Kerenblog

Never blame whoever who thinks that NASA's recent publication about water on Mars is part of promotional gimmicks for The Martian, newest sci-fi flick from Ridley Scott. In fact, this publication was based on scientific evidence and, the most important thing, The Martian has been released worldwide many days before. But, with the hype of Blood Moon phenomenon on the Web recently, The Martian defines the perfect time for us, sci-fi lovers or not, to head our face up to the sky for a moment and think if someday in the future it's possible for us to live our life out there. read more �

This is INTERSTELLAR , or I might give it another title: BEYOND BOUNDARIES. As far as I know, math and physics haven't even come as close as what Christopher Nolan offered in this incredible work of fiction, but he deliberately pushed viewers to understand debatable theories so we together can travel way way further than we could imagine. Some (or perhaps most) of us won't enjoy this travel that much (for them this is either too complicated or too flawed) but all I'm trying to do is appreciating that someone (who is not even a scholar from the field he traveled to) invites not only himself but also many people to discover what is outside the boundaries of modern science. read more �

So Vin Diesel was paid a lot just to do some hum and repeat �I am Groot� in different tones? Just kidding. Again, the hype attracted me into seeing GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY because if it didn�t, I guess the Marvel movie timeline had been too complicated to follow (read: you know I�m not so fond of this genre!), but it turned out that the movie was a good one. I could say that I did laugh (out loud!) while watching it and it�s a good thing, isn�t it? read more �

Why is there this kind of movie that takes a rewatch to be fully understood? Why can�t it be understood in its first viewing? In the case of Terry Gilliam �s latest feature THE ZERO THEOREM , the answer would be because it is too confusing to grasp in its first, or perhaps second, watch. Too bad I don�t have too much time in my hand to �join the excitement�; I don�t usually watch a movie two or three times just to understand it. But there�s a catch: are you sure THE ZERO THEOREM worths your next viewing? read more �

First question: why �Dawn�? I think they choose �dawn� not because it is a more poetic noun than �start� or �beginning� or any other nouns with similar meaning. �Dawn� implies timing rather than activity; something that is perfect to match �rise�. The planet of the intelligent apes has already risen (remember how the intelligent apes claimed their freedom in a spectacular and climactic RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES ), and DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES implies they begin to do a big thing�either in this movie or the next one. read more �

Seriously, I had no idea about what EDGE OF TOMORROW is all about and if it�s worth watching or not. Then I did some googling and found that, well, it�s perhaps one of the good summer movies to watch (like, Variety writes �...Edge of Tomorrow [...] is not an action movie first and foremost, but rather a cheeky little puzzle picture in expensive-looking blockbuster drag.� to which I replied, �Okay.�). read more �

Imagine an earth fully covered by snow and ice. Imagine an earth so cold that no living creatures can live outside so they look for shelters to live. That would be the earth the story of SNOWPIERCER takes place. Perhaps it would be hard for me to mention two or three other movies about dystopia and surviving, but I am sure I already knew the big line of SNOWPIERCER before actually watching it because, beside of its outstanding production design, costume design, and cinematography (and some acting!), there is nothing fresher that Bong Joon-ho offers in his debut in Hollywood. NOTE: some parts of this review may contain clues about the story of the film. Although I don�t consider them a spoiler, you who prefer knowing very little about the film before watching it are suggested to read this review only after watching it. read more �

In this review I'm pointing out the reasons of why I consider HER the best film of 2013 . Some people shortly address HER, written and directed by Spike Jonze , as �an unlikely love story of a lonely man and a female-voiced computer� which, in a way, I find underestimating. It's your right to call it whatever you want, but hell, I personally disagree with it. My call is, it's �a love story that proposes an interesting idea about the future� . I tell you why. read more �

Note: this review might reveal some clues about the movie�s plot (which you might find a bit spoiler-y) but I assure you it won�t ruin your excitement in watching the movie. I don�t know much about Lars von Trier previously, but some internet browsing got me informed about the Danish director�s style of filmmaking. And �Melancholia� , the second film in his �Trilogy of Depression� after �Antichrist� , describes a pretty blatant controversy about despair and melancholy in the time when earth is about to collide with an alien planet. read more �

I�m not exactly sure about how I should start my writing about �Gravity� , not because the movie is so bad that I can�t crystalize my opinion about it (and not because I haven�t written anything in the last three weeks either), but I am afraid my poor English can not describe how spectacular �Gravity� is. But let me put it this way: �Gravity� does not only offer a story�it offers an unforgettable cinematic experience you can�t buy by watching it on DVD. Edgar Wright once tweeted that we should watch it on the biggest screen we can find in our town, again because Alfonso Cuar�n does not only deliver a sci-fi with lots of visual effects�he brings a bare side-by-side comparison between human powerlessness and the enormity of the universe. read more �

Woohoo! I watched �Man of Steel� this afternoon and the excitement I had is kept afresh in my mind so I�m trying to write this review as soon as possible (at least I don�t wanna have the same fridge logic I had when I watched �Now You See Me� ). �Man of Steel� has become one of the movies listed in my 2013 watchlist . The more it released its trailer, the more excited I became. I�m a big fan of Christopher Nolan �s �The Dark Knight� trilogy and here he becomes the producer. Now you get the idea why this film becomes my most anticipated film in 2013. read more �

There's a little bit intention in my mind, before I watched M. Night Shyamalan 's "After Earth" , that all I was about to do in the theater is sitting down and proving if this movie is as terrible as what the critiques said. Actually, most sci-fi movies never excite me (except in some cases), and just by the trailer, I knew that "After Earth" is not gonna be my choice. But then, as I eventually had a chance to watch it in the cinema (together with my students :D), I tried to clear my mind up from any negative reviews it received before entering the theater. read more �

I was mind-blown, for sure. "Upstream Color" got me blown. Shane Carruth 's previous flick, "Primer" , takes more than a single view to understand (and I understand it after a second-viewing; in my first view I was like, "What the hell is this movie?") because Carruth likes to make his own law in a world he created for the movie. Now, it takes only a first attempt to not only understand, but also be blown by it (maybe because I have prepared my mind before watching it?). Yes, this is the kind of movie you have to anticipate not by preparing snacks and cola, but by setting up your mood and refreshing your brain instead. Pay close attention to what is happening and make sure you notice every detail. read more �

Honestly, I'm not a sci-fi movie lovers. I have less experience about this genre. Some reviews said that the less you see any other sci-fi movies previously, the better "Oblivion" will be. It means that I, who don't watch sci-fi movies a lot, should have been thrilled and amused by "Oblivion". Technically, I appreciate this movie, but by story and characters, I'd rather say that this is just an okay film. But, before I continue writing, I wanna ask this thing straight: have you seen Duncan Jones' "Moon" ? In fact, I have. read more �

�Cloud Atlas� is a work of ambition. Written and directed by three directors� Tom Tykwer , Andy Wachowski , and Lana Wachowski , �Cloud Atlas� is better enjoyed if you see it more from its substance rather than its form. And it is quite complicated too, so it is not a good choice for you who look for an easy entertainment. Perhaps half of its viewers will feel that �Cloud Atlas� is just a boring movie that goes too talky and too long, but another half�that understand it more to the deeper layer�may be astonished by it. I have a chance to watch it just now because it has just released in local cinemas some days ago, and surely feel lucky to choose such a smart, deeply valued movie like this. read more �