Brock Lesnar fight

Finally got around to watching that...daaaaaaamn. Valesquez was incredible, but I'll be rooting for Lesnar to come back in a big way. Despite his gigantic size I always feel like I'm rooting for the underdog with him, as he's no expert at anything. His NFL career is a prime example of how little of a difference size can make against expert skill and experience. When you think about it like that, and believe me UFC has become extremely sophisticated in its mechanics since its inception, it is pretty incredible that he has fought so well. He's no expert yet, but he has certainly been holding his own. Last week he just had the misfortune of going head to head with a fighter whose skill and experience were too much to compete with. He'll get better and better over time.

Darren Aronofsky + Tron Legacy

I don't know if it's a trailer or a music video, but I fuckin' love it. It's like the music video that Daft Punk couldn't afford to make. I wish this shit was 1080p so bad, I bet it's just awe-inspiring (particularly through a decent sound system). I couldn't see this particular Daft Punk track taking off as a single, but as the soundtrack to what you're looking at here it couldn't be more top notch. As a fun comparison, watch The Strokes' 12:51 video to wrap your head around music video production values, then watch this immediately afterward. Quality, baby.

And I have not brought up the Darren Aronofsky thing in this blog (which I only I read) because he is constantly attached to sweet-sounding projects that never come to fruition, but holy fuck it seems like Aronofsky really is going to direct Wolverine 2. How many times have you seen that in the history of a franchise... where the first movie is absolute shit, and then the second is a genre masterpiece before it even hits film? I can't think of a comparison. I still would prefer the now-cancelled Arofsky Robocop reboot, but I'll be fuckin' damned if this isn't some pretty damn good consolation material.

It's funny, I had stopped caring about Wolverine. The Chris Claremont/Jim Lee X-Men #1 was the comic that got started as a kid, and of course Wolverine was my favorite character at the time... Mark Texiera on the Wolverine solo book at the time really sealed the deal. Overtime, and especially after Bryan Singer's Wolverine-heavy X-Men films, I got Wolverine'd out. But I have to say, his incorporation into The Avengers (along with Spider-Man) is incredible. I love him in that book, because in the comic book equivalent of the 1992 USA Olympic Men's Basketball team...he just plays brilliantly as an equal character among the best of the best fan favorites. This Aronofsky movie is a great start to wooing me back.

Minority Report

It's funny, I caught this movie on HBO in an uncut 720p presentation tonight and I was enthralled. A movie I had seen originally as a pretentious 22-year-old, working at Hollywood Video the week it came out, and absolutely deplored it. Everything about it. Tom Cruise, Colin Farrel, 90's Spielberg (which I still mostly detest)... the whole package. Now, as a veteran couch potato whose earned his stripes watching movie after movie after movie day in and day out for the past few years, I find myself of the complete opposite opinion. The film is stunning to look out, expertly acted, terrific sci-fi narrative from one of the true masters of the genre... a pitch-perfect example of mature Hollywood cinema. It is in every way superior to both A.I. and War Of The Worlds... watching this movie I find it hard to believe The Beard coughed up the dreck that was Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. THAT Spielberg is lost to us, forever a part of the 80's... the Michael Jackson of cinema.

Fuck an R5

Shitty ass telecine transfers with cam audio tracks. No substition for a theatrical or DVD/Blu Ray... this is NOT how the filmmakers intended their films to be seen

Cars 2 Teaser

is up on apple.com/trailers in pitch-perfect 1080p. It shows next to nothing, but as far as microscopic teaser trailers for a movie almost an entire year away, I sure am happy about it.

In my mind it would be nigh impossible to top their opus Toy Stor 3, which for my money is the single best film released this year to date and has a 99% likelihood of remaining so. That being said, it is a smart move to follow up with this movie.

#1 - It continues their momentum of shifting back toward the Disney-styled family films that the company was originally known and loved for. Honestly, with Disney no longer making 2D family masterpieces (though I did love Princess And The Frog, but feat it was a one-off), Pixar is our best and only source of truly AFI quality animated family film.

#2 - This sets the expectations initially a little lower, as Cars remains one of Pixar's least-beloved films among adults (I personally love the film as it reminds me of my hometown... I believe many were turned off by the casting of Larry The Cable Guy, who does just fine). Therefore if they pull off an A+ film everyone will be pleasantly suprised

and...

#3 - This time they are in Eurasia and, although I've only seen concept art of an F1 car, I can only assume we will finally see those McLaren, Maybach, Lamborghini, Bugatti-calibur cars the end of the first film hinted at. Honestly, if you're making a beautifully animated film all about cars, SHOW US THE GOOD SHIT

I hope there are many other great movies to look forward to next summer, but I believe the big one will be 2012 with Joss Whedon's The Avengers and Chris Nolan's Batman 3 with also an obligatory Pixar offering to look forward to I'm betting... (Incredibles 2, Monsters Inc. 2, or Finding Nemo 2... I'll take ANY OF THE ABOVE)

Today's Double Feature

While you bitches are at work, I will be watching an HD double feature of Conan The Barbarian b/w Conana The Destroyer thanks to FiOS On Demand. Tomorrow will be Predator b/w Predators, with the Predators prequel motion comics (voiced by the Predators actors, and included as an extra on the blu) serving as an interlude. My life is real cool right now.

Also, today they announced the sequel to Piranha 3D... which will be released next summer (so soon!) and be titled Piranha 3DD, lolz. But, that is where the good news ends. It will NOT be directed by Alejandre Aja, but instead by a team of folks who worked on the FEAST movies and a few SAW installments. Mehhhhhhh. They might get my $10 if Greg Nicotero comes back for the FX. Ok, they WILL get my money if Greg Nicotero comes back. There were so many FX in the first film that he should have gotten co-director credit. My Piranha 3D blu is pre-ordered on Amazon (comes out 1/11/11 for anyone interested) and is my third most anticipated home release of the year... behind #1 - Toy Story 3 (comes out 11/5/10...YAY) and #2 - Machete (comes out a long time from now...booooo)

No time to blog farther, must begin my Conan double-bill. Too bad there's no time to include Red Sonja... that would be a terrific night at the movies.

Greg Nicotero is GOD... or at least the new Tom Savini

He has ruled my year, especially leading up to Halloween. I particularly enjoy his work on The Mist, one of my favorite films of that year (I prefer the black and white version). I have been watching a lot of his stuff this week, incidentally, and it has gotten me in a big Halloween mood (which is not hard to do). I enjoyed watching his Planet Terror FX extra on the new Grindhouse Collector's Edition blu, and just recieved the Predators blu which I can't wait to watch his creature effects extra on, and am eagerly anticipating the Piranha 3D blu hoping for (along with a tangible copy of my second favorite film of the year) a Greg Nicotero FX extra. Then, today, this pops up on the web! I love it! Greg Nicotero directing a clever short which is a play on the classic Universal Monster Movies, which boasted the best make-up effects of their own era and I'm sure were a huge inspiration to the famous Jaws fan. So I faithfully submit, for your enjoyment...

Universal Monster Talent Agency!