UFC 131: “Exceeded Expectations”

Written by: Neilzy

Wow!

Just…

Wow!

I was impressed with what I saw last night and every fight just left me eager to see the next one. It was a great event and some pretty big highlights came from what was apparently a weak card.

A lot of fans had written this card off saying that it wasn’t worth the purchase because of the lack of big name draws on the card, well those guys are going to be pretty disappointed they didn’t get to see what turned out to be one hell of a night of fights!

I don’t like reading play by play recounts of fights on the internet so I am not going to write one either. I just want to highlight a few things from the card that made me kind of say “in your face” to those who REFUSED to pay for the pay-per-view.

I love wars. I love seeing two guys go toe to toe and just give it their all and that’s exactly what we saw when Dave Herman beat Jon Olav Einemo, these two were absolutely gassed by the second round but they put on one hell of a show. I hope that Jon gets another chance in the UFC because he entertained the hell out of me, sure he got tired but he hasn’t fought in months. I am looking forward to see what these two do next in their respective fights because they certainly got their names out for all the UFC fans to see and was defiantly deserving of fight of the night honours.

The Sam Stout knockout was brutal and certainly deserving of the knockout of the night bonus. It was looking like things were going to head to a second round but Stout landed an impressive punch that sent Edwards to the ground quickly. Stout didn’t even need to jump on Edwards for the usual celebratory ground and pound, Edwards was out and Stout got another highlight reel finish to his name.

Demian Maia surprised me that’s for sure. I was not expecting to see him run a stand up clinic in round one, Maia looked good and he had defiantly been working on his stand-up. I was happy that Munoz came out with the win, it was a great fight and each round left me anxious with what was going to come next. Munoz showed some amazing skills in being able to keep Maia at bay and is defiantly a star of the future.

Kenny Florian looked great at 145. Nunes’ head resembled Elvis’ Sinosic’s during most of his UFC career and he put up a hell of a fight. I think that Florian is defiantly on the verge of taking some gold, 145 seems like the place for him, he’s bigger at 145, he’s stronger and has the experience to really tear that division apart. I was a little disappointed at how the fans treated him after the win but Canadians love their hockey. Wrong place. Wrong time.

Dos Santos tore Carwin apart in that first round. Even I cringed a little when they showed what JDS’ fists had done to Carwin’s face. I thought it probably should have been stopped in Round number one but am glad it wasn’t. These two gave it their all and it was kind of good that it went the distance, it let us see what Dos Santos’ chin was like. He got clipped a few times but the fight was never Carwin’s. Dos Santos heads towards the title fight and that’s going to be an explosive fight!

If you couldn’t afford to buy the pay-per-view I understand, times are tough but saying you weren’t going to buy it because of the card is always a dangerous thing to say. This card exceeded expectations and was certainly probably one of the best ones this year.

Remember, it’s Mixed Martial Arts.

And anything can happen!

@provingwrong

Colin Hanks in Serial Killer Comedy

Written by: Stoic Taco

The new film starring Colin Hanks, Lucky, tells the story of a mild mannered office worker who wins the lottery and the girl of his dreams. Sounds lovely right? Did I mention that he’s a serial killer too?

Colin Hanks in Lucky

This original story allows Mr Hanks to flex his dramatic and comedic skills in a film which appears to be one of the blackest comedies since Very Bad Things.

Check out the trailer below and make up your own mind.

Impressive right?

The film is directed and co-written by Gil Cates Jr (Deal) and co-stars Ari Graynor, Jeffrey Tambor, Ann-Margret, and Mimi Rogers.

No word yet on a release date, but I hope it’s soon.

‘The Gangster Squad’ Casting News

Written by: Stoic Taco

The news today is that Anthony Mackie has officially joined the cast of The Gangster Squad!

It’s been rumoured for awhile that Mr Mackie would be joining the cast but it’s been officially confirmed by /film!

Anthony Mackie, last seen in The Adjustment Bureau, will be playing Rocky Washington, an ex-cop and first African-American LAPD lieutenant who is recruited to work within the Gangster Squad.

I’ve got to say that Mr Mackie will probably have a leg up on everyone else in this film because he spent the majority of The Adjustment Bureau running around wearing a fedora, so that’s at least one thing he doesn’t have to worry about…

So the official lineup for this film is as follows; Sean Penn as Mickey Cohen, Ryan Gosling as  Sgt Jerry Wooters, Josh Brolin as John O’Mara, Michael Pena as Navidad Ramirez, and now Anthony Mackie as Rocky Washington.

The Gangster Squad is directed by Ruben Fleischer and based on the L.A Times articles of the same name.

Check out our other articles on The Gangster Squad here

Leonardo DiCaprio in Talks for ‘Django Unchained’

Written by: Stoic Taco

The entire cast for Django Unchained in IMDb states “rumoured” next to the names so it’s pretty much fair to say that nothing has been confirmed or set in stone.

Howevever, word round the camp fire according to Deadline is that Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to play the villain, Calvin Candie. The owner of Candyland, a plantation in Mississippi where women become sex slaves and men are treated like dogs forced to fight each other for entertainment.

It’s hard to believe that there was a time where Leonardo DiCaprio was treated like a bit of a joke. He had just finished Titanic, become the heart throb of the moment, and could not be taken seriously despite turns in The Man in the Iron Mask and The Beach. There were questions around whether or not this young man’s career had already peaked. However there was nothing to worry about because if you look back at his remarkable role in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, you knew that this man had talent. And if you have talent, you can go the distance.

Gangs of New York, Catch Me If You Can, The Aviator, The Departed, Blood Diamond, Body of Lies, Revolutionary Road, Shutter Island, and Inception, all speak for themselves.

Can you imagine a Quentin Tarantino film, Django Unchained, starring Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, and Samuel L Jackson?

Talk about a dream team!

‘Horrible Bosses’ Bound for Europe

Written by: Stoic Taco

What’e the one thing that unites us all?

What’s the one thing that binds us together regardless of nationality, race, sex, creed, or colour?

None of us likes to work. In fact, we can all recall at least one horrible boss that we’ve worked for…and it’s that guiding principle that Warner Bros will be pitching to European industry executives at this years 2011 CineEurope trade show.

The Hollywood Reporter states that traditionally American comedies are a hard sell in Europe but given Horrible Bosses universal themes of hating work and the bosses that you report to, will make the film a little more relatable.

I do have one question though about the below poster though…make up or air-brush?

Horrible Bosses is released next month, July 8th 2011

X-Men: First Class Review

Written by: M_L!nkster

More X-men really?? Even after the joke that was X-Men 1.5 and the tragedy that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine… We’ve got More X-men? But in this case not all is lost as we also have Matthew Vaughn the classy director who brought us Kick-Ass.

Summary
Professor X has always seamed to me – to be a cashed up hippie with telepathic powers and Magneto has always appeared to be a selfish dude who can’t let go of the past – but I have always wondered how these two diametrically opposed characters were once friends and this is the question X-Men: First Class attempts to answer.

We open with a scene from the first Brian Singer helmed X-Men movie as we meet Eric Lehnsherr as a boy  in a Jewish concentration camp we then move to an established estate where we meet a very young Charles Xavier.

From here the movie follows the paths of these two young men into their university days – it is also here the movie plays one of its master strokes we are introduced to Mystique a shape shifter whose natural form can only be likened to red-haired reptile with nice boobs. This character will be our insight into the two leads through out the film and her challenges will be mirrored in the thoughts and actions of our two leads.

The movie branches into two streams as we follow Eric Lehnsherr on his mission to track down the Nazi who brought him so much pain as a child in has days in a concentration camp – at this point he mastered the power given to him by his mutation. One the other hand we Charles Xavier graduating as with a PhD in mutation and using his telepathic powers to pick up girls in bars (exactly what I’d do) until the CIA find productive work for him to do

The setting though out all of this is the cold war and nuclear crisis and this is what brings our characters together….until events bring our leads to become Professor X and Magneto…

M_L!nkster’s View
I’ve always liked Matthew Vaughn’s work- this director understands all components of film making:- He directs dialogue well, his use of the camera always adds to the story his characters always follow interesting arc’s and there is an understated subtlety about the Englishman’s work  since he’s emerged from the British Gangster movie scene.

X-Men: First Class is an example of how to make an X-Men movie while other entries have focused too much on giving us mutant after mutant with out the story… here Vaughn understands that seeing mutations is not telling a story – so his movie focuses on a few mutants and their character arch’s and  showing us mutations.

This movie is essentially about a friendship between Charles and Eric and how this friendship was always shaped by the way the two leads were experienced childhood – X-men: First Class also deals with the usual x-men themes of acceptance and rejection around what is ‘normal’  this is where the character of Mystique comes into play and shows us how Charles’s view of the world and how Eric’s view of the world cannot apply to all mutants.  The writing around this piece is simply first class.

The acting in this movie is impeccable I’ve never been a fan of James McAvoy but he makes the play-boy Charles very believable and likable.  Michael Fassbender is perfectly cast as Eric in the beginning when he is playing the Nazi hunter he is both charming and menacing. And as he becomes Magneto is performance looses nothing.

Kevin Bacon is incredible in his opening scene as a Nazi and put’s on an amazing German Accent – later on in the film he makes the most of the villain role without chewing scenery. The supporting cast are all in fine form:- with a special nod to January Jones and Rose Byrne who look stunning!

X-Men: First Class is rated PG 13 but cleaver use of the camera ensure none of the horrors of a concentration camp are lost.

On the down side some of the special effects are not as good as they could be and the movie is a little too long – but minor complaints really

Score

The lack of action and focus on character may disappoint some fans but for me this is a top drawer film and I give it…

4.5/5

Antoine Fuqua to Direct Eminem in ‘Southpaw’

Written by: Stoic Taco

Eminem is preparing to step into the boxing ring under the direction of Antoine Fuqua for a new film from DreamWorks, Southpaw. The film centres on a welterweight boxer who has hit rock bottom and must fight his way back for the life of his daughter.

Director Antoine Fuqua was recently in China working on a Tupac biopic however stepped away from the project to focus on Southpaw.

Now some of you may be reading this thinking “Um I think we have already seen this story, or a similar one in the likes of The Wrestler orThe Fighter or even to a lesser extent Rocky Balboa” and I think it’s understandable HOWEVER this film is being written by the creator ofSons of Anarchy (my new favourite show by the way) Kurt Sutter and this man KNOWS how to tell a story.

When Kurt Sutter writes and when that story is unfolding in front of your eyes, you can’t help but watch it. Wholly and completely.

This quote from CraveOnline has Mr Sutter describing his vision for the story of Southpaw;

“I took meetings with Marshall’s producing partners over the past seven years, looking for something to do together,” he told MTV. “I know he’s very selective and doesn’t do a lot. But he shared so much of his personal struggle in this raw and very honest album [Recovery], one that I connected with on a lot of levels. He is very interested in the boxing genre, and it seemed like an apt metaphor, because his own life has been a brawl.”

Sutter also added that, “We are doing a metaphorical narrative of the second chapter of his life. He’ll play a world-champion boxer who really hits a hard bottom and has to fight to win back his life for his young daughter. At its core, this is a retelling of his struggles over the last five years of his life, using the boxing analogy…I love that the title refers to Marshall being a lefty, which is to boxing what a white rapper is to Hip Hop; dangerous, unwanted and completely unorthodox. It’s a much harder road for a southpaw than a right-handed boxer.”

Based on that description of the story, I think that this film has the makings of something special.

Southpaw is scheduled for release in 2013

Chris O’Dowd Joins Judd Apatow Spin-Off

Written by: Stoic Taco

The good news is that Chris O’Dowd has officially joined the Knocked Up spin-off from director Judd Apaptow.

But if you’re sitting there thinking “I have no idea who that is” then I forgive you because whilst you may not know his name, but you sure know his face.

That’s right, Roy from one of the funniest TV shows I have seen in a long long time, The I.T Crowd, has joined one of the funniest directors and producers on the planet. This is a match made in heaven.

It’s not the first time that these 2 have teamed up, Mr O’Dowd was most recently seen in the Apatow produced, and very well received Bridesmaids. 

The spin-off is untitled (however rumours are suggesting This is Forty) at this point in time, however the basic premise of the plot is that it will follow the ongoing adventures of Pete and Debbie, played by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. Chris O’Dowd will play someone who works for Pete’s record company.

Chris O’Dowd co-stars alongside with Albert Brooks, Megan Fox, Lena Dunham, Wyatt Russell, and Charlyne Yi.

Who else is looking forward to this one?

Michael Pena Joins ‘The Gangster Squad’

Written by: Stoic Taco

According to THR, The Gangster Squad has enlisted the services of Michael Pena, who will be playing a police officer of Mexican heritage who is eager to prove himself to the squad.

I remember Michael Pena cast as the “everyday dad stuck in an incredible situation and who would do anything for his son” role in Battle: LA. It was a bad role. It was a bad character. He was stuck playing a cliche. At the time though I couldn’t tell if it was Mr Pena’s acting ability or the film that he was in.

My question was answered when I watched the The Lincoln Lawyer where Mr Pena played a relatively small but important role as Jesus Martinez. I thought he was great, played a character who needed intensity, and he delivered. More importantly he managed to play opposite Matthew McConaughey and didn’t fade into the background.

Can Mr Pena keep this upward momentum going by holding his own in The Gangster Squad against Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling?

Only time will tell.

‘The Gangster Squad’ Update

Written by: Stoic Taco

Thanks to The Hollywood Reporter we now have a much better idea about the forthcoming film, The Gangster Squad.

Plot

The film is actually an adaptation of an eight part L.A Times article by Paul Lieberman focusing on the creation of a specific unit called the Gangster Squad whose objective was to keep the city free of the East Coast Mafia

Cast and Characters

Sean Penn is playing Mickey Cohen, a gangster.

How will he stack up against the real life dapper looking Mr Cohen below?

Josh Brolin is playing John O’Mara (centre below), one of the city’s few honest cops

Ryan Gosling will play Sgt Jerry Wooters, a swinging bachelor but a good cop.

I strongly recommend that you head over to the L.A Times website and check out the original Gangster Squad articles and videos posted because it’s no wonder that they’re turning it into a movie, it reads like one!

Stay tuned for more The Gangster Squad updates!