All posts by Engagingculture

I'm a normal guy who watches a lot of movies. I love to compare techniques, cinematography, and acting, but I'm really amazed at what makes movies successful. Why does one film make piles of money while another falls flat on its face? I hope to help other normal people enjoy more good movies and avoid the garbage.
Alien/Monster, News

Noomi Rapace Will Reprise Prometheus Role in Alien: Covenant

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Dr. Elizabeth Shaw will be back. Noomi Rapace is getting back on board in Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise. In the upcoming Alien: Covenant, she will reprise her Prometheus role as Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, who was one of the few survivors of Scott’s 2012 sci-fi prequel.

Scott had previously stated that Rapace’s Shaw, despite working hard to escape certain death, would not be in Covenant. Now, it appears that plans have changed. The actress is joining franchise newcomers Billy Crudup, Katherine Waterston and Danny McBride, as well as her Prometheus co-star Michael Fassbender, who will be returning as the android David.

Scott is directing the feature, which is currently filming in Australia and due in theaters in August 2017. Covenant will follow a new crew of explorers that are bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy.

2010s, 2015, Adventure, Best Movie Bracket, Book Adaptation, Comedy, Computer, Drama, Family, Lists, Political, Top 3, Tragedy, white-collar

2015 – Best Movie Bracket

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From start to finish, many of 2015’s biggest news stories were centered around violence and terror threats and they showed a general sense of fear. The year began with a targeted terror strike in Paris and closed out with another planned attack in San Bernandino, California, proving that threats around the globe remain an issue for all.

However, much of the world found a place of solace at the theater amidst the fear and violence. 2015 featured a variety of films that showed the triumph of the spirit in the face of adversity, bigotry, and evil. Movies like: Southpaw, The Good Dinosaur, Joy, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Room, Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Revenant, The Martian, Mad Max: Fury Road, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Inside Out.

As fun and epic as the continuations of Mad Max, Star Wars, and Avengers were, there was not enough to set them apart and leave a lasting legacy. Leonardo Dicaprio deserved an Oscar for what Innaritu put him through in The Revenant, but the movie itself though stark and piercing didn’t create the effect in viewers that you expect from the best. The Martian was alternatively hilarious and harrowing, and Room ripped my heart out and slowly put it back together again, but there were a lot of really good movies in 2015. I keep coming back to three films from the year that will have some staying power. Here are my top 3 films of the year. Continue reading 2015 – Best Movie Bracket →

Lists, News

Determining the Best Film of All Time

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I have a desire to figure out what my favorite film of all time is. To do this, I am going to take a look at each year (Working backwards from 2015) and determine the best film of that year. My apologies to movies before around 1950 and those that will be released afterwards, but I need to have a top 64 and this is the only way that I can think to narrow them down without rating every movie made and just picking my top rated.

I’m sure there will be some years that I struggle to pick an overwhelming favorite, so I will be open to the possibility of carrying two films from a single year no more than 4 times throughout this process. I say 4 so they can have a runoff at the end to determine who will make it into the top 64. I’m going to attempt to do a year every other day or so, so this could take a while.

But once I have the top from each year, I will put them in a bracket. I think I will use IMDb ratings or Metacritic scores to determine seeding. Then I will have a tournament to determine the best. We will have vs. matchups which will be fun because I will get to compare and contrast some likely very different films and have to determine a winner. It should be fun.

I’m going to work my way backwards from newer to older. Obviously, there are gaps in my watching habits and films that I have not yet seen. This will of course only be the top 64 films that I have seen. I will be looking ahead to try and watch some films that others have chosen as their best of a year that i have missed, but I’m sure I’m going to leave some out. If you’d like, I’d encourage you to play along with me. I’m going to keep my list here on a page and then I will convert the list into a bracket.

Right off the bat, I’m having conflicting thoughts about the whole process, because I feel like I am going to be leaving out some incredible films in my goal to pick the best of each year. Let me also say that I am seeking to find the overall best film of all time. There are a lot of different types of films from documentaries to musicals, Drama to blockbuster, independent to big budget, and I really like all types of film.

My only limitations are the fact that I only have 2 eyes and 24 hours in a day. So my list will reflect some big Box Office smashes, to which my indie film friends may turn their noses up, and some Oscar contenders which probably slid under many people’s radar. I am a normal guy and generally don’t attend a lot of indie or private screenings so most of what I watch has to have at least a moderate release or availability on streaming services or Blu Ray.

What do you think about this goal? Anyone want to play along with me? What should I call this?

 

2010s, Action, Comedy, Detective, Film Noir, Mystery, Review

The Nice Guys (2016) Review

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The Nice Guys is to LA crime stories what Deadpool is to superhero flicks: at once a celebration and a send-up. That’s just the kind of storytelling moviegoers have come to expect from Shane Black, who directed the film and co-wrote it. Black has a history of blending irreverence and violence going all the way back to his legendary script for Lethal Weapon (1987). However, Black didn’t become a name until the release of Iron Man 3, which saw a lukewarm reaction from fans.

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Several years before that Marvel film, Black made his directorial debut, with the black comedy/noir Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which is great. In many ways, The Nice Guys feels like a spiritual successor to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. With twisty detective plots, style to spare, comedy as black as night, and a plethora of interesting characters, the films would make for a great double feature, and they showcase exactly where Black’s directorial strengths lie. Is this a family film? No way. Does it include scenes that some may find painful to watch? You bet. Will you be entertained? Thoroughly.

Continue reading The Nice Guys (2016) Review →

2010s, Action, Comedy, Computer, Family, Weekend Outlook

Weekend Outlook – Finding Dory and Central Intelligence

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There is no doubt who will be the queen at this weekend’s box office. The only real question is whether Finding Dory will have the biggest opening ever for an animated film. Last year at Thanksgiving, Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur failed to make a significant impact on the box office, though it has had good numbers through in home mediums. This weekend though, Pixar will look to rebound in a big way with a sequel to one of their most successful films of all time. See this weekend’s offerings and my projections after the jump.

Continue reading Weekend Outlook – Finding Dory and Central Intelligence →

1990s, 2000s, Action, Alien/Monster, Disaster, Epic, If You Liked..., Science Fiction, Supernatural

If You Liked… Independence Day

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As we prepare for the sequel that has been 20 years in the making, lets take a look back at this alien invasion film. Independence Day is a 1996 American epic science-fiction disaster film co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich. The film stars Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, Vivica A. Fox, and Harry Connick, Jr. The film focuses on a diverse and interesting group of people who converge in the Nevada desert in the aftermath of a destructive alien attack and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4th.

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Has anyone not seen Independence Day? Seriously? I want to meet you if you’ve never seen it. I would be highly surprised if you could find anyone between the ages of 30 and 50 in the United States who hasn’t seen Independence Day.

That doesn’t mean everyone loves it. In fact, according to icheckmovies.com, only 2.6% of those that have seen the the movie listed it as one of their favorites, and 1.1% disliked it. This is one of those guilty pleasure movies for me. I saw this film in the theater on opening weekend during the summer between 7th and 8th grade. If you can find a more formative time in a kid’s life I don’t know what it is. It was then that I decided I really liked Jeff Goldblum’s stilted speech and acting style and found out that the Fresh Prince could do more than dance.

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If you are like me and like Independence Day you might be looking for some other movies to watch while you wait for Independence Day: Resurgence to be released next weekend. I told my oldest son (12) that he could only see the sequel if he watched the original with me, so he obliged his old man and we sat down and watched this movie a few nights ago. Time has not been great to the effects on this film. Director Roland Emmerich loves to destroy New York City and threaten the annihilation of all mankind (Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla, 2012), it will be nice to see what he can do with the technology that 20 years has given him. In keeping with the guilty pleasure nature of Independence Day, all of my selections will also be selections that I might not often openly admit to loving.

Continue reading If You Liked… Independence Day →

2010s, Action, Alien/Monster, Images, News, Space

Alien: Covenant – David 8 is Back in One Piece

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The fan anticipation for Alien: Covenant, the sequel to Prometheus, has been growing as we inch closer and closer to the events of the original Alien film that was released in 1979. The Ridley Scott-helmed project has been generating a ton of buzz since production and subsequent filming began. NOTE: if you haven’t seen Prometheus, Alien, and Aliens then there may be spoilers ahead.

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The first batch of set pictures went online late last month, revealing a dark and dystopian future as well as some particularly creepy ashy beings. Now, an official behind-the-scenes photo from the set of Alien: Covenant teases the return of a Prometheus character.

The Alien Anthology Twitter account posted the photo that reveals a repaired and whole David 8, the synthetic that was brought to life in Prometheus by Michael Fassbender. Take a look at the image after the jump.

Continue reading Alien: Covenant – David 8 is Back in One Piece →

Biopic, Drama, Musical, News, True Story

Zac Ephron Considers Joining the Circus

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Tracking Board reports that The High School Musical alum is in talks to join Hugh Jackman in the  P.T. Barnum musical biopic The Greatest Showman on Earth.

In the Fox feature, Jackman will play Barnum, the famous conman-turned-showman, who founded the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City) will pen the musical, which Jackman is producing alongside Laurence Mark.

Efron is having a busy, if not particularly successful, summer at the multiplex, having just released the studio sequel Neighbors 2 and stars in another sophomoric comedy, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, opening July 8.

The in-demand actor also just finished filming Dwayne Johnson’s Baywatch and will appear alongside Neighbors co-star Seth Rogen in James Franco’s The Masterpiece. Production for The Greatest Showman on Earth is expected to begin later this year with a release date currently slated for Christmas day 2017.