Movie Review: Unstoppable

The movie that had it all. A film with plenty of tense moments, decent amount of action and running dialogues that successfully sustained my interest for the whole duration of it. This, undeniably, offers quite a ride! Seriously.

Sure, the movie started a little slow and took a while for it to pick up, but the story was straightforward and simple - no frills and nothing fancy - that the way it picked up was actually refreshing. The plot in general was so easy to follow.

Technically, the movie did deliver and with flying colors. I thought that the cinematography was solid, the editing and camera work was often frenetic but in a good way, and the direction was spot on. Oh, and the music fit the situation flawlessly.

And while all of that was enough for some mindless entertainment, the excellent performances of the actors enhanced everything and made the film better than it actually was. It also re-affirmed my belief in the acting abilities of Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. I was truly impressed with the humanity that they brought to their characters and the chemistry between them. Chris Pine, in particular, managed to hold his own with Denzel. Having Chris Pine play alongside him puts a fresh spin in the situation. I also liked Rosario Dawson, but I loved her in everything she was in so take that with a grain of salt. Suffice it to say, the acting ensemble was really good that the supporting cast was nothing to ignore either.

Well, I went in to this movie with less than high hopes but I was pleasantly surprised. I literally found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the film, not to mention that the acting was excellent all around. If you like a fast paced thrill ride, then this is for you.

 RATING: 8/10

Glee Music 2: (I've Had) The Time Of My Life

Wow! Here is one of New Direction's Sectional songs, (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, with Quinn and Sam on lead vocals. This is very refreshing - somehow, I'm tired of the usual Finn-Rachel duet. So, I'm reacting pretty positive on this one. Great!

Now, I will not - for the meantime - provide a download link for this because the quality isn't that good yet, and I think it's better to wait until the Furt episode is done. But, if some of you insist, you can always email me and I'll send it to you. I will not post it here though but you can listen to the track. Enjoy!

Sectionals Spoilers HERE.
Sectionals Promo Photos HERE.

ETA: Posted a better quality of the song.

Download links will be up this coming Friday, together with the other songs for that episode.

LISTEN:

X Factor UK 7: Top 8 Performances

Oh God! This episode was so weird. I'm not kidding. Usually, it’s on these kinds of songs where the contestants actually do better, but the entire night was an absolute train wreck. Truth be told, performances during the Beatles night on American Idol Season 7 - and maybe Season 9 - were leaps and bounds better than anything I saw and heard in this episode. Lame, believe me.

In summary: Wagner was still a sick joke. Heck, I don't even know why he's still here, while someone like  Aiden Grimshaw got eliminated early in the competition. Matt Cardle had this fake little growl that might've been the stupidest and weirdest thing I've heard from him so far this season. Cher Lloyd wasn't any good either, but at least it wasn't as painfully awful in the way Matt was. I just wish she can control her vibrato a little bit. Rebecca Ferguson had an interpretive and technical misfire on her performance. Sure, I like her tone but this proved that she can't hold a note and stay on pitch to save her freakin' life. 

Mary Byrne's performance was, as usual, boring and dated. Paije Richardson wasn't half bad, but once he went over-the-top, I hated it. One Direction have no rhythm and the platform was stupid, but I honestly think that their performance was decent and had an interesting arrangement. Katie Waissel, shockingly, had the only believable performance of the night. Enough said.

Anyway, here's how I rate the performances after the jump!

*click on the image to watch the performances*

Matt Cardle

Come Together

5/10

Cher Lloyd

Imagine

6/10

One Direction

All You Need Is Love

6/10

Rebecca Ferguson

Yesterday

5/10

Mary Byrne

Something

5/10

Paije Richardson

Let It Be

5/10

Wagner

Get Back / Hippy Hippy Shake / Hey Jude

0/10

 Katie Waissel

Help!

7/10

Movie Trailer: Red Riding Hood

I saw this during the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 screening and it actually made me really curious. Red Riding Hood seems like a re-imagining of a classic tale a la Robin Hood and Sherlock Holmes.

Now, I'm not really sure what to expect from this, but Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) as the director and Amanda Seyfriend as the lead makes for an interesting tandem. Let's see how this will pan out. But from the looks of it, I think this will be good.. hopefully.

Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Shiloh Fernandez, Gary Oldman and Julie Christie

Release Date: March 11, 2011 (USA)

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

I have never read any of the books - I just don't read books in general. Haha - but I honestly thought that the film was incredible. It was great to see that the series has matured well compared to the last movies I saw.

I actually thought that this whole film was like one huge buildup for the final installment. No climax. No super intense scene. No relief. No super tear jerker moment. No over-the-top action packed sequence. They were scattered here and there, but not really building up towards one huge pivotal moment, which to me was oddly a good thing. I mean, I consider this one to really prepare me for the second part of the final book, which I expect to be absolutely explosive - in all sense of the word - literally and the revelatory kind.

The humor, on the other hand, was very well made up for the darkness and depth of the storyline. Somehow, the scales were balanced in this film. The continuity was also good and I didn't feel lost with the story. I think the adaptation was well suited for readers and casual fans - like me - as well.

Now, on a technical standpoint, of course, this one did not disappoint one bit. I really liked the style - the dark colors and the subtle bits of magic woven into everything. The cinematography was ridiculously gorgeous and stunning to look at. I was seriously in awe at the breathtaking beauty of England's countryside. The special effects were very impressive, the editing was crisp and not choppy when it didn't need to be, and the score was haunting and beautiful.

Moreover, the action sequences were excellent and blended in perfectly with the griping, dramatic moments - it actually didn't feel heavy handed. The direction was also superb and proved to be very apt at creating suspense. Let's me just say, a lot of people - including me - jumped at one particular scene in the movie. Haha.

The movie's greatest highlight, however, was the animated sequence detailing the Tale of the Three Brothers. It was an interesting wizard fairytale and the way it was executed was indeed a daring move from the filmmakers - one that will pleasantly surprise the audience. Seriously.

Across the board, the performances were pretty good too. I was actually impressed with how the younger actors stepped up their game because the movie would have collapsed had they not been up to the challenge. Emma Watson was absolutely fantastic. I was impressed with her nuanced, poignant and deeply affecting take on the role. Rupert Grint was also great and so was Daniel Radcliffe, though I somehow think that he was the weakest of the three. But that's just me nitpicking, I guess.

Overall, it just had the right doses of action, drama, romance, suspense and comedy scattered throughout the film. Technically and artistically, nothing was overkill and the story was well-told and well-paced. Good Job!

 RATING: 9/10

Glee Season 2: Furt Episode Promo Pictures

Here are some official promo pictures from the upcoming Furt episode.

Carol Burnett will guest star as Sue Sylvester's Nazi-hunting mother. Oh, and apparently, this is the last episode prior to the Sectionals, which will air November 30, 2010. Can't wait.

Glee Season 2: Sectionals Spoilers HERE.

Check out the photos after the jump!!

Idol News: Nigel Lythgoe Reveals Major Changes For Season 10

A few months ago, I posted some major changes - aside from the the judging panel revamp - that Idol will implement this season. Well, it looks like those were just some as Nigel Lythgoe announces more major changes that will happen in Season 10 in an interview with TV Guide. And I'd say, these are serious MAJOR overhaul..

• Semifinal rounds that narrow the Top 24 to the Top 12 have been completely eliminated! However, Nigel didn't elaborate what will replace those rounds and how will the Top 12 be chosen.
• Contestants this season will be challenged by various contests. For example, finalists will compete to make the best music video to promote themselves most effectively.
• Contestants will work with dancers and the band to come up with awards-show style performances each week. 
• And as reported before, themes will focus on decades rather than genres.
• Nigel also mentioned that they've been seeing an even wider range of talent than in previous seasons, including many country, indie and jazz singers.
• Season 10 will premiere of January 12, 2011. 

So, my take on this? I'm not so sure. I mean, with the inclusion of dancers and the fact that the contestants need to come up with awards-show type of performances, it seems to me that American Idol is turning out to be a clear copy of The X Factor franchise complete with over the top production numbers.

Don't get me wrong, I've been waiting for American Idol to incorporate these things since an upgrade of this franchise is very much needed, but the US version of X Factor is already on it's way next year - it will also be aired on Fox, for crying out loud - and this will just be too confusing for people.

Somehow, I just want to just let the American Idol I knew go and look at this as a totally different show. With all the changes that they will implement, I don't think it will be the same. For sure, I will still watch the new season because I’m too invested in the show to not give it a shot, but I’m way more pessimistic now than one hour ago. I'm just saying.