Thursday, February 26, 2009

Total Recall Is Totally Getting Remade


Neal H. Moritz and his Original Films banner are in final negotiations to develop and produce for Columbia a contemporary version of "Total Recall," the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi action movie directed by Paul Verhoeven.

The original, based on the Philip K. Dick story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale," follows a man haunted by a recurring dream of journeying to Mars who buys a literal dream vacation from a company called Rekall Inc., which sells implanted memories. The man comes to believe he is a secret agent and ends up on a Martian colony, where he fights to overthrow a despotic ruler controlling the production of air.

The movie explores one of Dick's favorite topics, reality vs. delusion, as audiences never knew whether or not the story was a dream. Either way, the movie grossed a very real $261 million worldwide.

Carolco was behind the original movie, which was distributed by TriStar. Dimension picked up the rights for a reported $3.15 million with the aim of developing a sequel. Columbia secured the rights from Miramax, which retained them when Harvey and Bob Weinstein left to start their own company.

Calling Dick's story "prescient," Moritz said he hoped the advancements in technology and state-of-the-art visual effects can help tell the "Recall" story in a fresh way.

Thoughts:
Whats strange is that I was thinking about a Total Recall remake a couple of days ago. I was thinking of how cool a remake would look if if were to get remade and how much closer to the source the story would stay. I really don't know what to think of this right now. Man has Hollywood sure ran out of ideas. I mean remake after remake is starting to get really old and before you know it, their going to be remaking a classic like Casablanca.

First Look at Warner Bros. Picture's The Book of Eli


Entertainment Weekly has published the first photo of Denzel Washington in Warner Bros. Pictures' The Book of Eli, directed by Allen and Albert Hughes.

The film centers on a lone warrior (Washington) who must fight to bring society the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption. Gary Oldman plays the despot of a small makeshift town who's determined to take possession of the book Eli's guarding.

The studio is targeting a January 15, 2010 release.

Thoughts:
Looks pretty cool and its nice to finally see how the movie is shaping up to be. Hopefully a movie with an interesting concept like this turns out great.

Sony Pictures Activates The B Team


Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired “The B Team,” a spec pitch package for an Adam McKay-directed action comedy that will team Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as cops, with Chris Henchy and McKay writing the script.

Sony has not set a release date on the film, but it is expected to go into production as quickly as the filmmakers can get it ready.

The comedy was pitched around town on Tuesday by Endeavor and CAA, and Sony co president Matt Tolmach moved quickly. Tolmach was comfortable committing to a film without a finished script, because Columbia worked in exactly the same fashion on “Talladega Nights” and “Step Brothers,” both of which were set up with a pitch and the collaborative track record of McKay and Ferrell.

"We have a great relationship with the team at Sony from 'Talladega Nights' and 'Step Brothers' and we couldn't be more excited about doing our next one with them," said McKay. " Also I feel like we've put the physical altercation I had with Matt Tolmach on 'Step Brothers' behind us, and it's time to get back to the business called show."

Sony intends to register the title “The B Team,” a challenge considering that 20th Century Fox is mobilizing a movie based on the TV series “The A Team,” with Joe Carnahan directing.

Thoughts:
Doesn't sound surprising to me considering McKay directed both Talladega Nights and Step Brothers for Sony. I just hope this film is more funny than Step Brothers.

Warner Bros. Brings Together Suicide Squad


Warner Bros. Pictures has set up the DC Comics property Suicide Squad for Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes) to produce as a potential franchise.

In a departure from normal comic-based fare, Suicide Squad concentrates on a group of incarcerated super villains rather than the usual focus on superheroes. The first version of the squad debuted in a 1959 DC Comic, and a series was launched in 1987.

Stephen Gilchrist from Lin Pictures will co-produce. Justin Marks (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Hack/Slash) is penning the screenplay.

Suicide Squad will feature a mix of well-known and unknown villains recruited by the government to accomplish a task deemed too dangerous for superheroes. The historically independent operators must bury their own interpersonal conflicts and agendas to form a cohesive unit to take on a singular task.

Thoughts:
I personally haven't heard or read anything about these superheros so I wouldn't know what to expect from this. I'm just happy that Warner Bros. is finally taking the DC comics brand more seriously and stepping up to the likes of Marvel Entertainment.

Samuel L. Jackson Signs Nine-Picture Deal to Play Nick Fury


Samuel L. Jackson has buried the hatchet with Marvel Entertainment, making a deal to play the role of Nick Fury in "Iron Man 2," and potentially many other films.

Jackson's deal is a long-term commitment to play Fury, the leader of the espionage unit the Shield. His deal contains an option to play the character in nine future Marvel superhero films, efforts that are expected to include "Captain America," "Thor," "The Avengers" and "The Shield" as well as potential sequels.

Jackson introduced Fury in the closing moments of "Iron Man," when the character asked Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark to join his group. Fury is a natural to show up in multiple Marvel franchises, as he crosses paths with many Marvel superheroes in the comic books.

Thoughts:
Sounds like one hell of a deal and I'm glad we have someone that's not going to get type-casted. I'm surprised Marvel is offering such low pay for their cast even though Iron Man made them a shit load of money.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Gore Verbinski Set To Direct Clue For Universal


Universal has attached Gore Verbinski to develop "Clue," a live-action murder mystery based on the Hasbro board game that he would direct.

Verbinski will produce through his Universal based Blind Wink banner, along with Hasbro’s Brian Goldner and Bennett Schneir, who also have an overall deal at the studio. Verbinski is also set to direct "Bioshock" next for Universal.

"Clue" is one of the few board games to surpass $1 billion in sales, in more than 50 markets. It was developed in England by a retired legal clerk named Anthony Pratt during WWII and released in 1948. A previous film version was released in 1985.

"Clue" will be turned into a mystery that Blind Wink senior veep Jonathan Krauss called "A global thriller and transmedia event that uses deductive reasoning as its storytelling engine."

Thoughts:
Seeing as how I haven't seen the original, I'm somewhat excited for this. I only heard positive things about the original, but I do think an updated version would be cool. I just hope Verbinski starts production on Bioshock soon. He keeps getting more and more projects from Universal which is good, but I just wish he starts one of them soon.

Michel Gondry Steps In For The Green Hornet


Michel Gondry is in negotiations to direct "The Green Hornet," Columbia's big-screen treatment of the classic crime-fighting hero being portrayed by Seth Rogen.

Stephen Chow had been tapped to direct but dropped out over creative differences. He is still expected to co-star as Kato, the Hornet's trusty sidekick and chauffeur.

"Hornet" follows the adventures of Britt Reid, a bored playboy who inherits his father's crusading newspaper, the Daily Sentinel. By night he is a masked hero, fighting crime with his sidekick Kato, who has incredible martial arts skills.

Rogen and his writer partner Evan Goldberg joined the project in July 20, 2007, as writers and co-exec producers. The studio is intent on making the feature one of its 2010 tentpoles.

Thoughts:
This seems like a weird choice, but also something I kind of saw coming. I think Gondry is a talented director with a special touch. I loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and have been meaning to see Be Kind Rewind. I'm glad the film is still on track for a 2010 release, but I'm still skeptical about the film. I mean it doesn't sound interesting at all and I don't think a film like this is going to appeal to audiences when we have already seen great films like The Dark Knight and Iron Man.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Weekend Boxoffice Numbers


In Order

Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail
Studio: Lionsgate
This Week: $41,120,000
Last Week: -
Total: $41,120,000
_____________________________________________________
Coraline
Studio: Focus Features
This Week: $11,432,124
Last Week: $14,783,157
Total: $53,766,843
_____________________________________________________
Taken
Studio: 20th Century Fox
This Week: $11,281,262
Last Week: $18,985,260
Total: $95,034,161
_____________________________________________________
He's Just Not That Into You
Studio: Warner Bros.
This Week: $8,558,225
Last Week: $19,518,465
Total: $70,100,901
_____________________________________________________
Slumdog Millionaire
Studio: Fox Searchlight
This Week: $8,384,680
Last Week: $7,284,808
Total: $98,354,395
_____________________________________________________
Friday the 13th
Studio: New Line
This Week: $7,942,472
Last Week: $40,570,365
Total: $55,119,663
_____________________________________________________
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
This Week: $7,019,000
Last Week: $15,066,360
Total: $27,654,000
_____________________________________________________
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Studio: Columbia Pictures
This Week: $7,000,000
Last Week: $10,983,319
Total: $121,380,000
_____________________________________________________
Fired Up
Studio: Columbia Pictures
This Week: $6,000,000
Last Week: -
Total: $6,000,000
_____________________________________________________
The International
Studio: Columbia Pictures
This Week: $4,450,000
Last Week: $9,331,739
Total: $17,017,000

Thoughts:
Looks like the Oscar weekend didn't have too much impact on the box office this week. Tyler Perry's new movie "Madea Goes to Jail", dominated the box office with an impressive weekend opening of $41 million. The film has become Tyler Perry's highest grosser and should continue to do well in the coming weeks. I still haven't seen any Tyler Perry movies and I don't think I plan on doing so for a long while. Alot of people said his films aren't great or funny so I'm going to stay away from them for awhile.

Coraline moved up some spots to come in at number 2. The stop-motion animated flick from Focus Features grossed an estimated $11.4 million with a total of $53 million. I'm really surprised it jumped back in the top 3 and I'm glad more people are experiencing this wonderful film. Fox's Taken hasn't changed and still held the number 3 spot with a good $11 million. The film is already at $95 million and should cross the $100 million spot as soon as next week. Impressive numbers for a film that's been out internationally for awhile. The romantic comedy "He's Just Not That Into You", fell two spots and took in $8 million over the weekend. The film now stands at $70 million and still has a decent chance at taking in a $100 million before its theatrical run is over.

The Oscar winner for Best Picture "Slumdog Millionaire", continued to do well in theaters and grossed an estimated $8 million which is slightly up from last week. Fox Searchlight opened the film in more theaters last week and with the Best Picture win, I can see the film bringing in more money. Expect the film to pass the $100 million sweet spot next week. The horror remake of Friday the 13th, took a serious plunge this week and only grossed $7 million. This is very disappointing for the film considering it opened with $40 million last week. I knew the film would drop hard this week since the reviews and word of mouth weren't good, but I was expecting a drop this huge. I can see the film exiting theaters with around $65 million in total.

Confessions of a Shopaholic and Paul Blart: Mall Cop came in at number 7 and 8 respectively. Confessions is starting to slow down and is going to need some strong legs if it wants to reach $50 million at the least. Mall Cop already has a total of $121 million which is more than enough for a profit. The film should start to slow down next week and should finish with a tally of $135 million. New opener from Sony this week was Fired Up which grossed $6 million. Sony's other film "The International", rounded the top 10 with a mear $4 million. I expect the bank thriller to finish with $27 million when all is said and done.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Universal Planning A Battlestar Galactica Movie?


IGN Movies has learned that Universal Pictures is planning to turn the TV series Battlestar Galactica into a feature film with series creator Glen A. Larson being lined up to script and produce it.

We were informed that the film will be based on the original BSG series from 1978-79 rather than the recent reboot from Sci Fi Channel. The story followed a band of humans who were the only survivors of a devastating attack on their colonial home world by the vicious cybernetic race known as the Cylons. The survivors, led by Commander Adama, embark on a journey through space aboard the military vessel Battlestar Galactica to find refuge on a distant planet called Earth.

Thoughts:
Sounds interesting and even though I don't watch the show, I'm glad their finally bringing a live action feature film to theaters. What I don't get is why are they basing the movie on the older version? I thought more people enjoyed the newer one. Hopefully they are thinking about ideas and this isn't final, but were going to have to wait and see.

Next Superman Movie Will Be Unleashed?


/Film snuck into Legendary Pictures' password protected company site, which lists Superman Unleashed as one of the company's upcoming films in development. Legendary Pictures was one of the companies responsible for bringing director Bryan Singer and Warner Bros. Pictures' Superman Returns to theaters in 2006.

The site says the listing includes the following synopsis:

"Ramping up the action of its esteemed predecessor, the sequel to 'Superman Returns' promises to raise the stakes and take the audience to heights of action that no other superhero movie can achieve."

Thoughts:
Now I know alot of people didn't like Superman Returns and simply bashed the movie for everything its worth, but I was one of the few who actually enjoyed it to some extent. I know the movie had problems and plot holes that almost anyone who has some knowledge would admit, but it was still pretty entertaining. I would personally love for a sequel to the film. I know director Bryan Singer is more than capable of delivering a worthy sequel and if you don't believe me than go see X2: X-Men United. I would also love for Brandon Routh to return as Clark Kent/Superman. I wouldn't really mind if Warner Bros. and DC wanted to reboot the franchise as long as Routh returns. I thought he was a good Superman and somewhat nailed the Clark Kent aspect. I would really hate for him to be replaced. One thing is for sure and its that fans like me are in need of a new Superman movie.

Trailer for Judd Apatow's new comedy, Funny People


Universal Pictures and Moviefone have debuted the trailer for writer/director Judd Apatow's new comedy, Funny People, starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, RZA, Aubrey Plaza, Maude Apatow and Iris Apatow. Opening in theaters on July 31st, Funny People is the story of a famous comedian (Sandler) who has a near-death experience.

Thoughts:
Movie looks wonderful and only builds my excitement for this film. I loved Apatow's previous films (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) and I'm sure I'll love this one too. I find him to be better when hes directing a movie rather than just producing it.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

REVIEW: Friday the 13th


Friday the 13th

Year: 2009
Director: Marcus Nispel
Starring: Jared Padalecki, Amanda Righetti, Danielle Panabaker, Travis Van Winkle, Derek Mears
Distributor: New Line Cinema
MPAA: Rated R

The Friday the 13th remake caught my attention with its trailers. I wasn't planning on seeing this movie because I'm not really a Jason fan and I haven't seen the previous Friday the 13th films. But the film was heavily advertised and it looked kind of cool. It was advertised so much that the horror slasher drew in big numbers at the box office and grossed an estimated $40 million. That's twice as much as its budget and only hints at an inevitable sequel. Not only that, but I had a good feeling that director Nispel would do a fine job with this film considering I enjoyed his 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Plot Outline:
Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki) searches for his missing sister in the eerie woods of legendary Camp Crystal Lake. Against the advice of police and cautions from the locals, Clay pursues what few leads he has, with the help of a young woman named Jenna (Danielle Panabaker) who he meets among a group of college kids up for an all-thrills weekend. But they are about to find much more than they bargained for. Little do they know, they've entered the domain of one of the most terrifying specters in American film history--the infamous killer who haunts Crystal Lake, armed with a razor-sharp machete...Jason Voorhees (Derek Mears).

Plot:
I have seen some of the previous Friday the 13th films on TV, but never the whole collection from start to finish. That said, this new remake is somewhat of a mixed bag. The film is filled with sex scenes and pot smoking which doesn't add anything to the storyline, but is used to transition things. The film is essentially the first three Friday the 13th films put together with a fancy spray coat. It brings ideas from those films and makes it into a film more modernized than those versions. What I enjoyed to some extent was that they made Jason much more human this time. We finally get to see Jason the way he was meant to be. We all remember him being this zombie like being with a hockey mask who would kill people. He was very slow and didn't really consist of a brain. Hes now much more human and more skilled this time around. He knows how to shoot arrows and stalk his enemies. This makes him into an effective killing machine and one that's more natural for a modern remake like this. What I didn't like was that the film was just too predictable. Besides the thrilling and exciting introduction which is the longest one for a horror movie, I could see everything happening from a mile ahead. Dialogue is also cheesy and shows the more humorous side of the film rather than the serious tone. It also makes the characters feel like plastic and one dimensional. The ending was expected and only sets the film up for an inevitable sequel. Besides the few thrilling moments in the film, the movie also isn't very scary. I thought their was more scary and thrilling parts in the 2003 updated version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Cast:
The cast ain't special and they all bring the usual expected roles you would expect from a horror film these days. Jared Padalecki plays the main character of the film, Clay Miller. He does a decent job in the role, but I don't like him as the lead of the film. His character doesn't show much emotion and is only their to look for his sister. I think they could have gotten someone more effective and more popular than Padalecki. Amanda Righetti plays as Clay's sister, Whitney Miller. She does a better job of showing more emotion than Padalecki, but she still feels somewhat like a cardboard. I guess I enjoyed her in the film and she did make for an interesting character since shes got more screen appearance. Danielle Panabaker plays as Jenna and she also makes for a decent chick in a horror film like this. She isn't great and nor does she look like shes trying to be, but she gets the part done. Travis Van Winkle plays as Trent and hes pretty funny in the movie. I wasn't impressed with his acting at all, but I still found his character to be amusing and something needed to break the tension away. We have the well built Derek Mears playing as Jason Voorhees. Mears does a good job of keeping Jason fresh and more well developed than the previous incarnations. He actually puts in effort and brings something new to Jason.

Picture:
The visual look of the film is pretty good. The film is relatively new which makes the films source somewhat clean. I did detect some grain here and their that I found to be alittle distracting. I guess it was the directors choice to make the film much more stylized and seem alittle more older than it should be. I found the colors in the film to be generally good to some extent. While they aren't as vibrant and eye popping as some other films, but its good for a horror flick like this. Their are some scenes shown outside and these look generally good. Black levels are also nice and inky the way it should be. Their are alot of dark scenes and these scenes still look good despite the level of lighting. Flesh tones seem natural and not all waxy like some films. Detail is also pretty good and does the film some justice. This ain't a film to demo off to your friends, but its pretty good for a film like this. Their are a few scenes that seemed slightly soft, but overall its a good looking movie.

Sound:
The soundtrack for the new Friday the 13th film is part good and part confusing. The music is composed by Steve Jablonsky who also composed music for the live action Transformers film and the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Hes generally a good composer for horror films and seems to know what hes doing. However, his work on this film seems alittle off. The famous Jason theme that we all know and love is hardly ever used and their barely seems to be any music in the film. The sound effects do sound great and when Jason is slashing people, it all sounds good. I just expected to hear the theme song more than once. Friday the 13th features some good bass that is more than enough for a horror flick like this. Its loud and full of aggression. It packs a good one two punch that nails the gory scenes and makes them more effective.

Conclusion:
Friday the 13th is a decent film and probably the best version your going to get. It does a nice job of bringing this old franchise to life and making it more modern, but it still fails to deliver a creepy satisfying experience. I'm glad they made Jason more effective and more human, but why does everyone else in the film just seem really dumb? I also didn't find the story to be compelling or interesting and focused more on drugs rather than Jason himself. The cast was decent and delivered decent performances, but they could have shown some more emotion. The visual look of the film is pretty good and features some striking black levels. The soundtrack is a hit and miss in some ways, but generally solid overall. I thought they could have used the famous Jason theme more often than its present, but the film still featured a good bass. I cant really recommend this film to those looking for a god horror movie. If your a fan of the previous Friday the 13th films than you might want to check this film out to see whats new and whats different, but I would probably wait for the DVD/Blu-ray version.

Grade: D+

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Weekend Boxoffice Numbers


In Order

Friday the 13th
Studio: New Line
This Week: $40,570,365
Last Week: -
Total: $40,570,365
______________________________________________________
He's Just Not That Into You
Studio: Warner Bros.
This Week: $19,518,465
Last Week: $27,785,487
Total: $54,986,933
______________________________________________________
Taken
Studio: 20th Century Fox
This Week: $18,985,260
Last Week: $20,547,346
Total: $77,660,012
______________________________________________________
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
This Week: $15,066,360
Last Week: -
Total: $15,066,360
______________________________________________________
Coraline
Studio: Focus Features
This Week: $14,783,157
Last Week: $16,849,640
Total: $35,019,078
______________________________________________________
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Studio: Columbia Pictures
This Week: $10,983,319
Last Week: $10,884,825
Total: $109,797,819
______________________________________________________
The International
Studio: Columbia Pictures
This Week: $9,331,739
Last Week: -
Total: $9,331,739
______________________________________________________
The Pink Panther 2
Studio: Columbia Pictures
This Week: $8,513,476
Last Week: $11,588,150
Total: $21,834,470
______________________________________________________
Slumdog Millionaire
Studio: Fox Searchlight
This Week: $7,284,808
Last Week: $7,177,270
Total: $86,680,723
______________________________________________________
Push
Studio: Summit Entertainment
This Week: $6,863,022
Last Week: $10,079,109
Total: $19,257,450

Thoughts:
The famous hockey masked Jason, slashed the box office this week. Friday the 13th opened in first place and scored a $40 million opening making it the biggest opening for a horror film. One would also expect an announcement for a sequel considering these strong numbers and the ending for the film. A review for the film is in the works and should go up sometime this week.

Warner's He's Just Not That Into You fell into the number 2 spot with $19 million over the weekend. The film is still doing good with the ladies and should make it to a $100 million before its done. The Liam Neeson action thriller "Taken", is still doing strong numbers and brought in $18 million. The Fox flick is already at $77 million and could reach a $100 million as soon as next week. I still haven't seen this film and hopefully Ill have time this week to do so. The chick flick "Confessions of a Shopaholic" from Disney took the 4th spot with $15 million. I was expecting much more considering the film is based on a best selling book with the same name and leans more towards that family type genre.

Coraline from Focus Features did pretty well this week with an estimated $14 million. The animated flick from director Henry Selick should continue to do decent numbers considering its one of the few animated flicks in theaters. The review for the movie is up and its definitely something that's worth checking out. Sony's Paul Blart continues to do good numbers and is already at $110 million. The comedy flick brought in $10 million over the weekend. Sony's International came in at number 7 with an average gross of $9 million. I was also expecting this film to open bigger, but I guess Taken stole some of the film's audience.

It looks like the hype on Slumdog Millionaire kind of died down. The film still made a cool $7 million over the weekend which is good for a film of its budget. I can see numbers going up a bit around the time of the Oscars.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

REVIEW: Coraline


Coraline

Year: 2009
Director: Henry Selick
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr.,
Keith David
Distributor:
Focus Features
MPAA: Rated PG

Coraline was easily one of my most anticipated films of 2009. Ever since I first heard about the film early last year, I was dieing to see it. I mean the film was being directed by Henry Selick, who is simply a god when it comes to stop-motion animation. He directed the ever so popular cult hit "The Nightmare Before Christmas" which Tim Burton took credit for (honestly, what comes to mind when you mention The Nightmare Before Christmas? obviously Tim Burton right?). Sure Monkeybone wasn't as great as people were expecting it to be, but every director has a mistake here and their. Even if I haven't read the book, I was still excited for this release.

Plot Outline:
Coraline (Dakota Fanning) and her family have just moved, and Coraline is bored. She has no friends in this new place and her parents are quite intent on ignoring her. The only other kid that lives close by, Wyborn (Robert Bailey Jr.), is irritating to Coraline, and she finds the dolls in her room to be better friends. After Wyborn gives Coraline a doll that looks like her, strange occurrences begin to happen. Coraline finds a small door leading to an alternate, seemingly perfect universe where her button eyed parents feed her good food and give her presents for no reason. This universe is not all that it seems, and Coraline learns this the hard way.

Plot:
The film is based on the novel "Coraline" by British author Neil Gaiman. I never got the chance to read the novel, but I did read some reviews online that stated that the film stayed pretty faithful to the novel in terms of its story, but changed or took out some sections. Coraline is a breath of fresh air and one that's worth experiencing especially in 3D. The story is nicely developed by director Henry Selick. I'm so happy that Selick chose to go stop-motion instead of live action because everything about this film just screams stop-motion. I'm sure they could have gone live action with real actors and special effects, but it wouldn't be as special as going with stop-motion is. The film had me intrigued the whole time and kept me on the edge of my seat. Sure the story did start off alittle slow and I can see some people being bored with this film due to its nature of story telling, but that's just the way the film was crafted. This is mostly a film that you will love or at the least enjoy. Its very hard for anyone to hate on this film because it simply has too much going for it. I like to think of it as a darker version of Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. The two of them are very similar in terms of story and surrealism. Both are fantastic and require some imagination to enjoy it. I know Pixar dominates the animation department with their wonderful films, but Coraline is sure to bring something new and exciting to the audience. Its easily the best film and animated film of the year...so far.

Cast:
The lovely young Dakota Fanning voices the main character of the film, Coraline Jones. She does a great job with the character and you can tell her voice was perfect for this part. She delivers her lines with good insight and strong voice work. Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher, voices The Mother and Other Mother. She also makes for a good voice talent and one that played her part very good. I enjoyed her as Coraline's mother and she definitely made the film more creepy. John Hodgman plays as The Father and Other Father. I have never seen or heard of Hodgman, but I think he did a splendid job here. His voice work isn't used as much as say Coraline or the Mother, but its still good. I think he nailed the father type role in this film and his voice sure shows it. Robert Bailey Jr. plays as Coraline's only friend in the movie, Wybie Lovat. Now at first, I had no idea that Wybie was being voiced by an African American actor because his voice just didn't show it. So I think Bailey Jr. did a good job with his voice and had me believed he was this character named Wybie. We also have the legendary voice work master Keith David, voicing the Cat. He does a good job with his character and honestly, it felt like a walk in the park for David, who has done many voice work in the past.


Picture:
Coraline is simply a visual delight. The film is made using stop-motion animation which is the same process The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride went under. The film was also made using 3D technology and was first implemented from day one of production. Not only does this make the film much more surreal, but it also creates one of the best 3D looking films I have yet seen. Everything just seems to come alive in 3D and especially in this movie. Sure the film doesn't have too many 3D pop ins, but that doesn't matter. I wouldn't enjoy a 3D movie if the film looked like it was trying to make the 3D aspects of the film much more important than the story. With that aside, I didn't notice any film grain through out the movie. Colors were somewhat muted, but was done intentionally to make the film more creepy. Their are a few scene in the film that show great vibrancy such as some of the later scenes. These scenes all look very beautiful and very colorful. Black levels were also great and held up nicely in darker scenes. Detail was also strong, but this was expected with an animated movie.

Sound:
The soundtrack in the film is really something I fell in love with. The films original music was done by Bruno Coulais and They Might Be Giants. Now, I personally haven't heard of both these talented composers, but they sure did a bang up job with the films music. The film doesn't have too many different orchestral work and is mostly limited to one music through out the film, but its one hell of a score. It easily melts with the films story and creepy atmosphere. I'm really surprised Danny Elfman didn't composer the music for this film considering it looks like its right up his alley. I guess its a good thing because as talented as Elfman is, I don't think I would change the music in this film to one of his even though his might sound awesome. Coraline also features a good amount of bass. Its not the heavy bass usage that we have come to expect from most action movies, but it definitely is good enough for an animated film like this especially one that's stop-motion. Dynamics are all around and more than clear enough. I never for a second felt that the audio was off or felt alittle flat.

Conclusion:
Coraline is easily one of the years best film and easily one of the best animated movies I have seen. The story is engrossing and very entertaining. Its got interesting characters that are very fun to watch and its simply fresh. I'm so glad that we have another movie to add to the list of non-Pixar movies that actually manage to become an animated hit. The visual look of the movie is amazing and just goes to show you that stop-motion animation isn't going anywhere. The film is even more thrilling and beautiful in 3D because it just makes the film much more surreal. The soundtrack is easily one of my favorites of the year. It doesn't contain too many different music, but the films score is so lovely and enticing that I just don't care. I will easily recommend this film to those animated lovers and to those looking for a good non-action movie. Its not something Id show the kids simply because it might be alittle too creepy for them, but its still something you should definitely see and in 3D.

Grade: B+

Trailer Info and a Poster for The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3


JoBlo has debuted the new poster for director Tony Scott's The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, coming to theaters on June 12. The site also says that the first trailer will hit theaters this Friday with Sony's The International.

Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there's one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?

UPDATE: Trailer is now live. Click on the link to watch it

Thoughts:
Poster looks alright, nothing special. I know my friend Alex has been waiting forever for some info on this movie. Trailer is now online and you can watch it by clicking the above link. It looks decent, but I cant help think that the story has been done before.

Nightmare on Elm Street Remake Gets A Director


Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes and New Line have hired a director for the reboot of "Nightmare on Elm Street," bringing on Samuel Bayer to direct the reimagining of the Wes Craven classic.

Bayer, for the uninitiated, is a sought-after director whose best-known work is in commercials and music videos; he's won best director at MTV's VMAs and is responsible for a host of iconic videos, including Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Blind Melon's video for "No Rain," featuring the famous girl in a bumblebee costume.

Next up for New Line and Platinum Dunes, which hope to shoot in the spring or summer, is the casting of Freddy Krueger. Rumors have swirled, but one thing that is known is that Robert Englund, who played Krueger in the franchise's original go-round, will not reprise his role.

Unlike other reboots of classic horror franchises, which synthesize plot lines from several films, this one, insiders said, will feature a strong element of the first picture, in which Krueger famously began haunting teenagers' dreams, attacking them violently in their subconscious in ways that resulted in their real-life deaths.

Wesley Strick, who was previously behind such chill fests as "Cape Fear" and "Arachnophobia" was previously announced to write.

Thoughts:
I'm going to have to wait and see how this will turn up. The new Friday the 13th movie looks pretty cool and seems like a good remake judging from the trailers I saw. Its going to be very hard to find someone who's going to replace Englund. The guy was born to play Freddy and has played that character in over 6 films. I do agree that hes getting alittle old for the part, but I just hope they don't fuck it up by casting someone who cant play the part right.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Weekend Boxoffice Numbers


In Order


He's Just Not That Into You

Studio
: Warner Bros.
This Week
: $27,785,487
Last Week
: -
Total
: $27,785,487
_______________________________________________________
Taken

Studio
: 20th Century Fox
This Week
: $20,547,346
Last Week
: $24,717,037
Total
: $53,610,944
_______________________________________________________
Coraline

Studio
: Focus Features
This Week
: $16,849,640
Last Week
: -
Total
: $16,849,640
_______________________________________________________
The Pink Panther 2

Studio
: Columbia Pictures
This Week
: $11,588,150
Last Week
: -
Total
: $11,588,150
_______________________________________________________
Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Studio
: Columbia Pictures
This Week
: $10,884,825
Last Week
: $13,872,751
Total
: $96,886,687
_______________________________________________________
Push

Studio
: Summit Entertainment
This Week
: $10,079,109
Last Week
: -
Total
: $10,079,109
_______________________________________________________
Slumdog Millionaire

Studio
: Fox Searchlight
This Week
: $7,177,270
Last Week
: $7,628,713
Total
: $77,203,055
_______________________________________________________
Gran Torino

Studio
: Warner Bros.
This Week
: $7,155,339
Last Week
: $8,232,278
Total
:
$120,195,197
_______________________________________________________
The Uninvited

Studio
: Paramount Pictures
This Week
:
$6,262,651
Last Week
:
$10,325,824
Total
:
$18,242,141
_______________________________________________________
Hotel for Dogs

Studio
: Paramount Pictures

This Week: $5,711,229
Last Week: $8,632,740
Total: $55,125,062

Thoughts
:

Sorry for the late update, but I was busy with work yesterday. We had 4 new wide releases this week. The chick flick "He's Just Not That Into You" topped the box office this week with an impressive $27 million. The movie was advertised alot on TV and the audience seemed to have seen them. I can see the film having strong legs in the coming weeks and should make it to $100 million at the least.

Fox's Taken held the second spot with a strong second week gross of $20 million. The film shouldn't have a problem grossing a $100 million, but will face some competition from Sony's "The International" next week.
The stop-motion animated flick "Coraline" from Focus Features opened in third place with an estimated $16.8 million. This was alittle more than what I predicted it might make and a good opening for a dark animated film which was very hard to market. I saw the film this past week in 3D and it was great. A review for the film is in the works and should go up pretty soon. Sony's The Pink Panther 2 bombed at the box office and failed to reach the mass market it was looking for. The sequel to the 2006 hit failed to gross more than its predecessor and only opened with $11 million.

Sony's other
hit "Paul Blart: Mall Cop", continued its run with a solid $10 million and should pass $100 million as soon as next week. Summit's SCI-Fi thriller "Push" made a measly $10 million which doesn't come too much of a surprise considering their hasn't been good marketing for the film. The Golden Globe winner for Best Picture "Slumdog Millionaire", dipped very little this week and brought in another $7 million for a gross of $77 million. The film still has strong legs and will continue to do so until after the Academy Awards.

Friday, February 06, 2009

The Green Lantern Film Has Found A Director?


Warner Bros. is negotiating with Martin Campbell to direct "Green Lantern," the live-action film based on the DC Comics hero.

Campbell last directed "Casino Royale" and recently wrapped the Mel Gibson starrer "Edge of Darkness," based on the 1985 BBC miniseries that Campbell helmed.

The emergence of Campbell, who also helmed two "Zorro" films and the 007 film "GoldenEye," puts "Green Lantern" at the top of DC properties being set for movie treatment by WB. While the studio is hoping director Chris Nolan will follow its 2008 smash "The Dark Knight" with another Batfilm, DC projects such as Superman and "Justice League" were expected to happen quickly, but have stalled.

Greg Berlanti wrote the script with Marc Guggenheim and Michael Green.

Donald DeLine will produce with Berlanti.

Thoughts:
Martin Campbell is more of a hit or miss director. Some of his films are good, but then he also directed some mediocre ones. One thing is for sure though, Campbell is no stranger to action films. The guy definitely knows how to direct some action. I'm still unsure how I feel about this, but I guess were going to have to wait and see.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

New Dragonball Evolution Trailer Online


The new trailer for 20th Century Fox's Dragonball: Evolution has come online. Written and directed by James Wong, the big screen adaptation stars Justin Chatwin, James Marsters, Jamie Chung, Emmy Rossum, Eriko Tamura, Joon Park, Chow Yun-Fat, Texas Battle, Randall Duk Kim and Ernie Hudson. Opening April 8th, Dragonball: Evolution is adapted from the manga created by Akira Toriyama.

Thoughts:
This one was better than the last trailer, but the film still looks like its going to fail. The CGI looks somewhat unfinished and I still don't get what this film is trying to be. I'm glad
Shenron the dragon is going to be used in the film, but he doesn't even look like the dragon we saw in the anime. Shenron is suppose to be a god, but move around on wires. I'm just still disappointed with were the film is heading. As a fan of the cartoon show, I'm not excited for this film at all.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

REVIEW: Pride and Glory


Pride and Glory

Year
: 2008

Director
: Gavin O’Conner

Starring
: Colin Farrell, Edward Norton, Jon Voight, Noah Emmerich, Jennifer Ehle

Distributor
: New Line Cinema

MPAA
: Rated R


This movie was originally supposed to start production in February 2002, with Mark Wahlberg and Hugh Jackman starring, but was put on hold after the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. Fast forward to 2006, and the movie was green-lit to shoot again; this time with Colin Farrell, Edward Norton and Jon Voight attached. I first saw a trailer for the movie in late 2007, but never heard of it again. Now that the DVD/Blu-ray releases are out, I decided to check the movie out.

Plot Outline
:

The movie follows a respected family of police officers in New York City. After four police officers from Jimmy Eagan’s (Colin Farrell) precinct die in an ambush, Ray Tierney (Edward Norton) is asked to lead the investigation. He soon finds out that this was more than just an ambush and that some cops within the precinct are involved in the death of the cops and are also abusing the power given to them by the badge they wear.

Plot:
The film attempts to focus on Tierney family in general, but Edward Norton’s character, Ray, gets the most screen time. After the initial intro, the movie began to drag with boring scenes showing family gatherings, random discussions, etc… but picked up about 40 minutes in, after Ray makes significant progress in the case. Although the movie is more of the same cop-dramas/cover-up type stories, director Gavin O’Conner manages to keep the movie going forward with new developments – some unexpected – that makes you want to keep watching the movie.

Cast:
One of the main reasons I was interested in the movie was its top-notch cast. Colin Farrell, who plays Jimmy Eagan, had the strongest performance. He was able to express fear, sadness and seriousness very well, when needed and to top it off; he also had excellent dialogue given to him by writer Joe Carnahan. Edward Norton also brings out a powerful performance as Ray, although I feel that he could have put a little more emotion into his character. Jon Voight, who doesn't have much screen time, also brings an excellent performance (as always) playing as the father of the Tierney family, along with a high-ranked role in the NYPD. Noah Emmerich plays Francis Tierney, Jr., Ray’s brother. He also gives a solid performance.

Picture:
The picture quality in the movie is solid, although a bit grainy. Contrast is first-rate and never exaggerated, while sharpness remains very high throughout the entire movie. O’Conner purposefully gave the movie a dark look, creating deep blacks, which fits the movie considering it had a dark plot. Colors are also bright during scenes that are outside.

Sound
:

I found the sound to be exceptionally good in this movie. Even though there isn't much, when there is, it stands out. Since most of the movie is dialogue, it was important that that was mixed well. And it was – I never had to change the volume up or down in order to hear a scene better. More background sound effects could have been used. Bass could have also been put to use a little more. The fight scenes stand out most in the movie – quite a few times I said to myself “That must’ve hurt!”

Conclusion
:

Even if the movie is more of the same cop-dramas, the story is still entertaining and enough to enjoy. This is topped off with exceptional performances from exceptional actors. I would recommend the movie to anyone looking for a corrupt-cop, profanity-filled movie.


Grade: B-

Update on some things


Title of the blog has been changed to At The Scene. This was done to give the title of the blog some classic feel to it and sound alittle more hip to some people. Also please welcome Alex K. to the blog. Hes a very good friend of mine and has a review for Pride and Glory which should go up sometime around 2pm. Alex enjoys watching movies as much as anyone else and I'm sure he will do a fine job with his reviews. He might do more in the future if he isn't busy. Nick has been on vacation for sometime now, but I talked to him the other day. He has a review for Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa in the works and it could go up possibly next week. Not sure if that's going to be his last or not.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Christian Bale Goes Nuts On The Set Of Terminator Salvation!


WARNING: THIS AUDIO CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE

You may remember that Christian Bale went nuts on the set of "Terminator Salvation" a few months back, threatening to stop production and beat some serious ass.

The incident was audio taped, and it's amazing. It happened on the set after a director of photography accidentally ruined a scene by walking onto the set. Bale lost it, screaming, yelling and threatening to quit if the bosses didn't fire the dude.

Film execs sent the tape to the insurance company that insured the film in case Bale bailed.

Thoughts:
As much as I think Bale is a good actor, I'm surprised of this incident and how it got leaked now instead of months back like the person insisted. Now, I think hes a big douche in my opinion. I'm pretty sure he was just trying to do his thing and put on a good performance for the movie, but this incident seems unprofessional. I have lost some respect for Bale.

Weekend Boxoffice Numbers


In Order


Taken

Studio
: 20th Century Fox
This Week: $24,717,037

Last Week: -
Total: $24,717,037

_______________________________________________________
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Studio
: Columbia Pictures

This Week: $13,872,751
Last Week: $21,500,000
Total: $83,247,655
_______________________________________________________
The Uninvited
Studio
: Paramount Pictures
This Week: $10,325,824

Last Week: -
Total: $10,325,824

_______________________________________________________
Hotel for Dogs
Studio
: Paramount Pictures

This Week: $8,632,740
Last Week: $12,860,944
Total: $48,156,061
_______________________________________________________
Gran Torino
Studio
: Warner Bros.

This Week: $8,232,278
Last Week: $16,244,462
Total: $110,178,990
_______________________________________________________
Slumdog Millionaire
Studio: Fox Searchlight
This Week: $7,628,713
Last Week: $10,550,000
Total: $67,193,169
_______________________________________________________
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Studio
: Columbia Pictures

This Week: $7,581,272
Last Week: $20,700,000
Total: $33,165,746
_______________________________________________________
New In Town
Studio
: Lionsgate

This Week: $6,741,530
Last Week: -
Total: $6,741,530
_______________________________________________________
My Bloody Valentine
Studio
: Lionsgate

This Week: $4,479,662
Last Week: $10,050,000
Total: $44,827,233
_______________________________________________________
Inkheart
Studio
: Warner Bros.

This Week: $3,721,492
Last Week: $7,601,379
Total: $12,813,023

Thoughts:
Fox's Taken won the box office this week and pulled in an impressive $24 million. I would have thought the Super Bowl would have had an effect on this week, but I guess It didn't. The Liam Neeson thriller has already been released internationally for some time now. I'm surprised the studio decided to release it state side this late instead of just bringing it out straight to DVD. Sony's Paul Blart continued to do good numbers with an estimated $13 million to come in at number 2. With this continued momentum, I can see it going on to make more than a $100 million before it ends its theatrical run.

The Uninvited came in at third spot with a low expected $10 million. I was expecting the horror flick to do some good numbers considering The Unborn which was released a couple weeks ago, made almost $20 million when it opened. Hotel for Dogs is surprisingly starting to climb back and brought in a good $8 million. The comedy flick from Paramount is already at $48 million and I can see it reach $60-65 million before it exists theaters. Eastwood's Gran Torino is still bringing in the cash and scored another $8 million this week. The dramatic film from Warner Bros. studio is already at $110 million and has now become Eastwood's biggest film. Expect a $130 million when all is said and done.

The Oscar hit Slumdog Millionaire is still bringing in good numbers and took in $7 million at the box office this week to bring its total to $67 million. I just saw the film last week and really loved it. I can see the film staying in the top 10 especially with the Academy Awards coming up in a few weeks. Sony's third Underworld film took a big drop this week with an estimated $7 million to come in at number 7 on the top 10. I was expecting the film to stay in the top 5 considering it came in at number 2 last week and brought in $20 million. I don't expect the film to reach $50 million. The Warner Bros. release
Inkheart, came in at number 10 which was down from number 7 last week. The film is bombing pretty badly in theaters and is going to struggle to reach the $25 million spot.