My Pick for Movie of the Year, 2011..

Hello again my friends and welcome to a feature that I hope will end up an annual tradition.  The year of 2012 is just around the corner and looking back upon this year, I have to say I am very impressed with the movies that were released in these past twelve months.  From the rites of passage, time-party-piece Take Me Home Tonight, to the classical horror flick, Insidious; its been a very good year for movies. But the thing that has made this year very interesting (movie-wise, of course) was the fact that the best movies were the ones that I wouldn't think twice about.

Along with the movies mentioned before, the films that completely impressed me the most, took me by surprise. I wasn't really excited for The Art of Getting By, Immortals, and even the popular Crazy Stupid Love. Yet, they were some of my favorites of 2011 nonetheless.  But one movie stuck out among the rest. This masterpiece had me at times excited, laughing, and cheering; and at other times sympathetic, emotional, and even, well....crying.

Warrior is an exceptional, outstanding piece of film.  From the opening scene, Warrior proves to be more than just another "Rocky-esque" fighting movie.  Rather, the fighting is just a channel to show the emotional struggle of the characters, just in physical form.

The story of Warrior revolves around the flawed three-way relationship between two brothers, Tommy Riordan (Tom Hardy) and Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton) and their former alcoholic turned sober father Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte.)  The effort to repair these relationships mostly comes from the father, Paddy, as he is trying to reconcile and redeem himself for making the split between his family.  All of their paths intersect in the fighting tournament, Sparta, in which the winner will win a cool 5 million dollars.  In this tournament, the family will either heal and come together, or break and explode in tragic fashion.

To pull off such a complex and emtional drama is hard as you have to have the right actors to pull it off.  But there is no such problem here, as both of the brothers are believable and feel actually real; which is essential in fighting films, as the audience must believe in the motives and aspirations of the fighters just as much, if not more, than the actual fighters themselves do.  Even with the great performances of Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton, they are still out-shined by the veteran actor Nick Nolte.  Nick Nolte has the hardest job of the three, as he must portray the role of a grieving father, who is striving to reconnect with the sons he pushed away in his alcoholic days.  His struggle to heal his relationship with his sons actually outweighs any of the struggles of the fighters in the story, and that is something significant to note.

But, for those of you who don't care for that touchy-feely crap, the fighting in Warrior is amazing.  The choreography is astounding as it looks as if they are really fighting. None of the punches, kicks, throws, or submissions feel pulled, and the best thing about them is they don't look clean. In most fighting movies, the fighting can be followed and acknowledged. But if you have ever actually seen a real MMA fight, you can see when the fighter's aggression and tenacity take over and they aren't concerned for looking great but more for winning the match.  This part of MMA fighting is portrayed fully in the film and I appreciate every minute of it.  While the movie starts off with a few fights here and there, it ends with a bang in the Sparta tournament. I thoroughly enjoyed all the fights and was extremely entertained.

All in all, Warrior is the best movie of 2011 with its deep, gut-wrenching drama and its awesome explicit fighting.  But the thing that impressed me the most about this movie is its realism.  I honestly thought this was a true story when I first saw it.  Upon researching I learned otherwise,  but regardless, I like to think it is still a true story.  And any movie that makes the viewer disregard the facts and accept the illusion is worthy of your time and money.
                                                                    -Know-it-All,  Joe

Can the "Dark Knight Rises", Rise to the Occasion?

With 2011 coming to a close, we must look forward to what 2012 has in store for us. On the Movie end of the spectrum, we have what looks to be one of the most promising movie years in recent memory. With Marc Webb's reboot of "The Amazing Spider-Man," to "The Avengers" Marvel's sort of End All superhero movie: 2012 is going to be a very big year not only for cinema, but but for Superhero films as well. But even with the enormity of titles like these, there is no other movie that has become more anticipated than Christopher Nolan's final chapter of the "Dark Knight" trilogy.

Since we first got our eyes on the caped crusader(Christian Bale) fighting antagonist Bane(Tom Hardy) back in July when the premiere of the first Preview was shown with the summer blockbuster Harry Potter: and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2, the speculation and anticipation has only grown with each passing poster update, set clip, or new rumor. The Dark Knight Rises will no doubt be an astonishing ending to the legend, as Nolan keeps implying.

Make no mistake though, Rises will be Nolan's last Batman piece. In several interviews and even  slapping it on at the end of every preview, Nolan wants one thing very clear- this is his final installment. Is it because he wants to end on a high note? Nolan was hesitant on even coming back to direct the third Batman movie saying, "how many third movie's in a trilogy do you know of that were great?" The man does have a point, from the downfall of the last Spider-man sequence and his fight with a giant Sandman, to X-Men's Final Stand as they fought...themselves. Eventually though Nolan agreed and began his journey to break the trend. 

With each passing Preview update and interview with cast though, I only seem to be asking myself one question: Is it even possible now for Dark Knight Rises to actually live up to the hype that it has gained since the incredible performance of the late Heath Ledger's Joker?

Do not get me wrong, to say that I am excited for the upcoming movie is a severe understatement. And no less, I like to think of myself as a reasonable person when it comes to reviewing movies and giving them their score by  removing all previous knowledge of the film and just letting it come as the director originally intended to display it to the audience. So in no way am I already saying that Rises is a lost cause.

I only beg the question that has Dark Knight Rises created a shadow that not even itself will be able to outshine and be the incredible final installment that we want it to be? Or with all the continuous talk and build up of the movie, will the majority of the viewers walk away saying the never ending comment, "It was good, but it was not as good as the last one though."

For example, I feel it's as if someone has promised their friend a long waited meal that is going the be the best plate of food they have ever eaten. And with each passing moment of having to wait for this food, the expectation of grandeur and perfection only seems to grow. Now when the moment of consumption finally arrives, you both know that no matter how absolutely incredible that food is- it CANNOT live up to the hype that has been built up for so long now; leaving your friend angry and utterly disappointed.

Is this what we will see happen with The Dark Knight Rises? Has Nolan created a hype that even he cannot live up to? For the sake of what I believe to be not only the greatest reboot ever, but also the greatest trilogy of all time ( I know I'm making a lot of Hobbit Lovers and wannabe Jedi's angry here, but yeah I said it!) I hope that we can move past the expectation and watch this movie with these few things in mind.

1.) We will not see the Joker- Sorry folks, with the unfortunate passing of Heath Ledger- this also made it impossible to have the Joker play even a small cameo in the upcoming film. But honestly think about it, would you want somebody else even attempt to try and step into the gigantic shoes that Ledger so gracefully wore?

2.) Previous misconceptions of Bane- thanks to the horrible rendition of Batman and Robin's (1997) Bane, most people that haven't  ever read a comic book believe that he is as dumb as he is big. I cannot express enough how false this is according to the original and intended version of Bane. Bane is incredibly smart and has a talent for absolute destruction like we have never seen depicted in a Batman movie before. If you doubt this, look into the history of Bane. When the Dark Knight met Bane in the comic books, he actually broke Batman's back forcing him into retirement... kind of scary knowing this fact and seeing that Nolan intends to "End the Legend" isn't it?

3.) This is the final film of the Dark Knight Trilogy- no matter how much we complain to Nolan that he just can't end the Caped Crusader's adventure's shortly after he started them (I too am highly guilty of this), he is not going to change his mind anytime soon. Nolan intends to finish the trilogy in a way that is both honorable to the memory of Batman as well as satisfying to the fans. How he intends to do this, we will have to wait and see this upcoming summer.

Will Christopher Nolan be able to break the mold of "Third" movies and deliver the most exceptional piece of cinematic art to date? Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. For the sake of your sanity as those credits start to role next July, remember everything I said here and know that I gave you a fare warning.

I know Nolan will follow through on the delivery and his final installment will be legendary. But will you see it as such? I know that Tom Hardy will play one of the best roles of antagonism to date, creating his own path as a villain in the Batman Universe. But will you just look down on him, saying, "He just isn't as good as Joker"? I know that if you trust me and follow these few tips, you will see that...well...

                                                                     I-Know-It-All

                                                                            Colt

 

Why Justin Timberlake Should Make Music Again...

Hello everyone. I am the other part of the duo that is the know-it-alls;  the "Joe" of Colt and Joe.  (Forgive me if any of this does not make any sense, for I am somewhat inebriated. :D) ANYWAY, I hope that with this first post you will take away some insight and revelation as to why we need Justin Timberlake to make music again.

(Now I realize that some of this may not make any sense to you as, I, Joe Fatani, admit that I am a huge JT fan, and I take the liberty to assume that you may not be.  Nonetheless, I do believe that this former Mickey Mouse Clubber possess huge talent and that there is not many, if any, artists who can blend musical styles and produce such unique, beautiful songs as Mr. Timberlake.)

ALRIGHT. Enough with the disclaimers already. The reasons why we need Justin Timberlake to make music again is, first of all, THERE IS NO ONE ELSE MAKING HIS KIND OF MUSIC.  As I said before, no one else can blend the musical genres of Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B, and even Electronica, as Justin does, and still make a great hit song.  Everything, from his writing (See "What Goes Around") to musical arrangement (See "Lovestoned/I Think That She Knows") to just pure bold SWAG (See "Cry Me A River" OR "Sexyback"), is just flawless.  I can't find anyone else who does this like Justin Timberlake.

Now, I must admit, the reason these songs are as great as they are is not all due to Mr. Timberlake, as he had a great heap of help from a little known producer named Timbaland.  Now Timbaland is an amazing producer, I acknowledge this. BUT,  of all the other Timbaland produced albums out there, no other one is on the same level in creativity and depth as FUTURESEX/LOVESOUNDS.

Now, for those of you who are up to date on everything that is new in music, you may have known that JT has recently put a new song out called, "Words I Say." This new song is significantly different as it features more of an organic sound, rather than the more technological sound of his aforementioned last album.  I hope that this is a glimpse of the future, as this song features not only Justin's trademark voice, but also shows more musicianship on his part as there is a full fledged guitar solo in the song.  I like this new direction because if this is a preview of what's to come, it would full round out his music repertoire.

So, there you have it.   Those are my reasons why Justin should make music again.  And if you don't believe me, you should. Because I KNOW_IT_ALL. -Joe

Christopher Nolan Rant...

Christopher Nolan is the definition of a Great director.

Since "Memento" (2000) Nolan has been directing one hit after another and at this point in his career it honestly seems like this man can do no wrong. From his writing skills to his ability of bringing nearly any scenario to life in such a simple manner, he has definitely made his mark on the movie world and will continue to be a huge player in the the years to come.

Nolan's reboot of the Batman Trilogy has put him in the limelight though, by directing this adaptation he has created one of the most successful franchise reboots of all time. There is no person with any sense of movie taste that can say that they have not seen these films. And if you are sitting here reading this, and you can honestly say that you have not seen these movies- please do yourself a favor and go out and buy The Dark Knight. Buy It. Because you will want to own it after viewing it.

Heath Ledger's last and final role as Joker will forever be remembered as cinema's definition of perfect movie antagonist. This just proves Nolan's ability to Cast for a movie. Nolan see's what most cannot before the idea of a movie is even conceived. For example: Heath Ledger was the one and only choice for Nolan when deciding for the role of Joker, they even met to talk about their idea's and vision for the Character before the script had even been written. Now that my friends, is sight!

Nolan's Writing ability is ahead of his time as well. After his third movie "Insomnia" he approached Warner Bros. about the idea for Inception. After getting the Go Ahead from them it took him nearly 8 years for him to complete the script to the point that he was satisfied with. What he came up with was a mind bending story that eventually received much praise and recognition for all types of awards, and grossing nearly 9 million worldwide.

The Dark Knight Rises is the most anticipated movie of 2012, hands down. This is an incredibly feat considering all the big name movies that will hit theaters in just a 4 month window including the new Spiderman reboot being directed by Marc Webb, and Marvels blockbuster film The Avengers.

Christopher Nolan is already a legend in my book. The best part is that he has only just begun.

                                                                                    Know-it-All,
                                                                                     Colt Delgado

What We Are About...

Hey Everyone!
           
                This blog is about anything and everything that we have a passion for. From movies to music, from electronics to games, we will preview and review anything. For more than a decade now, we have made our way through all forms of entertainment and have come up with several opinions; which anyone that knows us will agree that we make sure is heard.

                We will rate everything with our own scale and give our opinions on whether or not something is actually worth your time and money so that you don't have to.

                 This Blog is dedicated to those who listen to what we say and end those big conversations with, "wow, you guys need to start a blog."

                   What qualifies us to write this is our love of movies, games, music, anything that is worth knowing. We know what we talk about and we are educated with our opinions. We know Music. We know Movies. We know it all.

                                                                   Sincerely,
                                                                Colt And Joe
                                                           The Know-it-Alls