The Cover Photo: "Blade Runner" (1982)

From the film's opening moments, which feature the fiery cityscape of a future Los Angeles reflected in an amazing close-up shot of the human eye, to Rutger Hauer's sentimental "tears in rain" speech near its close ("I've... SEEN things... you people wouldn't believe."), the use of eyes, sight, and vision is an important motif running throughout Blade Runner. That's why I've chosen this image of Roy Batty (Hauer) for The Cover Photo. There are more iconic images, of course, but I specifically wanted something that featured eyes. The fact that it captures a rare, playful moment in the film happens to be a bonus.

Roy and Pris (Daryl Hannah), replicants nearing the end of their four-year lifespan, enjoy a few quiet moments in the apartment of J.F. Sebastian (William Sanderson), a genetic engineer working for the Tyrell Corporation. This type of scene, in which characters are given temporary refuge by a kind stranger, is usually reserved for the heroes of the story. Director Ridley Scott and his writers, Hampton Fancher and David Webb Peoples, simply invert this oft-used movie trope to humanize the replicants. It reminds me a bit of Karloff's monster meeting the old, blind man in Bride of Frankenstein. Considering the next sequence builds to Roy murdering his creator, Dr. Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkel), I think the Frankenstein comparison is apt. And, since his chosen method is to gouge out Tyrell's eyes, it doubles as a prime example of Scott's preoccupation with sight in this science fiction masterpiece.

Other examples include the reflective quality of replicant's eyes and the Voight-Kampff test, which measures involuntary reactions of the pupils during questioning. There's an entire scene where Roy and Leon (Brion James) interrogate Hannibal Chew (James Hong), a designer who specializes in creating artificial eyes for the Tyrell Corporation. Even the film's dialogue is chock full of references, including Roy's quip to Chew, "If only you could see what I've seen with your eyes." I also find it interesting that so many of the human characters require some type of sight enhancement -- Chew's microscope, Tyrell's glasses, and the equipment Deckard (Harrison Ford) uses to examine Leon's photo. So, the next time you watch Blade Runner, try to keep up with all the things that highlight eyes, reference vision, aide it, or obscure it in some way. It might take your appreciation for this great, great film to another level. Or, it could make for a wild drinking game, if you're so inclined. Hmmm... 

"The Force Awakens" Trailer Is Here!

By now, I suspect everyone has had the chance to watch the first trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, either in theaters or online. I was able to view it before leaving the homestead on Black Friday, but working retail means a lot of hours spent away from my family and computer during the holidays, so I haven't had much time to reflect on it until now.

The First Trailer For "Pitch Perfect 2" Has Arrived

Well, despite my cynical nature and the bits with unnecessary projectile vomiting, I found myself charmed by the first Pitch Perfect. Even though this trailer for Pitch Perfect 2 looks pretty much like every Hollywood comedy sequel ever -- same formula, bigger budget, larger stage -- I'm still interested in seeing what Director Elizabeth Banks has cooked up for us.

Review: "Birdman"

Like his character in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Michael Keaton has been off Hollywood's A-List for some time. He's had some interesting supporting parts over the last few years, most notably as the police captain in the Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg comedy The Other Guys and as the voice of "Ken" in Toy Story 3, but you need to go all the way back to 2005's White Noise to find Keaton at the center of a studio movie.

I'm most fond of his work in comedies like Mr. Mom, Gung-Ho, Night Shift, and Beetlejuice. There's also a crazy satisfaction I get out of knowing that he played Ray Nicolette in two separate adaptations of Elmore Leonard novels (Jackie Brown and Out of Sight) for two different directors (Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh) at competing studios (Miramax and Universal). But, of course, it was Keaton's stoic performance in two successful Batman films that made him a perfect fit for the part of Riggan Thomson.

'Batman V Superman' Shifts Release Date (Again); Plus Warner Bros. Unveils Plan To Add Eleven DC Comics-Based Movies To An Already Crowded Marketplace

Can 'Batman V Superman' kickstart a Marvel-like run for DC?

The marketplace for superhero movies just got more crowded as Hollywood reaches out its hand for every dollar in the wallets of comic fans.

Warner Brothers announced this week that they would be moving Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, their follow-up to Man of Steel, from May 6, 2016 to March 25, 2016. This was expected, as May 6th is the date Marvel Studios will release Captain America 3.

Review: "Guardians of the Galaxy"

In a perfect world, Marvel Studios would be thrilling us with their own versions of Spider-man, Fantastic Four, and X-Men, combining them into the same incredible onscreen world as The Avengers. Unfortunately, the rights to those other characters are tied up at competing studios (X-Men and Fantastic Four with 20th Century Fox, Spider-man at Sony), thanks to deals that were made long ago. Not having those characters in their cinematic stable forced Marvel to get creative, to reach into the not-so mainstream corners of their comics for characters and stories with cinematic potential. And it seems those limitations have turned out to be a benefit to the studio. Because if that "perfect" world existed, Marvel might not have had the creative or financial need for a movie about a strange band of alien misfits known as the Guardians of the Galaxy, and moviegoers would be all the poorer for it.

STF Episode 11 - "Snowpiercer" & "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"

This new episode covers Dawn of the Planet of the Apes from director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) and Snowpiercer from Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho (Memories of Murder, The Host). As usual, the conversation is pretty loose. We hit on a few other subjects as well, including our Movie Swap titles, Bowfinger and Swing Girls.

0:00:01 - 0:07:05 Introduction

0:07:06 - 0:41:30 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

0:41:31 - 1:21:34 Snowpiercer
1:21:35 - 1:44:30 Movie Swap

Don't forget to subscribe to the show, comment below, and share STF with your movie-loving friends!

BLIND PICK: "The Quiller Memorandum" (1966)

People love to shop online, but for me, nothing beats rummaging through the bins at my local video store. It's a voyage of discovery every time, and not something I'm likely to give up for the convenience of a mouse click. BLIND PICK is a feature where I grab an interesting title that I've never seen and do a quick review.

The Quiller Memorandum (1966)
Released by 20th Century Fox
Dir: Michael Anderson
Starring: George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max Von Sydow, Senta Berger

Why did I buy it?
I have to admit not having seen many George Segal movies, but I love Alec Guinness and Max Von Sydow. Plus, I'm a sucker for a good spy yarn, so I was psyched to check this one out.

What's the story?
1960's West Berlin. After a British spy is murdered, a brash American agent is enlisted to help track down the nazi organization that is responsible. Segal is Quiller; Guinness is his British contact, a man called Pol; von Sydow is Oktober, the nazi leader; Berger is a school teacher who becomes involved with Quiller.

Non-spoilery thoughts?
In 1966, every studio in Hollywood was making spy movies to compete with, or perhaps more accurately, to capitalize on, the mega-success of James Bond. There was a non-stop glut, with productions as varied as Our Man Flint, Casino Royale, and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold; there's something to appeal to any type of viewer. Quiller is on the more serious end of the spectrum, and it played into the real-world fears of a nazi resurgence -- something that I suspect would have made the stakes seem higher and the end of this film even more powerful for audiences of the day.

It's easy to see why Segal was groomed for stardom; he's good-looking and charismatic, and he does a terrific job playing the cocksure secret agent. As the plot twists and turns, Quiller is put through the wringer, and Segal neatly transitions from arrogance to desperation by the end. More screen time would have been nice for Guinness and von Sydow, but they each have a few good moments. Unfortunately, Berger isn't particularly memorable, but I'd have to admit that the script gives her little to do.

There are two standout sequences in the film. The first is an interrogation scene between Oktober and a captured Quiller, which begins in a playful manner, but quickly turns sinister. The other is a 14-minute sequence where Quiller has been given just a few hours to make a very difficult decision. It's a no-win situation that completely strips him of the American bravado that defined him early in the film. Impressively, it plays out nearly dialogue free.

Final verdict?
While the film is lacking that extra "something," which would make it great, The Quiller Memorandum features a couple memorable sequences and is anchored by a strong central performance by George Segal. Anyone who loves post-war espionage pictures should check it out.

STF Episode 10 - "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "Maleficent," & "Edge of Tomorrow"

We're back with a new episode that covers Bryan Singer's return to the X-Men franchise, Days of Future Past; Robert Stromberg's Maleficent, a revisionist take on Sleeping Beauty; and Doug Liman's action-packed Edge of Tomorrow, a sci-fi second cousin to Groundhog Day, starring Tom Cruise.

This is pretty loose, but there's still some good stuff. I wasn't feeling well (you can hear me sniffling, clearing my throat, and chewing on ice -- sorry about that), but since we had to postpone the recording a week so I could attend a bachelor party, I didn't want to push it any further down the road. I hope you enjoy it, in spite of that. Thanks to Cesar Alejandro from Film Smash for joining me and for carrying the conversation at some points.

Here's the breakdown:

00:00:01 Introduction
00:01:42 X-Men: Days of Future Past (mild spoilers)
00:42:44 Maleficent (major spoilers)
01:10:13 Edge of Tomorrow (mild spoilers)

You can also listen to this episode on Podbean by clicking here, or check us out on iTunes. Don't forget to comment below and share STF with your movie-loving friends!

New Trailers: "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and "Guardians of the Galaxy"

Keeping up with the Hollywood Marketing Machine isn't easy sometimes, and in the last few days there have been a lot of new trailers released, including two high-profile comic book adaptations which will hit theaters later this year.

First up is the latest from Marvel Studios, Guardians of the Galaxy, which stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, and the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper. Described as "A group of intergalactic misfits who will need to band together in order to save the universe," Guardians has the potential to take the science fiction elements we saw in Thor: The Dark World and expand them into outright Star Wars territory. Director James Gunn (Slither, Super) also seems to have added a dash of 80's camp to the formula; there are moments here that hark back to films like Ice Pirates and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai. I personally view that as a good thing, but it's a gamble when you're dealing with the success of a huge franchise film. This will be a good test to see how strong the Marvel brand truly is.





Next up, is Kingsman: The Secret Service, which is an adaptation of the comic series by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. Directed by Matthew Vaughn of Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class fame, the film stars Colin Firth as a veteran spy who recruits a resourceful young street punk (Taron Egerton) for his agency's training program. The film co-stars Michael Caine, Mark Strong, and a lispy Samuel Jackson.





I like Vaughn's movies. I really do. But, he's been hired to direct three different X-Men movies and has bailed on two of them (The Last Stand and Days of Future Past) very close to production, which in my book makes him fickle as hell. He was also in the running for the new Star Wars, a gig which later went to JJ Abrams, but his history of dropping big productions late in the game could certainly have been a factor in Disney's decision not to hire Vaughn for Episode VII.

When he does follow through on a project, however, it is hard not to argue that the finished products are stylish and entertaining. Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick-Ass, and X-Men: First Class is a pretty strong resume, and Secret Service looks polished and poised to deliver the goods. I like the cast, and the movie has that "John Steed Meets James Bond" appeal. Looks fun.

What do you think? Be sure to drop a comment here or on Facebook. You can also now tweet them to me @settingtheframe.

STF Episode 9 - "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" & "Godzilla"

With the summer movie season already upon us, there's a lot to talk about! Cesar Alejandro from Film Smash joins me to discuss Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Gareth Edwards' Godzilla -- two films with so much riding on their nine-figure budgets that it's turning their respective directors prematurely gray.

This was a great conversation; even though we mostly agree on Godzilla, I was much tougher on Spider-Man than Cesar. Below is a breakdown of the content, just in case you want to avoid the spoiler-filled portions. This episode clocked in at just over 90 minutes, which is where I'd like to keep these as we move forward. Enjoy!

00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:26 Maryland Film Festival
00:13:47 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Heavy Spoilers!)
00:48:02 Godzilla (Light Spoilers)
01:22:37 Wrap-Up includes talking about the new X-Men and Eat Drink Man Woman

One other thing to note: During our discussion about my time at the Maryland Film Festival, I forgot to mention that you should look into their Friends of the Festival program. This is a year-round membership that gives you access to special screenings, VIP ticketing, discounts on MFF merchandise, and more! Definitely check it out if you live in the Maryland/D.C. area.

You can also listen to this episode on PodBean by clicking here, or check us out on iTunes. Don't forget to comment below and share STF with your movie-loving friends!

New "Interstellar" Trailer!

Christopher Nolan occupies a special place in the world of big-budget filmmaking right now. He makes movies with mass appeal that demand you be fully engaged to enjoy them. I'm partial to Memento, The Prestige, and Inception, but even his Batman movies are ambitious, mature, and thematically focused. His next film, Interstellar, looks to continue in that tradition. The film opens in November and there's a new trailer for you to enjoy below.

The story seems to take place in a future where climate change has nearly destroyed the food supply. Matthew McConaughey plays a former pilot who is given the chance to join an expedition to the far reaches of space with the hope of finding a habitable planet to colonize. By doing so, however, he risks never seeing his children again. Co-starring in the film are Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Ellen Burstyn, Casey Affleck, Wes Bentley, and Topher Grace among others.

Since Nolan's longtime cinematographer, Wally Pfister, has moved on to directing his own movies, Hoyte Van Hoytema (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) will step in to help craft the visual texture of Interstellar. As with Nolan's last three pictures, select scenes will be shot using IMAX cameras, which seems appropriate for the scope of the story. Hans Zimmer (Composer), Lee Smith (Editor), Nathan Crowley (Production Designer), Emma Thomas (Producer), and Jonathan Nolan (Co-Screenwriter) are all reuniting with Nolan for the film.

I like what I'm seeing so far. Those shots of the spacecraft circling the wormhole are fantastic, and I can't wait to see what's on the other side. I have a funny feeling that most of the scenes in the trailer are taken from the first half of the film, so there should be plenty of surprises in store for us come November 7th.

What do you think? Check out the trailer and drop a comment below, or tweet your comments to @settingtheframe.

MDFF Presents: "Liquid Sky"

I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of Liquid Sky. I hadn't. A quick online search of websites like Ebay and Amazon.com revealed that finding a decent copy of this cult film is tougher than you might think. While there are a few VHS tapes still circulating around (if you even have a working player) and some import DVDs that you could take a chance on, there hasn't been an official U.S. version available for some time. Just like the freewheeling new-wave lifestyle depicted in the film, the movie faded away, becoming little more than a cinematic footnote as the most successful indie hit of 1983.

Review: "Under the Skin"

There's a long line of science-fiction/horror films that feature the predatory female using man's sexual desire against him. In Under the Skin, Scarlett Johansson portrays such a character, prowling the streets of Glasgow, Scotland for unsuspecting single men to lure to her lair. What happens to them when they get there, well... it might make you think twice about jumping into the Prisoners van with Black Widow for a little bow-chicka-wow-wow.

Review: Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

It's safe to assume that any filmmaker with a recognizable stamp on their work is going to have both avid fans who connect with the way they tell stories and vehement detractors who don't. For Wes Anderson, the man behind Moonrise Kingdom, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Rushmore, each new film seems to widen that gap between the extremes, and it's easy to understand why. As someone who enjoys all of Anderson's work, even I would agree that his films are becoming more elaborate and his style more pronounced.

His latest feature, The Grand Budapest Hotel, is the delightfully manic tale of a hotel concierge who is framed for murder. Of course, nothing that simple could adequately explain the plot of a Wes Anderson picture, or its cast of characters and caricatures, so we begin in 1985, as a writer (Tom Wilkinson) is recording an interview about his book, "The Grand Budapest Hotel." Insisting that the book is based on real events, the writer begins to recall how, in 1968, his younger self (Jude Law) was regaled by the story, which came directly from the hotel proprietor, Mr. Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham). While we spend very little time in 1985 -- a section whose purpose will only come into focus at the very end of the movie -- the 1968 portion lovingly lingers, and is periodically returned to throughout the picture. Law and Abraham have an easy chemistry, and Jason Schwartzman, an Anderson regular since he made his debut in Rushmore, shows up for a spell in this section also.

Review: "Robocop (2014)"

Anytime a filmmaker sets out to reboot a franchise, it's an uphill battle, and they must be willing to accept a healthy amount of skepticism from fans of the original. In the case of the new Robocop, director José Padilha (Elite Squad) isn't simply battling the overall quality of the 1987 Paul Verhoeven film, he's also contending with the biting social commentary and ultra-violence that made it an instant classic. Unfortunately for Padilha, the PG-13 rating that the studio wanted, and he agreed to deliver, automatically put him into a big hole with many fans, one that would be difficult for any filmmaker to climb out of.

Now, I enjoy a well-made, super-violent action picture as much as the next guy (or girl), but I reject the assertion that Robocop needs to be R-rated to be good. At its core, Robocop is the story of a half-man, half-cyborg who fights crime and battles big robots. That sounds cool. That sounds FUN. The thirteen-year old in me wants to see that movie, and there's no reason why the right filmmaker couldn't take that basic concept and turn it into an entertaining movie that reaches a wider audience.

Review: "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit"

There is a very good sequence in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, that begins with a fight in a hotel room, continues with a frantic phone call, and ends with two men on a park bench making sense of the events. At the end of that sequence, Jack Ryan (Chris Pine), a CIA analyst with serious back problems and very little field training, is handed a gun and upgraded to "operational." In that moment, Paramount Pictures effectively reboots the character as an action hero who shoots and punches his way to victory.

Now, I'm a complete sucker for secret agent movies, but in a post-9/11 world -- a fact unnecessarily emphasized in the very first scene -- where films like Zero Dark Thirty and Showtime's original series Homeland have proven that audiences still crave intelligent espionage stories, it seems silly to roll with the Bonds and the Bournes of the movie world, especially when you have a character who has always been distinguished by his intelligence. But, that's their hook. Like it or not.