Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Sentinels, good, bad, future, past, who cares? This movie needs more Quicksilver!

The year is 2023 and the world is in ruins thanks to the mutant-hunting machines known as the Sentinels. You’d think Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore), Bishop (Omar Sy), Colossus (Daniel Cudmore), Blink (Bingbing Fan), Warpath (Booboo Stewart) and Sunspot (Adan Canto) would make an unbeatable team, but back in 1973, Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) fit his Sentinels with Raven/Mystique’s (Jennifer Lawrence) DNA, so now they’re able to adapt to anything, essentially making them immune to mutant-powered attacks. With the Sentinels closing in fast, the only chance the surviving X-Men have is to send Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to stop Trask from ever getting his hands on Raven’s DNA in the first place.

“X-Men: Days of Future Past” opens exceptionally well with the aforementioned team of mutants going head-to-head with a group of Sentinels. Not only does the sequence have the benefit of rocking the thrill that comes with bringing back X-Men favorites and uniting them with a few new players, but the action itself is remarkable. The fire, ice and purple portals pop right off the bleak background, the combat is tense, exhilarating and also builds character through mid-fight decisions and reactions before ultimately culminating in a string of moments that proves that in just a few minutes, you’ve come to care about all of these characters. Unfortunately, we don’t get much of that last element through the rest of the film.

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SDCC 2011: All Good Things Must Come To An End … With A Giveaway!

I can’t believe it, but this is officially it; my coverage of San Diego Comic Con 2011 has come to a close. For five incredibly long days, the experience went by in a flash. The action was non-stop from the moment I touched down in San Diego and while it was extremely exhausting and probably one of the most trying working experiences I’ve ever gone through, it was beyond worth it.

So, what’d you think? Did you like my coverage choices? Were the formats I chose to report in effective? Do let me know because I’m thrilled to say, it looks as though I’ll be returning to Comic Con next year!

I do know I learned quite a few things for myself while out west. First off, I need to pack more food than a box of granola bars, or at least make time to pick up some items at a local supermarket. Between running around collecting coverage and then writing it up, there’s little to no time to grab a bite. Second, if I want to cover a panel, I’ve either got to get on line at about 5am or hunt down a press pass. I arrived for The Walking Dead panel over three hours early and the line to get into Ballroom 20 was already about 10,000 people long!

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SDCC 2011: Thursday Wrap Up And Photos

And that’s a wrap on my first full busy day at San Diego Comic Con. I kicked things off at the press conference for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, which featured Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed, Julia Jones and Booboo Stewart after which Bill Condon, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner took the stage. Before wrapping up things with Summit Entertainment, I spoke with the writer of one of the studio’s next book-to-film adaptations, Warm Bodies author Isaac Marion. Keep an eye out for that interview later this week.

From there it was off to the convention center where I spent some time checking out the goods including vendor booths like MIMOBOT (more to come from them later this week) and studio presentations like Lionsgates’ booth which is all decked out in Hunger Games’ flaming glory.

Time flew fast, so from there it was a brisk walk over to Ballroom 20 where author George R.R. Martin proudly presented the cast and writers who brought the first book of his A Song of Ice and Fire series to life, Game of Thrones. Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kit Harington, Jason Momoa and writers, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were all on hand to talk about their experience working on the show’s first season, the goodies that will come with the season one DVD as well as a bit of what to expect for season two and beyond.

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SDCC 2011: Game Of Thrones Panel LIVE

Ballroom 20 is just about packed to the brim, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise because Game of Thrones is on deck to take the stage. Once things kick off, be sure to keep refreshing your browser as I’ll be continually updating the page with the latest information.

It’s just after 3:00pm and here we go. The author of the books, George R.R. Martin takes the stage.

3:06 – First up is a short video presentation sampling what we’ve seen this past season. Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) is a fan favorite and gets a nice cheer during her clips. Oddly enough, it’s her on-screen brother, Harry Lloyd’s (Viserys Targaryen) clip that received the bigger reception as the montage feature a certain crown for a king.

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Interview: Saint John Of Las Vegas’ Steve Buscemi

A movie starring Steve Buscemi? Yes, the time has come for Buscemi to emerge from his stereotypical witty sidekick role and take command of a film as its leading man. In Saint John of Las Vegas, Buscemi stars as John, a guy trying to escape his gambling addiction by fleeing Vegas and taking up a desk job at an insurance company. His new tranquility is disturbed when he’s assigned to join his company’s top fraud investigator on a case – in Las Vegas.

To most people, seeing Buscemi as a movie’s titular character is a monumental difference. But, to Buscemi, playing John is no different than playing a supporting role in films like Youth in Revolt or The Messenger. Whether it’s a prominent character or not, Buscemi puts everything he’s got into making that individual as memorable as possible.

Next up on Buscemi’s schedule? The new HBO series Boardwalk Empire and in a starring role nonetheless! He’ll play Nucky Thompson, the man in charge in Atlantic City in the 1920s. Boardwalk Empire won’t air until the fall, but in the meantime, you can see Buscemi in Saint John of Las Vegas when it hits theaters in Los Angeles and New York on January 29th.

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Interview: Saint John Of Las Vegas’ Romany Malco

Do you know anyone who got a laugh out of the movie Precious. I do and his name is Romany Malco. The concept seemed a little ridiculous at first, but Malco actually provided a rather sound explanation, “To me, comedy’s always been about making light of the drama.” If only everyone had his attitude.

We’re used to seeing Malco in laugh-out-loud comedies like The 40 Year-Old Virgin, but he’s switching gears a bit for a more offbeat comedy,Saint John of Las Vegas. Malco plays Virgil, an insurance agency’s top fraud investigator with an ego to match. Whether he’s cracking jokes in Baby Mama, getting more indirect laughs through his antics in Saint John or just having an everyday conversation, Malco bleeds comedy. This was no interview, it was a Romany Malco standup set and I loved every minute of it.

All joking aside, Malco has some serious talent and appreciation for his good fortune. Read on to learn Malco’s take on everything from his dating style to adlibbing ability to his upcoming film Gulliver’s Travels.

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Interview: Saint John Of Las Vegas Director Hue Rhodes

Hue Rhodes is every professor’s dream. He may have arrived at NYU to study film rather late compared to his peers, but his drive to succeed and passion for the art made him a model student. During a roundtable interview, the first time writer/director gushed about all he learned at school and how it made him the filmmaker he is today.

His mentors should be proud because his feature debut, Saint John of Las Vegas, makes its way into theaters in New York and Los Angeles on January 29th with a wider release planned for February 12th. What’s even more impressive is the brilliant minds he attracted to join the project. Not only does the film star Steve Buscemi, Romany Malco, Sarah Silverman, Peter Dinklage, Tim Blake Nelson, John Cho and Emmanuelle Chriqui, but it’s executive produced by Buscemi, Wren Arthur, Stanley Tucci and Spike Lee.

The film boasts a unique charm, just like its creator. Saint John is Rhodes’ first feature film, but it certainly won’t be his last. Check out what Rhodes says about his journey to the director’s chair and lessons he’s learned for the future.

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Review: Saint John of Las Vegas

Steve Buscemi isn’t a betting man, but he took a chance on a first time writer/director to step out of the character actor realm and take a starring role in Saint John of Las Vegas. It’s far from a masterpiece, but Hue Rhodes manages to do Buscemi justice providing him with a character ripe with emotion and a fascinating complexity. Buscemi returns the favor by powering the film with an engaging oddity.

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