Gran Apertura Vol#6- xXx

Gran Apertura means "Great Opening" in Italian. I felt it was an appropriate title for the new column I will be writing here at C-C-D. I love movies, but every once in a blue there is an opening segment in a movie that just sets the bar way to high for the rest of the flick. This opening scene is so good, it can't be topped by the rest of the movie itself. Or, sometimes the opening scene is part of an excellent film, and it does the job of getting you roped in. No matter what, the opening scene in a movie is probably THE MOST IMPORTANT scene in the whole film. So this column will highlight some of the greatest opening segments from the wide world of cinema. If you like what you see, maybe you will go ahead a check out the films in completion. Happy Viewings!!!

xXx - 2002 - Directed By: Rob Cohen Starring: Vin Diesel, Asia Argento, Samuel L. Jackson

Now, I know that xXx was not the greatest movie in the world, but it was kinda cool in terms of an action/ popcorn flick it does ok. Vin Diesel is cool as Xander Cage, aka xXx, a rebel who causes all types of shit to stir up controversy and has finally gone to far. He is approached by Augustus Gibbons (Samuel Jackson) who works for the NSA with a plan to infiltrate a anarchist group in eastern Europe. I know, its a stretch, but Diesel is wonderful as X and he makes me laugh and is a bad ass. Not to mention Asia Argento is a hot piece of arse...

Thats good enough for me. The opening scene has nothing to do with the characters we have discussed so far, but instead shows a random NSA agent recovering some sort of microchip, and then being chased by some Eastern European criminal types. He runs right into a Rammstein (the German death metal band) concert which is sick, filled with flames and a guy with a flame thrower face mask (that shit is sick). Next we meet sharpshooter Kirill, who pops our NSA doof as he crosses the dancefloor from the balcony. All in all, a great scene. Check it out. xXx is also available for Netflix Instant Streaming, so make it happen captain!!!

Thunder, Thunder, Thundercats... Ho!!!

Holy. Fucking. Shitballs... sorry, but it has been a longtime since I have been this excited about something cartoon related. It's not that I don't watch cartoons... quite the contrary, I spend many hours a week watching cartoons. But at 31, I am just not that excited by news of new cartoons... but this is not just any cartoon. This is one of my HOLY TRIUMVARITE OF 80'S CARTOONS ( along with He-Man and Voltron). Thundercats was far and away one of my all time favorites, and now the series is getting a reboot/new series on Cartoon Network. The creators of Batman: The Brave and The Bold (which I love) and the upcoming Young Justice are teaming up with the animators of The Animatrix and Batman:Gotham Knights to release a updated anime style version of the show. No words yet on the storyline the series will follow, but the pic above of Lion-O is the sole piece of concept art released so far. And I fucking love it. Batman: Brave and The Bold is one of the few newer cartoons that I absolutely love, and if these guys can get this one right I will be eternally greatfull!!!

 Rumors have been circulating about a new TV series or movie in the past few years, but nothing had ever come of it... except this crazy fan made trailer for a fake Thundercats live action flick starring Brad Pitt as Lion-O, Vin Diesel as Panthro, Hugh Jackman as Tygra... when I first saw it, I instantly picked up on the parts of Troy, Chronicles of Riddick, and X-Men that the fan sampled, but I still thought it was really cool. But now we have a great new show to look forward to. Enjoy the fan trailer and be on the look out for the new Thundercats cartoon on the Cartoon Network sometime in 2011.