Daybreakers

Maryann:

While the movie was playing in the theatre, there was a phone in the far back that apparently was making noise.  I couldn’t hear it personally, but I certainly heard the guy who would say in response “turn your fucking phone off” loud and clear.  And the Skittles in the orange box (the ones with the crazy cores!) are pretty tasty.  After the movie got out someone said very loudly that it was “balls hot” in the theatre.  I have to agree; it was quite warm in there.

Oh right, this post is supposed to be about the movie.

My rating: 3/10 (due to the 3-minute or so super gorey scene at the end which is incredibly entertaining)

Anastasya:

I am patient enough to sit through almost anything, and I have never actually left a theatre in the middle of a film.  I’ll usually find SOMETHING to keep my interest.  Not the case with Daybreakers.  Now, I am a pretty big fan of vampires and apocalyptic worlds.  Even if the movie is pure schlock, I can remain entertained by special effects, awesome monsters and hysterical archetypes.  But this film was excruciating.  I didn’t leave, but that was only because I was with other people.  I am actually surprised I was able to sit there for 98 minutes.

…And the gore didn’t redeem it for me in any way.  I actually looked away.

1/10

True Blood: Season 1

With Twilight winding its way through the hearts of thousands and the movie Daybreakers coming out next week, I am surprised I had yet to watch the HBO show True Blood, yet another installment in the vampire craze right now.  Vampires have always been an exciting and seductive character in fiction throughout history, but today they seem sexier than ever.  If you think though that Twilight is too PG for yor taste (Where is all the blood, anyway?) and if you think that the Twilight vamps are a bit too ridiculous (They can go out in the daytime? Instead of disintergrating in the sun they glitter?), than True Blood is for you.  It makes a lot of similar plot parallels as Twilight, but in a much more believable, bloody, sexy and thrilling way (It harkens more to the recent Korean vampire movie Thirst intensity.). 

True Blood is based on a series of novels by Charlaine Harris titled The Southern Vampire Mysteries (I have not read the books, but now I want to).  The story is set in a fictional Louisiana town called Bon Temps.  In the world of the show, vampires have the ability to co-exist peacefully with humans due to the development of synthetic blood, but some humans still regard vampires as dangerous creatures who have the capability to kill humans easily and the desire to do so for pleasure. 

In the midst of political and religious turmoil due to the fact that vampires have just recently made public their existence, telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) fall in love.   Similarly to Twilight, True Blood‘s biggest failing for me is the fact that the main love story’s characters are just about the least convincing.  That isn’t to say that the characters aren’t well acted (as much as I dislike Paquin, she does fine in this series).  I just feel like there is no chemistry.   

Bill and Sookie

Aside from them though, pretty much everything else about True Blood is fantastic.  The side characters are quirky and interesting, and the growing religious tensions and Christian fanatacism against vampires is revealing itself to be very promising.  Murder, drug addiction, sex, exorcisms, telepathy, deception, vampires, shapeshifters: What more could you want? 

Just give it a chance.  I give True Blood an 8/10.

My 20 Most Anticipated Movies of 2010

20.  THE GHOST WRITER  (Roman Polanski)

-Had one of the most intriguing teaser trailers.  Plus, with all the controversy surrounding Roman Polanski it’ll be interesting to see how the public reacts to this.  It stars Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan.

19.  MACHETE  (Robert Rodriguez)

-The fake trailer from Grindhouse is being made into a feature.  Should be fun, and it’s nice to see Danny Trejo get a starring role.

18.  DUE DATE  (Todd Phillips)

-I think Zach Galifianakis is one of the funniest people alive, so I can’t wait to finally see him in the lead role for a comedy like this.  Robert Downey Jr. also stars. 

17.  DAYBREAKERS  (Spierig brothers)

-This one comes out next week.  It’s getting good reviews, I like Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe, and I thought the trailer looked great.  I think it’ll be a lot of fun.

16.  BIUTIFUL  (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

-It’s by the director of Amorres Perros and Babel and stars Javier Bardem.  With those names there’s no way this turns out bad.

15.  JACK GOES BOATING  (Philip Seymour Hoffman)

-I know nothing about this except that it’s Hoffman’s directorial debut.  He’s one of my favorite actors so it’ll be interesting to see how he fares as a director. 

14.  THE AMERICAN  (Anton Corbijn)

-From the director of Control and starring George Clooney.  Sounds like a promising duo.

13.  THE RUM DIARY  (Bruce Robinson)

-The director of Withnail and I hasn’t made a film in almost 20 years, so it’s great to see him back and directing again.  This stars Johnny Depp playing a Hunter S. Thompson type journalist just like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, so I’m predicting this to be wild and fun.

12.  YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER  (Woody Allen)

-I’m always excited for a new Woody Allen film.  This one’s got another great cast including Frieda Pinto (her first role since Slumdog), Josh Brolin, Naomi Watts, Anthony Hopkins, and Antonio Banderas.

11.  MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE?  (Werner Herzog)

-Starring one of my new favorite actors (Michael Shannon) directed by one of my all time favorites, and produced by David Lynch.  Should be thoroughly creepy.

10.  LIFE DURING WARTIME  (Todd Solondz)

-From the writer/director of Happiness and Welcome to the Dollhouse, both of which I consider masterpieces. 

9.  TRUE GRIT  (The Coen Brothers)

-Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Jeff Bridges star in the Coen brothers’ remake of the John Wayne classic.  At this point anything the Coens make I’ll see opening weekend.  They’re just so consistently brilliant.

8.  ENTER THE VOID  (Gasper Noe)

-The director of Irreversible is back with another mindfuck.  All I need to know.

7.  TOY STORY 3  (Lee Unkrich – PIXAR)

-It’s Pixar, I’d be shocked if this didn’t turn out to be great.

6.  HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1  (David Yates)

-Man I’ll be sad when this series comes to an end.

5.  MICMACS  (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

-A new comedy from the director of Amelie.  All his films have been wonderful (with the exception of Alien: Resurrection), so I can’t wait for this one.  One of the best working directors.

4.  BLACK SWAN  (Darren Aronofsky)

-Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis star as rival ballerinas in what’s being described as a psychological thriller.  Aronofsky’s one of the most interesting directors right now, so I always look forward to what he’s doing next. 

3.  THE TREE OF LIFE  (Terrence Malick)

-This is only Terrence Malick’s 5th film in his almost 40 year career, so it’s kind of an event whenever a new film of his is released.  Plus, apparently this one’s got dinosaurs in it.  Yeah, dinosaurs.  Can’t wait.  He’s one of the most adventurous and beautiful filmmakers, and this has been his pet project which he’s been working on since the 70’s.  It stars Sean Penn and Brad Pitt.  Not to go overboard on the hype and give the film unrealistic expectations, but this could be one of the greatest films ever.  It has unlimited potential. 

2.  SHUTTER ISLAND  (Martin Scorsese)

-It’s so exciting to see Scorsese tackle the horror/thriller genre (I don’t really count Cape Fear).  Plus, I love the Hitchcock-esque mystery feel I get from the trailer.  This one just looks amazing.

1.  INCEPTION  (Christopher Nolan)

-OMG I CAN”T WAIT TO SEE THIS.

Notably absent:  Alice in Wonderland, or “The Mad Hatter in Wonderland” judging by the trailer which puts Johnny Depp front and center and barely even features Alice.  Honestly, I wish Tim Burton would stop remaking everything, and I wish he’d stop casting Depp and then covering him in white make-up everytime.  It also looks like he went completely nuts with the CGI.  Needless to say I’m skeptical about this one.

Daybreakers trailer