The Bang Bang Club

I got my new issue of Outside Magazine in the mail today and the cover features Taylor Kitsch of Friday Night Lights and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The article was about him fly fishing in Texas, but what really caught my attention in the article is the part about one of his up coming movies about The Bang Bang Club.

Now unless you know photojournalism, chances are you've never heard of the Bang Bang Club. And the same chances are even less that you will have heard of Kevin Carter. Kitsch will be playing Carter in the movie.

Carter is best known for his Pulitzer Prize winning photograph I've posted above. The photo features a small Sudanese toddler on the ground. She is suffering from famine and a vulture is standing watch behind.

I have a feeling that this movie will be released in very select theaters. Much like one of my favorite movies (and best movies of all time) Into The Wild.

Despite the small-scale theater release, Into The Wild, and the story of Christopher McCandless, has drawn praise and awards worldwide.

I believe that, even before seeing it, Steven Silver will do the same with The Bang Bang Club.

Here's the synopsis of the film:

The Bang Bang Club was the name given to four young photographers; Greg Marinovich (Ryan Phillippe), Kevin Carter (Taylor Kitsch), Ken Oosterbroek and Joao Silva, whose photographs captured the final bloody days of white rule in South Africa. Two were awarded Pulitzer Prizes for their acclaimed work.

The film tells the remarkable and sometimes harrowing story of these young men - and the extraordinary extremes they went to in order to capture their pictures. Anna (Malin Akerman) is their photo-editor, who looked out for them, protected them and made sure their photographs were seen across the world.

Based on the book by Marinovich and Silva, The Bang Bang Club tells the true story of these four young men, recounting their relationships with each other and the stresses, tensions and moral dilemmas of working in situations of extreme violence, pain and suffering.

The story of these four photojournalists is heart-wrenching and is sure to make an incredible journey across the big screen. The film is set to be released sometime in 2010.

JustSON at the Movies: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Before I start this review I must say, I love superhero movies. I have seen them all (well, all except for the latest Hulk. But I'm going to borrow that on DVD).

That said, this movie was awesome! I wasn't the biggest fan of the last two X-Men movies. I liked the first one, and I mean, X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand weren't awful movies, but in my opinion they weren't the best superhero movies I'd ever seen.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine salvaged this franchise. Now I know that many reviewers complained about storyline and such. One review I read said the storyline was like driving with your grandma. Hit the gas really fast, ease off it, hit the gas, slam on the breaks, hit the gas, and you get the point.

I didn't notice this. I thought the storyline flowed great and Hugh Jackman is a badass. In case you didn't know, Jackman plays the main character Logan a.k.a. Wolverine. His acting, mixed with that of Liev Schreiber who plays Victor Creed a.k.a. Sabertooth was awesome.

Seeing the backstory on one of the most famous X-Men of all-time was a great idea by studio producers, but the way they really shine was by adding fan-favorite Gambit into the mix. In the comics Gambit was the kickass darkhorse of the X-Men. The movie doesn't change that. I only wish he would have been featured even more.

Gambit is played by Taylor Kitsch. The fans of Friday Night Lights know him as Tim Riggins of the Dillion Panthers. I was already a fan of Kitsch's, but I think he did a great job in this role. He even got the Gambit accent down pretty darn good.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine introduces a new light on an already known story. It includes settings and characters that were seen in the first three movies, but in greater length.

As for graphics as much as they rocked at some scenes, they stunk at others. The graphics on some of Wolverine's claw scenes looked fake. Particularly one scene where he is looking into the mirror.

Overall I'd give this movie an 8/10.

Here's the count: Some amazing graphics, some not so amazing graphics, Gambit, an awesome fight scene at a power plant, lots and lots and lots of explosions, Ryan Reynolds with ninja swords, an awesome appearance by The Blob who looks like King Hippo from Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, Will i Am in a cowboy hat, and Charlie from LOST. No wait, Meriadoc from the Lord of the Rings. No wait, it was Dominic Monaghan as a mutant. Oops. Silly me. But if he would have had these powers, the travels of Frodo and Sam would have been a whole lot easier.

Oh, and don't be like everyone else in the theater and leave the movie before the credits are over. At the end there is a scene. Just thought I'd give you a heads up.

Predator X was a real sea monster

Growing up I loved dinosaurs. I thought it was fascinating learning all about them. Huge giants that used to roam the same land and seas that humans do now.

The most feared of these was the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Until recently. Enter Predator X.

Now you fellow comic book nerds out there may be saying, "Casey, Predator X was in Marvel comics. Predator X was created by scientists. It was designed to hunt and kill mutants and was a perfect example of extreme genetic engineering."

Well folks, Predator X was real. And he was pretty darn scary.

Predator X remains was discovered last year in the Arctic. The area that it was discovered is so close to the North Pole that scientists are only able to excavate up there for three to four weeks a year.

The fossil remains of this sea reptile were excavated from the permafrost of Svalbard, a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean. Dubbed “Predator X”, the creature was at least 50 feet long and weighed at least 45 tons. It is now believed that the animal was not a dinosaur but a pliosaur, a large, short-necked reptile that lived 147 million years ago.

While it is not the largest sea creature ever found - that would be the 75ft ichthyosaur - Predator X was extremely deadly. It had a ten-foot jaw with a bite force of 33,000 lbs per square inch. To put that into perspective, the Tyrannosaurus Rex 3,000 lbs per square inch. It could have crushed a Hummer!

And if Predator X's bite wasn't a enough to put nightmares in your head at night, it had also evolved to not just swim through the water, but blaze through it.

Predator X also had two hind-fins, which scientists were confused by, as only the front set are necessary for swimming. However, it was deduced that these back fins gave the creature an extra boost of speed when it went in for the kill.

The shape and the size of the brain most closely resembles today’s most perfect predator: the great white shark.

Talk about a lethal creature.

X-men Origins: Wolverine

I love superhero movies. I'll admit it.

Everything about them. From the most defiant villains, to the terrible sidekick, to the bad outfits, to the superpowers. Yep, I love 'em.

I watch them all the time too. I don't pay for many movies. But a superhero movie, I'm first in line. Often donning a cap and tights.

Well, it's that time of year again. Time for me to get giddy.

And no, not just for Christmas.

The trailer for X-men Origins: Wolverine was released. And man, does it ever look awesome. (if you're into superhero movies)

Hugh Jackman (fresh back from Australia) is back as Wolverine. The movie takes place before the first three X-men movies.

It looks great. But don't take my word for it, view it for yourself.



The cast looks pretty good too. View it here at IMDB.

Oh, and Gambit is in it! Sweet deal!