Star Trek Into Darkness review 2013 grade A

Star Trek is about working together to advance society.  In the Abrams era of Star Trek most of this tone has been lost in favor of a more action oriented story telling.  Its brisk it's kinetic its a fresh cote paint of on an old car.  So when I get into my review of Into Darkness I'm focusing on whats under the hood.

The story pulls us in with an Indiana Jones style action sequence where Kirk and Dr McCoy are running from a prehistoric extraterrestrial culture.  The dialogue is snappy and traded via banter in the middle of an action scene.  It seems like these new films are obsessed with entertaining you.   I have no problem with that but I do have an issue with invoking 9/11 like imagery to give the movie modern gravitas.

My issue with 9/11 imagery is that it is beginning to become cliche' with themes of smoking buildings, hunting terrorists, quick retribution this cheapens the events of  that horrible day by using it as an entertainment context.  The antagonist is Khan played marvelously by Benedict Cumberbatch.  Khan is a genetically engineered super human fighting for his people.  After blowing up a Star Fleet building the Enterprise is dispatched to terminate him without trial.  Raising moral and ethical conflicts among the crew.  After Kirk makes the choice not to kill Khan we later learn of a bigger Star Fleet conspiracy.

I love the action and where the story seems to be going and if this is any indication of what the new Star Wars sequels could be then this is a galaxy I want to continue to explore.

Movie grade A.

Sex in cinema

Let talk about sex shall we, sex in movies is a important part of cinematic history.  In this podcast I discuss how the subject is treated in films from different regions of the world.

Sex in Cinema discussion on MC's podcastClick this link to listen to podcast.

Beware the IMAX rip off.

How do you know if your being ripped off?

IMAX movies are an incredibly immersive experience. Theaters across the nation have adopted the IMAX brand but unfortunately movie screens have not been retrofitted for the appropriate picture only the sound system has been updated.  Picture quality is important.  Real IMAX theaters are garganutan in their construction and some have domes.  You can't get this at AMC theaters.  Exhibitors are playing on the consumer's ignorance and charging premium ticket prices for a sup-par experience.

 
I believe movie aficionados should know the difference.  For starters find the best IMAX theater in your town.  I live in Los Angeles where there are countless theaters out here but only two of them offer a premium IMAX experience.  It may be a drive but trust me it' worth it!

Notice how big the screen is compared to a 6ft tall man.  

I love the IMAX experience.  IMAX utilizes 65mm film stock producing an increased film resolution.  Sound and picture are incredible.  It does not use an embedded soundtrack instead it's a separate reel and a seven channel track synchronized with film.  When you watch movies outside an IMAX theater the sides of the picture are cut off and your not experiencing the filmmaker's original vision.


What would Chris Noland do?  The IMAX camera ain't cheap if you want to buy one of these babies your going to have go directly to the manufacturer and expect to shell out $500,000.00 for one of these. 
Allot of money and time has been spent creating great cinematic art.  Movie theater owners are in business to make money at your expense.  Artistic intent is secondary to them.  So do you homework and find out where the best IMAX theater is and beware the phonies.

This is not an IMAX theater don't end up here.

Independent Film Distribution: That critical endgame.

In chess the endgame is most important because one wrong move will cause you to stalemate.  For an independent filmmaker it's the same problem.

 Every year countless indies are submitted to film festivals where one of two things happen.  Either they get in or they're rejected.  I could go on a rant pertaining to film festivals.  That's a blog for another time.  Film distribution has always been complicated because there are multiple ways to get your work seen.  Think of distribution as an open flea market where your trying to sale your digital product. 

Start by asking yourself what are you looking to accomplish.  Are you seeking fame or money?  Both are noble but there are benefits and limitations.  Fame will get you work but it might not get you money and fame costs money.  Money will get you paid but you'll be scratching for another gig so it's important to know what you're trying to accomplish with your content.  I'm going to list new distribution models that I think work in the internet age.

 
Mass email blast (assuming you know lots of people who like you)
Get mainstream success and acclaim (Wining the Oscar helps)
Blogs (Create a great blog)
Podcast-create an awesome show and grow a fan base
Showing your film on a portable device at a networking mixer
Sticker/graffiti projects
Priemum digital download/Try before you buy version (Mdot Strange)
Become a celebrity and sell directly your audience
Upload to Itunes/road trip your movie promoting it in theaters
Win awards at prestigious film festivals because your movie is that damn good.
Tom Leykis method- Create your own web channel provide your own content/premium content exclusive to subscribers and paid advertising (must become a celebrity)

The main idea here is to cultivate an audience and sell yourself and your content to them because your that damn good or interesting.

The Avengers - Props and concept art from the movie at USC