Coming Movies (based on IMDb trailers)

Went to IMDb today to look up some Harry Potter information. The trailer list at the top looked interesting, so I thought I would check them out. I like movies a little bit, and I wish I could see all that I want to see. There are lots of bad movies, and trailers are the main mechanism I use to determine which movies make the cut for my time and/or money.

So, here are the trailers I got from clicking on "After Earth". I'll give a short comment for each, trying to restrict my remarks solely to the trailer. I provide trailer and IMDb page links for each movie.

After Earth - Trailer - IMDbJun 07 2013

Will Smith and his son, Jaden, are in a spaceship and crash land on...Earth. Somehow they must survive. I probably want to see this, but not enough to see it in the theater. It looks beautiful, and I hope not seeing it on the big screen is not a mistake.

Man of Steel - Trailer - IMDbJun 14 2013

I'm an unabashed fan of Superman. There's no question I want to see this in theaters. Very intriguing with hints of the story to come.

Star Trek Into Darkness - Trailer - IMDbMay 17 2013

This is more a teaser trailer, an "Announcement Trailer" as it were, and still, it entices me greatly. It promises more Star Trek goodness as the previous movie.
I wish this came out one week later for my birthday. Instead, the big movies are The Hangover Part III (triple meh), The Fast and the Furious 6 (meh), and Epic (ok). These just aren't my cup of tea that I'm excited about running out to see on the big screen.

Warm Bodies - Trailer - IMDbFeb 01 2013

This is the second trailer I've seen for this movie; it's hard to un-see the first one to comment solely on this trailer. I think the premise, a zombie falls in love and kind of stops wanting to be a zombie, is sufficiently intriguing that I would want to see it regardless.

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away - Trailer - IMDbNov 09 2012

I've never seen any Cirque du Soleil performance. I know they're spectacular and mind-bending. This movie looks spectacular and mind-bending. I should see it big screen but probably won't.

Pacific Rim- Breaking News - IMDbJul 12 2013

More like a clip from the movie, this is still enticing. It's a giant monster attacking San Francisco. I'm a sucker for this kind of thing.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones - Trailer - IMDbAug 23 2013

Action-packed, visible and invisible people. Fate of the world in the balance. What's not to like? I'd want to see it big screen, but I probably won't.

Now You See me - Trailer - IMDbJun 07 2013

A caper movie is my favorite. Magic? I'm guessing more like super-advanced technology. I really want to see it, but probably won't see it big screen.

21 and Over - Trailer - IMDbMar 01 2013

This is not my type of movie. I did laugh at the part where the cop told him to get down, and he started getting down. 99.9999% chance I will never see this movie.

Fire with Fire - Trailer - IMDbJun 07 2013

This looks interesting. We'll see if Josh Duhamel can pull off the action. And Bruce Willis is always a draw. Should see it big screen, but probably won't.

The Last Stand - Trailer - IMDbJan 18 2013

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a draw. "How are you, sheriff?" "Old". That's a lock for me.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation - Trailer - IMDbMar 29 2013

I didn't keep up enough with why this was postponed. I'm not expecting this to be great, but it looks fun. G.I. Joe came after my childhood, so I'm not part of the build-in fan base. And, again, Bruce Willis! Want to see this big screen.

Iron Man 3 - Trailer - IMDbMay 03 2013

This looks fantastic! And guy Pearce in a mainstream movie? I'm sold. Definitely must see on the big screen.

West of Memphis - Trailer - IMDbDec 25 2012

When I first saw this trailer, I did not realize it was based upon a true story. I hate to see justice perverted for any reason. I will probably watch this eventually.

A Good Day to Die Hard - Trailer - IMDbFeb 14 2013

You had me at Bruce Willis (even though I have not seen the last Die Hard movie).

Jack Reacher - Trailer - IMDbDec 21 2012

I've only read the first Jack Reacher novel, which was excellent. Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher? I guess he gets the character, because he's certainly not the physical embodiment. Lee Child is happy with the choice, so I can't complain too much. Typical Cruise actioner, though. Think it will be good. Hope to see it big screen.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - TV Spot - IMDbDec 14 2012

When I first heard about The Hobbit being made into a movie, I was kind of excited. Then I heard two movies. My excitement waned a bit. Three movies? My excitement level plummetted. If it's successful, I'll probably see it eventually, but I am in no rush to do so. And the trailer doesn't really inspire me that this will be great in the sense that Lord of the Rings was great.

Zero Dark Thirty - Trailer - IMDbJan 11 2013

These kinds of movies are difficult for me to watch. I'll wait for video. Eventually.

Halo 4 - Preview/Video Game - IMDbNov 06 2012

I'm not a game player, at least not these types of games. This looks amazing and makes me wish I did play games. I would love to see a good cinematic adaptation of this.

Hitchcock - Trailer - IMDbDec 07 2012

Hitchcock is the master. I really want to see this. Video, probably.

Gangster Squad - Trailer - IMDbJan 11 2013

Not sure why this was postponed. I'm as excited to see this as I was to see L. A. Confidential (and that went far beyond what I expected!). I think this every bit as much about his wife, too. Definitely will see, but probably video.

Broken City - Trailer - IMDbJan 18 2013

This looks pretty good. Not everything is as it seems. I like Russel Crowe, and the rest of the cast looks good. (I don't hate Mark Wahlberg like so many do, but he's not a draw for me, either.) Hoping the story is even more complex than it appears in this trailer. Will see eventually.

Gambit - Trailer - IMDbNov 21 2012 (Ireland; not showing in U.S.? What?)

This looks like a perfect movie for me. I really appreciatte the British sensibility in films (usually, anyway), and this is it in spades. But I don't see a U.S. release date. I hope I am dreadfully wrong on that count.

Promised Land - Trailer - IMDbJan 04 2013

I want to see this. Probably on video. If only big evil corporations were this easily defeated when truly doing bad things. (I'm not anti-corporation, but I am against badness; contrary to many beliefs, the two are not synonymous.)

42 - Trailer - IMDbApr 12 2013

I'm not a sports guy at all. I want to see this movie. I don't know much about Jackie Robinson, but I would like to learn more.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 - Trailer - IMDb Jun 07 2013

I realized this movie is already out, but it represents two things for me. One, this Twilight stuff is finally over. Two, this is the first Twilight trailer that looks even remotely interesting story-wise. But I don't plan on ever seeing it.

Silent Hill: Revelation 3D - Trailer - IMDbOct 26 2012

I'm not big into games or game/movie adaptations because they usually are terrible. It seems like they are done for the "sure thing" of appealing to the fan base of the game and forgetting the other 90% of the people that like movies. Resident Evil seems to be the only game adaptation I've seen that even remotely tried to go beyond the game market (Max Payne and Hitman are two others that attempted the same but with less success). Silent Hill looks like it might be somewhat successful, too. But it will have to wait until video.

And there you have it, my ramblings you most likely don't care all that much about. I hope you found it at least a tiny bit enjoyable.

I Don't Understand

For some reason, I have a subscription to Hulu Plus. As far as I can tell, this subscription only allows me to view freely-available Hulu content on a device other than my laptop or desktop computer.

Recently, I started thinking about this: watching Hulu content through an app on my Wii or Kindle Fire or Nexus 7 or Toshiba Thrive is EXACTLY the same as watching this same content on my laptop, yet there is a serious divide in the media producers'/distributors' minds that watching this content is somehow significantly different.

I'm just a simple guy, but to me all of these distinctions seem very artificial to me. I can see a difference between broadcast TV, physical media, and online broadcast (sort of on the last two). But to further subdivide online broadcast is an arbitrary separation designed to extract more money.

I'm all for companies making an honest buck, but to turn vampire and suck as much as possible? No, I don't cotton to that.

What is a Store For?

I like going to stores. You can get stuff at stores. Stuff like clothes, movies, food, cleaners, household items, etc.

Sometimes I need many things. Often, I try to keep to the limit for the express line. At my local Walmart, that is 20 items (or less). Rarely do I have less. I try to keep it to 19, actually, so I can get a York Peppermint Patty to make an even 20 items, satisfy my chocolate craving, and clean my breath for a few minutes. I have killed three birds with one piece of candy. (Note: I have never felt like I was on a ski slope after consuming said patty. Cool, yes; slope, no.)

As much as I hate paying more for an item, I sometimes find myself going to Walgreens or CVS to pick up a couple of items. While more expensive, it's faster and more convenient not to traipse around two football fields of store for just a couple of items and then wait in the interminable lines. Especially since Walmart in its last grand re-design made it less efficient (for me) to get through the store.

Before the grand re-design, I used to go to Walmart at least once a week, and I never got out for less than $50. Most of the time, I wouldn't get the one particular item I needed to get.

After the re-design and reducing much of the previously-available choices, I no longer enjoyed shopping there. I went to getting bare necessities on rare occasions. I never cooked at home, so I really didn't need much. Over the course of two years, I went from once-or-more-a-week visits to a visit every two-three months. And I only spent $20-40 during these sporadic visits. In the past year, I have spent less at Walmart in total than I used to spend there in a month.

I have loved you, Walmart, but alas, you have spurned my advances and turned a cold shoulder. It's not me; it's you.

Not together yet

I don't have my stuff (life) together yet.

I want to write posts, and I have so many ideas. Yet, I'm lazy and don't get around to it.

I've got tons of podcasts I've downloaded and haven't listened to them. I would like a better stereo in my vehicle to handle this stuff. That's about an hour a day of listening that would be better use of my driving time, though I do take that time to pray (sometimes — people tend to honk their horns when they see my head bowed, almost as though they're against God and/or my free right to exercise my religion). Lots of (legitimate) music I've downloaded that I'd love to listen to in a more timely fashion.

Don't have my life together. Need to clean my apartment, and I have so much figured in my head, but by the time I get home, I'm exhausted, have to eat, and then collapse.

I can't imagine having a family and being this way. As much as it might be nice to be married, it's probably for the best that I'm not. And certainly I shouldn't be raising kids, even though I want kids way more than I want to be married. (kind of odd, I know, but no one ever accused me of not being odd)

Off to bed. You, my minions—all two of you—are charged with taking care of your loved ones.

Good night, and God bless (even Nikki Minaj, who performed in tongues tonight, but no one was there or here to interpret.)

Coming Round the Bend

[This was written right after Christmas. I lost my internet connection on Christmas Eve and could not get the file to my phone to post on the blogger app.]


The New Year every year is a time to start something new, to make resolutions, to examine one's life and seek ways to improve. Traditionally, I have not done this resolution bit. Can't fail if you don't try, right?

But, I've been pretty much rudderless the past few years. I have no direction, no point, no gumption. It has been said the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results. I've wanted my life to be different, but I've not been willing to do anything different. I've expected some inherent perturbation in my system to cause some kind of change in my life.

But that only works in chaos theory and dynamical systems.

If I want change in my life, I have to be my own catalyst. I have to determine my own goals. I have to lay out my own steps for achieving those goals. I have to take charge of my life, rein myself in, and get on track.

May the cobwebs of indifference be forever removed from my brain.