Life Cut Short; Paul Walker Dies in Car Crash

I remember seeing Paul Walker a lot when I started getting obsessed with movies.  It seems that Walker was always around.  His perpetual shirtlessness and his piercing blue eyes were always welcome in She's All That, Varsity Blues, and The Skulls.  No seriously.  Those gorgeous eyes.

Walker died on Saturday after an explosion caused by losing control of his Porsche and crashing into a tree.  Reports are coming in that he was the passenger and not the driver.  He was only 40 years old.  Walker was most recently seen in this summer's Fast & Furious 6, and the next installment of the car porn franchise is slated for next year.  I never really stayed up on the F&F movies, but the ones I saw were definitely a good time. 

The first thing I really remember seeing Walker in is one of my favorite films, Pleasantville.  Walker played Skip Martin, the all-American boy next door.  Skip, captain of the Pleasantville basketball team, became the object of Reese Witherspoon's lust.  His combination of dopey innocence and apple pie studliness made him charming and irresistible.  He was also great as brother to Steve Zahn in the underrated thriller Joy Ride.  

I really want to watch one of his movies right now, and that's coming from someone who never really clung to his work.  He left an impression, and he will be missed.  

It's Black Friday. Anyone Want to Watch 'Jingle All the Way'?

Ah, Black Friday.  A day where innocent people get trampled over discounted iPads.  The ultimate day that negates the entire spirit of the holiday the presents are meant for.  Yes, Black Friday is upon us, and for some reason or another, all I can think of is Jingle All the Way.  

You know Jingle All the Way.  The 1996 family comedy that finally teamed up Arnold Schwarzenegger (who knew I could spell that without looking it up) and Sinbad as two fathers desperate to get their hands on the latest toy before Christmas.  I want to say that I saw Jingle for the first time in school, which says a lot about the Western Pennsylvania school system.  Even more shocking, I want to say I liked it?  I think?  

I think the most offensive thing is that Rita Wilson is Arnold's wife.  I'm sorry, but that Austrian couldn't land.  Mrs. Tom Hanks.  She's above you, and she always will be.

I'm as shocked as you are, sir.

I don't think I've seen Jingle since that fateful day in whatever class I was in.  All I remember is that Arny was trying to track down a Turbo Man for his son, and Sinbad was a mailman.  Apparently, the USPS wasn't paying too much attention to their employees that year, because all Sinbad does is knock Arnold to the ground. 

Here's the trailer:



Perhaps I liked Jingle because I was really into the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in sixth grade, and I felt bad that my parents would go through a tiny bit of trouble like this to get me a toy.  Or I was just a dumb kid.  It should be noted that AMC in Pittsburgh is showing this movie this month in time for the holidays.  Check out their Classic Movies page on Facebook for more details. 

Either way, have a great Black Friday.  And make sure you don't kill too many people. 

Happy Turkey Day!

I'm not a big Thanksgiving fan, I admit, but I do like the holidays.  To celebrate the festivities, I thought we should all acknowledge my favorite Thanksgiving moment in any movie.  

In Addams Family Values, Wednesday and Pugsley participate in a Thanksgiving pageant while they are away at summer camp.  I don't necessarily know why a summer camp is performing a Thanksgiving tribute...but quibbles quibbles gobble gobble!  

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Me Catching Up on Movies! French Lesbians! HIV-Positive Rodeo Artists! Robert Redford! Time-Traveling Brits!

Megan and I freezing outside the Manor Theater.  We were 'Blue' and not the 'Warmest'

I was wondering how I was going to review all the flicks I saw this weekend.  Should I make separate reviews them, or just throw them all in one compilation post?  I opted for the latter.  My fiance was in town for the majority of November, and in order to maximize our time together around his med school rotation, I had to abandon my beloved movies for a few weeks.  I have a LOT of catching up to do.  This past weekend I saw Blue is the Warmest Color, Dallas Buyers Club, About Time and All is Lost.  Let's dive in, shall we?

I'm sure you've heard about Blue is the Warmest Color in some respect.  I always joke that it's the three hour French lesbian drama the world has been waiting for.  Yes, my descriptions are cheap and lame.  The movie features some great acting.

Adele (newcomer Adele Exarchopoulos) is your typical French teen (because you know I'm the expert on that) dealing with liking boys and hanging out with her friends.  I need to take a moment to comment on how effing gorgeous Adele is.  She's got this ridiculous mop of hat/rat's nest on the top of her head and these plump lips that give her face the notion that she's scared or nervous.  Even though Adele begins a relationship with a boy named Thomas, she can't get a blue-haired girl out of her head.

The blue-haired girl is Emma (Lea Seydoux), an aspiring artist.  They embark on sexual relationship that blossoms into something more serious.  As Emma's career takes off, Adele becomes an elementary school teacher, and we are invited to see them share their lives together.  What happens in their everyday relationship isn't revelatory.  I don't think it's trying to be.  I have heard the complaint that the fights that Adele and Emma get into involve things we have seen in movies and television before--a very true statement.  I've seen the same conflicts done better in other things, but it feels very lived in and relatable.  I think the controversy surrounding the sex scenes are making some people think that this is such a groundbreaking film when its strength lies in how common it is.  No matter that language or the sexuality of the character.

I loved Exarchopoulos and Seydoux.  Seydoux looks different in everything she does, and I was surprised to see pictures of her from Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (I knew she was in it, but I still didn't recognize her).  She has a strong presence to her, so it's not wonder that Adele falls for her.  Exarchopoulos carries the entire thing really convincingly.  She has a soft face that allows tears to fall very easily.  I thought the sex scenes were incredibly graphic (hello, NC-17!!!) to the point where I wasn't turned off by them, but I thought they were too repetitive.  No scissoring shall be left on the cutting room floor!!!  No sir!  

The only complaint I have about it is the director's unabashed love of Adele's ass.  It felt like it was in every--single--shot.  I mean, it's a very nice ass, don't get me wrong.  Even when she is walking away from the camera, she pulls her pants up by the belt loops just in case you forgot to look at her ass.  Ass ass ass!!!  There was an obsessive quality to how he shot Adele sometimes that felt a bit...creepy?  I don't want that to get in the way of how I feel about Blue.  The acting and chemistry between the leads is great.  

The trailers for About Time wore me down.  I saw that effing trailer before every kind of movie you could possibly imagine.  Dramas, comedies, foreign films.  This sheer presence of this time traveling romance was coming at me from all angles.  Rachel McAdams can do no wrong, so naturally I had to give in.  My God is this movie charming.

Domhall Gleeson (yes, you're right; he's the son of Brendan) plays Tim, a shy lawyer who isn't very lucky with the ladies.  His father, Bill Nighy, informs him that the men in their family have always had the ability to travel in time.  The straightforwardness of it just adds to the charm.  Get the explanation of how to do it out of the way!  The characters even admit that they don't fully understand how or why it works, but they aren't going to dwell on it.  This might be the first movie concerning time travel to do so.  This is a movie about what you really do with time travel and how it can be used to make you happier.  

Tim does go through a few scenarios where he makes situations less embarrassing, but it all kicks in when he meets Mary, played by McAdams.  I finally realized that she has great chemistry with anyone.  Ryan Gosling (although he makes it easier for everyone as well), Channing Tatum, Patrick Wilson.  Hell, even Noomi Rapace from Passion.  You know, in the ten minutes of Passion that I watched before turning it off.  She makes it so...easy.  She and Gleeson are SOOOOOO charming and adorable and fun to watch.  

In fact, all the actors are fun to watch and be around.  That's the thing about Richard Curtis' films.  You love the characters (Notting Hill or Love Actually) from his films.  Sure, there are a few subplots that I thought dragged the movie down (Tim showing his sister to go for the nice guy), but it charmed the pants off of me.  Not even going to apologize for it.  

Dallas Buyers Club is anchored by two really great performances from Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto.  

McConaughey plays Ron Woodroof, an electrician in Dallas in 1985 who learns that he is HIV positive.  At this time, the only drug available to treat HIV was AZT.  Woodroof, a homophobe and womanizer, soon discovers that the only treatment for his illness actually damages the body more than repairs it.  After doing some research, he learns that there are treatments in available in other countries, but they are not FDA approved.  He begins smuggling them into the country and selling them to people that need it.  Instead of selling the drugs outright, he creates the Dallas Buyers Club where people pay for memberships that provide a large amount of medication.  

McConaughey is unapologetic as Woodroof, and that's one of my favorite things about it.  There is no scene where he realizes that being a homophobe is wrong.  It doesn't force the character arc down your throat.  Leto plays Rayon, a transgendered patient who is also HIV-positive.  Rayon, like Woodroof, is unapologetic in how he lives his life.  MConaughey and Leto might be my favorite duo of the year.  The chemistry between is them is great no matter the circumstances of the scene.  

I feel like this movie surprised me.  I thought I knew how it was going to play out, and I was wrong.  When scenes began, I thought I could see the outline in front of me, and, as Dallas progressed, the outline disappeared.

One of the most discouraging things about seeing a lauded film is not getting what all the hype is about.  

All is Lost is one of the best reviewed films of the year.  Directed by J.C. Chandor (Margin Call), Lost stars Robert Redford and Robert Redford only as a man lost at sea in the Indian Ocean.  You can just hear the buttholes of all the Academy members tightening all at once, right?

I just...I didn't...I wasn't engaged for the entire film, and maybe that says more about me than it does about the work.  Robert Redford fixing a hole on the side of the boat.  Robert Redford lounging below deck.  Robert Redford preparing for an imminent storm.  Robert Redford eating beans from a can.  

I would have rather seen one of the greatest actors of all time act opposite someone.  I wanted to see some give and take (not including his incredible acting opposite the water or the unknown), and, ultimately, it didn't work for me.  

I loved the last few moments.  Does that count?  The ending was my favorite part when it was left of to the viewer to decide his fate.  But everything before it?  No, thank you.  

Whatever.     

My Heat Broke This Weekend, So Let's Talk About 'Frozen'!!!

I didn't post anything yesterday, because my home life has been a total wreck all weekend.  First of all, the internet is being wonky.  It keeps cutting out, so that's a joy.  On Sunday morning, I discovered that my heater broke, and the landlord couldn't fix it until Monday.  I naturally went to the movies all weekend to escape the cold.  I saw a trailer for Disney's Frozen that made me realize that I've never talked about it!  I am slacking!  Today also saw the first major snow fall in Pittsburgh, so I guess my lateness is now timely.

I've been trying to avoid anything on the movie, so I can be as surprised as possible.  Frozen is the story of sisters Elsa and Anna, voiced by Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell, respectively.  Elsa has always had the power to turn whatever she touches to ice, and she avoids her little sister in fear of harming her.  When she accidentally turns their village of Arendelle into a city of ice, she banishes herself to the mountains and the townspeople think she's an evil sorceress.  It's "loosely inspired" from Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen.  Don't you love that phrase?  Loosely inspired.  So the only thing similar to the story is that it involves snow, right? 

Like most Disney animated films, Frozen features a spuky and lovable sidekick.  Frozen's is a summer-obsessed snowman named Olaf, voiced by The Book of Mormon's Josh Gad.  I love him already.  There is something about Gad's high-pitched, gleeful voice that makes me smile.  In the trailer, Olaf gets himself into some insane situations, and Gad provides a shrill scream that makes me laugh out loud.  Olaf's face is fifty percent smile.  I just love him and his sweet nature.  I saw a HUGE plush of him in JCPenney that I have throught about stealing on several occasions.

Can we just talk about how Frozen is a musical?!  It at least features some songs.  You don't get the voice talent of Bell, Menzel, and Jonathon Groff together and NOT have them sing.  I am obsessed with "Let It Go" sung by Elsa at some point during the movie.  Hello, character arc song!  I downloaded it, and I have been listening to Demi Lovato belt it out all day.  I have yet to hear the Idina version, but I am waiting to hear it for the first time when I see it.  If you can't contain your excitement, listen to it below!!!

Like Tangled, Frozen feels like a classic (from the Disney renaissance from the early 90's) tale updated with the latest animation technology.  Now can someone just give me $500 so I can buy this...

Supporting Actress is Currently my Favorite Oscar Race

The acting categories seem really crowded this year.  Best Actor is one of the competitive in years, and Best Actress seems all locked up.  What about Best Supporting Actor and Actress?  There is a lot of buzz around a lot of different performances, so it feels like they are much more fluid than the lead races.  I always like Actress and Supporting Actress, naturally, so Best Supporting Actress might have some fun entries.  Let's take a look at the competition.

Oprah Winfrey is locked in for a nomination for her performance as a boozy housewife in Lee Daniels' The Butler.  Who honestly thinks she won't be nominated?  Anyone?  She's the Queen of All Media, and everyone loves her.  Even if a critic didn't like the movie itself, they praised Winfrey.  As Gloria Gaines, she struggles to adapt to her home life while her husband becomes a central figure around the White House.  Gloria takes a lover, and she watches her husband and son continually spar.  The only thing I could see standing in Winfrey's way is that she just received the Jean Hersholt Humanitatian Award at the 2011 Govenors' Ball, but I highly doubt that people are going to hold that against her.  She's in.

Right on Winfrey's heels is Lupita Nyong'o from Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave.  She delivers a gut-wrenching performance, and people leave the theater talking about her.  What a way to make your mark in a fantastic film. 

Nyong'o plays Patsey, the jewel of slaveowner Edwin Epps' lustful attentions.  In the scenes she shares with Michael Fassbender (as Epps), she's quiet and still, but in the moments she's alone or with the other slaves (or a great scene with Alfre Woodard) yher virbrancy really shines.  Patsey is introduced two thirds into the story, but she leaves a very lasting impression.  As of right now, I think she could win the whole thing. 

I haven't seen Alexander Payne's Nebraska yet, but I've heard that June Squibb is a standout.  She plays Kate, the wife of Bruce Dern's Woody.  Woody receives a letter saying that's he's won a million dollars, and he travels cross country with his son to claim it.  She has the best line in the trailer: "I never even knew the son of a bitch wanted to be a millionaire.  Should have thought about it years ago, and worked for it."

Payne's films always tend to push performances into the acting categories come awards season.  About Schmidt, The Descendants, and Sideways all had performances up for Oscars, and since Best Actor is REALLY crowded, I could see Dern getting squeezed out.  She's not definitely in, but I think she definitely could be. 

Carey Mulligan catches my eye the most in the trailers for Inside Llewyn Davis, but I doubt she will get in.  People are talking about Oscar Isaac as the title character, but they are also saying it's too sublte for the Academy.  If somehow the film gains momentum during the season, Mulligan could ride the coattails.  Not likely.

How about those women from August: Osage County?!  It was unclear earlier in the season whether Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts would campaign as co-leads, but I think that scares too many studios (hello, The Kids Are All Right!).  Roberts will be campaigned as Supporting Actress, so does she steamroll over all 486 other female supporting characters in the film?  

Margo Martindale is the one who probably gets screwed over the most.  A veteran character actor for years, Martindale steals every scene she's in, according to early word.  I bet Julianne Nicholson or Juliette Lewis could gain more traction if Roberts wasn't in the picture.  Roberts has been getting good notices, so she could land in here.

If Blue is the Warmest Color has been met with more raves instead of caution, I would probably say that Lea Seydoux might get in.  Every time I hear a conversation about Blue, it's only about the three hour running time, or the fact that it isn't in English, or...you know...the graphic sex scenes.

If it would have been a more straight up sensation, Lea might get in, but then people might question how there are two leads.  It did win the Palme d'Or at Cannes, but amid tons of controversy.  There has been a lot of talk recently about how the two female stars (Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos) hated working with the director.  Big crossover stars like Marion Cotillard and Audrey Tatou struggle to receive Oscar nominations.  I expect the same to happen here.  I am sure Seydoux and Exarchopoulos will receive some notices during the season, but not with Oscar.

No one has seen American Hustle yet, but I feel like Jennifer Lawrence has the momentum to push her into the category.  First of all, everyone loves her.  Everyone.  Secondly, a lot of actors receive nominations the year after they win (see Penelope Cruz).  Lawrence is reportedly a scene stealer in David O. Russell's latest, and the ad campaign for Catching Fire definitely keeps her in the spotlight.

I expect Lawrence's genuine public persona and youth could push her forward.  Plus, no one has seen it yet.  Perhaps Hustle is the greatest effing movie that has ever been created and all the leads receive acting nominations.  No one knows anything!!!  Anything can happen!!!

Octavia Spencer hasn't had a real meaty role since she won for The Help two years ago, but that changed when she took on the role of Wanda Grant in Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station. 

Fruitvale centers on the murder of Oscar Grant III back in 2008.  Spencer has a commanding presence in the film, and she's the emotional center when everything goes crazy in the third act.  By the end of the film, your heart really goes out to her.  The only problem is that the film came out at the end of July.  Too many bigger movies have come out, and Fruitvale seems like it's going to get lost in the shuffle.  I wouldn't be surprised if she got in, though.  Then again, it is a landmark year for black cinema.  I expect an Indie Spirit nomination.   

I feel like no one is talking about Spike Jonze's Her.  Could Amy Adams get in with a sublte role?  If anything it might solidify her chances in the Best Actress race with American Hustle.  Seems quiet...

Of all the performances being considered for this category, I want Sally Hawkins to get in the most for Blue Jasmine.  Cate Blanchett is a lock (to win?) for Best Actress, but Hawkins is so effing good as her sister, Ginger.

Hawkins is adorable and bright.  Everyone I talk to talks about Hawkins and how good she is in the film.  I worry that all the attention is going to go to Blanchett, and everything else will be left by the wayside.  If Jasmine somehow sneaks into the Best Picture race, I think Hawkins could get in.   I love what Woody Allen does with her character at the end, and she is a great contract to Blanchett's tightly wound socialite. 

Supporting categories are where villain roles tend to break through, and it could happen with Sarah Paulson for 12 Years a Slave.  She's viiiicious to Nyong'o's Patsey since she's fully aware that her husband is affectionate towards her.  The only problem with Paulson getting a nomination is that she is overshadowed by Nyong'o, a much more sympathetic character.  She's chilling in the role, though.  I don't think this is out of the realm of possibility, and my love of American Horror Story: Coven is propelling my love of her.  Could she get in if 12 Years steamrolls everything? 

I want this to happen merely for the precedent of it.  No performer has ever been nominated solely for a voice performance, but there is a little bit of buzz surrounding Scarlett Johansson in Her.  Johansson is enjoying what appears to be a career renaissance at the moment--no longer just the hot bod and plump lips.  She was one of the best things in Don Jon, and her voice in the trailer is sexy and comforting.  I can't wait to see the movie.  Wouldn't that be awesome if she was nominated for her first Oscar for something we couldn't see her in?

I don't think this will happen, but I don't think we should count it out, either.  Cameron Diaz was the best thing about Ridley Scott's The Counselor.  She's the most confident thing in the movie even though it feels like she's acting alone (Fassbender and Penelope Cruz seem lost).  Diaz is bat shit crazy and dangerous in the drug trade tale, and I would personally love it if she got in somewhere.  Don't count her out at the Golden Globes.

If I had to pick who I think will be nominated right now, I'd go with:

Winfrey

Nyong'o

Squibb

Roberts

Lawrence

My dream would be:

Winfrey

Nyong'o

Paulson

Johansson

Hawkins

We'll just have to wait and see. 

Does Anyone Actually Want to See 'Dumb and Dumber To'?

I saw Dumb and Dumber in theaters with my dad, brother, and cousin, Matt.  The theater went nuts every five seconds, and, to be honest, I only have fond memories of the movie.  Dumb came out in the height of Jim Carrey's career, after he talked through his buttcheeks but before he couldn't tell a lie.  Dumb and Dumber To is set to hit theaters on November 14, 2014, and I was curious as to whether wanted to see Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne team up again.   

How does a Dumb and Dumber sequel make you feel?

Perhaps it's pretty obvious how you feel.

Maybe you are ashamed at how excited you are?

Over it!!!

This could be start of something beautiful.  Tender and life-changing, maybe.

"WHY ARE THEY MESSING WITH DUMB AND DUMBER?!"

You may have wanted this to happen for SO LONG.

Ultimately, some people will feel like this.

I am always wary of a sequel or remake of a movie I like.  Using caution is wise.

One thing of note.  Jennifer Lawrence has a cameo, and she is super excited about it.  I went on IMDB, and it appears that Lawrence will be playing the younger version of Fraida Fletcher.  You know, the girl that Harry let get away, and then you find out that Lloyd messed around with her.  Mr. French tickler.  Fraida will be played by Kathleen Turner.  Jennifer Lawrence is going to play a younger version of Kathleen Turner.  I repeat, J. Law is a young Kathleen Turner.  Inspiiiiiired.  Maybe the Academy should have reserved some judgement until next year.

I Wish I Could Have Thanksgiving with Debbie Jellinsky

I have been thinking a lot about Addams Family Values lately.  Thanksgiving is next week, and AFV has that hilarious holiday pageant where Wednesday and Pugsley play Pocahontas and a doomed turkey, respectively.  Buzzfeed has a great piece yesterday about the film turning 20 years old, a fact that excites and depresses me.  I know I will be watching the movie next week while I scarf down mashed potatoes.

Joan Cusack, as the villainous Debbie Jellinsky, is so funny in it.  Debbie is a golddigger who marries Uncle Fester, and, in the end, Cusack delivers an awesome monologue about how her partents gave her the wrong Barbie doll.  I, too, could feel the pain of not getting the Barbie of my desires.  Maybe that's why Debbie and I are meant to be together?  Or it's my overwhelming love of Joan Cusack?  Both probably.

Come on over, Debbie.  We will drink and scheme about the men we want to take down.

Every Time a Sequel to a Classic Gets Announced...

...the Internet blows the fuck up!

Isn't this the uphill battle to end all uphill battles?  Didn't you ever wonder what happened to George Bailey and his family after he discovered he was the "richest man in town?"  Didn't think so.  Apparently, Star Partners and Hummingbird Productions are planning a sequel to the 1946  Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life, and it's going to be released just in time for Christmas in 2015.  Oh!  And it's titled It's a Wonderful Life: The Rest of the Story.  It already sounds like a Hallmark Channel movie on crack.    

It sounds like one of those sequels that's not really a sequel but almost the same exact story with a teensy little twist.  Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu Bailey in the original film, is in talks to reprise her role, but this time she will be guiding someone like Clarence.  George Bailey's grandon, George Bailey (yup...), is guided in the sequel.  But instead of showing him what how the world went down the crapper without his grandfather, Zuzu shows George Bailey (the grandson...are you with me...) how much better the world would be without him.  That's way harsh, Zuzu.  

I understand that you want to invite an entire new generation to enjoy the story and blippity blah blah crap.  And I understand that everyone (myself included) is going to do nothing but bitch, but doesn't an announcement like this kind of deserve it?  

Just don't mess with a classic.       

Christina Ricci as Lizzie Borden; Martin Prince Robbed?

Sublte, Lifetime, subtle. 

I had no idea that Christina Ricci was set to play Lizzie Borden in a Lifetime movie.  I saw the headline on Entertainment Weekly's site moments ago, and I quite literally sqealed out loud.  Anytime that Ricci pops up, I breathe a sigh of relief.  It doesn't look as if she has aged--AT ALL.  

Lizzie Borden Took an Ax will premiere in January on Lifetime.  I love how wink wink she is on the poster.  The tagline ("It's time to bury the hatchet") is pretty groan and smile inducing at the same time.  If Lifetime would embrace how silly some of their subject matter is, I might be more enthusiastic to tune in.  This will be set on my DVR the moment I get home.  What's that?  Clea DuVall will play her sister?!  Ohhh, man!  I am so there!

I couldn't help but wonder if The Simpsons' Martin Prince would be mad that he got overlooked in the casting of Lizzie.  In the episode "Cape Feare" (might be my favorite ep, by the way), Bart receives threatening notes from Sideshow Bob who is about to be released from prison.  Bart's terror builds and builds, and his teacher, Edna Krabappel, tells him that he has been cast as a victim in the school play about Lizzie Borden.  Martin, Bart's dandy classmate, will play Lizzie.

Ricci will no doubt be great, but maaaaybe they should've done a comic animated movie.  Just throwing it out there.

 

If I Knew Everyone in the Bible was this Hot, I Might've Paid Attention

Does Noah look like 2012 a bit to anyone else?  The trailer for Darren Aronofsky's epic film dropped yesterday afternoon, and everyone is in a tizzy over it.  It certainly looks a bit more exciting than I expected.  I wasn't expecting a super VFX-driven movie.  Guess I wasn't paying attention.  I also didn't know that everyone in the Bible was so hot! 

Now I want to watch Black Swan

Oh, hey, Cain and Abel...

We first meet Russell Crowe's Noah as he talks about the dreams he's had involving water, and then we get to see some other Biblical stuff.  Biblical highlights?  Cain and Abel (above), and what I presume is the snake in the Garden of Eden. 

More bad shit going down...

Man, Noah's family is good-looking!  Jennifer Connelly is gorgeous, and their daughter is Emma Watson for eff's sake.  Noah's family would be making lots of people green with envy in the line at Picture People. 

Is it just me, or do all those costumes look incredibly comfortable?  The first two times I watched it, I kept staring at the loose tunichs and jackets. 

The trailer features some bright colors--orange and brown near the beginning, and then blacks and blues in the second half.  Perhaps the action is the way to get people into the theater, and then unfurl an epic story.  Aronofsky hasn't directed anything since Black Swan a few years ago, so I am really amped to see this.

How does everyone else feel about Noah?  Go for the promised action, but stay for the story?  I'm on board.