Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Twas the week before Christmas and little was stirring, not even a Mouse House rumor about Star Wars VII or a major comic book movie — well, okay there was that Star Wars plot rumor reported by Reuters that was totally debunked, but we thankfully did not cover it. But as the Reject HQ has been plenty busy prepping for the holidays (you’ve been using our Gift Guides, right?) and stockpiling a bunch of end-of-year lists for later this month, we haven’t slowed down on the original content and insightful commentary regarding everything from gun control to Vin Diesel sucking on a lollipop.
And we’ve had even more reviews than usual, as this is the time when a billion new releases show up at least in major cities. Do check out our expert opinions on This is 40, Jack Reacher, Zero Dark Thirty, Les Miserables, Amour, Not Fade Away, On the Road, The Impossible and Tabu. There are at least three A-grade films among them. We also watched a lot of trailers this week, so go view the new spots for This Is The End, The Great Gatsby, Smurfs 2, Turbo, Star Trek Into Darkness, To the Wonder, No, Identity Thief, The Heat, Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and of course Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain.
Now, check out our eight craziest, biggest and best stories and original content from the past week after the break.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Responses to the NRA Pointing Fingers at Violent Movies
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
One week following the horrific tragedy in Newtown, the NRA made a statement in which organization VP Wayne LaPierre blamed “bloodsoaked films out there like American Psycho, Natural Born Killers.” Even before yesterday’s press conference, though, both Robert F and Scott preemptively responded to the scapegoating of Hollywood. Scott responded to a person on FOX News pointing that finger: “Let’s talk openly about what limitations should be placed where, take the facts into serious consideration, and find a solution. Through that process, the NRA’s finger-pointing at the First Amendment should fade as more information comes to light. And at any rate — if there are already limits on free speech, why can’t there be limits on what kind of guns you can own? Do we, as a public, really care more about protecting people from shouting “Fire!” in a crowded place than about protecting people from someone who will open fire in a crowded place? Would we rather curb adults’ access to The Raid or to weapons that can kill dozens of people in the span of a few minutes?”
And here’s a bit from Robert’s latest Boiling Point column, which responded to Jamie Foxx: “It’s a lot easier to blame movies, video games, and other inanimate objects than to ask what really makes a person do something terrible. What could we have done, as a society, to prevent a person from making that decision? Blaming Hollywood or guns or this or that is blaming tools, blaming methods, but coming nowhere close to the origins of the issue.”
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Are You Ready For 60 Frames Per Second?
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
If you’re still trying to get used to the Higher Frame Rate of 48fps in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, hurry up. 60fps is the aim, according to Hobbit effects artist Joe Letteri, and might first be employed on Avatar 2. Scott responded: “The bottom line here is that higher frame rates are like other advancements, there will be a short period while the technology ramps up to meet expectations. That goes for all elements of the process becoming better (including make-up effects) in order to pivot toward the strengths of 48 or 60FPS. If that happens, if 48FPS becomes the go-to for most directors, hopefully our eyes will adjust and it will be like adding color to a black-and-white world.”
More discussion of Higher Frame Rate:
So What Did You Think of 48FPS and ‘The Hobbit’?
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Who Wants 24-Hour Gremlins Marathons at Christmastime?
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
In the latest Overrated/Underpraised column, Nathan had the wonderful suggestion of Gremlins Christmas marathons in the manner that TBS currently airs A Christmas Story on repeat for 24 hours over the holiday. It was enough to inspire a discussion at Movies.com of other possibilities. Here’s Nathan’s main point: “you never hear about today’s young people getting hip to Gremlins in the same way that they do Raiders of the Lost Ark or Back to the Future. It seems to me that A Christmas Story could benefit from being put away for a while, and Gremlins could use some regular cable airings to remind people of how great it is.”
More on holiday movies:
15 Non-Festive Films That Are Technically Holiday Movies
37 Things We Learned from the ‘Muppet Christmas Carol’ Commentary