The Potter films are getting darker and more intense. The minor villans are more brutal and less cartoonish and the parents of younger fans may need to consider before taking them to this movie. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson continue to make strides as actors and Ralph Fiennes is a joy to watch as his very snaky evilness Lord Voldemort. Lots of eye candy here and something for all ages except the very young.

Labels: Harry Potter, Order of the Pheonix

You've seen the teaser trailer, now here is the teaser poster. JJ Abrams continues his slick marketing campaign for the as yet unnamed feature tentatively referred to only as 01-18-2008.

Labels: 01-18-2008, Comicon, JJ Abrams, teaser

Hordes of loyal fans garnered during the series remarkable 18 yr run turned out on Friday to push the day one total for the Simpsons Movie to 29.1 million. The distributor had (some might say ingenuously) predicted a weekend total around 30 million. Industry experts had been more bullish at around 50 million and now it looks like the film will easily exceed both. The true test will be in the coming weeks when the built in base stops being heard from, will the film have enough legs to keep going strong after its fast start.

JJ Abrams introduced not one but two Spocks at the San Diego Comicon, when he announced that both Zachary Quinto(Sylar from TV's Heroes) and Leonard Nimoy had been tabbed to play Spock at various ages in his upcoming relaunch of the Star Trek film franchise. Production is due to begin in November. Other roles have not been cast as of yet.

Associated Press

Labels: Heroes, JJ Abrams, Nimoy, Quinto, Star Trek

Please excuse the subtitles. Here is part one of the 20 minute short which later grew into the film. Cashback was given a limited release last week in the US but this is at close as most people will get until it comes out on DVD.

Labels: Cashback, short film

Ok what did we learn this weekened. When it came to the battle of Book # 7 vs. movie number 5, US fans of the boy wizard opted to curl up with a good book this weekend. Although fans still supported the film domestically to the tune of 32 million +, it was edged out of the number one slot by the Adam Sandler comedy, I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry. Potter books meanwhile virtually evaporated from shelves around the US as more than 8 million copies sold in the first 24 hours alone.

Overseas, however, Potter had no problem holding onto the top spot as it raced to a mind boggling 352 million dollars(559 million world wide)after just 12 days.

Labels: Adam Sandler, Box Office, Harry Potter, Sunshine

When the new Harry Potter Book, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, is released later today(actually 12:01am tommorow), it should be interesting to see if it effects the weekend boxoffice take for the current Potter film(Order of the Phoenix). Although most hard core Potter fans(Scar heads? Dumbledoos??) have probably already seen the film, the weekend of a release can tend to become a marathon reading session for many of its fans. This might decrease the number of young fans seeing the movie for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th time... this weekend.

Labels: Book Release, Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter, Order of the Pheonix

New openings this week include I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry with Adam Sandler and Kevin James. It should top the boxoffice charts for this weekend with HP and transformers coming in not far behind. Also debuting is Sunshine the new Space Based Danny Boyle sci-fi film with Chris Evans, Maggie Q and Cillian Murphy. If you are looking for a little break from the summer of the return of the boxoffice monsters, you might want to check out an offbeat comedy called cashback the will go into limitied release( if you can find it. They are not kidding when they say limited).
It features insomnia, overnight shift, supermarket workers, half naked women. What's not to love.

Labels: Adam Sandler, Cashback, Danny Boyle, Kevin James, Movie Trailer, New Movies, Sunshine

Getting tired of uber violent, torture porn the has clogged the American horror genre for the past few years. The recent performance of Captivity(opened with a take of just 1.4 million in North America and Hostel II(grossed about 17 million) indicates that you are not alone.

Try Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution(2006) and edgey atmosphere blend of art film and Japanese Style horror. Japanese title is Sakebi. Double check as this title has been used frequently over the years. Tough to find but keep your eye out for it.

Here it is the Trailer to the New JJ Abrams Movie, Parasite?, that is running before showings of Transformers.

Labels: 01-18-2008, JJ Abrams, Movie Trailer, Parasite the Movie

Caught this on DVD because I recently signed up for Blockbuster Total access and because it is set in New Jersey and was filmed in New Jersey and Bucks County PA.

This was a true pleasure and a wonderful surprise. Diminutive Peter Dinklage plays a world weary and terribly lonely man man with dwarfism who moves to rural New Jersey when he only friend and employer passes away suddenly leaving him an abandoned railway depot into which he moves. Dinklage's character greets every interaction with a grimace, justly as so many serve only to embarass and humiliate him.
Once in New Jersey he slowly and reluctantly becomes friends but not friendly with a chatty Italian hot dog vendor(Bobby Cannavale) and and grieving local artist(Patricia Clarkson).

Totally recommended and worth the search if you don't have an online account, which by the way, I strongly recommend. I have rented about 10 DVD's in the last month for $9.99 per month.

Labels: Blockbuster, Bobby Cannavale, Dinklage, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson

So what's still left in store for as the Summer box office season starts to wind down. Chuck and Larry- Adam Sandler comedy Fri July 20, The Simpson's Movie July 27, The Bourne Ultimatum- Aug 3, Rush Hour 3 & Stardust - Aug 10, And the Rob Zombie remake of Halloween. There are a few others like Hot Rod and Invasion that might make a little noise but the big guns have all fire for this Movie season.

The Simpson's Movie Opens Friday July 27

Labels: Rob Zombie, Rush Hour 3, Simpsons, Stardust, Summer Movies

Harry Potter and The Order of the Pheonix had a strong opening weekend $77 million in North America and $140 million in its first 5 days. Internationally Potter is off ot an even quicker start with $190 millon after finishing first in all 44 markets in which it opened last Wednesday. Transformers continued its strong performance pushing it's total to around $223 million in NA in about two weeks. The international numbers for Transformers should be available shortly.

Labels: Box Office, Harry Potter, Transformers

Wonder what Zack Snyder has been doing with the benifit of the doubt that he got after his rendition of 300 turned into the first big hit of the year 2007. He is currently in pre-production on another comic turned movie. This time he will be adapting the 1987 comic masterpiece "Watchmen". It was written by Alan Moore as an attempt to create a comic "Moby Dick" to change the preception of comics in the US and UK as a juvenile medium. Along with Frank Miller's "The Dark Knigt Returns", it was very much responsible for doing just that and much more. While casting has begun no actors are attached to the project as of yet, but it is likely to draw a first rate cast. Click below to hear a clip of Synder discuss the non involvement of Tom Cruise it the project.

Labels: Alan Moore, New Movies, Tom Cruise, Watchmen, Zack Synder

Pleasant surprise. Not great but certainly not just another paycheck for Willis. He gets a little help with the comedic lifting from the and I am a Mac kid. Tim Olyphant and Maggie Q are present but not spectacular by any means.

Labels: Willis

Ok, a friend reminded me the other day that I owe you guys a few reviews so here goes.

Transformers is exactly what everyone is saying big summer fun. I have seen a few complaints about poor character development but I think I need to remind these reviewers, Giant Robot Movie. Is it Howard's End, No, but most of us did not go see Howard's End so....

Great action particularly early on. Shai Lebouf is good again and the pace is well sustained. Are there a few hokey clunker lines, yes but name the last Giant transforming robot movie that did not have it's share.

John Taturo looks more than a little bored but the guy is one of the top 5 American actors of his generation and frankly he probably was bored.

Good fun. Suspend your skepticism and take a kid so you won't fell so silly.

Labels: Shai Le Bebouf, Taturo, Transformers

Wonder what Sam Rami has been up to since wrapping Spidy 3. Here is a trailer of a movie that he produced based on a Graphic Novel called 30 Days of Night. It's about a band of Vampires that lay siege to a town above the artic circle during the 30 days when they don't see any sun. Stars Ben Foster and Josh Hartnett. This film should hit the theaters in October of this year.

Labels: 30 Days of Night, Ben Foster, Graphic Novel, Movie Trailer, New Movies, Sam Rami

Check out this trailer from the new Roland Emmerich, director and writer of Independence Day, Day After Tommorow, the Patriot .....

Labels: Movie Trailer, New Movies, Roland Emmerich

Ever watching a big effects movie when you come across a scene that you know just can't be right. I mean, Physics just doesn't work like that. According to two scientist's from Central Florida University , who wrote a 20 page paper on films ranging from Aeon flux to Xmen Last Stand, you were probably right. Check out this link to the article which was pulished in a German Scientific journal:

http://front.math.ucdavis.edu/0707.1167 it includes copies in pdf format which you can open if you have adobe acrobat reader on your pc. If you don't it can be downloaded quick a free from http://www.adobe.com

Sunshine - Speaking of those smaller films, Sunshine debuts on July 20th from the same team Danny Boyle (Director) and Alex Garland (Writer) that brought you 28 days later. The movie features several actors, Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh that you will likely recognize even if you don't know their names. This is space based sci-fi, so there is a limited audience potential but after directing Trainspotting and 28 days later, Boyle probably deserves a look on this one.

Labels: Chris Evans, Cillian Murphy, Danny Boyle, Movie Trailer, Sunshine

Harry Potter Opens in the US tonight with midnight shows around the US and then goes wide tommorow to over 4285 screen. Reviews in Tuesday papers were both positive and negative. Not that J K Rowling or Warner Bros need worry about negative reviews. With 3.6 Billion + in for the initial four installments, this summer blockbuster is virtually assured hit status. The biggest worry they have is that one of their giant stacks of money might tip over a crush them(or is that scrooge Mc Duck)
. Potter fans chomping at the bit for the release of the final book in the series( July 21) should line up to see this in droves. The real question is not whether these blockbusters will make tons of money but how will smaller films make any at all.

So what is Cloverfield and why is it getting more buzz than the summer blockbuster(transformers) just launched by the same studio (paramount). Cloverfield is the working title of a secret JJ Abrams project that became the hottest fan-boy topic on the internet when its trailer preceded showings of the film Transformers this week.
Clips of the trailer were briefly posted to You Tube but quickly came down at the request of Paramount. Descriptions and discussion of the trailer are available and easily located at multliple sites but if you plan to see Transformers this weekend or don't mind waiting for Paramount to make the trailers officially available, then I suggest you wait for the real thing.
The movie, which may be called Parasite, involves an attack on Manhattan by a giant monster. The beast is not seen in the clip but the roars heard during the trailer have the blogosphere atwitter with speculation and the scene with the disembodied head of the Statue of Liberty hurtling through lower manhattan has them abuzz with anticipation.

Should be interesting to watch this campaign unfold. Some information may eventually be available on the films official website, http://www.1-18-08.com/ , but currently there are only two photos there.

Labels: JJ Abrams, New Movies, Secret, Trailers

Ok, It's the 4th of July Holiday(night before counts) and I am going to see Transformers tonight. For those of you who still have not decided to see it or not, Please take the simple test below:

Which statement most applys to you:

A- I like the films produced by Merchant Ivory

B- I like the films of Keenan Ivory Wayans

C- I occaisionally like to eat Ivory soap.

If you answered A, you may want to skip this one.

I you answered B, Lower your expectations and treat the film like you would firworks, a visual spectacular that cost more than you will likely make in a lifetime.

If you answered C, Yeehah have a good time bukaroo.

Enjoy the holiday and be safe.

Add another to the list of 2005 films that were better then Best film Oscar winner Crash. Cristian Bale continues to show admirable range and depth and Freddie Rodriquez continues his transition to the big screen. David Ayer wrote and directed, he is currently working with Keanu Reeves on a 2008 project called the Night Watchmen.

Michael Bay's Transformers Opened huge in 10 overseas markets(including 12 million + in Korea) virtually guaranteeing a monster worldwide haul for the film and soundly critic proofing it. We need only go back as far as POC at World's End and Spiderman III which opened earlier this year to lukewarm critical response and below expected domestic box office performance, but rode mammoth overseas numbers to 900 million + returns. Sure great reviews can still boost domestic numbers. Word of mouth and word of blog can give a film the "legs" it takes to remain in the top 5 for long enough to make a suprise hit like this summer's Knocked Up, but the blockbusters have been determined long before the first reviews roll off the presses. Traditional critics and frankly for the most part bloggers serve more as post game analysts and Monday morning chat, rehashing events after the outcome is determined. Still entertaining but certainly not weilding the clout that the once did.

That said, never one to fear irrelevance, I will be returning soon with a quick and dirty review of Transformers. Hope you all will comeback to tell me why I am wrong.

Enjoy!

Ok, this one is French with subtitles but hang on a sec. It starts out looking like a crime drama with the impoverished hero attempting to use some information he overhears to intercept a package that promises to enrichen the family of a small time hood for whom he is doing repair work. As the man follows a series of instructions which begins with the first package he is pulled deeper into a world where the only thing that is clear is that he is in grave danger.