Slay West

Seth McFarland, creator of Family Guy and Ted, tries his luck in front of the camera this time in the new Western comedy, A Million Ways to Die in the West. Thankfully he's brought along several other funny people to help round out the cast including Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman, Giovanni Ribisi, Charlize Theron, and Liam Neeson(??). Here's your first look at the film set to come out this summer.

2014 Movie Preview: #15 - A Million Ways to Die in the West

Release date: May 30

Plot summary: Seth MacFarlane directs, produces and co-writes "A Million Ways to Die in the West." He also plays the role of the sheep farmer (Albert) with an all-star cast that includes Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Sarah Silverman, Giovanni Ribisi and Neil Patrick Harris. After a cowardly sheep farmer backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend leaves him for another man. When a mysterious and beautiful woman rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love. But when her husband, a notorious outlaw, arrives seeking revenge, the farmer must put his newfound courage to the test.

My take: After the surprising success of Ted, everyone is curious to see what Seth McFarland can do for a follow-up. I don't imagine most people figured he would choose to do a Western. While the setting may seem unconventional, Seth has once again surrounded himself with a talented group of funny actors who will likely be able to make this the funniest Western since Blazing Saddles or The Shakiest Gun in the West

Creation story

Much ado has been made about Ridley Scott's latest film Prometheus as to whether or not it is a prequel to the beloved Alien franchise. Whether it be fans of the original series or those just curious about the mystery surrounding this new movie, this has become one of the most anticipated films of the year. Of course, with that anticipation comes the possibility of disappointment if it fails to live up to expectations. Thankfully, this film manages to satisfy those expectations, even if it doesn't fully address everything that some may have wanted the film to do.

Prometheus is about a pair of scientists who believe they have discovered the beings responsible for the creation of the human race and set off on a space voyage along with a crew of several other travelers to the moon that they believe these beings are on. Of course, like most sci-fi space explorations they get more than they bargained for once they begin exploring this distant land.

One of the early signs that there is a connection between this film and the Alien series is the presence of an android on this space flight. David (played by Michael Fassbender) is perhaps the most compelling character in the film. He's not only integral to the interactions the humans have with the beings they encounter, but he also posits some of the film's most compelling questions. At times, David's motives are a bit unclear. The fact that he's a robot, and thus possesses no human emotions, only complicates matters. At times this can be frustrating. But ultimately, I think what it does is spurs healthy debate amongst those who enjoy and want to discuss this movie in great detail.

David's motives are not the only aspect of this film that is left unanswered. The film addresses but does not give clear answers to some major philosophical questions including 'where did we come from' and 'is our fate entirely in our control?'. It should come as no surprise that one of the film's co-writers is Damon Lindelof, who wrote for the TV series, Lost The Lost DNA is felt heavily throughout the film as it not only deals with those eternal debates but only tackles things like daddy issues and infertility.

Again, if you have someone who is willing to engage you on these topics after seeing the film, they make for a rich cinematic experience, but I would also imagine that there will be plenty out there who find their addition to the film's narrative unnecessary. Some people are simply looking for a film that features gooey creatures bursting out of people's chests and scaring the bejeebus out of audiences. Thankfully, the film offers plenty of that in here as well. Let there be no doubt at this point, that this IS an Alien prequel both in story and in spirit. There are plenty of frightful moments in this film that leave many of the human characters in great peril. Without giving too much away, one of the film's best scenes involves Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) attempting surgery on herself in an awesomely squemish sequence. After all these years, Scott still knows how to craft a good creature feature.

While it's hard to overlook it when we're talking about film featuring tons of slimy aliens, there is several noteworthy acting performances as well. As noted above, Fassbender is great as David as he continues to deliver one fine performance after another. Charlize Theron as the corporate-minded executive who oversees the Prometheus flight gives a nice, steely performance. I also really liked Idris Elba, who has a number of great lines as the hard-edged captain of the ship.

In the end, Prometheus may have been a bit too ambitious trying to tackle larger issues than were necessary for a series like this. But it's hard for me to fault them for that. A little mythology never hurt anyone and we could use more film that inspire discussion rather than the mindless dreck that only appeals to those who like to see things go BOOM. The film, with its impressive visual look, really attacks you from all senses and leaves you satisfied. And just like the evil creatures who haunt our protagonists here, once you get a taste, it'll leave you wanting more. Grade: B+

RBR: Young Adult

With Juno writer Diablo Cody became the lastest 'it' writer in Hollywood. But after Jennifer's Body flopped, Cody came back down to Earth. Now in her latest collaboration with director Jason Reitman, Cody has proven that she still has the ability to tell an effective story. This one focuses on an entitled, delusional young adult novelist named Mavis (Theron) who comes back to her small Minnesota hometown in an attempt to win back her high school boyfriend. Both the audience and the periphery charcters in the film cringe as we watch her foolishly try to woo her ex who is now married with a kid and shows no desire in infidelity. One of those sideline characters is Matt (played by Patton Oswalt), a former classmate of hers that she never gave the time of day to back when they were in high school. He becomes a partner-in-crime/confidant to her and gives a very good performance in doing so. There are moments in this film that I found riveting, especially in Theron's depiction of her character. However, I feel the film sags a bit in the middle as it becomes unclear where any of this is going or why she's still bothering to cling to this past life. We do get some clarity in the final act - a revelation comes out that is meant to be a surprise but is odd in its placement. It didn't seem realistic that this bit about Mavis' past would not have been mentioned by anybody in the film prior to that point. With that said, I'm glad it was included because it explains a lot about why Mavis behaves throughout the whole film and makes us empathize with her if not like her a bit more because of it. This is a good film, but probably a notch below Reitman's other efforts. Still if you enjoy the people involved with this film or are looking for a quiet drama to offset the noisy action films you typically watch, this one is worth a rental. Rating: *** 1/2

In cyberspace, no one can hear you scream

Every time I see or read something new about Ridley Scott's upcoming sci-fi film, Prometheus I get increasingly excited for it to come out. Case in point, the latest trailer for the film which hit the web yesterday. Check it out for yourself...