It’s been 12 days since I’ve seen John Carter at the AVX 3D theater at Metrotown, which I absolutely enjoyed. Before writing about it I wanted to do some research to see why there was so much bad press for a film I thought had a good solid story with a few things you just have to roll with, like any great science fiction film ( A Monolith, Replicants, Kuato, Wookies, ect… anyone?). It’s not a perfect film but a really fun, different and highly miss marketed property starting right with the name. If you like classically shot action, good sci-fi storytelling and immersive effects, this is a movie you and a lot of people should enjoy. I’ve even confirmed this with a few of my close geek friends who I thought might be hard on the film but they said they were all pleasantly surprised by the experience, as was I. Beside a hand full, not very many people I talked to even knew what the movie was all about or even cared. By most part, they thought it was a Disney /Pixar animated film or kids movie, but weren’t convinced by the trailers or adds if they had even seen one. I wasn’t even convinced to go see it because of the marketing, it all seems terrible in some way so I just stayed clear of it completely after the first few trailers; Which is interesting for me to ignore news of a particular film of this scale just out of pure social interest. I had never read the source material which is strange because I do remember very vividly the Frazetta art work from the 70′s, but being unaware of the story helped me not get invested in the fact a film was being made. Once I saw these articles months before it even came out claiming that it was a 300 million dollar disaster and director Andrew Stanton(Finding Nemo, Wall-E) was in deep trouble with his first live action film and Disney execs had been very upset with the first screenings and such, I started to get some what more intrigued to see it. As the scattered bad press continued up till it’s release, reading a bunch of terrible mainstream media reviews for the picture and a bunch of great internet press reviews I started to suspect a pattern. I always go with the internet reviews over paper or mainstream opinions, it seems more and more the regular media has lost track of what is actually good as apposed to just being told what is good with out even seeing something and following that popular opinion. John Carter definitely has a few problem being classified into one particular category but that’s what makes it cool, the fact that it’s different and can’t be defined so easily, it has some hidden complexity for a Disney action/ tent pole for sure, Stanton snuck some great smart stuff in there.
At this point being in the theater for 31 days and taking only $67,973,000 Domestic and $188,000,000 International with a total of $255,973,o00, Worldwide it pretty obvious that John Carter is going to be a huge financial disaster on paper for Disney. I think as a classic sci fi film it’s a big win for director Andrew Stanton and I’m sad we most likely won’t be seeing any more of the John Carter story in this scale anytime soon based on the box office. I’m not sure what Disney could of done to improve the marketing because with a 300 to 400 million dollar advertising budget they had , there sure was a whole lot of people that had no idea or interest to see it.
Which is very unfortunate because it is something I will definitely be buying on Blu-ray and am excited to re watch a couple of times again right away. I will say to those of you who are on the fence with this one I urge you to give it a try and you will most likely be pleasantly surprised by the experience. I can only hope that it does so good on video that Disney looses their mind and decide to do a sequel but that would mean some serious record breaking numbers are needed to even expect that at all, which I don’t; But if you do like classic sci-fi films this is the best one I’ve seen in a while and you won’t regret giving it your time and money. Well worth it.
Trailers, Trailers, Trailers. A big few weeks for the release of new trailers and some have a better look at their respected movies being the second previews released. Some look like they could be cool, Some look like a full out waste time, money and brain power. You decide for yourself below…
SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS- Director Guy Ritchie [Sherlock Holmes (2009), RocknRolla (2008), Revolver (2005), Swept Away (2002), Snatch (2000), Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (1998) ]
This looks good to me, bigger production than the original, great actors, interesting visuals and great action pieces. Hope it tops the first one which I thought was OK but not amazing.
THE CABIN IN THE WOOD- Director Drew Goddard [ Writer of Cloverfield, TVs- Lost, Alias, Angel, Buffy The Vampire Slayer ]
I was working on a long series of commercials a few years ago at Lions Gate Studio in North Vancouver, when I noticed my friend who was in wardrobe on what looked to be some crazy ass bloody horror movie. When asking her what it was, she mentioned the writer of Cloverfeild directing, Joss Whedon as the co writer/ producer and super Hard R material. I really didn’t need to hear anymore, I wanted to see it. Skip to 3 years later it finally gets a release. I really think this is going to be a rad mix of genres that 80′s horror fans will really appreciate. I can’t wait for this one personally. I’m thinking this was a movie they had no idea how to market so it sat around for a long while, but I hoping it turn out to kick bloody ass.
This looks like a really cool idea and with very nice set pieces. Will probably suck beyond belief . Money grab is written all over this one. Power to ‘em if the humans buy in.
JOHN CARTER- Director Andrew Stanton [ Wall-E (2008), Finding Nemo (2003) ]
Looks better that the first trailer for sure. I sort of like it, but like I said before, it’s reported that Disney needs to pull in $700 million to break even here. Good luck with that one Walt!
THE GREY- Director Joe Carnahan [A-Team (2010), Smokin' Aces (2006), Narc (2002) ]
This second trailer makes this look super rad. I will be seeing this one.
BATTLESHIP- Director Peter Berg [Very Bad Things (1998), The Rundown (2003), Friday Night Light (2004), The Kingdom (2007), Hancock (2008) ]
Bullshit, upon more bullshit and a twist of stupid robots. This is the kind of crap we’re getting because of the financial success of Transformers. I would rather watch Daredevil and Fantasitic Four back To back for a whole day that have to sit thought this once.
GOON- Director MICHAEL DOWSE [FUBAR (2002), It's all Gone Pete Tong (2004), FUBAR 2 (2010), Take Me Home Tonight (2011)]
I love me some FUBAR and Pete Tong. Go Dowse. Looks pretty funny.
MEN IN BLACK 3- Director Barry Sonnenfeld [ Runaway Vacation (2006), Men In Balck 2 (2002), Big Trouble (2002), Wild Wild West (1999), Men In Black (1997), Get Shorty (1995), Addams Family Values (1993), For Love Or Money (1993), The Addams Family (1991)]
No interest but I’m sure some of you are excited for the third one of this bullshit. If I had made Wild, Wild West I would of retired from directing all together out of embarrassment. I guess Sonnenfeld has very little shame. To bad I really liked his earlier work, before MIB. Guess he just needs a pay check like every other sap. Enjoy suckers.
I’ve got some of the latest trailers to some great upcoming films, and some sure not to be so great films. Either way you’ll have 10 or 20 minutes suck away you’ll never get back, but you will be up on all the top cool hip shit coming out. Your choice.
THE GREY- Director Joe Carnahan [A-Team (2010), Smokin' Aces (2006), Narc (2002) ]
I had a first camera assistant show me this trailer on set a few months ago. He and a few other camera people I know worked on it up north in BC. Looking pretty rad for sure. It’s been a while since we’ve had a decent “man vs. nature” film, The Edge 1989 (Hopkins and Baldwin) might be the last good one I remember. Hope it lives up to the tension set in the trailer.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO- Director David Fincher [The Social Network (2010), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Zodiac (2007), Panic Room (2002), Fight Club (1999), The Game (1997), Seven (1995), Alien 3 (1992) ]
This could end up being one of the craziest American studio movies ever made. Especially being released during the holiday season. It sounds from all reports that Fincher’s version will surpass the original Swedish film’s level of what I can only can call, brutality. There is a lot of strange brilliant dark storytelling going on in the Swedish film. I’m sure Fincher will grind out every inch of what that film achieved and much more. Can’t wait.
JOHN CARTER- Director Andrew Stanton [ Wall-E (2008), Finding Nemo (2003) ]
With the reported high cost of pre-production, production, re shoots, fancy dinners, limos, crew gifts, billed personal indulgences, ect.. and the way that Disney usually spends a shit load on advertising it’s tent pole features, this film has to make a reported $700 million to break even. Wow. I’m really interested what a film with so much invested in it will be like. Might have to check this one out. Plus I like Sci-Fi done on a large scale if it’s not too watered down.
A DANGEROUS METHOD- Director David Cronenberg ( Eastern Promises (2007), A History of Violence (2005), Spider (2002), eXistenZ (1999), Crash (1996), M. Butterfly (1993) , Naked Lunch (1991), Dead Ringers (1988), The Fly (1986), The Dead Zone (1983), Videodrome (1983), Scanners (1981), The Brood (1979), Fast Company (1979), Rabid (1977), Shivers(1975), Crimes Of The Future (1970), Stereo (1969) ]
I will go to see anything Cronenberg does, even after having to sit through Crash and eXistenZ. I really love most of his work regardless of the few one that just didn’t work for me at all. With these actors and Cronenberg directing I’m thinking I will enjoy it quite a bit.
BRAVE- Directors Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
The two Cars movies are the only Pixar projects I didn’t love after seeing them. They have a formula that really works almost all of the time. The animation in the trailer look amazing, should be another great watch.
RED TAILS- Director Anthony Hemingway
A project that George Lucas has been talking about for a number of years has finally got a trailer and it look pretty rad. The aerial footage is super sick. Should be a great film for the war movie enthusiasts out there.
THE RAVEN- Director James McTeigue [ Ninja Assassin (2009), V For Vendetta (2006) ]
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL- Director Brad Bird [ Ratatouille (2007), The Incredibles (2004), The Iron Giant (1999) ]
The CG in some of the shots doesn’t look quite done yet, but usually it is the case with large projects to render shots to the last weeks before release. The real reason I’ll be checking this out in IMAX is because it’s reported to be playing the 9 minute Dark Knight Rises prolog in front of it.
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN- Director Rupert Sanders
This looks interesting to me. It could defiantly go either way though.
THE DARKEST HOUR- Director Chris Gorak [ Right At Your Door (2006) ] Art Director [Fight Club, Minority Report, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Tombstone]
More low budget sci-fi. For some reason I want to see this movie hoping for something more than it will probably turn out to be.
RAMPART- Director Oren Moverman [ The Messenger (2009) ]
I’m not sure anyone can beat out Harvey Keitel in The Bad Lieutenant 1989 for the most corrupt cop award but Harrelson will be phenomenal in this role no doubt, I’ll be checking this out.
THE WOMAN IN BLACK- Director James Watkins [Eden Lake (2008) ]
I think Daniel Radcliffe will find it easier than most to get away from the character he was tasked to play the last decade or so. most like that is because he’s a great actor. His reaction shots in this trailer and the atmosphere combined creep me out a bit. Will be giving it a watch.
It’s been 12 days since I’ve seen John Carter at the AVX 3D theater at Metrotown, which I absolutely enjoyed. Before writing about it I wanted to do some research to see why there was so much bad press for a film I thought had a good solid story with a few things you just have to roll with, like any great science fiction film ( A Monolith, Replicants, Kuato, Wookies, ect… anyone?). It’s not a perfect film but a really fun, different and highly miss marketed property starting right with the name. If you like classically shot action, good sci-fi storytelling and immersive effects, this is a movie you and a lot of people should enjoy. I’ve even confirmed this with a few of my close geek friends who I thought might be hard on the film but they said they were all pleasantly surprised by the experience, as was I. 
Beside a hand full, not very many people I talked to even knew what the movie was all about or even cared. By most part, they thought it was a Disney /Pixar animated film or kids movie, but weren’t convinced by the trailers or adds if they had even seen one. I wasn’t even convinced to go see it because of the marketing, it all seems terrible in some way so I just stayed clear of it completely after the first few trailers; Which is interesting for me to ignore news of a particular film of this scale just out of pure social interest. I had never read the source material which is strange because I do remember very vividly the Frazetta art work from the 70′s, but being unaware of the story helped me not get invested in the fact a film was being made. 
Once I saw these articles months before it even came out claiming that it was a 300 million dollar disaster and director Andrew Stanton(Finding Nemo, Wall-E) was in deep trouble with his first live action film and Disney execs had been very upset with the first screenings and such, I started to get some what more intrigued to see it. As the scattered bad press continued up till it’s release, reading a bunch of terrible mainstream media reviews for the picture and a bunch of great internet press reviews I started to suspect a pattern. I always go with the internet reviews over paper or mainstream opinions, it seems more and more the regular media has lost track of what is actually good as apposed to just being told what is good with out even seeing something and following that popular opinion. John Carter definitely has a few problem being classified into one particular category but that’s what makes it cool, the fact that it’s different and can’t be defined so easily, it has some hidden complexity for a Disney action/ tent pole for sure, Stanton snuck some great smart stuff in there. 
Which is very unfortunate because it is something I will definitely be buying on Blu-ray and am excited to re watch a couple of times again right away. I will say to those of you who are on the fence with this one I urge you to give it a try and you will most likely be pleasantly surprised by the experience. I can only hope that it does so good on video that Disney looses their mind and decide to do a sequel but that would mean some serious record breaking numbers are needed to even expect that at all, which I don’t; But if you do like classic sci-fi films this is the best one I’ve seen in a while and you won’t regret giving it your time and money. Well worth it.
