FEATURED ATTRACTION:


STAR WARS: BALANCE OF THE FORCE

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Catherine Z. Jones, Daniel Craig, Adrien Brody, Patrick Stewart, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes, Carrie-Ann Moss, Tilda Swinton, Ron Pearlman

Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Producer: George Lucas
Screenwriter: Marcus Trax

My Thoughts: Let me start this preview by interjecting one “gut reaction” of a comment…

NOT ANOTHER STAR WARS MOVIE… WHEN WILL IT ALL COME TO AN END? Now that I got that initial feeling purged from my system, I can look at things a little clearer and more objectively.

Any film that carries the brand of STAR WARS has additional baggage that comes along with it… and that is one of a “mega-budget”. You can’t make one of these “brand named” films, without inheriting the colossal price tag that comes along with it. Also, STAR WARS has set the film making bar extremely high, and it’s a difficult “measuring stick” to be sized-up against.

So, do I feel that STAR WARS: BALANCE OF THE FORCE “measures-up”? It’s not as simple as a YES/NO answer, it’s much more difficult than that, so let me explain.

On The Plus Side:
All the special effects are on par with what we come to expect from a STAR WARS film, and this film is no exception. The stellar battle sequences, the light sabers, the blasters… they are all there, and look as real as ever.

The story portrays, as has become the staple of the STAR WARS franchise, a battle between light and dark, between good and evil. This is the very cornerstone of the STAR WARS franchise. The line between good and evil must be well defined, in order to stay true to the genre. STAR WARS: BALANCE OF THE FORCE delivers that major message; that is until…

The Minus Side:
The message of light versus dark, good against evil is there… until the end of the movie. That’s where this film experiences the major “anti-climax”. It had me riveted to the very edge of my seat, as all of the STAR WARS films have… just to wrap it up with a poorly contrived ending. The ending is in no way believable, and is a major disappointment to even the most “fair weather” fan of this movie franchise.

The Final Result Is:
This could be a great film… if it wasn’t for the last 17 minutes of the motion picture. The film tells a fantastic story, and it fails miserably to deliver the “knockout blow” that was really needed to place this film in the “Halls of Great Filmmaking”.

So, how do I rate STAR WARS: BALANCE OF THE FORCE?

Originality of Screenplay




Interest of Storyline




Casting




This film had me until the very end… and then lost me to the disappointment of its ending.

NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD, HD-DVD AND BLU-RAY DISC:

PLANETSIDE
Although not the true “blockbuster” that had been hoped for by HARRY STARK, as well as the rest of the people at CRAZY MOON PICTURES, it by no means would be considered any less than a truly successful motion picture.

PLANETSIDE shows some of the really brilliant screenwriting talent that is possessed by MARCUS TRAX, and the great vision of JAMES CAMERON. It’s a blend of the cutting edge and the gritty sides of science fiction filmmaking.

It’s a solid film, and a worthwhile viewing for even the closet sci-fi film fan, so I recommend that you…

BUY IT!!!

AVAILABLE ON DVD FROM CRAZY MOON PICTURES:

ACE BANNER 3: RETURN TO FURY
It seems to me that HARRY STARK didn’t really want to bankroll much money into this failing franchise, and the end result speaks loudly as to why.

QUENTIN TARANTINO proves yet again that he is probably one of the most “over-hyped” Directors in filmmaking today, and I can’t help but wonder if ACE BANNER 3: RETURN TO FURY will be his “swan song”, spelling his absolute fall from grace at CRAZY MOON PICTURES.

I believe that when HARRY STARK hears the name of QUENTIN TARANTINO mentioned in the boardroom at the studio, it will send a shudder of trepidation down his spine.

My recommendation for the DVD release of ACE BANNER 3: RETURN TO FURY…

AVOID IT!!! (… AT ALL COSTS!!!)

This is almost as bad as a film can get, and who knows… it might become a “cult classic”, or a collector’s item someday.

AND, NOW IN THEATERS…

HOLLYWEIRD
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Cusack, Abigail Breslin, Jeff Bridges

Director: Joshua Collins
Producer: Joshua Collins
Screenwriter: Joshua Collins

My Thoughts: What price would you pay to be the “talk of the town”?

It is said that we all have a price that we are willing to pay, and some people have a higher price than others. Nothing could be any truer, than perhaps in the movie HOLLYWEIRD.

HOLLYWEIRD tells the story of five people, all part of the Hollywood industry, and somehow their stories become intertwined by the most amazing turn of events. This is not to say that these “turn of events” are far-fetched and unbelievable, but I really feel that only in Hollywood could such things happen. This, I believe, is what JOSHUA COLLINS is trying to convey in this motion picture… and I think he very much succeeds in this filmmaking endeavor.

HOLLYWEIRD shows the depth, as well as the shallow side of Hollywood. It shows the high price of fame, the rise… as well as the fall. It also goes to prove that just like the movie industry, nothing is as it really seems to be… but even so, we somehow can’t seem to get enough.

My ratings for HOLLYWEIRD are…

Originality of Screenplay




Interest of Storyline




Casting




JOSHUA COLLINS is starting to show some real insight into the art of filmmaking, and following on the heels of his film 72 HOURS… this one is a great second film for him, and I look forward to more films in the future.

ALSO, COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU…

VORHEES: THE BLOODY YEARS

Starring: Elijah Wood, Michael Pitt, Jamie Lee Curtis, John C. Reilly, Chad Michael Murray, Alexa Vega, and Nikki Reed

Director: Eli Roth
Producer: Matt Kubrick
Screenwriter: Matt Kubrick

My Thoughts: Many of us have all experienced poison ivy at least once in our lives when we were children. Your mother or father probably told you the same thing that they told me… “Don’t scratch it, you’re just going to make it worse.” Did we listen, the first time… probably not, but then we hopefully learned from the bad experience.

Would somebody please stop scratching the Friday the 13th/Jason itch? We’ve seen about all we can see, taken all we can take… and tolerated this character through a few bad sequels and poorly written scripts. Someone needs to break out the filmmaking equivalent of calamine lotion…and stop this irritating infection.

The “slasher film” has outlived its shock value, and it rarely seems to frighten us any longer.

There is one thing I thought that was truly scary about VORHEES: THE BLOODY YEARS…

It was truly scary that this film was even allowed to see the light of day in the first place.

How do I rate VORHEES: THE BLOODY YEARS?

Originality of Screenplay




Interest of Storyline




Casting




To me, it’s a true “clunker” of a film.

Well everyone… That’s it for this edition of PREVIEWING ATTRACTIONS WITH MISTERBALDY. So, until next time;

Head out to the lobby, go buy yourself a large popcorn, as well as a drink, and…

SEE YOU IN THE MOVIES!!!