At the Scene

EA Sets Up 'Spore' Movie At Fox

2009-10-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

Twentieth Century Fox has paired up with Electronic Arts to turn the publisher's popular "Spore" game into an animated creature feature, with "Ice Age's" Chris Wedge attached to helm.
Greg Erb and Jason Oremland, who penned Disney's upcoming "The Princess and the Frog" and Ben Stiller pic "The Return of King Doug" at Paramount, will write the script for the "Spore" movie.
It will be produced as a CG-animated toon by EA and Blue Sky Studios, which is behind the studio's "Ice Age" pics, "Robots" and its next effort, "Rio."
In the game, which was released in September 2008, players create their own creatures and the worlds they live in and share them with other gamers to create an overall universe.
EA Entertainment's Patrick O'Brien will exec produce the "Spore" pic with Lucy Bradshaw, VP of Maxis Studio, which developed the game with Will Wright, who also created the blockbuster "Sim City" and "The Sims" franchises for EA.

Thoughts:
I have never played the PC game, but I have always wanted to. What was stopping me from playing this game was the fact that it is only on PC. I'm mostly an Xbox 360 gamer considering my PC (about 5 years old) ain't powerful enough to run most of today's games. As for the news, I think this could be a pretty cool idea. I mean I'm sure Fox will probably intervene with the project like they always do with their movies, but I think this could be a fun experience if done right. Spore is all about creatures and how different they are from one another. If the CGI animation is done right than this could be one beautiful looking film in terms of visual effects.

Michael Bay Announces Transformers 3 Release Date!

2009-10-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well its official: We have a great Transformers 3 story. The release date is now July 1st 2011. Not 2012.
Today is Day One. This morning started with an ILM meeting for five hours in San Francisco. Currently I'm flying with writer Ehren Kruger to Rhode Island to talk to Hasbro about new characters.
P.S. Megan Fox, welcome back. I promise no alien robots will harm you in any way during the production of this motion picture. Please consult your Physician when working under my direction because some side effects can occur, such as mild dizziness, intense nausea, suicidal tendencies, depression, minor chest hair growth, random internal hemorrhaging and inability to sleep. As some directors may be hazardous to your health, please consult your Doctor to determine if this is right for you.

Thoughts:
I really don't have much to say about this other than I wont be seeing it. Transformers 2 was a HUGE disappointment and that was mainly due to director Michael Bay's experience in not knowing how to make a proper movie instead of a 2 hour commercial. I am not going to be fooled by him again and no matter how cool the trailers may be, I ain't going to see it in theaters. Maybe if I'm really drunk one day, Ill consider giving it a rental. I'm amazed on how many people on his website are actually looking forward to this. It makes me wonder what kind of drugs they are taking.

Josh Brolin Replaces Sean Penn In "Cartel"

2009-09-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

Universal Pictures has set Josh Brolin to star in "Cartel," the Asger Leth-directed drama that will begin shooting January in Mexico City. Brolin takes the role Sean Penn was to perform until he left the project in June to take a movie business sabbatical for personal reasons.
Brian Grazer is producing the Peter Craig-scripted drama for Imagine Entertainment.
Brolin will play a man on a mission to protect his son after his wife is brutally murdered in the gritty world of Mexican drug cartels.
The drama is inspired by the 1993 Italian film "La scorta," which followed four cops' struggle to guard a special prosecutor trying to bring mob bosses to justice.
“Cartel” was one of several films that Penn abruptly departed in June.
Robert Stone and Webster Stone will exec produce "Cartel." Leth makes his dramatic feature directing debut after helming the 2006 documentary "Ghosts of Cite Soleil."

Thoughts:
Brolin is more than capable of playing this type of character. Hes a talented actor and his films lately have ranged from being good to great. I would have loved to see Penn in this role, but Brolin is an excellent replacement. I'm excited to see this film and hopefully we can hear more about it soon.

Teaser For The Nightmare on Elm Street Remake

2009-09-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

New Line Cinema has revealed the teaser trailer for the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Directed by Samuel Bayer, the April 30th release stars Jackie Earle Haley as the new Freddy Krueger, as well as Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner, Thomas Dekker, Kellan Lutz, Katie Cassidy and Connie Britton.

Thoughts:
I honestly wasn't expecting anything good coming from this remake especially since the original Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) isn't playing the role that made him famous. With that said, this teaser trailer actually wasn't that bad. It looks like it could be a decent remake in a world full of terrible remakes. My only grip is that Jackie Earle Haley really needs to work on the voice. It's beyond terrible and doesn't come close to matching the scary Freddy voice done by Mr. Englund himself.

Sony Revs Up Ghost Rider 2

2009-09-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

Columbia Pictures is working on a second installment of "Ghost Rider," with David Goyer in early talks to create the story and supervise writers for a film expected to once again star Nicolas Cage.
Former Marvel topper Avi Arad, Michael De Luca and Steven Paul are producing, with Gary Foster as exec producer.
Through a spokesman, Goyer said he hadn't signed on to a second "Ghost Rider" yet. But plans are already under way to base the sequel on a "Ghost Rider" script written years ago by Goyer, whose superhero work includes hit screen transfers of DC's "Batman Begins" and Marvel's "Blade" franchise. The original "Ghost Rider" was scripted by director Mark Steven Johnson.

Thoughts:
Oh please god make it stop. The first one was horrible and had some of the worst reviews ever for a Marvel property. Doing a sequel with the same cast members and production team is a very dumb idea and goes to show you that Sony doesn't give a damn about what people think of the Ghost Rider movies. My idea would have been to either reboot Ghost Rider or do a sequel in the form of The Incredible Hulk, where it was a different cast and explaining the origin story in the introduction credits.

Barbie Heads To The Big Screen

2009-09-24T10:19:00.000-07:00

Universal Pictures has added Barbie to its star stable. The studio has made a deal with Mattel to build a live-action film around its signature Barbie toy line. With studios racing to build films around well-known concepts, Universal brass feels it has landed the queen of globally branded toy figures.
Laurence Mark will produce.
According to Mattel, the 50-year-old Barbie has 99% worldwide brand awareness, and it's the No. 1 girls property in the toy industry, the top doll property in the U.S., and the No. 1 worldwide property in the traditional toy industry.
"Barbie is the most famous doll in history, a unique cultural icon in the world of brands," said Universal Pictures chairman Marc Shmuger. "So many representations of Barbie frequent pop culture. We're grateful to Mattel for entrusting us with this extraordinary opportunity.
"Mark said the next step will be to canvass writers and decide on a creative take for a family-friendly movie. Mark, who just produced "Julie and Julia" was one of several A-list producers who met with Mattel and U execs. "Barbie may be the most popular girl in the world, and has always been a wonderfully aspirational figure, so we must do her proud," Mark said, noting that there's no shortage of plot possibilities since Barbie has held more than 120 jobs over the years.

Thoughts:
I'm actually surprised that its taken this long for Barbie to hit the big screen in a live-action film. Even though I'm not remotely excited about this, you cant fault that its a smart business decision. I mean who doesn't know Barbie? This is guaranteed to make a shit load of money at the box office. I mean if crap like G-Force and The Hannah Montana Movie can go on to be box office hits, than I don't see why Barbie wouldn't have similar success.

REVIEW: Gamer

2009-09-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

Gamer

Year: 2009
Director: Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor
Starring: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Amber Valletta, Ludacris, Logan Lerman
Distributor: Lionsgate
MPAA: Rated R

Lionsgate has been keeping a good eye on its fellow Crank creators/directors Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor simply because they have had a good relationship through out the two Crank films. In May 2007, Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment teamed up with the two Crank directors to develop a "high-concept futuristic thriller". Neveldine and Taylor wrote the script which was currently known as "Game". In March 2009, the films name was changed from "Game" to "Citizen Game". With lead star Gerard Butler already filming another film called "Law Abiding Citizen", Lionsgate decided to change the tile once again on May 2009 from "Citizen Game" to "Gamer".

Plot Outline:
In the not too distant future, mind-control technology allows humans to control the actions and movements of other humans, allowing reclusive billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall) to create the ultimate video game. It's called "Slayers," and it's a mass-scale, multiplayer online first-person shooter that's as controversial as it is popular. In the world of gamers, Simon (Logan Lerman) is a rock star; miraculously managing to keep his character alive week after week, he racks up frags like Billy Mitchell jumps barrels. But unlike Mitchell's Mario, Simon's video-game avatar is a living, breathing human being named Kable (Gerard Butler). Defying the odds to keep Kable running and gunning though even the most explosive battles, Simon captures the imagination of a global audience.

Plot:
Gamer's storyline is a disappointment on all fronts. The premise sounds very interesting and it certainly could of been a good film, but it just doesn't live up to it. The film's romance feels tacked on and hardly effective. The action scenes suffer from horrible editing and can be very difficult to see whats happening most of the time. Cheesy dialogue very much hampers the films dialogue, resulting in hardly any tension for the film to breath naturally. Its also very funny and worth mentioning that most of the cast consists of actors that have their own TV sitcom. What tickles my bone even more, is that those TV shows are a hundred times better than this film. Their are certainly some cool ideas in Gamer such as the "social network thing", but it just doesn't feel fleshed out enough to be incorporated into the story in a more straight forward way. I did enjoy some of the humorous scenes that are nicely implemented into the film, but even these aren't enough to help this movie from being the crap fest that it is. The ending is also un-satisfying and doesn't make up for the disappointing beginning. It seems like Gamer could have been a fascinating film if you take into fact its interesting premise, but it just got lost in translation. It almost feels like the creative team behind the film were not on the same page with one another.

Cast:
Gerard Butler plays as the lead character of the film, Kable. His performance here is very one dimensional and hardly satisfying. In fact, I enjoyed him ALOT more in the romantic comedy The Ugly Truth than in this film, which is really weird considering he has done more action films than comedy. His character also doesn't feel fleshed out enough, making him nearly impossible to root for. Michael C. Hall plays the villainies character of Ken Castle and hes probably the saving grace in this film. Hall is a talented actor and hes proven this with his HBO hit show "Dexter". His character Ken Castle is hardly as mesmerizing or effective as Dexter, but hes still kind of fun to watch. Amber Valletta plays as Kable's love interest, Angie. I'll admit that Valletta looks absolutely gorgeous in this film, but even that's not enough to make up for a lacking performance. Her character hardly feels crucial to the story and practically feels like a character that was added in the last minute. Ludacris plays as the rebel leader trying to overthrow Ken Castle, Humanz Brother. I cant explain how annoying his character is at the start of the film, literally appearing everywhere and telling people to stop playing with Castle's games. He also feels like a missed opportunity and could have been left out in some cases.

Picture:
The visual look of Gamer is really the only thing I cant complain about. The films source is an excellent condition considering it was just released a couple weeks ago. Their were some grainy scenes here and their, but hardly enough to warrant any problems. Colors are mostly grounded to grayish colors with only a few instances that shine with vibrancy, mostly in Castle's virtual game, "Society". Other than that, the film is practically grey, which is alright considering the filmmakers were trying to go for a gritty action film. Black levels are strong and hold up well in some of the later darker scenes. Flesh tones are natural and you can easily make out everyone in the film. Detail is also quite strong and is really worth mentioning. Close up shots show a great deal of sweat and pores. To put it in perspective, Gamer is definitely one of the sharpest films I have seen recently. I guess this was kind of expected considering the Crank films looked pretty damn impressive transfer wise, especially the Blu Ray versions.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Gamer is a notch below the visual look of the film, but its still pretty damn good. The film's original music is done by Robb Williamson and Geoff Zanelli. The music is mostly rock with some hip hop here and their. Its good stuff and goes well with the tone of the film, but having to listen to Marilyn Manson's Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) played several times through out the film, can get alittle annoying. The bass in Gamer is really something I wasn't expecting. Not only is it as aggressive as some of the best action films of the decade, but it also competes with the likes of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which still stands as the king of bass usage. Gamers bass is pretty dynamic at times, but tends to lean alittle more front heavy than usual. Its still nicely spread out at times, but like I said, its alittle more front heavy. Its definitely reference material and should easily give your home entertainment device a run for its money when it hits DVD/Blu Ray later this year.

Conclusion:
Gamer is a disappointing action thriller that stops short of everything. It has an interesting premise that definitely could have been very cool to see if put in the right hands, but here, it just feels like a mess. Its action scenes although intense at times, are horribly edited to the point where you can hardly see whats going on. Most of the characters feel very one dimensional and their lines tend to come off cheesy at times. The ending isn't satisfying and doesn't make up for a lackluster story to begin with. The cast is mostly a hit and miss with only Dexter himself (Michael C. Hall) being the only one that's somewhat interesting to watch. It also doesn't help that most the cast is made up of people that have their own TV shows. The visual look of the film can tend to be grey at times, but its still one of the sharpest films I have seen recently. The soundtrack is kind of awesome with one killer of a bass. I really didn't enjoy Gamer and I don't think you would either. I went in expecting at least a "B" type action film, but was left with a disappointing execution of what I wanted to see. Its certainly not the worst film I have seen this year, but it comes pretty close.

Grade: D

Jeff Bridges To Reunite With The Coen Brothers?

2009-09-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

In what is shaping up as a "Big Lebowski" reunion, Jeff Bridges is in discussions with Paramount to star in Joel and Ethan Coen's redo of "True Grit." Bridges would play the role that won John Wayne an Oscar for the 1969 original.
Bridges last worked with the Coens when he turned in a heralded performance as Jeffrey "the Dude" Lebowski in the 1998 cult fave.
The picture, which also reunites the Coens with their "No Country for Old Men" producing partner Scott Rudin, has been redrafted by the brothers to be more faithful to the Charles Portis novel on which the original film was based.
Story centers on a 14-year-old girl who tags along with an aging U.S. marshal, Rooster Cogburn, and another lawman to track the outlaw who killed her father. The original told the story from Cogburn's point of view, but the new version will work from the viewpoint of the girl.

Thoughts:
This would definitely be cool to see. I'm a big fan of The Big Lebowski and have always wanted to see Jeff Bridges do another film with The Coen Brothers. Whats weird is that The Coen Brothers always wanted to do another film with Bridges, but just couldn't come up with a character that he was right for. Hopefully they can somehow manage to get John Goodman in it too.

Warner Bros. Gives Up On He-Man Movie

2009-09-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

Warner Bros. and Mattel will be parting company on "Masters of the Universe," the live-action reinvention of the signature Mattel toy line that WB and producer Joel Silver have been developing since 2007.
Mattel and WB didn't see eye to eye over the direction of the project and made a mutual decision to let the option lapse this month. Story revolves around He-Man, a prince who becomes a warrior battling the evil Skeletor for control of his magical homeland.
Mattel will take back the property and set it up elsewhere. The expectation is that director John Stevenson ("Kung Fu Panda") will remain with the project, but not Silver, who is exclusive to WB.
Mattel, which still has "Hot Wheels" with WB and Silver Pictures, has become proactive in setting properties for films since aligning with CAA. Among the deals: one for Universal and Playtone to turn "Major Matt Mason" into a star vehicle for Tom Hanks, one with Paramount for "Max Steel" and one with Universal deal for a live-action musical to be based on a new toy line that aspires to add a fresh twist to monster lore, with "Hairspray" producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and Tony winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Thoughts:
I'm not sure how a He-Man movie would work with today's audiences. I remember watching the animated series and remembering how campy it was. A live-action version would definitely be cool to watch and would probably do more justice to the series than the animated series did, but I just don't see it doing good at the box office. With Warner Bros. out of the picture, I'm pretty sure Universal will be next in line to pick it up, considering they already have a several Mattel movies in the works.

Trailer For Juno Director's New Film

2009-09-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

/Film has premiered the trailer for writer/director Jason Reitman's Up in the Air, starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Tamala Jones and Chris Lowell.
In the Thank You for Smoking and Juno helmer's new film, opening December 4th, Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a corporate hatchet man who loves his life on the road but is forced to fight for his job when his company downsizes its travel budget. He is required to spend more time at home just as he is on the cusp of a goal he's worked toward for years: reaching five million frequent flyer miles and just after he's met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.

Thoughts:
That trailer just didn't cut it for me. It hardly explained anything on what this film is about. I guess that should be a good thing, but the viewer needs to know what kind of a film this is if they want to decide to go see it or not. I have high hopes it will be another good film like Juno. George Clooney is a fine actor when put in good hands and this film could potentially be his best shot at another Oscar.

REVIEW: Extract

2009-09-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Extract

Year: 2009
Director: Mike Judge
Starring: Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, J.K. Simmons
Distributor: Miramax Films
MPAA: Rated R

Director Mike Judge has been developing Extract for nearly 2 years. After the success of Office Space, Judge has gotten a ton of requests for a sequel. He felt a sequel was alittle too late and something not worth doing because it would have had to live up to alot of expectations. Instead, he decided to write another film that borrows elements from Office Space kind of like spiritual successor in a way. Judge being a big fan of Jason Bateman and had been wanting to work with him, casted him as the lead in this film. Filming began in August 2008 and wrapped up production soon after.

Plot Outline:
Joel (Jason Bateman), the owner of an extract manufacturing plant, constantly finds himself in precarious situations that steadily worsen by the minute. First, his soon-to-be floor manager acquires a serious injury in a machine malfunctioning accident. This subsequently endangers the well being of his company. Second, his personal life doesn't fair much better when he takes the advice from his bartending friend, Dean (Ben Affleck). Dean during a drug-induced brainstorming session suggests how to test his wife's faithfulness. Finally, compounding these catastrophes is new employee Cindy (Mila Kunis), who also happens to be a scam artist intent on milking the company for all its worth. Now, Joel must attempt to piece his company and his marriage back together, all while trying to figure out what he's really after in life.

Plot:
The films story is decent at best and hardly original. It mirrors very similar to Judge's Office Space, but doesn't pack the same punch as Office Space. This results in a film that just isn't as interesting and fun to watch as Office Space was. The film also seems a bit uneven at times and just not properly edited it to the point where the story progresses smoothly. Their are a few scenes that needed explaining simply because it just didn't seem logical and we the audience, never got that. Extract also tends to drag on alittle longer than it should and never seems to get to the point quick enough. The first half of the film seems normally paced, but the dialogue just tends to drag on in the second half. The characters we get introduced to just aren't as special and memorable as Michael Bolton or Milton Waddams from Office Space. The jokes also aren't as funny as I was expecting them to be. Their slightly slow and aimed more towards much older viewers. I don't know, maybe I'm just use to my raunchy Aaptow type jokes considering that's what we have been getting lately. It also doesn't help that most of the funny dialogue was shown on the films trailer. Thus making them very dull and hardly funny in the actual film. Their are still some funny moments here and their especially when it involves Ben Affleck's character, but this is hardly enough to warrant people spending money to go see this film. The ending was pretty good and seemed to have went in a direction the audience was expecting.

Cast:
Jason Bateman plays as the owner of Reynolds Extract, Joel. Bateman is always fun to watch because he always exhibits this funny feeling that makes him an excellent choice to be playing as the lead in a comedy. He gives a nice performance as Joel and is a joy to watch on screen. Mila Kunis plays as the sexy scam artist, Cindy. Kunis is literally hot in every film shes appeared in and it ain't different here. Shes simply gorgeous and I tend to like her performance when shes playing the more bad guy type character. She has good chemistry with Bateman making her character very much believable. My only grip is that we don't know much about her character and it really feels like theirs some serious character development missing. Kristen Wiig plays as Joel's wife, Suzie. Now I usually like Kristen Wiig because I tend to find her somewhat amusing at times, but she feels awkwardly cast in this film. Her character doesn't feel well implemented into the story and she hardly has any funny scenes. This role could have easily been played by someone else instead of the talented, yet funny Kristen Wiig. Ben Affleck plays as Joel's bartender friend, Dean. Dean is a funny character and really makes the film much more funnier than it hardly is. Affleck is just fun to watch in a role like this and I think he totally nailed that stoner type friend that Bateman's character very much needed.

Picture:
The visual look of Extract is simply great. The film being a new release benefits from a more pristine film source. I wasn't able to detect any film grain and everything seemed as buttery smooth as it can be. Colors were nicely balanced and didn't seem oversaturated like most comedies these days are. The film also has a very vibrant look to it. It helps that most of the film is shown during the day resulting in better lighting. Black levels are just as impressive with its solid inky look. Their are a few scenes during the night and not even these suffer from any loss in color definition or contrast. Flesh tones seem natural if not a bit waxy at times. I didn't notice any hint of micro-blocking or scratches. Detail is great, but this was expected considering its a new release. Close up shots show a good amount of clarity and shows almost every pore on the character's faces.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Extract is just as good as the visual look of the film. Director Mike Judge always seems to put the right music in the right spot in the right movie and that's no different here. The film has a wonderful balance of country music mixed with some rock here and their. The original music done by George S. Clinton and I think he did a pretty good job of keeping the music very grounded and somewhat down to earth. The soundtrack ain't quite as good as the soundtrack in Office Space, but its still good. A film like Extract is not going to benefit from a loud bass, simply because the film doesn't feature anything that would require it. So its no surprise that the bass is pretty weak in this film. Theirs hardly any rumbles and is easily one of the weakest I have seen this whole year. Its not like I was expecting Transformers type of bass usage, but at least something in the similar vein of Office Space.

Conclusion:
Extract is a decent forgettable movie that doesn't do anything new to separate it from the other million comedy flicks we have today. The story just isn't as interesting or entertaining like some of Mike Judge's previous work such as Office Space and Beavis and Butt-head Do America. The film feels alittle uneven and tends to drag on during the second half. The jokes are their, but they hardly feel funny especially when you have already seen them in the trailer. The cast is great for the most part. Bateman is excellent as the lead and Affleck gives a funny performance as the drug dealing bartender. The visual look of the the film is excellent with bright colors and great detail. The soundtrack is fun and goes very well with the tone of the film. Extract is far from being the worst comedy of the summer, but the film just never seems to push higher than an decent comedy flick. Its worth a look if your bored and hoping to see something this weekend, but Id probably give it a rental when it hits DVD/Blu Ray this December.

Grade: C-

Sony Finally Developing Bad Boys III

2009-09-01T22:48:00.001-07:00

Columbia Pictures is developing a third installment of the high-octane "Bad Boys" franchise, tapping Peter Craig to pen the screenplay.
The hope is to have a script that would reunite director Michael Bay, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. At this point, with the project in the early stages, none has a deal to return.
The "Boys" movies feature Smith and Lawrence as Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, caught up in cases involving car chases and explosions.
All parties have expressed a willingness to return if a story can be hammered out. One potential hurdle, however, would be the costly deals with the players.

Thoughts:
About time Sony realized that this series was worth investing in considering the two movies made back their budget and more. However, this doesn't matter to me since I thought the first two films were pretty mediocre. Maybe if Michael Bay doesn't return as director, than I might give this a shot.

REVIEW: Inglourious Basterds

2009-08-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Inglourious Basterds

Year: 2009
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger, Mélanie Laurent, Eli Roth
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
MPAA: Rated R

Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds has been in development for over a decade because the story just kept evolving and expanding. Tarantino produced nearly 3 scripts, but just couldn't come up with an ending. He put the project on hold and instead worked on the Kill Bill volumes. After he finished Kill Bill, he went back to Inglourious Basterds and trimmed several sections to make it into one film. Tarantino did Grindhouse (Death Proof segment) next with director Robert Rodriguez so he had to put Inglourious Basterds on hold once again. After Grindhouse was over, Tatarntino started development on Inglourious Basterds for The Weinstein Company. In July 2008, The Weinstein Company teamed with Universal Pictures to help co-finance and distribute in international markets. The two companies accelerated production so it can be completed for release at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009.

Plot Outline:
In German-occupied France, Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as "The Basterds," Raine's squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own.

Plot:
Inglourious Basterds is the new film from director Quentin Tarantino and probably his best in a long time. The film tells its story through chapters, very similar to Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. This works out nicely because Inglourious Basterds doesn't have just one plot, but rather many. The film's trailers have been oddly leaving out a good jest of the story. In fact, Brad Pitt and his Nazi killing squad hardly take up much screen time. This isn't necessarily a bad thing considering all the pieces fit and make sense in the end. Tarantino continues to leave his trademark in this film with meaningless dialogue. Their are several scenes that feel very stretched and that's mainly due to the long conversations the characters tend to have. This also results in the film being longer than it probably should have been. The film is roughly 2 and a half hours long, yet it feels alot longer than that. The dialogue just seems to drag the film down. With these problems out of the way, the film is just pure awesome. The characters are fun to watch and fun to listen to, especially when you have solid performances all around. The film also touches in some humor every so often that's just a blast to see and very Tarantino-like. He also makes good use of the amount of gore and blood in the film. It never feels like its too much or unnecessary. The ending was also quite good and not just another lame Hollywood ending. Its just refreshing to see a World War II movie end in a different way than we have all known to expect.

Cast:
Brad Pitt plays the lead character of the film, Lt. Aldo Raine. Pitt is an excellent choice for this role because he shows a side to himself that we haven't really seen. He sports a new accent and he definitely feels like hes not trying too hard. This tends to make his character seem alot funnier than hes suppose to be. Christoph Waltz plays as a detective of some sort, Col. Hans Landa. Now, Ill be honest and say that I've never heard of Waltz until this film, but damn does he give one hell of a performance. He easily steals every scene hes in and gives a performance that's easily worth an Oscar nomination. He essentially creates a character that not only is scary, but also very intelligent. We also have the lovely Diane Kruger playing as Bridget von Hammersmark. I personally wouldn't say this is her best performance, but shes still pretty good in this film. Her character is mostly a hit and miss in terms of performance. I never really felt that connection with her character that I did with the ones listed above, but she was still fun to watch. Mélanie Laurent plays as a smoking hot, Jewish immigrant: Shosanna Dreyfus. Laurent is another actress that I never seen before this film, but she totally nailed this role. Shes wonderful to look at and delivers an enjoyable performance that might be worth checking out.

Picture:
The visual look of Inglourious Basterds is practically great. I was a bit worried that this film was going to go the same route of Tarantino's last film, Death Proof in which the film's visual style was hampered with an odd use of different grain filters. Luckily, this film doesn't have any of those problems and easily ranks high up their with Tarantino's Kill Bill collection in terms of visual fidelity. The film does contain some grain here and their, but its hardly distracting and never overused. Colors tend to pop like no other and really showcase's the films vibrant tone. From the beautiful grassy field in the beginning of the film to the colorful Nazi occupied theater at the end, the film is just wonderful to look at. This is by far Tarantino's most beautiful film in terms of its cinematography and wonderful environments. Flesh tones are pitch perfect and you can clearly tell who's playing who. Detail is also quite strong and really makes for an image that's beautiful to glaze at. Its not razor sharp like the Kill Bill volumes and their are some occasional scenes that tend to look a little softer than others, but its still up their with some of the new releases I have recently seen.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Inglourious Basterds is just as great as the visual style of the film. While the music really isn't a big part of the movie considering theirs hardly enough of it in it, but its still very good. It kind of reminds me of Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and the similar use of music in that film. Its definitely not as exciting or engaging as the Kill Bill volumes, but its still very good and it somewhat carries the film. The bass in Inglourious Basterds is also great. The film has a ton of scenes that involve guns and explosions. These all sound terrific in terms of bass usage. It feels very dynamic and nicely spread out. I was expecting the film to be mostly front centered considering theirs a ton of dialogue, but luckily, I was proven wrong. The bass in Inglourious Basterds is far from what I would call reference material and it doesn't hold a candle compared to new releases like District 9 or Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but what we have is more than enough especially when you consider the amount of dialogue the film has.

Conclusion:
Inglourious Basterds is a great film and one that's sure to become another Tarantino classic. Its refreshingly funny and just flat out entertaining. Its so damn nice to see a film based around World War II and actually end up going in a different route that we wouldn't have expected. Other than the scenes dragging due to the overuse of dialogue, this is easily one of Tarantino's best films. The cast is great with Christoph Waltz giving a phenomenal performance that's very much worthy of an Oscar. The visual style of the film is definitely a step up from Tarantino's last film, Death Proof. The vivid colors and exceptional detail truly makes this the most beautiful film I have seen this whole year. The soundtrack is just as good and is nicely mixed with the story of the film. Its also worth mentioning that it definitely comes close to the music in Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, which still stands out as my favorite film of all time. I can easily recommend this to Tarantino fans because it truly feels like his film, but also to those looking for an entertaining film. I had high doubts that we would see another great film like District 9 before the summer season was over, but I'm happy to report that I can add Inglourious Basterds to that short list.

Grade: B+

Teaser For Christopher Nolan's Inception!

2009-08-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

Warner Bros. has debuted the teaser trailer online for The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan's new film, Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy and Michael Caine.
Opening in theaters on July 16, 2010, the Warner Bros. Pictures release is described as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind. Nolan also wrote the original screenplay.

Thoughts:
Looks pretty cool for a teaser and a hell of alot better than The Dark Knight teaser. I'm still trying to figure out why Warner Bros. would give this film a $200 million budget. I mean from the looks of that teaser, it doesn't look like its going to be a special effects extravaganza like Avatar. Its also worth mentioning that big budget films like this usually star Will Smith because he brings in the crowd. I cant help, but feel that this film ain't going to make its budget back even with the impressive talent invovled.

28 Weeks Later Director Helming Bioshock Movie?

2009-08-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

"28 Weeks Later" helmer Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is in talks to direct "Bioshock," the Universal Pictures adaptation of the Take-Two Interactive videogame. Gore Verbinski has stepped out of the directing slot, but remains the film's producer through his U-based Blind Wink shingle. John Logan wrote the script.
Verbinski opted out of directing because he couldn't commit to an overseas shoot since he is locked into directing the Paramount animated film "Rango," with the title character voiced by his "Pirates of the Caribbean" cohort Johnny Depp.
"With "Bioshock," Fresnadillo is stepping into one of the highest-profile projects on the Universal roster. Verbinski came attached as director when Universal made a multimillion- dollar against gross percentage acquisition from Take-Two. Verbinski then stepped away from directing his fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" film because he expected to be in production on "Bioshock" last spring in Los Angeles.
But Universal put on the brakes during the pre-production phase because the budget rose to $160 million and the studio needed it to cost less. At the time, Universal sources vowed this would not turn into another "Halo"-- U and partner Fox dropped out of that vidgame adaptation, which was to be directed by "District 9" helmer Neill Blomkamp with Peter Jackson producing. But the negotiations with Fresnadillo indicate the studio is determined to make "Bioshock" offshore.
Once it was clear Verbinski wouldn't direct, he and the studio sparked to Fresnadillo, whose deal is contingent upon the thumbs-up from Take-Two, which maintains director approval. Fresnadillo's producing partner, Enrique Lopez Lavigne, is in talks to become a producer.
"Bioshock" takes place in the underwater city of Rapture, where a pilot crash-lands near a secret entrance and becomes involved in a power struggle.

Thoughts:
I'm really happy to finally hear some news on this project considering its one of my most anticipated films. I am alittle sad to hear that Verbinski isn't going to direct the film, but at least hes still on board as producer. I still don't think this should be a cause for concern considering the studio is talking to 28 Weeks Later helmer, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo about tackling the project. I personally think Fresnadillo is an excellent choice to bring Bioshock to the big screen. While, Verbinski probably would have made the film more visually entertaining, I think Fresnadillo will bring out the more horror elements of the story. Here's hoping Fresnadillo signs on and production on the film goes smoothly.

Bourne 4 Lands A New Writer And A 2011 Release

2009-08-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

Josh Zetumer has signed on to pen the fourth installment of Universal's "Bourne" movie series, writing what is being described as a parallel script.
George Nolfi, who worked on "The Bourne Ultimatum," initially came back for the fourth entry. He also boarded to write and direct "The Adjustment Bureau," an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick short story that reteams him with "Bourne" star Matt Damon.
But as that movie nears its September start date, Nolfi had to step away from "Bourne." Not wishing to slow development and keen on making "Bourne" part of its 2011 slate, Universal hired Zetumer to write a new script. It is unclear what will occur after Zetumer submits his draft or whether his script will be integrated with Nolfi's.
"Our hope is that Nolfi, a key member of the 'Bourne' team, will return after he is done with 'The Adjustment Bureau,' " a Universal spokesperson said.
Writing two scripts, though rare, is not without precedent in the tentpole movie world. "Star Trek: Generations," "Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer" and "Wolverine" are movies that had parallel scripts commissioned and sometimes had them combined. "Conan," still in development, is another project that falls into that category.
Frank Marshall and Jeffrey Weiner are producing the latest "Bourne" installment.

Thoughts:
Not sure how I feel about this since I'm not too familiar with Josh Zetumer. I can understand that writer George Nolfi is busy directing The Adjustment Bureau, which is another title I'm really excited about, but he was a key writer in the Bourne series. I still have high hopes for the 4th installment because Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass are on board. Those two alone gives this film a strong chance considering the amount of talent both Damon and Greengrass bring to the table. I'm happy that Universal didn't want to delay this any further and quickly decided to do something about it. As long as the series continues to have a strong story and Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, than I could care less if they keep making them.

Universal Pictures Debuts The Wolfman Trailer

2009-08-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

Universal Pictures has revealed the trailer for director Joe Johnston's The Wolfman, opening in theaters on February 12.
In the film, Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father (Anthony Hopkins), Talbot sets out to find his brother... and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself.

Thoughts:
I cant believe it, but that Avatar trailer still has me thinking about it. That said, The Wolfman trailer looks great and the extra delay time definitely looks like it payed off in terms of special effects. I have high hopes for this film and can only pray that it delivers. If this film is successful, than we can start seeing more Universal horror monsters getting remade, which isn't a bad thing because it just means that more audiences are going to be introduced to these classic iconic monsters.

The Trailer For James Cameron's Avatar!

2009-08-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

20th Century Fox has released the first trailer for James Cameron's Avatar, opening in 3D theaters and IMAX 3D on December 18. The sci-fi action-adventure stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephen Lang and Matt Gerald.
Avatar is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people.

Thoughts:
Wow, that trailer was nothing less than breathtaking. Theirs alot riding on Avatar considering its massive budget (over $200 million) and the fact that its Cameron's first feature film since 1997's Titanic. Having just seen the trailer just minutes ago, I can honestly say it will surely live up to the hype. If their was any film out their that deserved to be seen in 3D, this is it.

Peter Berg Talks About Hancock 2 Possibilities

2009-08-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

Director Peter Berg has some ideas for a sequel to Hancock if one ever comes to pass.
At the end of last year's Hancock, it was revealed that Will Smith's superpowered character was actually an immortal god who became vulnerable only when in the presence of his goddess companion (Charlize Theron). Berg confirmed that a sequel would elaborate on the film's mythology.
"There might be another god out there," Berg said in an exclusive interview last month in Pasadena, Calif. "
Might be another one."If two gods render each other mortal, imagine what kind of wrench a third would throw into the mix. Also, imagine the casting to match up with Will Smith and Charlize Theron! In the mythology of Hancock, all the gods supposedly died out except for our heroes, so a third deity would tweak the mythos.
Berg also confirmed that the subplot of Jason Bateman's publicist character should pick up where it left off in Hancock, where he's starting his charity campaign.
Of course, Columbia Pictures would love another Will Smith blockbuster for the earliest possible summer position. Smith and Berg, however, are in no rush. "They like to fast-track it, but Will's busy, I'm pretty busy," Berg continued. "We're excited to do one, but we want the script to be right and the movie to be right. We don't feel a burning imperative to go right back into it."

Thoughts:
Well, the first film had potential to be something special, but achieved it. It might be interesting to see if another Hancock film will end up being good. I'm sure it will be a killer at the box office, but here's hoping it doesn't contain no silly twist or wasted performances. Besides, I think both Smith and Berg are busy with other projects. So if another film were to get greenlit, it probably wont go into production till mid-year next year.

Sony sets writer for Spider-Man 5 and 6

2009-08-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

As Sony Pictures Entertainment preps a fourth installment of "Spider-Man" to begin production early next year, the studio has quietly engaged screenwriter James Vanderbilt to pen "Spider-Man 5" and "Spider-Man 6."
Vanderbilt was the first writer on "Spider-Man 4." Director Sam Raimi brought on David Lindsay-Abaire to rewrite the script, and Gary Ross is now rewriting that script. The studio is enthusiastic about where it stands as the picture begins prepping for an early 2010 production start for a May 2011 release.
Raimi didn't embrace all of Vanderbilt's ideas, but execs at Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios have. Vanderbilt has been hired to pen the fifth and sixth movies, which have an interconnected storyline. That's what was originally discussed when Vanderbilt signed on to write "Spider-Man 4," but the idea of shooting a fourth and fifth film back to back with the original cast was scrapped.
Sources said it was unclear whether Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst will be back. If they aren't, Vanderbilt's script would be the blueprint for a franchise reboot. After committing to his fourth "Spider-Man" film, Raimi signed on to direct a new franchise based on the massively multiplayer role-playing online computer game "World of Warcraft" for Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Maguire and Dunst were locked into the first three pictures and made a new deal for "Spider-Man 4." It's unclear how long they want to continue with the series.

Thoughts:
I'm still trying to figure out if Spider-Man 4 will deliver. Spider-Man 3 left a bad taste and I know it wasn't director Sam Raimi's fault. Here's hoping the villain for Spidey 4 will actually have alot more screen time and actually gives Spider-Man a fight for his life. I really hope that we get an "R" rated movie with Carnage as the main villain in either Spider-Man 5 or 6.

REVIEW: District 9

2009-08-17T20:16:00.001-07:00

District 9

Year: 2009
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Vanessa Haywood, Mandla Gaduka, Jason Cope, Vittorio Leonardi
Distributor: TriStar Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

In 2006, director Neill Blomkamp was chosen by Peter Jackson as the director of the Halo movie that Microsoft, Universal Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox were putting together. When Universal Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox backed out after 5 months of early development, the project went into hiatus. Peter Jackson and those involved in the Halo movie felt obligated to give financial support to Blomkamp and give him another chance to do another film. It was than decided that Neill's short film, Alive in Joburg could be expanded into a feature film. Work on the film began the day after the Halo movie was halted. The film's budget was set at a mear $30 million, which allowed the film crew to have more creative freedom. QED International fully financed the production of the film and entered into a distribution deal with Sony Pictures under TriStar Pictures.

Plot Outline:
It's been 28 years since the aliens made first contact, but there was never any attack from the skies, nor any profound technological revelation capable of advancing our society. Instead, the aliens were treated as refugees. The government of South Africa set up a makeshift home in District 9 as politicians and world leaders debated how to handle the situation. As the humans begin to grow wary of the unwelcome intruders, a private company called Multi-National United (MNU) is assigned the task of controlling the aliens. But MNU is less interested in the aliens' welfare than attempting to understand how their weaponry works. Unfortunately, the highly advanced weaponry requires alien DNA in order to be activated. When MNU field operative Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is exposed to biotechnology that causes his DNA to mutate, the tensions between the aliens and the humans intensifies. Wikus is the key to unlocking the alien's technology, and he quickly becomes the most wanted man on the planet.

Plot:
The plot in District 9 is very good and easily makes for an entertaining movie. Not only is it original, but its just so damn refreshing to finally see something new and unique. The film is told in a documentary style that is somewhat similar to films such as Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project. The fist half of the film moves at a slow pace while gearing up for an intense, action filled second half. The film does a wonderful job of telling its story that it would seem almost impossible for anyone to not understand whats going. Maybe it does too good of a job explaining everything that it makes the first half seem alittle longer than it should be. I also found the third act to go in a direction that I felt wasn't necessarily the right one. It just wasn't something I was expecting and felt somewhat off compared to what it was leading to. It also doesn't help that the film has many unnecessary use of foul language that honestly felt un-needed. Don't get me wrong, I love it when actors swear their brains off, but only if it feels natural. Pulp Fiction, my favorite film of all time has over 200 foul words, but it feels much more natural in that film than it does in this film. Its not something that I felt hampered the story, but just a small nitpick of mine. Other than these small issues, District 9 is definitely the best film of the Summer. Its exciting, entertaining and at times, breath-taking. District 9 delivers what many other summer films failed to deliver, which is a movie experience that your going to talk about for sometime.

Cast:
Sharlto Copley plays as the main focus of the film, Wikus Van De Merwe. Having not heard of Copley before this film, I didn't know what to expect. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed because he gives a very good performance as Wikus and one that the audience will enjoy rooting for. He brings alot of emotions to Wikus and just makes him a very likable character. It also helps that he gets the most screen time out of everyone else in the film. Vanessa Haywood plays as Wiku's wife, Tania Van De Merwe. Shes also very good in her role especially for someone who I haven't seen in another movie. She has many emotional scenes that I think she nailed nicely. Shes perfect opposite Copley, but I do wish she had a bigger presence in the film. Mandla Gaduka plays as Fundiswa Mhlanga and hes pretty decent in the film. Its kind of hard to tell about his acting considering the films main focus is on Wikus and his struggle to find a cure. We also have Jason Cope playing as Grey Bradnam. He too is difficult to judge considering he doesn't get much screen time. Not to mention he is still early in his acting career.

Picture:
The visual look of District 9 is simply astonishing. It was filmed in a documentary style with HD handy cams, kind of like Cloverfield. This adds a certain realism to the film and it almost feels like you right in the center of the action. This type of fast action/quick edit mixed with the jaw dropping special effects, simply make for one hell of a film. Just by judging the films TV spots, I doubt anyone would have guessed it was made for only $30 million. Director Blomkamp definitely has some tricks up his sleeve and he really helped out with the special effects team. Its also worth noting that the films transfer is excellent too. I didn't notice much grain aside from a few shots in the beginning. The image remained as smooth as possible for the remainder of the time. Colors were nicely saturated to the point where it really made the cast shine in the hot city of Johannesburg. Black levels were also strong and easily up their with some of the recent film releases. Flesh tones were spot on perfect and never displayed any micro-blocking. Detail is also great and easily tops some of the films I have seen lately. Close up shots show a great deal of clarity and pounds of sweat on the cast members. Its worth noting that the alien creatures are also amazingly detailed.

Sound:
The soundtrack in District 9 is just as impressive as the special effects. The original music is done by composer Clinton Shorter, who has been scoring TV shows most of his life. Shorter's ambient music just goes perfectly hand and hand with Blomkamp's bleak vision for this film. The film doesn't have a particular theme song, which is a shame because I would have wanted something pacifically for this film that's epic like the Star Wars theme is to Star Wars. Still, the film has wonderful engaging music that never gets in the way of the story and always seems to be moving at a good pace. District 9 also features a good amount of bass usage that just simply blows everything in its path. I raved about how Cloverfield was demo material in terms of sound, which it still is. That said District 9 comes dead even if not one step higher than Cloverfield in terms of a rocking theater experience. This film is guaranteed to be demo worthy when it hits Blu Ray later this year. Trust me, its really amazing.

Conclusion:
District 9 is a breath of fresh air that just happens to be the best summer film to grace the big screen this year. Its original, its gripping and damn well entertaining. It is really the film we the movie lovers have been craving for considering the lack of originality coming from Hollywood in the past few years. If it weren't for the third act and slightly overuse of foul language, it would of ranked as high as an "A". The cast is mostly good with hardly anyone else being a significant part other than Wikus. The special effects are outstanding and truly impressive for a film made on only $30 million. It honestly gives Michael Bay and his $200 million budget Transformers sequel, the middle finger. The soundtrack is equally impressive and certainly delivers the right type of music for the right type of atmosphere. The bass is going to be demo worthy for years to come. I recommend this to those looking for a great Sci-Fi action film or to those who were left with a bad taste in their mouth because of the crappy summer films we have lately been getting.

Grade: B+

X-Men Director To Tackle Battlestar Galactica Movie?

2009-08-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

Universal Pictures has set Bryan Singer to direct and produce a feature version of "Battlestar Galactica."
It's not clear whether Ronald Moore, exec producer of the recent series, will be invited to write the screenplay, but Singer will clearly put his own creative stamp on the project, as the studio indicates that the film will be "a complete reimagination."
Glen Larson is aboard to produce.
The original version of the series ran for two seasons on ABC beginning in 1978. Singer had long been intrigued with "Galactica" and flirted with relaunching it into a TV series right after he directed the original "X-Men". At the time, he was teamed to exec produce the series with Tom DeSanto and to direct the pilot of the new version.
The director got busy on other projects, but he was prescient, at the time calling the Galactica brand "a sleeping giant." Moore became the executive producer of the 73-episode series, which had a successful run on the then-Sci Fi Channel starting in 2004.

Thoughts:
Even though I don't watch the show, I really think Ronald Moore should be involved with the movie in some capacity, considering he was the one that spearheaded the recent and successful version of Battlestar Galactica on SyFy. I'm also a big Bryan Singer fan because the guy is simply talented. I know people are going to continue hating him for Superman Returns, but if you guys knew the whole story with that project than you wouldn't necessarily blame him. Singer did what he could with that project, the script just wasn't up to speed with what comic book fans wanted out of Superman. Still, the guy is talented and I really enjoyed the first two X-Men films especially X2: X-Men United. I also thought his last film "Valkyrie", was pretty solid so Singer definitely has a good track record with his films. Its going to be interesting to see what creative input hes going to have on the Battlestar Galactica Movie.

Sony In Talks To Pick Up Heath Ledger Film

2009-08-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

Heath Ledger’s final film has finally found a Stateside buyer.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group is in advanced talks to pick up "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," with plans for it to go out theatrically, likely this year, via Sony Pictures Classics.
Pic is expected to be a lucrative homevideo title due to the Ledger angle and the other star power. Terry Gilliam’s adventure also features Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, who replaced Ledger in various fantasy scenes after the thesp died during the film’s production in January 2008.
"Parnassus" was officially unveiled at Cannes this year in an out-of competition slot toward the end of the festival. Several buyers screened the film just before Cannes, but a deal didn’t immediately emerge.
The "Parnassus" deal with Sony has long been in the works and could be made official this week.
The film goes out in the fourth quarter through various distributors in European territories including the U.K., France, Germany and Italy, plus Australia and New Zealand.

Thoughts:
Cool, it just means were going to get it here in the states soon judging by Sony's past scheduling. Here's the international trailer, but I hope we get a theatrical version soon.

Christopher McQuarrie Writing Wolverine 2?

2009-08-13T18:36:00.000-07:00

Christopher McQuarrie has signed on to write the script for Fox's sequel to its "Wolverine" movie.
McQuarrie is not unfamiliar with the character. The scribe, who won an Oscar for writing "The Usual Suspects" for Bryan Singer, reteamed with the director to write 2000's "X-Men."
Though McQuarrie could have received a credit, he voluntarily took his name off the movie when the final version was more in line with David Hayter's script than his.
Hugh Jackman is set to return as the Marvel Comics character, a mutant with healing powers and a skeleton laced with the indestructible metal known as adamantium. Jackman is also producing via his Fox-based Seed shingle along with Lauren Shuler Donner.
The movie's story line will take its cue from the early 1980s Chris Claremont/Frank Miller miniseries, which is set in Japan and features Wolverine dealing with ninjas as he struggles whether to follow his animal killer instincts or the life under a samurai's code of honor and respect.
The studio put a sequel in development after the movie, titled "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," carved up almost $180 million at the domestic box office and $363 million worldwide.

Thoughts:
This gives the movie alot more hope than I was initially expecting. Christopher McQuarrie is a pretty good writer and I'm sure he will do wonderful things with the Wolverine sequel. Now if the movie can only get an experienced action film director.

Ed Helms Set To Star In Central Intelligence

2009-08-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Universal Pictures has acquired the spec script "Central Intelligence" as a star vehicle for Ed Helms. Project becomes the second Helms comedy to take root this summer on the heels of "The Hangover."
Ike Barinholtz and Dave Stassen's script revolves around an accountant who's thrown into the world of international espionage after reconnecting with an old friend through Facebook.
Principato/Young's Peter Principato and Paul Young are producing. Matt Berenson and Allen Fischer are exec producers. Joel Zadak will be co-producer.

Thoughts:
Sound un-original, but I think Helms is a funnyman so I'm sure hes more than capable of pulling this off. Hopefully its not in the same vein as Get Smart.

Warner Bros. Thinking Of A Lego Movie?

2009-08-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

Warner Bros. is toying with plans to develop a movie around Lego and its popular building blocks.
Scribes Dan and Kevin Hageman are penning the script for the family comedy that will mix live action and animation. Warners is keeping the plot tightly under wraps, but it's described as an action adventure set in a Lego world.
Dan Lin, who is shepherding Warner Bros.' "Sherlock Holmes" and exec produced the studio's upcoming family film "Shorts," will produce the movie through his Lin Pictures.
Roy Lee will produce through his Vertigo banner, while Jill Wilfert, VP of licensing and entertainment at Lego, will oversee the pic for the toymaker.

Thoughts:
This is by far the dumbest idea I have heard in sometime now. Hollywood has sure run out of ideas and is looking into toys for film adaptations. How in the blue hell are you going to make a movie about Lego? I mean I'm still trying to wrap my brains around the idea of Ridley Scott doing a Monopoly movie.

Astro Boy Trailer Debuts

2009-08-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

MSN has debuted the trailer for Astro Boy, coming to theaters on October 23rd. Directed by David Bowers, the big screen adaptation features the voices of Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy, Matt Lucus and Donald Sutherland.
Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive "blue" energy, Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore) is endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colorful characters along the way. Through his adventures, he learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. Ultimately learning his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns to Metro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it takes to be a hero.

Thoughts:
Looks kinda cool for a kids movie. The animation looks superb and almost Pixar status. I doubt I will see this in theaters, but it might be cool to rent it for its picture quality once it hits Blu Ray.

Michael Jackson's This Is It Coming Oct. 30th!

2009-08-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Beginning October 30th, the world will have a front-row seat for Michael Jackson's final concert, as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment release Michael Jackson's This Is It.
This Is It is being produced with the full support of The Estate of Michael Jackson and will be drawn from hundreds of hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage, captured in high definition with state-of-the-art digital sound as the late singer was preparing for his concert series in London. The film, which will also offer select sequences in 3-D, will provide a unique career retrospective and feature interviews with some of Jackson's closest friends and creative collaborators.
The rights to the exclusive footage were acquired from AEG Live and The Estate of Michael Jackson. Sony Pictures and Sony Music will co-produce with AEG Live and the Estate, and Sony Pictures will distribute the film worldwide. Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware of AEG Live will serve as producers of the film.
The majority of the film's footage was shot in June, 2009 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California and The Forum in Inglewood, California, as Jackson prepared for "This Is It," the series of fifty concerts Jackson planned to present at the O2 Arena in London.
This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his career, and the stage spectacular that would have been. The film will provide moviegoers with an unforgettable front row experience compiled from extensive footage that shows Jackson's meticulous preparation for his 2009 London shows.

Thoughts:
I'm pretty happy about this and its something people have been wanting to see ever since it was first discovered. I know it may sound like a sleazy cash in for some, but I think this is smart on Sony's behalf to release it this year when where still talking about Michael Jackson (Though, I'm sure people will be talking about the music legend for many years to come).

Trailer For Universal's Cirque Du Freak Movie

2009-08-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

Universal Pictures has revealed the trailer for Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, directed by Paul Weitz and opening October 23rd. The fantasy-adventure stars John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Josh Hutcherson, Chris Massoglia, Patrick Fugit, Ray Stevenson, Michael Cerveris, Frankie Faison, Jane Krakowski, Orlando Jones, Kristen Schaal and Salma Hayek.
14-year-old Darren (Chris Kelly) was like most kids in his suburban neighborhood. He hung out with his best friend, got decent grades and usually stayed out of trouble. But when he and his buddy stumble upon a traveling freak show, things begin to change inside Darren. That's the exact moment when a vampire named Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly) turns him into something, well, bloodthirsty.
Newly undead, he joins the Cirque Du Freak, a touring sideshow filled with monstrous creatures from a snakeboy and a wolfman to a bearded lady (Salma Hayek) and a gigantic barker (Ken Watanabe). As Darren flexes his newfound powers in this dark world, he becomes a treasured pawn between the vampires and their deadlier counterparts. And while trying to survive, one boy will struggle to keep their brewing war from devouring what's left of his humanity.

Thoughts:
I haven't read the fantastic novels the film is based on, but that trailer looked really fun. Not to mention that its being directed by Paul Weitz, which is always a plus in my book. I know some people are probably going to argue that John C. Reilly is miscasted, but Id wait for the movie before passing judgment. Hes a good actor and I'm sure he will do fine in this role.

REVIEW: Funny People

2009-08-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

Funny People

Year: 2009
Director: Judd Apatow
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

After Knocked Up, director Judd Apatow had the desire to base his next film on his early experiences as a struggling comedian. Having the success of both The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, Universal stepped in to distribute and market the film. Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann were cast as the three leads in March of 2008. Apatow had Sandler, Rogen, and Jonah Hill, who all play stand-ups in the film, write their own material for routines. Apatow filmed them performing their routines in front of live audiences, using six cameras to capture their performances and audience reactions.

Plot Outline:
George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is a very successful yet self-involved stand-up comedian who learns that he has an incurable blood disorder and is given less than a year to live. Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) is a struggling up-and-coming stand-up comedian who works at a deli and has yet to figure out his onstage persona. One thing these different men have in common is that neither of them have any close friends. One night, George takes notice of Ira when they perform at the same club and he hires him to be his semi-personal assistant and opening act at his performances. George and Ira form a close bond as George teaches Ira how to win the crowd and Ira helps the dying George find closure in his legacy.

Plot:
With Funny People, director Judd Apatow went for a more serious and mature film compared to his previous work. The story is more emotional and nicely refreshing. Its not particularly an original idea, but its still very good. I just love the fact that Apatow always aims for those realistic and human-like story lines that blends funny jokes with an emotional plot. It just makes for a film that many people can relate to and know about it. Even if its different than what we normally expect from him, its still a welcome change that really tests his ability as a writer and a director. The film still contains what has become the Apatow trademark of raunchy jokes, which are still very funny. The film ain't as funny as Knocked Up or Superbad, but it doesn't seem like its trying to be. It definitely feels like a darker comedy than the ones he has produced over past. While I personally enjoyed this film very much, I found its run time to be somewhat of a big issue. A comedy film is usually best when its kept short. Its very hard for a comedy flick to sustain that exciting and entertaining value for more than 2 hours especially when the film is more drama than comedy. That's essentially the case with Funny People. The films run time is well over 2 and a half hour with many of the scenes in the second half just dragging on. It almost feels like the second half is a completely different movie. Theirs also several scenes that feel like they could have been trimmed or shortened.

Cast:
Adam Sandler plays the lead character in the movie, George Simmons. I appreciate some of the serious roles he has taken in the past such as Punch-Drunk Love and Reign Over Me. Hes a good actor when hes with the right director and Funny People proves this once again. His performance in the film is easily the best performance I have ever seen from him. He exhibits a wide range of emotions that works very well for the type of character he plays. Seth Rogen plays as George Simmon's only true friend, Ira Wright. Rogen is always a blast to see on screen because hes always pretty funny. He makes for a good partner next to Sandler's character. I'm sure the audience will tend to favor him more simply because hes more relate-able and always seems to be answering the questions the audience might be wondering. Leslie Mann plays as George's true love that got away, Laura. Now, I usually tend to like Leslie especially when shes in Apatow's films, but I thought she was awkwardly casted for this film. Her performance seems very limited and doesn't seem to have enough material to truly show her skills. We also have the talented Eric Bana playing as Laura's husband, Clarke. Bana gives a pretty good performance as the husband and hes pretty enjoyable to see on screen.

Picture:
The visual look of Funny People is pretty good, but I was really surprised with the films cinematography. It was done by none other than 2 time Oscar winner Janusz Kaminski (Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan). Its far from his best, but its surprisingly good especially for a drama/comedy film. The films transfer seems to be in good shape, but their is a hint of film grain present through out the films run time. Its much more noticeable in the beginning since its basically showing old stock footage of Adam Sandler doing prank calls. The grain is hardly distracting and I personally found it to give the film a more realistic feel. Colors were nicely done and not too obtrusive. It wasn't necessarily vibrant, but it definitely felt like it had a good amount of color in the image. Black levels are strong, but not too strong. The image never seems to suffer from digital noise or lose any detail during the darker scenes. Flesh tones seem to be on spot and you can clearly tell who's who. Detail is generally good, but just like Apatow's previous film, Knocked Up, I came across a few scenes that seemed slightly softer than the rest. Still, close up shots show a good amount of detail and this is a pretty good looking movie, especially when you consider that its a comedy with no high tech special effects.

Sound:
The films soundtrack is pretty good, but definitely not up to par with Knocked Up. The films music is composed by Michael Andrews and Jason Schwartzman. Since Apatow went for a more serious route, the film hardly uses much music. What we get is pretty good and feels natural for a film like this. I do however miss the good soundtrack that Knocked Up possessed. Funny People also isn't going to win anyone over with its bass. For a drama/comedy flick like this, theirs hardly any heavy use of bass. It isn't dynamic and feels like its more center forward than spread out. What we have isn't bad, but I guess we shouldn't have expected much considering its usually the action films that deliver in this department.

Conclusion:
Funny People is a big and bold step for director Judd Apatow. I think hes becoming more skillful in keeping us connected to his characters while throwing very relate-able stories with it. I enjoyed the story and really liked the characters. I thought the films run time was exceedingly long and their were definitely some scenes that could have been trimmed or simply left out. I thought the cast was pretty great for the most part with Sandler giving in my opinion, the best performance he has ever given. The films visual look was in the vein of similar Apatow produced comedies and it looked pretty good for a film like this. I thought the soundtrack was alright, but definitely weaker than the ones on his previous films. I cant say I loved this film like I did with Knocked Up, but its still a very good film. Its got an emotional story with relate-able characters that you will love and hate. I appreciate that Apatow decided to try something new and go in a different step than his previous work. I'm already excited about whatever he has cooking next.

Grade: B

Little Red Riding Hood Gets Gothic Twist

2009-08-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way banner is developing a Gothic reimagining of "Little Red Riding Hood" with screenwriter David Leslie Johnson.
The "Red Riding Hood" project's been developed internally at Appian Way but isn't being positioned as a possible acting vehicle for DiCaprio.
The best-known version of the story -- in which a wolf disguises himself to fool a girl delivering food to her sick grandmother in the forest -- was published in the 19th century by the Brothers Grimm. Earlier oral versions of the tale, which date back to the Middle Ages, are far darker and sometimes involve a werewolf rather than a wolf; the first published version, by Charles Perrault, concludes with Red Riding Hood eaten by the wolf, with no happy ending.

Thoughts:
I'm very interested in this since I like the story of Little Red Riding Hood. I always wanted to see a darker version of it since what we always got was a kids friendly version. If they want this film to be a good hit at the box office than they would have to cast a well known actress as Little Red Riding Hood. I'm not sure who would fit the part right, but I wouldn't mind seeing Ellen Page take on the role.

Larry Fessenden Helming The Orphanage Remake

2009-08-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Actor-producer-director Larry Fessenden has signed on to helm "The Orphanage," New Line's remake of the Guillermo del Toro-produced Spanish-language horror movie.
Fessenden also has written the script with del Toro, who is producing the new film with Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson of Contrafilm.
The 2007 pic was directed by del Toro protege Juan Antonio Bayona and centered on a woman who, upon returning to the orphanage where she grew up, discovers that her son's imaginary friend is the same person who terrorized her when she was a child.
Del Toro and Fessenden know each other from the horror circuit, with del Toro's admiration of the triple-hyphenate's work leading him to handpick him for the directing gig; del Toro saw in him a filmmaker who understood the conventions of the horror genre and could execute a movie that would be as scary and disturbing as the original but in an American context.

Thoughts:
I personally haven't seen The Orphanage (El orfanato), but I know some people who have and they simply loved it. I'm sure alot of people are pissed that they are remaking this for American audiences, especially considering the original came out in 2007. I honestly don't think this is that bad of a news. I mean they still have del Toro on board and hes basically over looking the project. Now if people know del Toro than they would know that hes not an idiot and he would not sign on to help produce this movie if he didn't believe it could be as good if not better than the original. I'm not sure if the director is particularly the right choice since I've never heard of him, but if del Toro believes in him than theirs nothing to worry about.

Trailer for Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones!

2009-08-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

DreamWorks Pictures has now released the trailer for Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones, opening in theaters on December 11.
Based on the critically acclaimed best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, the film centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family – and her killer – from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. Oscar® nominee Mark Wahlberg and Oscar® winners Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon star along with Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli and Oscar® nominee Saoirse Ronan.

Thoughts:
Looks fucking amazing and also looks like another hit from director Peter Jackson. I'm a huge Jackson fan and simply admire all of his films. You can bet your ass, Ill be their day one when this film opens.

Sam Worthington To Replace Tom Cruise In The Tourist?

2009-08-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Sam Worthington is in talks to join Charlize Theron in "The Tourist," the Spyglass remake of the 2005 French thriller "Anthony Zimmer" that will be directed by Bharat Nalluri.
Theron became attached last fall to play a female Interpol agent who uses an American tourist in an attempt to flush out an elusive criminal who was once her lover. Worthington came into the loop after Tom Cruise dropped out.
Cruise's consideration definitely stalled the momentum of "The Tourist," which Spyglass originally had hoped to put into production last March. Theron's presence kept it viable, though, and it is back on the fast track with Worthington.
"The Tourist" was scripted by Julian Fellowes, rewritten by Chris McQuarrie (who worked closely with notes from Cruise) and Jeff Nachmanoff did the latest revision, based on McQuarrie's rewrite.
While Spyglass has to lock down its deals before aligning with one of the studios with which is has output deals, production is slated to begin in early 2010.
"The Tourist" is being produced by Spyglass in partnership with Studio Canal. Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum and Jonathan Glickman are producing.

Thoughts:
Seeing as how I haven't seen Worthington's last movie, Terminator Salvation, I'm not sure what to expect from him. I was hoping that Cruise stayed on board, but I guess hes busy with other projects.

Judd Apatow Signs A Three-Picture Deal With Universal

2009-07-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

Universal Pictures has kept its key funny guy in the studio fold, signing a three-picture directing deal with "Funny People" helmer Judd Apatow. While Apatow produces films for other studios, he has never directed a film outside of Universal. Studio opens his latest, "Funny People," today on 3,007 screens.
Apatow made his directing debut on 2005 comedy hit "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," which he followed with 2007’s "Knocked Up."
In the process, he has helped reestablish the R-rated comedy and created comic stars of Steve Carell, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Katherine Heigl, Jonah Hill and Leslie Mann. Rogen, Hill and Mann star in "Funny People," alongside Adam Sandler, Eric Bana and Jason Schwartzman.
Apatow has not yet committed to his next directing vehicle. He writes his films himself, and that process will begin after "Funny People" opens.
Universal chairman Marc Shmuger, who made the Apatow deal with co-chairman David Linde, said that the most rewarding part is the opportunity to continue collaborating with an artist who is still testing his range as a director.
"I feel like we’re growing with him and watching him mature as a filmmaker, and that is a thrilling thing to be part of," Shmuger said. "To know he’ll direct his next three pictures here is a vote of confidence to our entire organization. It has become a true collaboration and partnership."
Apatow said: "Everyone at Universal has been incredibly supportive of my directing career since day one. I am thrilled I am able to continue that relationship."

Thoughts:
Good for Universal because I personally find Judd Apatow to be a better director than a producer. I very much enjoyed The 40 Year Old Virgin and praised Knocked Up for its originality. I'm very much looking forward to his third film, Funny People.

Ridley Scott Directing The Alien Prequel!

2009-07-31T09:31:00.000-07:00

Twentieth Century Fox is resuscitating its "Alien" franchise. The studio has hired Jon Spaihts to write a prequel that has Ridley Scott attached to return as director. Spaihts got the job after pitching the studio and Scott Free, which will produce the film.
The film is set up to be a prequel to the groundbreaking 1979 film that Scott directed. It will precede that film, in which the crew of a commercial towing ship returning to Earth is awakened and sent to respond to a distress signal from a nearby planetoid. The crew discovers too late that the signal generated by an empty ship was meant to warn them.
The deal gives Fox another chance to keep the "Alien" franchise alive. There were three sequels to Scott's original, but it is the first time the director has set his mind on directing one.

Thoughts:
Looks like the folks at Fox didn't want newcomer Carl Rinsch helming the Alien prequel and have persuaded Ridley Scott to come back to the Alien franchise, and direct the prequel himself. I'm still skeptical to even wonder what this film is going to be like. I'm not very happy with the amount of control Fox has had over its recent movies such as cutting scenes and toning down the blood to achieve that mainstream PG-13 rating. I just hope they don't end up screwing Scott's vision for this film just to make sure it doesn't flop at the box office.

Ron Howard Set To Direct The Parsifal Mosaic

2009-07-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

Universal Pictures has attached Ron Howard to direct "The Parsifal Mosaic," an adaptation of the espionage thriller by "The Bourne Identity" author Robert Ludlum. David Self will adapt the Ludlum novel about a CIA operative who thinks he witnessed the execution of his lover after she was identified as a KGB double agent.
Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer will produce with Captivate Entertainment partners Jeffrey Weiner and Ben Smith. Imagine’s David Bernardi will be exec producer.
The studio, which is separatelydeveloping a fourth "Bourne" installment with director Paul Greengrass, and "The Sigma Protocol" (an adaptation of yet another Ludlum thriller), began negotiating the rights for "Parsifal Mosaic," for which it had first-look rights in a deal Universal made with Captivate, which controls screen rights to the late author's books.

Thoughts:
This is one of the better announcements I have heard this week. I usually love Ron Howard's work especially when hes collaborating with Universal Studio.

Trailer For Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox

2009-07-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

Yahoo Movies! has debuted the first trailer for Wes Anderson's stop motion animated film The Fantastic Mr. Fox, based on the children's book by Roald Dahl and featuring the voices of George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Owen Wilson, Meryl Streep and Jason Schwartzman.
Mr and Mrs Fox live an idyllic home life with their son Ash and visiting young nephew Kristopherson. But after 12 years, the bucolic existence proves too much for Mr Fox's wild animal instincts. Soon he slips back into his old ways as a sneaky chicken thief and in doing so, endangers not only his beloved family, but the whole animal community. Trapped underground and with not enough food to go around, the animals band together to fight against the evil Farmers -- Boggis, Bunce and Bean -- who are determined to capture the audacious, fantastic Mr Fox at any cost.

Thoughts:
Looks unique and very refreshing for an animated production. I have no doubt the film will be amazing when considering the amount of talent involved including director Wes Anderson.

Universal Bringing The Lorax To The Big Screen

2009-07-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment are joining forces to turn the Dr. Seuss book "The Lorax" into a 3-D CG animated feature.
"Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" will be co-directed by Chris Renaud and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, with Paul & Daurio writing the script.
Though published in 1971, "The Lorax" has a timely "green" theme. It is narrated by a greedy entrepreneur who, despite warnings from the tree-loving Lorax, strips a forest of its stock of Truffula trees to manufacture clothing. The results are catastrophic as all the animals leave and nothing's left.
The picture is targeted for a March 2, 2012, release.
Illumination topper Chris Meledandri will produce and Audrey Geisel will be executive producer. Illumination's John Cohen and Janet Healy will also be involved in producing capacities.

Thoughts:
Never read the book so I don't know what to expect from this. I do however enjoy the Dr. Seuss books and have fairly enjoyed the movie adaptations that have already come out.

Sony Developing An inFAMOUS Movie

2009-07-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

Sony Pictures has pre-emptively picked up a pitch from screenwriter Sheldon Turner to adapt the Sucker Punch Prods. video game "inFAMOUS" into a feature film. The deal is for seven figures.
The studio is working out a deal for rights to the game, which was published by sister company Sony Computer Entertainment.
Avi Arad and Ari Arad will produce. Sony executives Matt Tolmach and Jonathan Kadin are handling for the studio.
Launched in May, "inFAMOUS" centers on bike messenger Cole MacGrath, who survives an explosion that destroys entire blocks of Empire City only to find he has new electricity-derived super powers. The action game, designed for Sony's PlayStation 3 console, allows the player to use his powers for good or evil, as MacGrath's karma affects how the devastated city's people and infrastructure deal with him.
"What excited me most about the game was it was the first of which I've come across that had a big idea and a character arc," Turner said. "It is, I believe, the future of gaming. The game, while big and fun, is at its core a love ballad to the underachiever, which is what our hero, Cole McGrath, is."

Thoughts:
I'm not sure about this just yet. I haven't played this PS3 video game and its been getting some mixed reviews though most of them are positive. A couple of my friends did say the game had a pretty good story so it should be interesting to see how well that translates to the big screen.

REVIEW: Brüno

2009-07-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

Brüno

Year: 2009
Director: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Gustaf Hammarsten, Clifford Bañagale
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

Sacha Baron Cohen is back! This movie has been in development pretty much right after Borat came out and became a huge hit. Borat is replaced by Brüno, an openly gay Austrian fashion show host.

Plot Outline:
The movie introduces us to Brüno, who loves fashion and has his own TV show in his hometown of Austria. After hitting a few rode roadblocks in his Austrian TV career, he gets fired and is pretty much blacklisted from every fashion organization in the country. With the help of this personal assistant, Lutz, the two decide to take their chances and go to the United States where Brüno would attempt to become a celebrity.

Plot:
Soon after arriving to the United States, the two immediately meet with a acting agent who gives him a script to try. After miserably failing, he decides to try making a show about celebrities where he interviews them about various issues. I felt the plot was missing the magic Borat had with its story. The movie wasn’t nearly as funny as Borat, but topping a movie like Borat would be an extremely hard task to do.

Cast:
Just like Borat, there really isn’t much of a cast here. Sacha Baron Cohen is once again the star of the movie, starring as Brüno. And also just like Borat, Cohen never breaks out of contract even in the most dangerous things he does. Gustaf Hammarsten plays as his assistant and he does a pretty job at it, but he was a character that I felt pretty useless and unnecessary – unlike Azamat from Borat.

Picture:
I found the picture quality to be pretty good for a low-budget movie like this. The movie is pretty colorful, with colors being very vivid and popping out thanks to all of Brüno’s clothing.

Sound:
This movie had some weird music added to it, but I thought it fit perfectly with the movie. The techno music gave it a perfect feel to Brüno’s personality.

Conclusion:
If you thought Borat had some nasty moments, that was nothing compared to Brüno. Sacha Baron Cohen once again goes to the limits to do whatever is necessary to get his audience to laugh and he gets a lot of kudos for that. The plot was somewhat disappointing and the jokes weren’t as great as his previous movie, but it was still pretty funny overall. But if you liked Borat, you should definitely go check it out, just don’t set your expectations too high.

Grade: C

Trailer For Toy Story and Toy Story 2 3D Release

2009-07-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney Pictures has debuted the new trailer for their upcoming 3D release of Toy Story and Toy Story 2. The films will be in 3D as a double feature for two weeks starting on October 2nd.

Thoughts:
This is really lame if you ask me. Why would I pay theater money to watch something I already own. Just because its 3D they decided to make it a theatrical release? Its stupid if you ask me and totally unnecessary. They could have instead decided to release the 3D versions on DVD or Blu Ray around the release of Toy Story 3, which hits theaters June 2010.

Trailer For The Book of Eli

2009-07-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

Warner Bros. Pictures has released the trailer for Allen and Albert Hughes' The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis.
Opening January 15, 2010, the film revolves around a lone warrior (Denzel Washington) who must fight to bring society the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption. Oldman plays the despot of a small makeshift town who's determined to take possession of the book Eli's guarding.

Thoughts:
Looks pretty cool, but why does Denzel look awfully similar to Blade in some of those action scenes? January also seems like a weird month to release an action movie like this.

Tron 2 Gets New Name and Late 2010 Release

2009-07-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney Pictures announced today that the Tron follow-up will be called Tron Legacy and is currently set for a late 2010 release. The Joseph Kosinski-directed film stars Garrett Hedlund, Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Olivia Wilde and Beau Garrett.
Tron Legacy is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that's unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), looks into his father's disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin's loyal confidant (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

Thoughts:
Sounds kind of mediocre and it would have been better if it was just called Tron 2. I'm still anxious to see this even though the first one wasn't that good. The first films technology was pretty groundbreaking at the time of its release. I'm very curious to see if the sequel will deliver on this part too.

Teaser For Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland

2009-07-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney Pictures has now officially brought online the teaser trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, starring Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen, Matt Lucas, Crispin Glover, Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman.
The film hits conventional and IMAX 3D theaters on March 5.

Thoughts:
It looks beautiful and vividly amazing. It definitely looks like Burton brought his creative dark side to this wonderful story. I'm sure the film look alot more finished when it opens next year.

New Poster For Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island

2009-07-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! Movies has debuted the new poster for director Martin Scorsese's psychological thriller Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson and Max von Sydow.
The film, opening October 2nd, is the story of two U.S. marshals, Teddy Daniels(DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Ruffalo), who are summoned to a remote and barren island off the cost of Massachusetts to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from the island's fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane.

Thoughts:
Looks like a badly photoshopped poster with hardly anything worth getting excited about. Ill still see this since its a Scorsese film and he hardly ever disappoints.

REVIEW: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

2009-07-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Year: 2006
Director: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, Pamela Anderson
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
MPAA: Rated R

Borat. Everyone remembers Sacha Baron Cohen’s 2006 movie Borat; his first theatrical release and the first time the US was ‘officially’ introduced to Sacha Baron Cohen’s creative mind. I myself remember watching the trailer a bunch of times laughing at the jokes… and they never got old, even after watching the movie in theatres. So with the release of Cohen’s second movie, Brüno, I thought it would be appropriate to write a review for Borat.

Plot Outline:
The movie follows Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen), who is hired by his native country, Kazakhstan to travel to the United States and document American society and culture. He is joined by a producer, Azamat Bagatov (Ken Davitian), who is there to organize meetings between various people and groups in order to get a better understanding of the American way of life. The movie is filmed in a documentary-type style with Borat narrating throughout the movie about his discoveries.

Plot:
Up on arrival into the United States, the producer’s plan is to stay within the city limits to gather the data they need. Borat begins to meet with various groups, but their plan soon changes when Borat, while watching TV, begins watching Baywatch and falls in love with Pamela Anderson’s character, C.J. Parker. All plans are thrown out of the window, and Borat begins planning his trip from New York City to California. Azamat falls for Borat’s lie that California is where the real American life is, so he goes along. Throughout the way, they stop at different states and visit a gay parade and a chance to sing the anthem at bull show in Texas. They eventually hit financial trouble… but that doesn't stop Borat from reaching his goal of finding ‘C.J. Parker’.

Cast:
Not too many actors in this movie. Sacha Baron Cohen is without a doubt the star of the movie, taking on the role of Borat. He does a fantastic job doing so, everything from the way he looks to how he talks… I found it to be perfect. Not once did he break out of character, even in the most ‘intense’ parts of the movie. Ken Davitian plays Azamat, the producer and he also does a great job being in character and attempting to get Borat to follow the specific plan they had. Pamela Anderson plays a very small role in the movie, but there’s really nothing to write about that.

Picture:
The picture quality in the movie was actually pretty good to my surprise. Scenes are impressive in their sharpness and depth, and colors are often vivid. You can also tell that some grain was added to give the film that low-budget-documentary look to it, and I think it adds authenticity to the movie.

Sound:
There’s not much to say here. With a budget of only $18 million, there probably wasn't much left to put into the sound production. The movie itself is usually without any music. The music that is there is supposed to resemble Kazakhstanian culture.

Conclusion:
Borat isn't a movie for everyone, some find it hilarious while some find it offensive and disrespectful… personally, I loved every bit of it and would love to see Cohen reprise the role of Borat once again. His acting is absolutely fantastic. The video quality is pretty good for a movie with such a low budget. Overall, this is one of the best comedy movies in recent time. “It’s nice!”

Grade: A-

Sam Raimi Set To Direct Warcraft Movie!

2009-07-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

Sam Raimi has signed on to direct "Warcraft," the live-action film adaptation of the fantasy videogame franchise "World of Warcraft."
Legendary Pictures and vidgame publisher Blizzard Entertainment are mounting the film, and Warner Bros. will co-finance and distribute. The team boasts an impressive pedigree: In addition to the director of "Spider-Man," the partners have added "The Dark Knight" producer Charles Roven to the creative mix.
The plan is for Raimi to supervise development of "Warcraft" and shoot the picture after he completes work on "Spider-Man 4," which gets under way early next year for Columbia Pictures.
The "Warcraft" universe features an epic conflict between the Horde and the Alliance. The game has developed a global following since its launch in 1994 and shows no signs of slowing. Its most recent expansion, "Wrath of the Lich King," sold more than 2.8 million copies in the first day of release and more than 4 million its first month.

Thoughts:
This is big big news for Warcraft fans around the world. Its still going to be quite awhile before it comes out since Raimi still has Spider-Man 4 to direct, which doesn't start shooting until next year. I personally don't play any of the games, but this news definitely has me interested in the movie. I love Sam Raimi and almost all of his films are great. I enjoyed the Evil Dead series and Drag Me to Hell was surprisingly awesome. Hes a very talented director and I'm sure he will do a great job with the Warcraft movie.

Two Posters for Prince of Persia Movie

2009-07-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

Empire has premiered two posters for Walt Disney Pictures' Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, opening in theaters on May 28, 2010.
In the fantasy adventure based on Ubisoft's popular video game, Jake Gyllenhaal will play Dastan, a young prince in sixth century Persia who must join forces with Tamina (Gemma Arterton), a feisty and exotic princess, to prevent a villainous nobleman from possessing the Sands of Time, a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world. Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley and Toby Kebbell co-star in the Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) directed film.

Thoughts:
Looks very un-original and I'm still having doubts about this movie. Gyllenhall is a good actor, but he doesn't fit this role.

Sony Making A Michael Jackson Film?

2009-07-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Sony Pictures is close to a deal to make a feature film on Michael Jackson drawing on the 80 hours of rehearsal footage filmed for concerts Jackson was preparing to perform in London.
The studio is expected to pay north of $50 million for worldwide rights to AEG Entertainment, which owns the footage and showed it to studios last week.
The film will feature at least three videos, including an alternative version of Jackson's "Thriller," which were shot to be interstitial programming during the London concerts. The footage was meant to play in 3-D, but it's unclear as yet whether the feature film will present it that way.
"High School Musical" director Kenny Ortega, who shot the rehearsal footage, is expected to direct the feature, and sources said he's already beginning to put together the footage so Sony can release the film before year's end. Ortega has the time, as he won't begin directing the Paramount remake of "Footloose" until next March, when star Chace Crawford is on hiatus from "Gossip Girl."
Several studios were impressed when shown the footage by AEG last week. Fox, Universal, Paramount and Relativity likely would have met AEG's asking price but knew that Sony Pictures had clear first position because sibling company Sony Music Entertainment owns music publishing rights to Jackson's songs.

Thoughts:
It seems like an easy way for Sony to capitalize on his death. As long as the movie doesn't turn into a biopic with someone playing as MJ, than I'm happy. I'm also curious to see that alternative version of Thriller which has always been my favorite MJ song.

Harry Potter Week Continues

2009-07-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter Week continues and with the release of the Half-Blood Prince only 5 days away, I thought it would be cool if I reviewed the previous 5 films while were waiting. Their will be a review up for one of the 5 films everyday at around 3pm starting today. All reviews will also be linked on this post so you can get your Harry Potter fetish all in one place. Brace yourselves my fellow bloggers as we are about to enter into a magical world full of wizards, witches and muggles.

UPDATE: This was a great time for Harry Potter as the newly released Half-Blood Prince was more of a solid summer flick than the rest of the films in theaters. I will try doing more of these trilogy type films, but their just so exhausting since you're essentially looking at the same characters for 6-7 hours.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Year: 2009
Director: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG

Before director David Yates was chosen to direct, Warner Bros. was looking at other directors for the job and even some that have already directed a Harry Potter film. Alfonso Cuarón, the director of the third film, stated he "would love to have the opportunity" to return, but Warner Bros. ultimately decided on David Yates. Writer Steve Kloves, who had written the screenplay for the first four films, returned to write the screenplay for this film. Most if not all of the previous cast members returned for this film. The film was initially set to release on November 21, 2008, but was delayed because Warner Bros. already had The Dark Knight making a ton of money for them so they simply decided to delay it. Don't believe the real reason the studio has said because its BS.

Plot Outline:
Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny (Bonnie Wright), but so is Dean Thomas (Alfie Enoch). Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Plot:
The Half-Blood Prince is based on the novel of the same name and marks another one in the series that I haven't read. I read online that die-hard fans of the series were somewhat disappointed that many of the scenes from the novel weren't in the movie or have been drastically altered. While it certainly doesn't have exciting action scenes like the Goblet of Fire or the strong narrative of the Prisoner of Azkaban, but the Half-Blood Prince is still another solid entry in the popular series. Just like the previous film, the Half-Blood Prince has a ton of character development. We are again introduced to new characters, but also focus on already established characters. Their were a few times where I felt the high school type drama was alittle too much and somewhat boring, but I guess its to move the story forward, right? I did however, like that the film still retained its humor and charisma that the first three films had. I'm extremely happy that Quidditch is finally brought back after going dark since the fourth film. I cant believe I missed it this much or maybe its because the special effects were simply awesome through out the movie that it even made the short Quidditch scenes that much more fun. Now I know that this film is based on a big novel and that the previous Potter films have always been over 2 and a half hours, but I really felt they could have trimmed off 10-15 Min's from its run time. Their were definitely some parts that dragged on and could have easily been shortened to make a more cohesive film. I'm also one of the many that didn't really like the ending. It felt un-satisfying and I was ticked off when I found out that the ending in the novel was alot more exciting compared to what we got on screen. Their was a suppose to be a big battle between two main characters that was just completely left out of the film.

Cast:
Daniel Radcliffe returns to play the title character of the series, Harry Potter. I thought his performance was good, but it definitely felt weaker compared to the previous two films. Their were a few times where I didn't care much about his character because of how flat his emotions were. Rupert Grint also returns to play as Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley. I thought Grint made his character alot more lovable this time around when compared to the previous films. He has always been the funny one and that statement still stands in this film. He seems to be the only one in the cast that actually looks like hes having a fun time. Emma Watson returns as the lovely, but jealous, Hermione Granger. Watson is probably one of the few that has impressed me in everyone of the films. Her character is just alot more fun and interesting to see on screen. Even if shes playing the jealous high school student, she does a damn good job at it. Tom Felton plays as the dark, yet troubled Draco Malfoy. He gives a great performance that I felt was just fantastic especially for a character that hasn't had much screen time since the first film. I guess this is what you get when you don't talk much for five films. Alan Rickman returns to play as Severus Snape and he delivers in spades. He easily steals every scene hes in and is just flat out amazing on screen. I always felt Snape/Rickman was another character that never really got much screen time even though he should have considering the major role he has played in the Harry Potter universe.

Picture:
The Special effects in the Half-Blood Prince easily dazzles. The CGI effects have certainly come along way since the first film and one of the finest I have seen recently. The cinematography is done by Bruno Delbonnel (Infamous, Across the Universe) and its very impressive. Its makes for an impressive visual art when mixed in with the fantastic special effects. The films source is also in excellent condition and I didn't notice any grain. The image looked smooth the whole time with no artifacts or micro-blocking. Colors were alot muted this time compared to the Order of the Phoenix. I'm sure this is suppose to make the film seem much more darker in tone, but definitely left me wanting more color in the image. Black levels were impressive and easily the best I have seen yet. Darker scenes didn't seem to lose any detail. Flesh tones were pretty much perfect and you can tell who is who. Detail was pretty much flawless and the film looked impressive from a technical stand point. Close up shots revealed a good amount of pores and wrinkles. I'm curious to see how much more better the Blu Ray will look once it ships later this year.

Sound:
The soundtrack in the Half-Blood Prince is just as impressive as the special effects. The films music is composed by Nicholas Hooper who also scored the previous film, the Order of the Phoenix. I raved about how awesome the soundtrack in the Order of the Phoenix was. I think Hooper is a wonderful replacement especially since John Williams left the series. Hooper brings a good amount of sound that's very magical, but also something to get you excited for. Its a shame this is going to be his last time scoring for the Harry Potter films since he currently Isn't doing the music for the Deathly Hallows. Here's hoping John Williams makes his triumph return to score it. The bass in the Half-Blood Prince is simply extraordinary. As with the previous installments in the series, the bass has always delivered. This film is no exception. Its aggressive, powerful and flat out wonderful. Even though this is mostly a dialogue driven film, the theater was rocking hard. This is going to be pure reference material once it hits Blu Ray.

Conclusion:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is another great installment in the popular wizard franchise. While the story isn't necessarily as strong as some of the previous films, its still very good. I think the films run time ultimately feels alittle stretched out and the ending feels like a missed opportunity when compared to how the novel ended. I was happy to see the film still retained its witty humor and charming sense of personality. It also helps that Quidditch makes a solid return to the film series and looks amazing. The cast was great with most of them delivering solid performances. I was very impressed by Tom Felton's performance and Alan Rickman easily steals every scene hes in. The special effects are top notch and the animation is truly one of the best I have seen. The soundtrack is just as excellent as the special effects. Composer Nicholas Hooper injects enough magical melodies and beats to create exciting pieces of music. The Half-Blood Prince makes for a very solid summer release. It certainly isn't a perfect film, but easily better than most of the stuff we have in theaters. I recommend this to those looking for a fun film and to those avid Potter fans, but we warned that theirs definitely some changes to the film compared to the novel.

Grade: B-

REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2009-07-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Year: 2007
Director: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire director Mike Newell, turned down the offer to direct this film. After some digging around, Warner Bros. finally settled on director David Yates. Steve Kloves, the screenwriter of the first four Harry Potter films, had other commitments which resulted in Michael Goldenberg writing the script for this film. In February, Helen McCrory was cast as Bellatrix Lestrange, but ended up giving the part to Helena Bonham Carter because McCrory was was three months pregnant.

Plot Outline:
After returning to Hogwarts to begin his fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) discovers that much of the wizarding world, including the Ministry of Magic, is in denial about Lord Voldemort's return. The Order of the Phoenix, a group sworn against Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), is using its vast array of wizards and witches magical abilities to combat Voldemort. Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy), Minister for Magic, suspects that Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is using these claims of The Dark Lord's return as a means to over-throw Fudge as Minister. In retaliation, a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is appointed by the Ministry in order to keep an eye on Hogwarts. This new teacher, Professor Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), implies strict new teachings and rules, forcing a group of students, under the tutelage of Harry, to form a club, by the name of Dumbledore's Army.

Plot:
Just like with the Goblet of Fire, the Order of the Phoenix is another Harry Potter book I never got a chance to read. I read online that this movie stays somewhat faithful to the book, but definitely has alot of changes. The producers were given the chance to do almost whatever they wanted to do with this film because author J. K. Rowling just wanted to see a good movie. The story in the Order of the Phoenix isn't as exciting and grand as the ones were for the previous films. Its still good, but ultimately feels like its missing that special magical touch the 4 films before it, had. The film is also heavily dialogue driven with hardly any action scenes. I appreciate that the film has a ton of character development which is mostly credited to director David Yates's style of filming, but without much action going on, it can tend to get alittle tedious. I'm loving the fact that the characters are maturing nicely because the performances are getting alot better in the process. Scene transitions are boring and un-interesting when compared especially to the Prisoner of Azkaban. I like the quick edits and Voldemort references that director David Yates implants because it really adds to the creepy vibe the movie tends to unleash here and their. The special effects are top notch, but whats the point when the atmosphere isn't as creepy or fulfilling as was the film before it. The ending was pretty cool and mostly satisfying.

Cast:
Daniel Radcliffe returns once more as Harry Potter and delivers another solid performance. Radcliffe is becoming more of a fine actor with each passing film. He exhibits a good range of emotions that's really interesting to see. His character seems to be getting paranoid and always appears in constant fear, which Radcliffe nicely shows. Rupert Grint also returns as Ron Weasley and delivers a solid performance. Hes still the only guy mostly delivering the jokes to break away the tension, but it seems with each new film, that's becoming less and less of an important factor. Many of his exciting scenes were mostly cut to make run for the films run time. Its a shame really since in the book, he had a ton of scenes. Emma Watson is the third person to return to her character of Hermione Granger. Watson is just as beautiful as she was in the previous films, but she hardly gets enough screen time. Her character is very much their, but feels more like a distant cousin rather than a strong family member. Ralph Fiennes returns as the dark lord, Voldemort. Hes just as creepy and sadistic as he was in the previous film. I really think Fiennes was born to play this role because hes just so damn good in it. His role still feels limited in terms of scope, but at least we finally got to see him use some of his dark powers.

Picture:
The special effects are easily the best one yet. While the film doesn't contain much action when compared to the previous films, what is their looks mighty damn impressive. The CGI is alot more focused and fluid. The end sequence was plain awesome and worth the wait. Transfer wise, the Order of the Phoenix is simply flawless. The films source is an excellent condition and I notice no film grain. The image was buttery smooth and free of artifacts. Colors still had that muted look to them, but was alot more vibrant than the Goblet of Fire. Black levels are inky and very strong. You don't lose any picture quality even in the darkest scenes. Flesh tones are spot on perfect and natural the way it was meant to be. Detail is simply outstanding and the film is easily the best looking one I've seen yet. Close up shots show an impressive amount of detail and clarity in the image. You can literally see the pores on the actor's faces. Ever little thing also tends to stand out more. The Order of the Phoenix definitely has one of the best transfers I have seen yet.

Sound:
The soundtrack in the Order of the Phoenix kicks it out of the ball park. Composer John Williams who scored the first three Harry Potter films and composer Patrick Doyle who scored the fourth movie, both opted not to return. Instead, we have Nicholas Hooper scoring this film. While I thought the soundtrack for the fourth film was disappointing and I would have loved for John Williams to return, the music we get here is fine on its own merit. Hooper does a dam good job of keeping the music very exciting and blends it well with the films story. We still get the traditional Harry Potter theme, but it isn't used enough. Bass is spectacular and easily one of the best I have heard. Even though the film is mostly dialogue driven, we still get some action scenes and these sound simply amazing. The bass is alot more dynamic and is hardly focused on the center. Rear channels get alot of action and the music definitely makes for pure reference material.

Conclusion:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix doesn't quite deliver like the previous films, but its still a very good movie with an engrossing story. Theirs tons of character development and the story is alot more interesting. Even though the film is mostly dialogue driven, it still has its share of fun action scenes which look pretty incredible. The cast is great with the main stars returning once more to give out enjoyable performances. The special effects are top notch and the best the series has ever produced. The transfer of the disc is simply flawless and looks phenomenal. The soundtrack is also another one I really really liked. I thought the previous film had a weak soundtrack when compared to the previous 3 films, but this film definitely brings the series back on top at least in terms of music. I cant say I loved the Order of the Phoenix, but id be pretty childish to not admit that its a finely crafted film. Its definitely a slower pace film in terms of action, but its still engrossing and moves the story forward.

Grade: B-

REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2009-07-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Year: 2005
Directed: Mike Newell
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

During post-production for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, director Alfonso Cuarón was offered the chance to direct the fourth film in the popular wizard series, the Goblet of Fire. Knowing that if he accepted the role, he would have to stop overseeing finishing touches on the Prisoner of Azkaban and instead start production on the Goblet of Fire, he respectfully declined. British director Mike Newell signed on board to direct and with the convincing of Alfonso Cuarón, he talked Warner Bros. into keeping the film to one film instead of going with two feature films. Actor Ralph Fiennes was cast as Lord Voldemort with veteran actor Brendan Gleeson cast as Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. The Goblet of Fire was also the first Harry Potter film to be hit with a PG-13 rating as opposed to the PG rating of the previous three films.

Plot Outline:
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) returns for his fourth year with Hogwarts being host to 'The Tri-wizard Tournament', a magical tournament between three well-known schools of magic: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The contestants have to be above the age of 17, and are chosen by a magical object called Goblet of Fire. On the night of selection, however, the Goblet spews out four names instead of the usual three, with Harry unwittingly being selected as the Fourth Champion. Since the magic cannot be reversed, Harry is forced to go with it and brave three exceedingly difficult tasks.

Plot:
I personally haven't read the future novels after the third book. I seemed to have moved on and forgotten it. Still, I was able to look around on some sites and most of them reported that the film stays somewhat faithful to the novel. Their are the obvious changes/alterations that we have come to expect, but the main concept is still their. With the Goblet of Fire getting a new director, you can definitely notice how different this film is compared to the one before it. Newcomer to the Harry Potter universe, director Mike Newell sure does bring alot of detail into this fourth chapter in the J. K. Rowling franchise. The story has an interesting plot that's definitely going to lead to some important battles in the later books. Voldemort finally makes an appearance in full form played by Ralph Fiennes, but hes mostly being set up for a bigger role in the next few films. We also get introduced to new characters that are somewhat exciting and somewhat annoying at times. The Goblet of Fire still maintains the humor and spirit of the previous film. You can tell this feels like a PG-13 movie and not some movie just slapped with that rating. The problem with this film compared to the last one is simply the case of the films pacing. Their were times where I felt the scene transitions weren't as smooth and exciting as they were in the Prisoner of Azkaban. Its really nice to see that the cast is getting more mature and delivering emotional performances. Director Mike Newell gives us plenty of character development which results in a more heavy use of dialogue to pass time. We do get some exhilarating scenes which involves The Tri-wizard Tournament. The films direction also feels week in spots compared to the last one with Hogwarts hardly feeling magical at all.

Cast:
Daniel Radcliffe reprises the role that has launched him into super stardom, Harry Potter. The films are getting darker and alittle scarier. Luckily Racliffe can see what they want from him and delivers on all front. His Harry character has tremendously grown since the first film. He gives a good performance that seems to be getting better and better with each new film. Rupert Grint returns as Harry's funny red haired friend, Ron Weasley. The character of Ron has also grown since the first film. He has a more slightly bigger role in this film than the previous ones. Its also nice to see him struggle his relationship with Harry as it brings more funny tension to the big screen. Emma Watson returns as the lovely, sweet looking Hermione Granger. Watson's character is also growing up and the film makes it look like shes going to end up with Harry. She doesn't have a big role like she did with the last one, but she still has a good amount of screen time. She also tends to be slipping away from being that smart mouth into a more mature lady. The talented Ralph Fiennes plays as Lord Voldemort. Even though he appears during the end of the movie, Fiennes still delivers a villainous performance that's just as creepy and scary as we have all come to expect from his character. His role here is most likely limited due to a bigger appearance in the later films.

Picture:
The special effects in the Goblet of Fire are just a strong and nicely animated like they were in the last film, the Prisoner of Azkaban. While the effects are impressive in this film, I think I still preferred the effects in the last film because director Alfonso Cuarón blended the effects with is dark vision for the third film. Not to mention that the atmosphere was alot more vivid and alive in the third film compared to this one. Transfer wise, this is an excellent disc. The films source is an great condition and I didn't notice any film grain. Colors are somewhat dark and slightly muted. This is hardly a vibrant and vivid looking film. Everything seems dark and cloudy probably due to the darker storyline. Black levels are quite strong and still hold up well to this day. Flesh tones are spot on perfect and I didn't notice any micro-blocking or any scratches. Detail is greatly improved and the film can tend to look stunning at times. Close ups show alot more detail and clarity this time around. The environments and the type of clothing are really the ones that tend to stand out more.

Sound:
The soundtrack in the Goblet of Fire is somewhat of a mixed bag. Believe this is a good soundtrack, but it easily fails in comparison to the last film or even the first two films in the series. Composer John Williams, who composed music for the first three films, couldn't find it in his busy schedule to compose the music for this film and believe me, it shows. Theirs hardly any moments in the film where the music makes you feel like your really their. The Harry Potter theme isn't used enough and when it is, it isn't for much long. The soundtrack isn't bad by all means, but it just doesn't deliver the immersive and exciting experience the previous ones did. The bass is hardly anything to complain about. Just like the previous films in the series, the bass in the Goblet of Fire is nothing short of amazing. Even though the film is mostly dialogue driven, theirs still a good amount of action scenes here and their. The bass is alot more dynamic this time and feels more spread out. The dragon sequence sounds loud and pretty clear in terms of noise. This is reference material and another title to sit a top your collection of bang up movies.

Conclusion:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is another great instalment in this popular franchise created by author J. K. Rowling. While its story isn't quite as exciting and narrative driven like the Prisoner of Azkaban, it still very interesting. My only grip is the films somewhat off pacing. The story also seems to be moving into a darker conclusion with the start of this film. Theirs plenty of character development so we never tend to lose any interest in the three main characters. The cast is great with many of them delivering a more emotional and strong performance. The special effects are wonderful and The Tri-wizard Tournament is easily the star of the show. The soundtrack although good, seems to be lacking the energy and excitement of the previous films. Bass is nothing short of amazing, but this was expected. I still think the last film, the Prisoner of Azkaban was slightly better than this. I still recommend this to Harry Potter fans simply because its still a great film despite its slight problems.

Grade: B

REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2009-07-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Year: 2004
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was the first film the series that took longer than the normal year it required to make it. This one took 18 months and that was because producer David Heyman explained that they wanted each film to have enough time with its production, and not seem so rushed. Director Chris Columbus who helmed the first two film in the series, opted not to direct the third film because he hadn't seen his kids in almost 2 years. Columbus instead chose to serve as producer and the search for a new director began. Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) and Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Quantum of Solace) both turned it down because they were busy with other projects. Alfonso Cuarón was the final choice because he impressed author J. K. Rowling who loved his last film, Y tu mamá también. Since the late Richard Harris was no longer with us, a search for the role of Albus Dumbledore began. Ian McKellen was offered the part, but turned it down stating his character was too similar to that of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was finally decided when director Cuarón chose Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore.

Plot Outline:
Approaching his third year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) has had enough of his muggle relatives. He runs away after using magic to blow Uncle Vernon's sister Marge (Pam Ferris) who was being offensive towards Harry's parents. Initially scared for using magic outside the school, he is pleasantly surprised that he won't be penalized after all. However, he soon learns that a dangerous criminal and Voldemort's trusted aide Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from the Azkaban prison and wants to kill Harry to avenge the Dark Lord. To worsen the conditions for Harry, vile shape-shifters called Dementors are appointed to guard the school gates and inexplicably happen to have the most horrible effect on him. Little does Harry know that by the end of this year, many holes in his past will be filled up and he will have a clearer vision of what the future has in store for him.

Plot:
The third Harry Potter book has always been my favorite because its the only one in the series that I read more than three times. Whats surprising is that the film also happens to be my favorite and that's solely because of director Alfonso Cuarón's vision for this movie. The way he shoots the film in wide scope so you can see more of the background or the way the scenes transition, are all wonderful and simply refreshing. Hell, even the end credits are fun to watch and worth waiting till the very end for. I'm not a Chris Columbus hater because I have good respect for him bringing this series to the big screen and I even praised the second film, the Chamber of Secrets. While I think Columbus did a good job of staying pretty close to the source, Alfonso Cuarón does quite the opposite. The film maintains the key elements of the book, but definitely changes things around. Theirs more alteration and changes here than their was in the first two films. As a big fan of the novel, I find these changes to be kind of irritating. Still, the film is a visual delight and feels very different from the first two. The art direction is amazing and the atmosphere has never looked this vivid. The story is engrossing and feels like a mystery trying to unfold. The acting is better and it definitely helps the film in the long run. Theirs more character development and also more screen time from people other than Harry. The film does tend to slow down a bit during the middle half, but its hardly something that's going to bore you. Who would have thought a change in directors would result in a better sequel? Not only is the Prisoner of Azkaban better than the previous two films, but its change in tone, atmosphere, direction and etc. is exactly what the series needed.

Cast:
Daniel Radcliffe returns once more as the boy wizard, Harry Potter. Radcliffe is definitely starting to change into a good actor and its very noticeable in this film. His performance is great and very enjoyable to watch. He knows what makes Harry tick and knows where to take this character in the next few films. Rupert Grint also returns once more as Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley. Grint is also starting to become a pretty good actor. He still delivers the funny lines here and their, but since its a darker storyline, theirs only a few. This is also the first movie in the series where you can slowly start to see Hermione's affection for Ron. Emma Watson reprises the lovely role of smart mouth, Hermione Granger. Hermione is just as fun and charismatic as Harry. I really enjoyed her performance in this film and it easily outshines the ones in the previous films. Her character gets alot more screen time and its just a warm welcome to finally see it happen. Tom Felton plays as Draco Malfoy and his character is just as sinister as he was in the previous films. His character is still playing the side bench role and isn't really a key focus in this film. The fact that he gets punched by Hermione, is always a plus in my book. Michael Gambon replaces the late Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore. I always saw Dumbledore as Richard Harris and I think he really played that role good. Gambon does an alright job, but just fails in comparison. I did appreciate that Gambom chose to do his own version of Dumbledore rather than imitate Harris.

Picture:
The special effects in the Prisoner of Azkaban is truly a sight to behold. Not because their better than the previous films, but the way its actually used. The film has this magical atmosphere with everything looking and feeling very real, and out of this world. Its still a dark film, but the way the effects are used on its environments, really makes for some pretty cool looking vistas. The CGI is also alot more smoother with fluid animation. The films source is an excellent condition and I hardly noticed any film grain. The image is silky smooth and free of artifacts. Colors are somewhat split and vary from scene to scene. The film generally has this overcast look to it, but theirs also quite a few scenes that feature vibrant colors such as the scenes that involve the Whomping Willow. Black levels are strong and never seem to drop in quality even during some of the darker scenes. Flesh tones are natural, but alittle pale looking. Detail is remarkably strong and improved over the previous films. Close up shots show alot more clarity and detail in the image. The film has never looked this great and it still holds up to this day.

Sound:
The soundtrack in the Prisoner of Azkaban is also a step up from its predecessors. Legendary composer, John Williams returns once again to score this film. His Academy Award nominated Harry Potter theme is still here and sound better than ever. Whats really impressive is that he conducted more music for this film than before. He did some more orchestral work and you can definitely notice it during the film. Its so wonderful to listen to and really brings this film on top. I cant think of one bad thing to say about this soundtrack. Trust me, its that good. The bass is as epic and smashing as the previous films. Its alot more spread out this time and it never fails to amaze me. Theirs plenty of action scenes to showcase the strength of this bass. It seems like with every new Harry Potter film, the bass just gets more and more aggressive. This is pure reference material and definitely something to show of your home entertainment system.

Conclusion:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is not only my favorite film/book in the series, but its also the one that's the most different. The film is beautifully directed by Alfonso Cuarón who in my opinion, should have at least returned for one more film. His take on the novel isn't quite as faithful as the previous two films were, but his attention to detail and atmosphere is simply incredible. The story is very interesting as it unfolds and very nicely edited. The cast is great and its really nice to see more screen time for someone else other than Harry, even though its mostly Harry's story. The special effects are wonderful and amazingly blended with the films environment. Their are many breath-taking scenes. The soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal and definitely the better one in the series. Not only do we get the famous Potter theme song, but also a host of other orchestral music. Not all of the fans are going to let go of some of the changes in the film with me being one of them. However, I still think the film is great because it proves you can still made a good Harry Potter film without staying too closely to the source. The fact that the end credits is fun to watch on its own compared to any of the films, just goes to show you how different and special this film really is.

Grade: B+

REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

2009-07-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Year: 2002
Director: Chris Columbus
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Richard Harris
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG

Filming for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets started only three days after the release of the Sorcerer's Stone. Apparently, Warner Bros. knew the series was going to be big and green lit a sequel during post production for the first film. Chris Columbus who helmed the first film, agreed to return for the sequel with most of the other cast members already contracted to return. Actor Hugh Grant was first attached to star as Gilderoy Lockhart, but had to drop out due to his busy schedule. He was replaced by Kenneth Branagh on October 2001. Actor Richard Harris, who portrayed Albus Dumbledore in this film and the first film, died 2 weeks before the release of this film.

Plot Outline:
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is in his second year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is visited by a house-elf named Dobby and warned not to go back to Hogwarts. Harry ignores his warning, and returns. He is still famous, although still disliked by Snape (Alan Rickman), Malfoy (Tom Felton), and the rest of the Slytherins. But then, strange things start to happen. People are becoming petrified, and no-one knows what is doing it. Harry keeps hearing a voice.. a voice which seems to be coming from within the walls. They are told the story of the Chamber of Secrets. It is said that only Salazar Slytherin's true descendant will be able to open it. Harry, it turns out, is a Parsel-tongue. This means that he is able to speak/understand snakes. Everyone thinks that it's him that has opened the Chamber of Secrets because that is what Slytherin was famous for.

Plot:
The film is based on the second book titled "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by author J. K. Rowling. Just like the first film, this film stays pretty faithful to the novel and like the first film, it also changes some things around. The Chamber of Secrets easily feels like a worthy sequel and in many ways, it is. It seems like director Chris Columbus was finally able to give us his "true" version for what was his last outing as director of this series. I always believed that the first one felt more constrained and this was mostly due to the fact that it was the first film, and probably the hardest one to fully adapt onto the big screen. Since the main characters were already established, it definitely feels like he put some of his creative skills onto the screen. The Chamber of Secrets still retains the humor and charm that made the first one so great, while going a step deeper into the darker parts of the Harry Potter universe. Even with the darker approach, the Chamber of Secrets still remains as entertaining and fun as the first film. The story is told in a more film nor type style which is really effective and engrossing. The film also runs about 10 Min's longer than the Sorcerer's Stone and at times, it tends to feel a bit long. The action scenes are more spread out this time compared to the first film, but the second half still feels superior to the first half. The special effects are much more polished this time around and the set pieces still continue to amaze me.

Cast:
Daniel Radcliffe returns as the boy wizard, Harry Potter. The cast definitely feels like their at home this time around especially Radcliffe. Radcliffe is much more centered and focused compared to his first outing in the Sorcerer's Stone. I enjoyed him more in this film and hes definitely starting to grow on me with his acting. Rupert Grint also returns as Harry's red haired friend, Ron Weasley. Grint is just as amusing as he was in the last film, but his jokes are more limited this time around. Hes still fun to watch, but just not as enjoyable as he was in the last film. Emma Watson is another one who returns to her role as Hermione Granger. Just like the previous cast members, her acting also feels alot more stronger this time around. She still remains as the smart one in the group and I still enjoy her wonderful smile. We also have Tom Felton returning as Draco Malfoy. For some reason, I felt less satisfied with Felton's performance this time compared to the first film. He still remains as Harry's bitter rival, but I just don't believe the anger hes supposedly expressing. The late Richard Harris returns once more as Albus Dumbledore, in what was his last film before his unfortunate death. Even though Michael Gambon gives a good performance as Dumbledore in the later films, I always felt Harris was the better one. Hes just more fitting for the part and Ill truly miss his version of Dumbledore.

Picture:
The special effects in the Chamber of Secrets is a step up from the Sorcerer's Stone. Even though the film is only a year apart from the first film, the effects look more polished this time around. The CGI animation looks more fluid and the Quidditch scene actually looks less fake. While the special effects are better than the first film, they still don't hold a candle to some of the stuff out in theaters like Transformers 2. The films source is an good condition and theirs less grain here compared to the first film. The image remains mostly smooth for the most part, but does get alittle flat during the spider encounter scene. Colors also seem more muted this time mostly due to the darker change in the atmosphere. Hardly any scene is bursting with vibrant colors and everything seems more darkly lit. Black levels are strong and inky. The darker scenes don't suffer too much in terms of shadows and drop in detail. Flesh tones are warm and spot on perfect. You can easily make out everyone in the film. Detail is also better and more clear. Close up shots show more sweat and pores. The Chamber of Secrets is hardly the most detailed film I have seen, but it still looks great and is an improvement over the first film.

Sound:
The soundtrack in the Chamber of Secrets is just as beautiful and fun to listen to as the one in the Sorcerer's Stone. John Williams returns once again to compose the music for the film. William Ross, another talented composer was lucky enough to help finish John's score since he was unable to finish it due to his busy schedule. I really didn't notice a difference and most people probably wont either. That same great Harry Potter theme is back and still manages to stick to your head. The bass in the Chamber of Secrets is also a winner. The sequel is definitely alot more action packed and the bass doesn't disappoint. Its more spread out this time , but still remains mostly front centered for some reason. The dialogue is clean and clear. While I still wouldn't call the Chamber of Secrets pure reference material, it still sounds wonderful and is definitely going to sound good on your home entertainment system.

Conclusion:
Even though the Prisoner of Azkaban remains as my favorite book in the series, the Chamber of Secrets comes in at a close second. I enjoyed this movie alot more than I did the first film simply because it felt like a worthy successor. The story is more engrossing and the characters are well developed. Everything seems to be heading in the right direction and the sequel definitely feels like the film the director wanted to make with the first film. The cast is great and most of the previous members from the first film are back. I also enjoyed the acting more this time than with the first film. The special effects are much more polished and look more fluid. The soundtrack is still a winner and still very wonderful to listen to. The bass delivers on most fronts and the second half sounds pretty awesome. I can recommend this to those looking for a good Friday night popcorn movie. Its better than the Sorcerer's Stone and feels like a step in the right direction.

Grade: B-

REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

2009-07-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Year: 2001
Director: Chris Columbus
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Richard Harris
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG

In 1997, producer David Heyman looked almost everywhere for a children's book that he thought could be adapted into a successful film. After his plans for a film adaptation of "The Ogre Downstairs" fell apart, some of his staff members suggested Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Heyman pitched it to Warner Bros. and that same year, author J. K. Rowling sold the company rights for the first four books for nearly $2 million. Rowling demanded that the principal cast be kept strictly British. Steven Spielberg was attached to direct and wanted to make the film into an animated feature, but later dropped out to film A.I. Artificial Intelligence. The studio began talking with many directors with Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire) and Terry Gilliam (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Tideland) being the final two choices. Rowling wanted Gilliam, but the studio went with Columbus because he has already made family films before. Writer Steve Kloves was brought on board to write the screenplay with Rowling getting creative control over the script.

Plot Outline:
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is an average 11 year old boy who has lived with the Dursley family ever since his parents died in a car crash. For some reason the family has always mistreated him. On his 11th birthday a giant man named Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) hands him a letter telling him that he has been accepted as a student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry learns that his parents were wizards and were killed by an evil wizard Voldemort, a truth that was hidden from him all these years. He embarks for his new life as a student, gathering two good friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) along the way. They soon learn that something very valuable is hidden somewhere inside the school and Voldemort is very anxious to lay his hands on it.

Plot:
The film is based on the novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by author J. K. Rowling. The story is pretty faithful to the novel in terms of key parts, but it does have a few alterations. I actually read the first three books back in 5th grade and I still enjoyed the movie even with the small changes. While the book the film was based on was simply great, the movie doesn't feel quite the same. I think mainly its because of the cast. While I think the cast is perfect for the characters they had to play, they just seem to be lacking the charisma and excitement that I was expecting from them. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on this considering this is the first Harry Potter film and also the biggest film for most of the cast, but its just something that tends to come up when I'm watching the film. The story also feels like its moving at a slow pace especially for a family/adventure film. The first half can tend to get somewhat tedious with the second half being much more action oriented. Still, the film maintains its entertainment values and builds upon its characters with alot of development. We soon begin to cheer and root for Harry and his friends. The atmosphere and costume designs are simply wonderful. Seeing parts of the novel come to life for the very first time, is like a childhood dream coming true. While the Sorcerer's Stone might be the weakest one out of the films, it still does a good job of establishing its characters and settings.

Cast:
Daniel Radcliffe plays as the wizard who lived, Harry Potter. Radcliffe auditioned for the part after director Chris Columbus saw him in the David Copperfield BBC adaptation. Rowling approved of Radcliffe's casting, stating that "having seen his screen test I don't think Chris Columbus could have found a better Harry." I too think Radcliffe was a great choice and hes enjoyable in this film. Its just too bad you don't see him giving an emotional performance until the third or fourth movie. Rupert Grint plays as Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley. Grint was lucky enough to get the part after sending the producers an audition tape of him rapping, yes rapping. I also think Grint was an excellent casting choice because he seems to be the only one cracking small jokes here and their to break the tension. Emma Watson plays as Harry's other friend that happens to be a girl, Hermione Granger. Granger auditioned for the part after her theater teacher recommended her to casting agents. Granger makes for another perfect casting call and I enjoyed the smart-ness she brought to her character. Tom Felton plays as Harry's confident rival, Draco Malfoy. Felton actually seems to be the only one that's really having fun with his role and it translates to the screen nicely.

Picture:
The visual look of the Sorcerer's Stone is pretty great. The special effects aren't bad for a film that came out in 2001. While the CGI animation does look a bit clunky especially during the scene where the students are trying to learn how to fly on their brooms, it still manages to work seamlessly. The films source is in good condition, but their is a thin layer of grain present through out the film. Being the first and oldest of the films, this shouldn't come off as a surprise. I also didn't notice any micro-blocking or scratches on the image which seemed pretty smooth through out the two and a half hour run time. Colors seem nicely saturated and do pop occasionally. I was actually expecting it to be much more vibrant especially during the scene in Diagon Alley, but it isn't. Black levels are strong considering the films 8 year age difference, but its definitely not the best I have seen. Flesh tones are pretty great and have that warm feeling to them. Skin tones also look natural and not tampered with. Detail is very good for an 8 year old film, but its definitely the weakest in the series. Close ups show a good amount of detail and the environments never fail impress. This is the best the film is ever going to look.

Sound:
The soundtrack in the Sorcerer's Stone is simply fantastic. Just about everyone of the Harry Potter films tend to have some really amazing music and its no different here. The films original music is composed by John Williams who has scored other great films such as Star Wars and Jurassic Park. His score for this film is fantastic and really mesmerizing. It goes up their with the Star Wars theme as another classic score. It fits the Harry Potter universe very nicely and is just catchy to listen to. The Sorcerer's Stone also happens to have a very good amount of bass. While the film is mostly dialogue driven considering its the first in the series, it still has some awesome scenes such as the Quidditch scene. The bass isn't as loud and crystal clear as Transformers 2, but its still pretty good. Its mostly front centered, but also makes some use of the other open channels. While I wouldn't call it reference material, the Sorcerer's Stone still sounds damn good.

Conclusion:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is an entertaining film that's very much suitable for just about anyone. The film stays pretty faithful to the novel except for a few changes. I enjoyed the amount of character development and detail that was present in the film. I thought the cast was pretty much perfect, but definitely seemed to lack charisma. The special effects are pretty good for an 8 year old film, but some of the animation can tend to look ugly upon closer viewing. The soundtrack is pretty brilliant and John Williams delivers another classic score that's going to be remembered for years to come. While I cant say I loved the Sorcerer's Stone, I still enjoyed it and thought it was a pretty good film. Its definitely the weakest in the series in terms of actual plot and memorable fight scenes, but this was expected considering that we have to start somewhere right. I can definitely recommend this film to those looking for a fun family film.

Grade: C+

Cameron Diaz In Talks For Green Hornet

2009-07-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

Cameron Diaz is considering an offer to play the female lead in Green Hornet, opposite Seth Rogen.
A deal hasn't been sealed yet, but sources tell EW that she is in early talks for the role. Her reps at CAA declined comment.
Michel Gondry is set to direct the film based on a script by Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg. Shooting is supposed to begin shortly, with a release date already set for July 9, 2010.

Thoughts:
I'm still debating if this movie is even going to be that good. I don't even remember the last that Cameron Diaz was in a good movie.

Gary Ross Set To Rewrite Spider-Man 4

2009-07-09T00:08:00.000-07:00

Gary Ross has come aboard to rewrite the script for “Spider-Man 4,” the Sam Raimi-directed film that Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios will put into production early next year.
Tobey Maguire has top lined both of the films Ross has directed (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit), the “Spider-Man 4” deal should come as no surprise.
The “Spider-Man 4” script was originally written by James Vanderbilt, and then rewritten by David Lindsay-Abaire.

Thoughts:
I think this is good news because I usually tend to enjoy most of his films. I am alittle worried about the number of rewrites the film is getting. It makes it seem like Sony and the producers just don't know what to do with the web slinger. Here's hoping Ross is the last person to rewrite the script so we can finally get this bad boy in production early next year.

New District 9 Poster

2009-07-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! Movies has released this new poster for the Neill Blomkamp-directed District 9, opening in theaters on August 14. Produced by Peter Jackson, the sci-fi film depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa.
UPDATE: New trailer is now online and available here.

Thoughts:
Poster looks cool and I'm still excited to see this film. Well, it looks like the new trailer went up today. It looks pretty cool and a much better trailer than we first got.

REVIEW: Public Enemies

2009-07-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

Public Enemies

Year: 2009
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

Writer Bryan Burrough -- who had written a non-fiction book titled "Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34"-- pitched the idea of doing a movie based on America's notorious criminal John Dillinger, as a miniseries to the folks at HBO. They were very interested in the project and asked Burrough to write a screenplay. HBO started losing interest in the project because the screenplay wasn't quite finished. HBO than sold the rights back to production companies representing Michael Mann. Mann was attached to direct along with Leonardo DiCaprio cast as John Dillinger. Filming never got off the ground because Mann was busy with other projects which resulted in DiCaprio dropping out to star in Martin Scorsese's upcoming thriller, Shutter Island. In 2007, Michael Mann expressed interest in this project with Universal Pictures fully backing the film. The production company was lucky enough to get Johnny Depp who was already very fascinated with the character, on aboard. Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard also signed on after reading the script.

Plot Outline:
The year is 1933, it's the Great Depression. A time for the desperate to do the unthinkable. Crime was on the rise and people were suffering. For John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) it was a time of infinite possibilities and opportunities. To combat the sharp incline in rampant criminal activity, J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) forms the FBI, led by Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale). Together they target Dillinger as public enemy number one. Relying on new methods of intelligence gathering (such as tracking the purchase location of a coat or recording phone conversations), the firepower of trained gunmen, and his own relentless nature, Purvis gets closer and closer to Dillinger and company.

Plot:
Public Enemies is essentially a film adaptation of Bryan Burrough's non-fiction book Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34. The film is engaging, but also alittle slow. We don't get much character development so it becomes pretty hard to care about these characters. We hardly know anything about Dillinger's gang which really feels like a missed opportunity considering they played a big part in Dillinger's life. Their is also a romantic aspect of the film that involves John Dillinger and Billie Frechette, which works for the most part, but ultimately feels like it should have been fleshed out more. Thankfully the film has a wonderful cast that really delivers, which makes the lack of character development at least somewhat forgiving. Public Enemies is also a long movie which has now become a standard in most of director Michael Mann's films. While I personally didn't find the length to be an issue, I can see some audiences feeling alittle bored at times. Their were some scenes that I personally felt could have been cut or trimmed to make the overall film much more coherent. Luckily, the film does have its share of awesome shootouts which also has become a trademark from director Michael Mann. These scenes are nicely shot and looks fantastic. I also admire Mann's attention to detail and the film definitely shows it. Everything looks as it probably would have back in 1933 down to every little detail. The script is mostly historically accurate, but it might have stayed alittle too close to the source. Theirs one scene were we see Dillinger walk into a Police station and leave un-noticed. While this actually did happen in real life, it just comes off alittle silly especially compared to the audiences of today. I enjoyed the ending and it really felt natural to me.

Cast:
Johnny Depp plays as public enemy number one, John Dillinger. I have always been a fan of Johnny Depp because I think the man can just about play any part and make it special. He doesn't disappoint here and his take on John Dillinger is simply great. He plays this badass bank robber that literally never stops to think about tomorrow, but rather focus on today. Hes cocky, arrogant and very dangerous. Christian Bale plays as the FBI agent in charge of taking down John Dillinger, Melvin Purvis. Bale gives a pretty good performance, but its really not on par with Johnny Depp. Bale's character feels one dimensional at times, but I think this was due largely because of the script. Hes still good in this role, but it feels like he could have done better. Marion Cotillard plays as Dillinger's love interest, Billie Frechette. She gives a great performance that I really enjoyed. Shes sexy and displayed a good amount of emotion. I also think she was perfect opposite Johnny Depp, but I do wish that her role was more significant and longer. We also have the talented Billy Crudup playing as J. Edgar Hoover. He plays the part good, but it definitely ain't his best performance. I thought his acting was alot stronger in Watchmen, but maybe that's because he had more screen time in that movie. He does what he can with what little the script has of him.

Picture:
The visual look of Public Enemies is probably going to get the most mixed reaction from audiences. Mann chose to shoot the film using digital cinematography which involves shooting the film using HD cameras. Mann has done this with his 2004 crime thriller, Collateral and his recent 2006 film adaptation of Miami Vice. Those films worked using this type of camera because they were in present day, but Public Enemies focuses on 1933 era. I personally don't have a problem with Mann going with HD on this film, but it would have been interesting to see what the film might have looked like if used regular photographic film. With that said, the actual transfer of the film looks incredible. The films source is in great shape and contains a thin veil of grain through out the picture. The color palette is mostly muted to reflect the tone of the 1933 era, but their are also many scenes that just pop with color. The scene at the end with Dillinger at the theater looks really vivid. Black levels are strong, but really tend to drop off during the darker scenes at night. Detail is exceptionally strong which shouldn't come off as a surprise considering the movie was filmed using HD cameras. Close ups show a considerable amount of detail.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Public Enemies is pretty good, but does run into a few problems. The films sound level doesn't seem to be on the same page. The shootout/action scenes tend to be louder and more clean, while others are mostly softer and alittle hard to hear. The score is composed by Elliot Goldenthal who has scored other hit films such as Mann's heist thriller, Heat and 2002's Frida. His work here is good and works well with the tone of the film. Its wonderful to listen to and is used effectively through out the movie. Public Enemies also packs a powerful punch in the bass department. The shootout scenes really stand out and sound amazing. You can literally hear every bullet hit something in pristine clarity. This ain't Transformers 2 by any means, but its pretty impressive for a film like this to sound this good in the bass department. It felt dynamic and evenly spread out. I cant wait to hear this film on Blu Ray and its lossless soundtrack

Conclusion:
Public Enemies is a hyped up gangster film that could have been something special, but just ends up being a really good movie. The story is pretty good, but seems to be lacking in terms of character development and proper editing. Their were some scenes that I felt could have easily been trimmed or cut to make a better and cohesive film. The shootout scenes are some of the best Ive seen and definitely worth watching this film for. The cast is mostly good, but most of them feel one dimensional. Johnny Depp is great as Dillinger, but he seems to overshadow just about everyone in the film. The visual look of the movie is really unique. Although the film looks somewhat washed out because of the fast motion feeling of filming in HD, it still looks pretty cool. The soundtrack is pretty good, but their were a few instances where the audio was alittle muffled when characters spoke. Shootout scenes sound awesome and exceptionally crisp. Public Enemies ain't the next Godfather, but its still a really good movie. Sure it doesn't live up to the hype it has generated, mostly due to the amount of talent involved, but its still a really good movie that definitely worth watching. I would love to see an extended version like they did with Ridley Scott's American Gangster because I actually ended up favoring the extended version alot more.

Grade: B-

Poster For Surrogates

2009-07-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

Superhero Hype! has your exclusive first look at the one-sheet for Touchstone Picture's Surrogates, hitting theaters on September 25. Directed by Jonathan Mostow, the sci-fi thriller stars Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, James Francis Ginty, Boris Kodjoe and Ving Rhames.
In the film, FBI agents investigate the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves—fit, good looking remotely controlled machines that ultimately assume their life roles—enabling people to experience life vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes. The murder spawns a quest for answers: in a world of masks, who's real and who can you trust?

Thoughts:

Looks pretty average to me, but I'm still anxious to see this film.

Trailer For Couples Retreat

2009-06-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Universal Pictures has revealed the trailer for director Peter Billingsley's Couples Retreat, written by Iron Man director Jon Favreau. Opening October 9th, the Universal comedy stars Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Faizon Love, Kali Hawk and Jean Reno.
The film follows four Midwestern couples who embark on a journey to a tropical island resort. While one of the couples is there to work on their marriage, the other three set out to jet ski, spa and enjoy some fun in the sun. They soon discover that participation in the resort’s couples therapy is not optional. Suddenly, their group-rate vacation comes at a price. What follows is a hilarious look at real world problems faced by all couples.

Thoughts:

Finally we get a trailer for this and it actually looks really funny. With an all star cast like this, I'm hoping it becomes a sleeper hit kind of like Wedding Crashers.

Fox Going Through With Hitman 2

2009-06-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

Agent 47 is coming back for a sequel to 2007's Hitman!
IESB has confirmed that 20th Century Fox has hired writer Kyle Ward to pen the script for the sequel to Hitman!
The original Hitman movie was a bona fide hit released in 2007 with an estimated gross of 100 million dollars in worldwide box office receipts not including DVD sales and television broadcast rights. The film starred Timothy Olyphant as Agent 47 and launched Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) to stardom.
Adrian Askarieh, Daniel Alter and Chuck Gordon will return as producers.

Thoughts:

I thought the first film was disappointing so I don't know what to think of this. I love the Hitman video games, but the movie was different in a bad way. I don't see how they are going to make a good Hitman film especially with a studio like Fox which is known to control final cuts of their films.

REVIEW: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-06-25T19:31:00.001-07:00

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Year: 2009
Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Ramon Rodriguez, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

After grossing more than $708 million worldwide, their was no doubt that their would be a sequel to Transformers. In September 2007, Paramount announced a late June 2009 release schedule for the sequel and the film was given a $200 million dollar budget which is $50 million more than the first film. Considering the budget was much more this time around, Michael Bay started thinking of what action scenes that were left out of the first film, were going to be used in the next one. Writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman who penned the first film, originally passed on the sequel because of a busy schedule. Paramount than began searching for new writers in May 2007, but wasn't impressed with the ideas they were getting from them. They convinced Orci and Kurtzman to return and brought on Ehren Kruger who impressed creator Hasbro with his knowledge of the Transformers mythology. Most of the cast members returned for the sequel and filming began on May 2008.

Plot Outline:
Two years have passed since Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and the Autobots saved the human race from the invading Decepticons. Now he's preparing for the biggest challenge of his life: leaving home for college. With the destruction of the Allspark, the Autobots make the best of their lives on earth, working in league with the military as part of a top-secret team called NEST. Meanwhile, the Decepticons learn what Sam doesn't know: he alone holds the key to the outcome of the struggle between evil and the ultimate power of good. With the help of the Autobots, the soldiers of NEST, and former Sector 7 Agent Simmons (John Turturro), Sam and his girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox) must uncover the secret history of the Transformers presence on earth, and the sacrifices that have to be made to save it from an ancient threat sworn on returning here for revenge--an ancient Decepticon named The Fallen.

Plot:
Michael Bay was bent on making this film bigger and far more louder. In the end, that's exactly what he did. The film feels more like a 2 hour demolition derby rather than a blockbuster sequel. The story is literally none existent for the first half and slowly picks up during the second. Their was many times where I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on and that thought also carried over to the action scenes. Whats the point of having the Autobots fight the Decepticons if you cant even tell who's winning? Its just badly edited and really not as exciting as it should be. I complained that the first film focused too much on the human characters and very little on the Transformers themselves. I appreciate that Bay and the writers listened to us fans who wanted more robot action, but why do so if its going to make the film incoherent? Theirs hardly any character development and the dialogue is absurd. The Transformers themselves can tend to sound annoying especially "The Twins" which I thought could have easily been left out of the film. Sam and Mikaela's relationship is also bland, and only gets somewhat interesting when they fight. The other major road block is the films run time. Revenge of the Fallen clocks in at 150 minutes and it really feels like its too much. The average Joe is going to think I'm crazy for complaining about the films run time especially when the film is full of action scenes, but the fact is that the films pacing is off. Their were parts of the film that dragged and really made it somewhat boring. By the time the film is over, you wonder if you even got any satisfaction out of all of this.

Cast:
Shia LaBeouf (Eagle Eye) returns as the charming, yet clumsy Sam Witwicky. He does a pretty good job of keeping what made his character interesting the first time around, which was his funny remarks. LaBeouf was involved in a car accident half way through filming the film and filming was only delayed by 2 days because the writers found a way to incorporate his injured hand into the story. I'm glad he was still able to perform most of his stunts and I enjoyed his work here. Megan Fox also returns as Sam's girlfriend, Mikaela Banes. Her acting is alright in this film, but she still feels like shes only their to please the male audience. Her character doesn't get much development and still feels like a sidekick. Her relationship with Sam isn't interesting and feels alittle tacked on. Ramon Rodriguez plays as Sam's roommate, Leo. His character is really annoying and adds literally nothing to the story. He is a pointless character that also feels tacked on and doesn't entertain in the least bit of way. I got so tired of him screaming through out the movie that I started wishing that a Decepticon would come and kill him already. Josh Duhamel reprises his role as Captain Lennox and he too is pretty lame here. His character hardly gets enough screen time and theirs no character development on him what so ever. Whats the point of keeping this guy alive? Does he get any major scenes in the film? What does he bring to the table?

Picture:
Revenge of the Fallen features the same great special effects that were seen in the first film. The team at Industrial Light & Magic who had done the effects for the first film, have also done the effects for the sequel. The Transformers are more lightened this time around and better constructed. They feature more parts and their animation has been re-done. Hasbro became more involved with the design for the robots and had the writers focus more on combining parts. The effects for Devastator proved to be a challenge because of his many auto parts. Revenge of the Fallen's special effects easily left me impressed the way the first film did. The films source is in great condition which shouldn't come off as a surprise considering the film just came out. Their is a hint of grain splattered around the image, but its in no way distracting. The color palette is excellent and very much vibrant. This is a darker sequel, but the many different variety of colors on the Transformers, is easily impressive. Black levels are simply perfect and I didn't notice any drop in quality during the night scenes. Flesh tones are spot on perfect and have that warm feel to them. Detail is excellent and easily one of the finest I have seen on a new release. Close ups feature some great clarity and you can literally see drops of sweat on Sam's face.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Revenge of the Fallen is just as exciting as the one in the first film. Composer Steve Jablonsky (Transformers, Friday the 13th) returns once again to score the music for this film. I was happy to see that he was the right man for the first film and that doesn't change here. His music from the first film is back and sounding better than ever. His sound design for the film is just as epic and exciting. We also get a set of other music from a variety of artists. Linkin Park is back again to have a song featured in the movie and its just as good as their last song "What I've Done". Their new song "New Divide" is awesome and goes well with the film. I raved about how loud and amazing the bass was in the last film, but to my knowledge, Revenge of the Fallen sounds even more better. The film is essentially 90% action so it shouldn't come off as a surprise that the bass sounds thunderous. Its dynamically spread and doesn't sound like its focused on the center only. Revenge of the Fallen is sure to be the new demo disk to show off to your friends. I expect the Blu Ray to be pure reference material when it hits later this year.

Conclusion:
Revenge of the Fallen is just a scrambled mess that is lousy and easily forgettable. The story is almost none existent and poorly put together on the big screen. Theirs no character development and the film tries to win its audience over with over the top action scenes that you can barely see. Its dialogue is cheesy and the story consists of too many annoying characters that aren't needed. With the pacing not as good as the first film, Revenge of the Fallen suffers from being too long of a movie. The cast is alright, but Shia LaBeouf still remains the only person that's enjoyable on the screen. The special effects are top notch and just as breath-taking as the first film. The soundtrack is also a winner and some of the loudest bass usage I have heard. Linkin Park's new song for the movie, New Divide is just plain awesome. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to say pass on this one. If your looking for a summer popcorn flick than go see the first film or just go see Star Trek again. If you desperately want to see this movie than Id at least wait for the DVD/Blu Ray.

Grade: D+

REVIEW: Transformers

2009-06-23T23:47:00.000-07:00

Transformers

Year: 2007
Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

The films development began with producer Don Murphy (Shoot 'Em Up) talking to Hasbro about adopting G.I. Joe into a film. After the United States took part in the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Hasbro suggested that they do a Transformers film instead of G.I. Joe. Being a fan of the toys when growing up, Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park, Minority Report) signed on as executive producer of the film in 2004. Writer John Rogers wrote the first draft of the film which was later re-written by writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek) in 2005. Spielberg suggested that "a boy and his car" should be the focus of the story. Orci and Kurtzman's first draft consisted of the Transformers having no dialogue, as the producers feared talking robots would look silly. The writers felt that even if it would look silly, not having the robots speak would betray the fan base. Michael Bay was asked to direct by Spielberg in 2005, but turned the film down stating it was nothing more than a "stupid toy movie". Still, he wanted to work with Spielberg, and gained a new respect for the Transformers mythology upon visiting Hasbro. Bay didn't like Orci and Kurtzman's first draft so he increased the military's role in the story.

Plot Outline:
For centuries, two races of robotic aliens -- the Autobots and the Decepticons -- have waged a war, with the fate of the universe at stake. When the battle comes to Earth, all that stands between the evil Decepticons and ultimate power is a clue held by young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). An average teenager, Sam is consumed with everyday worries about school, friends, cars and girls. Unaware that he alone is mankind's last chance for survival, Sam and his friend Mikaela (Megan Fox) find themselves in a tug of war between the Autobots and Decepticons. With the world hanging in the balance, Sam comes to realize the true meaning behind the Witwicky family motto - "No sacrifice, no victory!"

Plot:
I thought I go back and revisit this film in preparation for Revenge of the Fallen which is set to debut tomorrow in theaters nationwide. The films story relies too heavily on the human characters which should always be second before the actual Transformers especially in a film named after the robots. Our focus is mainly on Shia LaBeouf's character and his somewhat flat connection with the Autobot Bumblebee who is mostly in car form for the first 30 minutes of the film. The Autobots and Decepticons don't really get any time to shine until the every end. For some of us who have waited ages to see our favorite toys brought to life really just want to see two robot sides fighting in massive chaos. Its a shame that Megatron - the leader of the Decepticons - finally gets into battle with Prime near the end. Theirs also some side plots that don't add to the core of the movie and only end up stretching the movie longer than it should be. Why involve a crack team of analysts who suddenly decide to disappear near the end? The films dialogue is either cheesy at times or downright stupid. I love that Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime from the TV series is back with some of the original cast, but his jokes are painful to listen to. For some reason, the film just feels like a long military/product placement commercial. While the film does suffer in some areas, its still entertaining none the less. While the action scenes aren't perfect, they are still very fun to watch especially near the end. Bay is simply excellent when it comes to big explosions and he doesn't disappoint here. The special effects are also top notch and really bring the Autobots, and Decepticons to life.

Cast:
Shia LaBeouf (Eagle Eye) plays as Sam Witwicky who is the main center of attention. The producers first thought he looked too old for the part, but LaBeouf used some make up and a good audition to pull it off. I think hes definitely the most enjoyable person in the whole movie. His character is corky, but funny. He gets the most screen time which isn't a surprise considering the film heavily involves his character. Megan Fox plays the hottie who gets involved with Witwicky's life, Mikaela Banes. Fox is hardly any good at acting and it really feels like shes only in this to please the male crowd. Her character is hardly developed and feels more like a sidekick rather than a girl who gets trapped in all of this mess. Josh Duhamel plays the tough US solider, Captain Lennox. His character is hardly needed, but he does a pretty good job at what hes suppose to do. The story could have honestly worked with out him, but whatever. Tyrese Gibson (2 Fast 2 Furious) also plays a US solider, but his character is named USAF Tech Sergeant Epps. I heard from some links that Gibson actually paid the producers to be in this movie. That right their makes him look so stupid and desperate. I mean why would you pay the producers of the movie to let you have a part in it? I just don't get it. His acting is very poor and hardly brings anything new to the table. No character development on him what so ever.

Picture:
The special effects in Transformers actually doesn't disappoint. The effects were mostly done by Industrial Light & Magic which also provided effects for other hits such as Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. They are a talented studio and their work shows in this film. The Transformers are nicely lightened and constructed. The car models look very impressive and feature a ton of parts. This is easily one of the best films ever created visually and still holds up in 2009. The film's transfer is also a stunner. The source is an excellent condition and only exhibits a few gran here and their, but hardly anything I would call "distracting". The films color palette is wonderful and vibrant at times. The Autobots look nicely colored and feature bright colors while the Decepticons feature dark colors. Black levels are impressive and very inky. Flesh tones are natural and very smooth. Detail is also impressive and really pushes whats possible on the home format. The Blu Ray version has one of the better transfers I have seen and easily triumphs its DVD counterpart. You can literally see drops of sweat and pores during close ups.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Transformers is also a winner. The films music design is composed by Steve Jablonsky (Friday the 13th) who also scored other films such as the 2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and Michael Bay's commercial flop, The Island. Hes the right balance and is definitely the man for the job. His music design is awesome and really gives the film some legs. Its nicely used through out the films 2 hour run time and really makes the film much more enticing. The soundtrack also consists of other Rock/R&B music such as Before It's Too Late by The Goo Goo Dolls and my personal favorite, What I've Done by Linkin Park. Transformers also features one of the best bass usage I have heard in sometime now. Theirs no question that the film is loud and full of explosions, but its the way the bass is used through out that's impressive. Its dynamic and spread across all channels nicely. Its simply one of the loudest and aggressive films I have heard in some time. This is no doubt reference material from the get go. Transformers is easily the film to showcase ones home entertainment system. It is as perfect as it could possibly be.

Conclusion:
Transformers is easily a fun summer popcorn flick. Its story does suffer from mindless characters and cheesy dialogue. The fact that the film relies too heavily on the boring human characters rather than the interesting alien wrecking robots, is also simply redundant. With all these issues aside, the films outcome comes off pretty entertaining. Theirs really nothing better than two robot forces going at it. Its sad that we have to wait till the second half before we see much carnage involved, but its somewhat worth the wait. The cast is hardly interesting other than Shia LaBeouf who gets the most screen time compared to anyone else in the movie. The special effects are simply stunning and really bring the Transformers to life. Its cutting edge and nicely integrated into the film. The soundtrack is loud and really fun. The bass is without a doubt, one of the best I have heard in a long time. Definitely something to showcase your home entertainment system. I can recommend this to those looking for a good summer popcorn flick. Its got issues, but those can be somewhat forgiven when you actually see the robots in action.

Grade: C+

Teaser Trailer For Shyamalan's The Last Airbender

2009-06-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

The teaser trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender is now online. Opening July 2nd, Paramount's big screen adaptation stars Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Jessica Jade Andres, Aasif Mandvi, Shaun Toub, Cliff Curtis and Keong Sim.
Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series, the live-action feature film is set in a world where human civilization is divided into four nations: Water, Earth, Air and Fire.
The Fire Nation is waging a ruthless, oppressive war against the other three nations. The film's hero, the reluctant young Aang (Noah Ringer), is the "Last Airbender" -- the Avatar who, according to prophecy, has the ability to manipulate all of the elements and bring all the nations together. Aided by a protective teenage Waterbender named Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her bull-headed brother Sokka, Aang proceeds on a perilous journey to restore balance to their war-torn world.
Jackson Rathbone plays Katara's brother Sokka, and Dev Patel plays Prince Zuko, prince of the Fire Nation. Mandvi is set to play the role of Commander Zhao, an ambitious and hot-tempered Fire Nation commander. Toub is cast as Uncle Iroh, the retired Fire Nation general and devoted surrogate parent to Dev Patel's character Zuko. Curtis is set to play the ruthless ruler Fire Lord Ozai. Keong Sim has been cast in the role of Earthbending Father.

Thoughts:

Now I have stated before that I have never seen the TV series, but that teaser trailer actually looked pretty good. I really hope director M. Night Shyamalan delivers a solid movie especially since his last film was quite the disappointment.

Teaser Poster For Iron Man 2

2009-06-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

It's not more than just the logo, but this teaser poster for Iron Man 2 was spotted at Cinema Expo in Amsterdam this week.
Opening May 7, 2010, the Jon Favreau-directed sequel stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling, John Slattery, Kate Mara, Clark Gregg and Olivia Munn.

Thoughts:

I know you guys are probably thinking I made this with photoshop, but its the real deal. Its lame and very plain, but it is a teaser poster after all. Were probably not going to get a decent poster until early next year.

New Trailer For Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds

2009-06-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

The new trailer for Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, which aired on Spike, is now online.
Opening August 21st, the film begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema.
Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as "The Basterds," Raine's squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own...

Thoughts:

Looks really really cool and I'm excited as ever for this film. I'm somewhat of a big Tarantino fan so this is going to be a no brainer for me. Here's hoping the film doesn't fail at the box office like Grindhouse did.

Trailer For Rob Zombie's Halloween II

2009-06-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

Dimension Films has revealed the new trailer for Rob Zombie's Halloween II is online.
In the sequel, opening August 28th, Michael Myers has returned home to sleepy Haddonfield, Illinois to take care of some unfinished family business. Myers will stop at nothing to bring closure to the secrets of his twisted past. But the town's got an unlikely new hero, if they can only stay alive long enough to stop the unstoppable.

Thoughts:

Seeing as how I never got the chance to see the new Halloween film from Rob Zombie, I really don't know what to think from this trailer. It looks like it could be fun, but it really doesn't look scary.

New Images From Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

2009-06-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

USA Today has published new images from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland featuring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. Also included are three more pieces of concept art.
The article explains that the March 5, 2010 release, co-starring Michael Sheen, Mia Wasikowska, Matt Lucas, Crispin Glover, Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman, is almost like a sequel to the original story:
The traditional tale has been freshened with a blast of girl power, courtesy of writer Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast). Alice, 17, attends a party at a Victorian estate only to find she is about to be proposed to in front of hundreds of snooty society types. Off she runs, following a white rabbit into a hole and ending up in Wonderland, a place she visited 10 years before yet doesn't remember.

Thoughts:

I don't know why, but I'm actually turned off by these pics. I was really looking forward to this movie and Ill still end up watching it, but these pics don't look that good. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter looks like Madonna with a heavy use of make up. Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen just looks really bad. She looks much different than I would have imagined. Anne Hathaway as the White Queen looks more like a guy wearing a long wig. The concepts do look pretty jaw dropping, but I'm really not digging the sequel type story. Overall, the film simply looks much more darker and mature than I had hoped for. While the novel does feature some elements of mature content, it definitely looks like Burton went alittle over board. I guess only time will tell, but my excitement for this film just went down a notch.

Sean Penn Backs Out Of Two Huge Films

2009-06-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Oscar winner Sean Penn (Milk) has dropped out of two high-profile films: MGM's "The Three Stooges" and Universal and Imagine's crime thriller "Cartel."
It is understood that the Oscar-winning actor/writer/director is taking a leave from his Hollywood career to focus on his family. It's unclear how long the absence could last, though sources have said up to a year.
Peter and Bobby Farrelly have spent the better part of a decade trying to get "Stooges" off the ground, and in March they pulled off a major casting coup: Penn as Larry, with Jim Carrey as Curly and Benicio del Toro as Moe.
Now MGM and the Farrellys, who wrote the script and are slated to direct, need to decide whether they will wait for Penn or seek to find a new actor. Time and availability are the issues: "Stooges" was eyeing a late August start date, and MGM has slotted it for a 2010 release. If the studio does wait, it could risk losing Carrey and del Toro.
Universal and Imagine, meanwhile, plan to move ahead on "Cartel" without Penn and will recast the part. The script, which is still being worked on, follows a man who journeys to protect his son after his wife is murdered by Mexican drug cartels. Asger Leth is directing. The movie had no start date or release date.

Thoughts:

That really sucks since I have been looking forward to both of these films, but I do believe spending time with the family is more important. It seems like The Three Stooges movie is going to suffer the most since it was slated to begin filming around August. Personally, I think the studio should find a replacement quick. Losing both Carrey and del Toro would be somewhat of a huge blow considering those actors are big box office draws. I was really hoping Penn would at least stay on board for Universal's Cartel since that seems more like a movie that would be ideal for him. Hopefully they can find a suitable replacement since the story sounds very promising.

Timur Bekmambetov Prepares Wanted 2, Jolie Set To Return

2009-06-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

Russian newsite RIA Novosti had a chance to talk to that country's biggest filmmaker Timur Bekmabetov recently, and he told them that he has started preparations on making the sequel to the 2008 summer hit Wanted and that they've found a way to bring Angelina Jolie's character back.
“In July we will start preparation for the film. I think in the late autumn or winter shooting will be performed” - Mr. Bekmambetov said to RIA Novosti. “The shooting will take place in America, India and Russia” - added he.
The film director and producer promised that in the sequel he would bring back to life Angelina Jolie’s character, who perished at the end of the first movie. In addition to that, new characters will be introduced in the sequel.
“As for the character The Exterminator played by Kostya Khabenskiy, we’ll think about it. We might possibly resurrect him as well” - the film director said.
The movie with the $ 150 million budget became the first Hollywood production on such a large scale made by a film director from Russia and with participation of a Russian crew (computer graphic, costumes, make-up, etc.)

Thoughts:

Count me down for some of this. I really liked Wanted and even own the Blu Ray version, which looks incredible by the way. Its going to be interesting to see how they will bring back Jolie's character, but if they can do it without it looking stupid, than I say go for it. I always did think that a sequel wouldn't really be the same without her. I'm also happy to note that creator/author Mark Millar has confirmed that the sequel will incorporate some of the ideas that were in the novel, but left out of the first film. Here's hoping they can get it ready for a 2010 release and develop a sequel that's every bit action packed, and fun as the first film.

REVIEW: Land of the Lost

2009-06-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Land of the Lost

Year: 2009
Director: Brad Silberling
Starring: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, Jorma Taccone, John Boylan
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Various movie studios have been trying to get a film based on the popular Land of the Lost TV series from creator Sid and Marty Krofft since 1995. In 2002, Sony was working on a big screen version of the hit TV series, but the project eventually fell apart due to its long development. Universal Pictures obtained the adaption rights in April 2005 with director Adam McKay (Anchorman, Step Brothers) attached to direct and actor Will Ferrell set to star. Director Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Sin City) met with Universal in May of 2007 to potentially direct the Land of the Lost film, but was too busy trying to get a live action film adaptation of The Jetsons made. After struggling with many different directors all of which had different ideas for the film, Universal finally announced that Brad Silberling (Casper, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events) will be helming the film with Ferrell still on board. The films original budget of $125 million was also reduced to $100 million.

Plot Outline:
On his latest expedition, Dr. Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell) is sucked into a space-time vortex alongside his research assistant (Anna Friel) and a redneck survivalist (Danny McBride). In this alternate universe, the trio make friends with a primate named Chaka (Jorma Taccone), their only ally in a world full of dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures.

Plot:
Ill go on a limb here and say "I have never seen the TV series this film was based on". I first heard about this film during the Super Bowl last year when they aired the first official TV spot. I enjoyed director Brad Silberling's last film, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events so I was pretty much set to watch this film. Land of the Lost has an interesting plot simply because it hardly feels like a plot at times. The films story is mostly a mixed bag with a bunch of stuff thrown together to form what they would call a "plot". Its never really focused on one goal and theirs hardly any cohesion to it. It can be predictable at times and also alittle over the top. Whats even more frustrating is that the film just simply has trouble trying to reach a core audience. The films rated PG-13 which is fine enough since their are some raunchy jokes mixed with action scenes. Than their are times where the film feels like a family flick kind of like a Disney film. It never feels like the film is right for one particular target audience which kind of makes the film seem really unbalanced. That said, I did enjoy the movie to some extent because it felt like a fun ride. It can be downright silly at times, but I found myself not really caring about whats going on and rather enjoying whats on the screen. The films special effects are pretty good and I liked the amazing set pieces. Even though you cant really take this film seriously with most of the funny parts shown in the various trailers, It can still be entertaining to some extent.

Cast:
Will Ferrell plays as the main character of the film, Dr. Rick Marshall. I'm not a big Will Ferrell hater, but I don't think most of his films are as bad as people say. I do agree with most people that his antics are getting old and tiring especially when most of the characters he plays tend to be the same person. That said, I enjoyed him in this role. He wasn't as loud mouthed and stupid as he was in some of his previous films. He does tend to get alittle annoying in some scenes, but hes mostly just fine in this role. Definitely not his best performance, but it certainly ain't his worst either. Anna Friel plays the love interest in the film, Holly Marshall. She does an average job in her role which is perfectly suitable for the job, but just nothing special. I did think she was a good choice opposite Ferrell, but It would have been more interesting if it were a more well known actress. Funnyman Danny McBride plays as Will Stanton and he gives an enjoyable performance. Nothing special, but just average for the role. I did end up liking him more than the other cast members, but maybe this was just due to the fact that hes probably the only one that I felt the audience can concnhestt with. Jorma Taccone plays as Cha-Ka and his performance is mostly going to be one sided. His character doesn't talk English and it really isn't that hard to play a caveman like character.

Picture:
Land of the Lost is definitely not lost in terms of picture quality. The film has some pretty neat spacial effects that look very promising. Their is alot of scenes that feature a heavy use of CGI and they look pretty amazing. I wouldn't say the special effects are the best I have seen for a movie like this, but its still a great looking film. I don't know why, but the first Jurassic Park still has the best special effects for a T-Rex and that was over 20 years ago. Land of the Lost's film source is an excellent condition which really shouldn't come off as a surprise considering its a new release. I didnt notice any film grain even in the darkest scenes. The films color palette is also something to be excited about. Its vibrant and very much colorful. A majority of the film takes place outside during the day so colors tend to pop. Contrast is mostly on the hot side, but it ain't that big of a problem. Black levels are also strong, but they impress like the colors do. Flesh tones are very natural and slick looking. I didnt notice any micro-blocking or scratches. The image was as smooth as butter. Detail is generally on the strong side, but I did notice a few scenes that felt alittle soft compared to most of the film. Still, Land of the Lost looks great and showcases such fine detail. The film never looks amazing, but it comes damn near close.

Sound:
Land of the Lost contains a good soundtrack that's somewhat evenly balanced. The films original music is composed by Michael Giacchino who also scored the music for End of Days and the new Star Trek film. His score sounds very fitting for the nature of the movie. Since I haven't seen the TV series the film was based on, I cant tell if it sounds similar to that of the show. Still, the score sounds fine and really brings that prehistoric feel to the movie. My only grip about it, is the fact that it ain't used as much as It should have been. As for various other musical instruments, the film is quite limited. Theirs really no debate on whether Land of the Lost delivers or not in terms of bass. The film rumbles like no tomorrow and definitely has some reference moments. I wouldn't rank it among the best of the best we have ever heard, but it does sound damn good. It feels mostly front heavy since the theater didn't really spread out in terms of delivering it dynamically.

Conclusion:
Land of the Lost definitely isn't the best family film nor is it the best Will Ferrell flick, but it does contain a share of entertainment that might be worth watching on a boring Sunday afternoon. The films biggest weakness is the fact that it cant find the proper audience its targeting, but also simply the fact that the story is never really coherent. Still, it has enough joy and entertainment values that it hardly qualifies as the worst movie of the summer. The cast is alright and Will Ferrel actually wasnt that annoying in the film. The visual look of the film is mostly bright with bright sun-like colors. Theirs also a good amount of detail that makes the image nice and clear. The soundtrack is very fitting and the film definitely rumbles when it comes down to its bass. The film definitely ain't worth spending $10 to see it in theaters, but it should make a good rental.

Grade: C-

Trailer For Martin Scorcese's Shutter Island

2009-06-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

Paramount Pictures has released the trailer for director Martin Scorcese's Shutter Island, opening in theaters on October 2nd. The psychological thriller, written by Laeta Kalogridis, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson and Max von Sydow.T
he film is the story of two U.S. marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), who are summoned to a remote and barren island off the cost of Massachusetts to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from the island's fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane.

Thoughts:

Looks pretty good and knowing its Scorcese behind the camera, its bound to be another hit.

First Look at Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2

2009-06-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

USA Today has published the first look at Mickey Rourke as villain Whiplash at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix in director Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2, opening in theaters on May 7, 2010. Rourke stars with Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Favreau, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling, John Slattery, Kate Mara and Clark Gregg in the sequel.
Whiplash sports a power pack on his chest that looks similar to the one used by Iron Man. "The technologies are definitely related, and that's part of the core theme of the film," says Favreau.
The character's alter ego, Ivan Vanko, is a Russian who, Favreau says, "has constructed his own version of a suit." Among the creative alterations: a pair of whips, powered by the suit's glowing chest piece.
Whiplash "is going to light them up," says Rourke.

Thoughts:

Looks good and I'm sure Rourke will give us another good performance. I am somewhat mad that Iron Man's greatest archenemy "The Mandarin", wont be appearing in the movie. I would have thought he would have been the villain in the sequel since he wasn't in the first. I do hope that they at least give us a teaser of him being the villain in Iron Man 3.

Focus Debuts New Poster For 9

2009-06-10T00:06:00.000-07:00

Film School Rejects has put up a new poster for Focus Features' 9, directed by Shane Acker and featuring the voices of Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Martin Landau, Christopher Plummer, John C. Reilly and Crispin Glover. It opens in theaters on September 9.
When 9 (Elijah Wood) first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world. All humans are gone, and it is only by chance that he discovers a small community of others like him taking refuge from fearsome machines that roam the earth intent on their extinction. Despite being the neophyte of the group, 9 convinces the others that hiding will do them no good. They must take the offensive if they are to survive, and they must discover why the machines want to destroy them in the first place. As they'll soon come to learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them.

Thoughts:

Looks cool and so does the movie. I'm still really excited for this film and happy that were finally getting adult themed animation. No offense to Pixar and DreamWorks Animation, but its time we finally see animated films that are more leaned toward older audiences. I'm glad Focus Feature is doing this with 9 and I hope its the first of many adult animated films.

Futurama Is Coming Back

2009-06-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

Taking a page from the "Family Guy" resurrection guidebook, the canceled Fox animated comedy is returning with an order from Comedy Central for 26 new episodes to run over two seasons.
"Futurama" creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen already are working on stories for the new batch of episodes of the sci-fi cartoon, slated to premiere on Comedy Central in mid-2010.
Just like with "Family Guy," whose improbable return was triggered by big DVD sales and solid ratings for the show's reruns on Cartoon Network, the performance of "Futurama's" repeats on Comedy Central and on DVD was key to its resurrection.
The 26-episode order from Comedy Central was preceded by four feature-length original "Futurama" specials: "Bender's Big Score," "The Beast With a Billion Backs," "Bender's Game" and "Into the Wild Green Yonder," which have done well on DVD and on Comedy Central. (The most recent special, "Yonder," premieres on Comedy Central in September.)
Comedy Central was happy with the specials and with the 72 produced episodes of "Futurama" it acquired from 20th Century Fox TV in 2006.
"Futurama," which aired on Fox for five seasons (from 1999 to 2003) centers on Philip Fry (Billy West), a 25-year-old pizza delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself on December 31, 1999, and wakes up 1,000 years later with a fresh start at life and a "diverse" new group of friends including Leela (Katey Sagal), a tough but lovely one-eyed alien, and Bender (John DiMaggio), a robot who possesses human characteristics and flaws.
When the series returns with originals in 2010, it will be seven years after the show's last original episode aired on Fox. That is a much longer hiatus than the three years "Family Guy" spent on the bench before being summoned back by Fox.
All key voice cast members are expected to return for the new original episodes of "Futurama," along with the series' core writing team.
Storyline-wise, the new episodes will pick up where the most recent DVD special, "Yonder," took off -- with the main characters fleeing death and flying into the unknown.
For 20th TV, which has the right to shop the new "Futurama" episodes to a broadcast network, which would get first window over Comedy Central, this marks the second time in four years that a studio series has defied the odds and refused to die.
"When we brought back 'Family Guy' several years ago, everyone said that it was a once in a lifetime thing that canceled series stay canceled and cannot be revived," said 20th TV chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden. "But 'Futurama' was another series that fans simply demanded we bring back."

Thoughts:

Hell yeah, at least Comedy Central knows good TV when they see it. I'm a huge Futurama fan and I'm really excited about this. It finally means that Futurama wont be returning in movie form, but rather TV episodes. Although the wait for 2010 is going to be long, I'm sure it will be worth the wait. Also glad to see the cast returning as well.

REVIEW: Drag Me To Hell

2009-06-08T19:39:00.001-07:00

Drag Me to Hell

Year: 2009
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

The film had a positive screen test awhile back and I have heard nothing, but good things coming from this movie. Just take a look at rottentomatoes.com and you can see the film sitting at an impressive 93%, which is really astounding considering its a horror flick. I never really hated Spider-Man 3. I mean I thought it was a disappointment compared to the first and second film, but I never hated it. It just wasn't as cohesive and special as the previous two. The real reason behind that is not going to get disclosed here, but maybe Ill post something about it later down the line. I didn't think much about the trailer, but it wasn't bad either.

Plot Outline:
Determined to impress her boss and get a much-needed promotion at work, Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) lays down the law when mysterious Mrs. Ganush literally comes begging for mercy at her feet. In retaliation for being publicly shamed, Mrs. Ganush places the dreaded curse of Lamia on her unfortunate target, transforming Christine's life into a waking nightmare. Her skeptical boyfriend Clay (Justin Long) casually brushing off her disturbing encounters as mere coincidence, Christine attempts to escape eternal damnation by seeking out the aid of seer Rham Jas (Dileep Rao ). But Christine's time is fast running out, and unless she's able to break the curse, she'll be tormented by a demon for three days before literally being dragged to hell.

Plot:
Drag Me to Hell features an interesting concept that I wouldn't necessarily call original, but more like amusing. Director Sam Raimi and writer/brother Ivan Raimi worked on the script soon after Spider-Man 3 was done filming. Though the idea has been with Sam and Ivan since the Evil Dead days, it wasn't until after Spider-Man 3 where Sam felt he needed to take a break from web slinging, and focus more on the horror genre. Drag Me to Hell is every bit as Raimi as the Evil Dead movies were. Hes directing is top notch and so is his camera work. The performances are their and so is his sense of humor. I would really call this a comedy with horror elements rather than a horror flick with some laughter. The film is hardly scary, but their are some scenes that will definitely give you a jump. Raimi is so good at keeping the suspense their and some of the scenes definitely show this. What I really enjoyed about this movie was the fact that it was so entertaining. Its really rare these days that you walk into a horror flick and end up having a fun time. Usually people come off scared from the movie or un-pleased that it wasn't scary enough, but its totally different in this film. It has horror, comedy and suspense right in front of you. Their were some scenes in my opinion that probably should have been left out due to how silly it is, but it hardly ruined the experience. I also thought the ending was pretty cool. It makes the audience think that its officially over than comes back to kick them in the balls when they weren't expecting it.

Cast:
Alison Lohman plays as the main character of the film, Christine Brown. This was first going to be played by the lovely, Ellen Page. Page dropped out of filming simply because it conflicted with her schedule (she was shooting another film). Than Raimi casted Lohman which I thought was a great choice since she has that innocent look in her eyes. Lohman gives a good performance that I really liked. Her character was definitely someone you could relate to and cheer for. Justin Long plays as Christine's boyfriend, Clay Dalton. He does a good job in his role and I liked him playing that boyfriend type character. We have the talented Lorna Raver playing as Mrs. Ganush. She gives a very good performance as Mrs. Ganush and one that was really entertaining to watch. Shes creepy, funny and somewhat disgusting at times. I thought her character was interesting and It would have been awesome if we would have gotten some back story on her. Dileep Rao plays as a fortune teller named Rham Jas.

Picture:
The visual look of Drag Me to Hell is pretty great. The special effects in the film are somewhat mixed. Their are a few scenes where the special effects can tend to look too much CGI rather than art and its surprising because we have come along way in terms of technology, so rendering creepy shadows shouldn't be a problem. Except for those few scenes, the effects are generally good. The film does have some slight grain in the image, but I'm most certainly sure that director Sam Raimi did this on purpose to make the film seem like a classic horror. Hell, we even get the old Universal logo at the beginning of the film which was a surprise to me. The films color palette is somewhat vibrant at times, but also slightly dark in some spots. Black levels are pretty damn strong and exhibit a deep amount of solid black levels. Flesh tones seem natural and are spot on perfect. I didn't notice any micro-blocking or scratches. Detail is also on the strong side with alot of the scenes showing a good amount of detail. Close up shots - which their is a ton of - show alot of pores. Facial hair also being noticeable especially on Dileep Rao's character.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Drag Me to Hell is really good and definitely makes the film experience a whole lot better. The films original music is done by Christopher Young who also scored some hits in the past such as The Hurricane and Wonder Boys. His music definitely fits the mood and atmosphere of Raimi's horror flick. Not only does it go so well with the films atmosphere, but its a score that I found to be memorable. Other than the score and some sound designs, we don't really get much in terms of other various beats. The bass is also pretty darn strong in this classic Raimi horror. Just like last years The Strangers, Drag Me to Hell packs a solid amount of ambiance and smooth fluid. Their are some intense scenes such as the beginning and the final part at the end, that deliver an aggressive amount of bass. This is a film meant to be heard on a nice step up because its really immersive. I wouldn't call it reference material when compared directly to The Strangers, but its definitely better than most horror flicks these days.

Conclusion:
Drag Me to Hell is an entertaining yet funny film. Its clearly Raimi at his best which is a good thing especially after coming off something disappointing such as Spider-Man 3. I felt the story was engaging and worked for the most part. I still think the marketing for the film wasn't the best considering its more of a comedy mixed with some horror elements instead of a traditional horror slasher. Still, Sam Raimi delivered and I'm now interested in seeing what he can do with Spider-Man 4. The cast was great and I thought everyone delivered solid performances. I do wish that Bruce Campbell made some sort of an appearance, but I guess Its alright this time since he was busy filming his hit show, Burn Notice. The visual look of the film was pretty good, but the CGI effects weren't the best I have seen. I went in expecting another lame horror slasher, but was surprised that it was entertaining. Those horror fans looking for a scary film will be disappointed. Id recommend it if your looking for a fun film.

Grade: B-

Short Circuit Remake Coming

2009-06-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

Dimension Films has tapped Dan Milano to script "Short Circuit," the remake of the 1986 pic.
The original was about an armed robot that acquired a personality after a lightning strike, and sought the help of humans to prevent its destruction by its makers in the military.
Milano, who aside from writing and providing voices for the Adult Swim cartoon "Robot Chicken" and co-creating and playing the title character in "Greg the Bunny," figures to bring a subversive edge to the original film scripted by S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock.
David Foster, who produced the original and is back to produce the remake with Ryan E. Heppe and John Hyde, said that Milano first watched the original while he was in high school, and sparked to updating the concept.
"We're bringing Number 5 into the 21st Century and taking advantage of the improvements in robotics that are so massive that robots are now performing heart surgeries in hospitals," Foster said.
The producer said the robot's visual look won't change.

Thoughts:

I had a feeling this was the next movie in the line of remakes. I mean WALL·E was a big success right? and WALL·E itself was based on the character Johnny 5. It only makes sense to remake it right? Well, I still have mixed feelings about this. I mean the original was a childhood film I grew up watching and one that I enjoyed when I was much younger. Bringing that into a whole new world doesn't seem to fit right. I mean I guess it might turn out OK since their basically keeping the same design, just bringing more technology this time around. I guess were going to have to wait and see. This could either turn out great and introduce new audiences to Johnny 5, or it could flop harder than some of the other remakes we have on the market.

Universal Bringing Where's Waldo? To The Big Screen

2009-06-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

Several studios were in on the search, but Universal and Illumination Entertainment were the ones who found "Where's Waldo?"
Universal and Chris Meledandri's family film unit have acquired screen rights to turn the "Where's Waldo?" book series into a live-action family pic. Deal was worth high-six against seven figures. Meledandri will produce.
Among other bidders, Warner Bros. chased the property for Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne's Unique Features banner. The rights were brokered by Classic Media's Eric Ellenbogen, who'll be executive producer.
Written and illustrated by Martin Handford, the "Waldo" books have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. The books contain complex, full-page illustrations of large crowd scenes in which the main character is somewhere hidden, dressed in a red-and-white shirt, a hat, glasses and a walking stick.
Universal and Illumination will seek to create a movie with strong global appeal.
Deal comes as Illumination readies its first picture, "Despicable Me," for a July 9, 2010, release via Universal. Voice cast includes Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Danny McBride, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig and Julie Andrews.

Thoughts:

I first thought this idea was simply stupid when I first heard of this announcement. Then I realized what a real live action Waldo movie might look like and I was somewhat intrigued. If they can make a feature film that's more family oriented and stays somewhat close to what the books are, than we might actually see a fun movie here. Its still too early to tell if this will actually end up good, but I'm kind of excited for it. I mean I know its not original, but honestly what is these days? I think they can make a great film if they make it appeal to more audiences and not turn this family series into an action vehicle.

An Alien Prequel is in the Works!

2009-06-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

Rumors coming out of Bloody-Disgusting stated that 20th Century Fox was interested in relaunching the Alien franchise with some sort of prequel, following the recent news that Robert Rodriguez would be doing the same thing for 20th Century Fox's other sci-fi creature franchise, Predator.
While there was no confirmation from the Fox camp or the trades, Collider's roving reporter "Frosty" cornered director Tony Scott at the press conference for his own remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 to get confirmation and learned that Scott-Free Productions is indeed producing a remake with director Carl Rinsch helming.
They hope that the movie, which is meant act as a prequel to Ridley Scott's original 1979 classic Alien, will be shooting by the end of the year. The original Bloody-Disgusting story suggested that they would return to the original concept of just one alien creature, and that they'd be looking for a new "Ripley."

Thoughts:

I'm disgusted by this news and will never support Fox for this. Alien is a classic that doesn't need a remake or a reboot. I also don't think a prequel would be a good idea because if its a success, you bet your ass that Fox will continue to pump the Alien franchise for all its worth. I don't even know this new director and to give him a big franchise such as Alien, is simply ridiculous. Not only that, but its coming from 20th Century Fox which isn't the Fox that we knew back in the good old days. The company has been delivering nothing, but mediocre films lately and has always been taking creative control over the films final cut. In other words, if Fox wants this movie to be PG-13 than its going to be PG-13. Not even the director will have his say in all of this. They will cut scenes out and demand that they reshoot them instead of leaving the directors artist vision the way it should be. Cant believe this news ruined my day.

International Poster For G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

2009-05-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

Empire magazine has debuted a new international poster for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, coming to theaters on August 7. Directed by Stephen Sommers, the action-adventure stars Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans and Dennis Quaid.
From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos.

Thoughts:

Poster looks pretty average and nothing about it really jumps at you. I still think this film is going to bomb. I mean just look at the cast and you will see how un-even it looks. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to be able to take Marlon Wayan seriously considering the amount of bad comedy flicks hes been doing. Channing Tatum has yet to impress me with his acting. Sienna Miller hasn't been in a good movie for awhile now. Not to mention how poorly the special effects looked from the latest trailer I saw. I hope I'm wrong and the film manages to be a sleeper hit kind of like Star Trek, but so far it doesn't look like it.

Cast Added To Universal Comedy "Paul"

2009-05-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

Universal Pictures and Working Title Films have added Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader and Jane Lynch to the cast of "Paul."
The road trip laffer stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and will be directed by Greg Mottola.
Pegg and Frost, who wrote the script, will play two science-fiction fanatics on a road trip whose conspiracy dreams come true when they trek to Area 51 and encounter the title character, an escaped alien.
Rogen will provide the voice of the alien. Working Title partners Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan will produce with Nira Park of Big Talk Prods.
Shooting begins in June.

Thoughts:

Looking more and more exciting. Whats weird is, I find everyone on that top list to be really funny. I'm really surprised by looking at the cast and that this is not another Judd Apatow production film. No it also ain't the third and final film in the "Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy" which consists of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Its looking more like a separate film that just happens to star some of the most funniest people in Hollywood. Ill be keeping a good eye on this.

Photos From Warner Bros. Picture's The Book of Eli

2009-05-26T23:27:00.000-07:00

USA Today has posted five new photos from Allen and Albert Hughes' The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals and Evan Jones.
Opening January 15, 2010, the sci-fi drama revolves around a lone warrior (Denzel Washington) who must fight to bring society the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption. Gary Oldman has been set to portray the despot of a small makeshift town who's determined to take possession of the book Eli's guarding.

Thoughts:
At first I thought the movie looked cool and this was awhile back. Now that theirs more photos from the movie, its kind of looking un-original to me. It seems too many movies these days are going for that post-apocalyptic setting and I don't see how this is suppose to stand out from the pack. I'm hoping it turns out good since its got Denzel in it, but I'm having my doubts at the moment.

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-25T14:11:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day. Stay safe and an enjoy your evening.