The A To Z Blogger Challenge: Day 22 - V Is For V for Vendetta

V... V can only be for one thing... V is for Vendetta!!!!! Remember, Remember, The 5th of November.... Alan Moore & David Lloyd's classic graphic novel got a pretty great film version courtesy of the Wachowski  Brothers, and I can't possibly have enjoyed it any more. So well done, so perfect. Hugo Weaving, Stephen Fry and Stephen Rea bring us the British angle of the story, and I think the star of the movie has to be Natalie Portman as Evey. She is amazingly vulnerable, and eventually comes back stronger than ever due to the help that the main mystery man V gives her. I had the opportunity to meet David Lloyd last year and asked him what he thought of the film version of his comic that he drew, and he said he loved it as well. We all know that Alan Moore hates every type of adaption of his literary work... but if it gets a co-sign from one of it's creators (and its not the crazy one!!!) than it is good enough for me. I have always loved Natalie Portman, and after this movie I will always have a soft spot for her. So she is the obvious choice for the Letter V... because she is V. You can see more of the people participating in the A to Z blogger challenge by clicking here, and check out Natalie's pics after the jump...

Thor... Now Thats How You Get A Comic Book Movie Right!!!

Asgard... stunning!

I went to a midnight screening of Thor on Thursday night with my CCD partners in crime Tommy Lombardozzi and Jeff Bond (and my man Jon as well... whatup Jon!!!) and I couldn't be happier. This is what being a geek is all about, no? Late night movies before anyone can ruin it for you by telling you what happens or posting on Facebook about key plot points... if you see it before everyone then you got the advantage. At least that's what I keep telling myself after all these years... but I digress.

Your welcome ladies...

The movie was pretty awesome, and I am not one to say something like that lightly. I can honestly say that I can like something without being totally enamored by it. I am definitely not somebody who has to ABSOLUTELY love something in order to give it some credit. Thankfully, Thor was not one of those movies that I had to worry about. I loved it... all 'round loved it! Here are a few reasons why:

• They got the little details right. The Rainbow Bridge leading out of Asgard was stunning. I envisioned them getting this wrong and seeing a huge gaybird bridge... that would have been devastating. The smaller details in a wide sweeping movie like this are what really drive home the point.
• The characters all looked the part. Chris Hemsworth is Thor... shit, I can't see him playing ANYTHING else beside Thor. Portman was believable as a scientist. 'The Warriors Three' looked amazing, very comic book accurate. Future OHC (later this week... your welcome!) Jaime Alexander was stunning as Sif. Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins were perfect as elder gods. And that brings me to my next point...
• The Frost Giants!!!!!! Amazing... just amazing. They looked creepy as hell, their world was unreal, and that creature that they had chasing Thor & the crew was a CGI masterpiece. Very well done.
• The fight scenes were plentiful and were quite satisfying. Good action... thats what I want from these movies.
• It was funny... these are COMIC books after all. There needs to be some humor in these movies, and Thor finds a way to incorporate humor into the plot without being overlay cheesy. I love the fish-out-of-water portions of the story. Very funny stuff.
• Kat Dennings can still get it, despite the fact they made her look like an early 90's grunge reject... boobies don't lie son!!!
• The helmets rocked... super accurate yet not ridiculous. I always liked Loki's helmet, and they did it just right.
• I loved the 'after the movie' scene... seems to allude to the Capt America movie... looking forward to how it all fits together. 'Cosmic Cube'... yes please!!!

This was an wonderful movie that I couldn't recommend enough. If you are an old fan of Thor or new to the character, this movie is sure to make for some viewing pleasure at the movies. Summer movie season is upon us... comic nerds rejoice!!!

Lets finish with some Thor hotties....

Proof There Is A God: Natalie Portman Edition Pt. 2

In honor of the release of Thor in the movies (it was GREAT!!!) we revisit the loveliness that is Natalie Portman for a second time... and yes, she is still hot!!!

Making Out With Scarlett Johanson... HOT!!!

Proof That There Is A God: 2011 Oscar Edition

***Please click Read more below to see the rest of the lovely ladies of the Oscars***

CCD Jacks The Oscars - Year 2: Mike D's Oscar Picks

Another year in film has come and gone and, my, what a year it's been. The Academy Awards air live this Sunday February 27th and a lot of us will be front and center for all the action!

While my addiction to movies (via Netflix Instant or in the theater) is well documented on this blog, it should come as no surprise that I take the Oscars quite seriously. Why you ask? Because I know that they are a 50/50 representation of everything I love about film. They represent 50% of whats right with making films, and 50% of what sucks about the film making industry. Excellent films like 'Winter's Bone' (this year) and 'Frozen River' (2 years ago) would never be known to the public at all if not for the Oscar nods they got. Would 'The King's Speech really have made over $100 million if it wasn't Oscars darling this season? I think not. But it's not all roses. The Oscars also represent the conformity that is required in Hollywood to get the nominations, let alone win an Oscar. Honestly, how can you snub Chris Nolan for 'Best Director', or never nominate a horror film for any awards despite how wildly popular they are (check the numbers... horror makes bank, son). I have seen all 10 of this years 'Best Film' nominees, and frankly the only one I can see myself constantly revisiting would be 'Inception' and 'True Grit'. That's not to say I didn't like the others... I just didn't LOVE them. I saw plenty of other films this year that I did love (um... Scott Pilgrim anyone?), yet they are missing. So it goes.

 Anyways, here are my pics for the 2011 Oscars. CCD jacks the show once again. Hope you enjoy the picks, and the awesome fan art that I took from over at Reelizer. It completes the deal. Enjoy!!!

***Please click 'Read more' below to see Mike D's 2011 Oscar Picks***

The Vanity Fair 'Hollywood Issue' Cover... Yes Please!!!

Left to Right: Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Franco, Jennifer Lawrence, Anthony Mackie, Olivia Wilde (Holy.Shit.WOWWWW), Jesse Eisenberg, Mila Kunis, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones, Garrett Heldlund, Noomi Rapace, and Robert Duvall as the Bartender(in the background).

I can see they are going with a young Hollywood theme here (except for Duvall), which is fine, but I only have one question: Where is Natalie Portman, any of the Harry Potter and /or Twilight stars, and Emma Stone? How can you leave those guys out, with all they accomplished this year and all they got lined up next year... Who do you guys think VF forgot for this years cover? Tell us in the comment section below.

I Hope They Put The Natalie Portman Thong Shot Back In "Your Highness"...

... or else I will be very disappointed. A few weeks back the red band trailer came out for "Your Highness", the medieval stoner-type comedy that will be starring Danny McBride, James Franco, Zooey Deschanel, and the lovely Natalie Portman. Portman appeared in a chain mail thong, and movie trailer viewers everywhere instantly caught nerd boners simultaneously. So now we get the green band (censored) trailer for the film, and Portman has a traditonal bikini bottom on... WTF? Check it out:

I really like the sex crazed career path that Portman has taken as of late. First we have her getting eaten like a Chinese Buffet by Mila Kunis in Black Swan, then this sexy as bathing suit... keep up the good work Nat!!! I'm sure the censorship was just for the trailer, but boy am I glad we got to see that Amadala rump...

Showgirls Meets The Black Swan Trailer

This is amazing... they take footage from one of the all time worst movies ever, Showgirls, and set it to the voice track from The Black Swan trailer. The stories really do seem similiar enough that they could be interchangable... and the acting was so bad in Showgirls you can hardly notice that this is a re-dub and not the real dialouge. Enjoy some Jesse Spano titties with some Natalie Portman vocals. Enjoy...

Showgirls from Jeffrey McHale on Vimeo.

Black Swan Trailer MASH UP

 

 

New York Times Magazine: The Hollywood Issue - A Slideshow Of Stars

This weekend's NY Times Magazine is the annual Hollywood issue, and this year the magazine has invited some of this years brightest and best film stars to participate in a cool photo/video shoot. Film writer A.O. Scott provides this introduction to the photo/video project:

In the past, we have invited the year’s great performers to be themselves for the camera and, on video, to talk about what they do. This year, we asked them to do it: to show us — in a few gestures and with a few props but without dialogue or story — what acting is. And here they are, striking some of the classic attitudes of cinema, turning their bodies and faces into instruments of pure, deep and enigmatic emotion. — A.O. Scott

There are some big names here: Legends like Robert Duvall and Michael Douglas, hot young stars in the making like Jennifer Lawrence & Jessie Eisenberg, top of their game stars like Natalie Portman & James Franco, and CCD's favorite vampire/12 year old female crime fighter Chloe Moretz. There are 18 pics in all... hope you enjoy them. You can see the photos by clicking here & the videos by clicking here. Pick up the Sunday NY Times so that you can get all of the other Hollywood related goodies. Who looks the best in these pics? Which ones do you guys love or hate? Let us know in the comment section below.

Proof That There Is A God: Natalie Portman Edition

No Words... Just Thanks!!!

Your First Look At Odin and Loki From The Mighty Thor... Awesome!

Here is the first "Official" picture of Anthony Hopkins as Odin and Tom Hiddleson as Loki... also this is the first photo with Chris Hemsworth as Thor holding his hammer, Mjolinir. I am super excited for this movie for many reasons, but let me list my top 3. 1) Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman and the rest of the cast. They really seemed to have got this right on this movie. 2) The armor on the gods from all the pictures that have come from the set look awesome. On a movie like Thor, costumes are going to be REALLY IMPORTANT. To cheesy, and it will suck. These look great!!! 3) Kenneth Branagh, director. I really like Kenneth Branagh as an actor, but I like him even more directing this movie. This story needs to be epic... a cross between Shakespeare and T2: Judgement Day. I think Branagh has enough classical acting training to pull this off. I am really excited for all the material that is sure to be released at San Diego Comic Con next week. Get on your job Kate Jones!!!!! (Lots of pictures please)

SNL Throwback of the Week #15 5/29/10

I am a huge Saturday Night Live fan. One of my earliest memories was of my parents watching SNL every Saturday while we were tucked in our bedrooms, and sometimes being allowed to watch for a bit. The show has gone through its ups and downs over its 35 year run, but the fact that it is still on the air after 35 years is a testament to the staying power of the show. Lorne Michaels is a genius at finding and developing young, comedic talent. SNL has produced a bevy of stars over the years, from Eddie Murphy to Tina Fey. The show is doing well again thanks to Ms. Fey and the rest of the team, but I love watching clips from the old shows. Every Saturday I will give you guys one of my favorites. This weeks clip features Natalie Portaman. There really is no way to describe the rapping tirade that she launches into when interviewed by Chris Parnell, and she is joined at the end of the rap by Andy Samberg. This is amazing... you must hear the original, unedited version which appeared on The Lonely Island's studio album. You can hear that version here. Enjoy!!!!!