25 years ago, The Matrix was Released in Theaters

 

What is The Matrix?

That was the question most moviegoers asked when the film was released on March 31, 1999 in US theaters, and boy were they in for a surprise with this Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow release that was directed by The Wachowskis and starred Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano.

Helping revolutionize the action and sci-fi genre for Hollywood, The Matrix ultimately became a critical and commercial success - spawning three sequels and many spin-offs. It helped propel special effects use in cinema - especially with the use of “Bullet Time” as well as daring storytelling with the rise of the computer and digital age.

Happy Anniversary to The Matrix!

Remembering the 5th with a little V...

Whether you're wearing your Guy Fawkes' inspired mask, reading, or watching a copy of V for Vendetta, today is indeed the 5th of November. With that in mind, it's time to reminisce about this stellar dystopian future tale that was originally released as a comic book series/ graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. To commemorate the occasion, here's a You Tube video I found that compiles a collection of clips and scenes from the film adaptation directed by the Wachowski Bros., which featured Hugo Weaving as the elusive freedom fighter vigilante V and Natalie Portman as Evey, released 5 years ago and remains one of the more obscure yet classic movies to this day.

In this tribute video, V goes on to say those epic lines that  many have recited to remember this day, with the BGM "Evey Reborn" playing in the background...



Remember, Remember the 5th of November

"Remember, Remember the 5th of November The Gun powder, Teason and Plot I know of no reason why the gun powder treason should ever be forgot." - V from V for Vendetta

Movie Review: Transformers: Dark of the Moon

When the first Transformers film was released in 2007, I was flabbergasted and ranting ravely like a kid again, amazed at the prospect that one of the cartoons/ toy franchises I grew up with finally made the leap into the big screen. It wasn't a perfect adaptation of course, but the initial concept remained the same, and apparently Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg delivered on their promise to make the "Robots in Disguise" a kick ass movie and spawn it into a lucrative franchise. However, when 2009's Revenge of the Fallen came along, it was met with mixed to almost downright negative reactions from critics and audiences alike, which is understandable considering the presence of eyesore characters and a plot that was clustered around like crazy. Simply put, the movie universe wasn't exactly cut from the same cloth as Generation 1, but it fared well enough in the box office to make millions of dollars in ticket sales, coming to the point that another sequel would be made, and it would be Bay's last foray in the franchise.

When it was first announced, Transformers: Dark of the Moon certainly sounded like a strange way to name a movie (why not "Dark Side of the Moon"?), but after watching the final product, it all makes sense why it was given the title. Without going much into spoilers this early, I can say that the third "Bayformers" was aptly named, and lives up to the director's promise that it will be a lot "darker" than his previous two outings with the Autobots and Decepticons. After the jump, take note that it will be SPOILERVILLE from here on out, so if you plan to watch the movie with a clean conscience, come back and read this review after you've seen it.

Captain America Update: First look at the Cosmic Cube in the movie!

io9 recently posted an article giving fans first look at the legendary artifact known as the "Cosmic Cube", wielded by actor Hugo Weaving's character Johann Schmidt... aka The Red Skull! Those who know Captain America lore know that those who hold the cube have access to near limitless power, from reshaping reality to something as rudimentary as restoring one's broken mind and psyche. Who knows how this will play into the move Captain America: The First Avenger? We'll find out soon this coming July. For more information, visit the source posts over at i09, Worst Previews, and Slash Film!

Captain America: The First Avenger opens in theaters July 22, 2011!

Captain America Update: High-Res photos and more plot details pop up!

Last week featured big news for Marvel fans eagerly awaiting next year's star spangled heroic movie Captain America: The First Avenger. Not only was the cover to the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly revealed featuring Chris Evans as Cap on the cover, but so were photos from the movie itself featuring more shots of Evans in his starring role, as well as his fellow cast members like Hugo Weaving as The Red Skull. As such, details were inevitably going to follow, and sure enough, movie blog site Screen Rant has the scoop on plot highlights from the movie. Of course, SPOILERS are going to be there, so I won't note down the specifics. Obviously, the movie will be set in World War II and will be an origin story... but there's a lot more to it as well that will simply leave fans excited for what's to come, especially with the build up to the forthcoming Avengers film in 2012. Also, the movie will undergo a slight title change when it gets relased internationally, omitting "Captain America" and going by "The First Avenger" instead. This is obviously to make audiences in non-US territories connect the movie with Avengers better, but personally, I think Captain America is the one true label that should stick. If you can't resist reading more, go visit Screen Rant's link here, which also includes High-Res pics of the photos featured in the EW Cap Spotlight issue!

Captain America: The First Avenger throws his mighty shield on July 22 next year!

Captain America Update: More pics reveal classic shield and the Red Skull!

Right after dropping the bombshell that is the cover to the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, new pictures from the magazine itself have surfaced online, showing more stuff from next year's "Captain America: The First Avenger"!

As seen in movie blog site Slash Film, here are select images featuring Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/ Captain America. Looks like this is the first version of the "series of Cap uniforms" Chris will don through the course of the movie, and so far, it's looking good!

Here's a picture of him carrying the original triangular shield the hero uses way before he gets the iconic circular shield! It's great that director Joe Johnston and Marvel Studios incorporated this, showing how faithful they're trying to be with the source material!

Finally, we have two interesting pics bundled together. Above is a pic with a group of scientists, led by Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), adjusting the Super Soldier device that will turn Steve Rogers into Captain America! And the last photo shows none other than actor Hugo Weaving as Johann Schmidt... aka The Red Skull! For more pics and details, visit the source article at Slash Film!

Captain America: The First Avenger throws his mighty shield this July 22, 2011!

Captain America Update: Hugo Weaving As Red Skull... Confirmed!

It's been on talks for a couple of weeks now, but Marvel Studios has finally finished negotiations with a certain A-List actor to play the Red Skull in next year's star spangled superhero flick - The First Avenger, Captain America!

Hugo Weaving, best known for his roles as Agent Smith in "The Matrix Trilogy", Lord Elrond in "The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy", and the voice of Megatron in Michael Bay's Transformer films, has been confirmed to play the role of the Red Skull, the deadly arch-nemesis of Chris Evan's Captain America! Marvel.com and Superherohype have the scoop up, and suffice to say, I'm glad that Weaving is playing the role of the "Third Reich Villain", whose real name is Johann Schmidt. Weaving will reunite with director Joe Johnston, who directed "The Wolfman" before moving on to "The First Avenger". What does this mean to fans and moviegoers everywhere? Well, we'll be getting an AWESOME Red Skull, that's for sure! For more info, visit the links above, or go straight to Marvel.com!