2015 Summer Movie Season - Month 3 Preview (July 2015)

Big Fireworks!!!! Minions, Thieves, Terminators, and IMF Highlight Loaded July Line Up!!!

By: Brandon Porter

Hello Followers!!! As the third month of the summer movie season gets ready start, with it comes a enormous line up of potential box office smashers. Marvel, Tom Cruise, Terminator, and the minions are all key players in this packed collection of must see films. Let's break them all down shall we....

Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese are back in the
next installment of the Terminator series

Terminator Genisys (Paramount Pictures, July 1st)

The future is in a state of all out war!!! The future of mankind hangs in the balance as Skynet and the Human Race face off in a global conflict that will decide the future of earth. When resistance leader John Connor discovers the machines have sent a Terminator back in time to murder his mother thus erasing his existence, Kyle Reese steps up to protect her from the impending fate that awaits her. However, Kyle comes to realize that the Sarah Connor John described is actually quite different than the one he meets. Jai Courtney, Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, and Arnold Schwarzenegger star in the action packed retelling of the Terminator franchise. The future has been reset and a new fate is set to unfold as Terminator Genisys opens in theaters July 1st.

Check out The Latest Official Trailer

 

America's favorite henchman are back in the spin-off of the
Despicable Me series.

Minions (Universal Pictures, July 10th)

 

Before now, we all knew that the lovable minions of notorious villain Gru delivered constant laughs and undeniable charm. But it turns out these guys had a life before they met their current boss. Serving as the spin off of the Despicable Me films, Minions follows the journey of Bob, Kevin, and Stuart as they go on a long adventure to find the biggest, baddest, and most notorious villain to pledge their allegiance too. The Minions take over July 10th.

 

 

 

 

Check out The Latest Official Trailer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scott Lang prepares to take on the role of the shrinking
hero in the final film of Marvel Phase 2.

 

 

Marvel's Ant-Man (Marvel Studios, July 17th)

 

 Not all heroes are created equal. They come from all walks of life. Some are war veterans, genius inventors, demi gods, and scientist. With all the mystery and wonder behind them, it is hard to imagine a hero being anything but a powerful being with superhuman abilities...Until now. Down on his luck and fighting to make his family proud, a local thief gets a chance to make a big difference in a not so big way. Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, and Evangeline Lilly star in the final film in Marvel's Phase two line-up as the newest member of the MCU family and original Avengers team member makes his big screen debut. Are you ready to experience the rise of the Ant-Man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out The Latest Official Trailer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cara Delevingne and Nat Wolff star in the latest adaptation
of one of John Green's novel

Paper Towns (20th Century Fox, July 24th)

In life, you always get that one girl that you think, dream, and obsess about constantly. Q has that in Margo Roth Spiegelman. Brimming with beauty and mystery, Margo shows Q how to step out of his comfort zone and live life on the edge. When Margo disappears suddenly, Q goes on a life changing quest to find her and also finds himself in the process. Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne star in the on screen adaptation of John Green's award winning novel. Filled with humor, mystery, and romance, Paper Towns looks to be a breath of fresh air for fans of Green's work and for fans of The Fault In Our Stars.

Check out The Latest Official Trailer

 

Video Games invade earth in the sci fi action comedy from
director Chris Columbus

Pixels (Columbia Pictures, July 24th)

Of all the things that you think earth would be invaded by, it's safe to assume Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and Centipede were not high on the list. After NASA sends video games into outer space looking to make contact with extraterrestrial life, that extraterrestrial life responds by invading earth as classic video game characters. With the world at stake, humanity turns to professional gamers who have the knowledge and skills to take it to these pixelated invaders. Adam Sandler, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, and Kevin James star in the sci fi comedy for the gamer in us all. Pixels takes over the world one joystick at a time on July 24th.

Check out The Latest Official Trailer

 

Ethan Hunt and the crew are back for quite possibly
their craziest and most daring mission yet

Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation (Paramount Pictures, July 31st)

You'd think climbing and jumping from the world's tallest building would be the biggest and craziest mission task IMF agent Ethan Hunt has ever done. But nothing could prepare him for this. After the fallout of Ghost Protocol, Hunt and his team find themselves on the brink of a national crisis when a dormant syndicate rises from the shadows looking to cause chaos. Hunt, Benji, and the others may have met their match in their biggest and most outrageous mission yet. Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Jeremy Renner return in the fifth installment of the action spy thriller franchise. The stunts, gadgets, and stakes are at an all time high as Rouge Nation descends on audiences July 31st.

Check out The Latest Official Trailer

 

As you noticed, there is plenty to keep you busy this month. Look out for the reviews of these films and more in the coming weeks. Have a great day followers.

2015 Summer Movie Season - Month By Month Recaps

Month 2 Recap (June 2015)

Hey Followers, Month two of the summer movie season has concluded and I have to say it was pretty emotional. Chuck full of nostalgia and welcome returns, June was one of the most memorable months in the Summer Movie Season so far. Let's go over the films that were released this month and how they did....

  Here Are Some Of Standout Films That Were Released This Month

 

 

 

 

Jurassic World

You’d think after 14 years, people would be over the idea of seeing genetically modified dinosaurs on the big screen again. Well after a historic theatrical run by Jurassic World, I say people are not only still for the idea, but bananas about it. The latest instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise had an unprecedented run at the theaters behind solid acclaim from fans and critics as well as becoming not only the third movie this year to reach over a billion dollars but also the highest grossing movie of all time. Life has found a way and fans better hold on to their butts as more sequel prepare to stomp our way soon

 

Inside Out

I guess a one year absence can do you some good. After a slew of below average releases Pixar Animation Studios took a year off from theaters and returned with a vengeance to deliver possibly one of the best films in their library ever. Hilarious, smart, and nothing short of emotional, Inside Out has fans sing joyful noises over one of the best animated films of the year.

 

 

 

Ted 2

In the second running of the foul mouthed teddy bear. It seems people are starting to “outgrow” the appeal of Seth MacFarlane’s furry and raunchy character. Despite its best attempts to be as funny and memorable as the first, the film unfortunately failed to garner the same appeal. I guess what was considered amusing the first time isn’t as great the second time around.

 

 

Here is a Breakdown on How the Following Films Did Financially and Among Critics

Best Box Office Numbers (As of June 29th, 2015)

 

 

1. Jurassic World: $1.237 Billion

2. Inside Out: $266.4 million

 

 

 

3. Ted 2: $53.3 million

 

Best Critical Success (via. Rotten Tomatoes)

1. Inside Out: (98% Certified Fresh)

 

2. Jurassic World: (71% )

 

 

 

3. Ted 2: (47%)

 

 What Was the film you most enjoyed? Be sure to stay tuned for the latest post down the road. See ya Next Time.

 

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2015 Summer Movie Season - Inside Out: Review & Analysis

 

Joyful Noise!!!! Pixar Returns Strong In Brilliantly Done “Emotion” Picture!!!!

Review By: Brandon Porter

Meet The Little Voices Inside Your Head.

Story

Do you ever wonder what goes on inside your own head? Well, you are about to get a small glimpse at what it’s like. As ten year old Riley endures the tough period of adolescence, her various emotions Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Anger (Lewis Black) are hard at work guiding her through this rough stage of childhood. When unexpected events start to effect Riley severely, it’s up to Joy and the gang to save the day and make the life of this ten year old girl more meaningful than ever.



Joy and Sadness on The Train of Thought Heading Back To Headquarters.

Analysis

After taking a year off, Pixar Animation Studios looked to make a huge statement after their previous releases garnered less than critical praise. With an original story, top notch voice cast, and beautiful animation, the pieces were in place to see the studio get back the magic they once had. The results: Quite possibly the studios best work in recent years. Inside Out received universal acclaim with an overwhelmingly positive 98% certified fresh rating via rotten tomatoes to go with an equally impressive 92% fresh rating from audiences. However, despite the outstanding critical reception the film, didn’t grab the number one spot at the weekend box office. But that didn’t mean the film didn’t do well financially. In fact, the film did just as well financially as it did critically. Even though the film couldn’t top previous box office champ Jurassic World, the film pulled in an enormously satisfying $91 Million at the box office. It is now the biggest opening weekend gross of an original Pixar film and the studio’s second biggest opening of all time behind 2010’s Toy Story 3. Overall, Inside Out may not have taken the weekend crown, but the film still managed to be one of the biggest critically acclaimed blockbusters of the summer.

Joy and Sadness Accompanied By Riley's Imaginary Friend Bing Bong 

Review

                Over the course of my childhood, Pixar has given me some of the most memorable movie moments ever. However, over the past few years, I had the disappointing feeling that after so much success that Pixar might have been losing it’s touch. With films ranging from disappointingly bad to decently passable, I hoped their new film, Inside Out, would signal that the studio had found the magic that has made them one of the most consistent and imaginative studios in Hollywood. After seeing the film, I can only describe it as: one of the best films the studio has ever created. Inside Out is a rich, vibrant, and nothing short of brilliant film that shows Pixar still has that golden touch that has made them a staple in the business for 2 decades. First off, it comes to no surprise that the film visually gorgeous. Brimming with vibrant color and outstanding detail, Inside Out is just an absolute joy to look at. Cast wise, the voice acting is also terrific. The cast does a terrific job bringing the film to life. Amy Poelher is absolutely a “Joy” to hear as Joy. She gives her character depth, dimension, and a bright and colorful personality. Phyllis Smith is equally great as sadness. Despite her character’s moody, negative, and droopy demeanor, she has great intentions and a good heart despite making things difficult. Richard Kind is in my mind, one of the great standouts of the film, Bing Bong is a terrific character that fans won’t help but fall in love with. Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black, and Bill Hader do equally well as Disgust, Anger, and Fear offering some of the films best laughs. At the films core in terms of matching the action outside and inside Riley head, the film is nothing short of brilliant. Early on in the film inside Riley’s head as a child, Joy’s influence dominates the headquarters with only small moments of fear, sadness, disgust, and anger. However, as Riley turns 11 and starts experiencing adolescence and trying to adjust to a new environment, Joy’s presence is increasingly absent which makes sense given adolescence is an emotional time for a child. From the outside, Riley’s actions perfectly mirror the stages of adolescence and the action inside her head match perfectly and hilariously. This “What” concept is classic Pixar strategy that has not been used in a while but it has resulted in monumental success. “What if your toys came to life when you were not around?” (Toy Story), “What if the monsters in your closet actually used your screams to power their city?” (Monsters Inc), “What if the world were ruled by cars?” (Cars). Inside Out is no different offering “What happens inside your head when your experiencing emotions” concept that works amazingly well and makes the film stand out. It should also be noted that the film can be very emotional and heartbreaking as it can be funny. There were plenty of moments where I was laughing out loud then slowly holding back tears. The film is an emotional journey where the emotions have emotions if that makes any sense. All in all, Inside Out is a brilliantly done film that show that Pixar has their mojo back. Here to hoping they continue this consistency with the future films on their list

Rating and Final Thoughts

Gorgeous animation, hilarious, and brimming with heart and emotion, Inside Out offers that classic Pixar magic and signals a return to form for the studio.

Nothing but joyful vibes in arguably one of the best Pixar films in the collection.

2015 Summer Movie Season - Jurassic World: Review & Analysis

Life Finds A Way!!! Jurassic World Is The Thrilling Installment That Fans Can Finally Be Proud Of!!!

By: Brandon Porter

The Park Is Open

Story

                Years ago, John Hammond owned an island just of the coast of Costa Rica. There, it housed a place where he hoped to bring the greatest creatures on the face of the planet to the many people around the world. That place was known as Jurassic Park, a prehistoric attraction where humans and dinosaurs could meet face to face in a once in a lifetime experience. Sadly, after tragic events befell a test run of the park, Hammond's dream was scraped under the notion it would never come true. 22 years later however, John Hammond’s dream has found new life. With state of the art technology, high ranking security, and advanced genetics, Hammond’s dream of a fully functioning and thriving dinosaur theme park is fully realized as the once doomed vision returns from the ashes with a new sense of wonder for a new generation to see. Welcome….to Jurassic World!!!



Staring down the face of danger.

Analysis

Among hearing news that Universal Pictures was in the process of making a sequel to Jurassic Park, Skepticism and anticipation surrounded the project prior to release. With a director of acclaimed independent film in the driver seat and rising superstar Chris Pratt in the lead role, signs pointed to what would hopefully be a successful all around instalment. The result were just that. Jurassic World was very good critically receiving a solid 70% critical rating and an even stronger audience rating of 86%. Despite the good critical reception, it’s the film’s box office numbers that are truly a sight to behold. Jurassic World pulled in an unprecedented $204.6 million at the domestic box office in addition to $307.2 million overseas. The worldwide total of $511.8 million makes Jurassic World not only the highest grossing film of 2015 but also the fastest movie to ever to gross half a billion dollars in a single weekend and the highest ever global box office weekend ever. Other records broken by the film include highest June opening weekend (previously held by 2013’s Man of Steel) with $204 million, highest grossing Universal Pictures opening weekend (previously held by fellow Universal film Furious 7) with $204 million, best Worldwide IMAX opening (previously held by Marvel’s Iron Man 3) with $44.1 million, and highest June opening day (previously held by The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) with $82.8 million. With the great critical reception and historic box office pull, Jurassic World has no question become one of the biggest films of the year. After all these years, this beloved franchise’s life still has the ability to find a way.

The Raptor Pack Is On The Hunt

Review

                For as long as I can remember, Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park has been a staple in my childhood. The film blew my mind and led to a childhood obsession with dinosaurs and science fiction in general. Even as an adult, I still love the film dearly while also discovering its well-structured cautionary subtext. When I first heard the rumblings of a fourth installment, I was both excited and worried, the last Jurassic Park film left a sour taste in people’s mouths that I didn’t think Universal could come back from. After years of development hell, the film was greenlit and the Jurassic Park franchise returned to Hollywood as Jurassic World. After seeing it in IMAX 3D, I can say as a fan, I am very pleased with what I’ve seen. Jurassic World is a lovingly done homage to the classic film that millions of fans have loved for generations. To start, Director Colin Trevorrow does a terrifically admirable job bringing the film to life. Given that he is as big a fan as everyone else, I can see his inner fan boy show cased throughout the film. There are a plethora of call backs to the original film not just the dinos themselves but props and sights like the night vision googles, Mr. DNA, the old Visitor Center, and the classic 92 Jeep Wrangler. But the thing that impressed me the most about Trevorrow is that he incorporated the inner subtext of the original within the film. The echoed warnings of Ian Malcolm’s “You read what others had done, and you took the next step. You didn’t earn any of the knowledge or yourself so you didn’t take any responsibility” monologue to Ellie’s rant to Hammond about respect and controlling Mother Nature are essentially present throughout the film. It is really this reason that the film holds well together. In terms of acting, Chris Pratt is strong in the lead role as Owen Grady. His character is easily likable thanks to his understanding and compassion for the dinosaurs especially his raptors. Bryce Dallas Howard is equally strong as Claire. Her character arc is a very structured and evolving journey. She is portrayed as a workaholic who is constantly focused on maintaining the stability and relevance of the park. Her disregard for the dinosaurs as just numbers on a spread sheet is also an effective tool or how out of touch with nature she is. It isn’t until she gets out into the field that she realizes that these aren’t just a bunch of lab rats, these are living creatures with feelings and emotions which makes for a terrific redemption point for her character. Others like Omar Sy, Nick Robinson, and Ty Simpkins deliver well in their roles. From an action stand point, the movie is all-out fun to watch. Despite seeing the sights of dinosaurs on screen, many fans guilty pleasure come from seeing dinosaurs feast on humans and each other. Thankfully, Jurassic World has plenty of dino-on-dino and dino-on-human carnage for fans to indulge in to their hearts content. Action sequences like the Pterandon raid, Owen and his raptors, and the epic climactic showdown between the Indominus Rex and the T-Rex, Jurassic World offers the best action I’ve seen from any films in the franchise. All in all, I couldn’t be happier with how the film turned out. Trevorrow’s love for the franchise is felt thoroughly in the film and he has delivered a sequel that both fans and critics can be proud of. Given the long road the film took to get made, I applaud everyone involved for delivering an installment that is every bit as thrilling and suspenseful as the original film I love so much.

Rating and Final Thoughts

With trilling action and lovingly done nods to the original, Jurassic World is a fun, intense, and well done love letter to one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made.

               

Despite everything against it, the Jurassic Park franchise’s life has once again found a way.

 

2015 Summer Movie Season - Month 2 Preview (June 2015)

Triumphant Returns!!! Dinos, Thunder Buddies, and Pixar Headline Second Month of Summer Movie Season!!!!

By: Brandon Porter

 

 

Hello Followers!!!! With the opening month concluded, focus shifts to the heart of the summer movie season with month 2. Seth Macfarlane, Pixar Studios, and the Jurassic Park franchise make their long returns to the silver screen with highly anticipated sequels sure to make noise at the box office. Without further ado, lets rundown month 2’s film line up

 

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard star
in the latest addition to Steven Spielberg's Sci-Fi Dino
Franchise. 

Jurassic World (Universal Pictures, June 12th)

Acclaimed director Steven Spielberg gave the movie world one of the most unforgettable movie experiences of all time with Jurassic Park back in June 1993. 22 years later, the franchise that defined a generation returns to thrill, excite, and terrify a new generation of fans. Director Colin Trevorrow brings Guardians of the Galaxy's Chris Pratt and The Help's Bryce Dallas Howard face to face with raptors, T-rex's, and mutated monsters in the next chapter of the epic prehistoric franchise Jurassic World. The park finds new life as the doors open on June 12th 2015.

Check out The Latest Official Trailer

 



Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, and Ronald Cyler star in the
comedy drama about the difference two teens make
in one sick girls life. 

Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl  (Fox Searchlight Pictures, June 12th)

Living with a life threatening illness is hard enough. But with friends by your side, the road to your seemingly inevitable long slumber becomes less of a burden to bear. After a successful running at the Sundance Film Festival, Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, and Ronald Cyler II star in the emotional comedy drama about two high school kids who try to make life easier for a fellow classmate living with leukemia. Experience the roller coaster tale of Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl as it makes it's nationwide debut on June 12th.

Check out The Latest Official Trailer

 

After taking a year off, Pixar brings its audience a "major emotion picture"

Inside Out (Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios,  May 19th)

Do you ever wonder about the "little voices inside your head"? Well, turns out they come in the form of various emotions including Anger, Disgust, Saddness, Fear, and Joy. Travel into the mind of 10 year old Riley Anderson as these emotions attempt to get her through the tough times of her childhood in Disney Pixar's Inside Out. Pixar returns after a year hiatus to deliver what looks like a return to form after a several year dry spell. Experience the world within the mind as Inside Out hits theaters on June 19th.

Check out The Latest Official Trailer

 

The thunder buddies are back in the sequel to one of the most successful comedies
of all time.

 

 

Ted 2 (Universal Pictures, May 26th)

 

John Bennett and Ted have been friends since childhood. After being John's best man at his wedding, John returns the favor by serving as his best man as he prepares to marry his girlfriend Tami Lynn. However, after Tami Lynn and Ted try to start a family, the government denies them the opportunity by citing that Ted is not human. Determined to help his friend get the life he wants, John and Ted embark on a journey to prove to the nation that he is just as human as any one else. Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, and Amanda Seyfried star in the sequel to the highly successful comedy from 2013. The thunder buddies return to fight the system in Ted 2 in theaters June 26th. 

 

 

 

Check out The Latest Official Trailer

 

 

 

 

 

Some great stuff headed our way this month. Stay tuned for the reviews of these films and more. Have a awesome night everyone.

 

2015 Summer Movie Season - Month By Month Recaps

Month 1 Recap (May 2015)

 

Hey Followers, Month one of the summer movie season is officially over and what a rush it was. Action, singing, screaming, and wonder were offered by the truckload in this incredibly busy opening
month. Let's go over how the standout films did in the first month recap of the summer....

 Here Are Some Of Standout Films That Were Released This Month

 

 

 Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron

As one of the most anticipated movies of the year, Marvel Studios had a lot to live up to in delivering a knockout Avengers sequel on the heels of two blockbusters a year ago. In the end, the film did outstanding financially while critically it was a little bit more on the underwhelming side. With praises coming for the action and tone and criticisms aimed at the overstuffed cast and underwhelming villain portrayal, Age of Ultron both succeeded and not succeeded in delivering the amazing sequel they promised their fans. With Phase 2 concluding in July with Ant-Man, focus now seems to be shifting to what lies for Marvel on the road to Infinity War.  

 

Pitch Perfect 2 

 The Barden Bellas returned with a vengeance in the sequel to the cult classic smash hit. Behind returning leads, plenty of musical surprises, and the breakout musical performance of series newcomer Hailee Steinfeld (who has officially signed her first record deal), Pitch Perfect 2 broke records and exceeded expectations becoming a sing worthy sequel that hits the right notes.






 

 

Mad Max: Fury Road 

Oozing with adrenaline, insanity, and some of the most innovative and flat out spectacular practical stunt work done on film in recent years, Mad Max Fury Road was met with universal acclaim from the entire movie community. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron carry this no holds barred action thriller that truly showcases a future that truly belongs to the Mad.






 

Tomorrowland 

 Brad Bird's ambitious and insightful sci fi adventure film offered plenty of substance and inspiration but lacked the action and spectacle that the other movies surrounding it offered. Uneven story telling but intellectually stable, Tomorrowland has a strong message to tell people but it's dull outer shell doesn't help it reach it's action crazed audience.



 

 

San Andreas

 San Andreas is a rocky road from an overall standpoint. Dwayne Johnson's action packed disaster film about the splitting of the San Andreas fault offered good moments but not offering anything standouttish or new. None the less, the film performed well becoming a box office success and proving Johnson's growing capabilities as a legitimate action movie star.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a Breakdown on How the Following Films Did Financially and Among Critics

 

 

Best Box Office Numbers (As of June 1st, 2015)

 

1. Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron: $1.321 billion

 

2. Mad Max: Fury Road: $280.9 million

 

3. Pitch Perfect 2: $228.2 million

 

4. Tomorrowland: $133.2 million

 

5. San Andreas: $113.2 million

 

 

 

Best Critical Success (via. Rotten Tomatoes)

 

1. Mad Max: Fury Road (98% Certified Fresh)

 

2. Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron (74% Certified Fresh)

 

3. Pitch Perfect 2 (66%)

 

4. Tomorrowland (49%)

 

5. San Andreas (49%)

 

What Was Your Favorite Film This Month? Be sure to stay tuned for all the latest post including the preview for June. Till Next Time.