I just saw a YouTuber, Grace, say in her video that Gareth Evans agent company is in works to "Executive Produce" the "American Remake" of The Raid Redemption (2011). For this I am skeptical and hopeful at the same time. This got me thinking why does America (the United States of America or Hollywood to be exact) always remake classic or popular foreign films. I know there's money to be made but damn, the majority of those remakes are shitty and pale in comparison to the original such as Old Boy (Chan Wook Park 2003, Spike Lee 2013) among others. I know some remakes are good such as Martin Scorcese's The Departed (2006) being a remake of Wai-keung Lau's Infernal Affairs (2002) but they are rarer. Part of what makes those films successful is the director because it is his/her vision coming to fruition with the help of actors, editors, music people, stunt people, cinematographers, set builders, rig builders, the production company and distributing company in a nutshell. Unless you are a Scorcese or a director with a very clear vision that is unique and respectable to the original, I don't think you should make a remake of foreign films. The French film Banlieue 13 (2004) which stars David Belle and Cyril Rafaelli, directed by Pierre Morel, and written by Luc Besson and Bibi Naceri is remade into a film titled Brick Mansions (2014) starring David Belle and Paul Walker, directed by Camille Delamare, and written by Luc Besson and Bibi Naceri. Not to say Brick Mansions will be better or live up to Banlieue 13 but I am hopeful it will because it has one of the main stars and the screenwriters on board.
After all that I essentially want to say to Hollywood, STOP making remakes if they're gonna be shitty. Ticket Prices for the cinema have risen since I was first born, which wasn't very long ago.
Grace on her YouTube channel does cinema news and reviews. Here is a link to her channel; https://www.youtube.com/user/BeyondTheTrailer
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
The Walking Dead Season 4 Finale
This blog may be influenced by other blogs and articles from the likes of CinemaBlend and THR. I have not read any of the comics.
*SPOILER ALERTS*
As a season, I thought it was structured weirdly. The mid-season finale should have been the season 3 finale therefore you may predict where I'm heading next. For the second half of season 4 the group has been dispersed, after the big showdown with the Governor, and yet unified through train tracks that lead to "Terminus" which has been and for the most part still is a mystery. According to an article I read the inhabitants of Terminus may be cannibals. "Terminus", just say it aloud and tell me what it sounds like. It doesn't sound good because it is reminiscent to the word terminate. Since the first of the group saw a map with it I had a bad feeling about the place and thought they should go elsewhere however they all arrive to Terminus.
Now this episode in particular starts off with Rick, Michonne, and Carl getting up to check the traps they set for rabbits and other animals. Rick shows and explains to Carl how the trap works. It reminded me of the train tracks they're following to Terminus. The trap drew a parallel to the train tracks and the path they are herded down in Terminus to the train car where Rick, Michonne, Daryl, and Carl meet the rest of the group from the prison.
Rick, Michonne, and Carl decide to rest in and by a car on the road which in itself happens to be a trap. The group from the house and which Daryl is now a part of. The leader wants to kill Rick for killing his buddy but Daryl steps in and gets beaten up. I didn't expect what Rick did to the leader to happen. Since the leader had him in a bear hug, Rick bit out what I suppose was the poor bastards jugular vein. This is interesting because it is constantly flashing back to the prison where Hershel is trying to guide Rick in guiding Carl to be a man.
There was a lot of character development and exposition that was left open. It left me perplexed that these "hunters" were able to become the hunted by being led down a trap that is similar to the ones they set for food. It's interesting that Terminus may be inhabited by cannibals and that Rick is borderline cannibal. I'm looking forward to season 5 with no idea of how the group will be able to fight back and survive. This was the perfect cliffhanger that left me wanting more, therefore I give the episode an A.
*SPOILER ALERTS*
As a season, I thought it was structured weirdly. The mid-season finale should have been the season 3 finale therefore you may predict where I'm heading next. For the second half of season 4 the group has been dispersed, after the big showdown with the Governor, and yet unified through train tracks that lead to "Terminus" which has been and for the most part still is a mystery. According to an article I read the inhabitants of Terminus may be cannibals. "Terminus", just say it aloud and tell me what it sounds like. It doesn't sound good because it is reminiscent to the word terminate. Since the first of the group saw a map with it I had a bad feeling about the place and thought they should go elsewhere however they all arrive to Terminus.
Now this episode in particular starts off with Rick, Michonne, and Carl getting up to check the traps they set for rabbits and other animals. Rick shows and explains to Carl how the trap works. It reminded me of the train tracks they're following to Terminus. The trap drew a parallel to the train tracks and the path they are herded down in Terminus to the train car where Rick, Michonne, Daryl, and Carl meet the rest of the group from the prison.
Rick, Michonne, and Carl decide to rest in and by a car on the road which in itself happens to be a trap. The group from the house and which Daryl is now a part of. The leader wants to kill Rick for killing his buddy but Daryl steps in and gets beaten up. I didn't expect what Rick did to the leader to happen. Since the leader had him in a bear hug, Rick bit out what I suppose was the poor bastards jugular vein. This is interesting because it is constantly flashing back to the prison where Hershel is trying to guide Rick in guiding Carl to be a man.
There was a lot of character development and exposition that was left open. It left me perplexed that these "hunters" were able to become the hunted by being led down a trap that is similar to the ones they set for food. It's interesting that Terminus may be inhabited by cannibals and that Rick is borderline cannibal. I'm looking forward to season 5 with no idea of how the group will be able to fight back and survive. This was the perfect cliffhanger that left me wanting more, therefore I give the episode an A.
How I Met Your Mother Series Finale Last Forever
So I saw the series finale for How I Met Your Mother and I'm a mixed bag. There are articles I have read on THR and CinemaBlend, prior to writing this blog, and other blogsites that illicit negative feedback to the finale. I can understand why people may have certain expectations that were not met.
Here on down there may be major spoilers in case you didn't see it.
As a whole I think Season 9 dragged on way to long to before Ted met Tracy. If he met Tracy and Barney married Robin earlier in the season I may have bought what they crammed in the last episode. Basically Barney's and Robin's marriage falls apart due to her career and as a result she also grows apart from the group because of Barney and Tracy. Then at the end Ted is basically asking permission from his kids to date "Aunt Robin" because Tracy died to an illness.
In one of the articles I read, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, the creators of the show, as early as season 2, had an ending in mind, which happened to be the one they used, where the mother died and Ted ends up with Robin or asks his kids for their blessings in going after Aunt Robin. This does and doesn't work for several reasons.
The reason it worked is because Robin and Ted throughout this series have a unique and undeniable chemistry between each other. Also, Ted throughout the series is hardheaded and went after Robin even when he shouldn't have. A lot of the gags in this episode were nice homages to key points in the series such as the blue horn and catch phrases.
The main reason it didn't work is because of how season 9 played out. Just 22 episodes all of which lead to Barney's and Robin's wedding. If that much time is spent leading up to a wedding I typically expect a happily ever after rather than a rough 3 year marriage, divorce, and relapse into bad actions. Everything in the final episode seemed forced and the opposite of the direction the characters were headed.
By making the season lead up to the big moment, the divorce was a big let down. More episodes should have been spent for after the wedding, particularly those events crammed into the final episode. The split of events,Ted and Tracy after the wedding mixed in with events before the wedding, seemed erratic and therefore I couldn't appreciate it as much. I didn't buy the divorce and didn't buy the ending. However I could appreciate it because often times life doesn't turn out how you expect it.
Overall I give season 9 and it's finale a C.
Here on down there may be major spoilers in case you didn't see it.
As a whole I think Season 9 dragged on way to long to before Ted met Tracy. If he met Tracy and Barney married Robin earlier in the season I may have bought what they crammed in the last episode. Basically Barney's and Robin's marriage falls apart due to her career and as a result she also grows apart from the group because of Barney and Tracy. Then at the end Ted is basically asking permission from his kids to date "Aunt Robin" because Tracy died to an illness.
In one of the articles I read, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, the creators of the show, as early as season 2, had an ending in mind, which happened to be the one they used, where the mother died and Ted ends up with Robin or asks his kids for their blessings in going after Aunt Robin. This does and doesn't work for several reasons.
The reason it worked is because Robin and Ted throughout this series have a unique and undeniable chemistry between each other. Also, Ted throughout the series is hardheaded and went after Robin even when he shouldn't have. A lot of the gags in this episode were nice homages to key points in the series such as the blue horn and catch phrases.
The main reason it didn't work is because of how season 9 played out. Just 22 episodes all of which lead to Barney's and Robin's wedding. If that much time is spent leading up to a wedding I typically expect a happily ever after rather than a rough 3 year marriage, divorce, and relapse into bad actions. Everything in the final episode seemed forced and the opposite of the direction the characters were headed.
By making the season lead up to the big moment, the divorce was a big let down. More episodes should have been spent for after the wedding, particularly those events crammed into the final episode. The split of events,Ted and Tracy after the wedding mixed in with events before the wedding, seemed erratic and therefore I couldn't appreciate it as much. I didn't buy the divorce and didn't buy the ending. However I could appreciate it because often times life doesn't turn out how you expect it.
Overall I give season 9 and it's finale a C.
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