Welcome to FlixChatter’s primary blog series! As is customary for this monthly feature, I get to post five random news item/observation/poster, etc. and then turn it over to you to share your take on that given topic. You can see the previous five-for-the-fifth posts here.
1. Well, since this is Fourth of July weekend, a lot of my fellow Americans are celebrating all kinds of festivities, be that a 4th of July parade, barbecue, or fireworks at the park.
But for some of us, it likely include getting together with friends and watch old favorites that celebrate the holiday, i.e The Patriot, Top Gun, Saving Private Ryan, Captain America or um, Team America: World Police? America F-yeah! 😀 But there are a bazillion of patriotic movies out there, and it doesn’t have to be all about the good ‘ol USA.
So what’s your favorite patriotic movie, be it US-related or about your home country?….
2. Now, I’ve sort of been holding off on blogging about Batman vs. Superman but with the release of a few new photos courtesy of EW, I can’t help being mildly intrigued.
I’m liking Gal Gadot more and more as Wonder Woman, in fact I think I’m most excited to see her than her fellow male superheroes. Ok yesterday I came across this whilst browsing the net. Den of Geek reported the origin story that led to Dawn of Justice movie happening sooner than perhaps even the filmmakers themselves anticipated:
It was while making his Superman reboot, Man Of Steel, that Snyder approached the producers of the film, Christopher Nolan and David S Goyer, with a suggestion. “I said ‘what about at the end of the movie we do a scene where there’s a crate full of Kryptonite delivered to Wayne Manor?”
The response? “Everyone was like… ‘okaay’. Once you say it out loud, it’s a problem, because you can’t unsay it.”
Now, I’m still not super excited yet for this film… but I have to admit I’m more on board with this than I was say, a year ago. Surely it can’t be worse than Man of Steel?
What are your thoughts about Dawn of Justice and/or these new pics?
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3. Lots of new trailers hit the past week, here are three that caught my eye.
First one is this upcoming *epic* drama based on a true story, directed by Werner Herzog: Queen of the Desert starring Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Damian Lewis and Robert Pattinson.
A true story of the life of British explorer and adventurer, Gertrude Bell, QUEEN OF THE DESERT chronicles her journeys of love and loss in the Middle East during the early 20th century.
I have to say I’m mildly intrigued by this given Herzog’s directing, though I have reservation regarding the melodramatic tone of the film, not to mention the trailer itself is so darn sappy. It seems like it’s striving to be Lawrence of Arabia and though I like the fact that it’s from the female perspective, I’m tired of seeing Nicole Kidman in something resembling Australia. And what’s with James Franco?? He seems miscast right off the bat, I just don’t see him in a romantic role like this. Plus that music towards the end uses familiar music from Hans Zimmer’s The Thin Red Line. I swear that music’s been used by a bazillion other trailers and though it’s beautiful, the effect just isn’t as impactful anymore.
Then we have a remake of an Argentinian drama, Secret in Their Eyes. We have quite a cast here: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman [again].
A tight-knit team of FBI investigators, along with their District Attorney supervisor, is suddenly torn apart when they discover that one of their own teenage daughters has been brutally murdered.
I still haven’t seen the 2009 Argentine film El secreto de sus ojos so I immediately watched the trailer of that one. Well I might give the original film a watch, it looks more mysterious and given that it doesn’t have the star power of the Hollywood version, I bet it’s a better film overall.
Now, last but not least, we’ve got Creed which is a spin-off of the Rocky films, and Sylvester Stallone is a cast member and also one of the producers.
The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Creed, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.
Michael B. Jordan‘s a talented up-and-comer who’s been getting lots of prominent roles lately. He looks good here and though I’m not really into boxing movies, I did like the first Rocky film and so I might watch this one. Scottish actor Graham McTavish (The Hobbit, Starz’s Outlander) is in this also.
What’s your initial thoughts of these three movies?
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4. Another first look on a movie I’ve been curious about ever since it’s announced six years ago: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. At the time, Natalie Portman was going to play Elizabeth Bennet, and now we’ve got Cinderella‘s Lily James in the lead role. She’s quoted as saying: “She’s the most badass zombie slayer there is.” Okay then, bring it on!
Jane Austen’s classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England is faced with a new challenge — an army of undead zombies.
I know that Jane Austen purists probably aren’t keen on this twisted idea from Seth Grahame-Smith who penned the novel of the same name. But as a fan of period dramas, I get a kick out of classic re-imagining, and this idea is so bizarre it could actually be a lot of fun. Then again, I was one of those people who enjoyed the heck out of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which was also borne out of Grahame-Smith’s novel. Check out the pics also from EW:
I like the cast of this movie: Sam Riley as Mr. Darcy, Douglas Booth as Mr Bingley and best of all, Jack Huston as the devilish cad Mr. Wickham. I’m not familiar at all with the director Burr Steers however, so hopefully he has the chops to pull off this crazy concept.
So what do you think of this classic-reimagining idea for a movie?
5. This month’s Five for the Fifth’s guest is Katy from Girl Meets Cinema:
I was thinking about Terminator Genisys reboot, it’s alternative timeline to bring back the original characters and how the story confused movie goers/critics. So my question would be:
Do you think reboots have to center around the original characters or OR can a franchise continue on successfully with brand new characters?
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Well, that’s it for the July 2015 edition of Five for the Fifth, folks. Now, please pick a question out of the five above or better yet, do ‘em all! 😀
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FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
I’m holding out hope for Bats vs Supes but Snyder’s involvement doesn’t fill me with much hope. As a *big* fan of Rocky, I’m actually looking forward to seeing Creed. Here’s hoping eh?
Yeah, same here. Though I hope the movie would still be entertaining at least, I mean we’ve got both Batman AND Superman on screen together in a live-action film! Yeah, I’m looking forward to Creed too, Jordan is a good actor at least, so we shall see!
I’m really not sure how Gal Gadot will fare as Wonder Woman since she has almost no background in acting
Ahah true, but I don’t think Wonder Woman is an *acting* type of role. She’s just required to look beautiful and bad ass, which she’s done in the Fast & Furious movies. She used to be in Israel Army I believe so she definitely can pull off the action scenes.
1. I usually watch The Patriot or ID4 on July 4th weekend holiday but this year I didn’t watch either of those films. Other films I tend to watch during the hot summer season, especially on July 4th weekend are Die Hard 3, Dirty Harry, The Rock, Face/Off, Con Air, yeah all three of Nic Cage’s action pictures from the late 90s, ha ha.
2. I’m actually less interest in seeing Batman vs. Superman now, I still can’t get over the fact that they cast Eisenberg as Luthor and that photo of him playing some sort Mark Suckerberg type of Luther is not helping their case. Also, I can’t stand the over serious tone of the these DC comic book films now. Yes it worked on Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy but not all the films should be super serious.
3. You should definitely check out the original version of Secret in Their Eyes, it’s a great film. I’m not the type that hates American remakes but I”m worry Hollywood might dumb it down to make general audiences go see this version. Love all of the Rocky films, even the bad ones so I’m all about seeing CREED. I think this is a good example of how you do reboot/sequel correctly.
4. I enjoyed reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies the book and was excited when they announced that Natalie Portman was going to star in it. Now that it’s been in development hell for years and the new director said it’s going to be a straight “serious” tone horror period picture, I don’t want to see it. The book always had that tongue and cheek humor to it.
5. Good question and my answer is no you don’t have to stick with original characters or idea for reboots. That’s the point of rebooting a franchise, you should come up with something new and refreshing. Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is a great example of rebooting a franchise correctly.
Hey Ted I still have your BD of The Patriot, great film! Ahah, Nic Cage’s 90s flicks are the best, esp Face/Off 😀
You’re right not all superhero films should be super serious, so I hope there’s a bit of fun & humor in Dawn of Justice.
I will definitely rent the Argentinian version of Secret in Their Eyes, the trailer looked more intriguing.
Yeah I’m a bit worried since Grahame-Smith is not involved in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies that it might lose the wit of the novel. That Abe Lincoln movie was quite fun and goofy at times which was what I expected.
Great answer Ted, I agree Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy sets the bar high for reboots.
Lots to think about here today, Ruth! Queen of the Desert is a GREAT book, so I’m excited to see this one even with the cast. I’ve been watching Nicole Kidman lately, so I’d be happy to see her as this! She’s way too pretty for real Gertrude Bell. From 2 years ago, I did a post on Ridley Scott’s biopic. I would love to see this be outstanding.
I kinda wish they cast a less glamorous actress to play Gertrude Bell. That’s such a rich story though, I hope they do it justice. That is a great article on her btw!
Thanks. She was an AMAZING woman. So smart and fearless, but unlucky in love. It was her undoing.
Ah, it seems that the smarter a woman is, the more threatened a man is of her. Just a theory but it might’ve been the case for Gretrude, or she might’ve been TOO adventurous?
She was an anomoly. Her father was a wealthy English industrialist. I think it was her fearlessness and uncompromising individualism that alienated herself from Edwardian norms. She was a circle in a room full of squares.
I love that she’s fearless, and yes, the Edwardian boys weren’t ready for someone like her! ‘…in a circle full of squares’ That’s a great way of putting it!
1. I would say… nothing. I’m sorry but I’m not very patriotic these days about America. There’s just some things about patriotism that feels cheap.
2. I’m kinda indifferent about Batman vs. Superman though Gal Gadot does look great as Wonder Woman. If there’s a pic of my darling Jena in the film. Let me know.
3. The Secret in Their Eyes remake looks OK while I do share the same reservations towards Queen of the Desert that you have though I am a Werner Herzog fan. Creed however is something I’m excited for as I did enjoy Fruitvale Station and I’m a fan of the Rocky movies.
4. Easy, I just don’t care.
5. My opinion on reboots have to be more about telling a story that we all know but add something new to it and make it interesting. Something that Batman Begins and Casino Royale did with success. It has to be done right.
Hi Steven!
Ahah ok, fair enough. I’m not patriotic at all about my home country.
Oh I forgot Jena Malone is in this too, do you know what she’ll be playing? Hope there’ll be pics of her soon.
Have you seen the original Secret in their Eyes? That looks more mysterious. I like Herzog too so I hope Queen of the Desert turn out good.
There’s a rumor that she could be playing Robin but I don’t know if it’s true. I haven’t seen the original film which is why I want to avoid the remake.
Ah right, I forgot about that. Well whatever she’s playing I hope they don’t waste her talents!
1: Hmmm, I don’t think there is a patriotic Aussie movie, at least not one that I am aware of. If anything I’d choose Gallipoli
2: Can’t stand superhero stuff
3: I rarely watch trailers, but that middle one does look intriguing. Great cast too as you mentioned
4: I might check it out out of sheer curiosity, but I’m a bit vampired/zombied out.
5: It depends on the franchise I think. Though I’m not a fan of movie franchises anyway, T2 being a notable exception. I rarely bother watching sequels, though I am interested to see the new Terminator, simply because I love the first two so much
Gallipoli sounds like a VERY patriotic Aussie film, I need to see that soon!
Ahah really? Never have been or just lately?
I hear ya about being vampired/zombied out. I’m not really into zombie movies but I LOVE P&P so this reimagining just sounds so bonkers I have to see it!
Gallipoli is a great film, I watched it recently for a blindspot entry. The more I think about it, yeah its definitely a patriotic movie.
I tried to get into superhero stuff and it just didn’t grab me. I remember seeing a Superman movie, yeeeears ago, before it all got so popular, and I didn’t like that. I tried to watch The Avengers recently but couldn’t get into it at all. I then tried Captain America and it just seemed like more of the same – if you showed me a scene from either I’d be hard pressed to say which movie it was from.
I haven’t seen P&P. I know the name though, I may have seen it on TV as a kid or something. Would you recommend it to someone of my tastes?
Sorry for that essay of an answer!
Hi Jordan! I definitely need to see Gallipoli, maybe later this year.
Ok well if superhero movies aren’t your thing, that’s totally ok. We like what we like, just like I can’t get into horror movies.
YES you should check out Pride & Prejudice from 2005, but most importantly, Ang Lee’s Sense & Sensibility from 1995 which is absolutely brilliant and well-written.
Thanks! I’ll add those to my watchlist…. which gets longer everyday. Its a loooong word file haha!
Thank you Ruth for including me!
1. Independence Day is my go-to pick. Jaws is probably runner-up, but with my recent Captain America obsession, that’ll totally become a tradition in the future.
2. I was in the minority who liked Man of Steel, and the minority was probably just me. lol Since then, it’s just become a hella boring movie but I don’t hate it. Dawn of Justice, though, just isn’t doing it for me even with all the names and hyped attached. Maybe this time next year I’ll have a different opinion?
3. Why, why James Franco in Queen of the Desert. I was interested until he showed up, to be honest. Secret in Their Eyes hooked my interest more. I’m not a big fan of Julia Roberts but I think she might do well in this? *crosses fingers* The original is probably better though.
4. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter wasn’t without issues but it was a ton of fun; a good, ridiculous popcorn flick that you really had to escape into to enjoy for what it was. This might be the same for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It really could be a blast!
5. To answer moi, if the original main characters are handled well in a radically new vision, a reboot can be successful i.e. Bond and Batman. For me, Terminator: Genisys just brought back characters fans of the series are familiar with and tried too hard to make the story “interesting” or complex. I’d really love to see a reboot that takes a world we are familiar with, and doesn’t have ties to any previous main characters, and does something else with new characters. Like the Walking Dead spin-off but for a film?
Hi Katy! Glad to have you be my guest this month [now I have the tune from Beauty & the Beast stuck in my head, ha!]
Yeah ID-4 is a great July 4th movie, it’s still a lot of fun! I also love Capt. America, both movies are excellent!
I loved Man of Steel the first time I saw it, but I’ve since rewatched it a few times and I liked it less and less. Especially the third act that was too loud and bombastic.
Yep, I had the exact same question about Franco in Queen of the Desert. He’s SO miscast it’s not even funny!
Glad you enjoyed Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter. It was good fun but definitely not a perfect movie by any means. I expect a ridiculous popcorn flick with this P&P reimagining, let’s hope it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Great question btw and yeah I think a good reboot is one that can respect the original but also not afraid to take some risk and introduce some new ideas.
Hi Ruth!
1. My favorite patriotic movie would probably be The Patriot. It’s just so…American. 😉
2. I was more excited about Dawn of Justice when it was first announced, but the footage I’ve seen doesn’t impress me. Hopefully, I’ll like the film.
3. Creed looks really good, but the trailer for Queen of the Desert makes it look awful. The trailers could be deceptive, though. Secret in Their Eyes appears to be a step down from the original, unfortunately.
4. I love Burr Steers’ first film Igby Goes Down, so I’ll definitely give P&P&Z a chance.
5. Reboots probably have to center on the original characters, but they can do it in more interesting ways, like Abrams did with Star Trek.
Hello Josh!
Ahah, interesting that an Aussie played the lead though. But yeah I do like that film.
We still have a loooong wait for the movie, so yeah hopefully it’ll be decent!
The Queen of the Desert trailer is awful but hopefully that means the movie itself will be good? Here’s hoping. Ok so I should definitely watch the original version of Secret in their Eyes then.
Oh cool, so you’re familiar w/ the director’s previous work and you liked it, that’s promising!
I really hope Pride and Prejudice and Zombies isn’t as crap as Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter because that was horrendous!
I’m not sure The Secret in Their Eyes needs a remake because the original was excellent!
Hi Abbi! Ahah, I actually enjoyed Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter despite its sheer preposterousness, but it was a popcorn action flick. Amen on your comment about The Secretin Their Eyes, esp since the original wasn’t even made that long ago.
1) EEK…this is hard. I don’t watch a lot of patriotic flicks, to be honest…but I recently saw Born on the Fourth of July…does that count?
2) I’ve got such mixed feelings on Dawn of Justice…I want to want to watch it…but…I go back and forth.
3) I’m not feeling any of this. Early word on the Herzog is BAD…like…Lifetime movie bad. I hated Rocky, but I love Fruitvale Station…so I’m cautiously curious about Creed. I think the original Secret in Their Eyes is mediocre at best…but I like the cast for this remake so maybe…but I’m not really that interested, to be honest. It looks a little…too much.
4) Bring it! I’m all for this!!!
5) I’m with Josh on the reboots. Let’s just do things interestingly!
Hi Drew!
Oh I think Born on the Fourth of July is quite patriotic. I saw that years ago.
I’m with you about Dawn of Justice, I’m not entirely sold on it yet either.
Oy, Lifetime movie bad?? That’s a pity as Gertrude Bell’s story is so compelling. Cautiously curious is a good way to describe how I feel about most of the movies I posted here, ahah.
I like your enthusiasm! It looks like a lot of fun and I really like the cast!
1. Well, the image of “Independence Day” has become a staple for such a theme. But for me, I’ll have to fall back on my top movie of all-time, during a desperate time that affected much of the world: Casablanca.
2. It certainly has be curious. Enough that I’ll likely see the moment it comes out. Of course, it’ll be by the same people who kinda duped me with “Man of Steel”, so I should temper that reaction. 😉 But maybe, they’l get this one right.
3. “Maybe”, “I don’t know”, and “For sure!”
4. Just screams “rental” to me.
5. Good question. I’d say the former for me, otherwise, why even attempt a reboot/re-imagining in the first place.
Hi Michael!
Oooh Casablanca is a great film to watch no matter what day it is! I really should rewatch that soon.
I hope they get this one right too, DC’s got a lot of catching up to do w/ Marvel, sheesh.
I like your concise answer, and I have a feeling you’d enjoy Creed.
I think for most non period drama fans, this P&P reimagining might not mean much. But for me, I’m really hoping it’ll be entertaining at least 🙂
1. Patriotic movies here are very repetitive and don’t have much of an audience. US-related, I’m a fan of Independence Day.
2. I’m curious to see how this one goes. I was surprised with the Affleck casting, and I don’t really know much about Gadot’s work but the pictures have me intrigued.
3. I’m not really sure about Nicole Kidman, it seems like she has iffy taste in her works lately.
I’m going to watch the original movie first before seeing Roberts’ version of it.
I like Michael B. Jordan but am not into boxing movies, so might skip that one.
4. I’m interested to see how this one turns out. If the trailer manages to wow me maybe I’ll go see this in the theater.
5. It depends. It can bring both characters (original and new) in just to establish some points but it really will depend on how it’ll be done.
Hi there, glad to see you take part!
Where do you live? I’m not patriotic about my home country Indonesia, but for me, patriotic American movies are generally ok, especially if they’re more comedic like ID4.
I’m liking Affleck’s casting more and more, and same w/ Gadot who looks the part physically.
Yeah, same here about Kidman, so bored seeing her getting cast whilst there are so many other actresses who I think suit the role more.
I’ll wait for the trailer too before deciding if this P&P&Zombies is worth seeing on the big screen, but the idea sounds crazy fun!
1. My patriotic movie would have to be Glory. Denzel was just electric in it, Freeman was brilliant as always and Broderick made you forget about Ferris if that’s possible. The music and cinematography were terrific. Can’t think of one better than that.
2. I try to stay away from casting news and any news in general. The less I know about a movie going in the better for me.
3. Having seen most of Herzog’s movies I’m always interested. Actually Pattinson, not Franco I have more of a problem with. Hard to see him as Lawrence of Arabia after seeing Peter O’Toole in his seminal role.
I saw the original Secret In Their Eyes and I don’t see how they can improve upon it. Not really interested in that one.
Ruth I just can’t watch Stallone. Even Copland didn’t work for me. I’d much rather watch Michael B. Jordan, as Wallace, in The Wire or Fruitvale Station again.
4.Lily James is just so cute in Downton Abbey but if it’s anything like A.L.V.H. I’ll have to pass.
5. If I’m correct the question Katy is asking is “Do you think reboots have to center around the original characters or OR can a franchise continue on successfully with brand new characters?” Not having seen Terminator Genisys, so I could be wrong, aren’t they still the same main characters, just in a an alternate timeline, from the original movies? The T-1000, John and Sarah? Ted I’m sure you can correct me on this.
While Batman, Spiderman, Star Trek, James Bond and Superman were reboots, weren’t they still centered on the same character(s)? Sure the actors were different and the tones were different but the stories were still centered on the same character(s). Fury Road is the best recent example of a successful reboot that centers on a completely different character, Furiosa instead of Max.
The Battlestar Galactica reboot is an interesting case successfully fusing new and old characters… even changing the gender of a character. You still had some of the original characters… Adama (Edward James Olmos), Apollo (Jamie Bamber), Starbuck (changed to a woman… Kate Sackhoff), Boomer (Grace Park), Captain Tigh (Michael Hogan) but new main characters were added like President Roslin (Mary McDonnell), Baltar (James Callis) and Number 6 (Tricia Helfer).
In Fury Road, Furiosa makes Max look like a bit player where as in Battlestar the old and new characters are on the same level. In the Batman, Spiderman, Star Trek, James Bond and Superman reboots the all the same main characters are pretty much there that were already introduced in the comic/books/movies previously. Am I making sense with this?
Hello there Dave!
I still need to see GLORY, just added that to my Watchlist on Netflix. Sounds like all the cast did a great job.
That’s very wise of you Dave, wish I had the discipline not to read on casting news.
Yeah, hard to top O’Toole but I figure since T.E. Lawrence is more of a supporting role here I don’t mind his casting. But Franco seems to have a bigger part and he just doesn’t suit the role at all, to me anyways.
Ok then, I’ll see the original Secret in Their Eyes before the remake comes out. I’m not fond of Stallone either, but Jordan is the lead and he seems like a good actor.
I love Lily James in Cinderella, I haven’t got around to seeing her yet in Downton, still on season 3 😛
The Battlestar Galactica reboot is a GREAT example of fusing old and new together brilliantly, man I miss that show!
2. Super excited for Dawn of Justice. Cannot wait. Really hopin’ it’s good! #TeamBatfleck
3. Not looking forward to Queen of the Desert (besides, I’m so sick of the awfully overrated James Franco!). Secret In Their Eyes looks good, and so does its cast. I think it has enough differences to stand apart from the marvelous original film. Not interested in Creed AT ALL.
4. Very curious about P&P&Z. Should be a lot of fun!
5. I think a franchise can continue on successfully with brand new characters, as long as they’re appealing and well-developed.
Hello Fernando! He..he.. I’ve become more fond of Affleck as Batman too, he’s more imposing physically than Cavill, too. Yes I hope it’s good!!
Glad I’m not the only one who thinks Franco is overrated! I take it you’ve seen the original Secret in Their Eyes? Curious to check that one out. Are you not a fan of boxing movies or just the Rocky-related story?
Yeah, P&P&Z sounds so bonkers isn’t it? I mean wish I had thought of THAT, ahah. Those girls look like they’d kick ass!
Glad you’re warming up to the Batfleck!
Yes! Franco’s so overrated and annoying and everywhere! UGH
Yes, I’ve seen the original (El secreto de sus ojos). It’s an excellent film!
Not the biggest fan of boxing movies but there’s something about the Rocky ones that just doesn’t capture my interest at all!
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