Y’know how sometimes when Saturday Night Live is on, you wonder if the writers were stoned when they aired a skit that made no sense and wasn’t entertaining?  Tree of Life is kinda like that. It’s a breathtaking view of the creation of the world (and dinosaurs) that spirals into something only the people involved could grasp, let alone love.  A cobbled together mess that tries hard at greatness, only to fall back into the primordial ooze of flop sweat.

If you ever wondered if Brad Pitt could do worse picking a star vehicle than Meet Joe Black, look no further. Here ’tis.   It’s a shame, because he puts on a fine performance, whenever the self-satisfied voice-overs let you absorb it.  He goes to the Charlize-Theron-in-Monster school of acting, scruffing himself up to become an eerie mirror image of Michael Douglas in Falling Down.  That’s a hint at things to come…well, sorta.  Pitt plays a Tough Love dad that has three sons and a kind-hearted wife that takes everything he dishes out.  When one of the boys grows up, he has issues.  Doesn’t everybody?  But the grown boy/man is played by Sean Penn, so you know those issues are deep and disturbing.  Because Penn puts on his best disgruntled face.  Aside from several pompous voice-overs like “Father, Mother, always you wrestle inside me”, he barely has five lines in the whole movie.  Maybe after delivering those bon mots he couldn’t take saying much else.  He should have taken a tip from Christopher Lee; while filming Dracula – Prince of Darkness he decided his lines were so horrifyingly bad that Dracula should just stay silent.  Wise man, that Mr. Lee.

The big secret that kept this movie’s storyline so hush-hush?  Well, look at the movie poster.  See all sorts of water, lava, planets, trees and…stuff?  It’s all in there.  No, not as scenery, but as the grand tale itself.  With Tree of Life, Malick attempts to tell the tale of creation, see how we all struggle within our world and the universe, and call for a coming to grace within ourselves.  Oh, and dinosaurs.  Really groovy dinosaurs.  No, they don’t eat any of the human characters, but that would have been an improvement.

Maybe it’s that I’m not nearly cool enough for this movie, it’s possible. I was definitely not nearly wasted enough for this movie. One glass of wine wasn’t gonna cut it; if only I’d tried to score some acid. Maybe that would have helped things. But probably not, since the scenes that don’t involve dinosaurs or lava are such downers (think Stand By Me as directed by Crispin Glover). Nobody wants a bad trip. Or so they tell me.

To make sure you don’t think I’m a total Grinch, there are some things about this movie I liked. The creation of the universe scenes were literally awe-inspiring. I just wish they hadn’t been plopped into the beginning of the story like court-ordered community service.  Boom — it’s creation folks!  What, were you watching that last bit?  Oh, sorry.  This bait-and-switch ends up making these gorgeous scenes of nature and the elements feel like navel gazing at it’s finest, and most self-indulgent.  The dinosaurs were cute too.  In fact, I cared more about a dinosaur in distress than I ever did about the characters in this movie.  Terrence Malick may be a genius, but he chops his family’s tale into little bits, weaving them into a bigger creation/philosophical question that loses the audience in it’s attempt at greatness.  This leaves little to care about when the family re-appears again and again.  Malick keeps his audience at arm’s length, but enabling viewers to see the giant picture of life and creation only puts a huge distance between the viewers of the tale and the characters in it.  Mother, Father, Son, Brother, are cardboard cut-outs that are placed where they need to be, say what they need to say, all to further the Great Big Important Thing the director is trying to tell us.  Me?  I figured the theme of this movie was you pays your money and you takes your chances.

Malick apparently got a standing ovation at Cannes when he made an appearance after the premiere.  But the French? Jerry Lewis. Enough said.  I’m just waiting for college kids and hipster twenty-somethings to remove the original sound tracks and dub in “Dark Side Of The Moon”. Only a matter of time.

No this isn’t a motel review, this is my list of my favorite Western Films ever. Below you’ll find their posters along with a reason or two of why I like the film or what makes said movie worth watching again and again. When starting a list of the best (IMO) Westerns of all time you can start with one of two actors- John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. I’m going to start with John Wayne in the epic directed by John Ford- The Searchers. You can’t go wrong with John Wayne crossing the United States in search of justice.

Clint Eastwood’s Academy Award winning Unforgiven, like manygreat Westerns, boasts an all-star cast including three Oscar winners Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and Eastwood himself as well as Oscar nominated Richard Harris. This film, for me, marks the beginning of Eastwood- the great director.

In my life Tombstone is to Westerns what Tommy Boy is to comedies and Terminator 2 is to science fiction. One of the first films I ever purchased with my own money. One of the first live action films I could quote without missing a beat. It also marked the first time the thought crossed my mind, “mustaches are cool and Sam Elliot has the best mustache I’ve ever seen.”

The next three films also hold a special place in my memories. I grew up in a family that didn’t really watch movies so when we did it was a rather memorable event and when my parents actually enjoyed a movie… well, that was “the bee’s knees.” Based on my experience every filmmaker should try to make a movie for adults but safe enough for children as well. That said, ¡Three Amigos! and The Shakiest Gun in the West were two films that my parents watched, with the kids, and laughed at. They also introduced me to the greatness of Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short and Don Knotts. Then there was the film that my best friend’s family considered one of their favorites- Blazing Saddles. Again, the wild West is a great place for comedy especially in the hands of Jew from Brooklyn.

In recent years the Western has seen a dramatic drop off from popularity at the local megaplex but a few instant classics have made it to the projector room, the Australian Western The Proposition is one of those films. Again, again if this cast doesn’t make you wanna watch this movie before your next meal then I don’t know what will. The Proposition stars Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, John Hurt, Emily Watson and was written for the screen by Nick Cave.

Clint Eastwood spits on a dog in The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Once Upon a Time in the West is just one of the many tremendous contributions to the genre made by Sergio Leone. Every aspect of this film is perfect. I’m not using hyperbole. The cast-  Bronson, Robards, Fonda and the beautiful Claudia Cardinale. The visuals, thanks to Leone, and score composed by Ennio Morricone. Watch this movie and just try to refute my claim.

I know many would say Rio Bravo was better but I saw El Dorado first. And I like the name nickname “Mississippi.”

Eastwood, Leone, and Morricone started the sub-genre “Spaghetti Western” with one of the greatest movies of all time- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. If you haven’t seen this movie, see it now.

I would have thought seeing the spoof (Three Amigos) of a film first would have ruined the viewing of the film being spoofed but The Magnificent Seven is that good. Also I have to mention another Western that didn’t make this list but still holds a place in my heart (yeah, I said that) The White Buffalo (it’s a bison) starring The Magnificent Seven‘s Charles Bronson. If you watch The White Buffalo then you’ll know why I love the film and why I couldn’t put it on this list.

The other modern classic along side The Proposition is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. This film gave me hope that the genre had not all but been forgotten by Hollywood.

You know you’re watching a Western when a moral decision is at the heart of the story. Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly star in High Noon, I need not say more.

Finally Paul Newman and Robert Redford star in what I call a disco-Western, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Interested? I thought you would be- let me know what you think after you’ve seen it.

I have to mention There Will Be Blood which for some reason unknown to me I have trouble calling a Western. Am I wrong? What are some of your favorite Westerns?

Although the show floor was opened up last night, the San Diego Comic-Con officially opened today. I wasn’t expecting this much on the first day, but that just goes to show you how new I am to the con. Here we go!

First up, we have some photo galleries from the show floor. Check these out to get a glimpse of the many awesome booths from every comic, movie, and TV show you can think of:

• Firstshowing’s Photo Gallery
• Cinematical’s Preview Night Gallery

Joss Whedon is officially directing The Avengers. Yes, you probably already knew this, but now it’s official. During EW’s Visionaries panel, Whedon stated the Marvel lacked the finances for an official press release so he had to announce it himself. I think Whedon writing is definitely a good idea, but I’m sure about his directing skills. Still, he obviously loves the characters and knows what a geek audience is expecting from the film, so hopefully Whedon will escalate The Avengers from a simple coming-together of heroes into the most epic superhero film ever put on film, but without sacrificing its heart. Good luck, Mr. Whedon. By the way, Marvel’s big presentation is on Saturday, so be ready for some big announcements.

During the same panel, J.J. Abrams talked a little bit about Super 8, but refused to give anything away. The only surprising news is that the film isn’t actually shot yet. This kind-of makes sense, but I assumed the movie was already completed. He’s aiming for a September start date so hopefully the wait won’t be too long before we see what should be a great collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Abrams.

Will Ferrell came to the Megamind panel completely dressed as his character from the animated film. Brad Pitt also made an appearance… in cardboard cutout form. See the picture from Alex Billington’s Twitter feed on the right. Oh yeah, Jonah Hill also declared himself the new Hulk for The Avengers. Wouldn’t it be great if this was legitimate and no one realized it?

Disney had their presentation for Tron Legacy today, with all of the main cast as well as the director in attendance. If you’re interested you should read Firstshowing’s detailed write-up of the event. Apparently the footage they screened was amazing, but those of us at home can check out this awesome second trailer for the film:

The first images from Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch also debuted today. See them over at Film School Rejects.

During Disney’s presentation, a new adaptation of The Haunted Mansion was announced, with Guillermo Del Toro writing and producing. This came as a complete surprise, but makes sense given his recent departure from The Hobbit and his penchant for monster visuals. In an interview with THR, Del Toro talked about the mix between scares and family appeal, “It’s going to be a thrill ride for the whole family but it’s definitely going to be scary,” he said. “(Walt) Disney is one of the creators of some of the scariest images in my childhood. People forget that he not only made sweet images but also images of nightmare. We need to honor that side of the legacy.” This is defnitely what Disney is going for with this remake as Disney production head Sean Bailey echoed the same sentiments. The director is huge fan of the ride and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for the Disney classic.

The big news kept coming as MTV Movies Blog got the scoop that Brad Pitt has signed on for the film adaptation of Max Brooks’ World War Z. The book is a series of interviews with various people who were impacted by the worldwide zombie infestation, and I am looking to read it soon. The author said, “I can’t believe how cool Paramount has been to me and these projects, and how cool Plan B has been.” I hope the film doesn’t lose the great storytelling technique that the book used by focusing solely on Pitt’s character.

The Sundance hit Buried, starring Ryan Reynolds by himself in a coffin, also got a theatrical trailer. I can’t wait to see this film. How can a movie set underground in an enclosed space have fresh visuals. I really want to see how Rodrigo Cortes pulled this one off. That being said, this trailer was pretty lackluster:

The teaser poster for Let Me In, Matt Reeves’ American remake of the Swedish vampire movie, hit the net today thanks to MTV Movies Blog and here it is:

Speaking of American remakes, David Fincher’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is moving along. A release date of December 21st, 2011 was just set by Sony, and filming should begin in October. Still, none of the leads have been solidified yet. Daniel Craig, who has been rumored for the role of journalist Mikael Blomkvist, will likely not be able to join the cast due to conflicts with Bond 23 and Jon Favreau’s Cowboys vs. Aliens. The main female role, computer hacker Lisabeth Salander, is still up in the air.

The Expendables panel was pretty uneventful. I guess it was a “you had to be there” kind-of thing. The amazing action cast assembled, but no big news, which wasn’t a surprise.

Although I hadn’t heard too much about this film before, I’m really starting to get excited for RED. The film, which stands for Retired, Extremely Dangerous, stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Morgan Freeman as four ex-CIA special agents who become targets and must outwit their pursuers in a cross-country race to uncover the conspiracy at the CIA’s headquarters at Langley. This movie looks like a ton of fun with a great cast. Check out the new trailer:

After it was rumored yesterday that Karl Urban was going to be the new Judge Dredd, FSR’s Jack Giroux confirmed the rumor today. The actor stated that he is in talks and wants to play the character in the upcoming adaptation.

Battle: Los Angeles is making a big splash at the convention this year. A viral site launched this morning that looks pretty interesting. The pitch is that Battle: LA is a more realistic telling of human military fighting off an alien invasion. Think Black Hawk Down meets Independence Day. I’m really intrigued as District 9 already showed a more thoughtful view of aliens, hopefully this film, lead by Aaron Eckhart can be an emotional war drama like Saving Private Ryan and also showcase some awesome alien destruction.

A new film called Skyline in the same vein is also being advertised around Comic-Con and no one had ever really heard of it before. All we know right now is what Drew at Hitfix could uncover: “Skyline is directed and produced by the Brothers Strause (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem), whose company Hydraulx has provided visual effects for Avatar, Iron Man 2, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and 300.” Sounds promising, and from what I’ve heard, the Strause brothers, who previously helmed AVP: Requiem, are true geeks and set out to make an awesome alien invasion film. We get our first real look at this tomorrow so stay tuned.

And the most frustrating news of the night is that Scott Pilgrim vs. The World premiered tonight in a special preview screening. I’m really mad I missed this, but, hey, I get to see it next Thursday. Reaction was very positive, with many tweets like this one from Erik Davis: “I just poured a bucket of awesome over my head and it was called Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” Personally I can’t wait to see this movie. The over-the-top action and self-referencing humor look awesome. A few early reviews are up now including ones from Cole Abaius,  Todd Gilchrist, and Jordan Hoffman but I am going to hold off until I see it for myself.

So that was day one of Comic-Con 2010. Some nice surprises and several good new images and trailers. Be wary, though. Don’t let all the hype get to you. It’s good seeing all these promos for franchises you love, but always remember to enjoy the films as they are, without all the hoopla.

Atomic Popcorn brings you yet another Top 10 list! This time we are bring you a list of some of the best on-screen duo’s there are! Below is a list of my top 10 on-screen duo’s of coarse you will have your own opinion. I promise to not use the word chemistry more than 4 times also!

If you all have any ideas for a top 10 list or want to see something specific send us an email at top10@atomicpopcorn.net and we will try and get it up here for you.

Without further ado, here is what I think are the top 10 on-screen duo’s of recent memory.

10. Ben Affleck & Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting- This unlikely duo of two kids from Boston making a movie based on something they wrote. Well the movie was a hit and the duo are still just that in Hollywood. Damon and Affleck both have a great career both behind and in front of them.

9. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys- who can see these guys without at least humming “Bad Boy Bad Boys, whatcha gonna do?” I know I can’t. A great on screen chemistry between these overly large men. The acting is on par with any action flick but these two bring to the table something special. I think they may be channeling a little something from another of our top 10 contenders for Top 10 Duo’s.

8. John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction – These extremely violent yet stupid criminals made a movie and a career for a certain Director. While these two came onto the scene quietly, they left with a very large bang after this film. Such chemistry and great writing lead these guy’s onto our Top 10 list.

7. Sam and Frodo in LOTR Trilogy – This unlikely duo has melted ring’s around the world. All jokes aside about being gay lovers, this on-screen duo shares a lifetime of pain and love throughout these films. This duo was something that I don’t we had seen on screen in a while. A true chemistry between two guys in the midst of uncertain times.

6. Brad Pitt and George Clooney in the Ocean’s franchise – two of Hollywood’s leading men, leading the charge for some awesome bank robbing. What more can you want from two Joe Cool’s. Great acting, great suave, these two ooze cool.

5. Tyler and The Narrator in Fight Club – Didn’t we just mention Joe Cool above this, well he is back along side Edward Norton as number 5 on our list. These two really gave us a run for our money in Fight Club. Writing aside, the acting between these two made the movie what it is today.

4. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the Lethal Weapon franchise – oh my, two entirely different people trapped with one another made these two real men of the 80′s. The boys of Lethal Weapon brought to the screen an on-screen chemistry that not many have or will match. The laughs, the tears, the fights, true brothers ended up on screen with these two crazies!

3. Woody and Buzz from the Toy Story franchise – Yes I am well aware that they are artistically enhanced characters. Yes I am also aware I have a animated feature as my number 3. Without a doubt you have to include Tom Hanks and Tim Allen on this list. Starting as fierce rivals for Andy’s love, they have grown into a duo among the best. The interaction and delivery from this duo brings to life what we only know as animated history!

2. Robert Redford and Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting – Suave and complete. The acting and everything that follows and it includes these guys had it and brought it to the screen. These movies are classics for two reason and the two reason are the men above and below this blurb. These guys we looked at the men of men and rightfully so.

1. Steve Martin and John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles – the funny men of the 80′s paired together to bring to the screen one of the best on screen duo’s ever. With Candy gone we can only assume what could of been but this was and is still a great movie. Due in large, or in whole, to these two completely crazy comedians.

This is yet another Tuesday Top 10 List from Atomic Popcorn and today I have brought to you all what I think are the Top 10 Fight Scenes of recent memory. Below are the movie’s along with their videos of said fight.

PLEASE leave your comments with better video or even better yet, better fight scenes. I would love to see what you all have to say as what the Top 10 should be.

Without further interruptions I bring you the Atomic Popcorn Top 10 Fight Scenes.

10. The Way of the Dragon:
Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee – come on folks you CANNOT forget this fight scene!

9. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children:
Cloud and Sephiroth – this is an great fight scene along with awesome animation.

8. Raiders of the Lost Ark:
Indiana Jones doing what he does best – do a google search and read why this scene actually came about!

7. Lethal Weapon:
Mel Gibson against the ever crazy Gary Busey – great stuff all around.

6. Rocky IV:
Rocky kicking some Russian ass – this movie can make me cry in a matter of minutes. Great all around movie and a great great fight scene. Gloves and all!

5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon:
Gorgeous ass kicking at it’s finest. What more can you want from a fight scene? Oh yeah Bamboo walking/flying!

4. The Karate Kid:
Crane Kick anyone? Enough said…

3. Snatch:
Mickey O’Neil vs. Gorgeous George – this just looks like it hurts.

2. Fight Club:
Come on you cannot leave out a movie with the word “fight” in it. And besides this is a classic scene in many ways.

1. The Matrix:
One bad actor versus many different agents? And kicking some serious agent ass..The Matrix is number 1 on my list!

Recently I asked you who your favorite big screen werewolf was and that got me thinkin’ about some other popular characters portrayed by multiple leading men in the movies. This discussion must always start with the character of agent 007 James Bond, best played by Sean Connery. Other popular Bonds were Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore while Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby aren’t

remembered so fondly for their portrayal of the famous secret agent. Currently carrying the torch and ordering shaken martinis is Daniel Craig who seems to make a lot of people happy; I prefer him on the other side of the law as he was in Layer Cake and Road to Perdition.

Then there’s Dracula, or vampires in general. The list of actors who have played a vampire on film is a long one. So here are a few that come to mind, please remind me of any as I’ll most definitely leave some out – Leslie Nielsen (Dracula: Dead and Loving It), Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise (Interview with the Vampire), Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire),  Robert Pattinson (Twilight), Bela Lugosi (Dracula), Gary Oldman (1992′s Dracula), Frank Langella (1979′s Dracula), Christopher Lee (1970′s Count Dracula), and Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys). Needless to say, all of these guys suck, but who is your favorite?

Second in big-screen adaptation popularity to Dracula is  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes who, along with Dracula, has been in the movies since the very beginning. Personally I’ve got a John Barrymore’s Sherlock Holmes (1922) waiting for me on my DVR, which I recorded after seeing Robert Downey Jr. play the part this past Christmas. I also watched a slew of Sherlock films from the late 1930s into the 40s starring Basil Rathbone, the man most of us think of when we imagine Holmes. Robert Stephens played the part of Holmes in what I consider to be one of the worst Holmes films The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Probably the most popular Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles has seen many leading men including Peter Cushing (1959) and Peter Cook (1978) in the role of Holmes. My favorite Holmes adaptation is Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective (1986) starring Barrie Ingham’s Basil of Baker Street as a Holmes-like mouse.

Another Hollywood mainstay that’s been around almost as long as Sherlock and Dracula is Robin Hood. Russell Crowe will be slinging arrows this May in theaters as Robin Hood. My favorite Hood is a tie between Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Disney’s foxy 1973 adaptation voiced by Brian Bedford. Douglas Fairbanks first wore the tights and feathered cap in 1922′s Robin Hood followed by Errol Flynn in 1938′s Robin Hood. Mel Brooks didn’t play the part but he did direct Cary Elwes as he had fun with the part in Robin Hood: Men in Tights. One Hood adaptation that I’ve not seen and as a native Texan am dying to see is Gene Autry’s 1947 Robin Hood of Texas! I can only imagine…

Honorable mention goes to Batman and Superman, both qualify for this discussion but I really don’t think either are very interesting as the best/worst in each case are pretty black and white. Don’t agree with me? Say so!

Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B Entertainment has signed on with Reliance Big Entertainment to develop a film adaptation of Capcom’s video game Dark Void.

The game centers on a pilot who crashes in the Bermuda Triangle, and has to find his way through a world where aliens are using advanced technology to plan a takeover of human civilization.

The video game will be released in January, and those involved with the project are hoping to build a franchise off the story.

Aside from backing Dark Void, Pitt will also likely star in the film adaptation.