Are you ready to binge view?

Speaking of Netflix, they are set to have a potentially big weekend ahead of them. While a lot of buzz has naturally been about the upcoming fourth season of Arrested Development coming in May, Netflix is releasing a new series, starting tomorrow (February 1st) called House of Cards. It's a political thriller starring Kevin Spacey. Like the new season of AD, all episodes for this show will be released at once. If it's successful, it could be seen as a transformative moment in TV. This act of 'binge viewing' as opposed to weekly episodic TV (I believe I have to pay Michael Cole a royalty check for saying that) may just be the wave of the future. Whether you choose to watch these episodes all at once or periodically over time won't matter though if the show isn't any good, so let's hope this is some good quality viewing. You can get a sneak peek of what you can expect with the trailer posted below.

NMR: Everything or Nothing

Prior to the release of Skyfall last November, a documentary was released celebrating the world of James Bond in honor of the film franchise's 50th anniversary. The documentary is now available on Netflix Instant View which enables me a chance to finally see it. Given that this documentary did not receive a lot of fanfare or even a theatrical release made me worried that it would either be hatchet job or look cheap. Thankfully neither are true. I actually loved this depiction. While I certainly knew a lot of the information, I was pleasantly surprised that it did give insight into the franchise that I was not previously familiar with. It goes into a lot of detail about Albert Broccoli, the producer of the Bond films and his often contentious relationships with others associated with the films. We also get some insight from the various men who have played Bond. One of the things that struck me about their comments is that each of them, regardless of how long or successful their tenure was as 007 absolutely loved playing the role. You could tell that for each of them, this was more than just an acting job. The success of these films is nothing short of spectacular and you truly get a sense while watching this film as to how they've managed to keep the franchise alive all these years. Some of it was luck, but it also took a lot of talented people with a devotion to this character to constantly being driven to wanting to always make the best film possible. While Bond fans should absolutely check this out, I do think that those who don't care much for the series would still find the film interesting as well. Not too many franchises can say they've been around for a half century, so why not check out what make this one so unique. Rating: *****

Dying is easy, math is Hard

In anticipation for the new Die Hard movie set to come out in a couple of weeks, the Internet has once again come through in the awesome department by creating these thorough infographics for the previous Die Hard films, which go into painstaking detail about all of the statistics that make up the world of John McClane. Posters have only been made for the first three films, but I'd imagine one for the fourth will be out shortly. Check these out in all of there wonderful geeky glory.

The Force is strong in this one

Sorry Star Trek fans, J.J. Abrams has decided to jump off the Enterprise and board the Millenium Falcon. For more on Abrams deciding to direct the new Star Wars film, here's the story from The Wrap:

J.J. Abrams will direct the next "Star Wars" film for Disney, taking stewardship of one of Hollywood's most iconic and lucrative film franchises, an individual with knowledge of the production told TheWrap.

"Argo" director Ben Affleck was also in contention, another individual with knowledge of the talks told TheWrap.

Ever since Disney bought Lucasfilm last year and announced it would make new "Star Wars" films, fans, members of the media and industry executives have speculated about which director would take the job. Abrams' name always came up, but he told Entertainment Weekly in November that he wasn't going to take the job.

He did say "Star Wars" was the first movie that "blew my mind" in terms of special effects.

Lucasfilm Chief Kathleen Kennedy has been courting Abrams, one of the most successful directors and producers in Hollywood -- and a man beloved by fanboys. He runs one of the industry's top production companies, Bad Robot, and created or co-created television franchises like "Lost," "Fringe" and "Alias." He has also directed film spectacles "Mission: Impossible III," "Star Trek" and "Super 8."

The lure of the Jedi was too strong, and it will no doubt complicate his relationship with Paramount, where Bad Robot is a top supplier. Abrams has been feverishly working on "Star Trek Into Darkness," his second Star Trek film since he rebooted the franchise in 2009. "Into Darkness," still in post-production, opens May 18.

Though he has several producing jobs in front of him, Abrams had been uncommitted as a director. He will have to jump right into "Star Wars," which Disney has slated for a 2015 release. "Little Miss Sunshine" screenwriter Michael Arndt is penning the script.

Reached by TheWrap, Lynne Hale, spokeswoman for Lucasfilm, declined to comment immediately. Neither CAA, which represents Abrams, nor Bad Robot immediately responded to requests for comment.

RBR: Premium Rush

2012 was quite a year for Joseph Gordon Levitt who costarred in blockbusters (The Dark Knight Rises), Oscar contenders (Lincoln) and had a breakout performance in Looper. However, I doubt he's as proud of this film about a bike messenger who's being chased by some bad dudes in the streets of NY. On one hand, I do have to give the film some credit by offering up something different in the action/chase genre. However, watching this film it becomes clear why bikes are not used more often in action films. The first chase scene offers something fresh and new, but it gets tiresome very quickly. The repetitive nature of the bike scenes make this film feel like it's 3 hours long when it's barely half that time in actuality. The director's attempts at playing with the narrative timeline don't help matters and only make the story more muddled. The fact that the film's climax involves a flash mob should tell you everything you need to know about whether or not this film for you. In case it's not clear, this is not the film for me. The lone salvation is Gordon Levitt, who remains a likeable presence on screen despite the lackluster material he has to work with here. Hopefully his other successes in 2012 will allow him to pass over projects like this in the future. Rating: ** 1/2

Odds are you'll have fun

It's January, which means it's once again time for the Royal Rumble. To get ready for one of the most entertaining matches of the year, you can watch the video below and see what makes this match so special...by the numbers.

A brief time of history

On the eve of the innauguration of President Barack Obama's second term as Commander-in-Chief, it seems fitting that I had the opportunity to finally see Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, which primarily centers around the start of our 16th President's second term. That is just one of the many parallels that can be drawn between the events of the film and our current day situation in this captivating drama that is currently a heavy favorite to win Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards.

As the title suggests, this film offers a detailed look into a president who's life and actions have taken on mythic proportions in the years since his assassination. The beauty of this film is its ability to provide viewers with a perfect encapsulation of who this man was while only depicting a short period of his existence. Instead of making this a complete life story, Lincoln focuses on the last few months of his life as he furiously worked on having the 13th Amendment passed before the Civil War ended.

The primary reason why this man comes to life is because of the magnificent performance by Daniel Day-Lewis. He fully embodies Lincoln in this performance and displays why he was such a dynamic individual. In his quest to have the Amendment past, we see both his idealism and his ruthlessness. But we also learn how he was a storyteller and a man who could easily captivate an audience with anything he had to say. No matter how long winded any of his speeches were, Day-Lewis' performance holds your attention throughout. You can give this man the Oscar right now, because there was no better acting performance this year. It truly is amazing to see him so seemlessly fall into this character.

The only drawback to such a dynamic performance is that at times, the lesser performance of those on screen with him becomes that much more noticeable. I believe Spielberg makes a mistake in stuffing the screen with so many other famous actors to play the various other key roles. Few, like Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of Thaddeus Stevens, are fleshed out, engaging performances. But in most cases, you become too aware of who the actor is without learning or caring about the man he's supposed to be portraying. Similar to what happens when watching an animated film that uses a whole cast of known actors in the voice roles, I watched Lincoln playing 'Spot the celebrity'.

What's interesting about this film is that it is equally about the passage of the 13th Amendment as it is about Lincoln's life. The ramifications of the bill and when and if it could be passed make for one of the most compelling moments in U.S. history. I found a lot of the backstage politicking and covert deals to be fascinating. Some of the film's best scenes involve a group of Republican operatives (which include James Spader and John Hawkes) lobbying Democratic Representatives in hopes of getting them to vote for the Amendment. Similar to a way a lawyer selects a jury, I loved the way these men who study their targets to determine who was most likely to be won over. Everything building to the vote is good drama, but I felt empty by the way Spielberg depicted the passage of the bill and the scenes that followed. It felt like a collection of 'feel-good' Hollywood cliches that did not do justice to the complex nature that its passage created. Perhaps the scenes did not work for me simply because of the problems that our current government has put us in. It's hard in today's world to feel any satisfaction when progress is made knowing that half the country will remain bitterly against any decisions that are made.

I also should point out that while the film primarily focuses on Lincoln's efforts to get this Amendment passes, Spielberg also makes the decision to include scenes of the troubles in Lincoln's home life. Namely, the tension that's creates by his son's (played by Joseph Gordon Levitt) desire to join the military. Each of these scenes feel forced and underdeveloped and frankly added nothing to my appreciation for who Lincoln was. I have a feeling my reaction toward him would be the same if those scenes had been excised from the film.

While there are no doubt history buffs who will want to see this regardless, truly the draw of this film is Day-Lewis' performance. It is truly mesmerizing and worth the price of admission alone. Whatever flaws the film otherwise has, can be forgotten when you this actor truly embody our 16th President. This is not my favorite film of the year, but I have no problem with it being in the discussion as one of the year's best. This is a thought-provoking film that will no doubt spur discussion both of the events depicted in the film and the comparisons that can be made to today's political scene. If you haven't seen it yet, go check it out - it's worth every penny. Grade: B+

Better RED than dead

Just seeing Helen Mirren holding a big ass gun is enough of a selling point for me to be excited to see this sequel. Here's your first look at RED 2

Fan-ning the Faves

Yes, it's already time to talk about Survivor, the cast for the latest season was just announced today and once again includes some familiar faces. They are re-doing the fans vs. favorites season, so half of the players are returning for their second try at the million. I have to say that the list of so-called "favorites" is pretty underwhelming. However host Jeff Probst is very enthusiastic about this season and he's typically not phony about his feelings, so maybe there's something there that I'm missing right now. Regardless, I'll be sure to tune in Feb. 13 when the new season debuts on CBS. Below is the cast photo and some more intel on the cast and season overall courtesy of EW.com

Survivor will try to follow up its best season in years by reviving a concept from one of its best seasons ever when Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs Favorites premieres Feb. 13 on CBS. And the names of both the new fans and returning favorites can now be officially revealed. This marks the show’s second Fans vs Faves venture after Survivor: Micronesia, widely considered one of the program’s strongest offerings. And one of the Fans from that season, Erik Reichenbach (who was most famous for giving up his immunity necklace and then being voted off), will now be making the jump to the Favorites. He will be joined by another person who gave away immunity only to be voted out, Brandon Hantz (Survivor: South Pacific).

Also on the Favorites tribe will be John Cochran (South Pacific), Dawn Meehan (South Pacific), Phillip Sheppard (Redemption Island), Andrea Boehlke (Redemption Island), Francesca Hogi (Redemption Island), Corinne Kaplan (Gabon), Brenda Lowe (Nicaragua), and Malcolm Freberg, who began filming on the new season only two-and-a-half weeks after he came in fourth place on Survivor: Philippines. (The seasons were shot back-to-back in the Philippines in the spring of 2012.)

All of the returning players come from relatively recent seasons and will be playing for the second time. None come from the first 15 seasons of the show, and only Erik and Corinne did not appear in one of the previous five installments. (Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs Favorites marks the show’s 26th season.) According to host Jeff Probst, the emphasis on more recent returnees is no accident. “We realized that we had to make a decision,” Probst told EW.com. “Do we only bring back our oldest iconic stars, or do we begin to birth new stars. And when we sat down with the list and said, okay let’s look at the people that we haven’t brought back yet, we felt like we had a really good group. And it was a bit of a turning point for us to say, we’re now going to look at the next generation of Survivor all-stars.”

Of course, many of these all-stars are known more for their big gaffes in the game. In addition to Erik and Brandon handing away immunity, Cochran made a hotly-debated flip that led to his demise, and Francesca was the very first person voted off her season after she openly took on Boston Rob. In fact, after seeing whom he was playing against this time around, Cochran fretted about the company he was keeping. “I was looking around all the CBS stuff to see if I could find a logo for the season somewhere because I’m dying to know what this season is subtitled because it sure isn’t being called Greatest Survivor Players of All-Time,” Cochran told EW.com right before filming began in May 2012. “I’m afraid it’s going to be some sort of unflattering thing like Dunce Island where we have to wear dunce caps instead of buffs or something. Because there are a lot of people that made weird moves or poor moves like me.”

As for the 10 new players who will comprise the “Gota” tribe taking on the “Bikal” tribe of Favorites, they include Miss Missouri 2011, a firefighter/EMT, a female racecar driver, and former United States Marine Corps Sgt. Shamar Thomas, who gained a measure of Internet fame after a video posted of him berating New York City police officers for excessive force during an Occupy Wall Street demonstration. (The full list of 20 new and returning players is below.)

And while Survivor: Caramoan will not feature the 21 straight days of rain that fell on the contestants last season, Probst promises that “The weather is a problem. This is a difficult season. The Survivors get pummeled. And there are evacuations. There are things out of the norm that happen this season that will be very memorable. I was on the boat a lot, going back and forth between camps.”

Probst also teases that love will be in air this season. “There’s also some romance early on which continues to blow my mind! It knocks me over that people want the jungle love! As much as you can’t believe we still do a final three, I can’t believe romance happens in front of other people in a game like Survivor.” (He’s right — I do hate the final three format.)

RBR: Total Recall

I only saw the 1990 version of Total Recall a few years ago and while I really liked the movie, I also recognized that it is one of the few good films that could actually benefit from a makeover. Though cutting edge at the time, the film's visual effects look particularly cheesy today and there are certainly better thespians out there than Ah-nuld. So when a remake was announced, I had great anticipation to see what they could do. Having now seen this latest adaptation of the Philip K. Dick short story, I couldn't be more disappointed. In essence, director Len Wiseman seems to have totally missed what made the original film so appealing when making this new film. Visually the film is most dark with the exception of an overabundance of lens flares that serve no purpose. Gone are several of the interesting characters, who are replaced here by either robots or wooden actors. The whole aspect of Mars has been eliminated so don't expect to see any aliens or mutants. And as for the mind-bending twists of the original, the ones that still remain in this remake don't offer anything new or thought-provoking. What we're left with is a lot of chase and fight scenes. There's nothing wrong with those, but they didn't need to drag the good name of Total Recall down in order to make them. Most of the performances from Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, and Jessica Biel are totally forgettable. And I don't know what Bryan Cranston was thinking joining this film as Cohaagen. I see no redeemable qualities of this film so please just do yourself a favor and stick with the original. For those of us who have seen it, we can only hope a place like Recall exists in the future to help scrub our mind of this memory. Rating: * 1/2

Back from the dead...sort of

2013 has not gotten off to the best of starts for me. What began as a simple cold a few days after Christmas has lingered and grown over the past two weeks and put me down for the count. It's easily the sickest I've been in a long time. I'm still not back to a 100%, but I'm at least well enough again to have the energy to throw up (poor choice of words) some new content on here. So sorry for the lack of posts lately and let's all just hope that I'll remain healthy for the remainder of the year.