2013 Oscar Checklist – Fairest of Them All

Snow White and The Huntsman is a beautiful piece of trash. The story hasn’t changed too dramatically from the fairy tale. The evil queen, played with diva theatrics by Charlize Theron, wants Snow White dead. Snow, played by the always miscast Kristen Stewart, flees to the forest where she encounters seven dwarfs. Of course there’s a handsome prince trying to rescue her, but this film has her attracted to the Huntsman because he’s played by Chris Hemsworth.

The Trouble with Quibbles: The Avengers

[Editor's note: Unlike Nate & Rosko, I have yet so see The Avengers. As such, in an effort to avoid ginormous spoilers, they've used the codename "Swayze" to refer to major plot point without actually giving it away. Beyond that, I would hardly call anything in this Quibble an actual spoiler, but they have highlighted a couple of points where they feel some might complain.]

As we wrap up our Earth’s Mightiest Decade series, Rosko and I finally sit down to discuss what we see as ten years worth of work.  Is The Avengers truly the culmination of everything that has come before it? In the film, Nick Fury finally gathers earth’s mightiest heroes together to form the Avengers and fight Loki’s army. Is it the apex of an era or the next stage in the evolution of comic book adaptation? Rosko and I will try to breakdown the future of Joss Whedon, Walt Disney Pictures, and the ending that will have every geek talking for the next two years

The Trouble with Quibbles: The Cabin in the Woods

Finally, after years stuck in distribution limbo, The Cabin in the Woods gets a theatrical release, and it was worth the wait. Drew Goddard’s directorial debut, which he co-wrote with Joss Whedon, is everything a horror fan could want in a movie and more. Using the standard “group of friends visit a remote cabin and get more than they bargained for” setup, Goddard and Whedon deliver a brilliant ode to horror movies. Bryan and I could barely contain our geek-gasms.

Worthy of the Power – Review: Thor

Having never read a Thor comic in my life, I wasn’t really all that excited by the news that they were making a big screen adaptation of the Marvel Comic’s character. And while initially intrigued by Kenneth Branagh directing the movie, early pictures from the set were far from inspiring. In fact, the whole project looked kinda tacky. Then the trailer came out, and Thor looked far from tacky, fun even. So, I went in with an open mind, assuring myself that, if nothing else, Thor couldn’t possibly be as bad as X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I was not mistaken.

Opening Weekend: Thunder and Lightening

Only two wide releases this weekend . . . one traditional, light-hearted romantic comedy and one about a bad-ass, hammer-throwing god of thunder . . . guess which one I want to see.