Just about 10 hours ago Marvel officially released the "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" teaser trailer. This is less than a day after it was leaked on YouTube, although it should have been officially released in a week. After the leak Marvel tweeted "Dammit, Hydra." and of course did the best thing possible - released it officially on their channel. It already has more than 6 million views.
It is absolutely epic and much darker than the "Avengers Assemble". The trailer finally gives us a promise of a really good villain (after Loki) in the face of Ultron, who, quite efficiently quotes Pinocchio, while stepping out (exactly like a puppet) to confront the Avengers. The song used in the trailer is also a version of the Pinocchio song and it sounds very creepy and ominous.
Tony Stark apparently will have central role in the movie, since he is the one that has the capacity to create the AI for Ultron, which will add up enormously to the drama and the development of his character. Also, we get to see Stark's Hulkbuster armor and apparently at some point Hulk will turn against the Avengers (or just Stark?). We also see an interesting gentle moment between the Hulk and Black Widow. So I really want to see where this will go, especially after "The Winter Soldier" where her character got much more development. Also, very importantly - Cap's broken shield! This thing is not easy to break, even Thor couldn't do it! We know that Steve Rogers won't be in many more movies, so this is very, very intriguing... And Andy Serkis is in the movie, too! So many great things, I think I could get over the fact that there will be no Loki!
And since this is my favorite part of the trailer, here's the original song:
Stars: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper , Zoe Saldana, David
Bautista, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker
“Guardians
Of The Galaxy” is funny, action-packed, full of adventures and most importantly
– unique and lovable characters. In the first part of the movie we see how The
Guardians meet and their formation as the group of outsiders that will save the
galaxy. This part is a bit rushed and their motivations don’t seem completely
clear. However, you can let that slide, knowing that this movie has the big
task to present not only a whole new team of largely unknown heroes without
doing origin stories; it also has to introduce the audience to the huge cosmic
Marvel universe for the first time. And it does these things pretty well, while
watching the movie you are immersed in this vast and colourful world. Besides The
Guardians, you see other important personas and places in the galaxy, new races
and essential entities from the Marvel universe like the Nova Corps, Yondu (Michael
Rooker) or The Collector (Benicio del Toro).
“Guardians
Of The Galaxy” is arguably the funniest Marvel movie and it can be easily
classified as comedy. It has kind of goofy, cheeky humor and it’s very
self-aware (in a good way). If you like that kind of thing, you will definitely
love it. I saw it twice in the cinema, the second time the audience wasn't very excited, but at the first screening there were people around me who laughed so
hard that scared me. There were also audible reactions to some of the songs. It
was just one of these rare movie-going experiences when even if everyone is a
bit noisy, there’s this feeling of shared excitement.
Of course,
as everyone already knows even without seeing the movie - the soundtrack is
great, with the songs perfectly fitting the scenes and keeping the humanity and
its culture at the heart of this crazy, alien world. It’s not just great
achievement as a music collection, but the way it is integrated as a central
part of the story, even as a character by itself.
The story in
its essence is not very unique or different from that of the other Marvel
movies. But it’s presented in a fresh, heartfelt form, revolving around a few memorable
and intriguing badass characters. Chris Pratt as Star Lord (Peter Quill) is…
well, he is THE Star Lord. He is funny, charming, a bit heartbroken and lost in
this crazy world, where he is the only human. Peter Quill is the most
fleshed-out character and he is at the heart of the story. The other big stars
of the movie (and not just for the kids) are definitely Rocket Raccoon (Bradley
Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel). With their unique friendship and backstories,
along with the amazing CGI, these two can easily steal the show, providing some of
the most emotional and funny moments in the movie. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Drax
(David Bautista) aren't exactly on the same level, but I hope that they’ll have
more screen time in the next movie. It is also true that the villain is quite plain, but that didn't really bother me. The only character (or the acting –
I’m not really sure) that actually annoyed me was Nebula (Karen Gillan) - there’s
just something about her manner of moving and speaking (it’s probably
subjective), but I guess there wasn't much time for her backstory as well.
Outside the Guardians the most intriguing character for me was definitely Yondu.
And his weapon… wow!
The movie looks great and it is certainly the most colourful Marvel film with some really
amazing space scenery. The space imagery, along with the action sequences,
would probably look even better and clearer without the 3D. Still, the 3D wasn't bad and it was actually used in a really fun way for a few scenes.
“Guardians
Of The Galaxy” makes me very excited about the sequel, because now that it has laid
out the basics we can get more character development. And I can’t imagine how
excited I would be if I watched this as a kid (especially for Rocket and
Groot). So, I will give this charming and refreshing space opera 5 Kubricks,
although I realize that it might be the geeky part of me speaking…
“The
Nutcracker Suite” is an album from 1960 recorded by Duke Ellington’s jazz band.
This splendid album is comprised of jazz interpretations of "The Nutcracker"
ballet by Tchaikovsky. The arrangements for the album are done by
Ellington himself and Billy Strayhorn (another great composer popular for songs like "Take the 'A' Train" and "Lush Life"), with
whom he worked on various projects. In 2013 “The Nutcracker Suite” was recorded
again by Steven Richman and the Harmonie Ensemble (New York).
The
festivity and the wonder of “The Nutcracker” seem to make it the most suitable
of Tchaikovsky’s works for a jazz adaptation. At least, that’s the impression
that Ellington’s arrangement gives you. This album is crafted with care and
attention to detail. In no way it is a simple re-recording of classical works
by the average jazz band, it consists of playful variations, solos and in some of
the tracks large sections of the main theme are replaced with pure jazz delights
by Ellington and Strayhorn.
To my
knowledge, classical “remakes” are rarely successful and often reduce the
quality of the original material or simply don’t manage to make anything
interesting with it. But “The Nutcracker Suite” is absolutely inspired, it doesn’t
simplify the classical piece, but elevates the jazz genre to that of the old
masters by creatively recomposing and in fact enriching the music in surprising
ways. Elegant, profound and wonderfully balancing the initial material
with marvelous jazz techniques, this album is an instrumental bliss for both
fans of Ellington and Tchaikovsky.
The album
was also re-released in 1990 under the name “Three Suites” and includes
Ellington's arrangements of Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite" and
"Suite Thursday", which is his tribute to John Steinbeck.
Here’s the
list of all tracks on the album. Ellington also changed the titles
appropriately.
"Overture"
"Toot Toot Tootie Toot (Dance of
the Reed-Pipes)"
"Peanut Brittle Brigade
[March]"
"Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar-Plum
Fairy)"
"Entr'acte"
"Volga Vouty (Russian
Dance)"
"Chinoiserie (Chinese
Dance)"
"Danse of the Floreadores (Waltz
of the Flowers)"
"Arabesque Cookie (Arabian Dance)"
And list of
the great musicians involved:
Duke Ellington – piano
Willie Cook, Fats Ford, Ray
Nance, Clark Terry - trumpet
Lawrence Brown, Booty Wood, Britt
Woodman - trombone
Juan Tizol - valve trombone
Jimmy Hamilton - clarinet, tenor
saxophone
Johnny Hodges - alto
saxophone
Russell Procope - alto
saxophone, clarinet
Paul Gonsalves - tenor
saxophone
Harry Carney - baritone
saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Aaron Bell - bass
Sam Woodyard – drums
"Dance of the Floreadores" (Waltz of the Flowers) from “The Nutcracker Suite”:
Starring: Andy Serkis, James Franco, Freida Pinto,
John Lithgow, Tom Felton
“Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes” isn't a
sequel or a prequel to the original movies, it’s not exactly the standard
remake, too. It is closest to a re-imagining of “Conquest Of The
Planet Of The Apes” (1972) with different, more relatable for the 21st
century, plot.
Having said that, the great achievement of the movie
is to actually make the entire story of how the planet of the apes came to be
rather plausible. You don’t watch this movie occasionally going “That’s
absolutely ridiculous”. The story is pretty much straightforward, but the
detail is what makes it an enthralling experience. The movie is a little less
than 2 hours long and it feels like half an hour. I heard some complains about
the pacing in the beginning of the film, but for me it was timed
perfectly: it gives you time to get to know the characters before the
badassery of the apes ensues.
The movie has a surprising emotional pull and the
brilliant Andy Serkis as Caesar just breaks your heart. He is indeed the lead
in the movie and the most fleshed out character, not Will Rodman, the scientist
who takes care of him (played by James Franco). He is more schematic and far less
engaging, but sometimes reminds us of doctor Frankenstein. John Lithgow`s
performance as Will’s father is also good and touching. But as a whole the
humans are largely in the background of the story, the most intriguing
characters all throughout the movie remain the apes. The best example is Freida
Pinto’s role as Will’s girlfriend who, except for being very beautiful, doesn't really
have anything to do on the screen. But that’s not that unsettling,
since the monkeys are genuinely fascinating and the movie deliberately focuses
on them. You understand their motivations and even root for them by the end.
The cinematography is great, the movie is beautifully
shot. The CGI is also excellent (all motion capture), for me
it wasn't entirely convincing in the scenes with the younger Caesar,
but it didn't really take me out of the story. I have
another minuscule gripe – the presence of a little bit of voice-over,
which probably the movie could go without.
The movie touches the well-known questions about
intelligence, our treatment of animals (minorities if you wish), corporal
greed, what can be justified in the name of science etc. These problems are
presented, although not explored in huge dept. Still, “Rise Of The Planet Of
The Apes” is a terrific movie, well above the average blockbuster – it is
visually gripping, smart, well-balanced and moving. I give it 4 and a half Kubricks.
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall
Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal
This
movie followsthe journey of Jon, portrayed
by Domhnall Gleeson, who is searching for his place on the music scene and in life
in general, when he happens to play keyboards for Frank’s band with unpronounceable
name “The Soronprfbs”. He’s fascinated with Frank, not just because of the fake
head he’s wearing all the time, but his musical talent and mysterious personality.
Frank Sidebottom, Captain Beefheart,
Daniel Johnston are among the musicians that inspired the movie. However, you
can enjoy the story even you haven’t heard these names. Jon Ronson, one of the
co-writers was actually part of Frank Sidebottom’s band, but the screenplay,
initially based on his
publications, later became an absolutely fictional story. And Peter
Straughan is already an established name with Oscar nomination for “Tinker
Tailor Soldier Spy”.
In
the trailer and promotional clips for the movie, we have heard probably the
weirdest parts of the score, but in fact, the soundtrack provides some really
exceptional, even profound songs. The fictional band in the movie does feel
like a real band and the songs (written by Stephen Rennicks) have a fresh,
unique sound. What makes it feel so organic and special is also the fact that
it was recorded on the set by the actors (the drummer is actually a pro
musician –Carla Azar from the band Autolux).
The
movie is original and unpredictable, without it seeming forced or simply
random. It really gives you the sense that everything on the screen happens
organically and that you are observing the creative process of this band
consisting of unique, intriguing characters. The little narration in the movie
is given to us via social media posts, which is not simply convenient, but
questions how we use these tools to represent ourselves and particularly how it
affects the creative process.
“Frank”
plays with our preconceptions about musical genius and madness, it questions what
is to be truly unique and creative, rather than simply mediocre (as one of the characters
puts it “There can be only one Frank”), how do you stay true to yourself and
your music etc. The movie beautifully draws both intense and quiet scenes that
can be really profound at times and constantly increases our interest in the
characters.
The
directorial work is outstanding; all performances are absolutely great,
starting from Maggie Gyllenhaal’s extreme and magnetic role to Michael
Fassbender’s undeniable talent as comedian, who also manages to create a moving
and intriguing character without even showing his face.
“Frank”
is a genuinely funny piece of cinema with a lot of laughs along the way, but
it’s not only a comedy, it maneuvers between emotions effortlessly, mixing humor
and drama to create the engrossing atmosphere of a great tragicomedy. By the
end “Frank”becomes an absorbing and
poignant piece of movie-making. It is not easy to compare it to anything else
and it’s full of energy, wit and wonder. It deserves 5 full Kubricks.
