Marty McFly and Doc Brown did it. Bill and Ted did it. And now Lost is doing it.
Time travel. There are a lot of different variations on the time travel genre. Everyone has their theories on how time travel happens and how it effects things. The thing about time travel is since it doesn't exist, you can make up your own rules.
There are a few ways to do this. You can go the Bill and Ted route and say everything is written. That's how they were able to just say "after this we'll go back and leave the keys behind this sign" and then the keys were there. That's where the future is already written so it has already effected the past.
Then there's the Butterfly Effect rule. You go back and change things, it effects every aspect of what made the future you came from possible. If you go back and invent the iPod in 1992, the you that invented it and made millions off of it has changed the you that went back in the first place. So when you get back to the present, you'd have all new memories (hence the nose bleeds in the movie). A Sound of Thunder had a similar effect. They went back in time and stepped on a butterfly and killed a T-Rex, changing history and evolution.
Now Back to the Future kinda went their own way with time travel. Not so much in the first one, that was pretty straight forward but in parts 2 and 3 they went haywire. If Marty and Jennifer were taken by Doc Brown, they wouldn't be in the future since they were taken away from the past. Also, if time was already written, like in Bill and Ted's, then wouldn't older Marty and older Jennifer remember the date that they went into the future?
Now Lost has joined the time travel game but i'm not quite sure what to make of it. First there was brain time travel. Which seems like it could really only work for backwards time travel. Then there was time travel by frozen wheel, where Ben turned the wheel to move the island and ended up about a year into the future (and on the other side of the Earth). Now there's time travel by flashing skylights, where the island's time line keeps changing and the people effected keep landing in different era's of the island's history.
Time travel does not exist and never will. If it did ever exist, then there would people from the future here studying us or sightseeing. I have my theories on who are time travellers though. Leonardo Di Vinci, Jules Verne, Steve Jobs... People with visions far beyond that of their time. What if you could go back and write books about everyday occurances and they became the biggest science fiction stories of all time? Or everything you created was years ahead of it's time?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Worst (And Just Not That Good) Films of 2008
I saw some goods films in 2008 but I watched some crap too. Here are the bad and disappointing films of 2008:
Strange Wilderness- Not as funny as the people who were in it. Could've been funnier but had bad writing and a bad storyline. This film was the opposite of what Pineapple Express, Role Models and Zack & Miri were.
Fool's Gold- Probably the worst film of 2008. I know, I should have expected it to be bad but it seemed to have promise. It looked like it could've been the new Romancing the Stone but it failed to make a point until the movie was almost over. Way too many forgettable/unnecessary characters, no direct storyline, too many subplots... it was a big mess.
Jumper- More like dumper. They took a good idea and messed it up with bad actors. It wasn't horrible but just plain bad.
Be Kind Rewind- I like Jack Black. I like Mos Def. I like Michel Gondry. But I didn't really like them together. It was kinda boring. I liked the recreations of the movies that they did but I think the main plot was kinda pointless.
Vantage Point- Again lots of good actors but no good writing. It was a mediocre attempt at making a movie from different points of view of the characters but the story was kinda dumb. Pretty boring.
Semi-Pro- I think I'm done with Will Ferrell. The formula of putting Ferrell in a sport is getting old. I haven't seen Step-Brothers yet but I hope it's a lot better than this.
Doomsday- A big disappointment from the writer/director of The Decent. I was so bored, I turned it off half-way through. I hope The Decent 2 isn't this bad.
Funny Games- I actually sat through this whole thing and I wish I hadn't. It just seemed pointless (like most horror films are nowadays). I hope The Strangers is better than this, it's the same idea but with killers in masks. Sounds better than kids with nothing better to do.
Drillbit Taylor- I didn't like it. Being from some of the Apatow crew and John Hughes, it was a bad representation. I hope Owen Wilson makes better descisions from now on (oops, Marley and Me).
Superhero Movie- They should've made Scary Movie 5 instead.
Leatherheads- Another movie with good actors and bad writing. It was boring and seemed to go nowhere. I like the sets and the costumes but hated the story.
Baby Mama- Not bad but just not really good. A bit of a disappointment but had it's moments. I just felt it didn't belong on the good list.
Son of Rambow- Why was there so much buzz around this film? I thought it was ok but Millions, by Danny Boyle, was a way better film about kids with big imaginations in the U.K. I didn't understand the point of the french kid at all.
Speed Racer- I'm putting this on both lists because it was kind of a bad film. But I still had fun watching it.
What Happens in Vegas- Horrible, horrible, horrible!!!
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull- I love Indy but this was just a big disappointment. I hated Shia LeBeouf's character. I hated Cate Blanchett's bad guy. I hated the sci-fi storyline. But I did like seeing Harrison Ford back in action (even if he was a bit watered down).
Sex and the City- Didn't see it, won't ever see it. I hate the fact that this movie was even made.
The Foot Fist Way- I like Danny McBride and I'm happy he's getting his due, but I just didn't like his movie.
Wanted- I couldn't get past the narration and the film style.
Star Wars: Clone Wars- Why did they make this a movie? It felt like all they did was fuse a few of the TV show episodes together. The storyline was dumb and all it was was clones and lightsabers. Lucas needs to bring SW back from the JarJar-ness that it has become.
Death Race- Like I said before, I love Jason Statham, but this was a total throw away film. It was pure cheese. If you wanna sit through a brainless movie, this was the ultimate for 2008.
The Day the Earth Stood Still- The worst remake of an old sci-fi film since The Invasion. It was really preachy and Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith and Jennifer Connelly need to remember when making a movie like this, don't aim for the Oscar.
So far those were the worst of the films I've seen from 2008. But there's always the DVD releases so maybe I'll sit through some more crap soon. Check out the "Best of" list below.
Strange Wilderness- Not as funny as the people who were in it. Could've been funnier but had bad writing and a bad storyline. This film was the opposite of what Pineapple Express, Role Models and Zack & Miri were.
Fool's Gold- Probably the worst film of 2008. I know, I should have expected it to be bad but it seemed to have promise. It looked like it could've been the new Romancing the Stone but it failed to make a point until the movie was almost over. Way too many forgettable/unnecessary characters, no direct storyline, too many subplots... it was a big mess.
Jumper- More like dumper. They took a good idea and messed it up with bad actors. It wasn't horrible but just plain bad.
Be Kind Rewind- I like Jack Black. I like Mos Def. I like Michel Gondry. But I didn't really like them together. It was kinda boring. I liked the recreations of the movies that they did but I think the main plot was kinda pointless.
Vantage Point- Again lots of good actors but no good writing. It was a mediocre attempt at making a movie from different points of view of the characters but the story was kinda dumb. Pretty boring.
Semi-Pro- I think I'm done with Will Ferrell. The formula of putting Ferrell in a sport is getting old. I haven't seen Step-Brothers yet but I hope it's a lot better than this.
Doomsday- A big disappointment from the writer/director of The Decent. I was so bored, I turned it off half-way through. I hope The Decent 2 isn't this bad.
Funny Games- I actually sat through this whole thing and I wish I hadn't. It just seemed pointless (like most horror films are nowadays). I hope The Strangers is better than this, it's the same idea but with killers in masks. Sounds better than kids with nothing better to do.
Drillbit Taylor- I didn't like it. Being from some of the Apatow crew and John Hughes, it was a bad representation. I hope Owen Wilson makes better descisions from now on (oops, Marley and Me).
Superhero Movie- They should've made Scary Movie 5 instead.
Leatherheads- Another movie with good actors and bad writing. It was boring and seemed to go nowhere. I like the sets and the costumes but hated the story.
Baby Mama- Not bad but just not really good. A bit of a disappointment but had it's moments. I just felt it didn't belong on the good list.
Son of Rambow- Why was there so much buzz around this film? I thought it was ok but Millions, by Danny Boyle, was a way better film about kids with big imaginations in the U.K. I didn't understand the point of the french kid at all.
Speed Racer- I'm putting this on both lists because it was kind of a bad film. But I still had fun watching it.
What Happens in Vegas- Horrible, horrible, horrible!!!
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull- I love Indy but this was just a big disappointment. I hated Shia LeBeouf's character. I hated Cate Blanchett's bad guy. I hated the sci-fi storyline. But I did like seeing Harrison Ford back in action (even if he was a bit watered down).
Sex and the City- Didn't see it, won't ever see it. I hate the fact that this movie was even made.
The Foot Fist Way- I like Danny McBride and I'm happy he's getting his due, but I just didn't like his movie.
Wanted- I couldn't get past the narration and the film style.
Star Wars: Clone Wars- Why did they make this a movie? It felt like all they did was fuse a few of the TV show episodes together. The storyline was dumb and all it was was clones and lightsabers. Lucas needs to bring SW back from the JarJar-ness that it has become.
Death Race- Like I said before, I love Jason Statham, but this was a total throw away film. It was pure cheese. If you wanna sit through a brainless movie, this was the ultimate for 2008.
The Day the Earth Stood Still- The worst remake of an old sci-fi film since The Invasion. It was really preachy and Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith and Jennifer Connelly need to remember when making a movie like this, don't aim for the Oscar.
So far those were the worst of the films I've seen from 2008. But there's always the DVD releases so maybe I'll sit through some more crap soon. Check out the "Best of" list below.
Best Films (That I Saw) of 2008
2008 was a pretty good year for movies. Here's list of my favs from 2008.
Cloverfield- I almost forgot that this came out in 2008. It feels like it's been around for a lot longer but i loved this film. I like how they hardly show the monster and the "footage" felt like 9/11 footage. I felt like it was real, not just a movie.
Rambo- I waited for this on DVD and I wish that I didn't. It was so fucking gory and everyone got blown away. My TV felt too small for so much action.
In Bruges- One of my top 5 for this year. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson were hilarious together. One of the best films featuring midgets, ever.
The Bank Job- Ok, so I have a man crush on Jason Statham and will most likely go see anything he's in (except for In the Name of the King). But this was a really good bank robbery film. Way better than the Italian Job and based on real events no less. And there was a character name Michael X... it was weird hearing my name every 5 minutes in a film.
Miss Petegrew Lives for a Day- I missed this in theatres because it felt too much like a chick flick but it was actually really good. I thought Frances McDormand and Amy Adams were perfect for the roles they played. It felt like i was watching some old movie with Marilyn Monroe and some other old actors. A really good date movie if you wanna laugh at good old comedy.
Never Back Down- I know this movie looks stupid and it kinda is. But i thought for a modern take on the Karate Kid storyline, it was a good movie. A brainless watch if you just wanna see some kids get there asses handed to themselves.
21- Based on real events my ass. This film was an over dramatic, pretty predictable representation of a true story, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love Vegas and this film caught that part of me and took it for a little joy ride. The writing was way too perfect, people don't talk like that, but Kevin Spacey pulled it off (who else could?).
Forgetting Sarah Marshall- The Apatow crew pull another winner out of there collective asses. I loved this film as much as I loved any other of their movies (except Superbad, still the best). If you like male nudity and a Dracula, you gotta see this film.
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay- Not as good as White Castle but if you like Harold & Kumar then it's a good watch. This film had the best idea for a party though, the bottomless party.
Iron Man- Fucking awesome. I think they tackled the becoming of a superhero better than Batman Begins. Plus the set up for The Avengers was pretty cool.
Speed Racer- I'm probably the only person putting this on his list. I wish I had seen it in theatres. I thought it was a close enough story to the cartoon and the graphics were pure eye candy. Some of the actors looked like they were right out of the cartoon. The movie is a throw away but a fun watch (for Speed Racer fans).
The Incredible Hulk- Along with Iron Man, this was a good setup for the direction that Marvel is taking their films. Ed Norton was a bit of a hack but I thought this was a really good reload of The Hulk storyline.
Get Smart- A fun take on the TV show. Steve Carrell is always good and I liked the fun spy story. Makes up for the realistic changes made to the Bond series.
Wall*E- Pretty bleak for a Disney/Pixar film, but a few fun little characters to cheer you up and not make you think too much about the direction the Earth is headed in.
Hancock- A good superhero movie (minus his origin) that could have been better. it was missing that certain something. Jason Bateman was awesome as always tho.
Journey to the Center of the Earth- See this in 3D if you can. It's a fun action movie for people who like to see Brendan Fraser yell and do impossible jumps. Good for kids.
The Dark Knight- Better than Batman Begins. It's what the first film should have been. Heath Ledger gets all of the acclaim for his performance as the Joker (which he deserves) but lets not forget about Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Two-Face, he was awesome. This was one of the best Batman films I've ever seen (but I still like Batman Returns the best).
Pineapple Express- The second Apatow crew film this year, and the best. Not just a stoner movie. Hilarity and action violence, a perfect mix.
Tropic Thunder- Again, hilarity and action violence wins. And Robert Downey Jr. in his second best performance this year. Everyone was perfect in this movie, even Matthew McConaughey made up for his Fool's Gold Performance. Tom Cruise makes the best cameo of the year.
The House Bunny- Anna Faris is the queen of comedy. Anything she is in is pure gold (except my Super Ex-Girlfriend). She needs to break away from the "dumb blond" but she plays it way too well.
Burn After Reading- The Coens do it again. This time comedy was on the main stage but shocking violence sprung out and stole the spotlight. A shooting in the face and a hacking on the street, fucking awesome.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno- What do you get when Kevin Smith gets some of Judd Apatow's players? One of the raunchiest/funniest films I've ever seen (about porn). And one of the smartest moves a film maker could make. Kevin Smith is making a good move away from the Jay & Silent Bob stuff. I hope he keeps it up. You can tell that there was a lot of stuff cut out and I can't wait for the unrated DVD to come out.
Role Models- Again, someone else using some of Apatow's players to make a good film. Seann William Scott makes a pretty good comeback of his Stiffler style of character but Paul Rudd made a really good effort at a lead role. I hope Rudd does more like this, he's always good as a background character but I loved him in the lead.
The Promotion- Again Seann William Scott was good (and not in a Stiffler way). John C. Reilly was awesome. This was a good movie about rivals. I liked it alot.
These were the best of all the films I got to see from 2008. I'm still waiting for some of them to come out on DVD. Also check out my list of worst films of 2008.
Cloverfield- I almost forgot that this came out in 2008. It feels like it's been around for a lot longer but i loved this film. I like how they hardly show the monster and the "footage" felt like 9/11 footage. I felt like it was real, not just a movie.
Rambo- I waited for this on DVD and I wish that I didn't. It was so fucking gory and everyone got blown away. My TV felt too small for so much action.
In Bruges- One of my top 5 for this year. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson were hilarious together. One of the best films featuring midgets, ever.
The Bank Job- Ok, so I have a man crush on Jason Statham and will most likely go see anything he's in (except for In the Name of the King). But this was a really good bank robbery film. Way better than the Italian Job and based on real events no less. And there was a character name Michael X... it was weird hearing my name every 5 minutes in a film.
Miss Petegrew Lives for a Day- I missed this in theatres because it felt too much like a chick flick but it was actually really good. I thought Frances McDormand and Amy Adams were perfect for the roles they played. It felt like i was watching some old movie with Marilyn Monroe and some other old actors. A really good date movie if you wanna laugh at good old comedy.
Never Back Down- I know this movie looks stupid and it kinda is. But i thought for a modern take on the Karate Kid storyline, it was a good movie. A brainless watch if you just wanna see some kids get there asses handed to themselves.
21- Based on real events my ass. This film was an over dramatic, pretty predictable representation of a true story, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love Vegas and this film caught that part of me and took it for a little joy ride. The writing was way too perfect, people don't talk like that, but Kevin Spacey pulled it off (who else could?).
Forgetting Sarah Marshall- The Apatow crew pull another winner out of there collective asses. I loved this film as much as I loved any other of their movies (except Superbad, still the best). If you like male nudity and a Dracula, you gotta see this film.
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay- Not as good as White Castle but if you like Harold & Kumar then it's a good watch. This film had the best idea for a party though, the bottomless party.
Iron Man- Fucking awesome. I think they tackled the becoming of a superhero better than Batman Begins. Plus the set up for The Avengers was pretty cool.
Speed Racer- I'm probably the only person putting this on his list. I wish I had seen it in theatres. I thought it was a close enough story to the cartoon and the graphics were pure eye candy. Some of the actors looked like they were right out of the cartoon. The movie is a throw away but a fun watch (for Speed Racer fans).
The Incredible Hulk- Along with Iron Man, this was a good setup for the direction that Marvel is taking their films. Ed Norton was a bit of a hack but I thought this was a really good reload of The Hulk storyline.
Get Smart- A fun take on the TV show. Steve Carrell is always good and I liked the fun spy story. Makes up for the realistic changes made to the Bond series.
Wall*E- Pretty bleak for a Disney/Pixar film, but a few fun little characters to cheer you up and not make you think too much about the direction the Earth is headed in.
Hancock- A good superhero movie (minus his origin) that could have been better. it was missing that certain something. Jason Bateman was awesome as always tho.
Journey to the Center of the Earth- See this in 3D if you can. It's a fun action movie for people who like to see Brendan Fraser yell and do impossible jumps. Good for kids.
The Dark Knight- Better than Batman Begins. It's what the first film should have been. Heath Ledger gets all of the acclaim for his performance as the Joker (which he deserves) but lets not forget about Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Two-Face, he was awesome. This was one of the best Batman films I've ever seen (but I still like Batman Returns the best).
Pineapple Express- The second Apatow crew film this year, and the best. Not just a stoner movie. Hilarity and action violence, a perfect mix.
Tropic Thunder- Again, hilarity and action violence wins. And Robert Downey Jr. in his second best performance this year. Everyone was perfect in this movie, even Matthew McConaughey made up for his Fool's Gold Performance. Tom Cruise makes the best cameo of the year.
The House Bunny- Anna Faris is the queen of comedy. Anything she is in is pure gold (except my Super Ex-Girlfriend). She needs to break away from the "dumb blond" but she plays it way too well.
Burn After Reading- The Coens do it again. This time comedy was on the main stage but shocking violence sprung out and stole the spotlight. A shooting in the face and a hacking on the street, fucking awesome.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno- What do you get when Kevin Smith gets some of Judd Apatow's players? One of the raunchiest/funniest films I've ever seen (about porn). And one of the smartest moves a film maker could make. Kevin Smith is making a good move away from the Jay & Silent Bob stuff. I hope he keeps it up. You can tell that there was a lot of stuff cut out and I can't wait for the unrated DVD to come out.
Role Models- Again, someone else using some of Apatow's players to make a good film. Seann William Scott makes a pretty good comeback of his Stiffler style of character but Paul Rudd made a really good effort at a lead role. I hope Rudd does more like this, he's always good as a background character but I loved him in the lead.
The Promotion- Again Seann William Scott was good (and not in a Stiffler way). John C. Reilly was awesome. This was a good movie about rivals. I liked it alot.
These were the best of all the films I got to see from 2008. I'm still waiting for some of them to come out on DVD. Also check out my list of worst films of 2008.
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