Five Clips You'll Wish You Hadn't Seen From The Legend of Chun-Li

These were the five "exclusive" clips that ign.com received earlier this week and I can honestly say that they killed any lingering desire I had to watch this movie. I mean seriously, they got the guy from American Pie to play the police officer? Are they serious? "This guy walks through the raindrops." So bad. So very bad.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li: Bad Movie or Remarkably Bad Movie?

The guys over at clickthecity.com are saying the latter. As many of you know, the film was released nationwide today and the bad reviews are already rolling in. The clickthecity review is probably the worst review yet, however, calling the film "a new low for videogame movies" and rating it lower than the original Street Fighter live action film and the Super Mario Bros. movie. Wow. Worse than Super Mario Bros. The Movie? That's just harsh.

Regardless, I think I'll just wait for the "not so legal" release of the film before I make my judgements. Feel free to see it and let me know what you think, though.

Click here for the clickthecity full review.

You Can Take the Slumdog Out the Slums...

Photo thanks to cbc.ca

But you better give him an Oscar for the trouble. Eight Oscars to be exact. Yes, Slumdog millionaire won an Oscar for almost every category it was nominated in (though I think Best Song was unfair because it got nominated twice there and "Down to Earth" from Wall-e was amazing).

Overall, I really liked Hugh Jackman's Oscar setup this year. It was definitely a lot more intimate, with previous Best Actor, Actress, etc. winners coming out to introduce each nominee, but it still had a few big performances. The only problem I had with the show was that they didn't show a clip of the roles the Best Actor, Actress, etc. nominees were nominated for. I think that really took away from the gravity of their nominations. It was kind of like they decided to say "I hope you saw the movie" to all of the viewers.

So yeah, the Oscars are done (I went four out of five on my predictions even though I still think that Mickey Rourke deserved Best Actor) and we can all go back to watching films just because we want to and not because of all the buzz. Right?

Tonight's the Night

Photo courtesy of Henryblogs.

After a year of hits, misses, and scandals the 81st Annual Academy Awards are finally upon us. Below I will give my picks for the "Big Five" categories (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Picture) as well as my picks for the actors, actresses, and films that should have been nominated. Remember to go here for the official nominee listings.

Best Supporting Actress:

Nominees: Amy Adams, “Doubt”; Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”; Viola Davis, “Doubt”; Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler”

My Pick: While I thoroughly enjoyed Amy Adam's and Marisa Tomei's performances, I really think that the true gem of this category is Penelope Cruz. Her raw emotion and linguistic flexibility really gave her the advantage here.

Who Should Have Been Nominated: Debra Winger from "Rachel Getting Married." I honestly don't know why Winger's portrayal of the uninterested and cruelly irresponsible mother was passed over by the academy. I guess she just was "edgy" enough.


Best Actress:

Nominees: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”; Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”; Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”; Meryl Streep, “Doubt”; Kate Winslet, “The Reader”

My Pick: Kate Winslet is definitely the outlier in this category. Her performance as the illiterate ex-Schutzstaffel was excellent and very well recieved by the academy.

Who Should Have Been Nominated: Michelle Williams from "Wendy and Lucy." While I found the overall film to be lackluster, Williams still gave a heartfelt performance that at least warranted a nod from the academy.


Best Supporting Actor:

Nominees: Josh Brolin, “Milk”; Robert Downey, Jr., “Tropic Thunder”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”; Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”; Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road”

My Pick: Heath Ledger. Say what you will about Ledger's death and acting history, he still played an amazing Joker and deserves the award.

Who Should Have Been Nominated: Javier Bardem from "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Sure he won the award for this category last year after his chilling performance in No Country for Old Men, but that shouldn't count against his nomination this year.


Best Actor:

Nominees: Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”; Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”; Sean Penn, “Milk”; Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

My Pick: My vote goes to Rourke on this one. His sorrowful portrayal of the "out of his time" professional wrestler was genuine and emotionally driven. It also didn't hurt that he kind of looks like a beaten up old wrestler. It will be interesting to see what happens here, though, because Sean Penn's performance as the openly gay Harvey Milk has been widely acclaimed by the critics. I have to wonder how much of that hinges on the context of the film though.

Who Should Have Been Nominated: Clint Eastwood from "Gran Torino." I have yet to understand why Gran Torino was so completely and utterly snubbed by the academy this year, but I do know that Eastwood definietly deserved a nomination. For shame academy. For shame.

Best Picture:

Nominees: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire”

My Pick: Slumdog Millionaire has this one in the bag. This film has been widely adored and it has every other major award to prove it. It is finally time to complete the collection.

What Should Have Been Nominated: "Gran Torino." Like I said before, Clint Eastwood's film has been majorly snubbed in all respects by the academy (it did not recieve a single nomination) and it is a shame to see such a great picture, and actor, treated this way.


So that's it. All that is left is to tune in to ABC tonight at 5PT/8ET. I'll see you all there.

Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin Double Feature

So I have definitely been slacking off on Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin videos so here are the lastest two videos... IN ONE POST. Can you handle that? I don't think you can.


"No resetting."



"Ash shows off her strategic mind."

Rachel Getting Married Impressions

I have been searching desperately for this film since I first heard buzz about it late last year, and I am glad that I was finally able to find it. At first glance, Rachel Getting Married may seem like your run-of-the-mill dysfunctional family drama, but you quickly realize that it is much more than that (I won't spoil anything though). The characters were entertaining and the music was diverse and vibrant. Anne Hathaway did an excellent job as Kym, which has earned her a nomination for Best Actress, and everyone else did commendably. You really start to feel a connection with the different families as the film progresses and I really love it when a film is able to do that.

My biggest problem with Rachel Getting Married was that some of the drama just seemed too forced. Like the director took a syringe full of it and injected it into any appealing vein. That is an easy way to grab an Oscar here and there, but it is a bit of a disservice to the viewers. Also, there were far too many unresolved issues which culminated in a lukewarm and dissatisfying ending. I just find that to be so terribly disappointing for such an attention grabbing film. Oh, and I found the overzealous camera work to be a bit distracting at times. I understand that they really wanted to make us feel like we were in the action, but sometimes a handcam approach just isn't necessary.

I am awarding Rachel Getting Married three and a half stars out of five for its involving plot, great acting, and fantastic score, but less than colorful ending. So yes, the film was still a great watch for the most part and I encourage you to see it.

On a side note, the Oscars are airing this February 22nd at 5PT/8ET for those few of you who have forgotten. I have yet to see The Reader, which is up for a number of awards, but I plan to correct that either tomorrow or Saturday. Hopefully I will be able to get out my picks for the Big Five categories before the show. Wish me luck!

The Legend Of Chun-Li Is Looking More And More Generic By The Day

It really, truly is. It's like it can't help itself.

xkcd Wishes You All A Happy V-Day

So I have been a fan of xkcd.com for over a year now, and I must say that I haven't regretted it for a second. The art is fairly simple, but that really just adds to the complexity of some of humor. I strongly recommend that you start from the beginning (the bottom of the list) and make sure to mouse over the images for additional text after you finish reading each comic. I was able to post the mouse-over in this post so just hover over it for the text. Happy V-Day.

Slumdog Millionaire Impressions

At first I was a bit put off by Slumdog Millionaire, but I soon discovered that the overly simplified plot synopsis does not do any sort of justice to the film. It was deep, dark, interesting, funny, sad, and inspiring. I became enthralled from the very first second and that feeling never faded.The actors did amazing work, the score fit perfectly, and the cinematography was excellent. I now see why Slumdog Millionaire has received so much praise and I believe it deserves every bit of it.

I am awarding Slumdog Millionaire five stars out of five and a spot on my favorite films list for its seemingly perfect execution. I was pulling for Benjamin Button as Best Motion Picture in the Oscars this year, but it just didn't have the charisma I saw here.

Our First Taste Of Dragon Ball Evolution: The Movie: The Game

I will admit, it doesn't look nearly as bad as I thought it was going to look. It still looks bad, mind you, but not as bad. The characters are still amazingly ugly though. I couldn't even tell " Roshi" (this guy doesn't deserve being called Master Roshi) was fighting Piccolo until I looked up at the name. And even then I barely saw the connection. Ah well, at least it will be contained to the PSP... for now. For now.

Doubt Impressions

There really isn't much to say here. I really wanted to enjoy Doubt, but I just couldn't. I thought that Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Amy Adams all did excellent jobs, but the film failed to garner any genuine interest within me. I waited and hoped for some sort of interesting twist, or graphic fight, hell I even waited for an angry mob. Did I get any of those? Nope. Not even a hint of them.

I am awarding Doubt three stars out of five for its great acting but lack of intrigue. In the end this film really just felt like an Oscar grab more than anything else... and it was successful in that respect. Though I really don't think that Viola Davis deserves her Best Supporting Actress nomination. She only had ten or so minutes of screen time, and only a few minutes of dialogue.

Hollywood Or The Assualt On Your Childhood One Movie At A Time?

You tell me.

The Wrestler Impressions

I heard a lot of good things about this film prior to seeing it and I can definitely say that I was not disappointed. The Wrestler, while being fairly downbeat and depressing, still has that little spark of life in it that refuses to go out. Mickey Rourke and Marissa Tomei did excellent jobs with their characters who, after realizing that their peak years have finally past, are forced to face a world that has changed while they weren't looking. I especially liked the ambiguity of the ending. It really gave the audience a chance to make a choice regarding the fate of the characters. Truly the perfect touch.

My only complaints about The Wrestler are that it ran a bit to slowly at times and I think that Randy's past probably could have been fleshed out more deeply. There were a handful of references that I would have really liked to know more about.

I am awarding The Wrestler four stars out of five for its passion and likability, but vague and sometimes slow story. If you haven't seen it, and don't mind a bit of nudity, then you should definitely see this film when you get the chance. It's a real show stopper. Haw haw haw.