5: Bourne Identity If you take anything from Doug Liman's first Bourne movie, it would have to be Bourne's frantic car chase though the winding streets of Paris in a Mini cooper. As the cops close in on Matt Damon's Jason Bourne, he and his traveling companion Marie are forced to outrun them in the most unlikely of vehicles. Bourne uses nothing but his super secret assassin skills to evade capture in a gripping, but at the same time oddly amusing sequence. 4: Furious 7 The fast and furious movies have made themselves a reputation of insane, laughably unrealistic stunts. So when Furious 7 came around with a truly stunning chase sequence, it caught the eye of casual moviegoers and film critics alike. From the attention grabbing sounds to Vin Deisel parachuting a car onto the side of a mountain, this movie will keep you hooked from start to finish. 3: Matrix Reloaded While it might have ruined what could have been a fantastic science fiction series, the Matrix: Reloaded boasts the greatest car chase of its decade. Agents, programs, and humans battle it out on a packed highway, and Morpheus blows up a car with a Katana. In a movie full of cheesy special effects, this chase is kept as pure as it possibly could be, and the result is an incredibly good scene in a movie that was incredibly bad. Patrick Silver, 18, of Wamogo says "I thought the Matrix had a very good chase scene," but Joe Civerizo said "I thought that movie was bad." 2: Mad Max: Fury Road This movie is arguably one huge chase scene from start to finish, and audiences loved it. Max, a schizophrenic, is tied to the front of a dune buggy in a hoard bent on bringing down Furiosa, who has smuggled Immortan Joe's wives aboard a war machine. The chase in an intense, action packed chase sequence showcasing the finest special effects of the age, and a massive lighting sandstorm. Awesome. 1: The French Connection Though the story of cops trying to take down heroin smugglers was plenty engaging enough for Hackman to snag that Best Actor Oscar, it was the genius chase sequence, in which Doyle gets into a 1971 Pontiac Le Mans to chase down an enemy, who just happens to be in a train above the streets of New York City, that clinches it. It's among the most unconventional and iconic chase sequences ever filmed, given that it's not even between two cars. As visceral as the scene is, it also enhances Doyle's character development, cementing how thoroughly obsessive and dangerously determined he is.
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Before Christopher Nolan changed the genre of comic book movies with Batman Begins, no one believed such a cult pastime could become this kind of global phenomenon. Comic book movies are big, and that's an undeniable fact. A goldmine has been struck, and the three major studios, Marvel, DC, and Fox are acting quickly to capitalize on the profits. 2016 has already given us two highly anticipated movies, Deadpool and Batman V Superman, and still has plenty to go. Next month has two in itself, Captain America Civil War and X-Men Apocalypse, and before the end of the year a new Ninja Turtles movie, The Suicide Squad, Gambit, and Doctor Strange will have been released. 2017 will be chock full of DC legitimizing it's expanded universe, and Marvel prepping its end game for the Avengers. Fox starts out the year with the final Wolverine movie, followed by Wonderwoman. Marvel comes through with Spiderman and Thor Ragnarok, until DC drops the first Justice League movie at the end of the year. 2018 will be an exciting year, with singles from Black Panther, The Flash, and Aquaman. And man's coming back, featuring the Wasp, and last but not least Avengers: The Infinity War Part One drops in may of 2018. It's hard to believe they have it planned out this far, but believe it or not, they do. 2019 starts off with Captain Marvel from Marvel and Shazam from DC. The second part of the Infinity War drops in may, and just after that the second Justice League movie. Not much has been planned for 2020, but that doesn't mean nothing. We know Cyborg drops in April, and then Green Lantern Corps in june. These next fours years (and hopefully more) are going to be an exciting time for comic book fans and comic book enjoying moviegoers, alike. 2016 is set to be a huge year in the world of comic book movies. We already had Deadpool, a groundbreaking R-rated film, and in the next few months the heavy-hitters Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Captain America Civil War, will be out. Arguably the most anticipated comic book movies of the year, Dawn of Justice and Civil War deal with a strikingly similar moral dilemma for a central theme: Authority Vs. Freedom.
Batman V. Superman is set to be the first billion dollar grosser of all time. A continuation of Man of Steel, Superman (Henry Cavill) is set to clash with Batman (Ban Aflec), who believes no person should possess ultimate power, and ultimate authority. Civil War is possibly the last of the most celebrated solo avengers films, the Captain America trilogy. After Winter Soldier set the bar for Marvel films, it came as no surprise that the most significant event, and most gut-wrenching clash between comrades yet in the MCU would take place in the next Captain America movie. After the events of the last few movies, multiple world powers have come together to create the Sokovia Accords, a global set of Superhero restrictions. Captain America, as well as a group of other dissidents opposes these accords, but Iron Man, backed by other like minded heroes, are set on bringing them into line. As you see, these films both have very similar themes. Both deal with a powerful authority trying to bring about order, and a respected dissident who values freedom more than control. Marvel has been killing it in the box office, but there's a lot of support for Batman V. Superman online recently. Only time will tell who pulls of this particular moral dilemma better. Comic book nerds are pinching themselves to make sure this isn't all a dream as executives at Fox realized they've stumbled across the gold mine that is Deadpool. Star Ryan Reynolds and director Tim Miller’s decade long fight to get Deadpool made paid off in a big way as the movie opened huge and shattered numerous records. Bringing in $132.7 million in North America for the three-day weekend and an estimated $150 million for the 4-day weekend, Deadpool also scored oversees with a worldwide weekend gross of around $300 million. The film that the studio was so afraid to greenlight, and only gave a budget of around $58 million to, has already set numerous box office records, including biggest February opening, biggest opening weekend for a first time director, biggest Valentine’s Day and President’s Day opening, biggest feature directorial debut opening, and biggest R-rated opening of all-time, beating The Matrix Reloaded’s 13 year record. Deadpool is also the 7th biggest comic book movie opening of all-time behind the final two Dark Knight films, Spider-Man 3, Iron Man 3 and the two Avengers movies, not accounting for inflation. If that wasn’t impressive enough, the film also now stands as the 8th biggest non-summer debut of all-time and the 17th biggest opening in movie history. It’s also the biggest opening ever for 20th Century Fox, making more than all the other previous X-Men movies as well as massive hits like Avatar and Titanic. With positive reviews and an A CinemaScore from all age groups with 92 percent of moviegoers saying they would recommend Deadpool to a friend, we can expect the film to continue to score at the box office for several more weeks. After watching, Senior Paul Mangiaracina said, "I love how Deadpool breaks the meta." Senior Patrick Silver says, "Sounds like a f*cking franchise." As for the future of the character, those that stuck around for the credits already know a sequel is coming, though no official release date has been set. We’ll also likely see Deadpool showing up in other X-Men movies in the coming years and we’ll probably see the studio finally give the long in development X-Force movie an official green light. One thing is for sure, we haven't seen the last of the merk with a mouth. One of the most celebrated, most loved, and most intriguing branch of Disney, is Pixar Studios. Pixar began its astounding record with Toy Story, a film children and adults everywhere continue to enjoy.
Throughout the years, Pixar has made hit after hit, but with ever-increasing publicity, fans are beginning to notice strange connections between movies, leading some to believe that each Pixar movie exists in the same timeline. Using little hints, scattered throughout each movie, fans have created a chronological order for each Pixar film, and pieced together the story of the Pixar Universe. In preparation for Finding Dory, this is the Pixar theory. It all begins with the film Brave, set in the 14th or 15th century. Brave discovers magic, the-Will-of-the-Wisps, and the old witch, and accidentally turns her mother into a bear. Brave is both the first and last movie in the Pixar universe, and it contains vast amounts of evidence for the theory. The old witch is a very important character, and appears in another movie. We also see animals and inanimate objects which, when influenced by magic, can behave like humans. Although the magic eventually wear off, it is theorized that this magic caused animal intelligence, as seen in movies such as Ratatouille, to develop over time (The Pixar Theory). Next time you watch Brave, take a close look at the witch's hut. It is littered with references to the other movies, and there's a reason for this. The Pixar timeline is seen as parallel progressions, and eventually conflict. The first is progression of animal intelligence, starting with Brave, and the second is progression of artificial intelligence, or AI (Jon Negroni). The "main stage" of animal progression is seen with the movies Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, and Up. Ratatouille follows the rat Rem as he takes up cooking, a strictly human activity. In the movie Up, one human scientist realized that animals had developed intelligence, and invented a collar which allowed dogs to speak. Finding Nemo shows further development of animal intelligence, as Dory, an unintelligent fish, is now an oddity. Additionally, Finding Nemo shows animal resentment of humans, who pollute waterways and experiment on animals. Meanwhile, a sinister corporation, BNL, has taken over the governments of earth (History of BNL) by the time of Wall-E. BNL is very prominent throughout the Pixar timeline, as it is referenced in Cars, Toy Story 3, Up, and Wall-E. BNL seems to be the catalyst of the A.I takeover of humans (The Pixar Theory). A.I is first seen in The Incredibles, when an Omnidroid goes rogue and attacks a human city. The machines soon learn that it would be best to control humans instead of eliminating them: not only are humans a viable source of labor, but it seems inanimate objects, such as the toys in Toy Story, are powered by human interaction. This energy source is also utilized in Monsters Inc., which will be discussed later on. Artificial intelligence takes over human society after eliminating the Supers, who are all but gone by the 2000's (Pixar Theory). Sometime between the year 2016 (Up) and 2100, (Cars) the humans, along with A.I, engage in a major conflict, possibly full-out war, with the animals, due to incursion and pollution. By the year 2100, there are few animals left on earth, and pollution has forced the remaining humans into space. Cars and other machines are left to run earth. It is obvious there was also an attempt to clean earth in Wall-E. After Wall-E, a major shift occurred on earth. The strength of machines waned, and nature returned to full strength by the time of Bugs Life. Very few humans still exist, and bugs have taken over, although there are references to both birds and snakes. Theorists believe that Bugs Life is post-apocalyptic because not only is it the only Pixar movie which does not include humans in any way, but it also features bugs dominating human activity, whereas before the farthest animals went was dabbling in cooking (Jon Negroni). Monsters Inc. and Monsters University take place roughly 1400 years after Bugs Life. Radiation has turned animals into monsters, and wiped humans off the earth. Monsters develop technology which allows them to travel back in time and gather energy from human children. In Monsters Inc., Sully impacts a girl named Boo, who is a very important character. Boo never forgets Sully, and attempts to travel to his time all of her life. She utilizes wood, the source of magic, and eventually succeeds, in a way. She becomes the witch in Brave, which is evidenced by a carving of Sully in her cabin, and travels throughout the Pixar Universe, planting pieces of evidence throughout the timeline. It is not known whether she ever meets Sully later in life. That's it for the Pixar theory, until Finding Dory. http://www.pixartheory.com/ http://jonnegroni.com/2013/07/11/the-pixar-theory/ 2015 was a fantastic year for movies. In one year, we got a competent Jurassic Park sequel, a brand new Star Wars trilogy, a explosion of Marvel and DC movies, and so much more. But if you missed some of the big names, and you're trying to catch up, where do you start? Well, I'm going to do my best at a reliable list of the top 5 must-see movies of 2015. 5: Ex machinaThe only films on this list that come from an original idea, with no hint of a sequel, AND from an unknown director, Ex Machina is an original take at science fiction, and the concept of AI. If you're looking for convincing performances, and a gripping story line, look no further: this film features breathtaking performances from Oscar Issac, Domhnall Gleeson, and Alicia Vikander, in a provoking exploration of what it means to be human. A computer programmer (Gleeson), is hired by a Frankenstein-like scientist (Issac) to discover whether he has created AI, or only a super advanced robot. As the revelations pile up and the screws tighten and you start to sense that terror and violence are inevitable, the movie never loses grip on what it's about. This is a rare commercial film in which every scene, sequence, composition and line deepens the screenplay's themes, which means that when the bloody ending arrives, it seems not predictable, but inevitable. 4: The hateful 8The Hateful 8 is a murder mystery combined with a western in a style that only Tarantino can pull off. This film builds up tension throughout, until finally releasing in a bloody, thrilling mess. Like any Tarantino film, The Hateful 8 is sustained through its 2.5 hour run time by pure charisma and dialogue. You'll be trying to guess who's lying, while the characters play a game of wit. Of course, this film is a character piece more than anything else. A special shutout to Walton Goggins, playing Sheriff Chris Mannix, who in my view had the best performance of the year. Mannix is presented as a suspicious fool, but Goggins soon reveals a layered aspect to his character that will keep your attention, and eventually earn your respect. Other phenomenal performances include Samuel L. Jackson, a killer bounty hunter, Kurt Russel, a bounty hunter who always hangs his mark, Jennifer Jason Leigh, a criminal who got caught by Russel, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen, whose characters are more than meets the eye. John Ruth (Russel), transporting his bounty (Leigh) and accompanied by another bounty hunter named Major Marquis Warren (Jackson), and the new sheriff (Goggins), are trapped in an inn by a blizzard. But all is not as it seems. Warren knows the proprietor of this inn, and although the unfamiliar barkeep assures him that she is on a trip, Warren is suspicious. Ruth thinks someone wants to steal his bounty, and a race to find out who's trustworthy, and who isn't, begins. Not Tarantino's greatest film, but certainly one that left its impact on 2015, The Hateful 8 is well worth the watch. 3: Mad Max: Fury RoadWhat a day! What a lovely day! Mad Max: Fury Road is best described as pure chaos. As one Rolling Stones critic said, "Mad Max kicked my *ss, it'll kick yours." An overreaching remake of the 1979 classic, Mad Max follows Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) as he fights his way through a dry, brutal dystopian future where no civilization remains. Jam packed with violence, savagery, and special, this film also retains a poetic, even artistic quality. Max has been captured and is being brought to the Citadel as a slave. He escapes with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), but incurs the wrath of Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), the leader of the Citadel. Immortan Joe and a posse of warriors are sent out to bring back Max and Furiosa, which begins arguably the most thrilling, dramatic chase of the year. Mad Max features a fantastic cast, a thrilling plot, and stunning effects. I am confident in saying that it is the best action movie of the year. 2: RevenantRevenant was the most intense experience I've ever been given by a movie. As perhaps his last chance for an Oscar, Leonardo DiCaprio put his heart and soul into the story of fronteersman Hugh Glass, and his dedication to the film was more than apparent for the entire movie. Due to his injuries, Glass was unable to speak for much of the run time, and this forced DiCaprio to act through facial expressions of emotion and guttural sounds, until you can't help but feel the pain that Glass went through. Tom Hardy's performance cannot be understated either: Hardy once again produced an original, fully fleshed character for me to get lost in. Domhnall Gleeson (who had a great year) also appeared as Captain Andrew Henry. The Revenant may be DiCaprio's best work, and is without a doubt a must see for 2015. 1: Star Wars: the force awakensThe most anticipated movie in living memory, Star Wars Episode VII smashed box office records, bringing in 822 million dollars domestically, in what was without a doubt the biggest event movie ever.
J.J. Abrams had a lot riding on this movie, and he pulled it off in a big way. Through use of practical effects, Abrams captured the spirit of the originally trilogy while at the same time adding the same modern touch he gave to Star Trek. The Force Unleashed a whole new cast of characters I can get behind (Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Daisy Ridely as Rey, Oscar Issac as Po Dameron, and Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux), reintroduced the old cast (Mark Hamill, Carry Fisher, Harrison Ford), and set up a new trilogy that I, and the rest of the world, am looking forward to. Star Wars: Episode VII, the Force Awakens, possibly the most anticipated movie of the year, opens in theaters this Dec 18. Directed by J.J. Abrams, this continuation of the iconic trilogy, and less-than impressive prequel trilogy, by George Lucas has fans livid with excitement and anticipation. The Force Awakens stars Rey, a young human female raised on a desert planet that looks similar to Tatooine. In the Japanese trailer, she reveals that her family "left her" there, drawing parallels to Luke and Lea Skywalker, who were left on separate planets to protect their identity. John Boyega has a mysterious role as the turned Stormtrooper Finn, and Adam Driver will be playing the Sith Kylo Ren, who sports a flashy new style of lightsaber, shown above. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carry Fisher have all been cast for the next installment of the franchise they helped make great: Ford (Han Solo) seems to have a part as the adviser figure (a sort of Ben Kenobi role) for the new heroes, and Fisher (Lea) has a position in the resistance leadership. Hamill will be appearing as Luke Skywalker, but his role remains a mystery (IMDb, Star Wars). The fan-favorite droids, C-3PO and R2-D2, as well as everyone's favorite fuzzball, Chewbacca, will also be appearing. The plot of the film remains nearly a complete mystery, with fan speculation driving much of the discourse in the last few months. Abrams has released next-to-nothing in solid information, forcing those who want to know whats going on to see it in theaters. Fans have been lining up outside the TLC Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard since Friday in preparation for the opening night, both to secure a seat for the film and to raise money for the Starlight Children's foundation (Jones, Star Wars Fans). The line consists of 109 individuals. Ever since the revolutionary original Star Wars, the series has enjoyed a die-hard fan base who were willing to forgive a few missteps. Now, the hopes of those fans, and the fate of the trilogy, rests with Disney and J. J. Abrams. Humanity has been beaten near extinction. It's own creations stalk the few survivors through the radioactive waste that was earth, and it's men cling desperately to their last hopes. The final battle takes place in the past, where a lone warrior is sent to stop an inhuman assassin who hunts humanities only salvation. Yes, that's right. Where else could we be but the Terminator franchise? This should go with out saying, but the Terminator movies will be discussed in this article, so spoiler alert. If you haven't watched these TWO movies, do that now. This lucrative franchise, a product of director James Cameron, has terrified, inspired, and generally made an undeniable impact on people and pop culture around the world. A hallmark of Arnold Schwarzenegger's career, Terminator is one of the most recognized si-fi movie franchises of all time. Arnold Schwarzenegger never would have said "I'll be back" at a speech as Governor of California if it wasn't for The Terminator. This '84 action blockbuster starred Sarah Connor, the mother of humanities savior, portrayed by Linda Hamilton, who meets Lt. Kyle Reese, played by Michael Beihn. Reese claims that he was sent back from the future to save her from the most unstoppable killing machine ever seen on the face of this earth: Arnold Schwarzenegger. Psychologist Darien Leader has written that The Terminator is cinema's way of "dealing with the problem of masculinity." Other prominent themes are computer reliance and the threat of AI rebellion, as seen by the human/machine war. This film also displays themes of the power of love and the determination of mankind, as seen by Connor's eventual victory. The Terminator grossed 94 million dollars, adjusted for inflation. Terminator 2: Rise of the Machines (1991) features thirteen year old John Connor (the aforementioned savior of humanity), played by Edward Furlong. A juvenile delinquent, Connor knows nothing about the impending apocalypse until another, more advanced Terminator is sent back in time to kill him. But fear not, for humanity again sends a protector, this time in the form of, you guessed it, Arnold Schwarzenegger. T2 expands on the ideas presented in the first movie, exploring what it means to be human, and whether a machine could ever meets these requirements. T2 grossed 405 million in the box office, adjusted for inflation, making it the most successful terminator movie ever. Now, yes, there are several other Terminator movies, but for the sake of this comparison, and the integrity of the Terminator franchise, we will assume James Cameron called it quits with Terminator right after T2, locked up the rights, and immediately began work on Avatar. A panel of qualified, reliable Wamogo students were called in to answer one of life's most pressing questions, and the box office numbers tell the rest: The majority supported supported T2. Kevin Maeder, grade 12, said "I just think the liquid metal was a better villain and the ending had more feels in 2," adding that terminator vs. terminator was "freaking awesome." Senior Matt Kusaila concurred, saying "I personally like the part when Arnold says hasta la vista to the T-1000 and just shoots him." It seems a combination of better special effects, the fantastic acting of Edward Furlong (John Connor) and Robert Patrick (T-1000), a more sophisticated theme, and more, better catch phrases from Schwarzenegger pushed the scales in favor of Terminator 2: Rise of the Machines. Disagree with our decision? Tell us why in the comment section! Leader, Darian (1996). Why do women write more letters than they post?. London: Faber & Faber. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-571-17619-9. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=terminator.htm http://www.hitfix.com/the-dartboard/whats-the-best-terminator-movie Film has progressed from a two-second long shot of a horse, to the portrayal of god-like superpowers and stunning special effects.
The history of film began in the 1890s, when motion picture cameras were invented and film production companies started to be established. Because of the limits of technology, films of the 1890s were under a minute long and until 1927 motion pictures were produced without sound. The first eleven years of motion pictures saw film moving from a novelty to an established large-scale entertainment industry. The films became several minutes long consisting of several shots. The first rotating camera for taking panning shots was built in 1897. The first film studios were built in 1897. Special effects and film continuity were introduced, involving action moving from one sequence into another, began to be used. In 1900, continuity of action across successive shots was achieved and the close-up shot was introduced (that some claim D. W. Griffith invented). Most films of this period were what came to be called "chase films". Regular newsreels were exhibited from 1910 and soon became a popular way for finding out the news. Overall, from about 1910, American films had the largest share of the market in Australia and in all European countries except France. At the time, D. W. Griffith had the highest standing among American directors in the industry, because of the dramatic excitement he conveyed to the audience through his films. Best known for his films Birth of a Nation and Intolerance, Griffith led an era where movies were defined by their stars, in his case, “leading lady” Lillian Gish. In the 1940s, another director emerged to change the nature of film. His name was Orson Welles, and he made movies what they are today. Best known for his classic, critically acclaimed film “Citizen Kane,” Welles showed that movies could be more than their stars, and pioneered the noir technique, which is a subtle, dramatic, intelligent genre of movies which is still popular today. Although he wasn’t appreciated during his own day, Citizen Kane is now known as the best movie ever made, and his work is arguably the most influential of all directors. Daniel Craig will return for his fourth James Bond film, Spectre, which drops November 24th. Spectre will be the 24th movie portraying the swave british secret agent 007, and it continues to be highly anticipated by fans. Here's what we know about Sam Mendes's blockbuster. Bond is a broken man. The newest extended trailer shows the grittiest Daniel Craig bond we’ve seen so far, and that's really saying something. MI6 also has a new leader, portrayed by Ralph Fiennes’ M. The official logline states that “a cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization,” and by the title we know that organization must be Spectre, an iconic shadowy group from the James Bond universe which appeared in the first ever Bond movie. This time however, the group is led by Christoph Waltz, portraying Franz Oberhauser. In the new issue of Empire, Mendes says that the film will also dig deep into Bond’s murky personal story, and that theme is hinted at in the trailer. “In Skyfall, we got to Bond age 12 when his parents died, but what happened after that?,” he asks. “What happened during his adolescence? It’s kind of a retrospective creation story, in a way. When you looked at the surface of Skyfall, it all felt like an ending. But it was a new beginning on so many levels. It felt like there were all these threads to pull, so let’s pull them.” Of course, no Bond film is complete without Bond girls. Lea Seydoux, known for her performance in Blue is the Warmest Color, plays Madeleine Swann, a doctor whose relationship to Bond will be pivotal, according to Mendes. Monica Bellucci plays Lucia Sciarra, an Italian Widow with a secret, and, according to writer Jordan Zakarin, considers herself to be more of a “Bond woman. Her husband was a Mafioso before he was rubbed out, and now she faces the same danger.” Spectre also features the first Mexican bond girl, Estrella, but we’ll have to watch the film to find out more about her. James Bond's next film, Spectre, comes to theaters November 24th, and it carries with us our hopes and dreams. Spectre features a large cast full of talent, and from what we know it looks promising. https://www.yahoo.com/movies/everything-we-know-about-james-bond-sequel-172826958.html |
AuthorLuke Kelly is a senior at Wamogo Regional High School. He created his first blog when he found out it would be a graded assignment in his Journalism class, and he doesn't know why he bothered with an "about me" section. Archives
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