Explosions in Movies

I enjoy categorizing similar types of scenes from movies. This is especially true when it is something you have seen hundreds of times. I'm sure you have seen movies where the hero walks away without flinching or even acknowledging an explosion that takes place behind them. I think this is ridiculous, (unless it were to happen in a biographical movie about my life, then it would be cool.) I don't know how I missed seeing this video until now, but I love it. I don't have the skills to round up all the explosion clips or the talent to make a song about it, so I'm glad Samberg and Ferrell did.



Despite the brutal mocking of this frequently overused scene from action movies, I'm afraid we still haven't seen the last of it.

Movie Sequel Complications

I recently saw the trailer for Iron Man 2 and noticed that Terrence Howard had been replaced by Don Cheadle for the role of Colonel Rhodes. It's usually not a big problem when a minor character doesn't return for a sequel, but it can be a challenge when the main character decides not to come back to reprise their role.

As you know Arnold Schwarzennegar was the star of Predator, but decided not to come back for another installment. Do you remember who took his place for the sequel? Danny Glover. Yes, I said Danny Glover. I thought I was dreaming or might have made that up when I recently remembered this, but I checked and it's true.

I know movie sequels can be a risky thing. Some series like Star Wars, LOTR, Harry Potter, and Spider Man do great at the box office, but many are just horrible and end up tanking. Speed 2 comes to mind, which has to be one of the worst sequels of all time. I don't think it was because Keanu Reeves was replaced by Jason Patric either. The Superman and Rocky sequels each got worse after the 2nd or 3rd installments too.  

I feel kind of bad when an entire cast comes together except for one actor who holds out. It may not be an intentional thing or because an actor thinks they are a prima donna, but it is still noticable when you see a main character missing. I recently saw that the 4th installment of Pirates of the Carribean is missing Keira Knightley. Maybe she just has enough sense to know when to say when.

The Coolest Star Wars Characters

I don't consider myself a Star Wars geek, but like most Americans, I'm familiar with most of the characters in the series. I was recently thinking about some of these characters that George Lucas has made household names and thought I'd share my thoughts on the subject.

The Coolest

5. Chewbacca- The name, the fur, the crossbow, the wookie yell. What's not to like?

4. The Imperial Guard- Despite being bad guys and having a very minimal roles, these special red storm troopers are some of the coolest and most mysterious characters.
3. The Darths- This includes Sideous, Vader, and Maul. If your first name is Darth, then you can probably expect a career with the dark side of the force.
2. Boba Fett- This bounty hunter is a stud. I would have liked to have seen more of him.

1. Obi Wan Kenobi- I like both the original Alec Guiness and even the younger Ewen McGregor version. I think it is probably from the inflections of his voice.

Mixed Feelings

Han Solo- I am a big Harrison Ford Fan, but the tough rebellious guy who pretends not to care act gets old after a while.

Yoda- I know he teaches some great wisdom like "Do or do not, there is no try", but he is also guilty of being a Muppet and saying things like "Good Relations I have with the Wookies"

The Worst

5. Queen Amidala- R2D2 expresses more feelings than her. She is emotionless, sad, and depressing.

4. Battle Droids- These guys are absolutely worthless. They are about as threatening as a slinky and all they do is get sliced to pieces by light sabers. The coolest thing they do is come out of storage.
3. Ewoks-I didn't go to the theater to see jungle Care Bears in space!
2. The blue elephant, and long lipped singer who perform at Jaba's lair. Why throw in such dumb puppets that detract from the coolness of the movie?

1. Jar Jar Binks- No surprise here. I never would have thought that another Star Wars character could make C3PO look cool.

Movie Title Runs

I have seen several movies lately, but I'm just not in the mood to write a review. Instead I'd like to introduce you to a movie game. Try to combine and string together as many movie titles as you can. I'd like to see what you come up with.

GladiaTora Tora Tora (2)

ArmegeDon Juan de Marco (2)

Groundhog Day of the Jackal (2)

National Treasure Island of Doctor Moreau (3)

Clear and Present Dangerous LiaSons of Provo (3)

The Empire Strikes Back to the Future 3 Men and a Baby Genius (4)
Van HelSinging in the Rain Man on Fire Starter (5)
Lost in Space CowBoys of Summer School of Rock Star Man For All SeaSons of Provo (7)

Add any suggestions in the comment section.

Gentlemen Broncos

I had been looking forward to seeing Gentlemen Broncos for quite a while. I had to wait for it to come to video since it was only shown in a limited number of theaters. This is a movie with the same plot as Big Fat Liar which is kind of ironic since the movie is about plagiarizing and stealing others' ideas. Gentlemen Broncos is directed by Jared Hess whose claim to fame includes Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. This movie has many similarities, like odd personalities and goofy looking characters.

Gentlemen Broncos features three adaptations of the same geeky science fiction story and takes it up a notch when it comes to crudeness. If you enjoy jokes and gags about gonads, boobs, vomit, and poop, you will probably love this film. I am not a big crude humor fan, but I have to admit that over the years I have kept track of movies that feature vomit scenes. There are some prolific vomiting scenes in cinema history thanks to movies like My Giant, Mafia, and Stand by Me, but this movie offers one of the most extreme vomit scenes I have ever seen.

Overall, this movie made me laugh a lot, but I'll be the first to admit it's pretty stupid. I especially enjoyed the performances by Sam Rockwell and Jermaine Clement. I give it 6.4 generous stars, but it's definitely not for everyone (That is code language meaning it's a guy movie or for really immature audiences). I'm kind of embarrassed, but the more I think about it, the more I liked this movie.