Rumors of a VENOM movie, are flying all over the internet. While this would be exciting…only if Marvel has the same big balls that DC had when making the Dark Knight to make the movie as dark as the famed character actually is.
The Shaun actively seeks out movies that make for great discussions after the final credits roll. “Alexandra’s Project” is one of those movies that will have you picking up the phone and trying to find anyone to talk to about it especially if that person happens to be of the opposite sex.
Without giving the movie the away too much, the main focus of the movie is a video left by a man’s wife as a surprise birthday present. The video takes the husband (and the audience) through a extreme range of emotions and constantly leaves you wondering his wife’s true motives for making the film. Trust The Shaun when he says this is a movie that you will not want to remove yourself from for even a moment because the director makes use of every frame to deliver its message; all the way to the final image the audience sees before the credits rolls.
The Shaun strongly recommends Alexandra’s Project as a date flick, yet not a first date as the subject matter is a bit strong for a “We are just trying to get to know each other” situation. As a date flick, it immediately makes each person ponder their role in the relationship as the highlights the importance of all members of a relationship to be satisfied and fulfilled for the relationship to be successful. It also stresses the need for constant and open communication from both parties in a relationship.
The movie is available to stream on HULU if you want to check it out (as The Shaun again strongly recommends). There are not many movies out these days that challenge my mind and make us ponder about our everyday life nor about how we tend to take the ones we love for granted.
Feel free to reach out to The Shaun on Twitter at @TheShaunSays once you have seen it to talk about what you thought of the movie or just leave a comment below.
It might surprise you to learn that there is a new George Lucas movie coming out on the 20th. A movie that he was been working on feverishly to get into production, filmed and then released for over 23 years. Lucas ended up having to produce, film and secure distribution opportunities himself for the film. You read correct, the man who brought us Star Wars and Indiana Jones had to fight to get a movie made.
Why did one of the men who shaped modern cinema struggle to get a movie made? He was told by Hollywood that his movie was not marketable to the global market. He was told that there was little change that the movie would do well in the US more or less overseas. Now those who have been keeping up with The Shaun, you know that there are plenty of bad ideas that end up in theaters backed by major studios. This should leave one to be curious what kind of movie that George Lucas would attempt to make and not only be refused the support of the major studios but essentially told not to make the movie at all.
The movies, Red Tails, is the untold (at least on the silver screen) story of the Tuskegee Airmen and features a predominately African American cast which includes Oscar Nominee Terrance Howard, Oscar Winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and features Boondocks creator, Aaron McGruder has one of the screen play writer. The movie was completed with a budget of about $30 million. No, that’s not a movie anyone wants to see now, is it? It couldn’t possibly make a profit. The execs are right, it should be trashed.
One would probably wonder why Hollywood would think this move is not “green enough”, meaning capable of being successful. The explanation recently told by Lucas might not surprise you but surely will still raise a eyebrow.
Red Tail is one of the first films of it kind that solely focuses on the heroes being black. Other war/action movies have come along with a black cast, but as in Glory and Miracle at St. Anna, the soldiers were usually supported and/or led by Caucasians in some way shape or form. Red Tails also depicts a tale that has long been considered another of the United State Military’s dirty little secrets.
Anyone that is a fan of or has proper knowledge of the movie industry should be able to tell that Red Tails has the potential to be one of the more important movies of this generation. There is little chance that a George Lucas film made on a budget of $30 million with a cast that consists of multiple young recognizable actors such as Tristan Wilds, Neyo, Nate Parker, Michael B. Jordan, Marcus T. Paulk not to mention Terrance Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. would NOT be profitable if marketed properly. Yet even with only just over a week to release, most probably have not even seen a trailer or seen an ad for the movie.
Is this movie that is truly not “green enough” or just another story that some would rather keep swept under the rug?
Regardless what we may think about what it took to get this movie made or why is it not being marketed heavily, we owe to the men like Edward M. Thomas and Benjamin O. Davis, Jr to not only support this movie IN THE THEATERS but get the word out to as many people as possible. Call your local theater to make sure they will be showing the movie at release more than at 2pm each Thursday. Organize a group of youth to take to a showing. Call your children’s school and suggest this movie as a field trip then offer yourself as a chaperone. Simply said this is a movie that needs to be seen for the story alone as our children need to see.
Hollywood doesn’t think you want to see this movie. George Lucas has now placed the ball in our court to prove them wrong.
There were many big movies that came out last year that saw quite a bit if success. However there are some than do not live up to expectations and some that just should not have been made. Some call these movies flops and some call them disappointments. The Shaun prefers the term BOMBS as there is bound to be at least one movie exec’s head who explodes when he realizes he made a bad investment on a project. Movies just like any other business is all about profit, so when movies do not create a profit…someone’s head rolls.
The biggest bombs at the box office for 2011 were as follows (budget figures followed by actual gross):
1.Mars Needs Moms - $150 million/$38.9 million
2.Sucker Punch - $82 million/ $89 million
3.Arthur - $40 million/ $45 million
4.Green Lantern - $200 million/ $219 million
5.Cowboys & Aliens - $163 million/ $174 million
6.Glee: The 3D Concert Movie - $9 million/ $18 million
7.Conan the Barbarian - $90 million/$48 million
8.I Don’t Know How She Does It - $24 million/$30.5 million
9.The Thing - $38 million/ $27 million
10.The Big Year - $41 million/ $7.4 million
11.The Rum Diary - $45 million/ $21.5 million
12.Anonymous - $30 million/ $14.7 million
13.Tower Heist- $75 million/ $134 million
14.Happy Feet Two - $135 million/ $122 million
15.New Year’s Eve - $56 million/$91 million
What always gets The Shaun is that for every one of these BOMBS, there was at least 3-5 people (if not more) that thought these were good enough ideas to invest so heavily. Surprisingly last year’s BOMBS were films filled with stars that should have drew at the box office. Maybe we are finally getting to a point where people are looking at the content of the film and just who is in it.
Oh, who is The Shaun kidding?!
The freaking Smurfs movie did $419 million internationally….
The Shaun is very very much a self-diagnosed movie addict. This diagnosis is backed up by the 500+ DVDs and 100+ Blurays that sit in The Shaun’s house along with the 200+ movies sitting in The Shaun’s Netflix queue.
This being said, The Shaun will now grace with his take on probably the best movie you did not see in 2009… “The Hurt Locker”. Now The Shaun is sure that some if not most of you are thinking, “Yeah I hurt of that movie but never got a chance to see it” Well there’s no excuse now but to see it now that it’s been released on DVD and Bluray.
This is the IRAQ war movie many have been waiting for because mainly it is not trying to send a political message on the war itself. “The Hurt Locker” mearly paints the picture of war from the eyes of an EOD unit. For those who are unfamiliar with the term EOD, it essentially means BOMB SQUAD.
While the movie has actors you are familiar with, none are actors that would sell you to the movie on their own yet collectively each play their role quite well. However Jeremy Renner turns in quite the star-making performance as the lead that is truly worthy of the Oscar buzz he is receiving. He embodies the unpredictable intensity that surrounds the movie.
The director’s (Kathryn Bigelow) decision to ignore an actor’s Hollywood status in regards to whether they live through the movie add to its intesity and realism. You will find yourself say”Hey, isn’t that…” and they’ll be dead be you can finish the sentence.
This movie is not “Jarhead”, there is action and the suspense does pay off throughtout the movie. There are surprises all the way to the end of the movie and moments of the movie will change what you think about war. What this movie won’t do is change your opinion of the IRAQ war either way because it’s not trying to and that is its strength.
The Shaun strongly recommends everyone see this movie as it will surely be nominated for awards. However, it is not essentially at this point that you own this on DVD or Bluray yet as niether disc is filled with mainly special features and is clearly being prepared for a “COLLECTOR’S EDITION” or “DIRECTOR’S CUT” that will be more worth a purchase in the future.
This page represents me...Shaun...uncut and free of bullshyt! The new page design is free of flashiness for the most part.
The Shaun is not a cocky arrogant alter ego based on yet another man on the internet who thinks he's knows it all. The Shaun is a symbol of my confidence and knowledge of self.
This blog is not written to tell you how to think or live your life but to incite thought and discussion about the world around. Some of topics are serious...even a bit controversial. Some are just to entertain and get someone through their day.
The Shaun says what others don't in a way all can understand and relate to. The Shaun believes the expression and exchange of different opinions is the key to creating whatever world we want this to be. Without those things we all lose the individuality, imagination, creativity and ultimately freedom that makes us who we are.
The purpose is to induce thought which induces conversation
