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‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Behind-the-Scenes

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Gotta say it, the new Mad Max movie is pretty great. It’s got a lot of things going for it. One of the most impressive is the fact that almost all of the stunts were done live and were not CG.

Sure, CG was used for wire removal and other safety-related reasons, to enhance shots and other tricks, but when you see those cars flip or guys attack Max and Furiosa by swinging down on poles, that’s all live and in-camera.

If you want to know more about how they did it, this video shows you. It’s been around the Interwebs for several days, but just in case, here it is for those of you who haven’t watched it or just want to watch it again because it’s so cool. Kudos to director George Miller and his stunt team for making this one of the best action movies in recent memory.

And if you’re interested in what role CG did play in the film, there’s an excellent article over at FX Guide that shows you everything you want to know.

‘Star Wars’, Comics and More

star-wars-1-quesada-coverI haven’t been reading very many comic books lately. In fact, I almost never buy single issues of any comic title. I only get trades of titles I’m interested in.

And that list is pretty short these days. In fact, I think it’s pretty much just The Walking Dead on the list right now. Like I said, short.

The reasons for this are several, but the most important of them is the time involved in reading and keeping up with monthly titles and the storage of same. I already have quite a few long boxes of comics in the house (more than quite a few) and am not really looking forward to adding an additional room to accommodate more.

And yes, I know the majority of the titles are available in digital form which would allow me to read them on the iPad or some other tablet. That wouldn’t take up much space at all. But for whatever reason, call me a purist, I prefer my comics in floppy form. I also like reading a newspaper too.

Of course, as is often the case, an exception comes along. Said exception du jour is the new Star Wars comic from Marvel. It started in January with two issues out so far. They are scheduled to come out monthly, at least until the new movie (Star Wars: The Force Awakens if your keeping score at home) is released in December. But I would imagine, if it continues to be such a big success, the comic could go on indefinitely. That would be fine with me.

My one word review of the first two issues is this: awesome. I’m really enjoying it so far and I have no reason to think I won’t continue to do so. The writing by Jason Aaron and art by John Cassaday are both outstanding with Aaron really nailing the mannerisms and speech of the major (and minor) characters.

I won’t get into the story or anything but if you’re not currently reading the Star Wars comic, I highly suggest you do so — especially if you’re a Star Wars fan. I like it so much it was even my pick on a recent episode of The Flickcast. A ringing endorsement to be sure.

I’ve lived a fair amount of time on this planet and have probably become a bit jaded over the years. It’s refreshing when something like a comic book comes along and reminds me me how fun things can be. It’s helped change my attitude for the better, to be sure.

Of course, I can’t forget another reason for my improved attitude: there’s a new Star Wars movie coming out this year. This. Year.

I was pretty sure that was never going to happen. I’m very happy to be wrong.

Yeah, life is pretty good.

Mondo’s ‘Alien’ Posters Are Pretty Awesome

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I’m sure some of you have seen these Alien posters already. I used to keep up with all the posters Mondo released (even though I could never seem to buy any), but lately I’ve lost track. As usual, I was too late to get one of these posters from one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time.

But I’m not bitter. They’re still pretty fun to look at right here. Tyler Stout did a great job. Maybe next time I’ll have more luck and get a poster of my very own. And maybe next time I can even get to the Alamo Drafthouse to actually see the movie. I think it’s good to have dreams.

So, which do you prefer? Red or green?

I’m kinda partial to the red myself.

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Tyler-Stour-Alien-Variant

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Is Looking Good

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I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical when Mad Max: Fury Road was first announced. I’m not entirely sure why, really. Maybe it’s just that I’m skeptical about everything these days?

Perhaps. But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong about many of the crap movies and TV shows that seem to come out rather frequently. Those still suck.

Fortunately, it appears Mad Max: Fury Road won’t be one of the ones that suck and my concerns about it have pretty much been put to rest by the new trailer for it that’s come out today. In short, it looks pretty amazing. I won’t even try to find things wrong with it, although I’m sure I could if I really wanted to. But where’s the fun it that? Right?

No, I’m not going to look for problems. I’m just going to enjoy it for what is is: action-packed fun.

I think I’m growing.

David Lynch’s Ice Bucket Challenge Is Just What It Should Be

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What can you say about this? It’s David Lynch. It’s the Ice Bucket Challenge. It goes as you would hope and expect.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvkqr-S-1Ac&w=560&h=315]

BTW, here’s a link to donate to ALS research. Save yourself some time and trouble … and also from being wet and cold.

I Want to See Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’ Right Now

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I have what could be described by some as “patience issues.” For the layman (or woman) that means I don’t like waiting … for anything.

Of course, in life you often have to wait for things, so over the years I’ve developed my skills and refined my technique. These days I can pretty much do it — if I have too. But occasionally, it’s really, really difficult.

The source of my difficulty at the moment is the movie Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine. I’m really having a hard time waiting for this one to come out. It has all the things I love in a movie: space, spaceships, cool science, drama, action, mystery and more.

You can see what I mean if you watch this new trailer, which arrived a few days ago. In a word, the movie looks amazing. November can’t come soon enough.

Michael Keaton As ‘Birdman’ Is Something I Want to See

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved movies. Good ones, bad ones and everything in between. There’s just something about a movie that does it for me.

Truth be told, I’ve seen a lot of movies over the years. I’m not really sure how many. And when I see one that looks as entertaining, as interesting and, let’s face it, as crazy as Birdman, I feel I should point it out so others can hopefully enjoy it too.

So, with that in mind, here’s the new trailer for Birdman, featuring the somewhat underrated (IMHO) Michael Keaton.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJfLoE6hanc?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

The Samuel L. Jackson ‘Motherfu***r’ Supercut Is Everything You Hoped It would Be

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Samuel L. Jackson is one of the best and most entertaining actors working today. I’ve been a fan of his since way back. No, I wasn’t “into him before anybody.” I’m no hipster.

I just think he’s very, very good at a variety of roles and always seems to keep them fresh. He does, however, have one thing he goes back to again and again with pretty much every character he plays.

What is that one thing? Well, he seems to like to use the word “motherfucker” quite a bit.  I can’t blame him, it’s a pretty effective word and does tend to get his point across. He just seems to use it a lot more than pretty much any other word. How much?

Well, some folks at HuffPo Movie Mashups decided to find out and put together an entire supercut of every time Jackson uses it. It’s pretty amazing.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0LBi1MHoaU?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

How to Do Visual Comedy the Edgar Wright Way

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One of my favorite writer/directors is Edgar Wright. His films, including Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, The World’s End and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, are some of my all-time favorites. Why, you may wonder?

One of the many reasons is his very inventive visual style. He knows how to use a camera and his actors to maximize comedic or dramatic effect. And sometimes he even does both at the same time.

Don’t know what I mean? Fortunately, I don’t really have to explain further because someone else, Vimeo user Tony Zhou to be exact, has already made a video highlighting exactly what I’m talking about.

Watch it. You just might learn something.

[vimeo 96558506 w=560 h=315]

David Lynch’s ‘Return of the Jedi’

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You’ve probably heard George Lucas once offered David Lynch the job of directing Return of the Jedi back in 1981. Lynch, of course, turned it down and the movie went on to be directed by Richard Marquand (at least most of it).

But what if Lynch hadn’t turned it down?

That’s what user C-Spit on YouTube wondered too. But instead of just wondering forever, he did something about it. He made a trailer for Jedi as if Lynch had directed it.

It’s pretty spot on. Enjoy.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PALjbTo1D5U?rel=0&w=560&h=315]