Throwback Thursday: Moneyball

Director: Bennett Miller
Writers: Stephen Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin, Michael Lewis (Author of "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game")
Starring:  Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright
Released: 2011

Moneyball is based on the real-life story of Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt), General Manager of the Oakland A's (Athletics) major league baseball team and his attempt to create a championship team using a controversial statistical method based on computer modeling. Essentially, each player's performance is reduced to a series of values using sophisticated formulas and then the 'perfect' team is created by adding together each player's performance values. For the purposes of Moneyball, Beane is most interested in a player's on base percentage (the number of times he gets on base per at-bat) as that is what his economist-turned-baseball-analyist Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) has determined to be the most influential factor in winning games.

Still with me? Good, because I don't like baseball. Like, I really don't like baseball. I don't like watching it. I don't like playing it. I just don't. like. baseball. I also am not a huge Brad Pitt fan. I find he's getting more interesting roles as he gets older but overall he's not a box-office draw for me. Having said that, I truly enjoyed Moneyball. It's a fantastic story of using your available resources to create the best product possible within the confines of a fundamentally unfair system. In this case it's a baseball team and in spite of the sports focus you find yourself rooting more for Beane and Brand than the team itself, as the two make last-minute trades to craft the perfect team and struggle against the team's manager (played by a suitably apathetic Hoffman).

Rotten Tomatoes
IMDB

Trailer Tuesday - RoboCop

After an extreme delay in new posts, Don't Sit Next To Us is back!

A newly release trailer for the 2014 remake of RoboCop has sparked my creativity and has resulted in this week's edition of Trailer Tuesday! Check out the trailer here:

At first I was very apprehensive about this remake. And I will admit, I am still skeptical about whether or not this film can actually do the original justice (the stigma of the remake of Total Recall is strong) after seeing this trailer, some of my worries have been lifted.

I can't get over the cast. Though we have seen in the past that a great cast does not equal a great movie, I have faith that this particular cast (that includes Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Jackie Earle Haley, and the biggest bad ass of all time, Samuel L. Jackson) just might be able to carry this film.

The title character will be played by Joel Kinnaman, a relatively unknown Swedish actor who is probably best known for his role in The Killing. In true Hollywood fashion, numerous A-list actors were rumoured to play the part, including Keanu Reeves, Tom Cruise, Michael Fassbender, and yes, even my husband Johnny Depp. But it was Kinnaman who won the role and frankly, I am relieved. It's the type of role an established A-list actor cannot take on. We need a fresh face, someone who can essentially BE RoboCop in the audience's eyes. Not Neo, Maverick, Magneto, or Captain Jack AS RoboCop.

The actual storyline seems pretty true to the original save one major detail - RoboCop's suit will be BLACK! Whoooaaa now! Hold the press!

I think it's safe to say I am now excited for this film and will happily add this to the Winter 2014 Movie List.

The film is set to be released on February 7, 2014 (a month known for it's unexpected film hits ala August) and will be directed by big screen newcomer Jose Padilha.

For more information on the upcoming sci-fi action film, check out the Wikipedia page here or the official movie page here.

Be sure to check out Don't Sit Next To Us for all the latest updates on the film!