192 – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

The success of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes was something of a surprise. It was a prequel to an antiquated franchise that had spectacularly failed to be rebooted ten years earlier. Against all odds, the movie went on earn critical praise. And a lot of money. Rise has a solid emotional arc built on a great physical performance from Andy Serkis as Caesar, the first of the thinking apes that are destined to rule. In the wake of such a well-received film, a sequel was a forgone conclusion. Now, three years later, the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has arrived.

119 – Star Wars: Episode VII Cast Announcement

getting the band back together, for the first time

The Star Wars train is coming into the station, whether you want it to or not. I personally couldn’t care less, as the entire brand has been in shambles for years. There’s no where to go but up at this point. I’ll see the movie regardless, so the most frustrating part of this process has been the slow trickle of information from the Disney-Lucasfilm mega corporation. All of the secrecy involved in the pre-production phase seems unnecessary, but a crack in the armor of the leviathan has finally been exposed, in the form of a confirmed cast for the yet-un-subtitled Episode VII.