Those are brave men knocking on our door... Let's go kill them!

What a feat! What an episode! Oh, yeah... and Tyrion! Dinklage at his best. Though the chaos of the battle was more or less ok, it was far more complex and intense. Tyrion's decision to go for battle wasn't dictated by the fact that there was no one else to lead as it was shown there. He didn't mean for Joffrey to lead. He knew Joff would never and could never do that. His only purpose for Joff was that he simply stays in the eyes of all men fighting. Dog ran away during the battle, and Tyrion hardly knew of that. It was rage that dictated his decision to go for battle. It was his duty as a hand to go there, knowing that there's simply no one else to lead. It was fear that he could die easily, so at least half-man would die with an axe in his hand. It was a pure rage that while he was doing his best to save the city and its people, everyone in King's Landing thought he was the reason for all the misgivings (in fact most of that is Cersei's fault, due to her poor management skills, if I may put it. She didn't care, while he cared a bit, but also knew of the dangers of all those poor hungry men hold while in the city). It was also the desire to prove to his father that even though he's a dwarf, he's also a man. There's also Shae, if not him, then who would protect her. And when he was in a battle it was pure adrenaline rush when he fought more and killed more than shown in ep. 9.

So, why am I saying that? The answer is simple - they showed that he was a man put in a corner and was made to make that decision. While in a book his showed pure bravery of a little man, who knew he's there to die for King's Landing. What's good to see in ep. 9 was the fact that Tyrion was just as sorry for Stanis' men, as he was for himself and his men. Notice his sorrow as wildfire burst and destroyed the ships, and he looks at Joff who's smiling? That one was a good stroke from the creators and writers.

Nevertheless a fantastic episode. Most enjoyable - WILDFIRE! That was just awesome! Summary: Tyrion was brave and you believe when you read a book. He wasn't just cornered to go to the battle.

While also watching the final episode I realised that perhaps the best casting was that of a Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister. Why? Well because in a book that guy is cold, pragmatic, possesses great political and war knowledge, well in general he's some sort of a genius in all that stuff. It's quite easy to portray that kind of a person. Yet Charles Dance brings him as a human for a man whom Westerosi think "shit's gold." Some of the characters you would imagine yourselves as looking like this or that when reading the books, but it's only Charles Dance who fits Tywin Lannister so perfectly (of course it's my humble opinion). Not only he does portray Tywin the way you would imagine and enjoy, but he's got that great ability to add a few strokes of his own to make him even more great, dangerous, charismatic. If you were his enemy, say if it were Charles Dance, you'd certainly be afraid of him, and respectful. If you do so, you could live a few more days, but you'll lose eventually.

After a dissapointing ep. 8 - where everything went wrong, dull, and not as it was in the book (yeah, I didn't quite like it when they had to change important stuff that happened in Harrenhall so that Arya doesn't kill, why? Tell me why??? It was so important for the character development to see her kill the guard at Harrenhall to escape) ep. 9 was such a meatball to enjoy... :)

Endnote: Tyrion is as good as you expect him to be, thanks to Dinklage. Charles Dance is coming out to front stage. Witchhunt is about to begin as Dog leaves the King. Cersei is about to be... (spoilers!)... Let's wait for the season finale...

We Bought A Zoo (2011).

Directed by Cameron Crow. Starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. Budget 50 mln USD. Worldwide gross 113 mln USD.

It's a boring one.

Trailer for Armour of God 3: Chinese zodiac.

Hey guys! Jackie's back! That's his trailer for Chinese Zodiac aka Armour of God 3... That's his good old-fashioned style that we love him for that much... As said, Hollywood has messed with him, and reduced all his skills to bad English... After that movie, and so sorry that it's going to be his last action movie (or he's just saying it...), we may love him for what he is and what he did to kung-fu movies... Full packed action, nice humor, pure joy!

Armour of God 3: Chinese Zodiac.

Jackie's back! He's doing it in his classic style and doing it for the last time... That's a pity of course, but we've got to see his classic stunts that make him great. Well that's why we loved him, but once he got to hollywood it all went wrong. Certainly his Rush Hour trilogy went well with the general public, but that's not goold ol' Jackie we knew... So we hope that on December 12, 2012, preliminary release date for Chinese Zodiac, will be just as exciting as his other movies were and are. Hollywood spoiled his style, ruined it!!! Hoorah for the Jackie reborn!!!

Gangster Squad.

Just watched a new trailer on IMDB for Gangster Squad and I'm excited to watch that movie. Well of course the trailer for the movie is good, and those guys are good at making those trailers. It's pretty self explanatory as you watch it. So, we see here real life batman's, who with the decision of the top-top-top policy makers, policeman who really go to war with all the gangs in order to clear LA of them. The rule of law being established with blood. They go beyond doubt and never arrest anyone, since they realize that if they act according to the letter of law they will always lose that street war. They have to be unlashed so that they can level the playing field with the bad guys. Well that was always interesting to see, wasn't it? It's some kind of a mixture of LA Confidential and Untouchables, but rough for a contemporary folk. At least that's what the trailer suggests...


But what have we got more. We've got Ruben Fleischer - the guy who made the hillarious "Welcome to Zombieland." - Yeah! That's the guy who dared killing Bill Murray! And the audience loved it. Well who like if not Bill Murray could do it in such a Murray-style-hillarious fashion??? However, that's a completely different genre for Fleischer, and that's a wonder. It seems more like a genre for many other directors, who have really done something like that before. Well, perhaps, and that's my greatest hope, Ruben may just do something different or let's say add something new to the genre as he did with the "Zombieland." (Still, Zombie land was fun, hysterical at times, and a general parody, and Gangster Squad looks like the real stuff). Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best.


There is a lot to hope for, and crossing our fingers may work, because we've got... Yeah, we've got them! Actors! We've got Nick Nolte as Bill Barker - the guy who says "don't arrest them!" And it's Nick Nolte do I need to say more? We've got the guy with fascinating versatility as Giovannin Ribisi, and I just love him. Wasn't he the doctor in Saving Private Ryan, and the Phoebe's brother in friends? Even if there was no one else I know in the movie, I'd go to see him in that kind of a role. But there's more. There's Josh Brolin! The characters he plays make me believe may beat anyone with a bat to death and tell a woman that he loves her with the same expression on his face. Perhaps that was some wrong comparison, but that guy's got charisma. He's that tough guy you don't wanna mess with. Just remember how desperately he ran and ran in "No Country for Old Men," even though he knew he was a deadman already? Yet he remained tough until the very end. (There's also Michael Pena there, but I don't really like him. He's always the same in every movie he plays. I don't know why. He's got the same expression on his face in every scene, and every movie. Perhaps he can do something different in that movie? Can Ruben Fleischer do something about his acting?)


We see Robert Patrick there! That T-1000 killing machine. I always like him, and felt sorry that he wasn't in many more movies. Shouldn't he have been a great star right after the movie, I mean Terminator 2: Judgement Day? Well nevertheless, it's always a pleasure to see him in any movie, and this movie may turn out something special.


There's also Anthony Mackie, Sgt JT Sanborn from The Hurt Locker. To tell you the truth I haven't seen any other movies with him, but he was quite good in The Hurt Locker. So, I won't tell more about him, just one thing, he was good in The Hurt Locker.


Then we've got Ryan Gosling, I believe many magazines would call him a heartthrob :) Well, I know that he played in many movies in that specific roles that ladies like, but more recently he starred in "Drive" and "Ides of March" for which I read some reviews from sources I respect and they put a good word for him. So, after I watch those movies, I'll tell more. Well ladies, that heartthrob is changing his amplua, he's not cliche nice-guy anymore I guess, and that movie is made primarily for male audience... So you may not even see that movie.


And now, we've finally got Sean Penn. What is funny about him, is that he's got some funny make-up on his face. Some big nose, and may be something more, but he's the guy who resembles Sean Penn. He looks funny, but we may expect such a tough line from his character who is a high-class gangster that he may look like a real menace to all...


There's no date for that movie for now (at least there's no info on imdb.com) but it may come much later... well at least after The Dark Knight, or it will spoil it all for movie. Everything realeased on a week and after The Dark Knight released is doomed. Don't do it to the "Gangster Squad."


(Let's make it top priority movie, for those who like tough-guy movies, and enjoy all those actors just as I do) :)

Once in a while...

Once in a while I become crazy about crazy social networks... This time I'm tumblr crazy... Two months ago it was teotter... Yeah, right I discovered twitter two months ago...

Children of Men.

That's the kind of a movie I want to watch now and then... Well to tell the truth I'm watching it two or three times a year... It's the kind of a movie that makes you really sad and gets you down to earth. Sometimes, especially if you're working a lot and your work is quite routine, that movie awakens you. Every time I finish it, it makes me feel that I'm underappreciating everything and everyone around me. So, I'm quite surprised that the movie didn't get major award like Oscar. Well, who cares, those guys sometimes just don't get. But that's just my humle opinion...


Anyway, that movie in the words of one reviewer, whom I respect, Alex Exler, said the movie is very honest. I can't disagree more. Once people can't give birth anymore, isn't it a worthy idea to die for a single possible idea that there may be a kid... a child, unborn, but a possibility to save humanity from itself?


Those of you who watched the movie, of course may note that it's cinematography is great, especially those long shots that are more evident by the movie's end. Those scenes when they're saving a kid in the fugee's camp, and when a child cries, everything stops... everyone stops in disbelief...


You wanna remember what you are made for, watch that movie. Everything is great about it... Everything.

All the social network craze...

I've just done it! I'm on tumblr, and I found a way to import all my posts from blogger. Now you can find my crazy thoughts here, on twitter, facebook, tumblr, livejournal, and g+... I must be really crazy about it... :)

The Expendables 2.

Stallone is doing just the impossible. Chuck, Arni, Bruce, Dolph, Jean-Claude, Randy - all in one movie. Well that's just crazy! For those of us who were watching them as kids - that's all for all of us :) I'm just waiting for that movie, and I will enjoy the good old fashioned action movie! Sly's doing what no one would try and do in 2012, and he's doing in best way ever (a bit too off, but isn't just like the Artist in 2011?)...

Just when you didn't expect he brought back Rambo and Rocky to us... He brought it with wamrth, thought and soul... That you cannot deny. Then he dared bringing them all together in Expendables, and that was worth every penny! No, wait... Something was missing from the first part... Yeah! It was Chuck and Jean Claude... Now they're all together...

(Who would've remembered Gary Daniels? Sly did! He brought him back, and those of us in former soviet union remember him clearly in those dark "video saloons" that were so popular and unique by the end of 80's and beginning 90's of last century. Damn! I sound so freaking old while I'm only 31...)

Those were good times. Those were the times of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Sly, and Arni, Dolph, Jean-claude, Chuck... Those were the times that he brings back with a BANG! So, if you're just like me, you will certainly enjoy and let Sly earn some good money from that movie. :) I urge you to see it in a movie theatre, do not let his talent be left for a dvd rental :) Let's make it a best movie night ever once it goes worldwide!

Isn't that the way we remember him? First Blood! (pic from www.moviespad.com)

Game of Thrones. Season 2.

Just finished 6th episode of GoT season 2. Now that's something! I applause Alfie Allen for his portrayal of Theon Greyjoy - he's done great! He's done it so well, that I can't now imagine who would've done it better. All the confusion and fear, all the hate and love towards his family and the Starks - so superbly portrayed. He is very emphatic in his role. Theon Greyjoy of House Greyjoy, a little boy who was taken away by Ned Stark as a hostage, grown up with Stark's children, as one of them, and as an outcast at the same time. Theon certainly knew that if his father rebels again, he could've been put to death, Ned Stark would've done it I guess. So, now he returns home, his father disgusts him, sees Stark in him and regretfully Theon sees that he's in "no man's land." He's on his own. What does he do? What does a weak man do? What does an insecure boy do? What does a lost soul do? I guess they all do, what Theon does...


The moment he put Rodrick to death was the most emotional and dreadful piece in the episode. Two thumbs up for that, five stars for that!


Guys, we've got four episodes left, let's enjoy what's left of summer :)

Theon Greyjoy by Alfie Allen

Avengers... The Whedon's Avengers...

It's not too late to watch "Firefly" so that you could agree with me that Joss Whedon was the best choice for "The Avengers." Those guys up in Marvel Studios made perhaps one of their best decisions to make sure that he's the writer and the director for that movie which was so hard to make good despite everything that's good it was so easy to spoil. Avengers is certainly an attractive movie for die-hard fans, just fans, and those who like handsome and brutal guys saving the world. Avengers is certainly so easy to spoil because there are so many characters and one could easily ruin it all from the very beginning. Marvel was doing a hard job building it all for the Avengers by releasing movies about each superhero so that one day you get them all together, and everyone knew they're going to get together one day, sooner or later. Now you've got a hurricane that blows everything away with a 200 mln weekend opening, and I bet more money is coming it's way. And why is that you may ask? (Of course you're asking that because you generally don't like comic book movies, and let me try to assure you there are other reasons to watch this movie). Well, let's see why.

First, great cast! Just great ensemble!

Second, it's Joss Whedon baby, and his signature humor that's as light as it is rough. (You just have to watch "Firefly," this cult-like show, of which I'm a fan, and certainly believe that Fox may burn in hell for cancelling it).

Third, for some guys it's Scarlett Johanson (although I personally think her acting is weakest in the movie, but she's somewhat better than in her other recent movies).

Fourth, it's no boring at all.

Fifth, although Whedon did his best (it worked!) to balance all those selfish, narcistical superheroes, one guy really stands out here - Mark Ruffalo. I've just read on wikipedia that some critics say that he's outdone Eric Bana and Edward Norton as Bruce Banner and I agree with that 100%. In case with Bana, Hulk was angry, Banner was a cry baby. In case with Norton, Hulk was angry, Banner was too much Norton (I must note I very much admire both actors). In case with Ruffalo, you just have to see him acting. He's made it so that you really believe him that there's a monster inside him that he cannot control, you believe him when Banner/Ruffalo says that he put a barrel of a gun in his mouth and shot himself, but that other green guy caught the bullet between his teeth and spit it away.

Of course, it's a comic book, so there are some genre obliged nuances that you can't avoid (well something like a patriotic speech). We've got Whedon to correct that and soften that line. Not only we have superheroes, but we have gods now, we've got magic now, we've got regular mortal people, we've got supervillains, we actually have too much for one movie. And Whedon balances it so greatly, that he has enough time to devote to each character, so that characters don't eat each other's share of screen time, or wit. Robert Downey Jr., could easily steal the show from everyone due to the fact that Iron Man is fun, sometimes hysterically. Chris Evans' Captain could become toooo patriotic that's good enough for teens. Johansson's Widow could become too sexy. Hemsworth's Thor could be too godly, too Asgardian, pretentious. So taking into account that Iron Man was the most successful of them all (critically and commercially), Downey Jr., could easily overshadow all of them. That didn't happen. Thanks Joss for that! (Tony and Robert have much in common. As far as I understand from wiki, Downey Jr., just tried to do that, by trying to push his Iron Man in the opening sequence, hopefully he and Wheadon realized that didn't work out for this movie).

Now, a few things before I dig into the good bits of it. The movie was converted in 3D in post production and that's no good. Visual effects are stunning, but in terms of 3D they're quite weak. So, you'll get pleasure from watching it in the usual 2D. The script is good, characters are humane, non-linear, with some added complexity, fine story (as fine as it can be for a comic book), so you'll enjoy it even without glasses. Johansson is the weakest link here. I've read that Emily Blunt was also trying for Black Widow, and that could be something interesting to watch. Emily Blunt is a fine actress, while Johansson is becoming more boring. Yet Whedon was able to do almost the impossible, at least she wasn't irritating. That's about it. Let's go for the good stuff.

Acting. As I said the cast is great. I've got to say special thanks for Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, he could as well play any other character in the movie and still be good. Renner's got that charisma and ability to play almost anyone. You've seen him in Hurtlocker, The Town, where he's done superb job (Ghost Protocol is out of comparison, don't you think that his character there was intentionally poorly written so that Tom would always be fascinating?), now you see him as Hawkeye, but most importantly we'll see him as new Bourne :) Now that's something to see. In general, he's done good job, even though his Hawkeye was under Loki's spell for well over half the movie. Other guys could look boring in the shadow of Stark's Iron Man, but Whedon went the other way. He tried to explore all characters' strengths and weaknesses, and once they realise that they can see the obvious - they need to be a team. Banner was given depth, and a few keyphrases reveal his internal struggly. Thor displayed his dismay with human, while loving them at the same time, same confused feelings he's got for Loki. Rogers fought his personal drama and confusion with the world of tomorrow, and turned out a common soldier who follows orders without question, yet good leader in the field of war (well he's the only soldier, while they are all just superheroes who work alone). Nick Fury is one manipulative SOB, who would easily twist truth for sake of a greater good (but we know that may well be limited to one's understanding of what is good or bad). Loki is a fun supervillain, an insecure god, who's got no way back from the war that his doing. His final scene with Hulk when he's screaming like a spoiled child at the green monster declaring that he's a god and he won't tolerate such behaviour toward him (Hulk was doing what he does best - beat him) - is a scene that you can watch over and over again. Acting great, no one's boring, everyone's fun!

Directing and writing. Just go with it. It's a comic book, don't judge too hard, and enjoy the ride. Directing is great, writing is fun. That's the usual style for Whedon to add some sarcastic humor to his characters. Once again, you just have to watch his "Firefly." You'll enjoy the jokes, and the way characters talk to each other, almost everyone is a smartass, not just Stark. :)

Story and plot. The movie runs 2 hours and 23 minutes, but it's a thrillride and never gets boring. Thanks to smart writing, dynamics, and Whedon's humor. The story has quite a few twists and turns, nothing is what it seems and we see people vs. superheroes and gods, Fury vs. superheroes, superheroes at each others throats (you can sense how selfish and self-loving these heroes are), evil vs. evil, good vs. evil, good vs. good. Of course it's nowhere near Nolan's Batman Beginning and Dark Knight, but compares more to the X-Men First Class by Matthew Vaughn. It has some space for more developed characters, added some seriousness to the franchise (if I may put it this way) and clears way for more creativity (oh please, let Whedon do the next part of the Avengers). It looks real good how they come from rogues to a real team. 

Visuals. 100% cool. And that's it. (there's a great scene at the end where the team finally gets together and fights off the enemy that's just mind-blowing - no spoilers).

I walked out after the movie is a real good mood. I thought that it was really worth spending so much time of your life in a movie theatre, and then writing about it for about five hours. :) IMDB score is .8.8 out of 10 with more than 100K people rating it, and that's just cool. Metascore gives it 69 out of 100 based on 49 reviews, which basically means it's ok. Well critics sometimes see more that we do, the usual moviegoers, let's not argue with them. In a way, let the boxoffice speak for a few more weeks.