The Hunger Games Movie Review

M: Anyone who has read us consistently knows that all three of us are big fans of The Hunger Games book, and have been eagerly anticipating the movie.

E: Huge fans.  I found the series when the third in the trilogy (Mockingjay) came out and devoured them all.  Then I gave them to Mrs. M for her birthday, and M read them instead.

M: Not instead, just first.  Mrs M devoured them at almost the same time.  Get it straight.

E: Fine, whatever.  We spread the love to Mr E., our parents, C, her roommates, talked about it with Mr. E’s brother and nieces, with friends old and new…  Seriously, if you haven’t read the books, do it!  Do it now!

M: E and I, together with a bunch of friends, went and saw it on opening weekend.  C, unfortunately, could not make the several hour trip up to watch it with us.  We had a great time, and to avoid burying the lead, we all greatly enjoyed the movie.  That doesn’t mean we didn’t have our issues, which we’ll get into, but the important thing is that the issues that we did have are more nit-picky, and come from wanting the movie to be as good as the book, which is pretty much impossible.

October Movie Preview 2011

E: Ah, October.  The leaves change color, and the serious movies come out – along with a few would be nightmares.  There are more than a few offerings this month to keep you warm on a chilly fall evening – or to keep you jumping out of your seat.  Enjoy!

October 7th

Real Steel

E: Starring Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lilly, the story of a boy and his Dad and their over-sized metal Rock’em Sock’em Robots.

M: Okay, so, I know this will probably be pretty bad, but I’m interested.  I like the look of it, like the two main stars, and heard the director and writer saying that they wanted the robot boxing part to be interchangeable with any sport, like ping pong or something, because they wanted the movie to really be about the story of the father and son.  If they pull that off and the Rock’em Sock’em Robots are cool?  Smells like a good flick.

C: I’m sure that, for what it’s trying to be, it has the capacity to be quite good. The inspirational sports movie is a genre that many, many people love. I’ll catch it on DVD.

E: Apparently Sugar Ray Leonard taught Jackman how to box, and that’s cool, at least.

M: Speaking as a total Boston homer…  it would have been cooler if it had been Marvelous Marvin Hagler, but I suppose Leonard is an acceptable replacement if Hagler wasn’t available or willing.  :)

The Ides of March

E: I’m so thrilled about this thriller.  It’s got a stellar cast: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Jennifer Ehle, Marissa Tomei and Jeffrey Wright.  And intrigue during political campaigns – that’s always got my attention.

C: Written and directed by George Clooney, too. I enjoy his last directorial foray, the underrated Leatherheads, and love his other writing/directing outing, Good Night and Good Luck. So that bodes well…

M: I am inherently dubious of most political movies Hollywood puts out (since there is basically one political point of view in Hollywood) and am highly skeptical about anything political involving George Clooney specifically.  HOWEVER, this looks like it could be really, really good, and looks like they are not trying to just make one political side look good, and in fact are looking at the whole system and the moral fiber of any individual in it, which is a great topic no matter the side of the aisle the person is on.  Gosling has serious Oscar buzz around his performance, and with the exception of Hoffman (who just annoys the crap out of me in everything I’ve ever seen him in) I like everyone on that list, especially Giamatti.  Here’s hoping this one succeeds!

Fall TV Preview 2011: Friday

E: Call off the babysitter – Friday night has officially become worth staying home for.  If you’re geeks like us, anyway, you are spoiled for choice.

• Titles in blue are new this season.
• Each * means one Quibbling Sibling will be tuning in.
• For Saturday and Sunday’s preview click here.
• For Monday’s preview click here.
• For Tuesday’s preview click here.
• For Wednesday’s preview click here.
• For Thursday’s preview click here.

Fringe Season 3 Review: Holy Frak, What Was That?

M: Howdy folks.  I have to start with an apology/explanation.  I had fully intended to provide Fringe reviews for every episode this season and, as some of you may know, I did until around the mid season break.  Unfortunately, with great thanks to the federal government, my non-blogging life has been filled with a great deal of work, thus my blogging has suffered.  That said, E and I were recently talking about the Fringe season finale, and felt we owed it to you, our readers, to bring the discussion online.  After the jump we tackle the season finale, and the season in general, and there will be spoilers, so if you haven’t watched it, go watch it and then come back and read this!  E, start it off…

E:  Seriously?  What the frak?!

TV Review: The Cape (episodes 1 and 2)

E: M, I can’t help but think that if we were 10 and 9 again, The Cape would totally have been the coolest thing we’d ever seen.

M: Yeah, it took me a couple days to get to it on DVR, but I was quite pleased.

E: Well, I think you probably liked it more than I did.  I wish they hadn’t rushed the whole origin story, though I certainly see why they did.

M: You know, that’s the weird part.  I’m usually very critical of fast pacing, preferring something the slowed down pace of Unbreakable to something revved up like Transformers.  This didn’t feel rushed to me.  Yes, the revelation of the bad guy happened quickly, but I don’t think that he is the ultimate baddy, so I think that it didn’t need to be held back.  What were you looking for that was different in the pacing?