Royal Rumble Rewind: 1991

1991 saw us in the middle of the first Gulf War and the booking of that year's Rumble match certainly reflected that.

1991 Royal Rumble

Emanating from the Miami Arena in Miami, FL

Bret Hart is #1, as those signs of a singles career seem to keep popping up. Dino Bravo is #2. Gorilla seems to think Bravo is a cheapskate. Maybe that’s what got him shot gangland style. Bret starts off hot, but Dino soon takes control. Greg Valentine is #3. Valentine nails Dino to the shock of Jimmy Hart. Valentine quickly disposes of Dino. Valentine tries to go after Jimmy Hart but he escapes. Bret, who had been resting, goes right to work on Valentine. Paul Roma is #4. Valentine and Roma gang up on Bret but then Roma turns on The Hammer. Texas Tornado is #5. Tornado gives his usual crappy punches to everyone. Valentine gives us a Flair flop. It’s now Valentine and the Tornado and Bret and Roma paired up. Roma with a near Bob Holly-like dropkick on Von Erich. Rick Martel is #6. He goes immediately after the Hitman. Bret puts Martel on the brink of elimination. #7 is Saba Simba and thankfully Piper doesn’t shout, “it’s Tony Atlas!” this time. Pairings now are Saba and Roma, Hart and Valentine, and Tornado and Martel. The Model comes close to being dumped again but no dice. Sidenote: Shane McMahon is one of the floor referees. Tornado puts the dreaded palmhold on Paul Roma. Butch is #8. He whacks his way around the ring for 10 seconds before someone realizes how idiotic he looks and hits him. Saba Simba and Martel go flying over the top rope. Simba falls to the floor, but Martel hangs on. Not 30 seconds later, Gorilla asks Piper, “I don’t see Saba Simba, where did he go?” How Piper didn’t laugh in his face for such an idiotic question baffles me to this day. Jake the Snake is #9 and right away goes after Martel since they were in the middle of their feud. Jake goes for the DDT but Martel bails under the bottom rope. Hercules is #10. Ring is filling up fast. Everyone is now casually punching each other with no real direction. Valentine and Jake try to eliminate Bret but he pantomimes to the camera that he’s bored with their efforts. What a dick!

#11 is Tito Santana. Roma tries for a high crossbody on Jake but misses and launches himself over the top rope. Tito immediately goes after Martel as always. Undertaker is #12 and now we can hopefully clean out some deadweight. Just as I say that, Taker casually dumps Bret Hart out. As much as I don’t care for the Hitman, he wasn’t who I had in mind when I said deadweight. Superfly Jimmy Snuka is #13. Major afro on Snuka tonight. Taker launches Butch out. That’s more like it. Despite Undertaker’s efforts, the ring is still pretty crowded right now. Jake goes back to trying to eliminate Martel. British Bulldog is #14. Only thing of note going on now is some drunk in a green shirt who keeps walking past the front row. Smash is #15. From the apron, the Model is able to eliminate Roberts. #16 is Hawk. Hawk tries to punch everyone so everyone gangs up on Hawk in return. No complaints here. Newcomer Shane Douglas is #16. Undertaker heaves Tornado over the top rope. Vaya con dios Kerry! Hawk follows that up by eliminating the Superfly. #18 is…is…is…no one! It was revealed later though to be Macho Man’s number but he “left the building to avoid the Warrior.” Funny moment though as when the buzzer rings you see Animal start come out an then quickly hide behind the curtain. I can just hear someone backstage screaming at him, “No, no you moron! Not yet!” It’s time for #19 and whoa, what a surprise, it’s Animal. Legion of Doom work on the Undertaker and clothesline him out. Martel sneaks up behind Hawk and dumps him right after. Crush is #20. The Demos work over the British Bulldog.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan is #21 and I’m immediately board. (rimshot please) It’s getting pretty obvious at this point that everyone is sticking around in the ring in hopes of being tossed out by His Holiness. (coughHogancough) #22 is Earthquake. He quickly disposes of Animal. More chit-chat goes on between the wrestlers. Mr. Perfect is #23 and finally I’m interested. Perfect does his bumping for Duggan of all people. It’s all good though as Perfect soon dumps that idiot. Thanks Curt! Hogan is #24. Yippee! Victim #1 for the Hulkster is Smash. See ya Brother! Haku is #25. Now Hogan dumps Valentine after a 37-minute performance for the Hammer. It’s only now that Hogan finally gets his shirt off. #26 is Jim Neidhart. Earthquake eliminates Tito nonchalantly. Luke is #27. In a classic Rumble moment, Luke walks in and Quake just as quickly tosses him out the other side. Luke, we hardly knew ye. Nasty Boy Brian Knobbs is #28. Everyone gangs up on him as if he poses some threat. Knobbs pitches Hercules who was out there longer than he had any right to be. Warlord is #29. Hogan dumps Crush, or as my roommate calls him, “that bondage guy”. Hogan clotheslines Warlord out of there. That marks two different times (89 and 91) that Hogan has eliminated the Warlord via a clothesline in less than 2 minutes from the Rumble. Tugboat is #30. I promise no Shockmaster jokes.

He goes after Earthquake. Knobbs knocks out Shane Douglas. Tugboat goes after his “friend” the Hulkster. I guess this was the precursor to his ‘shocking’ heel turn. (OK, so I lied) Angered, Hulk comes back and dumps Tugboat. Bulldog dropkicks Perfect out. That’s a shame! Martel eliminates the Anvil. Haku gets tossed out by the Bulldog. Martel goes up top but Bulldog catches him and throws him out. Finally, after 53 minutes, Martel was gone. As a young fan watching this back in ‘91, I was sooo glad when he finally was eliminated because he was so close so many times during the night. Final Four is British Bulldog, Hulk Hogan, Earthquake and Brian Knobbs. Why in God’s green Earth was Knobbs booked to go this late into the Rumble? I think “Hogan Knows Best” gave us the answer to that one. The heels team up and dump the Bulldog out. Poor Davey Boy, always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Quake and Knobbs then work over Hulk which includes the big butt splash. Hogan of course pops up and boots Knobbs out. Hogan gets some offense before a slam attempt backfires on him. Quakes squashes Hogan some more before Hulk pops up again. 2 pop-ups in one match? They must really want to send the fans home happy. It’s all a formality after that as Hogan gets his obligatory slam on Quake before clotheslining him out of the ring.

Bottom Line: Well star power was non-existent in this Rumble. Too many times there was a bunch of guys standing around doing nothing. Even though the notion of Hogan winning back-to-back Rumbles nauseated me, it was the right thing to do, given the Slaughter win. Had he not won the previous year, this would have been more tolerable. ** ¾

Harry Squatter

In case you missed it, here's a funny Harry Potter skit from last night's Saturday Night Live hosted by the boy wizard himself, Daniel Radcliffe. This is probably a more realistic look at what happened in the future of the Potterverse.

Royal Rumble Rewind: 1990

We begin the nineties with the WWF(E) beginning to learn how to really utilize this match as a way to build up Wrestlemania.

Royal Rumble 1990

Emanating from the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Fl

In a cruel twist of scripted irony, Ted DiBiase is #1 this year after being #30 last year. His first opponent is Koko B. Ware at #2. Koko gets jumped as soon as he enters. DiBiase makes a mistake by trying to ram Koko’s cranium into the turnbuckle. Koko charges but DiBiase backdrops him to the floor. Now there are only 28 more to go. DiBiase waits as #3 Marty Jannetty makes his way down. Jannetty tries a high flying move that DiBiase dodges and causes Jannetty to be eliminated. Second verse same as the first. Jake Roberts is #4 and these two have issues at this point. DiBiase meets Roberts on the floor and slaps on the Million Dollar Dream. Roberts escapes by ramming DiBiase into the post. Inside, Roberts tries for the DDT, but DiBiase backdrops him. As Roberts hits a kneelift, Macho Man makes his way down at #5. The heels quickly begin to double-team Roberts. With Roberts tied in the ropes, he gets some help in the form of #6 “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Piper takes care of both heels and then frees Roberts. The faces and the heels team up with Piper and Macho nearly eliminating each other. The Warlord saunters out at #7. He goes right after Piper. Meanwhile, Macho and DiBiase unsuccessfully try to eliminate Roberts. #8 is Bret Hart who again evens the face/heel ratio. Everyone is pairing up but no one is close to elimination. Everybody’s friend, Bad News Brown is #9. Roberts again goes for the DDT on DiBiase, but Macho comes over and clotheslines him to the floor. It’s now Bret/Warlord, Bad News/DiBiase, and Piper/Macho squaring off. The fat quotient just skyrocketed as #10 is Dusty Rhodes and he goes right after Macho Man. Macho charges at Dusty but gets backdropped to the floor. Crowd loved that one.

#11 is Andre who makes his impact felt immediately by eliminating the Warlord. Heenan and Fuji get into a scuffle as a result of that elimination. That was a nice touch. Andre now takes on both Piper and Dusty, while Bad News and DiBiase beat up Bret. The Red Rooster is #12 as Piper is almost eliminated by Bad News. Piper then actually does eliminate Bad News. Angered by this, Bad News pulls Piper out and the two brawl all the way back to the dressing room. Dusty tries to dump DiBiase but Virgil keeps him in. Andre dumps the Rooster as #13 Ax makes his way down. Just to be cruel, the fans start a ‘Weasel’ chant for Heenan. Dusty and Ax get Andre tied up in the ropes and pound on his head. As they free him, Andre nails each of them in the gut. It would have been really cool if he would have ball-tapped them. To help his partner Andre, Haku is #14. He goes after Dusty while Andre sits on Ax. Conveniently, Ax’s partner Smash now comes out at #15. Demolition now pair off against the Colossal Connection. #16 is Akeem and the ring really has some tonnage now. Demolition both hit shouldertackles on Andre and that’s enough to eliminate him. As Demolition now tries to eliminate Haku, the announcers inform us that Bret was eliminated off camera. But just remember, the cameraman didn’t screw Bret. Bret screwed Bret. Superfly Jimmy Snuka is #17 and gets hit by Akeem as soon as he enters. Virgil once again helps DiBiase stave off elimination. Meanwhile, Snuka comes back and knocks Akeem out. Haku and Snuka double headbutt Smash and then beat each other up. Now that’s what a Rumble’s all about. #18 is Dino Bravo to the interest of no one. Everyone seems to be milling around now. Earthquake is #19 and he’s already ripped his unitard before he even hits the ring. Dusty gets tossed by Earthquake within seconds of his arrival. Demolition tries to double-team Earthquake but he casually dumps Ax out of the ring. #20 Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart who goes right after Earthquake and soon everyone joins him to eliminate the huge Canadian. DiBiase, still surviving, gets hit with a double atomic drop by Smash and Neidhart.

Crowd wakes up as the Ultimate Warrior hits the ring at #21. He goes after Dino Bravo and eliminates him soon thereafter. Everyone pairs up again as #22 Rick Martel makes his way down. Haku dumps Smash over but he hangs on only to be knocked off by a Haku kick. Neidhart heaves Martel over but he hangs on and sneaks back in under the bottom rope. #23 is Tito Santana and he begins fighting Martel to no one’s surprise. Those two will probably be fighting at the 2015 Royal Rumble. Honky Tonk Man is #24 and is greeted right away by the Warrior. A bunch of guys brawl on one side and Neidhart gets eliminated in the process. Warrior reverses a DiBiase whip and then clotheslines him to the floor. Nice effort by DiBiase who becomes the first Iron Man of Rumble matches. #25 is Hulk Hogan and the exit sign lights up for a lot of guys. Snuka gone! Haku gone! Santana gone! It’s now Martel paired up with the Warrior and Honky tangling with Hogan. Shawn Michaels comes down at #26 as Hogan tosses Honky out. Warrior goes into hurry up mode and eliminates Shawn and Martel back-to-back. Shawn gets the Bushwhacker award tonight. We’re left with the Ultimate Face-off. Hogan and Warrior stare at each other as the crowd goes nuts. They criss-cross and then they clothesline each other. With both men down, the Barbarian comes out at #27. He has his way with both Warrior and Hogan. Before we get a countdown, Rick Rude enters at #28. Rude hits Warrior with a dropkick as the Barbarian tries to eliminate Hogan. Rude comes over to help the Barbarian, but Warrior makes the save. Soon the Barbarian and Rude try to eliminate the Warrior and Hogan comes over and finishes the job. Oh Hulk, you are a devious one. Warrior comes back in and beats up the heels some more, simply because he’s crazy. Hogan gets some help, as if he needs it, from #29 Hercules. Hogan gives the Barbarian a back rake to show how tough he is. And because he is what he says he is, Mr. Perfect is our #30 entrant.

Heel miscommunication between the Barbarian and Rude allows Hercules to eliminate the Barbarian. That makes our Final Four Hogan, Perfect, Rude and Hercules. The weak link of the bunch, Hercules gets eliminated by a Rude clothesline. Rude accidentally hits Perfect with a forearm and knocks him through the ropes. Hogan whips Rude to the ropes which are pulled down as Perfect hoists himself up. That causes Rude to be eliminated. Perfect comes in and hits Hogan with the PerfectPlex. That causes Hogan to pop up and go to work on Perfect. After Perfect hits the top of the post from a slingshot, Hogan grabs him and tosses him out for the victory.

Bottom Line: A pretty decent Rumble that nicely set up numerous feuds for Wrestlemania (Hogan/Warrior, Jake/DiBiase, Dusty/Macho, Piper/Bad News, and Demolition/Colossal Connection). There were also very few lulls during the course of the match. The only negative was the uncreative finish. Perfect was originally booked to win the match, but you can guess who vetoed that idea. That’s right, HHH. ****

RBR: The Debt

This got lost in the shuffle when it was released back in August, but it was hard for me to ignore a film that boasts acting greats like Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson, along with rising stars like Sam Worthington and Jessica Chastain. The film deals a trio of Mossad agents who are attempting to hunt down a Nazi doctor. In order to do so, the film flashes back and forth between the time of the mission and current day. This can be an effective narrative device, but I didn't like it hear and thought it just made the film more confusing, not engaging. And because we jump back and forth, not enough time is given to Mirren and Wilkenson, who play the older versions of two of the agents. And while I liked some of the action scenes in the film, there was not enough of that in here. Instead, we get a deeper look into these agents personally and I just wasn't captivated by it. In its attempt to look at how these agents handle this mission, the film can't find the right voice to treat this subject (which has its roots in real life) properly. If it was trying to be poignant, it failed to do so. If you want a decent foreign espionage thriller, I'd recommend Hanna over this commendable, but otherwise confusing film. Rating: ***

Royal Rumble Rewind: 1989

- As we continue on, this is the first Rumble to appear on PPV. We're also up to the tradition 30 participants here.

Royal Rumble 1989

Emanating from The Summit in Houston, TX

Historical moment right from the get-go as Ax is #1 and Smash is #2. It’s a good thing they never split and feuded because their action here is not worth noting. Thankfully Andre is #3 and the Demos turn their attention to him. Jesse says Andre is up by 1 or 2 on him on Battle Royal wins. Ha! More punching and kicking as Mr. Perfect strolls in at #4. Perfect slugs everyone as Andre casually tosses Smash out. Ax sends Perfect CRASHING into the corner. “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin is #5. Andre gets triple teamed but fights back. Perfect oversells like only he can to Andre’s offense. Greg Valentine is #6. Andre continues to be the focus of attack. This angers the Giant as he sends Garvin to the floor. Jake Roberts is #7 to wake up the crowd. Jake who actually has a beef with Andre can’t attack him as Andre beats him to the punch. Jake is getting squashed in there! Cueball Ron Bass is #8 as Andre tosses out Jake. Off to the bars for Roberts. Valentine and Perfect take over on Andre while Ax and Bass square off. Shriek! It’s Shawn Michaels at #9. Perfect perfectly launches Ax out. Perfect and Michaels face off and now I’m interested. Butch is #10. Man what a POP for Butch! Oh wait, never mind, it’s for Jake who is back out with Damian. Jake chases Andre over the top rope and out.

Honky is #11. Everyone is squared off: Butch and Bass, Perfect and Honky, Michaels and Hammer. Fans squeal over the prospects of Honky getting pitched. Tito is #12. He goes straight for Perfect. Butch bites Honky; nothing new there. Bad News is #13. Ring is getting crowded now. Honky finally gets tossed by Tito and Butch. Marty Jannetty is #14. Rockers join forces to eliminate Ron Bass with a double dropkick. Jannetty bashes Perfect’s head in the top, middle, and bottom turnbuckles. Talk about driving home a point. Macho Man is #15 and immediately goes after Bad News. Arn Anderson is #16. Savage eliminates Valentine. Double A and Macho team up (talk about strange bedfellows) and eliminate Shawn Michaels. Anderson goes up top but gets crotched. Have no fear Arn because Tully is #17 to help you out. The Brainbusters soon work over Jannetty. Jannetty, on the brink of elimination, eventually gets shoved out by Blanchard. Hogan is #18 and I think we’re going to see some spring-cleaning. Bye Perfect! Bye Tito! Hogan gets into trouble and Macho doesn’t help. Hmmm… Luke is #19. As he hits the ring, Bad News and The Hulkster eliminate Butch. Koko B. Ware is #20. Anderson goes up top again and gets caught again. Think Arn! Koko gets dumped by Hogan. He’s got the record tonight for shortest appearance. Luke gets tossed by Hogan now too. We’re down to the Busters on Hogan and Bad News fighting Macho Man.

Here comes Warlord at #21. Hogan has now eliminated Tully and Arn. Warlord steps in and goes right back out via a Hogan clothesline. Spoke too soon about Koko, congrats Warlord. Now Hogan runs over and dumps Bad News AND Macho Man. “Uh oh, Savage is hot” so says Ventura. And I would be too. Elizabeth comes out to play peacekeeper. She gets Savage to agree to shake hands and Hulk is reluctant. What should he be reluctant for?!? Hulk then shakes and hugs. AWW! Before the lovefest can continue the buzzer sounds and here comes the Bossman at #22. Man, Bossman was huge back then. It’s all Hogan to start off with. Avalanche slows Hogan down. Akeem waddles down at #23 to even the sides against Hogan. Yes, I said even the sides. Towers eventually get the upper hand and eliminate Hulk. Whaaaa? Brutus Beefcake is #24. As the Towers double team Beefcake, Hogan pulls the top rope down to eliminate the Bossman. Our Hero! Hulk and Bossman fight to the locker room. Meanwhile, Akeem works over Beefcake in the corner. You’ll notice Brutus looks to the cameraman to see if he’s filming and then shouts in pain as if he was a nervous young girl filming her first porn video. The Red Rooster is #25 and struts and pecks his way down to ringside. Akeem gets double-teamed by the Barber and Taylor. The Barbarian is #26. Crowd is beginning to realize there isn’t much left in the way of star power. Big John Studd is #27. Studd shoves the Rooster down so he can have Akeem all to himself. Hercules is #28. Nothing of note happening. Rick Martel is #29 and Jesse wonders how he got such a high number. I have my suspicions as well. Million Dollar Man is #30. Man, I don’t know why Ted was so upset at the drawing earlier in the evening. I’d be thrilled with #30. But hey, that’s me. Virgil stays at ringside. Just to spectate I assume.

Dibiase makes an immediate impact by tossing the Rooster out. Sleeper by Brutus on Hercules is costly as Dibiase and The Barbarian dump them both. Barbarian charges but misses and Martel eliminates him. Down to the Final Four, consisting of Dibiase, Martel, Studd, and Akeem. Eh, could be worse. Martel doesn’t learn from the Barbarian though as a charge gets him tossed by Akeem. Dibiase then begins directing traffic, ordering an Akeem attack on Studd. Studd says no more and uses Dibiase as a shield. He then dumps Akeem leaving Dibiase all alone. Studd toys with him for a few minutes before eventually vanquishing him. Virgil then tries his luck and gets tossed too. Crowd politely cheers.

Bottom Line: Fairly entertaining Rumble. They did a nice job of continuing the slow boil that led to the MegaPowers exploding. Booking Studd as the winner came as a shock. Obviously, this was before they used the Rumble as a method for determining the #1 contender. *** ½

RBR: Cowboys & Aliens

I had high hopes for this one and can you blame me? I mean this was a genre-burring film starring James Bond and Indiana Jones being directed by the guy that did Iron Man. And yet with all that star power, I struggled to keep my interest as I watched this film. It attempts to mix sci-fi with westerns and ends up doing neither genre any justice. Given that this is not a conventional storyline, there is understandably not a lot of previous work that they can base this one on. With that said, there are still too many aspects of this story that were confusing or implausible. For starters, none of these characters seem all that freaked out by the fact that there are alien creatures attacking there town. It's one thing for a character set in modern day to be nonplussed by an alien invasion because they would have at least seen alien movies or read stories about creatures from another planet. But would anyone who was living during the time period that this film is set have heard of an alien before? They acted the same as if it had been a posse of outlaws who had just rolled into town looking to cause problems. There's also the confusing nature of why exactly the aliens are here. We get some vague explanation, but not enough to satisfy me. We also have some poor character development. Harrison Ford's Colonel Dollarhyde goes from crusty hardass to big softie WAY too quickly in the film. Frankly, it would have been more interesting had he remained cranky throughout the film. You also have Olivia Wilde playing a woman with a mysterious background that is also never fully explained. Meanwhile, Daniel Craig looks badass during the action scenes, but since his character has amnesia he's sort of a blank slate when it comes to personality, which isn't very exciting. I give everyone involved here a lot of credit for trying something different and inventive, I just wish the execution of the idea had been stronger. This is a big disappointment and probably not worth a recommendation regardless of if you're a western, sci-fi, Harrison Ford, or Daniel Craig fan. When cowboys and aliens meet, two genres enter and nobody comes out entertained. Rating: ** 1/2

Royal Rumble Rewind: 1988

This years marks the 25th Royal Rumble, my favorite match in pro wrestling. In honor of this distinction over the next two weeks, I'll be looking back at the previous years' matches leading up to this year's event on January 29th. So that each of these posts are not too long, I'll only be recapping/reviewing the Rumble match itself from each year. Most of these reviews will be the same as the ones I wrote for the website Online Onslaught. If you enjoy these, feel free to head over there and read my reviews of all the old pay-per-views. So let's get this started with the innaugural edition...

1988 Royal Rumble

Emanating from the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario Canada

About the only difference between this match and the one we know today is that there were only twenty participants in this one. #1 is Bret Hart and #2 is Tito Santana; a fine pair to kick things off. Bret starts off by beating down Santana in the corner. Santana comes back and delivers some rights of his own. As Bret goes to eliminate Santana, Butch Reed comes out at #3. He naturally goes after Santana. Get it, naturally? Santana retaliates with a double noggin knocker on the heels. Things get worse for Santana as #4 is Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart. They triple team Santana, but do not eliminate him before Jake “the Snake” Roberts comes in at #5. He comes up behind Reed and eliminates him. Jake attacks the Hart Foundation and soon Santana helps him. Harley Race is #6, as the Harts go back on offense. Everybody dukes it out with nothing special happening until Jumping Jim Brunzell arrives at #7. We’ve paired off now with Brunzell battling Race, Santana hammering Bret, and Jake and Neidhart going at it. #8 is Sam Houston and he goes after Neidhart. The Harts team up and toss Santana out of the ring. Dangerous Danny Davis is the #9 entrant and he immediately brawls with Houston. Jake has Race teetering on the ropes. The ring is starting to fill up as Boris Zhukov enters at #10.

#11 is…is…well, both Don Muraco and Nikoli Volkoff come down to the ring. The referees let Muraco in and hold back Nikoli. As he argues with the refs, his partner, Zhukov is eliminated. It’s time for #12 and now they let Nikoli enter. They could have played that better and had it where Nikoli just missed out on saving his partner. Meanwhile, Muraco throws Race out of the ring. As Race argues with the refs, Hacksaw Jim Duggan comes out at #13. Those two exchange shots before Race eventually runs away. Jake teases about his fourth or fifth DDT of the match, but still doesn’t hit it. Outlaw Ron Bass is #14 and the ring is still pretty crowded. Nikoli picks up Brunzell and dumps him to the floor. And what poor timing as B. Brian Blair now enters at #15. It’s your typical run of the mill brawling from everyone as Hillbilly Jim comes out at #16. He makes an immediate impact by eliminating Neidhart. #17 is Dino Bravo who earlier tonight ahem ‘broke’ the bench press world record. Bass gets Houston up on his shoulders and then tosses him to the floor. Charging out at #18 is the Ultimate Warrior. Soon after, Muraco grabs Bret and throws him out. Good showing by Bret going about 25 mins. in this initial Rumble. #19 is OMG! I’m not surprised; it’s just the One Man Gang. He grabs Blair and quickly disposes of him. Now the Gang eliminates Jake. The field is complete as Junkyard Dog comes out at #20.

Duggan ducks a clothesline and flips Nikoli out of the ring. The Gang continues to dominate as he now gets rid of Hillbilly. Duggan charges and clotheslines Davis out of the ring, much to the delight of the crowd. Bravo and the Gang team up to toss out the Warrior. They’re dropping like flies now. As JYD attacks the Gang, Bass comes from behind and throws him out. That’s followed by Muraco clotheslining him out of the ring. That means the inaugural Final Four are: One Man Gang, Don Muraco, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Dino Bravo. Muraco holds his own against the heels until he dropkicks Frenchy Martin. That allows Bravo to attack him. He then holds Muraco and allows the Gang to clothesline him to the floor. Duggan’s divide and conquer against the Gang and Bravo only works briefly. The heels try the same move they just did on Muraco, but this time Duggan moves and the Gang accidentally eliminates Bravo. The Gang charges at Duggan, but Duggan drops down and the Gang falls out and to the floor. Hacksaw is going to Wrestlemania!! Oh wait, nevermind. Actually, Duggan did have a chance of winning the title because he was part of the WWF title tournament that was held at Wrestlemania that year. Who knew they inadvertently had the “winner gets a title shot as Wrestlemania” stipulation in since the beginning.

Bottom Line: Given all the other Rumble matches since then, this one is far from one of the best. Still, it was inventive enough from the beginning that it was able to endure and become a classic tradition. I would have preferred more eliminations throughout the match, but they were still ironing out the kinks here. Having Duggan win wouldn’t have been my first suggestion, but since a win here really meant nothing, I won’t let it bother me too much. *** (out of a possible five)

The Comeback Kid deleted scenes

Paulitical opponent

From nymag.com

For months now, fans of NBC's Parks and Recreation have been wondering just who might play Leslie Knope's opponent in her race for city council. There'd been speculation that Katherine Hahn (Free Agent) might be tackling the role, but it turned out she's set to play an adviser to one of Leslie's rivals. With the election plotline heating up on the show — according to NBC's listings, the next three scheduled episodes, including this Thursday's, all have campaign themes — Vulture set out to discover the identity of Knope's new nemesis. We believe we have done so, and it appears Leslie will be doing political battle against ...

Paul Rudd! The star of films such as I Love You, Man and Role Models will appear in at least one upcoming episode of Parks and Recreation, Vulture has learned. Nobody from the show or NBC would confirm the casting, but our industry sources say Rudd shot his scenes late last year. That likely means his appearance will come sometime within the next month. While Rudd did a vocal guest-stint on The Simpsons last season and has guested in the past on the late, lamented Veronica Mars and Reno 911!, the Parks and Rec stint marks his return to Thursday nights on NBC after spending several years as a recurring player on Friends. Rudd also has several movies coming out this year, including Wanderlust (opposite Jennifer Aniston), Judd Apatow's This Is 40, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Nobody's Holmes

When I did my 2011 movie preview, two of the films that I ranked high on the list were The Hangover Part II and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Both merited their spot because of how much I enjoyed each of their original films. However, in my preview of both of these sequels, I questioned how good they could be given that each of them were coming out only two years after their predecessor. Earlier this year my suspicions were proven correct as most people agreed that the second Hangover was nothing but a pale imitation of the first. Sadly, the same turns out to be true for Sherlock Holmes

2009's Sherlock Holmes was one of the most pleasant surprises I had had at the movies in recent years. What could have been awful turned out to be an extremely engaging and entertaining film. I loved the way director Guy Ritchie had woven the more violent aspects of the film into Holmes' cerebral nature. And of course, the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as the titular gumshoe and Jude Law as his faithful sidekick, Watson was inspired. They had even managed to nicely sow the seeds for this sequel with the introduction of Holmes' arch-rival, Professor Moriarty.

Fast-forward to this sequel and hardly any of what made the first film so appealing can be found. The biggest absence is a central mystery. Instead of having Sherlock track down the clues of Moriarty's latest elaborate crime, they turn the professor (played by Jared Harris) into a Bond-esque villain, who's out to start a world war. The elements of Moriarty's plan that are left to mystery are not very engaging, nor do they truly test Holmes' intelligence. Late in the film, the two rivals play a literal game of chess to represent the supposed metaphorical one that they've been playing the entire movie, but I think dodgeball would have been a more apt analogy. The film spends way too much time on gunfights and/or people trying to escape a hail of gunfire. While the action that was incorporated into the first film fit, here it feels excessive and unnecessary.

A lack of mystery is not the only thing missing from the film. This sequel was also in need of more snappy dialogue. While Downey and Law are still able to exchange a number of clever and witty barbs at each other, there is no one else here for them to play off of. A lot of the fun from the first film came from Holmes' interactions with both Inspector Lestrade and Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams). The globe-spanning plot of this film forced Holmes out of London, thus Lestrade was limited to a mere cameo. Meanwhile Irene briefly shows up at the beginning of the film only to have her appearance be ended rather abruptly. Both of their presence were sorely missed throughout most of the film.

It doesn't help that the female substitute for McAdams' Adler is Noomi Rapace, a gypsy woman who has connections to Moriarty's plot. Rapace is a charisma vacuum in this film and weighs down every scene she's in with the film's leads. Why the writers felt the need to have her stay with the detectives throughout the movie is baffling to me. She added nothing to the audience's enjoyment of the film and she added nothing to help Holmes and Watson solve the case. I can only hope that if a third film is made (and it will be) that her character is nowhere to be seen in it.

Had this been a generic action movie set in this time period, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more. The film keeps the story moving along and there's plenty in it to keep your attention. But because of the Sherlock Holmes name and the quality of the first film, there were certain expectations that I had for this sequel that simply were not met. This just reeked of a cash grab instead of taking the time to create a good story. Downey and Law's talent can only take things so far. And while they did their best to make this enjoyable, there were just too many other variables that weighed this film down. I can only hope that more time and effort goes into making the third film. I'm not ready to give up on this franchise, but this was one of the biggest disappointments I had this year at the movies, and sadly there were a lot of them this year. How they managed to botch this film so badly is a mystery that not even Holmes himself could solve. Grade: C+

Local locos

While actual news continues to be slow during the holidays, here's a look back at some classic local news bloopers that made the rounds on the internet in the past year.

2012 Movie Preview (#6 - 1)

6. The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3rd)

Plot: Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.

Personal opinion: This is in a similar situation as The Bourne Legacy in that a popular franchise is getting a complete makeover. Both could be disasterous or they could be a breath of fresh air that these films needed. While the decision to reboot this franchise is questionable, I certainly can't argue with their casting decisions. After The Social Network, Andrew Garfield is a star in the making and you know how much I love Emma Stone, so I'm totally for her being chosen as Gwen Stacy, even if it meant her eschewing her red hair for a blonde mane. As long as they don't completely ruin the character with the script, this should keep Spidey crawling along just fine.


5. Dog Fight (August 10th)

Plot: Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis will play rival politicians in a small congressional district in South Carolina.

Personal opinion: All they had to say was Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis together and I was immediately sold. The fact that they are putting them in a plot that sounds rife for comedic gold only sweetens the pot. Given that 2012 is an election year will probably help this film gain even more viewers. The only thing that concerns me is that the film is being directed by Jay Roach, who has a spotty track record. He's had some great films like Austin Powers and Meet the Parents, but he's also had some duds like the sequels to those films. I would have prefered if Ferrell's longtime collaborator, Adam McKay had directed it, but I digress. The comedic strength of these two leads should have no problem carrying the film to prosperity.


4. The Gangster Squad (October 19)

Plot: Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and--if he has his way--every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It's enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop...except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen's world apart. "The Gangster Squad" is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD's efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.

Personal opinion: As you can see by reading the plot description that this has some acting heavyweights in the cast. I always enjoy the gangster genre and feel its underutilized in Hollywood today. It's interesting to note that this action drama is being directed by Reuben Fleischer, who directed Zombieland This is uncharted waters for him, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Emma Stone is also part of the cast. That instantly improves things in my book. Ultimately as long as this one avoids being as dull as Public Enemies, it should be a winner.


3. The Avengers (May 4th)

Plot: Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in "Iron Man," "The Incredible Hulk," "Iron Man 2," "Thor" and "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Marvel's The Avengers" is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Personal opinion: Our patience finally gets paid off here. After sitting through several single character comic book films, the band finally comes together as the supergroup our world needs. At this point, we know all the central players, so let's hope this film doesn't dwell too much on establishing them and just gets right to the action. Joss Whedon was a bit of a surprising choice to direct such a monumental film, but I think he's got the geek cred to do this group justice on the big screen.


2. Skyfall (November 9th)

Plot: In "Skyfall," Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Personal opinion: I went through great deliberation over what to put at #1 and this one came very close to getting that spot. It's no secret that I am a huge Bond geek and the wait for this film has been excruciating given the delays thanks to MGM's financial problems. But the wait is over and I'm eager to see Daniel Craig back in action. Ultimately, I put this at #2 just because it has a few more uncertainties surrounding this one. First of all Quantum of Solace was a bit disappointing so it's not a given that this one will be great. There's also the Sam Mendes factor. While he's an accomplished director, he has never really done an action film before, so we'll see how he handles that side of this movie. These are minor quibbles though as this should be an excellent return for everyone's favorite superspy.


1. The Dark Knight Rises (July 20th)

Plot: Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' "The Dark Knight Rises" is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar winner Christian Bale ("The Fighter") again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar winner Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose"), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules") plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

Personal opinion: Do I really need to say anything here? After the HUGE success of The Dark Knight, is there any one in the world not anticipating this film? I am equally anxious for this and the new Bond film, but the fact that everyone is back for this film and then some makes it the surer bet. It's a little sad knowing that this movie will be the last Batman that Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan do, but that only builds the intrigue as we wonder how they will choose to end this. The trailer that was released last week already left me breathless, so now we just have to anxiously count down the days until next summer to see the full thing. So there you have it. The best of the best. I hope it's clear to the rest of you as it is to me that next year's slate looks a hell of a lot better than the offerings we got this year. Whether it's actually true or not remains to be seen. Thankfully we don't have long to wait. Let's bring on 2012! Happy New Year everyone and remember to keep visiting this blog throughout the year to read more updates and reviews for all of these films and more.

Missing the cut

No doubt some of you will question why some notable films are not on my 2012 movie preview. All I can say is that those films just were not as exciting as the thirty I listed. But in the interest of fairness, I've decided to showcase a few of the most prolific ones that already have trailers out. Enjoy!

2012 Movie Preview (#12 - 7)

12. The Dictator (May 11th)

Plot: The film tells the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed. It is inspired by the best selling novel "Zabibah and The King" by Saddam Hussein.

Personal opinion: So which Sasha Baron Cohen will we get here? The one who became a cultural phenomenom with Borat or the one who turned off audiences by crossing the line from funny to offensive with Bruno? Based on the trailer I posted here recently, it seems like his latest film has a mixture of both in it. However, the final scene involving him running in a race had me in stiches and gave me the confidence that this one can be a real winner.


11. The Bourne Legacy (August 3rd)

Plot: The Universal release has taken the title from the Eric Van Lustbader book based on the series created by Robert Ludlum, but they will not be using the story. "This is not a reboot or a recast or a prequel. No one's replacing Matt Damon. There will be a whole new hero, a whole new chapter...this is a stand-alone project," said Gilroy. "The easiest way to think of it is an expansion or a reveal," Gilroy added. "Jason Bourne will not be in this film, but he's very much alive. What happened in the first three films is the trigger for what happens. I'm building a legend and an environment and a wider conspiracy... the world we're making enhances and advances and invites Jason Bourne's return [down the road]."

Personal opinion: The Bourne franchise has been one of my favorite of the past ten years, so I'm somewhat conflicted over this latest entry. It's a shame they felt like they needed to continue it despite neither Matt Damon nor director Paul Greengrass returning for this one. Their absence will no doubt be huge. Having said that, there are several of the supporting actors who are returning to help maintain continuity. As for the replacements, Jeremy Renner is quickly establishing himself as a mainstream action star and Tony Gilroy, who will direct this one, was a writer on the previous Bourne films and has also directed Michael Clayton proving that he has the directing chops and familiarity with the material needed to fill Greengrass' shoes. This will be no easy feat, but if they can pull it off, it'll be one of the most pleasant surprises of 2012.


10. This is Forty (Decemeber 21st)

Plot: The film will feature an original story with characters created by Rudd and Mann in "Knocked Up."

Personal opinion: Here's another possible case of redemption. After disappointing virtually everybody with the unfunny Funny People, Judd Apatow is finally getting back behind the camera with this sequel/spin-off of Knocked Up focusing specifically on Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's married couple. Apatow struck gold when exploring the life of a 40-year old before, so I look forward to seeing what he can come up with this time. Hopefully by returning to some familiar territory with some friendly faces he'll get the comedic juices flowing again.


9. Django Unchained (December 25th)

Plot: In Quentin Tarantino's new spaghetti Western, the title character Django is a freed slave, who under the tutelage of a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) becomes a badass bounty hunter himself. After assisting Waltz on taking down some bad guys for profit, he is in turn assisted by Waltz in tracking down his slave wife and liberating her from an evil plantation owner. The film deals with racism, while it's 100 percent pure popcorn and revenge flick, it takes on the evil slave owning south.

Personal opinion: I'll admit I took awhile to get on the Quentin Tarantino bandwagon. However, after seeing Inglorious Basterds I became a convert. By the looks of the cast he's rounded up for this film, it seems many other people are believers as well. You have guys like Leonardo Dicaprio and Jaime Foxx working on this film along with Tarantino alums like Samuel L. Jackson and Christophe Waltz. With Basterds Tarantino conquered the war film, so now I'm really curious to see what he has up his sleeve for the spaghetti western genre. This could be another major player come awards season.


8. American Reunion (April 6th)

Plot:In the comedy "American Reunion," all the "American Pie" characters we met a little more than a decade ago are returning to East Great Falls for their high-school reunion. In one long-overdue weekend, they will discover what has changed, who hasn't and that time and distance can't break the bonds of friendship.

Personal opinion: So may look at this and feel that this franchise has worn out its welcome, especially with the addition of those pitiful direct-to-DVD, quasi-sequels, but I've always had an affinity for these films. I guess because the characters' timeline closely mirrors my own I see these films as a time capsule of my own experiences. The fact that they were able to get everyone from the original cast back for this one is exciting and the trailer released earlier this year has me believing that this slice of pie has not become completely stale yet.


7. Looper (September 28th)

Plot: Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a contract killer who works for the mob of the future, and who kills victims that are then sent back in time 30 years so there's no trace of the crime, but one day, he recognizes one of his targets (Bruce Willis) as a future version of himself.

Personal opinion: I always appreciate when a sci-fi film can develop an idea that's unique and creative and on paper this one sounds like it will fit the bill. This one is being directed Rian Johnson, who impressed a lot of people with his first two films, Brick and The Brothers Bloom. I like both Gordon-Levitt and Willis, so it should be fun to see them share the screen in this one. The only concern I have is the release date. There have often been a lot of promising sci-fi films released in the fall that have turned out to be duds. Based on some early buzz I've heard about this one though, it sounds like it should be able to avoid that problem.

Living in a dream

It appears that this year's crop of midseason replacements on television is an unusually strong crop. Here's just one of the programs that shows promise - a drama called Awake, which will be premiering on NBC in the next couple of months. I've posted a trailer below to give you a taste of what you can expect.

Mission statement

In the original Mission: Impossible film Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt had to break into a room with floor sensors undetected. That meant nothing could touch the ground, not even a bead of sweat. If audiences today were watching the fourth entry in this series, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, on such a floor it would not take long for them to be detected. This hard-boiled, pulse-pounding thriller may be the most action packed one yet.

There are several well crafted scenes in this film that tickle your fancy while playing off your biggest fears in the same moment. Most notably involves Cruise trying to climb the outside of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building in Dubai. What is so remarkable about that scene and so many others in this film is the way they hide how exactly they filmed them. Too often in today's action films scenes that heavily rely on CGI or other visual effects come off as phony looking and take you out of the moment. Here there's no sense of that. Hell, you hardly even can detect if they are using stuntmen even. As a result, you become more invested in having these characters succeed in their efforts to once again save the world.

The realistic nature of these scenes is even more surprising when you learn that they were directed by someone who's background had previously been exclusively in animation. Director Brad Bird, who had previously helmed The Incredibles and Ratatouille does a remarkable job of taking the flexible reality of cartoons and making it come to life in this live action thriller. It's a tremendous efforts for someone's first live action film and I expect more good things to come from him down the line.

With that said, it's one thing to film the action, it's another thing to actually do it, which is exactly what Tom Cruise does again. The guy gets a lot of flack for his personal life, but there's no doubt that he still knows how to bring it when you put him on screen. Cruise, who reportedly did most of his own stunts for the film, is an adrenaline junkie who excels at making the impossible look possible. He thankfully did not have to carry the load all on his own, though, as he was surrounded here with a solid group of partners. Paula Patton, who plays Jane, does an excellent job of seamlessly blending physical action with sex appeal. She more than holds her own in a couple of fight scenes to validate her presence on the team and shows that she wasn't just cast solely because she's easy on the eyes. Simon Pegg is also back as techie, Benji. He offers some good comic relief that is played perfectly so as to never detract from the seriousness of the stroy. Lastly, Jeremy Renner, plays an analyst who unwittingly gets roped into the mission. At worst, his presence merely adds some gravitas to the cast, but he also could be positioning himself as the heir apparent once Cruise is done with this franchise.

The only real strike against the film is the lackluster villain and his plan to conquer the world. Hendriks (played by Michael Nyqvist) does not have enough screen time to establish himself as a character and his decision to start a nuclear war feels played out. This has often been an issue with these M:I films, however. Their appeal is more in the elaborate nature of stopping the villain, regardless of who it is or what they're trying to do.

In a year where so many films, particularly action films have fallen flat or failed to live up to expectations, it's refreshing to see this one raise the bar and offer viewers something truly special. While I did not have the luxury of seeing this movie in IMAX, everything I've read suggests that is the way to go. If I was left breathless watching these scenes on a regular screen, I can only imagine how heart-stopping they must be in that format. If you're looking to avoid the heavy dramas or prestige pictures that often dominate the cineplexes at this time of the year, this is the movie for you. Cruise and company have proven that it's not 'impossible' to still feel fresh four movies into a franchise. Grade: A-

2012 Movie Preview (#18 - 13)

18. Neighborhood Watch (July 27th)

Plot: "Neighborhood Watch" is a sci-fi comedy about a suburban "neighborhood watch" group that serves as a front for dads to get some male-bonding time away from their families. The group finds itself in over its head when it uncovers a plot to destroy the world.

Personal opinion: Five years ago, a film featuring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn would have likely been much higher on my list. But since that time, each of them have made some questionable choices in terms of their film roles, which make me somewhat cautious about getting excited about this one. That they are together in this movie helps, along with the fact that Jonah Hill and Will Forte are also part of the cast. I'm a bit suspicious of the sci-fi aspect of this film, but until I see a trailer your guess is as good as mine as to what to expect here.


17. ParaNorman (August 17th)

Plot: In "ParaNorman," a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he'll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst of all, moronic grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.

Personal opinion: For some reason, I got hooked on this film after its first trailer came out last month. It seems as if the people behind this film are trying to outdo Tim Burton in the whole 'creepy, but not too creepy stop-motion animated' genre. I think the idea behind this story is really solid and the world they've created looks very imaginative. The only thing I question is why they are choosing to release this in August instead of October. Having a spooky film like this released in the summer may cause it to get lost in the shuffle.


16. The Five Year Engagement (April 27th)

Plot: The director and writer/star of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" reteam for the irreverent comedy "The Five-Year Engagement." Beginning where most romantic comedies end, the new film from director Nicholas Stoller, producer Judd Apatow ("Knocked Up," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin") and Rodney Rothman (Get Him to the Greek) looks at what happens when an engaged couple, Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, keeps getting tripped up on the long walk down the aisle. The film was written by Segel and Stoller.

Personal opinion: We've already seen the trailer for this one as well and all signs indicate good stuff here. They had already set themselves up well by having Segal reteam with his Forgetting Sarah Marshall director and pairing him with the sexy and charming Emily Blunt on screen. Segal seems to pick his romantic comedies well having been successful with Marshall and I Love You Man and his streak appears as if it will continue on in 2012.


15. Lincoln (December)

Plot: Based on the best-selling book "Team of Rivals," by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. The screenplay has been written by the Pulitzer Prize winner, Tony Award winner, and Academy Award nominated writer Tony Kushner. The film will focus on the political collision of Lincoln and the powerful men of his cabinet on the road to abolition and the end of the Civil War.

Personal opinion: Half-way through and now we're really getting to the good stuff. If you've already seen the picture that came online a few weeks ago, you'll know what inspired casting it was to have Daniel Day-Lewis play Lincoln. Spielberg may be getting a lot of press right now for the two films he has in theaters, but this one is infinitely more appealing to me than those two combined. This one should be a history buff's dream come true.


14. Prometheus (June 8th)

Plot: Visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the genre he helped define, creating an original science fiction epic set in the most dangerous corners of the universe. The film takes a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey that will test their physical and mental limits and strand them on a distant world, where they will discover the answers to our most profound questions and to life's ultimate mystery.

Personal opinion: If you visited the blog earlier this week, you no doubt saw that I had posted a trailer for this new Ridley Scott film. As I alluded to in that post, the story is being kept tightly under wraps, but there are some indications that this may be a prequel to 1979's Alien. Having recently gained an appreciation for both the 1979 film and its sequel, I am really curious about this movie. Now even if it ends up having nothing to do with Alien, this still has a very good chance of being good given Scott's proclivity of delivering solid action films.


13. Argo (September 14th)

Plot: Based on true events, "Argo" chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis--the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA "exfiltration" specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.

Personal opinion: DirectingGone Baby Gone Ben Affleck raised some eyebrows. With The Town, he proved his first film was no fluke. Now he's behind the camera again with one of those so crazy it must be true stories. The more I read about this and think about what Affleck has done thus far as a director, the more excited I get for this film. I hate to rush to conclusions, but this could easily be a strong contender for some awards this time next year.

Out with the old...

Last year, I posted a video that encapsulated all of the films of 2010. Since we're once again getting to the end of the year, I thought I would do the same thing. I can't say I have the same fondness for this year's crop of films, but it's nice to see them again in a nice little package. Let the reminiscing begin.

2012 Movie Preview (#24 - 19)

24. Bernie (March)

Plot: Jack Black plays Bernie, the beloved mortician in a small Texas town. MacLaine is the town's richest, meanest widow, and even she adores him. No one will say a bad word about Bernie - even after he commits a very nasty crime.

Personal opinion: Not a whole lot to go on yet with this movie, but from the sparse details this sounds like it could be a unique comedy. I think what intrigues me the most is that this will mark the first time that Jack Black has teamed up with director Richard Linklater since they worked on School of Rock. It's been a while since Black has had a film that he's been funny in and that's been successful, perhaps this is the one that finally returns him to comedic prominence.


23. Total Recall (August 3rd)

Plot: The new story involves the nation states of Euromerica and New Shanghai, with Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) a factory worker in the latter who begins to believe he is a spy, although he doesn�t know for which side. Vilos Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston) the leader of Euromerica who, under the cover of protecting his people, is secretly readying an invasion of New Shanghai.

Personal opinion: I just saw the original 1990 film for the first time earlier this year, so I can't say I'm a longtime fan. However, I enjoyed the film more than I expected and I thought the film posed a lot of interesting ideas. Now that technology and visual effects have dramatically improved, I'm really curious if they can improve on the story. Colin Farrell isn't the best actor, but I have to believe he'll be an upgrade over Ah-nuld.


22. Butter (March 16th)

Plot: In small-town Iowa, an adopted girl discovers her talent for butter carving and finds herself pitted against an ambitious local woman in their town's annual contest.

Personal opinion: I'm always in the mood for quirky comedies and this one seems like it will fit the bill. With an odd subject matter and a whole host of funny people comprising the cast, including Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Olivia Wilde, Ty Burrell, Rob Corddry, and Kristen Schaal this seems like a movie I could really enjoy. I doubt it will do huge business at the box office, but I'm not really concerned about that. If it used the butter carving competition wisely and not as a gimmick, this could be really good.


21. The Raven (March 9th)

Plot: When a mother and daughter are found brutally murdered in 19th century Baltimore, Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) makes a startling discovery: the crime resembles a fictional murder described in gory detail in the local newspaper, part of a collection of stories penned by struggling writer and social pariah Edgar Allan Poe. But even as Poe is questioned by police, another grisly murder occurs, also inspired by a popular Poe story. Realizing a serial killer is on the loose using Poe's writings as the backdrop for his bloody rampage, Fields enlists the author's help in stopping the attacks. But when it appears someone close to Poe may become the murderer's next victim, the stakes become even higher and the inventor of the detective story calls on his own powers of deduction to try to solve the case before it's too late.

Personal opinion: Based on the trailer that was released already for this film, it seems as if they're trying to model this somewhat after the recent Sherlock Holmes movie. If they're successful at emulating that model and can create a decent mystery this has a chance at being a sleeper hit next spring. I like John Cusack and appreciate how he frequently takes unconventional roles and this one seems to be no different. I look forward to watching his interpretation of Poe and hope this movie is able to be more than campy schlock.


20. Brave (June 22nd)

Plot: Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida's actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Wise Woman (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it's too late.

Personal opinion: This year, Pixar proved it was fallable with Cars 2 being a misfire. They'll quickly get a chance to reclaim their glory with this film, though. On the plus side, they are doing an original story and the trailer shows that this should be another visual wonder. This film doesn't rank higher on my list however for two primary reasons: first, while I have no problem with the film having a female protagonist it just doesn't appeal to me personally and secondly, the Scottish environment and characters doesn't feel fresh after Dreamworks' How To Train Your Dragon. Pixar still has the best track record out there for a movie studio so if anyone can make this work, it's them.


19. Haywire (January 20th)

Plot: In "Haywire," an electrifying tale of espionage and betrayal, a female covert ops specialist (Carano), who works in the deadly world of international operatives, strikes back after discovering she's been double-crossed by someone close to her in the agency. The film is produced by Gregory Jacobs ("Ocean's" Trilogy) and written by Lem Dobbs ("The Limey").

Personal opinion: A film about a female spy who kicks a lot of ass isn't exactly original (see Salt, Columbiana). But when I saw the intense trailer for this, I began to think that this film may have some things going for it that will hopefully allow it to stand out amongst those others. First of all, this movie is being directed by Steven Soderbergh and he doesn't strike me as someone who does a film simply for a paycheck. Another plus is the cast. You've got guys like Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, Ewan McGregor, and Michael Fassbender in this to improve the film's credentials. The wild card though is Gina Carano. Having an MMA fighter with no real acting experience as the lead could be a problem. As long as they spend more time with her beating people up and not talking though, they should be fine.

Ridley's believe it or not

Here's the trailer for Ridley Scott's new film Prometheus, which may or may not be a prequel to Alien. I'll have more to say about this film later in the week in my 2012, but for now enjoy the teaser instead.