People Need to Calm Down on the Star Wars Criticism

The new trailer for 'The Last Jedi' is fantastic, there is no debating that.  However, I have heard a lot of criticism regarding the potential storyline, and the same thing for 'The Force Awakens'.  The problem that many people have is that the storylines are similar to the original trilogy.  I heard so much about how 'The Force Awakens' was the same as 'A New Hope', yadda yadda, whatever.  I do not agree with them at all.

I think that 'The Force Awakens' was a good Star Wars movie.  Sure, it had similarities to 'A New Hope', but that does not mean that it is a copy.  It was unique in its own way and a fun movie that told a thrilling story and had great character development.  I admit that Kylo Ren is not the most intimidating villain out there, and is certainly not Darth Vader.  However, I think that he will come into his own as a very quality baddie. 

MovieWeb, a great movie blog, recently released a story about how 'The Last Jedi' is the same as 'The Empire Strikes Back'.  Now, based on the trailer, there are some similarities,  however, again that does not mean that it is the same.  There was a person who put together a fan-made trailer that showed the similarities, and it is accurate.  But that does not mean that it will not be a unique Star Wars adventure.

I personally, am a huge Star Wars fan, and anytime that theme music comes on and the text roll goes up the screen, its the best time.  I think that 'The Force Awakens' was a great space opera film that lived up to the hype it received.  I believe that 'The Last Jedi' will do the same, and I disagree with anyone who says that it is just a copy of 'Empire Strikes Back'.

Link to MovieWeb article:
http://movieweb.com/empire-strikes-back-trailer-last-jedi-style-star-wars/

The Best Movie Website

http://www.imdb.com/


If you are a fan of movies, and you are not aware of this link, you should really check it out.  Any movie lover should be very familiar with this particular website, it is a wealth of knowledge about any film you could think of.  Not just actors and directors, but anything else you could imagine.  The release date, budget, total earnings, trivia about the movies and even a list of quotes from each movie. 

This is not just a critic run site, but fans of the films can share their own input for others to see. You could, of course, see what the critics thought of the specific film, there are different tabs for critic reviews and user reviews.  You have the options of viewing a professional opinion or a casual one. 

The casual viewer can input their opinion on movies as they please, there are areas where people can submit issues they see in movies too, goofs if you will. 

The rating that the movies are given are mostly fair in my opinion, and the site is very useful for anyone looking to gain knowledge on Hollywood.

Top 5 Mel Brooks Movies (My Opinion)

Mel Brooks is one of best comedy directors that you will ever see.  His films are immortalized and the favorites are passed down from parent to child.  These films will never outgrow their comedy, the comedy can span generations.  Because of the fact that they are spoofs, everyone is familiar with the source material, which makes them easier to share with others.  I, personally, was shown a few of my parents' favorite Mel Brooks films, and that is when I was introduced to his comedic movies.  Here are my top 5 movies from this legendary director.

5. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Starring Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis and Dave Chappelle, this is a brilliant parody on the tale of Robin Hood, specifically the 1991 film.  Elwes plays the titular character, although not the same Robin Hood that many remember.  He is backed by Mark Blankfield as "Blinkin" and Chappelle as "Ahchoo".  These three face off against the tyranny of Prince John and the newly re-named Sherriff of Rottingham.  Richard Lewis plays Prince John, with an ever-moving mole that is the source of many laughs.  He is joined by Roger Rees as the Sherriff, as they attempt to appose Robin and his men dressed in tights.  This film brings many laughs, and is a good hearted movie that is one of Brooks' best.

4. History of the World: Part I (1981)
 
History of the world part 1, is a hilarious movie that showcases the parts of history that isn't written down in textbooks.  Mel Brooks stars in this movie, often playing the main character.  He plays Moses, who drops 5 of the 15 commandments, turning it into only 10.  He is seen as a stand-up philosopher in the time of the Roman Empire, the head of the Spanish Inquisition and King Louis XVI.  He is fantastic in all of these areas.  He is joined by the ever wonderful Harvey Korman and Madeline Kahn, along with Orson Welles as the narrator.  This film is a great and hilarious spoof about world history, and it might make boring old history fun for some of those people who never got into the subject.  This is a definitely recommended movie, and I cannot wait for Part II to release (which will never happen).

3. Spaceballs (1987)



Making a spoof of one of the greatest franchises of all time is not an easy task, but in Spaceballs, Mel Brooks pulls it off to perfection. With fantastic actors such as Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, John Candy, Daphne Zuniga and even Mel Brooks himself, this is a great cast.  From Dark Helmet and Yogurt, to Lone Starr and Barf, this spoof is one of the funniest of all time.  Every Character can be linked to a major movie.  It is mostly Star Wars, but they also include Planet of the Apes and Star Trek as well.  There is not a single thing in this movie that is not a joke, everything is funny, including the Spaceballs Colonel, Colonel Sandurz.  There is even a scene that includes a major fourth-wall break, that includes instant cassettes of all the movies Brooks has made.  Instead of the force, is the scwartz, Yogurt instead of Yoda, even Pizza the Hut in the place of Jabba the Hut.  This movie is the spoof that Star Wars fans need, and if you have not seen it, Spaceballs needs to be on your list.  This film is simply hilarious and fantastic in almost every way.

2. Young Frankenstein (1974)

When a young surgeon inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr.Frankenstein, hilarity ensues.  With the legendary Gene Wilder playing Frederic Frankenstein, joined by Marty Feldman as Igor, Peter Boyle as the monster and Madeline Kahn, it would be tough to make this movie better.  With ongoing jokes aplenty and a dancing monster, this movie is comedic genius.  When he inherits the castle, Frederic initially wants nothing to do with his grandfather.  Eventually succumbs to the desire and creates his own monster.  However, this monster is a nice one, and just misunderstood by the scared villagers.  Frederic goes on to correct this notion and tries to set things straight for his creation.  The combination of the main characters, well placed and timed dialogue, and a great storyline, this film is gold.  Many have overlooked this film because of it's black and white film, however, you should never overlook this movie.

1. Blazing Saddles (1974)
 
Blazing saddles is the perfect spoof movie, in my opinion.  For one, it spoofs a whole genre of film, not just a specific movie.  In this, all western movies are thrown for a loop.  When a black man is appointed sheriff in a small town in the west, he has to persevere and save the town from the government, who want to run a train rail through the town.  Cleavon Little and Gene Wider have some of the best chemistry that I have seen in any film.  Just because that this is not a serious film, does not mean the acting takes a nosedive.  Little and Wilder are simply fantastic together, one of the best in history.  Mel Brooks and Harvey Korman are the bad guys in this one, the government officials.  Brooks plays the dim-witted Governor, while Korman plays Headey, sorry, Headley Lamarr.  Korman turns in one of his best performances, in where I believe he should have gotten a nomination for best supporting actor.  This movie truly shows the genius of Mel Brooks as a filmmaker, and is without a doubt his greatest movie to date. 

Actor Spotlight: Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman is simply fantastic at whichever role he decides to take on.  Known for more of his supporting roles than being a leading man, he steals the spotlight whenever he appears on-screen. 
He has played some of the more important minor characters in some of the highest grossing franchises of all time.  These include Sirius Black from the Harry Potter movie series, and Commissioner Gordon from the Dark Knight Series. 
About half of the time, you would not recognize Oldman until the credits roll around.  He undergoes some incredible transformations to fit into roles, including...
Dracula in Bram Stoker's Dracula...

Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg in the Fifth Element...

And Drexl Spivey in True Romance.

Gary Oldman has been a leading man a few times in his career, including playing Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy, and George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy. These movies were both successful and show the acting range that Oldman posseses. 
The role that I believe Oldman is at his best is in The Professional.  In the movie, Oldman plays a corrupt DEA agent named Norman Stansfield.  Oldman is simply perfect in the role, and despite his non-intimidating appearance, he manages to become a menace and a figure you would not mess with.  He character is addicted to pills, and he plays this of perfectly, seeming unhinged and unpredictable, with his behavior teetering on disturbing.
Gary Oldman is a fantastic actor who immerses himself into each and every role, I have not seen an Oldman performance I do not enjoy, even if the film itself is not great.  That is why Gary Oldman is my favorite actor to watch on the big screen.
Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar for the Revenant, now it is time for Gary Oldman to win his first.

My Perosnal Top 10 Favorite Movies #10-6

10. Office Space (1999)

Office Space, in my opinion, is a perfect depiction of just how bland and monotonous the cubicle life could become.  I, personally, do not work in a cubicle.  However, I know plenty of people who have worked or currently work in a cubicle.  And boy have I heard stories.  Whether it was about getting memos or just attempting to avoid the boss so they wouldn't have to work on Saturday.  Now, the whole scheme based on Superman II, that story I have not heard.
Ron Livingston, David Herman and Ajay Naidu work well together on-screen and three disgruntled office workers.  Those characters have reminded many people of themselves multiple times. Gary Cole has a fantastic performance as the typical cubicle boss.  Added on that, Jennifer Aniston has good chemistry with Ron Livingston and plays a great waitress who is fed up with her lot in life.
All these things together make this a great film and my tenth favorite movie to date.

9. Dredd (2012)

Dredd is my favorite action movie at this point in time.  There was another version of this film made back in 1995 starring Sylvester Stallone.  This 1995 movies was pretty subpar, if not terrible.  Dredd from 2012 turned out fifty times better.  It starts with the director, Pete Travis.  He learned from some of the downfalls of the 1995 version.  The character of Judge Dredd was fantastic.  He was more of a figure than a person.  In a world of chaos and without much order, Dredd is a symbol of justice for the Mega City One.  He was tough and unwavering and someone I would not like to meet in a dark alley. 
Karl Urban turned in one of his most impressive performances I have seen as the hardened Judge Dredd.  He pulled off the tough and gritty look with the personality to match it.  Olivia Thirlby worked well with Urban as the rookie judge Anderson.  She played an inexperienced law-keeper who was slightly in over her head. 
Meanwhile, Lena Headey turned in a chilling and disturbing turn as the drug overlord Ma-Ma.  She rules over the block with an iron fist and nobody dares challenge her, until Dredd and Anderson.

8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is an action comedy film directed by Shane Black, known for the Lethal Weapon series.  This movie stars Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer as two men caught up in a convoluted scheme.  RDJ, who plays Harry Lockhart has a great performance as a man who has been mistaken for an actor and shipped to Los Angeles. There, he gets detective lessons from a private investigator known as Gay Perry (Kilmer). These two have fantastic chemistry and play the buddy-cop role in this film. Something that Shane Black is known for. 

RDJ and Kilmer carry the movie together with comedy and an incredible voice-over by Downey Jr.  They are joined by Michelle Monaghan among others as supporting characters who fill out the rest of the movie quite well.  Overall, this is a fun movie to watch, as it keeps you guessing what is going to happen next, the mystery contains so many little details and obscure reasons that it keeps you constantly guessing.  This is a fantastic buddy-cop movie that falls in the eighth spot on my list.

7. Baby Driver (2017)

I absolutely loved Baby Driver when I saw it in theaters this summer.  What first caught my attention was the music, the music choices were fantastic by Edgar Wright, along with his direction.  The car chase scenes were some of the best that I have seen in any film, tense and entertaining, everything a car chase scene should be.  The first six minutes of the movie are all you should have to watch to know that you are in for a treat. 
The casting choices made in this Edgar Wright flick are nothing short of excellent.  Ansel Elgort is a great fit for the role of Baby, innocent and stuck in a place where he does not want to be.  Jamie Foxx is great once again as the criminal known as Bats, very intense and almost disturbing.  Jon Hamm plays a great supporting character who goes by the name of Buddy.  And, of course, you cannot forget about Kevin Spacey, who adds this performance to his ever-growing list of fantastic roles. 
All of these characters gel well together along with the direction from Edgar Wright and the music.  All of these factors come together to create my seventh favorite film of all time.

6. The Departed (2006)

Directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese and featuring a cast that would make any movie-lover salivate, this movie is one of the greatest mob films made.  From deceit to violence and a convoluted storyline, this has everything someone would want from a film about the mob.  Despite how great the direction from Scorsese is, it is the performances that really drive the film forward.  From the main characters to the supporting cast, this movies contains actors that cinema-goers know and love. 
At the top is the ever-terrific Leonardo DiCaprio, and no, he did not win a Oscar for this movie. Right next to him is another critically-acclaimed actor, Matt Damon.  These two play a pair of moles for opposing sides, Damon for the mob and DiCaprio for the police.  These two race to uncover the other's identity before their own cover is blown.
Taking his turn as the mob boss is Jack Nicholson, who is also great as he shows calculating, brutal and sometimes unhinged behavior.  He really drives the point across that he is not to be messed with, by anybody.
On the opposite side of him is the duo of Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg.  These two run the undercover department in the state police.  Wahlberg serves as the comic relief for this dark film, which is much needed at some points in the film. Martin Sheen fills his role well as a high ranking member of the department. 
Joining them are others such as Alec Baldwin and Ray Winstone.  This is a fantastically paced movie with terrific acting and a great storyline.  You will be on the edge of your seat as you view this film, over and over again.

This is beginning of the list for my ten favorite movies of all time.  I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading.

An Introduction to this Blog

                          Just a Few Words About This Blog

       I think that I watch way too many movies in my free time, however, I could be doing things that are a lot worse for myself. 

      When it comes down to it, I started this blog for a class assignment.  But, I've always thought about starting a blog about movies, this just gave me the incentive to actually start it.  I hope that I can bring my knowledge or opinion to this blog, and those who read it.
 
      Watching movies is one of my favorite pastimes in my off-time.  I am twenty years old and in college, so I have a decent amount of free time to watch some quality films.  I do also play baseball though, so my movie-viewing time is cut down a significant amount from where it could have been. 

      I have a list of my top ten favorite movies memorized in my head, which I will not release on this post, but will be posted later... just in case anyone was interested about that.

      Just a fore-warning, I am not a movie critic, this is just my opinion that will be published on this blog.  Viewer discretion is advised (not really).  So, these may not be the most professional reviews this side of the Mississippi, but I do have my fair share of movie-viewing experience.  This blog has some credibility behind it, but not enough to be relevant in Hollywood.