama and the other is told as a comedy. Great potential, especially with Will Ferrell in it, but it just fell short.

Scoop

Woody Allen redeemed himself with Scoop, a comedy mystery where he actually has a big role in the movie along side Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman (both fantastic). This was actually a really enjoyable movie, it dragged its feet sometimes making the movie slow at points, but it was a great movie!

The Hunt for Red October

A fantastic movie that came out around 20 years ago based off of a Tom Clancy novel and starring none other than one of my favorites Sir Sean Connery as well as Alec Baldwin. I recently bought a VHS copy of the movie from DI, because I saw it and said to myself, "self, you have wanted to watch this movie for a long time...just buy it." I'm so glad I did. A classic that belongs with all the other classics such as The Fugitive. Also, I have had submarines on the brain because I just finished reading "Blind Man's Bluff" (come back and look for my review on it soon).

Dan in Real Life

I love this movie! This is one that is on my to buy list. Starring Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche, this is a fantastic romantic comedy. I really don't know what to say about it, other than the fact that it is a great movie. Steve Carell does a really great job in this movie. One that I could watch again and again.

Mulan

A Disney movie that came out in 1998, I include this in the many reviews because I have watched it recently and it is pretty much one of my favorite Disney animated movies, if not my absolute favorite. Eddie Murphy as Mushu and Donny Osmond singing. It has some of the greatest and most enjoyable songs out of all of the Disney movies, and it has lots of great action and lots of laughs. Good stuff.

Preview of Upcoming Blog Posts

Upcoming blog posts include: review of "Blind Man's Bluff" (a book), new Cornelius Fly comics and a special archive post of the original comics that started it all, reviews on board games such as Dominion, Carcassonne, Citadels, Hive, and Power Grid, more movie reviews including reviews on Despicable Me, Megamind, and special movie posts dedicated to the different superhero movies and all of the sequels (ie. the Superman movies, the Batman movies, the Spider-man movies, the X-men movies, the Iron Man movies, and the upcoming superhero movies), television show reviews of Smallville, Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, The Office, Outsourced, The Sing-Off, The Simpsons, and How I Met Your Mother.....

There will be many more reviews and much more commentary. Also starting soon, I will be keeping you all informed of Superman and his current walk across America (stay tuned)!

And that is How Lou Sees It.