I Went In Thinking “50/50″ I’d Be Depressed; I Came Out 100% EXCITED!

(Source: Amazon)

I wanted to watch “50/50” (2011) because I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, mostly because he looked so hot as Arthur in “Inception” (2010). I also wanted to watch this film because I wanted to do some minor research on a potential article I will write in the near future (more on that later).

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as "Arthur" in "Inception" (Source: The Guardian)

Anyways, I watched it with a good friend after work today.

I walked into the theater with bunches of tissues and a mini-bag of touch-up, just in case, you know. RottenTomatoes.com had rated it 93% and I had heard from some friends that they (macho men) teared during some of the scenes. Hence, with tissues and make-up in hand, I prepared myself for the depressing movie in front of me.

What happened surprised the HELL out of me… but let me back track.

The movie, in short (because you can read the long synopsis on RT or IMDB), is that this 27-year-old dude named Adam is diagnosed with some crazily long-syllabled spinal cancer and his chances of living is 50/50 (duh!). He goes through the motions of dealing with the shock, living his life as normally as possible and preparing for what could be his last breath.

The story unfolds to show a typical 27-year-old boy’s life: a mediocre job, a selfish girlfriend, a hilarious best friend who wants to get laid all the time, an over-protective mom and a “hands-off” dad.

Yet, what really moved me was the sentiment behind all the humor. Every time the audience (or, in this case, me) was about to tear, a character, usually Seth Rogen, would crack a joke. Don’t get me wrong, it was done beautifully. The jokes didn’t downplay the tragedy of the situation; instead, it reminded the audience the other side of 50/50.

Yes, Adam has 50% chance of dying from cancer…. but that also means he has 50% chance to live… to really live his life… and that’s what the audience, especially me, came out of the movie with.

The movie isn’t about the difficult experience of having cancer, or of being shocked to reality, or using humor in the face of tragedy. The movie was about LIFE… about the ephemeralness of life, the preciousness of life, and the delicateness of life…

I came out of that movie more empowered and inspired than ever. Yes, I am a bit of a hypochondriac and will probably WebMD any symptoms I feel tonight, but in all seriousness, I came out of that EXCITED about life.

If it’s not because it’s 1:51AM over here, I would be running around the street, expressing my excitement for the things I will not settle for… for the future moments I will cherish… for the friends and family I will shower with love… and for the things I will do that truly make me happy.

So, my avid readers: STOP worrying about work, STOP obsessing over that guy who didn’t text you back, STOP wondering when the right girl will come into your life, STOP hoping to be recognized, STOP ALL THAT and DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.

You have only 1 life to live…

So why wouldn’t you live it to the fullest?

A THOR-licious Sunday!

Four Sundays ago, I watched Thor with a bunch of my friends.

To be completely honest, I didn’t even want to watch it… until my friends raved about it—not because it was an extraordinary piece of work that deserved an accolade from the Cannes Festival or the Academy, but because it was thoroughly entertaining.

The guys loved it because it was part of a series of comic-book-based films spewing from the Marvel vault, while the gals loved it because—well—the guy playing Thor (Chris Hemsworth) looked good!

As always, I first looked on Rotten Tomatoes for its rating—77%, placing it in the “mediocre” part of summer blockbusters, behind Bridesmaids (88%), X-Men: First Class (85%), Kung Fu Panda 2 (82%) and even Fast Five (78%).

The movie, as expected, fared well in my book.  (I really didn’t have high expectations, so it wasn’t a great feat for Thor to beat them.)  Nonetheless, I felt entertained.  There were moments where I laughed heartily with my friends and nudged them over a shared secret acknowledgement.

The basic storyline behind Thor is that Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the son of Odin, King of Asgard (Anthony Hopkins), was banned from his native planet because of his selfishness and over zealousness to go to war.  He was forced to live among the humans and soon fell for the lovely and somewhat headstrong Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).  During his time on Earth, he learned humility and loyalty to his new-found friends.  However, someone from his homeland wanted power and ascension to the throne.  Thus, this someone connived with the Frost Giants to attack Asgard.  This dirty little secret created bloodshed on Earth.  As a result, Thor had to defend Earth…  (You can read the real Marvel comic-book version of Thor’s story here.)

Now, here are a few highlights/learnings from the movie:

• The dark-haired really can’t beat the blond.  (Guess who’s who…)
• Bubbly and adorable wins the heart of a cold, selfish, egotistical, “sustanance”-wanting man.
• The Black (Alsgardian) man is always the first to go in movies, what the heck?!
• Anthony Hopkins is just so regal… even if I keep waiting for the Hannibal Lecter’s face guard to pop out at any moment.
• Good acting from Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Anthony Hopkins as the big papa Odin.
• Natalie Portman as Jane Foster was completely gratuitous.  Her character could have been played by any girl who’s pretty and adorable.
• And, of course, one of my favorites: Stan Lee cameo-ed as a truck driver trying to pull Thor’s hammer from the crater with his semi.  (If you didn’t know already, Stan Lee cameos in almost all the movies based on the comic-book characters he has created over the years; see YouTube video below.)

Some of the best lines in the movie included:

• Darcy: [staring at Thor] You know, for a crazy homeless person… he’s pretty cut.
• Thor: I require sustenance!
• Thor: It’s good.  Another! [slams coffee cup on the floor]
• Thor: [walking into a pet shop] I need a horse!
• Agent Cale: [staring at a moving suit of armour] Is that one of Stark’s?
  Agent Phil Coulson: I don’t know. That guy never tells me anything…

And… don’t forget the post-credits clip!  It is a continuation of a long line of set-ups for the upcoming The Avengers movie (in theaters May 4th, 2012), where all the major characters from the past several Marvel movies come together to fight an “Axis of Evil” (please excuse the Bush-ism, couldn’t help it!).  Characters include: Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), and more.

The Avengers could either be a huge blockbuster success like Ocean’s Eleven (RT 82%), with a super popular cast, or a horrible disaster like Valentine’s Day (RT 17%), where even an A-list cast can’t hold the film afloat.

Side note: My friend, Ben, just posted a great commentary on the need for traditional comic book establishments to revamp in a way that includes their major fan-base and yet continue to bring in a new population of fans (like myself) into their world.

Anyways, I say, go watch Thor for the entertainment… you might find yourself surprisingly intrigued by the cast and storyline…

Stan Lee’s past movie cameos:

I “Scre4m”ed Out of Hilarity, Not Fear

I watched Scream 4 (RT 58%) last night. Paid full price. Thoroughly enjoyed it… but for the wrong reasons, I think.

I remember watching the first Scream in 1996 with my mom. I screamed like a little kid at the candy store. The thrill of not knowing what to expect kept me at the edge of my seat. To this day, my mom still remembers my reactions to that movie.

Thus, when I heard that Scream 4 was going to be similar to the original Scream (RT 82%) and unlike any of the horrible sequels, I couldn’t wait to see the movie.

As the lights dimmed and everyone hushed in the theater, I felt my hairs stand on end out of sheer anticipation.

The opening scene: two girls (typical) yap about scary movies.  Then, suddenly, they receive a phone call (a nod to the original Scream!!!). “Who’s this?” The creepy raspy voice on the other end asks. “Who’s this?!” The girl retorted. After some back and forth “you’re crazy and annoying” banter, the girl hangs up, only to get dared by the “killer” to open the front door. And, true to form, the girls open the door.

We, in the audience, sank into our seats as we awaited the ensuing bloodbath.

“Yesssssss!” I heard myself whisper into the theater silence.  Finally, the return of a true slasher cult classic!

Sadly, the intensity dissipated within the first several scenes and the movie quickly turned into nothing more than a comedy. Yes. You read it correctly: COMEDY!

For the next 100 minutes, I desperately  hoped that I would feel the same jittery, hair-raising, shrill-seeking, totally crazy heart-pumping slasher film-inducing feelings as when I had first watched it back in ’96… but none of it happened.

Instead, I laughed… a lot… 

I guess, in a way, Scream 4 was a “tribute” to the original, which had become the face (literally) of post-Psycho slasher films. Unfortunately, it was nothing more than bad acting and awkwardly stage scenes meant to frighten (operative word here is “meant”).

In reality, I just couldn’t stop laughing. I mean, 90% of Sheriff Dewey’s (David Arquette) facial expressions resembled that of “Doofy” from Scary Movie. After a while, I didn’t know who was spoofing whom.  Was David Arquette channelling Doofy?

THEN, seeing Courtney Cox act b*tchy at her ripe old age just made me feel annoyed. Don’t get me wrong, I love “Monica,” but I just didn’t like seeing her prance around like she was back in her twenties…

And come on Neve Campbell!!! Same “why is this happening to me again?” face just doesn’t fly the fourth time around.

Wes Craven, please listen to “Jill” and find a new franchise to film!  This one needs to be put to rest already.

However, despite my complaints, this was worth seeing if you love bad movies like I do.

Highlights:

• Sheriff Doofy—I mean Dewey—’s facial expressions
  
• Really bad stunt effects
• Sidney barely touching the killer and he flies back and bounces off a wall…
• Spewing blood when the blade barely penetrated the skin…
• A person talking and walking after getting stabbed in the forehead.  YES, STABBED IN THE FOREHEAD!!!
• A person still alive after getting zapped in the head with A LOT of electricity!!!
• Sidney Prescott saying something like this: “The thing you forgot about sequels is they’re never better than the original!”
• Stab 6 in Stab 7 in Scream 4

So what’s your favorite scary movie?!

I Heart New York Times’ A.O. Scott

I heart A.O. Scott.

Don’t know who he is?  Well, you should.  Because this guy is FREAKING AWESOME!  He’s a movie critic for the New York Times, but what I love about him is his clear descriptions of the movies, his funny taglines and his poignant reviews.

Just today, he published “The Cinematic State of Things,” where he reduced the 2010 film themes into a top 10 list, beginning with “1. We are all figments of Leonardo DiCaprio’s imagination.”  Come on.  If that’s #1, you can’t go wrong after that.  After reading his top 10, I couldn’t help but remember all his past quips.  Thus, I had to declare my love for A.O. Scott in this post.

The first time I read one of his articles, I had been browsing through the Movie Section of the paper for quite some time.  I had glanced over a few of those reviews on Milk, Frost/Nixon, and other Academy Award contenders.  Interesting, but I didn’t feel like using my brain.  I wanted something frivolous to read while getting through my day as a Banker.  (Remember, the end of 2008 was the end of an era… for financial markets as well as Investment Banking.  In other words, I had PLENTY of time to spare during the day.)  Anyways, link after link, I found nothing interesting.  Then, out of the blue, I came upon this: “An I.R.S. Do-Gooder and Other Strangeness.”  I looked closer and realized it was a review for Seven Pounds (2008), the Will Smith movie that made no sense in the trailer.

Within minutes, I was cracking up and falling over my chair.  My cubemates rushed over to me to make sure I didn’t go crazy (because our company could disappear like Lehman Brothers at any moment).  I put up a hand to hush their concerns and pointed to my computer screen.  They looked at one another and nodded in agreement: “Yup, this one’s gone over the deep end…”

I shook my head and highlighted the passage that threw me off my rocker.  It read:

So instead of spelling out what happens in “Seven Pounds,” I’ll just pluck a few key words and phrases from my notes, and arrange them in the kind of artful disorder Mr. Muccino seems to favor (feel free to start crying any time): Eggplant parmesan. Printing press. Lung. Bone marrow. Eye transplant. Rosario Dawson. Great Dane. Banana peel. Jellyfish (but you knew that already). Car accident. Congestive heart failure.

Huh? What the … ? Hang on. What’s he doing? Why? Who does he think he is? Jesus! That last, by the way, is not an exclamation of shock but rather an answer to the preceding question, posed with reference to Mr. Smith.

My friends burst out with laughter, only to attract the nearby Associates.  Soon enough, a crowd had gathered around my tiny cube, reading the next hilarious passage:

But maybe I’m approaching this in the wrong way. Maybe “Seven Pounds” isn’t a spiritual parable about redemption or forgiveness or salvation or whatever, but rather a collection of practical lessons. Don’t drive while using a BlackBerry. Fertilize your rose bushes with banana peels — sorry, that was a spoiler. But please, whatever you do, don’t touch the jellyfish.

I’m serious. Don’t.

From then on, I couldn’t stop following Mr. A.O. Scott’s reviews on NYT.  All of his reviews had this hilarious wit.  You know… almost like talking to a friend who’s just hilarious.  Or, maybe I love him, because he reminds of another brilliant mind (myself, ha ha.  No joke.).  Either way, I couldn’t stop following him.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from this year:

• The Town (2010) — ”[T]he main attraction is the blaring music of those accents. It’s a lark, a spark, a walk in the park.”
• Tangled (2010) — “This is, all in all, a pleasant place to visit. Which is saying a lot, given how awful it could be in recent years. (Remember “Chicken Little”? “Treasure Planet”? I hope not.) “Tangled” is the 50th animated feature from Disney, and its look and spirit convey a modified, updated but nonetheless sincere and unmistakable quality of old-fashioned Disneyness.”
• “In Line at the Movies, Hoping for Good Enough” article — ”What was I doing there? Partly, it was a matter of professional due diligence, the regular duty of catching up with movies I have not reviewed. But also, and more deeply, there was the combination of curiosity, inertia and obedience that is the most common and perhaps the least understood motive for movie attendance. I was bored. The kids were bored.”
• RED (2010) — ““RED” signals that, in addition to being an action-romance-comedy, it will also be an old-timers-on-the-warpath-looking-for-payback movie. (See “The A Team” and “The Expendables.” By “see,” I mean “note for purposes of comparison,” rather than actually watch on a screen.)”

I mean, this list can go on and on and on.  However, I’ll make up your own mind about Mr. Scott.

Happy Reading!

Aronofsky’s “Black Swan”: Where Ballet Meets Psycho

I’m excited to see ”Black Swan“ (coming Dec. 1).  It seems to combine both my love for ballet and my love for mystery and suspense.

The plot revolves around a talented young ballerina named Nina (Natalie Portman) who becomes the star of Swan Lake.  However, she has a strong competitor named Lily (Mila Kunis) who seeks to replace her.  In Nina’s role as the prima ballerina, she must play both the innocent and graceful White Swan (perfect for her) as well as the evil and conniving Black Swan (perfect for her competitor).  The more she tries to become the Black Swan, the more she becomes trapped in a world of back-stabbing and intrigue… of danger and excitement… and eventually finds herself no longer pretending to be the Black Swan but actually becoming one.  (Of course, it doesn’t help that Nina’s mom is a controlling ex-ballerina who pushes her even further to crazy obsession.) 

Several early reviews of the movie have put it as a contender for Best Picture for the Oscars next year.  And, Natalie Portman’s portrayal is apparently superb, so she will most likely get nominated for Best Actress.  Currently rated as 93% @ RT.

Since my favorite reviewer is A.O. Scott from NYT, I must put a few of my favorite quotes from his review of “Black Swan”:

• [I]ntensity — a swirl of dread, suspense and almost tactile beauty, brought to fever pitch by Clint Mansell’s Tchaikovsky-on-steroids score — is certainly what “Black Swan” delivers.
• The visceral impact of “Black Swan” is hard to dispute — at least my own pounding heart and clammy palms do not dispute it[...]

Overall, I can’t wait to see it!