Counting backwards from 1000

#942 The Fighter

2011-01-31T22:24:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile so I should be good for a few here. If you are one of those people who like to catch all the oscar contenders before the big night, make sure you save time for this one which would be worthy of a nomination even if they hadn't expanded to 10 nominees. Mark Wahlberg is solid, but Christian Bale is the main draw here giving another outstanding performance. You don't need to be a boxing fan to appreciate this but knowing a bit of the background beforehand will enhance your appriciation.

#943 Star Trek

2009-05-12T22:02:00.004-04:00

Want the quick and dirty on the Star Trek relaunch. Much like Batman begins it was a solid start, lots of action but suffers somewhat from a lack of imagination. Since this one is to establish the characters, lets talk about that:

Best-
Simon Pegg immediately puts his stamp on Scotty
Zoe Saldana- gives Uhura a depth that she previously lacked
Leonard Nimoy- much more than a cameo and always always Spock

Good-
John "Harold" Cho- plays Sulu with Restrained intensity
Chris Pine makes an interesting Kirk
Bruce Greenwood is solid as Christopher Pike
Zackery Quinto does a decent job of filling some big ears

average-
Eric Bana is utterly interchangable as the Romulan bad guy

Blah
Anton Yelchin is mildly ridiculous as Chechov
I really wanted to like Karl Urban as Bones but it just didn't work out

Kirk's Mother's Name is Winona??? Really??

#944 QOS

2008-12-01T14:56:00.007-05:00

Latest Bond is out and doing it's normal strong performance at the US Box Office and Gangbuster overseas performance. This one has not been a critcial darling with many critics. The consensus amoungst those who were not fans is that the Daniel Craig era has been characterized by a transition from brain to brawn and that the new Bond is bears too great a resembelance to Matt Damon's Jason Bourne. This of course presumes that what most Bond fan's want are clever quips and cleverer gadgets.

I can hardly speak for Bond fan's here as I am really not much of a fan of the series, but I can remember thinking that what Bond really needed to stay alive as a franchise was a turn to a more gritty focus and away from all the bells and whistles.

Daniel Craig does a solid job of deflating Bond from jetsetting playboy spy to a gritty, physical and pragmatic operative. This is coming out on DVD soon and I strongly recommend picking up both Qauntum and Casino Royale as the latter film picks up just after the former ends and the plots intertwine.

For No Country Fans

2008-08-07T23:58:00.003-04:00

Did you enjoy No Country for Old Men but wish is was more main stream. The Road, which is widely felt to be Cormac McCarthy's most accessible novel hits theaters in November. Look here for a sneek peak:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/08/07/first-look-the-road/

No thats not Kris Kristoferson it Vigo Mortensen. Also stars Robert Duval, Guy Pearce and Charlize Theron. I will watch it but I would watch a movie made from McCarthy's druken napkin scribblings.

Also check out this early Joker concept art for TDK:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/08/07/the-dark-knight-early-joker-concept-art/

Dark City Director's cut

2008-07-30T00:14:00.004-04:00

One of the best Sci Fi fantasy movies with a hooker in it. Definitely worth picking up if you haven't seen it. William Hurt, Jennifer Connely, Keifer Sutherland and staring Rufus Sewell. Directed by Egyptian born Alex Proyas who also directed cult hit The Crow and who is in talks to direct The Silver Surfer for Marvel. Features the best creepy little bald kid in a bowler hat ever. Check out the trailer:

# 945 The Dark Knight

2008-07-21T00:44:00.004-04:00

The Dark Knight is 4/5ths of a very good movie. Actually, to be fair, 13/15ths of a good movie. Don't agree? How many of you really liked the ending as much as the rest of the film? Is your hand up? Are you lying?

I went into the theater half expecting that the Heath Ledger reviews that I had read were fed more by emotion than by honest reaction. I liked him as an actor, but these reviews just seemed a little over the top. They were not! Ledger is everything that you want from a movie villian. He steals every scene. His is creepy, funny, frightening, interesting and most important, charasmatic in a way that Jack Nicholson's 1989 Joker totally missed. the 130 minutes or so with Ledger is a thrill ride for fan and non-fan alike. This performance shows what can be created when an actor and director take this material seriously. Anyone who ever read comics knows that this set of characters and mythology has been used to create everything from absolute drek to masterworks likes Frank Miller's Dark Knigt Returns.

*** Spoilers********

But here is the rub, after Ledger makes his final appearance with more the 20 minutes left the air goes out of the balloon. We then proceed to go on a maudlin 20 minute romp with Aaron Eckhart's two face, who by the way if he was burned that badly would have not just every infecton known to man but also a serious case of dead. Eckhart has been given two or three scenes to develop the character from DA to murderous menace capable of horrific, maniacal villany and mayhem.The final showdown produced the first and only real sniggers from the audience. I had assumed with less than 30 minutes left that Nolan was developing Two-Face to be one of the villans in the next film. The actual ending seems tacked on and stinks of Big Studio. Of course, based on the weekend numbers, it also stinks of big bucks.

Here is my other problem. Chistian Bale's Batman is monotone and deadly dull in this movie. I have to watch Batman begins again because I don't remember disliking his portrayal in that film. I think I know why. He does a good job of with Bruce Wayne, its just Batman that stinks. Tell me the hoarse voice deadpan delivery doesn't get stale. Big surprise for me, because I have always thought that he was a fantastic actor but he is every bit as lame as Keaton, Kilmer and Yes! even Clooney in this one.

Every other name including Michael Caine(is he a Sir yet?, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldham, Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal delivers exactly the spot on performance that you expect from pros of their caliber. Chris Nolan with help from his brother Johnathan, who wrote the origianl story that later became Memento, does another superb job and I can only hope the he continues to pump this franchise full of life. Those of you who are feeling reminded of 1995 Heat pat yourselves on the back as Nolan cites this as a major influence on the film. When asked why he went with Ledger as the Joker when such heavyweights as Robin Williams, Paul Bettany and Adrien Brody had expressed interest, Nolan stated simply, "Because he is fearless". Pat yourself on the back for that one Christopher.

Terminator trailer

2008-07-17T18:09:00.002-04:00

This one slip under my radar. I recall hearing something about Christian Bale as John Connor but I quickly forgot under the onslaught of movie news. This is the Terminator movie that I have been waiting for since the first. Looks great!!

DARK KNIGHT - in the interest of fairplay

2008-07-13T22:13:00.004-04:00

Ok, You've know doubt by now seen your fair share of the hype for the new Batman movie. The reviews have been universally enthusiastic and it current has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. So when was the other shoe going to drop? Well actually....
Now:

http://nymag.com/movies/reviews/48514/

The 12 comments posted in response to the review stop short of death threats but don't spare the reviewer from a variey of unpleasant anantomical suggestions. Mostly what I was reminded of was the numerous articles that came out when DC first published Frank Miller's seminal take on Batman, The Dark Knight Returns. Many, many reviewers found the books(it was originally published as a four shot limited series), dark, disturbing and insulting to the Batman that they remembered from the 1960's era television show, or cartoons, or early comics. What can I say, I don't think you can discount their opinions anymore than you can discount Mr Edelstein's take on the new film. After all, many many fans loved Jack Nicholson's Joker in the first Tim Burton Batman, but I would rank that as one of the worst perfomances of the franchise along with Danny Devito and Arnold.

Early Dark Knight review

2008-07-07T22:17:00.002-04:00

Kirk Honeycutt posted this very enthusiastic Dark Knight review on Reuters. He predicts a big opening and a sustained presence at the boxoffice. Honeycutt credits the non-stop action and Chris Nolan for bringing a smart, tough edge to the once laughable, and not in a good way, franchise. Summers not over yet.

http://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSN0735325820080708

#946 The Orphanage

2008-07-04T00:00:00.003-04:00

Back to the subtitles, this time on the 2007 Spanish film El Orfanato(The Orphanage). Strongly reminiscent of Guillermo Del Toro's Devil's Backbone(its ok, he helped bring The Orphanage to the screen and received a producer's credit for it), first time filmmakers Juan Bayona and Sergio Sanchez have created a smart, atmospheric film that bears only a slight resemblance to it's American and Japanese cousins. Don't get me wrong, I am actually a big fan of horror/thriller genre as practiced in the US(not as much Japan). This film, however, is a whole different experience. Less dependent on startling the audience. Utterly bereft of the the violence and gore that has become such a big part of the American horror experience.

Julia is mother and wife who moves her family into the spacious home where she once lived as an orphan. Soon after moving in, she becomes concerned that her son(who we learn early on is adopted but does not know it)is becoming more and more engrossed in playing with some imaginary playmates that he meets in the new home.

One rainy day Julia is enjoying a treasure hunt game that she believes her son, Simon, has invented. Simon, however, credits his "friends", saying that they play a game by taking whatever is most precious to you. They will leave a trail of clues and if you follow them to the end, you will not only retrieve your item but recieve a wish as well. The game ends badly when Simon finds his item in a locked drawer where Julia has hidden papers with information about Simon's adoption and his medical condition.

Not long after this, Simon disapears during a party at the home and before long, Julia begins to suspects that Simon's friends are not playing the game with her. Next time you run out of new releases, give this one a chance. The acting is first rate even if you do have to put up with subtitles.

#947 Hancock

2008-07-01T23:42:00.005-04:00

Got out tonight to catch one of the sneak shows for Hancock. Have to admit that I was pretty stoked for this one. Thats usually not a good thing. I am a big believer in the power of lowered expectations. Go in with little of no expectations and your much less likely to be disappointed. Sound kind of fatalistic? What movies have you been watching in the past five years.
Hancock turned out to be if anything a better film than I was expecting, but here is the catch, its not the movie that I was expecting. Nor will it be the movie you are expecting or what little johnnie and his friends are expecting. This may be one of the most deceptively marketed films in years. I get the temptation to make you big blockbuster pay off to the max but let people know what they are paying their 10 bucks for.
In this case what people are getting is a slow developing, smart, darkish action comedy. What they do not get is a summer blockbuster. Why, you ask. Several reasons:

1)It starts too slow. While is does start with one action scene that everyone has probably seen on the internet at this point, it then proceeds to downshift into super drag mode for roughly the length of a bible(to steal a line from a much better film).
2)When there are action scenes, they are suprisingly underwhelming. Wanted which was made for half the budget does twice the job of providing a visual summer thrill ride. So does Mongol for that matter and it was made for thirteen dollars worth of beads and trinkets.
3)It's tone is all wrong for the genre. I am a Peter Berg fan but this film asks its audience to do a whole lot more work than most summer crowds willingly sign up for.

What does this all mean? Well, what does a Wil Smith blockbuster do? Only 200 million?

This film makes a nice change of pace from the usual summer fare. If your looking for something a little different give it a shot.

By the way, The Happening

2008-06-29T03:03:00.002-04:00

In case you were thinking of seeing The Happening, I saw about 12 minutes and had to leave. Here is my review. Mark Whalberg- Wasted. John Leguizamo- Wasted. Zoey Deschanel- Terrible. M. Night Shayamalan- that is another 12 minutes of my life that you owe me back. I think the unstoppable and horrific event that the characters keep going on about is the release of the film.

PU

# 948 Wanted

2008-06-29T01:12:00.005-04:00

Timur Bekmambetov's wanted bowed in theaters this weekend to huge crowds. Admittedly not Wall-e big but pretty damn close. This is an impressive acheivement for an R rated movie and this is a hard R "for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality.". The cast includes a bevy of Oscar winners/nominees including Morgan Freeman, Terrance Stamp and Angelina Jolie as well as James McAvoy as the male lead and its only a matter of time for his oscar(he has a boat load of British Oscar equivalents and a Golden Globe nomination.
This Tale of an office drudge who doesn't know that he is secretly a highly skilled assassin until he is recruited/abducted by a secret 1000 year old society of weavers?????, who take orders from the loom of fate about who to kill next. Yeah the set up sucks.
McAvoy sleep walks through the first twenty minutes doing a fairly flattering rip of Ed Norton's running commentary from Fight Club. Then Angelina Jolie shows up playing the mysterious sexy bad girl, and the action commences. The actions scenes range from very good to great, including one particurly good foot chase where McAvoy winds up firing shots from the hood of a car as he persues. There is plenty of stuff that requires significant suspension of the average person's disbeleif and the film will suffer in some eyes because it cannot quite decide which world it exists in.
Althogh certainly stylish, the film leans heavily on violence and eventually becomes weighed down by this fact. What should be the film's emotional climax seems instead an afterthought and the hero too often comes off as a bully(although I guess if I spent my life as a punching bag and then suddenly developed super powers I might bully a little too). If you didn't understand or agree with any of what I said then it probably won't or didn't bother you. All and all worth a look for the visuals alone, including a little Angelina Jolie nudity(and that's the best kind).

Hancock

2008-06-22T09:01:00.005-04:00

Let me go on record now, not that anyone is waiting for me to weigh in, and say that Hancock is the movie that takes this year from one on the all time to the all time box office year. Why? several reasons:

1) Will Smith the obvious reason that everyone will point out. Its launching on the July 4 Holiday week/weekend which guarantees a big start and its stars the hands down box office king of the world(no apologies to Tom Cruise)

2) It looks pretty well written and funny, so non smith fans, like me(I can take or leave him and I wind up spending most of his movies wondering if Alfonso Ribeiro would have been better in the lead role) are much more likely to join in the thronging to the multiplex.

3) Superhero movies(and despite being a parody this one qualifies) are hot right now. More accurately I should say, superhero movies that show some respect for their audience are hot right now. That's right, make a half way decent Batman and people will come to see it. Make a crappy Fantastic Four and less people will go to see it. or Daredevil. or Superman.....

4) Peter Berg seems to know what he is doing behind the camera and Jason Batemen is consistently on the money in roles like he had here. Oh yeah, Charlize Theron aint so bad either.

So here I am, a non Will Smith fan who thinks most superhero movies are stupid who is amped to go see this one first weekend. Good sign for Mr Smith.

# 949 Mongol

2008-06-21T23:27:00.007-04:00

Ok, You probably won't get a chance to see this in a theater near you. It's playing in a total of 94 theaters nationwide, up from 5 last week. it's Friday take jumped as well, making it the number 13 grossing film on Friday. So maybe you will be seeing it near you after all.
Then again its got subtitles so maybe not.

The only name that you are likely to recognize(or not)is Russian director, Sergei Bodrov. He filmed Mongol in Kazakhstan and China, sometimes in locations so remote that the crew had to build roads to access them. It features no names that will ring any bells in the US(or at least with me)but plenty of fine performances. Most notably, Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano plays Temudjin(Genghis Khan)gives a nuanced performance that touches subtly on many often contradictory aspects of one of the most notorious conquerors in History. Will there be times when you say "this guy seems awfully progressive for a Mongolian Warlord" yes, but if you can get past that you will enjoy the performance.

The film opens with Kahn in a cell. It is difficult(again at least for me)to tell his age at this point, but the remainder the film upspools as a series of recollections of his life leading up to this point.

Odnyam Odsuren plays young Khan for a significant portion of the film. He has some memorable scenes and does a good job of bringing a gravity to the role not often matched by young American actors.

The cinematography is first rate and the best of it is every bit as good as anything in this year's Oscar winning No Country for old men. In an age where digital enhancement produces so much memorable cinema, Bordov filmed a scene with 1500 horsemen who required two months training, not in hormanship but in acting. Oh yes, there is also enough blood and gore in the battle scenes to satisfy the blood and gore guys.

This Epic(can you call it that at two hours) is well worth a look if you can catch it in the theater or the the video store.

And another one...

2008-06-21T11:54:00.003-04:00

I finally have some time to catch up on my summer movie list. So which overdue film will I finally catch up on Indy, Strangers... No of these. I found Mongol in a theater near me. It is only in 5 theaters nationwide so this is a pretty good find. Whats so great about mongol?? Well, 1) it is directed by a Russian named Sergei. Movies-wise the Sergeis have done pretty well so far. 2)Its about Genghis Khan which pretty much gaurantees action and bloodshed. 3)Check out this link:

#950 Be Kind Rewind

2008-06-20T21:25:00.005-04:00

Jack Black and Mos Def play work well in this Passaic NJ based comedy. It is a perfect vehicle for Black's manic, disheveled comic rants and Def is a good fit as his straight man. Melonie Diaz is a pleasant addition and works well in the comic role. The film is shot on location in Passaic and New York and incorporates locals into the cast, including some speaking parts.
Mos Def was not originally cast in the role of Mike. For awhile Dave Chapelle was attached to the project and came up the idea of remaking Driving Miss Daisy.
This movie has a strong start. Black and Def begin to make 20 minutes version of the movies so that they cover for that fact that all of the videos in the store where Def works have been erased by a suddenly magnetic Black(don't ask). The shorts provide some good laughs particularly Ghostbusters and Driving Miss Daisy but its the same gag and it inevitable grows old.
When this occurs the director shifts gears and make it a formulaic comedy about making enough money to save the plucky little video store. So after a whole bunch of preaching about how the big studio movies aren't creative, the film turns into one of the most god awful, uncreative regurgitations ever to hit the screen. This movie is not one tenth as creative and original as any of the films they "impove" on.
You can probably wait awhile on this one.

What I don't want to see...

2008-06-19T12:07:00.003-04:00

Ok so I did a post with the movies that I want to see this summer(still working on most of those), snidely implying that I wouldn't want to see any others(this turns out not to be true. So let me be more specific about what I don't want to see:

1)Love Guru: This movie looks absolutely abysmal. I am trying to decide what ruined Mike Myers because he was always pretty funny on SNL and even some of his early movies like So I married an Axe Murderer!- Head, Pants Now!

Maybe it was all those Austin Powers Movies(he made Thirteen I think) or maybe it was all the Shrek money but this one, Love Guru, couln't hit funny with a rock for where it is. Stupid, predictible, tedious, all of those it has in spades.

2) Journey to the Center of the Earth: someday someone will figure out a way to make a realy entertaining 3D movie, but I am betting this aint it.

3)Dave: See Love Guru. Insert Eddie Murphy for Mike Myers.

#951 Donnie Darko- the director's cut

2008-06-11T22:09:00.003-04:00

Donnie Darko starts out looking like it might be derivative of any number of teen focused drama/comedies but it never gets there. Director/Writer Richard Kelly does not ever let it within Tiger Woods putting distance of derivate. This engaging, original and engrossing film is not easy on its viewers but it is ultimately a rewarding watch and in fact is probably one of the rare films that gets better the next few times through.
Let me give a warning at this time. Don't try to give this film anything but your undidivided attention. I started by watching it and playing poker online and ... and
before long my head was whiping around so much I was in need of a masseuse, not a masseure a masseuse).
This film features very early perfomances from the careers of Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, they play brother and sister, the very first feature film apperance for Seth Rogan as well as Mary McDonnell, Drew Barrymore and ER's Noah Wyle.
The story features a bunch of suburbian private school kids, a slightly off kilter dad, a mom struggle to protect her family from the world and herself from embarassment, a former nun turned school teacher turned Sci-Fi author turned crazy old lady, a pocket universe whose mere existence threatens our own and ... did I leave anything out.. Oh Yeah a six foot, profoundly disturbing looking bunny rabbit who is either a) helpful or b) bent on anihilation.

Keeps alot of pots boiling but it is ultimatly a satisfying watch even if you have to give it a few tries before all the pieces fall in place.

#952 The Constant Gardner

2008-05-26T18:29:00.003-04:00

You begin to take certain performers, like Ralph Fiennes, for granted. After memorable performances in so many films, it is no great surprise that he should supply another here. Less certain, however, was what expect from Director Fernando Meirelles and Rachel Weisz. That is not to say there are no expectations. Meirelles spent five years developing and shooting his brilliant City of God before unvailing it at Cannes in 2002. The film went on to astonishing world wide acclaim including 4 Oscar nominations is 2004. Weisz is best known for her roles in the blockbuster The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. Her absence from this summer's sequel Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is testimony to what her Gardner award has done for her career.

Besides being an excellent and rivetting drama based on the John Le Care novel, Meirelles has crafted a unique and loving tribute to both the continent and people of Africa. Like COG, Gardner mixes gritty reality with evocative beauty as deftly as he mixes greedy and corrupt scoundrels with earnest and courageous everyday heroes. Meirelles pulls stunning beauty from the both lush and barren lands of Kenya, Nairobi and the sudan. He continues to show a great touch for dealing with the complexity of crime, corruption and its impact on the victim.

Weisz was nominated and received the oscar for her emotionally potent portrayal of an English ex-pat, activist/heiress who when confronted with a prevasive network of corruption that threatens to undo all of her good works, reacts with a desperate and bold plan to cut through the web.

Both Fiennes and Pete Postlethwaite give their normal superb performance. This one is well worth seeing.

Summer 2008 grosses

2008-05-03T14:53:00.005-04:00

Check back here for the running grosses of all of the summer hits:

Harold and Kumar Escapr from Guantanamo Bay =

Iron Man =

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull =

Kung Fu Panda =

too cool

2008-05-03T01:29:00.002-04:00

apropos of nothing, this was nonetheless too cool not to post

Here is one that I forgot

2008-05-01T13:14:00.003-04:00

Just when you thought it was safe to check back, here is one summer movie that I left off my "Will probaly see this" list.

The Strangers- May 30 2008

No its not another Camus rip off, this is the debut of unheralded screen writer/director Bryan Bertino(Yes I keep having to resist typing Brian Boitano), who a few scant years ago was a handyman freshly arrived in Hollywood from Texas, working as a gaffer and hoping to break into the electrician's union. Setting out to create a suspense/horror thriller, Bertino first had to decide "what scared me the most". He decided that," the moments that I'm most frightened are my girlfriend waking me up in the middle of the night and saying, 'I think there's someone in the living room.' So the whole idea came about as, 'What if you went into the living room and there was somebody there?' "

Bertino sculpted this unease into a heart pounding thriller that, depending on the blogger, may or may not be based on a true story. Bertino submitted his script for the Nicholl Fellowship, a 30 prize for unproduced writer, but instead landed represetntation and a deal with Universal initially worth low six figures now cosideralby more. Bertino's luck continued when the director slated to film The Strangers insisted that he could not possibly film it for less than $40 million. The studio heartily agreed with this assessment and therefore asked Bertino to bring it in for much less. Judging by the clip below, it was a pretty good call.

What do I want to see this summer...

2008-04-22T14:41:00.010-04:00

Ok, so we did our list or partial list of summer movies 2008 and I have to admit, it was pretty underwhelming. Most of this stuff couldn't get me off the couch to change the channel if I lost my remote much less get me out at a crowded theater spending hard cash. So which features will get me to move my feet and crack open the old wallet:

1) Indiana Jones- Yep, I know this film was cobbled together specifically for its nostalgic appeal to aging generation MEsters like myself. I remember the level of anticipation for Phantom Menace and the subsequent disappointment. Jar Jar Binks for God Sake.
But that doesn't mean I won't be front row and center for one more run through with Indy, the whip, the hat, assorted psuedo nazi types(I know their Russians but they don't look Russian do they.....

2)Wanted- Whats to like about this one? James Macavoy, Morgarn Freeman, Angelina Jolie.. yeah that not too bad but the interesting part of this one for me is the English language debut of Timur Bekmambetov(I can't pronounce it either) the writer director of Night Watch and Day Watch(see clip below) two effects driven, super hero themed action blockbusters that were a huge hit in the past few years in Russia and made a minor splash in the US rental market. If you are a fan of the X-men films or Heroes then check out Daywatch which surpasses both visually with about 1/10th the budget. Should be interesting to see what he does with a major budget and a studio behind him.

3) The Dark Knight- Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Arron Echhardt, Christopher Nolan. Lots to like here. Nolan, perhaps best known for his alternative take on the noir genre in Memento, did excellent work relaunching this franchise with the leaner, meaner Batman Begins in 2005.

4)Pineapple Express- I think that I have already written a whole page on how this movie was such a bad idea for Rogen and then I saw the trailer and I really can't wait for this one. Apatow and Rogen back, this time reviving the stoner comedy to great effect.

Hmmm... I geuss that's it.

Summer Movies 2

2008-03-30T17:36:00.004-04:00

Ok, lets do this.

April 2008

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay- Saw the first on DVD and I am thinking
that will be more that sufficient for the second. It will probably be difficult to capture the energy and freshness of Harold and Kumar but the built in base and early opening April 25 should be sufficient to give this cult franchise a good openening weekend.

May 2nd

Ironman- should be fun. Summer's first blockbuster will likely enjoy a brief reign as Speed Racer opens May 9 and will pull theaters away from the film.

May 9 Speed Racer- Wachowski Brothers, cool visual, big opening. Heck this may even have a plot.

May 16

Prince Caspian- The Chronicles of Narnia
Kid friendly adventure films always do well and this should be no exception as its world wide smash predecessor showed. This one should also have legs if the last was any indicator. Look for it to make anywhere from 3.5 to 4 times it's opening weekend haul.

May 23

Indianna Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal SkullsOk, have to admit to being giddy about this one. Sure it looks derivative. Sure the last Jones thriller was fairly tepid, but this may be the last chance to watch Harrison Ford execute physical feats that defy logic, his age, gravity, physics.. take your pick really. Bring on the giant paper mache stones!

May 30

Sex and the City- If there is anything to the concept of counter programing this should be good for an easy 100 mill and that could be good for a spate of less sucessful tv based features too come.

June 6

You Don't Mess with Zohan
It's Sandler of course it will make money. Judd Aptow helped Sandler out with the scripting cores, which could make this one cut above the other 20 or so Sandler epics.

June 13

Incredible HulkThe franchise gets reimagined with Ed Norton in the key role of Geneticist cum monster the Hulk. Tim Roth joins the cast as the human half of Hulk's nefarious counter part, The Abomination. This can only be a improvement on Ang Lee's heavy handed take on this comicbook icon.

The Happening
Not the box office gaurantee that he once was M Night Shyamalan tries to regain his formerly golden touch. Mark Wahlberg's participation argues that he may be moving in the right direction.

June 20th

The Love Guru- Mike Myers. He doesn't make unsucessful film but this one has the stench of a mid-summer bomb on it. Of course I said the same thing about Signs.

Get Smart- It's hard not to like Steve Carrell, but that doesn't mean that anyone is going to forget Evan Almighty.

June 27th

Wall.E Gauranteed smash. Good timing. Well marketed. Resistance is futile.

July 4th-

Hancock

Wil Smith. Are you kidding me? Will smith. Super Hero Comegy. July 4th. Peter Berg steps up to the big leagues. He will likely parlay his success here into some interesting small projects down the road.

Hellboy II

should be fun. enjoyed the first one.

July 18th

The Dark Knight
Famously Heath Ledger's last film. Should be interesting to see how that affects what had been the rebirth of a monster franchise.

More to follow in Summer Movies 3

Summer is coming!- Ironman

2008-03-30T16:58:00.003-04:00

The summer movie season is fast approaching and though is may not compare to last year heavy hitter line-up, it should be chock full of familar names, big budgets, big stars and teen friendly plots and scripts. Comic book based movies have such a strong track record that they seldom have a hard time drawing top notch hollywood talent. Witness this May's early summer thiller, Iron Man, for further proof of this if such is required.

Robert Downey Jr.(Oscar nominee) heads a cast of critical darlings with Terrance Howard(Oscar Nominee) and Gywneth Paltrow(Yes still alive and an oscar winner for Shakespeare in Love) and Jeff Bridges, who you may struggle to recognize minus his trademark mane. This gaggle of talent should allow director, Jon Favreau, to strike the proper balance of summer fun and respect for the source material that seperates the blockbuster from the average comic book movie. Since this is something that Ang Lee, amoungst others failed to do, it is no small task. Downey is a major assest in this undertaking, well deserving of praise so ofter heaped upon his undertakings.

#953 Into the Wild

2008-03-15T12:48:00.003-04:00

Sean Penn's latest directorial effort, based on the Jon Krakauer book,proved a very pleasant suprise. At over 2 and 1/2 hours running time, this film showed every sign of being a preachy, tedious snorefest. Penn who previously helmed Indian Runner, The Crossing Gaurd and The Pledge with mixed results has gone back behind the cameras after a 6 year break and has produced a gem. Penn uses an eclectic cast including Emile Hirsch, William Hurt, Hal Holbrook(rec oscar nomination for this role), Vince Vaughn and Catherine Keener(40 year old Virgin) who gives a great turn as "Love Child" who finds it difficult to be loved.
Hirsch plays, Chris Childress, a recent ivy league graduate who decided to embark on an adventure as a leather tramp, abandoning his car and money to see the country on foot. Along the way he meets unhappy hippies, a felon farmer and a retired and widowed army vet forging deep friendship even as he gradually removes himself from the crush of humanity. Penn weaves(hammers home actually) a theme about family and forgiveness into the mix. This distracts a bit for what is otherwise a deft and light-handed presentation. Hirsch manages to make his potrayal both sufficiently brooding and emotional to understand Childress's gradual retreat from society but engaging and likeable enough for us to care.

As Childress treks across the US and eventually to Alaska, introducing the audience to the films other star, the boundless beauty of the American wilds.

Daywatch Trailer

2008-01-21T18:00:00.000-05:00

This is the trailer for the American release of Daywatch the second in a series of Russian Sci/Fi adventure films. The first, Nightwatch was fairly lame and predictable but this shows that their budget has gotten bigger and that at the very least they know how to make a trailer.

Ok, the chalk of fate is the lamest power object ever, but some of these visual effects are pretty cool.

954 & 1/2 Family Guy Star Wars Parody- Blue Harvest

2008-01-20T19:20:00.000-05:00

Ok, its not really a movie(hence the 1/2) but I did rent the DVD of the Family Guy Star Wars Parody. It comes with a bevy of additional features. If you want to see Family Guy Creator, Seth McFarlane, fawn all over George Lucas or if you are wondering what the Blue Harvest subtitle is all about check these out.

Otherwise, this is a level above what you normally see when a bunch of super fans, no matter how talented, attempt to do a tribute episode to source material for which they have great affection. Not sure what I mean, Check out Howard The Duck, a 1980's super bomb where Mr. Lucus was the superfan most culpable.

Here, however, the jokes are crisp and come quickly. The show that has made it's mark holding a fun house mirror up to pop culture is in its element here. Many celebrity targets take a hit here but none a solidly as Danny Elfman(Let's face it he has been asking for it). All in all, this is definitly worth the time if you didn't check the episode when it originally aired. If you did, have no fear, apparently this was such a hit at Skywalker Ranch that follow up parodies of Empire and Jedi are on the slate.

Cloverfield Opens Big

2008-01-19T16:04:00.000-05:00

Ok, as per Friday estimates Cloverfield pulled in about 16.75 million in only the first day of the 4 day holiday weekend. That means it will likeley bring in over 40 mllion for the weekend which is about 160% of its budget making it an unqualified smash. That said, can I ask one more time what is interesting about a monster movie without a monster. I didnt get Blair Witch. I don't get Cloverfield. I hate shaky hand point of view flicks. I hate casts of snarky twenty somethings spewing what passes for clever dialouge. But I guess what I think doesnt matter. JJ Abrahams wins this one with a Round One TKO. He continues to grow as a force in Hollywood and his handling of the Star Trek reimagining and Speed Racer later this year could cement him as a permanent fixture in that firmament. But, is that a good thing for movie fans???

Cloverfield

2008-01-17T00:41:00.000-05:00

Cloverfield comes out tomorrow to mild anticipation. I know I had talk positively about this film when the online viral marketing and the first trailers hit, but that was contingent upon some payoff to the build up. As far as I can tell from what has come out since this is a monster movie without a monster and frankly I don't get it.

# 954 No Country for Old men

2008-01-07T01:03:00.000-05:00

I have to admit to being a huge Cohen brothers fan, so that may have biassed my opinion, but this was hands down my favorite film of 2007. Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem are remarkable in supporting roles and Josh Brolin continues his breakout year in the lead role as Llewellyn Moss, a Viet Nam Vet who stumbles on the aftermath of a major drug deal gone bad. The film is Cohen's first adaption of existing material. It is, in fact, an extremely faithful adaption of Cormac McCarthy's 2005 Novel of the same name.

No Country starts quickly introducing Javier Bardem early as Anton Chigurh(pronounced SHIGURR)a sociopath whose presence in this film can be compared to that of Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs or the shark in Jaws. He becomes the antagonist to virtually every other major character in the film. The pace is steady and unrelenting easing off only at the very end as the Cohens wrap things up in a manner that while atypical of Hollywood and even of the cohens is however perfectly faithful to the novel.

Jones and the Cohen Brothers deliver, Bardem is Badass and even Woody Harrelson is less "Woody". See it.

#955 Gone Baby Gone

2007-10-25T21:08:00.000-04:00

A fitting place to pick this back up as I have been gone baby gone for quite some time. Does that make me a bad person? Maybe not, bad blogger definitely. Mea Culpa. My apologies.

As for the movie. It is becoming apparent that every ten years or so(Good Will Hunting 1997), Ben Affleck is going to come out of nowhere with a movie that is in every way, pretty darn good. Who knew he had another one in him? Who knew he was going to make his little brother Casey a star and that we would be happy he did? Casey Affleck? Hmm.... ok.

Both Affleck's deliver in this tense potboiler, along with Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan and others. Ben Affleck updates and upgrades his auteur chops, this time not only adapting the screenplay from a an existing novel by Dennis Lehane(Mystic River), but also helming his first major motion picture. Like Mystic River,which garnered multiple Oscar nomination and two wins in 2003, GBG is set in one of the tougher neighborhoods in South Boston. It features Casey Affleck and Michelle Monagahan as a pair of private detectives/live in boyfriend/girlfriend. Despite initial reservations due to certainty that any investigation will bring only bad news to light, they agree to investigate the kidnapping of the 4 year old daughter of a local neer dowell mom. After talking to a series of uncooperative witnesses, including the mom, they soon begin to make headway though even the people who don't know anything aren't talking. But the deeper into this mystery they get, the more they find that the answers are leading to a series of unpalatable choices. They may solve the case but what will it cost them and are they willing to pay it. I

If you don't catch this on the first run, you may well be able to see it when they bring it back around Oscar time.

# 956 Superbad - Seth Rogan,

2007-08-18T13:41:00.001-04:00

Superbad opened in wide release last night and I caught a showing at a multiplex near me. The showing was packed with younger movie goers and the theater management made a pre-show announcement that boiled down to "Just because you are about to see a raucous teen-age comedy, doesn't mean that we will tolerate any raucous teenage bullshit" Any and all horseplay, non-sense or otherwise goofball like behavior would result in a quick trip to the parking lot with no refund. Admittedly there were no disruptions in a theatre where there often are(particularly on a busy friday), but regardless it's a strange way to treat your customers.

As for the movie itself, it's an entertaining film that will have accross the board appeal whether its with current teens or 30 somethings who remember sneaking in to see porky's, bachelor party and similar 80's teen sex romps. I am not a huge fan of this type of comedy, but Superbad is exceptional both in it's content(well written) and its execution. Cutting edge enough for the younger crowd and still smart enough to appeal to older fans.

Seth Rogan and Bill Hader play a pair of cops who run amuck(not always innocently) but without any irreparable consequences. Much of the film and most of its best moments feature them and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, whose McLovin character was being merchandised on the internet before the movie opened. They hook up in a liquor store where Mintz-Plasse(Fogell) is attempting to buy $120 worth of booze with a Hawaiaan fake Id that bears only the name McLovin.

Simultaneously, the two friends that that are the focus of the film, Seth and Evan, begin an epic search for liquor(It should probably be noted that the film was written years ago by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg). This is an alternately raunchy and sweet trip that winds up paying with plenty of laughs. Go ahead and shell out the $10 bucks for this one. You will not get burned.

New Game- Have Some Fun with Samuel Jackson Movies

2007-08-11T13:22:00.000-04:00

Ok, here's how it works:
1)Take the names of at least two of your least favorite Samuel L Jackson movies(i.e. Snakes on a Plane, Unbreakable)
2)Use them to create the title of a potential sequel to either or both.

examples:

Snakes on an Unbreakable Plane
Unbreakable Deep Blue Sea Snake
187 Snakes on a Sea Plane
S nakes W ith A wful T empers

Honorable mention- This does not follow the rules of the game but

Der Snakes on Das Plane

So What am I Missing..... Great movies that you'll will likely not see at a theater near you.

2007-08-10T13:26:00.000-04:00

So if this is the summer of the blockbuster with a new monster sequel opening every other week if not every week, movie fans should be up nights deciding which great flick to see next... Right?!

Unfortunatly box office results and fan reaction seem to indicate that after an initial rush to the screening by the hard core fan base, most movies are dropping off percipitously. So what alternatives do those not disposed to the II's and the III's that are dominating screent time this year have.. Not too much. Knocked up has been the suprise comdedy hit of the summer and is doing for Seth Rogan what Elf did for Wil Ferrel. Hairspray seems to have found a solid following and The Simpson's have cashed in on longtime fans but what about the smaller, quality films, where is there niche in amoung these giants. Hmmm, not too much room there. Here are a few films that you might miss in the theatres but you should be sure to check out on DVD:

1) Rescue Dawn: Wanna see Christian Bale play a hero, he and Steve Zahn star in the true story of a daring and grueling escape from a Viet Cong Prison camp by some US pilots during the Viet Nam War. It has pulled in about 4.2 million dollars despite showing on a total of about 500 screens.

2) Sunshine: Danny Boyle's Sci Fi thriller star Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh and Chris Evans(FF's Johnny Strom). Boyle does interesting things with the genre, including putting a racially diverse team on an international space mission. This smart and crisp thriller is well worth the wait for DVD if you cant find it near you.

What's new pussycat?-- New Movie releases

2007-08-10T03:11:00.001-04:00

Out today several new friday releases including Rush Hour 3 with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. This has been one of the most uniformly panned sequels of the summer. Brett Ratner does for his own trilogy what he did for the X-men(i.e. leave fans with a bad taste in their mouths).

Also opening wide, Stardust, with Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro, hopes to be the family movie that is magical enough for kids but with enough edge to keep adults interested. Neil Gaiman(author of the source material) possesses and utilizes enough dark wit to fill the bill in a plot the includes a band of fratricidal princes bent on acquiring power and ridding themselves of each other.

A crowded weekend also includes the debut weeks for Daddy Day Camp,the sequel to the Eddie Murphy hit Daddy Day care. This time round, we are minus most of the key players including Murphy(take a cue from thier defections). Also bowing this weekend another in an endless line of werewolf movies that never seem to do very well, Skinwalkers.

Update Watchmen- Zack Snyder, Comicbook Adaption, Alan Moore

2007-08-08T22:03:00.000-04:00

Let's start with what I got wrong before. Watchmen is currently set for release in March 2009 not 2008 as I had earlier reported. A quick review of the casting thus far completed:

Jackie Earle Haley -Walter Kovacs/Rorschach **
Jeffrey Dean Morgan- Edward Blake/The Comedian
Carla Gugino-- *Pictured* Sally Jupiter
Patrick Wilson -Dan Dreiberg/Nite-Owl
Matthew Goode -Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias **
Billy Crudup- Jon Osterman/Dr. Manhattan **
Malin Akerman- Laurie Juspeczyk/Silk Spectre

**- denotes major character

Alan Moore wrote this series and had intended to use established characters but switched to a combination of little known and newly created characters when the publisher balked at using known commodities given the frank and unflattering tone of his story.

Jackie Earle Haley was last seen in 2006 art house favorite Little Children as a pedophile living with his mother and passing his days as the object of scorn, digust and harrassment. You may also remember him as Kelly Leak from the Bad News Bears. Haley pulls a plum role here as a costumed detective/vigilante in the mold of DC's own Dark Knight, the Batman.

Billy Crudup- Played guitar hero Russel Hammond in Almost Famous and lately twice played spies in Mission Impossilbe III and The Good Shepard. Here he plays central character Dr. Manhattan,the only character with true superpowers, who because of this is growing increasingly detached from the rest of humanity.

Matthew Goode also lands the important role of Ozymandias, the golden boy of the superheroes who remains publicly active when the others are forced into retirement eventually retiring on his own terms which include diclose his identity to the public and trading on it to become wealthy and powerful.

New On DVD- 300 Frank Miller Zack Snyder

2007-08-07T20:07:00.000-04:00

300 came to DVD this week with much fanfare and ubiquitous pop-ups. The is much to recommend this film and the sensation it caused when it opened was no fluke. It is visually spectacular, liberally spiced with sex and nudity and shows innovative use of the same green screen that made Sin City such a phenomenon. Not suprising as Writer/producer Frank Miller was the author(source material) of both, got a director credit on Sin City and producer credit here. With a towering androgynous Persian King and a mishapen hunchbacked castoff as the big villans of the movie, you certainly can't accuse Miller or director Zack Snyder of being politically correct. Decent fun but not too much storywise.

300 follows a time honored method of story telling. Lots of blood and gore and some tantalizing flashes of nudity. Perfect combo to bring in the adult males 18 to 30 and it fuel very solid sales here. As always lots of bonus materials on the DVD including deleted scenes, director's commentary and making of. Reviews of the material and the film have been mostly positive, so if this is your cup of tea, drink deep.

Transformers takes in highest overseas haul

2007-08-07T14:55:00.001-04:00

Megan Fox helped Transformers to take the biggest share of the overseas box office after several weeks off the perch. Transformers contiued its strong performance in Asia but was actually only the top grosser in only a few markets. This, however, was enough to make it the top grossing(INTL) film with a take of sligh under $30 Mill.

And another thing.... Gaiman, Zemeckis and Angelina

2007-08-05T23:17:00.000-04:00

Speaking of Neil Gaiman, and I was just a bit ago, he was also involved in the Robert Zemekis animated Beowulf adaption due out just before thanksgiving. Sure nothing says Box office hit like a 12th century old(or is it olde) English epic poem, but I hear this guy Zemekis has had a hit or two in the past(Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Cast Away to name 3). Lots of talent involved here with Anthony Hopkins, Brendan Gleeson and the digitally smoking hot Angelina Jolie. Plus the trailer looks pretty cool. Could be a modest box office success.

# 957 The Simpsons

2007-08-05T10:58:00.000-04:00

Finally caught up with Homer, Marge, Bart and the rest and I have to agree that this is basically one long, big budget Simpsons episode with more illustrators. That said, Simpsons has been the funniest, most daring and most creative comedy on television for the 18 years so that not such a bad thing. If you are a fan, you will enjoy this. If you have somehow missed this phenomenon for the past two decades, you will be pleasantly suprised.

Neil Gaiman's Star Dust to Open next weekend- Michelle Pfeiffer, Rober De Niro, Claire Danes, Peter O'Toole

2007-08-05T10:44:00.000-04:00

Stardust which had it's star studded LA premiere last week, opens wide around North America this Friday, Aug 10. Why is this good? Other than giving an alternative to Rush Hour 3, which I look forward exactly as much as my next teeth cleaning(if they still used nasty old metal hooks instead of a cool sonic device). Here's why, Nail Gaiman is another top notch writer of books, comics etc... who is beginning to not loathe Hollywood. Thats good for movies and for movie fans. Also, this seems to be a fairly decent film(see link below for review):

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/click/movie-1170430/reviews.php?critic=all&sortby=default&page=1&rid=1657352

also check out the official site here its pretty well done:

http://www.stardustmovie.com/site.htm

Bourne well on its way after strong opening

2007-08-05T10:41:00.000-04:00

Bourne ultimatum is well on its way to a 70 million dollar opening after socking away 24 million on Friday. Should be another solid weekend in a summer filled with hits that failed to produce a mega hit.

What's left.. for 2007- New Movies

2007-08-03T21:55:00.000-04:00

So whats left to get excited about in 2007. Besides Superbad in August and 30 Days of Night in October , one movie to look forward to in 2007(November 2)is the Gangster biopic based on the life of Harlem Drug kingpin Frank Lucus. If Oscar winner leads Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington and writer Steven Zallian(schindler's List) don't do it for you, how about living legend Ridley Scott in the director's chair.

# 958 Zoodiac- Robert Downey Jr, Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo

2007-08-03T13:43:00.000-04:00

Besides having the cast with the most ever double letters in their names, Zodiac has much to recomend it. Downey is top notch, Gyllenhaal remains solid and Ruffalo has a long future ahead of him playing tough cops with a heart of gold. Anthony Edwards(GOOSE!!!) is excellent in a supporting role. All and All much better than similar films(Summer of Sam)in the past and a very watchable two and one half hours.

Completly Insane?

2007-08-03T11:23:00.001-04:00

Not that this belongs in a movie blog but is it me or does Kirk Cameron look more than a little loopy lately.

Bourne debuts this weekend- Matt Damon

2007-08-03T01:09:00.000-04:00

The third installment of the Bourne series bows this weekend with Matt Damon and a bushel of raves which include(maybe for the first time this summer) the word smart. Also debuting Bratz, Hot Dog and Underdog, about which no one is using the word smart.

#959 Time Cop - Jean Claude Van Damme

2007-08-03T00:08:00.000-04:00

I refuse to believe that at any point in the future, we will ever develop the technology necessary to build guns with flashlights on them.

# 960 Hot Fuzz

2007-08-01T19:12:00.000-04:00

Don't get me wrong. I liked Shaun of the Dead. I like Simon Pegg. I liked a lot of the humor in this movie. But I don't care who you are, at some point during the climax your are going to look over at whoever your watching this with (dogs count) and say "How the F*U&) long is this movie anyway.

Superbad- Seth Rogan comedy Aug 17th

2007-08-01T01:45:00.000-04:00

Seth Rogan already has the biggest suprise hit of the year with Knocked Up and could score another with this coming of age, high school comedy that he also wrote and produced. Premieres August 17th.

#961 Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

2007-07-31T00:28:00.001-04:00

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.

01-18-2008 poster launched at Comicon 2007

2007-07-31T00:14:00.000-04:00

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.

Quick Start for Simpsons Movie

2007-07-28T23:55:00.000-04:00

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.

Spocks- Abrams tabs two to play Spock

2007-07-28T04:20:00.000-04:00

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

Cashback- original short

2007-07-28T03:19:00.000-04:00

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.

Monday Afternoon Quarterback- Harry Potter takes over the world

2007-07-23T17:55:00.001-04:00

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.

Harry Potter Book release 12:01am

2007-07-20T09:24:00.000-04:00

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.

New Releases this week- Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Danny Boyle, Cashback

2007-07-20T09:12:00.000-04:00

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.

Retribution- Kiyoshi Kurosawa

2007-07-18T22:31:00.001-04:00

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.

Cloverfield update- JJ Abrams New Movie Trailer

2007-07-17T22:28:00.000-04:00

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

#962 The Station Agent

2007-07-17T21:58:00.001-04:00

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.

What's Left.. tail end of the summer movie season

2007-07-17T08:48:00.001-04:00

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

Potter and Transfromers off to a flying start

2007-07-16T16:34:00.000-04:00

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.

Zack Synder- Watchmen

2007-07-15T23:02:00.000-04:00

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.

#963 Live Free of Die Hard

2007-07-15T23:00:00.001-04:00

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.

#964 Transformers

2007-07-15T22:53:00.001-04:00

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.

New Sam Rami Movie Trailer - 30 Days of Night

2007-07-12T19:43:00.001-04:00

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.

10000 B.C. Trailer

2007-07-12T14:28:00.000-04:00

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

That can't be right!

2007-07-11T13:56:00.000-04:00

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 Trailer - Opens Wide July 20

2007-07-11T10:45:00.000-04:00

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.

Potter Opens Big

2007-07-10T13:45:00.000-04:00

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.

Cloverfireld

2007-07-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

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.

The Ivory Test

2007-07-03T17:41:00.000-04:00

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.

#965 Harsh Times

2007-07-02T11:50:00.000-04:00

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.

Transformers bows in US Tonite

2007-07-02T09:16:00.000-04:00

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!

# 966 13 Tzameti

2007-07-01T11:11:00.000-04:00

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.

# 967 1408

2007-06-29T13:18:00.000-04:00

Stephen King short stories seem to transfer pretty well to the screen as long as he is not directly involved in the production.
John Cusak does a good job and Samuel Jackson is good except a brief scene where he is tiny and inside a refridgerator and frankly, I don't really blame him for that one.
Director Mike Hafstrom keeps this film fairly tight and does a fairly good job stretching the source material into a 90 minute film.

# 968 Primordial

2007-06-13T15:28:00.000-04:00

Fairly stupid Horror/action flick. Some stuff about how people are the worst monsters of all. Some twists on the normal shock horror techniques but on the whole you should miss this turkey.

# 969 Memento

2007-06-02T21:51:00.000-04:00

Christopher Nolan's big break, this film is tight, taut and engrossing. Guy Pearce, Carrie Anne Moss and Joe Patoliano are all great. This one is a gem.

Oh yeah, the whole thing runs backwards chronologically.

# 970 The Lost City

2007-05-27T21:46:00.000-04:00

This two and one half hour film tells the story of the impact of the Castro led insurrection in late 50's on a large and prosperous Cubano family living in Havana. If you made a face while reading that, this film is probably not for you. If you were intrigued, this Andy Garcia starrer and directorial debut is powerful and sweeping film. Bill murray and Dustin Hoffman add some color but the hand picked cast is the heart and soul of this very fine film.

# 971 Pan's Labyrinth

2007-05-15T23:28:00.000-04:00

Too slow to develop. Mixes legend, fairy tale symbolism and Spanish Facists. Some great visuals. Not for everyone. Somewhat too creepy and too much violence for young kids as the R rating should serve warning.

# 972 Alpha Dog

2007-05-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

Sort of a GoodFellas meets Entourage. Timberlake is not bad(Dammit). Anton Yelchin and Ben Foster are both excellent. Nick Cassavetes directing is solid.

# 973 28 Days Later

2007-05-10T00:09:00.000-04:00

With the looming release of the sequel 28 Weeks Later, it is high time for this post.

28 Days Later proves conclusively that really fast zombies are 78% cooler than regular zombies.

# 974 Original Sin

2007-05-09T23:09:00.000-04:00

Antonio Bandaras bangs Angelina Jolie like a wind up monkey bangs his little tin drum. I am pretty sure other stuff happened but I don't know what it was.

#975 Spiderman 3

2007-05-05T11:46:00.000-04:00

Summer Movie Season 2007 kicks off with neither a bang nor a whimper but a feh. I read that Sam Raimi is reluctant to sign on for Spidey 4 unless someone came up with a "great" new idea. Apparently he did not apply the same standard to this film.

Is this the summer that Hollywood rakes in 4 Billion + without producing anything resembling and entertaining film.

# 976 Children of Men

2007-04-01T22:14:00.000-04:00

A ton of talent in this Alfonso Cuarón helmed think piece. Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and the always wonderful Michael Caine. Tough, gritty and a bit bleak, it nonetheless delivers in compelling style. It's not every action flick that puts its star in shower clogs for a full one third of the movie.

#977 300

2007-03-18T23:47:00.000-04:00

Here's the story on the first big smash hit of 2007, 300, it uses a time honored formula to drive its box office performance, boobies and blood. These are the same ingredients in different measures that fueled the box office success of Braveheart, Conan the Barbarian, The Friday the Thirteenth and Halloween franchises and about 1000 other teen slasher flicks.

That said, there are so many decapitations in 300 that I started saying "Padiddle" and punching the guy next to me in the arm everytime one occurred. For some reason, he didn't appreciate the playful irony.

A Decent enough film but too much blood and gore and too much screaming about what it means to be Spartan!!! I did not recognize any of the actors, except Dominic West who plays Theron. If you do not know him from HBO's The Wire then shame on you. None of this will likely slow the box-office take even a bit as it rockets towards $200 million plus in North America. On the bright side it should cement Frank Miller(creator or 300, Sin City ....) as a Hollywood mover and shaker. There is already talk of adapting Miller's Ronin to the big screen and Sin City 2 is in the works. All good news for comic book fanboy geeks who seem ubiquitos these days.

The downside, as with any big Hollywood sucess, we will be seeing a ton of copies and the will be really crappy. To quote one Hollywood producer about a film currently scheduled for production.

"This is a grounded sci-fi premise, but there are big effects," says producer Hoberman. "And it's clear from 300 that people want to see different kinds of things, and this falls into that category,".

So true! More than anything else, people love to see "things", "different things".

# 978 Stranger than Fiction

2007-03-01T22:29:00.000-05:00

This Will Ferrel starer features a wealth of talent including Dustin Hoffman and the always delightful Emma Thompson. Also present are Maggie Gyllenhaal(holy extraneous double letters) and NJ's own Dana Owens(Queen Latifah), two actresses of no small regard that I have never held in much regard.
Just goes to show what my regard is worth as both deliver solid performances. Gyllenhaal's is particularly notable as her character could prove utterly insufferable in the hands of a less talented actress.
Wil Ferrel is likeable and the story itself has a Vonnegut or rather Vonnegut lite feel. No complaints here, but my wife ran for the hills after about ten minutes so it's not for everyone.

Gross$40,137,776 (USA)

# 979 Kung Fu Hustle

2007-02-23T18:16:00.000-05:00

I have seen this twice now and for some reason took my time getting around to it. This gem was directed by Hong Kong phenom Stephen Chow. It surpassed Chow's earlier notable effort, Shaolin Soccer, as the highest grossing Hong Kong made film. As of 2005, it had the widest US release of any foreign language film(I am not sure how that is possible with the incredible success of The Passion of the Christ).
Chow's parody of the 70's Kung fu genre is spirited, funny and affectionate. His hero is a cowardly would be criminal, his villans are laughable and the only truly fearsome sight is the
landlady when the rent is past due.
Chow is currently working on Kung Fu Hustle 2 which is tentatively scheduled for 2008.

#980 The Fountain

2007-02-20T17:12:00.000-05:00

It sucks. It's pretentious. It's Sucktentious.

#981 Jackass 2

2007-01-03T01:36:00.000-05:00

The best of these stunts leave you holding your breath, hiding your eyes and absolutely certain that sooner or later someone is going to get killed. Johnny Knoxville does his best to do so but doesnt quite get there. Some really cool stuff here, some just gross out stuff and some bits that go on to long. This film made about $70million dollars domestically and there is an excellent chance that we will be seeing(in one form or another) another film from these guys in the not too distant future.

#982 Clerks 2

2006-12-29T22:15:00.000-05:00

Loved the first one. This one, not so much. But I am an every other Kevin Smith movie fan, so that isn't surprising. Clerks- good/Chasing Amy-eeeh, Mallrats-good/Jay and Silent Bob-eeh, Dogma-Great!/Jersey Girl-PU.
The bits are older, the shock talk less shocking. Not Kevin Smith's best work. Some of it very fun but lots of waiting around in between.
Rosario Dawson looks great as always.
Kevin continues to show that he is the smartest of the acting directors by casting himself once more as Silent Bob. Take a hint, Tarrantino and Burns and Shaymalan.

One of the things that most prompted Kevin Smith to make the film was a promise he made to friend Jason Mewes. If Mewes managed to stay off drugs he would be able to play the character of "Jay" one more time. Smith kept his promise.

Jason Mewes has always delivered, so complaints aside, I'm glad to hear that Kevin is a man of his word.

#983 Unbreakable

2006-12-28T21:06:00.000-05:00

Got this one for Christmas. Not the biggest M Night fan but I remember thinking this could be good when I first heard it was being made. Slightly disappointing in that it is acknowledged by Shaymalan to be act one without follow up. The big guns(Bruce Willis, Sam Jackson and Robin Wright Penn) all do fine work and both Spencer Treat Clark, who plays Willis' son(He also played Lucas in Gladiator and Silent Ray in Mystic River) and and Charlayne Woodard who plays the mother of Sam Jackson's villanous Elijah Price aka Mr. Glass. Even Shaymalan himself is less turgid than normal in another misguided turn in front of the cameras.
Somehow it never really comes together and this winds up being decent but certainly not great.
tidbits:
Julianne Moore was offered the part of Audrey Dunn

Using the colour purple as Mr Glass's colour to David Dunn's green was Samuel L. Jackson's idea - purple is his favourite colour. He even asked George Lucas for a purple lightsaber in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Boxoffice: Us- 94,999,143

#984 Rocky Balboa

2006-12-28T00:24:00.000-05:00

Is it watchable? Yes. Stallone plays his his seminal character with the same bumbling, humble affability that made him so appealing in the first film.
Is it good? No. Too stale. Too redundant. Too much to overcome.

#985 Apocalypto

2006-12-28T00:09:00.000-05:00

Had intended to miss this one in the theater but wound up going anyway and was pleasantly surprised. Who would have thought the man who uttered "What are you looking at sugartits?" could have directed not one but two of the best major foreign language films in the past ten years(neither is as good a City of God). Lots of action, good characters and a storyline that never sags. Really a very solid effort that is likely to be overlooked at oscar time.

986: Casino Royale

2006-11-24T18:18:00.000-05:00

This the 21st bond film and based on the critical response and box-office (50 million in less than 10 days)start, it is off to a quick start. Here is the catch, if you are a fan of the Pierce Brosnan Bond(any many bond fans are. Rememeber Brosnans bond films are amoungst the highest grossing, then you will probably not like this new take. For me, Brosnan was always the guy that you couldn't stand in Highschool, so I am not too broken up by this sea change.

What Daniel Craig, the new Bond, and director Martin Campbell(he also directed Goldeneye in 1995) have teamed up to give us is a sleeker more bare bones Bond. No clever gadgets and fewer clever quips the New Bond is more of a smart ass than a smart alec. Eva Green and Caterina Murino provide the standard although in one case noticably brief Bond eye candy and Judi Dench, Mads Mikkelsen, Giancarlo Giannini and Felix Leiter are all solid in supporting roles.

This Bond strongly echoes some of the work done earlier by Sean Connery and Roger Daltry. There are gadgets but they are far more utlilitarian than in past films and Bond primarily depends on Bond. All in all a promising start for the latest take on this film Icon.

#987 The Gaurdian

2006-10-14T19:18:00.000-04:00

Incredibly average!

#988 School for scoundrels

2006-10-14T19:17:00.000-04:00

Average

#989 Munich

2006-10-14T19:02:00.000-04:00

Let me try to start catching up on the backlog of movies with one of the more pleasant experiences. Eric Bana is the lead in this dark drama by Steven Speilberg about a group of Isreali intelligence agents who are given the responsibility of exacting vengence on those responsible for the slaying of Isreali atheletes during the 1972 Munich Olympic games.

This film is host to a number of excellent performances including Bana's but two of the most memorable are turned in by Cirin Hinds who you may be seeing again at Oscar time and Daniel Craig, who bows as James Bonds next month in Casino Royale.

Hinds plays a veteran agent who is physically, emotionally and morally exhausted by all that he has seen. He serves as Bana's unlikely conscience and is the first and most vocal sceptic about the groups missions and actions. Craig turns in a performance the is almot pure Steve Mcqueen and is a joy to watch.

An excellent tense, smart thiller, Munich is likely to please.