Hi there. This is your Movie Maniac saying that we’ve done it again. Doug, Mr. Jeremy and I picked the movies that are just begging for someone to step up and redo them. In fact, for most of the movies, we are begging the studios to remake them. I’m telling you, we dug deep. We looked at miscasting, recasting and even rethinking to come up with those movies that are badly in need of a new iteration. Just like Howard Beale (Peter Finch) from Network, “I’m mad as Hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.” Make the movies right the first time or you must remake them. We are the ones that pay for the tickets and buy the snacks AND THIS IS OUR TIME! Oops, sorry everyone I got carried away.

Seriously my friends listen in and find out what films are ripe for a remake. Even more important…you need to come with your own remakes and show us up. We can take it. Send your own picks to moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 you can also post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

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The world is at the brink of war and there seems no way to stop it. Apes and humans have proven in movie after movie that they just cannot get along. Since 1968 when George Taylor (Charlton Heston) met Cornelius (Roddy McDowell) and Zira (Kim Hunter) in the original Planet of the Apes, we’ve all known that this is so. So how could we be surprised that in 2014 a movie would come out that shows not only how the war began but that apes and humans are mortal enemies. The Newest iteration in the franchise, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, is no exception. Apes have developed a peaceful community where Chimpanzees, Gorillas and Orangutans can live in peace. That is, naturally, until humans come too close. Humans just seem unable to leave well enough alone. It is true though, that the apes carried the virus that decimated humanity over the entire planet. So it is no wonder that the species are not on good terms. In Dawn, humanity is stuck for power. The batteries, fuel and generators are running out and breaking down. There is a solution: send people to an old damn near the city and start the turbines. Water power should solve the problem. Unfortunately the apes are already there. In a surprise meeting a scared human shoots an ape and nearly starts a war. Malcolm (Jason Clarke), desperate for electricity to power San Franscisco again, and believing that the apes may be reasoned with, risks his life approaching their leader, Caesar (Andy Serkis). Caesar, of course, is not so easy to approach. He rightly distrusts humans but see some of his “father,” Will Rodman (James Franco), the human that raised and taught him. Koba (Toby Kebbell) has different plans. He hates the humans and destroys any chance for peace between the species. You’ll have to watch this excellent film to see how. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a wonderful re-imagining of the franchise and a great follow up to Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Dawn is packed with great performances, terrific action sequences and phenomenal CGI. Andy Serkis is brilliant in Dawn. I thought no one could ever top the great Roddy McDowell as Caesar but Serkis manages it. His performance as Caesar is nothing less than awe-inspiring. His face conveys even the most subtle emotions and forces it home with a great vocal performance. McDowell was hampered by the makeup of course but still… Serkis rises to near Oscar level. Toby Kebbell’s powerful performance was even more surprising. As the deservedly hate driven Koba he was utterly amazing. Passionate vitriol oozed from every pore. His face was grim, his voice bitter and captivating and his body language thrilling.   both from body language, eeast even more. He was great in  with a passionate hate-filled performance that chilled me to the bone. I cannot wait to see him in Warcraft and The Fantastic Four. The human characters were less impressive. Jason Clarke was fine as the protagonist, Malcolm, but he is no Charlton Heston or even James Franciscus. Both are in the original franchise and brought much more to their perspective roles. He just does not have the screen presence or gravitas. Keri Russell, as Malcolm’s wife Ellie, had more presence but suffered from too small a part and too little screen time. Pay attention to Maurice (Karin Konaval) when you see Dawn, and you should, because he is a wonderful character and we should see lots more of him. I’m puzzled though about the inclusion of the veteran character actor Gary Oldman. He’s one of the greats but was an afterthought in this movie. It feels like someone one said, “Hmm, who could we add to make the movie a bigger draw without giving him much of a part. Let’s do Oldman!” At least I’m sure he got a nice paycheck, but he should have been the human lead. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is really good but it is unbalanced. The ape characters are too good for the humans not to be. Maybe with Oldman in the lead and an a really good human villain Dawn moves from a 4 out of 5 stars, to an easy 5. I think you should definitely see the film in the theater but 3D is optional. Final Warning: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has all the beef of the originals, but none of the cheese!

Join Doug, Jeremy and the Maniac as they take a microscope to one of their recent favorites: X-Men: Days of Future Past. They’ll also tell you, definitively, whether you need to see it in 3D or IMAX, what deep and dark secrets the film holds and jeez, they may even tell you whether X-Men: Days of Future Past is any good. BE AWARE…this one is all about the spoilers. If you haven’t see the film you may want to hold off. You cannot miss this one, it’s one of their best!
And remember, you can always email your reviews to moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call them in to 260-573-0015. You can even post them on Twitter or Facebook

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Join Doug, Jeremy and the Movie Maniac Craig in discussing The Hobbit:The Desolation of Smaug, the new trailers for X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Edge of Tomorrow and many more! Also what we’re watching. This is a great episode done in true Movie Madness Podcast fashion, no holds barred and no stone left unturned. Find out who likes The Hobbit, what trailers bode well for the future and what you need to be watching on Netflix, Amazon Prime and even some hints on what to watch on TV. This should be a great one! You can watch all the trailers we discuss at our Facebook Page Let us know what you thought about The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and of the trailers we discussed by emailing us moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail number 260-573-0015 you can also post on our Facebook page or Twitter

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Join Craig and Doug for a quick look at Delivery Man, Vince Vaughn’s newest, and Catching Fire, the latest in the Hunger Games Epic! Find out what we think of Vaughn’s attempt to turn a movie about a lovable loser with 533 children into a classic and whether Jennifer Lawrence will catch fire once again. Listen in while we do a brief but brilliant look at both, or better yet, send us your reviews first at moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail number, 260-573-0015, and then tune in. You can also post them on our  Facebook page.

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Hold on to your sanity while the Movie Madness crew deconstructs Thor: The Dark World, including even the most serious spoilers. Doug, Craig and Jeremy take a hard look at Marvel Comic’s newest movie and reveal everything!  Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman and Stellan Skarsgard are back in the new Thor and we are excited. Find out what we think about the performances, the action and the CGI in one of the most fun episodes we’ve done. Join us as we talk about the film and then email us at moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com with your comments. You can also voice mail us at 260-573-0015. See you soon!

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All powerful gods, beautiful heroines and evil dark elves, does it get any better…I think not! Join me, Doug and Jeremy as we break down one of the most entertaining movies of the year, Thor: The Dark World. Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman and Stellan Skarsgard are back in the latest and one of the greatest of the Marvel masterpieces. Find out where it ranks when we we tell ya what we think. Please also email us at moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com and let us know your rating. You can also voice mail us at 260-573-0015. This is your Movie Maniac saying, see ya at the theater!

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Rush is a pulse pounding thrill fest, determined to keep you both glued to your seat and wanting to get to the nearest race car. Ron Howard’s latest masterpiece is the riveting story of Formula 1’s most incredible competition: Nicki Lauda versus James Hunt, the consummate technician against the pure race car driver.

Niki Lauda showed up in the 1970s like a whirlwind, redesigning cars and changing the face of Formula 1. James Hunt showed up shortly thereafter with a style and charisma that charmed not only the public but the drivers. Their rivalry is the stuff of legends and the source for Howard’s best film in years.

The film traces the parallel careers and nearly opposite personalities like a supercharged McLaren Formula 1 running a fast track. What Howard does brilliantly is take those two personalities and make them real and approachable. I felt by the end of the film I not only knew Lauda and Hunt but really liked them.

The movie stars Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda, Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt and Olivia Wilde as Hunt’s wife. Brühl’s performance is exceptional, Hemsworth’s up to his usual high standard, but Wilde, in her short time on the screen, was great. Most important, the characters manage to recreate not only the seventies look but the feel.

What amazes me most about Rush is, seemingly, without the use of massive amounts of CGI trickery I felt fully engaged. There is a gritty 1970s feel to the film and, more importantly, each race. The movie is not only raw, but intense and exciting. Rush is a brilliant film, with great presentation and great performances…one of the best of the year!

Hey guys and gals, we need your input. We are busily researching the top movies to decide which one we just have to see, but we need your help. Please send us your picks, and maybe some of your pans for the new year.We really want this to be a great episode and you guys should be a part of it! Send your picks to www.moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call us at 260-573-0015.

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The Avengers is finally here! Based on the 1960’s comic book, The Avengers movie is a brilliant tribute not only to the comic, but also the writers and the fans. Director Joss Whedon’s vision is a fantastic blend of action, dialogue, chemistry and just plain fun! Joss Whedon gets it; the most important element in comic book movies is great characters and The Avengers is packed with ‘em. Not only that, but the characters are already developed leaving Whedon room to play, and he does.

The world is, once again, in deadly danger and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) the director of Shield, the world’s chief investigative unit, thinks he has the answer: the “Avengers Intitiative.” Fury is nearly fanatical about the Initiative and thank god he is. Loki has come to the Earth and he wants revenge. Only The Avengers:  Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Captain America (Chris Evans) are powerful enough to face, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the god of mischief.

Loki has been drifting through the cosmos collecting friends, not the fuzzy nice kind, but the kind that want to rule the universe. He’s not greedy though, he just wants the Earth. That’s where the Avengers step in and Loki’s is stymied, at least till he creates a passageway for his massive army. Then it’s on, the classic battle between the space monsters and the heroes. You have to go to the theater to find out.

Whedon’s vision for The Avengers is even better than I imagined. His development and blending of personalities, especially between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, is amazing. The humanity of each hero, even Thor, is shown in its gooey Marvel Comics goodness. It was like watching the first twenty Avenger’s comics come to life. Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and Captain America are at each other’s throats, just like in the books, (except when they fight evil then it’s “Hulk” smash). These are the most powerful heroes on Earth and Whedon never lets the audience (or Loki) forget it.

The acting is superlative, the plot simple but elegant and the story elements brilliant. Even more important, the casting of The Avengers could barely have been better. Even Scarlett Johansson, as the Black Widow, seems to fit beautifully, though Jeremy Renner was a distraction. Renner’s Hawkeye really didn’t sell.

The Avengers is easily one of the best comic book movies ever and I heartily recommend it. It’s now one of my top five and rate it a solid:

4.5 out of 5.