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One Little, Two Brave or Three ‘Stewart’ Minions, A Review

The world of Earth is still without heroes in Minions.

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

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The world of Earth is still without heroes in Minions. Just where they are to defeat the bad guys does not need to be asked, and nor are they required when these funny yellow critters (all of them voiced by Pierre Coffin) finally get their own movie. After tiny appearances of their hijinks in the Despicable Me movies, the producers from Illumination Entertainment thankfully took five years to get a product out to feature them as bumbling heroes whereas DreamWork’s The Penguins of Madagascar, their rivals, took ten.

These cute little yellow, capsule shaped, creatures are on a quest to serve the most vile villain they can find. The only problem they have is their ineptitude to help them rise to power. Just what happens to these ruthless tyrants under their Igor like care is hilarious and the voice-over narrative Geoffrey Rush provides is touching. Sadly, the best moments are given away in the trailers.

In the history lesson that’s provided, it’s merely a sampling of the rulers they met over the millennia. To see how these Minions served other past dictators like Caligula, Genghis Kahn, Blackbeard or Stalin would have added more flavour instead of reiterating what the teasers have shown. At least one ruler is missed: in the Middle Ages, perhaps King Edward I of England got the brutal end of a blade and that was not included in the film. This exclusive moment in the trailer suggests a longer cut was animated but in what’s pared down for the film, nothing new is added.

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Meet Genisys not Skynet, in Terminator 5

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Terminator_Genisys SPOILER ALERT

You can’t fight fate in the Terminator films and nor can you change it. No matter how hard the heroes try the outcome will more or less be the same. In the latest outing, Terminator Genisys is out to redefine the world and nag this modern society about the dangers of continuously being connected to the Internet. I like these points being made. They serve to remind viewers about how reliant humanity has become with cell phones, tablets, smart homes and social media. There’s a time where technology should be put away. If there is supposed to be an underlying message in this film, it’s not being hammered home.

Instead, this movie gets timey wimey in its attempt to satisfy longtime fans like me (I even enjoyed Dark Horse Comics treatment of the franchise) and create new ones. The first act pays homage to the past Terminator films and does a great job at it. In the world of the future, where the resistance is set to make its final stand and raid Skynet’s center of operations, the terrible terminator twosome that gets introduced is with establishing the protagonists: John Connor (Jason Clarke) is the leader of the resistance and he just happens to know everything that has yet to come. Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) is the clueless grunt who does not realize he has a greater destiny. He volunteers to go back in time to save Connor’s mom, Sarah (Emilia Clarke). They meet and no sparks fly between them at all, especially when there’s a T-800 that’s taken over being Sarah’s father. That’s all well and dandy, but little do they know is that a paradox is made because in this movie, everybody lives.

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How to Push Ahead in Life with Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, A Movie Review

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Me and Earl

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a clever film that looks at the life for an awkward teen, Greg Gaines (Thomas Mann) who needs to look outside of the box more than ever. Instead of making parodies of internationally well-known avant-garde films with his friend Earl (Ronald Cyler II), his talents gets a different push into looking into what kind of man he can become. This movie is a coming of age tale for Greg. He learns how to fit in instead of trying to become invisible to the world that’s around him.

He forsakes his high school life during lunch time. Most of the time is spent in the office of his high school history teacher where he can remain isolated. Along with Earl, they just do not know where to belong in this macrocosm of social space. While the instructor tries to impart some wisdom, it’s largely ignored.

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Ed on by for Seattle’s Cinerama Experience

10548066_10205688374821130_5286970000640909208_o The Cinerama is a very special movie theatre located in Seattle, Washington that brings back all that’s enjoyable about watching films on the big screen. It’s been raved about by a few friends who have been there more than I. To learn about its history is one thing, but to know what it’s become is another. When the operation started up in 1963, just after the Century 21 Exposition, it had its share of problems when interest in getting a proper movie-going experience went on a decline in decades that followed. Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, loved coming to this theatre and rescued it in the late 90’s.

Stepping into this building’s interior was like a walk back through time. I was greeted with friendly smiles and helpful assistance from the staff. The next thing that caught my eye were the displays of authentic movie and television costumes in the foyer. The concession looked like a massive stand that offered a bit of everything. I was reminded of how The Vic Theatre back home displayed their food items and when considering the age of that home-based theatre to this one, I would not be surprised if they were built in the same decade.

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Mass Marketing Minion-Mania is with Kinder Surprise!

despicable_me_2_minions-wide By Ed Sum (The Minion Addict)

Unless you have been living under a rock or cave, the Minions are invading the planet! That is, from grocery to big box stores, there are more than toy products. While I was out shopping this past month, I saw General Mills Minions cereal, licensed boxers from Despicable Me 2 and Chinese knock-offs at the gift shop in Chinatown. These adorable yellow puff n’ stuffs might also be set to invade the television screen too. Well, if a series is in development, Illumination Entertainment is not telling but I will not be surprised. These single-celled organisms have one simple goal: serve someone evil and show they are not inept. There’s no better strategy than to appear anywhere so they tell everyone they are willing to help!

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The Seventh Dwarf comes to America through Shout! Factory Kids

SeventhDwarf By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Shout! Factory Kids will be bringing the German-made computer animated film, The Seventh Dwarf to North America in a limited theatrical run starting July 31st (in New York City and Los Angeles) and in a video release come August 18th, 2015.

This third instalment follows after the successful live-action versions 7 Dwarves – Men Alone in the Wood (2004) and 7 Dwarves: The Wood Is Not Enough (2006), and it brings the talents of Actress Peyton List (Disney’s Jessie) as Princess Rose, comedian Norm MacDonald (Saturday Night Live) as Burner and the Godmother of Punk Nina Hagen as Dellamorta. Fans of Hagen’s work will know that she played The Evil Queen in the previous two films.

Just like in previous installments, the fairy tale world of Snow White, the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella and Red Riding Hood are combined much like in Disney’s Into the Woods. In this latest story, Princess Rose is capable of saving the kingdom from the Evil Dellamorta’s curse if she avoids being pricked before her 18th birthday. However, the bumbling Bubi, the seventh dwarf, messes the celebration up. Both he and his companions has to go on a quest to find Rose’s prince charming to save a kingdom. Sometimes it’s not easy for diminutive people to be king too…

Meet the Characters in these Official Clips: