'Super Size Me' Delivers an Entertaining Life-Changing Experience

Spurlock Alerts Americans of Obesity At the Hands of Fast Food Chains

By AMIR ALI SAID

I’m all for films that spawn change in the world. Morgan Spurlock's documentary, Super Size Me, does just that. Spurlock is the director and star of the film. In 2003, he was inspired by a news story that aired on thanksgiving. There were two girls who were filing a lawsuit against McDonald's claiming the food chain was the reason for their obesity. Seeing the news story and wanting to conduct his own experiment, Spurlock set out on a 30 day trial.

Spurlock decided to eat three McDonald's meals every day (and nothing else,) for 30 days. He gave himself one other rule, he had to take the "super-size" option whenever it was offered and never take it when not offered. The end result? Spurlock put his health at risk, gained 25 pounds, suffered from liver dysfunction and depression by the end of his 30 day experiment. In fact, it took him fourteen months to get back to his original weight. On camera you see the way Spurlock suffers because of his new way of eating and the mood swings he goes through almost every day.

Spurlock’s style of documentary is solid all around. When you watch the film your engaged immediately. One thing I like is the beginning of the film. I think Spurlock does a good job of setting up his experiment. He gives you a look into the fast food industry. The way he utilizes statistics to get his point across is clever. When Spurlock first appears on screen you’ve got an understanding of what the bigger picture at hand is. Right around the time Spurlock dives into the documentary and puts himself at risk you have an enhanced understanding. In a nutshell, Spurlock develops a true story as if it were fiction.

The editing tandem of Stela Georieva and Julie Bob Lombardi is a force to be reckoned with. To this day it doesn’t seem like they’ve been credited together before. But the collaboration between the two was superb. I think the editing played a huge role in making Super Size Me a success. If you just take a look at when Spurlock incorporated the creepy McDonald’s portraits you’d see how editing played a role. Even the part of Super Size Me when Spurlock journeys through the country is another great example. I'm not sure I've seen many films that have relied heavily on editing.

The impact that Super Size Me had is pivotal. The impact the McDonald's food had on Spurlock is memorable. But one thing that Spurlock was able to help come about was the complete phasing out of the "Super Size" option worldwide. Through all the times Spurlock was offered the "Super Size" option it certainly played a role in his health dwindling. But if you were to make a closer examination you'd realize that regular McDonald's food alone made the biggest impact.

Super Size Me also had an impact on society. The large sector of Americans that saw this film benefited a great deal. Spurlock's film made tons of people aware of what they'd been doing to their bodies, and in some cases their children. This film wasn't a big slanderous documentary on a big corporation. Instead, Super Size Me was about an ordinary guy who put himself at risk in order to prove a point to himself and the world. For that and reasons I've already stated, I tip my hat off to Morgan Spurlock.

When you watch Super Size Me you’ll laugh, be in a state of awe, and depending on how tough you are, may cry. Watching Spurlock suffer is something I’ve never seen caught on film. The nature of the way the film came about gives Super Size Me it's on richness. Documentaries already have their own texture before an event is taped. What I look for in a documentary is information and a degree of entertainment to help move the film along. I think this film conquers that task effortlessly. For that reason, Super Size Me is a four star film on every day.

'Tron' Sequel Hits the Mark

'Tron: Legacy' Delivers A Thrilling Part Two

By AMIR ALI SAID

Tron: Legacy is the story of Sam Flynn's one night virtual adventure. After his father Kevin Flynn, a virtual world designer, mysteriously disappears Sam tries to deal with feeling abandoned. In search of his father, Sam visits his father's old arcade shop and he examines a game called 'Tron'. Soon, Sam finds out the game doesn't take quarters. Pretty Odd Right? As Sam’s intuition and curiosity kicks in he finds himself plugged into the very world his father created. While there, Sam finds his father. Once Sam realizes the horrid nature of what this world has become, he and his father embark on a life-and-death trip back to the real world.

If there were anything that you'll immediately take away from this film, it would be the graphics. Most of the film was shot in 3D. Director of Tron Legacy, Joseph Kosinski and his grew used dual camera 3D using Pace Fusion Rigs like the cameras used on Avatar. But instead of using Sony F590 cameras, Kosinski says they used F35s. In his words, Kosinski made the decision because the F35 cameras "had a full 35mm sensor which gives you that beautiful cinematic shallow depth of field." In addition to the filming, much credit should be given to visual effects company, Digital Domain, who was contracted to work on the effects and animation. The amazing collaboration between the two created a 3D masterpiece.

The editing in Tron: Legacy has to be just as important as the visual effects. All praise is do to editor, James Haygood. Once you take a step into the virtual world of Tron: Legacy you've just taken a flight to somewhere big. The editing in the film just makes everything much more smoother and up-tempo. Through the first forty minutes of the film, editing doesn't make much of a visual impact. But once the film picks up and you’re dropped off inside this world you can clearly see the role editing plays in this film. Visual effects and editing made the whole film come to life and flourish like no other.

You can’t go wrong with actor Jeff Bridges. Throw in a couple more actors around him and you've got a world full of solid acting. In every scene Bridges makes everyone around him better. Garrett Hedlund, the lead character, Sam, delivered a solid performance. Olivia Wilde did wonders in her supporting role as Kevin's apprentice. Perhaps my only concern in regards to acting in the film is the scene with Michael Sheen at "The End of the Line Club." I thought that scene seemed staged, unnatural, and awkward. Besides that, the acting was on point.

The only major problem I find in Tron: Legacy is the running time. The film clocks in at just over 2 hours. Now I think the film must have been much longer before Haygood and Kosinski settled on the final cut. But, two hours and five felt a bit long. Bits and pieces from the beginning, middle, and the end could've been crafted better. There were scenes that should have been cut, which would’ve made the film shorter. I think that also would’ve resulted in a smoother, less lethargic ride in bits of the beginning and end.

Tron: Legacy is an entertaining sequel to the original classic. I came into the film only for the entertainment and to see how the sequel would turn out. I left the film with more than what I looked for. I also left with a newfound respect for everyone involved with the project. From the story development, down to the props and wardrobe, I was taken aback in a big way. My hats off to Joseph Kosinski and his team. They were able to construct a solid film, one that was both entertaining and faithful to the original Tron. Nonetheless, Tron: Legacy is a solid 3, 3.5 star film that’s worth the watch.

Megan Fox Makes Huge Career Blunder

Comments In Interview About Michael Bay Will Haunt Former Transformers Star

By AMIR ALI SAID

Megan Fox has made a huge career blunder. She insulted Michael Bay. Fox said in an interview with Wonderland Magazine, "Bay wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he's a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he's not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he's so awkward, so hopelessly awkward." Bay is one of the modern masters of the summer blockbuster film. He also is linked to Steven Spielberg. Not enough could be said about Steven Spielberg’s influence. Essentially, Megan Fox killed two birds with one stone.

Fox is a rising star. The Transformers franchise made her career. She starred in the first film and the sequel. Both films made tons of money and showed promise for a three peat. Whatever crossed Fox’s mind about Michael Bay or anyone on set for that matter should’ve stayed in her mind. Her comments on Bay and the blown bridge between her and Spielberg may affect her career forever.

There’s no doubting the fact that Megan Fox is a nice look on screen. She’s pretty. Her acting is solid. She's proven what she can do in a leading and supporting role. Fox is one of the few young actresses that show promise in film for years to come. She has a lot of potential and I see a lot of film roles coming her way. Whether those are quality works or just a pay check have yet to be seen. Needless to say, Fox has a lot of control. But this bump in the road with Spielberg cannot be paved.

Latest Installment of 'Transformers' Hitting Box Office Head On

'Dark of the Moon' Succeeding During Long Weekend Release

By AMIR ALI SAID

The latest installment in the Transformers series is out. Dreamworks Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Michael Bay, and Shia LaBeouf are about to make tons of money. As of yesterday, Transformers: Dark of the Moon has already made $42.8 million domestically. That's on a Wednesday. Here are some highlights of yesterday, President Barack Obama delivered his first press conference in months. The Yankees won their fourth straight. The latest installment of Transformers made nearly as much as Green Latern did in an entire weekend. Here's why...

The Transformers franchise will likely make money in the hundreds of millions if it stretched out over 2 or 3 more installments. This franchise is a cash cow worldwide. The film's are shot well. The storyline's are efficient. And Tons of kids around the world want to see the film. Adults want to harness their inner child with Transformers. Plus, the film's are just flat out fun. The Transformer's films are an event. An event that many want to be apart of, it'll never fail. Even a few hiccups along the way haven't stopped the film's cashflow.

Megan Fox made a huge mistake. She insulted Michael Bay. Megan Fox said in an interview, "Bay wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he's a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he's not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he's so awkward, so hopelessly awkward." Of all directors and producers to never insult Michael Bay would be in the top 15. His overall pull, outlook on film, an brain cannot be duplicated. For one, Bay didn't even make it a point to have Fox fired. Instead, it was the work of his friend and Co-Producer Steven Spielberg that got her fired. That being said, production of the latest installment moved on without the rising star.

I'm looking forward to seeing Transformers: Dark Of the Moon. It looks better than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Plus, without Megan Fox I wonder how the film will turn out. Then I want to see if the film will live up to the hype or the posters. I remember seeing the first trailer and a poster and feeling like this was going to be the best Transformers yet. That'll be hard considering the fact that the first installment was really good. During this long weekend Transformers: Dark of the Moon will make a lot of money. Hopefully I'll get to see the film as well.

Sequels Battle For Top Spot At Box Office

'Hangover Part Two' Leads June 14th Weekend Worldwide

By AMIR ALI SAID

The box office war waged between The Hangover 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2 has gotten interesting. The second installment in the Hangover series has made $436 million so far. One of the film's opening week counterparts, Kung Fu Panda 2, has made $345.6 million. As both film's begins to wind down at the box office I think The Hangover 2 will probably win this battle.

Both of these films were expected to make tons of money. Coming off of spectacular finishes with their first installments, both films had high expectations. I wondered which film would make more. In an earlier post I came up with an answer The Hangover 2. I was taking a risk. There are more kids than their are adults. Kung Fu Panda 2 is solely a kids film. The Hangover 2 has a pull for kids from 13-40. That range of kids from 3-10 highly outweighs the latter. Therein lies the question, how does The Hangover 2 outgain Kung Fu Panda 2.

I think the reason why The Hangover 2 has done better than Kung Fu Panda 2 is because of the engine behind both films. The Hangover was great. The first installment made $467 million. The installment had a perfect set-up for a sequel that could go in any direction. Now that the film is out tons of people want to see what the new comedy can do. Plus, the trailer and posters are very intriguing and probably gets a laugh out of anyone who sees them. But with Kung Fu Panda 2 I don't get the same feel.

I saw Kung Fu Panda and I liked it. It was a quality animated feature with jokes here and there. There wasn't any over reaching or desperate attempts for laughs or claps. The film was interesting, there was something to the film that I liked. But Kung Fu Panda 2 seems like a desperate attempt to make money. The storyline doesn't seem to be as tight as the first. It seems like more slapstick comedy is involved. And I don't think it will be as good or even close to the first installment. Most kids won't care about storyline. But sub-consciously I believe kids don't think the film is as good as the first.

'Pirates of the Carribbean: On Stranger Tides' Hits Box Office Hard

Latest Installment Jumps Off To Great Start

By AMIR ALI SAID

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a hit worldwide. The latest installment in the series has $346,400,000 so far. The budget was only $150 million. The film has made huge profit only 5 days after it's release. If this is any sign of what's to come, we may see this installment reach a billion dollars worldwide. The previous installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End made $960 million worldwide. What's the secret to the franchises' success?

I'm not sure if there's a secret. The Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise is very engaging. I've gone to see every installment myself, except for the most recent. The film's aren't the best in the world. But they're good, funny, solid installments. Worldwide kids and adults flock to see the film and Jack Sparrow's (Johnny Depp) adventures. Pirates have long been an attractive theme in film and books. The franchise took to another level and made great casting decisions.

'The Omen' Edges Out 'Poltergeist' As Scariest Film

Devilish Child Worst than Terrorized Suburban Family

By AMIR ALI SAID

Between The Omen and Poltergeist there's a thin line between which is scarier. But after a day or two of debriefing from the terrifying films I must give the nod to The Omen. The reason why is because Poltergeist is much more of a spooky weird an unusual type of horror. But I certainly don't want you to underestimate the power of Poltergeist. At times, the film is equally scary with it's counterpart The Omen. But soley based on the level of scariness found in the films The Omen really leaves no room.

Usually, if managed properly, any story where there's a devilish child involved the film will be scary. The perfect case, and possibly the film at the forefront of that genre would be The Omen. The story is about an American ambassador who learns that his son is actually the seed of the Devil. Perhaps one of the spookiest elaborate tales of the background behind the whole film. The Omen shows a lot of things you wouldn't want to say. To say the least, your legs probably won't be stable throughout the whole film.

After doing a brief comparison I'm certainly excited to post reviews of both films. They are instant classics that should've been seen by now. They truly show what a good horror film feels and looks like. But what I'm really amazed about is the two angles that both films took. One had an incredible spooky, scary feel to it, and the other had more of a science fiction weird, spooky, and sometimes comedic feel to it. Both films are for different types of people. But can be accepted by all filmwatchers.

'Ratatouille'-Factor In Effect With 'Rango'

Animated Film With Serious Undertones Performs Well At Box Office

By AMIR ALI SAID

The newest mainstream animated film starring Johnny Depp, Rango has been doing well at the box office. Surprising, since the trailer didn't do much for me or anyone else I know. But after I looked at the story my mind was changed. The animated film, set in a western town where a stranded chameleon storms into town as a tough drifter named Rango. From that moment up this lost chameleon basically takes on another person's personality. But then he's offered the job of being sheriff of the time. That's when the story takes a leap, something I'm interested in seeing.

Rango seems like an interesting film. I think the idea of a western animated film is taking a chance. However, from what I've seen in the trailer the film seems clumsy. The story is there, but the execution looks poor. But the thing about that is tricky. Usually, when a story is solid, it'll drive the film no matter how poorly its directed, produced, or edited. But in this case, from what I got from the trailer, that's not the case. It looks like the film doesn't realize that it's not just a funny animated film for kids.

Rango was made on a $135 million budget. Amazing in it's own right. Since it's March 4th release, the film has made $117 million. Before the month is over the film is already on the track to success and a substantial profit. It took 11 days. That is really alarming, but in a good way. It goes to show how the mainstream animated market is still alive. But one glaring factor is that $135 million budget. The film should've made a profit a long time ago due to a smaller budget. Budget's generally shouldn't be big. Especially animated films. There's not much to manage besides maybe special effects. But there's something else about this film that I don't most people are talking about.

The situation that Rango is in is what I like to call the Ratatouille factor. A year or two ago when I saw Ratatouille I wanted to see a animated comedy. But instead what I got was a rather serious animated film. With Rango I think they'll have a lot of similarities. But Ratatouille was a good film and I just don't think Rango will be able to accomplish that. But I'm willing to give the film a shot since I want to see how it turns out at the box office.

'Toy Story 3' Challenges Original For Top Animated Film Spot

Emotional Roller Coaster Ends Well, Best "Franchise Finale" Film Yet?

By AMIR ALI SAID

The Toy Story franchise is one of my favorites. The first installment of the Toy Story series was great. That movie single-handedly shaped my interests in animated films. Every animated film that I saw had to stand up against Toy Story. But who knew that Toy Story 3 would come out and I would be forced to rethink my animated film bar? I saw Toy Story 3 and I was surprised by my reaction to the film. Here's how I felt about Toy Story 3.

Toy Story 3's storyline was incredibly good. This film gets four stars based on the storyline alone. Andy's preparing for college and he hasn't found a place for his toys yet. Woody and Buzz gather the gang together and try to instill optimism amongst all the toys. But a mistake soon gut all of the toys of any hope they still had in them. Woody and the toys wind up in a daycare where all seems to be swell, until Woody leaves because he wants to go home. Led by Buzz, the toys soon realize everything isn't as great as they thought. In fact, you'll never expect what happens next.

Editing has to be the second most important aspect and feature to Toy Story 3, if not tied for first. The editing in Toy Story 3 made the second half of the film extremely sinister. The editing was very effective and gave off the feel of many dire situations that were impossible to get out of. Then what happened? Editing was able to get the toys out of trouble. In an animated film like Toy Story 3 I didn't think editing would matter as much as it did. There was a huge impact on the film thanks to editing and I think that was important.

Another part of the film that I didn't expect to matter was lighting. I mean come on, an animated film is already lit a certain way to the point where lighting doesn't play a role in the film. But in Toy Story 3 once again I was surprised by how much it mattered. The lighting in the film made the whole feel of Toy Story 3 cold and eery. Lighting also played a role in showing the drastic differences between the toy life in Andy's room, as opposed to the life at the daycare. I thought that contrast really helped better the film.

One thing that I liked about the acting in Toy Story 3 was the character Lotso (Ned Beatty). Wow. Man was that strawberry scented hug bear beyond creepy and mean. I don't think there could've been a better voice for Lotso. If anybody else was chosen I don't think the character would've been as scary, but nice at the same time. I also thought that the Chatter Telephone (Teddy Newton) was a great character to the film that made the whole story better. The voice and actions that the Chatter Telephone committed truly impressed me on a whole nother level. Nonetheless, the new voices in Toy Story 3 added to the already great cast.

Toy Story 3 was a great film. Not only did it challenge the original Toy Story but I think that there's a tie at the top of the animation food chain. Toy Story 3 is a four star movie. This film ran through all of my expectations and had me on an emotional roller coaster. I think most people had that same reaction because this film was great. This is probably the first franchise that I've seen where the franchise is rapped up so incredibly well. Nonetheless, Toy Story 3 is a must-see, too many things went right in this film for it to be overlooked.

'Zombieland,' Horror Spoofs Done Right

Storyline, Acting and Cinematography Come Together For Solid Three Star Film

By Amir Ali Said

Since Zombieland was in the theaters last year, I wanted to see it. I had just seen Adventureland at home on the Starz channel and after the movie ended I noticed Zombieland was going to air in a couple of weeks. I decided that I'd commit that date to memory and watch it the night Zombieland premiered. To no avail. I even placed Zombieland in my instant queue and past it over numerous times. But Thursday morning, I was finally able to catch Zombieland on one of the Starz channels. Here's a breakdown of the film.

In a world full of zombies that have spread across America, four people find each other and try to survive. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) who's survived by following his thirty rules finds Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) in Columbus, Ohio. Once the two find each other they decide to head to Florida, on their way there they run into two girls, one who appears to be bitten by a zombie. However, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) aren't as helpless as they look. All in all, after a couple thefts here in there, the four realize they're all the family they've got in Zombieland.

The storyline in Zombieland is rather sad and hopeless, but the twist that this film is a comedy is funny in itself. Making fun of the whole situation is actually funny. I think if the film was a gory horror picture nothing in Zombieland would've worked. Plus, all of the actors would have to be scrapped. This film had a storyline that could only work with a lot of comedy and a hint of serious texture. I don't think anything should've been changed with the storyline, just a couple scenes could've been taken out and replaced by some more explanation of each character's background.

Editing was key in Zombieland. Not only was the film a comedy, it was also a horror film, and it had to portray such. I think Zombieland did a good job of showing this was a horror film through the editing and storyline. The editing in the film was rather quick during the zombie chasing scenes because, well, the zombies were chasing the characters. In every other scene, when the viewer was getting context on the characters, the editing was slow with a hint of hurried energy. The characters had some where to be, but they still had enough time to find out about each other, and I think that's where the editing was most effective.

Camera angles and lighting could make a case that they were just as effective as editing. Zombieland used a couple clever techniques that could only be executed by a few different camera angles. For example, whenever Columbus spoke of one of his rules, there would usually be an on screen rule that summarized everything he had to say. Most of the time he spoke of one of his rules their would be a wide shot that took up Columbus and the rule that appeared near his shoulder. I thought that was clever. Lighting was useful because most of the film was shot during the day, so I think a lot of natural light was used. The night scenes of course used lighting that was around the scene, like the very last scene.

Acting was on point. Jesse Eisenberg as Columbus was good casting. As a matter of fact, everybody was good casting from Eisenberg to the rising actresses, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin. Each one of these actors played their role and didn't try to outshine the next. Clearly, by storyline structure, Jesse Eisenberg was the star and everyone else were supporting roles. But everybody's energy meshed together to create a solid film that featured great acting, solid storyline, editing and cinematography.

After watching Zombieland I told Pop I thought the film was a solid two stars. Now, I think the film should get a boost, two and a half stars at least, because I think some aspects of the film make it three stars. Plus, I like all of the characters, and I also like the character names. Naming characters after their home city was a clever technique that worked. I think a lot can be learned from this film, especially the spoof genre. Nonetheless, with all of the aspects to the film I think it should be seen and studied.