Boston's "Big Three"

When watching the Red Sox game the other day I couldn't help but notice that the Boston "big three" when it comes to movie making were in attendance. Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Mark Wahlberg were all in the stands during opening day at Fenway Park. Those three hold a special place in Boston's heart. They have always made movies about Massachusetts (Good Will Hunting, The Town, The Fighter), and they never forget that they were all originally from different suburbs of Boston.

I have to admit that my personal favorite out of the three would have to be Affleck. That really has nothing to do with him as a person, because I like all three, but more because I think that it's amazing that Affleck writes, produces, and acts in his movies. Movies such as "Argo" and "The Town", Affleck  did all three of those and those movies are known as some of the best to come out in recent years. I watched "Argo" for the first time last weekend and wasn't disappointed. The story itself is remarkable, but the movie is also well made and Affleck is great as usual.

Wahlberg and Damon are no slouches either. "Ted" is a comedy phenomenon, and the fact that Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane (from Connecticut which is basically Massachusetts), decided to shoot the film in downtown Boston just adds to the humor for people from the city. Damon hasn't done as many films in Boston as Affleck and Wahlberg, but he still will always have "Good Will Hunting" to fall back on.

Maybe people in Boston care too much about the fact that Mark and Donny Wahlberg can be found court side at a Celtics game once a month, but people enjoy seeing these huge stars back home. I hope that Damon, Affleck, and Wahlberg continue to make movies in the Boston area. I think they realize that people from Boston do appreciate the fact that they return home to make these blockbusters. Hopefully 2013 leads to big things for Boston's "big three".

Project Update/Final Project

Last weekend we finished the filming for our second project. Right now I'm finishing cleaning up the sound and figuring out what type of music, n be suitable for this film. Tomorrow we're supposed to finish editing the whole thing.

My idea for a final project is still mostly in the works, however what I've got so far is an odd mix between an Irish ghost story, "Night on Bald Mountain" (from Disney's Fantasia), and the kids book "The Bunny's Ball".

The basic premise is that in a small town, there's a local legend about the dead rising from their graves and dancing on a certain night of the year. As usual the younger generation doesn't believe this and one night a couple of them go out to prove the stories wrong.

However around midnight they DO see the dead dance, and are caught spying on them. The Devil who precedes over the  dance sets up a court case to damn the teens. As they are about to be sentenced, the suns rises and church bells ring. Banishing the ghosts, devil, goblins, ect, back to the darkness, from whence they came.

Production is Kabooming

In the production of comedic explosions, we're about two thirds done with filming. With certain parts (the end of the running montage) we used the built in microphone to pick up sound. Mostly because, if we had used the boom mic to pick up sound in the main area we were filming in, we would have gotten a plethora of foley traffic noise and not much else. To the good in regards to the sound, it was easy to pick up for the opening scene.

Tomorrow we finish with the filming of this project, with any luck the editing will be just as smooth.

KABOOM!!!

Regarding our group project Ted and I have basically decided to create a comedy of explosives. We got the basic idea when I put forward the story of the Rosenberg's who sold atomic bomb secrets. He's the one who thought we could make a comedy put of this. Frankly, I think making a comedy about a bomb, could be an interesting challenge. So I look forward to when we actually get to shoot.

So far we have hashed out the story outline and the script is in the process of being finished. Over the break we'll be working on the paperwork, so we don't have to worry about it when we actually get to shooting. I'll also be working on finding music for this flick, which will be another interesting aspect to this project. Mostly because I've never done the music for a comedy before...

How I Met Your Mother

The CBS hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother, is a series starring Ted Mosby, a young single man living in New York City, searching for the girl of his dreams. The show begins with a flash-forward to 2030, where Ted sits in front of his children telling them the story of how he met their mother. His stories include four other main characters along the way: Marshall and Lily, his best friends from college who have been in a relationship since freshman year, Robin, his on and off Canadian love interest, and Barney, his out-of-box friend. While together, they encounter an assortment of obstacles with their families, relationships, and daily life.

The show is now in it’s eighth season, where multiple pieces of the plot have greatly developed, except for who the mother is. Marshall and Lily are happily married, living in their original New York City apartment with their baby, Marvin. Barney and Robin are now engaged and looking to get married, which due to last season’s finale, the viewer can assume it will be by the end of this season. The only question left is who is Ted’s wife? We have seen glimpses of her under an umbrella and of her ankles, but we have never met her before.

The show was just renewed for their ninth and final season on CBS. So the question remains, will we find out who the wife will be this season or next season? In my opinion, I think that they should reveal it this season because they could lose a lot of viewers if they continue to put it off. If Barney and Robin do in fact get married at the end of this season, then it is implied that he will meet his wife following the wedding. I also think this would be the best option because then the viewer would see Ted and his wife’s relationship develop for a season rather than at the end of the show.

Overall, I love this show and I am an avid follower of it. I cannot stop watching it in hopes that we find out who the wife is sooner rather than later, but I still find it to be a great show.  

Thunder Buddies For Life

Ted is by far my favorite movie I've seen this year. How many other movies have a teddy bear that smokes pot? None that I've seen. No-one is safe from being made fun of in this movie, even the voice of Ted Seth Macfarlane. The writing of this movie is definitely the best part of the movie.

I don't care what other people say, I love Mark Wahlberg. He is that perfect actor for a serious role in a comedy (The Other Guy's anyone?). I think the best part of this movie is how they are able to turn a stuffed teddy bear into a realistic looking bear and have it turned into a celebrity that people want. Since this isn't a zombie movie I can't say it was perfect but it was as close to perfect as it could considering I was crying from laughing. Everyone who doesn't get offended easily should go see this. If you do get offended easily, go see it any way so you can get offended.

Ted

Last week I watched the comedy film "Ted" starring Seth McFarlene, Mark Whalberg, and Mila Kunis. It was also written and directed by Seth McFarlene. I thought the movie was incredibly funny and unique; the protagonist is an animated talking stuffed teddy bear and it worked. And because the movie was from the mind of the same mans behind projects like "American Dad," "The Cleveland Show," and "Family Guy," many of the voice actors in these television show appeared as in the movie as the supporting cast. As a fan, it was something that I appreciated very much. Even though it bordered on the verge of absurdity, it was able to hold my attention throughout, while at the same time keeping me on my toes with unpredictable plot twists. In the end, Ted was overall an entertaining movie and I recommend it to anyone wishing to enjoy themselves at the movie.
-Kofi