Week in Review – ‘Captain America’, James Cameron, ‘Pirates’ and ‘Megamind’
I’ve made the decision that we won’t discuss Captain America anymore until they finally cast somebody. There have been more rumors about this than the dissolution of Sandra Bullock’s marriage, so until Marvel finally pulls the trigger, we’re done. Having said that, more casting gossip for that movie topped this week’s list of headlines…but that’s the last time we’re talking about it until there’s some real news to report.
Beyond that dangling carrot, there are two highly anticipated movies (one significantly more than the other) that might shoot this summer, as well as a peculiar casting call for Pirates and a 3-D update from James Cameron.
I know you’ve been busy, Georgetown Hoyas, but now that you’ve ruined everybody’s bracket and have some free time, check out this week’s top stories:
Why is casting Captain America so friggin’ difficult?
Looks like we won’t get that Bioshock movie for a while
Are you a size two or four? No shorter than 5′7″ but no taller than 5′8″? Are they your own breasts? Then maybe you can land a part in Pirates 4!
A better-late-than-never review of Our Family Wedding. Or maybe not.
Shooting this summer: The Hobbit…
…and Harold and Kumar 3
Cool new Predators poster
Avatar returning to theaters later this year, with Titanic in 3-D in 2012
Ugh…Based on this trailer, I hope DreamWorks didn’t spend much on Megamind
Movie Review – ‘The Lightkeepers’
| The Lightkeepers
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Blythe Danner, and Mamie Gummer |
Period pieces are supposed to evoke bygone eras, not feel like they were made in them. Ultimately, the real failing of
The Lightkeepers is that it seems not like a movie out of its time but rather a production made decades ago that
just now was unearthed and put in theaters.
Creaky, slow, and clumsily assembled, The Lightkeepers requires a significant undertaking just to navigate the
hour-and-a-half from credits to credits. In a world of too much fast-paced editing, this one balances it all out, choosing far too often to take the scenic route.
It’s not all a lost cause; after all, the film does star Richard Dreyfuss, Blythe Danner, and Meryl’s kid, Mamie Gummer.
The movie is also something rarely seen these days; it’s purposely quiet. I don’t mean it’s quiet in the sense that
there’s no dialogue, but rather that it is not boisterous or overzealous in its actions.
Watching The Lightkeepers reminded me of a recent Independent Spirit Award nominee called Sweet Land. I had
to watch it twice to really get it, and for some of the same reasons. The first time through, it didn’t feel like it was
contemporary, as beautiful as it was to look at. But the second time I watched it, I could see that the director wanted
his story to feel like it came from the era it was representing. It was simple because its story was simple.
I kept that in mind after The Lightkeepers caused me the same initial reaction. The difference, in my opinion, is
that the film and its manufacture are simple because that’s all it could muster.
Movie Review – ‘The Bounty Hunter’
| The Bounty Hunter
Starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler |
It’s a familiar story, really. Romantic comedies rely on one thing and one thing only: Chemistry. More than any other
genre or type of film, if you have great chemistry between two leads, a romantic comedy can rise to great heights. Without
it, no matter how good or original the script might be, the movie will just never take off.
So why is it that so few romantic comedies – a genre that reaches wider by the year – actually tap into good chemistry?
More than anything, it comes down to the fact that you just can’t force chemistry. It is or it isn’t.
Now, there’s more to it than that. Most romcom scripts aren’t that good, anyway. Hard to keep things fresh and surprising
when every third act includes some character running through an airport to stop that all-important flight. But even that
matters less if you accept the actors as the characters going through all the relationship headaches. You either do or you
don’t.
That brings us to The Bounty Hunter, starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler. She is notorious for not finding
that on-screen chemistry, and he made a romantic comedy with Katherine Heigl, so there’s no way that’s happened for him,
either. That’s not to say neither Aniston nor Butler can’t someday stumble onto the secret formula, just that they haven’t
to this point. Burt and Sally, Woody and Diane, or Powell and Loy if you’re from an older generation all had it, and if
you want step beyond the realm of romantic comedies, Eastwood and Newman, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, and Hopkins and
Foster all displayed it, too.
Shifting the story in this film just a tad, you could even find huge chemistry between two of the least charismatic actors
alive, Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin in Midnight Run. And who knows how it happened there.
5 Easy and Effective Tips to Avoid Pickpockets
You find yourself in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, enjoying that short, but hard-earned vacation time. Everything seems perfect, but all a pickpocket needs is one second to turn your sweet dream into a nightmare. Fortunately, most times, pickpocketing can be avoided by employing a few simple yet very effective tactics:
Divide to Avoid Being Conquered
Photo by bradipo
Similar to the old saying – “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, this technique minimizes losses in case you become the victim of a skilled pickpocket. Most tourists keep their valuables in one place they consider safe, but one distraction can leave them penniless on the first day of their vacation.
The truth is, not even a small safe can protect you against a very able pair of hands, but if you’re going to suffer a loss, why not make it as small as possible? By storing your valuables in more than one place, you’re making sure you still have enough money left to enjoy your holiday, even in case of a successful pickpocket.
Don’t Be Too Trusting
Photo by toasty
Even if it goes against your friendly nature, try to be as suspicious as possible to everyone you don’t know. Sure, seeing a complete stranger going out of his way to try and help you with your luggage seems pretty impressive, but 9 times out of 10 it just means their trying to rob you.
Some pickpockets pop out in front of you desperately asking you to look at a map, or a document. They’re trying to distract you long enough for their accomplices to work their magic on your luggage, so make sure you politely decline, and keep walking.
Don’t Give Out Signs
Photo by blueace
Pickpockets find their way to your wallet and valuables well enough on their own, but they won’t say “no” to a few free directions. One of the most common techniques to find out where you keep your small treasure, is to yell something like “Watch Out, there’s a pickpocket around!”
You’re probably thinking there’s no way you’d fall for something like that, but you wouldn’t believe how many tourists reach for their safe place to protect or check if everything is in place. That’s all the invitation pickpockets need, so make sure you refrain from such reactions.
Stay Away from Trouble
Photo by acousticskyy
Traveling to a strange, new place can be an incredible experience, but it always helps to keep in mind that dangers lurk everywhere. Even if your vacation destination seems like the safest place on the planet, try to keep away from crowded places, that’s where pickpockets feel most in their element.
Sightseeing often has tourists lose their way, but it’s always a good idea to stick to main streets and stay away from back-alleys. You never know who’s a few feet behind you, waiting for their chance to strip you of your belongings.
Don’t Make It Easy
Photo by epicharmus
Pickpockets are very good at what they do, some of them practicing this “trade” from a very young age, the last thing you want to do is make it easy for them. Never use your outer pockets to store cash or jewelry, keep high-tech gadgets out of sight, until the moment you need to use them.
When possible, keep your hands in your pockets, that will definitely keep any pickpocket’s hands out. Always look around before using an ATM, there’s a good chance someone’s watching your every move.
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