Live Blog: National Treasure (2004) featuring Matt Robinson

What's a Live Blog? Well, I decided to try something different and do a "live blog" entry. Basically, the idea is that I watch a movie and make comments during it and post them up here. (Think Live Tweeting)

This live blog entry was done with my good friend Matt Robinson who runs the blog: Red Flag Movie Productions. As he describes himself on his page "Writer, Filmmaker, Stand- Up Comedian. Lover of: films, comics, the 90's, women, travel, books and good food." He's one of my best friends and we have some of the best conversations not to mention he's hilarious. Here is a link to Matt's Blog: Red Flag Movie Productions make sure you check out his page, it's wonderful, nerdy and awesome.

So basically Matt and I recorded our complete audio commentary for the film and I was hoping to post it on here for your additional listening pleasure but was having trouble putting the file on my computer. :( Next time though, there will be a complete audio file for those willing to listen to our comments while you watch the movie yourself. Or... if you want to pay Matt and I a decent sum of money we will talk through a movie for you in person.... as long as you aren't creepy about it.

Ah the best line in movie history

Matt and I live blogged "National Treasure" because it truly is a national treasure of a movie. We carefully chose this film by constantly flipping a coin until we dwindled it down to a reasonable amount of movies to choose from. (Runners up included Frozen, Fantastic Four and Tomb Raider).

*J is me, Jenn and M stands for Matt

National Treasure

J: National Treasure

M: I actually haven’t seen this in a good amount of years

J: What year is this movie?

M: I remember watching this on VHS in high school… or maybe it was on DVD at this point. We didn’t have a dvd player at my house for a long time. We didn’t have cable until I was 17, my parents really wanted to remind us that we were working class.

J: Do you still have your VHS movies?

M: Of course, do you?

J: No, I’ve moved too many times…

M: 2004!

J: Wow 10 years, happy 10-year anniversary

M: This came out Nov. 19 2004. Almost 10 years to the day

Stable Boy: It's Jason Earles from Hannah Montana!

J: What if you were that stable boy who had to wake up in the middle of the night and drive someone in the rain to the white house?

M: You could’ve died of pneumonia

J: Right, there was not advanced medicine

In a deserted ice plain

J: Maybe they’re standing over Captain America

M: What a twist! I think we found something!

J: Still Disney

M: They could George Lucas all their old movies

"I've found something!"

M: It might be a treasure or a frozen hand… or The Mummy

M: Way to go Justin Bartha the henchman is smarter than you, why are you even on this team?

J: Most of this movie consists of them trying to escape from Sean Bean’s traps

M: Stock Footage!

National Archives Building, Also stock footage

J: Why don’t they just do a close up of the title of the building instead of having a title card?

M: I guess in movies they want to have a consistency. The pamphlet in the next scene actually says “National Archives Anniversary Gala”

J: Oh I wonder where they are!

Diane Kruger in her office, notice birth control diaphragm

J: Wow that one girl has really high eyebrows!

M: That’s what the cast department said they needed… look there’s Diane Kruger!

J: She’s talking on the phone she must be important

M: She’s wearing a suit

J: She gave him the finger too… not the middle finger, the one-minute finger

M: She’s WEARING that suit

J: He’s still creepy

M: I just don’t feel like what universe Diane is in she’s like yeah, Nic Cage

J: Look at all the images of woman power in her office

M: Yeah, Rosie the Riveter.

J: She’s a strong independent woman who don’t need no man!

M: Especially no treasure hunting man

M: Behind her it looks like her birth control diaphragm

J: She’s organized, you men can’t control me

Suits

M: His suit looks like the pattern they put on public buses

J: Is Justin Bartha wearing velvet?

M: He’s wearing a tie that’s the same color as his suit! That’s a fashion faux pas… dammit Riley.

J: Nic Cage looks sloppy

M: Why don’t you learn to wear a suit like Diane Kruger?

Outfit Number ??

M: How many outfit changes did she just go through?

J: 3 at least

M: BTW I just remember this scene of some guy checking out Diane Kruger’s backside and I just remember my mom saying don’t do that to women

J: More stock footage

M: I like how they have Sean Bean after the Watergate footage because you know… Watergate

M: Wow Diane Kruger’s in another outfit already

J: She’s the only woman in this movie

Party people

M: Someone needs to make a gif of Nic Cage trying to avoid Diane Kruger as someone trying to avoid an ex

J: I feel like you could just print out a copy of the declaration on the internet, why would you spend $35 on a replica?

Legit food truck

J: Don’t stop and talk to her at the van? Just hop in the back and drive off. He was chillin in the van… she’s in high heels, it takes her a while to get him

M: To be fair it is Diane Kruger

J: There is something on the side of Sean Bean’s van!

M: This was before food trucks were even in vogue; they are so ahead of the curve

M: It’s even topically themed for the mall, they’re geniuses

M: Olympus!

J: Greek food maybe?

M: That sounds good

J: I wonder if they stole it, that’s a legit food truck

M: Yeah, there’s a pot and everything

Ben's dad assumes she's pregnant. Check out this sexual chemistry

M: Why was that his first thought? Is she pregnant?

J: Why would that get him in trouble?

M: Right, aw man I knocked this girl up.

J: You’re a grown adult; you’re not a teenager

M: If I went to my parents and said I knocked up Diane Kruger they would say, who? Then, nice but wrong

M: Jon Voight had a whole pizza for himself

J: He hadn’t touched it while he was watching Jeopardy

M: He was having a “treat yo self" day

Dat Robe

M: I need to invest in a robe

J: Jon Voight rocks it

M: I feel like you have to make at least 40,000 a year to get a robe

Clues!

M: Their sexual tension created a clue

J: That should be their tagline, they did it for America

M: Aren’t you proud of me?!

PS Harvey Keitel is in this movie

M: Disney threw in a PG thing about Gates sleeping with a lot of women, it doesn’t even make sense for his character. Diane Kruger is like, yeah I’ve banged people in my office before. I mean she does keep her birth control on the wall

J: Gotta keep it safe

M: I can’t miss a day, it’s happening so much now

New Clothes are a must when out on the run

J: Is this her 5^th outfit now?

M: No, 7^th?

J: Are we only half way through the movie?

M: I feel like Quentin Tarantino saw this film and saw her feet and said I’m hiring her for Inglorious Bastards

J: These people look like they’re dressed in the 90s

Being a detective

M: Gates using a gate! I thought the other guy would’ve used the gun to blow up the door but no…

M: Ooo! Now Gates' trapped by a gate!

Mid Chase scene

J: Climbing opened staircases never makes sense to me when escaping from people with guns

M: They always miss, they always hit the rails

M: History teachers and archeologists are always badasses

Once Diane Kruger is safe she tells Nic to "hang on"

J: Why does the person who’s safe always say, “hang on” to the person falling? They aren’t doing anything to help so like shut up!

M: This is a great hideout for an all guys club

Entering the treasure room

M: Wouldn’t it be funny if they went in there and it was just a McDonalds? They were looking for treasure but what they found was something greater, it was a different kind of gold. Look at these golden fresh cut fries! On a sesame seed bun!

J: $1 for any size soft drink

M: National Treasure 3: The search for the last Roy Rogers in America

“The Declaration of Independence is not a bargaining chip”

M: Diane Kruger just got so turned on by that line

Sean Bean and his crew

J:  I don’t think that’s how that works, that someone else can just go to prison in his place?

M: Well I think that when the feds ask who’s the criminal? It’s Sean Bean and his crew. I mean Nic found the treasure so he’s fine.

M: Of course when Sean Bean doesn’t die it’s actually a win

Final Outfits.... "I drew you a map"

J: ...to my vagina

M: It’s totally a map to her vagina

M: All that money and they still can’t dress well

J: All of them!

M: All of them

J: She looks like a librarian

M: I have money now I don’t need to show my cleavage

Well, there you have it, some of our commentary while watching National Treasure. Hope you enjoyed it!

The Maze Runner (2014)

I've been slacking lately with blog posts but here's a quick one about the most recent movie I saw in theaters, The Maze Runner directed by Wes Ball.

The Maze Runner Poster. That's a big uphill trek right there

I really wanted to read The Maze Runner before the movie came out but alas didn't have the time to get past the first two chapters. So at least I was somewhat familiar with the first 10 minutes of the movie but it was nice to have everything else be a surprise. The story follows Thomas as he is deposited into a miniature community of teenage boys ranging from about 14 to maybe 18. Thomas wakes up in an elevator with no memories of who he is or where he came from. When the elevator stops, Thomas finds a bunch of boys and their make-do living situation (think abandoned Boys Scouts stuck in the woods for three years and having to adapt without any adults). I bet it smells awesome there.

The Lost Boys...

It actually doesn't seem all that bad of a place until Thomas notices they are surrounded on all sides by huge iron walls and one of them has an opening. Naturally Thomas is curious and learns that they are in the center of a maze. The basic idea is that there are a few boys in their camp who run the maze every day while it's daytime to map it and find a way out. At night, however, there are beasts who kill anyone in their path. Luckily at night the iron gates shut and the boys are safe in their camp. Of course when Thomas comes he stirs things up, wants to be a maze runner, tries to help find a way out yada yada yada I won't spoil the ending.

The Maze

Forest Temple from Zelda

When Thomas is in the maze it felt very much like the Forest Temple from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I was having major flashbacks. However, after stewing with this film for a few days I actually liked it. It was a fun plot and the characters were interesting, albeit somewhat dumb with some of their rash under pressure decision making skills. I really like the character of Minho and Alby although some of the characters in the background felt very much like extras from "Lost" in the sense of being there but not being active then killed and disappear and you don't really notice. But, it was entertaining and a good "escapist" film, literally and figuratively. It made me want to go and read the books so I can continue the series as this film didn't really feel like a satisfying conclusion since it really wasn't an ending.

Wait this isn't a promo from Lost?!

Yeah, that was a down side when it didn't really "end" but was clearly the end of a part 1 in a series. Hopefully they continue it, I thought it was pretty well done. I didn't think it was expanded upon for this world enough as a solo movie and that bothered me. I suppose they wanted to save some of those details for the next installment but a 5 minute wrap up at the end about why they are doing those things by someone who recorded a video on a screen felt like lazy filmmaking to me. Isn't the saying show don't tell?

Book Cover

If you read the book before seeing the movie, what did you think of it? I'm curious to see how it compared. I recommend seeing this movie if you like this type of genre.