Remember Stelios from 300? The guy who had the clutch line of fighting in the shade? Yeah, that was Mikey F. Here’s a reminder of how utterly awesome 300 was.

Now, fast forward to one of the other bigger guy movies of the last couple of years, Inglorious Basterds. Faasbender played the Churchill picked out English soldier Lt. Archie Hicox. Remember, the guy who signalled the number three the wrong way?

Still not convinced? He played young Magneto in X-Men First Class, he played Sgt. Burton ‘Pat’ Christensen in the classic, ‘Band of Brothers’, he played Lt. Harry Coleburn in A Bear Named Winnie…nevermind. This year he’s starring in the Ridley Scott Alien prequel, ‘Prometheus’, and after that? He stars alongside Brad Pitt in 12 Years a Slave, the story of a man living in New York during the mid-1800s is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the deep south. Aw damn, shit just got real. Even you’re convinced he’s going to win one now, and he should, he’s a damn good actor. Hell, he might even win this year!

There are two Snow White inspired movies this year, and the first, while having a top notch cast, isn’t expected to win the fight between the two. Mirror, Mirror, has Julie Roberts as the witch, and is joined by Armmie Hammer, Sean Bean, and is directed by Tarsem Singh. Lucky for them, it’s going to be released before the other Snow White movie (featured in a future post). Instead of finding PG laughs, opt in for another Channing Tatum movie, co-starring Jonah Hill, and both of them reliving your childhood, with 21 Jumpstreet.

If you’re into comedy, and like being let down, Will Ferrell is also out with a movie, Casa De Mi Padre, but I’m not going to recommend that because a naked Will Ferrell screaming at the top of his lungs isn’t funny anymore, even if it’s in Spanish, and stars Gael Garcia Bernal. Instead, watch a sequel for a movie that you probably didn’t watch to begin with. The trailer for ‘Wrath of the Titan’s', backed by a remix of Marilyn Manson’s ‘Sweet Dreams’, looks absolutely epic. Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and some bad ass special effects return to make this movie look pretty friggin’ cool.

If you’re wondering what series or franchise is going to replace the Harry Potter, Dark Knight, Bourne, LOTR, look no further than The Hunger Games. A book with a strong following, will likely compete with the ‘Girl with the…’ trilogy over the next few years. The series starts how many good ones do, not too many recognizable faces, a cheaper alternative to loading up with big name stars spread over franchise.

Who else is featured? Swedish House Mafia, Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, M83, Frank Ocean, Neon Indian, Sheepdogs, Bon Iver, The Shins, David Guetta, Noel Gallagher, Feist, St. Vincent, Kasabian, AWOL Nation, Buzzcocks, Kaiser Chiefs, Tuneyards, Grace Potter, The Vaccines, Florence and the Machine, AVICII, Beirut, The Weeknd,  Calvin Harris, and Dragonette, and a whole bunch more.

Any typical festival would have Noel Gallagher, David Guetta, or even Bon Iver headlining, Coachella has those acts in support, evidence of it’s epic muscial credibility. Tickets left start st $285, but there are tickets available of the VIP variety at $600+ . Since the lineup was announced, the Coachella site has been down, due to massive levels of traffic.

Imagine going from 10 Cent Pistol to Paranoid Android to shutting it down with a little  Gin and Juice. Pretty eclectic.

February

We start with a scary movie, because, don’t we all love scary movies? February has three big horror movies dropping in theatres, The Innkeepers, Chronicle and The Woman in Black. The Innkeepers doesn’t really have any household names for actors, and tells the age old story (aren’t they all) about a haunted inn. Chronicle is about a group of kids who all of a sudden get special powers, and while not such a horror movie in the traditional sense, definitely has tinges of the unknown and suspenseful thrills. The Woman in Black is Daniel Radcliffe’s first big movie after the Harry Potter, and I’m thinking Hoggwart’s favourite son went with the right movie, especially with James Watkings behind the camera. Check out the Bram Stoker’esque trailer below for The Woman in Black

February, of course, is known for the romantics and suckers that fall for the commercialism of February 14, so, RomCom’s are going to be on the forefront in second month of the year. Now, Madonna is even in the mix, with a movie that she directed, titled WE, telling the story of the King of England that abdicated his throne for a divorced American woman. The story is a classic, and has so many layers to it, it’s a shame that Madge’s movie doesn’t look like it hit the target. There’s a romcom starring The Offices, John Krasinski, and Drew Barrymore, and a bunch of whales. It seems more like a made for TV movie, than a movie that belongs on the big screen. There’s also ‘This Means War’, starring Reese Witherspoon, and two guys who’ll play big in summer blockbusters, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy. It’s a Spy vs. Spy, who gets the girl kind of flick, but a RomCom can never really be an action flick, every guy knows that, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to keep you the whole way. The Vow is the movie that you’re going to get dragged to. It stars Channing Tatum, and Rachel McAdams, the couple your girlfriend wishes you guys were. The story is kind of a serious ’50 First Dates’. Check out the trailer, and just give in.

Wanderlust stars Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston as a busy working couple that all of a sudden find themselves unemployed, and end up at a commune. It’s got a solid cast, and is said to have Jennifer Aniston’s first shot at nudity in film. That’s right, so, why am I still typing? Why do I need to tell you anything else? Rachel gets naked in it. Seriously. Watch the trailer. Then count the days.

Other highlights and lowlights in the month of February include, another Ghost Rider, a Tyler Perry vehicle (Good Deeds), and another cash grab by George Lucas, Star Wars Episode I (in 3D)

If you’ve come here, and there’s no clip, it’s likely because it’s been pulled from YouTube for any variety of violations.

What if you had the option of paying a small, nominal fee for a great piece of work by your favorite artist, through a system that rewards the artist as purely as possible? Keep in mind, the option to illegally download it for free is still available. Which would you choose?

Louis CK has made a high quality, theatre worthy production from three nights of performances at the Beacon Theatre. He’s built a site that is easy to navigate, reliable, with the ability to purchase the digital file. You can also download a DVD cover, and a disc label from the site. The sale covers the cost of the filming,editing, and production of the movie, and the rest of course is profit directly into Louis CK’s pockets. Now, there’s no sponsorship, or major cable network, so this isn’t, Magnum Condoms presents “Louis CK Live at the Beacon” on HBO. It also won’t cost you $20 at Wal-Mart, Louis CK has set the price at $5. This is an artist who is trying something different for the benefit of his craft and his audience. You should feel privileged for the opportunity to buy this, not just because you don’t live in North Korea, and all that flying eagle, and freedom bullshit, but, because, a world class comic is inviting you to change the process. Fuck iTunes, that ain’t the most artist friendly concept either. Many would argue that Louis CK is one of the top 3 comics in the world today, and the Beacon ‘experiment’ features all new material. Dane Cook at a frat house this is not, this is actually funny, and Louis CK could’ve filmed a comedy special and made a boatload of cash, but, both he and us, the audience, would’ve had to jump through some hoops.

I’m sure there’s guys out there who are saying why should I help Louis CK make a ton of money? They’re the same guys that want a prize for showing up to work on time, they also don’t get that initiatives like this make the ‘game’ easier to play, and puts the power right back where it belongs, the artist and their audience.

If you buy one movie this year, make it Louis CK Live at the Beacon Theatre.
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