Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Just Really Quick...: Spielberg & King Team Up 'Under The Dome'
News, News, News: Is This The Official Title And Plot for Bond 23?, Drive Character Banners, Clooney Leaves U.N.C.L.E., Real Steel and Ides Of March Posters
This blog knows some things about the 23rd James Bond film that opens next year. First, Sam Mendes is directing it, Daniel Craig and Judi Dench are back, and they got Javier Bardem as the villain and Ralph Fiennes. We also know that it'll open in the U.K. on October 26th and in North America on November 9th. But now, do we have the official plot and title? This is just a rumor for now, but reports are saying the title will be Carte Blanche, which coincidentally is the same name for the latest Bond novel written by Jeffrey Deaver. Does that mean that the book could be the source material for the film? Blic Online (via Bleeding Cool) also reports a Serbian cellist named Jelena Mihailovic will compose the iconic opening theme for the film. Like I said before, all of these are just rumors, but you never know if one of them turn out to be true. We'll just have to see in the upcoming months.
Six new character posters for Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive has landed on the web today. One includes Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan in that little elevator scene, Albert Brooks looking ahead, Ron Perlman in one of his vehicles, one with Bryan Cranston, one with Christina Hendricks and the other with a bearded Oscar Issac. Of course, this film is on my must-see list this year and many people have seen it, but me. Wow. Luckily if I get the chance, I'll catch it at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Check out the character banners which can click to enlarge. Expect to see one of them on a bus any time soon. The film hits theatres everywhere September 16th.
Deadline has reported that George Clooney will not team up with Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh once again for his adaptation of the 1960's series, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.. No reason was said why he left the project, but seeing as Warner Bros. slated the film to be released February 2012, they have to find someone to replace him and we all know that's not going to be easy. Soderbergh has been busy, promoting his latest thriller Contagion, out September 9th, and getting ready to promote his action flick, Haywire, out January 20th. On top of that, he's filming Magic Mike with Channing Tatum and not only will he film U.N.C.L.E., but he plans to work on the Liberace biopic. Clooney, however, you can see in his latest directorial effort, The Ides of March, out October 7th and Alexander Payne's The Descendants on November 23rd.
Speaking of The Ides of March, here's a new poster for the film, which also stars Ryan Gosling, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood and Paul Giamatti. The poster comes via IMP Awards. Like I said, the film comes out October 7th.
Another film that comes out on the same day is Real Steel, a movie set in the near-future where boxing has gone high-tech. This poster finally has Hugh Jackman on it, along with the robot he trains in the film. You can check it out now.
Monday, August 29, 2011
News, News, News: Box Office, The Hunger Games Teaser Trailer, New Promo Art for The Avengers, Promotheus Set Photos
This weekend at the box office turned into the second-slowest weekend of the year, next to Super Bowl Weekend (Feb. 4-6). Why so slow? Not because of a big game, but because of Hurricane Irene. The East Coast was filled with so much bad weather this weekend that ticket sales were down 23 percent and many theatres were closed. As expected, The Help took the top spot once again. The Disney/Dreamworks comedy-drama grossed $14.5 million in its third week of release, bringing its domestic total to an amazing $96.8 million and will get close to the $100 million mark.
Colombiana, the Luc Besson-produced action flick, fared the best, grossing $10.4 million on 2,900 screens at 2,614 locations. Although critics were weren't that satisfied with the film (37% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences enjoyed it, giving it an A-, according to Cinemascore and 62% on RT. Sony Pictures' exit polling indicated that 57 percent of the audience was female, which is weird for an action film and 65 percent was 25 and older. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark debuted in fourth place with $8.5 million at 2,760 locations, which is behind FilmDistrict's last release, Insidious, which debuted with $13.3 million. Though it got a mixed response from critics (58% on RT), audiences hoped for more scares, giving it a grade of C- and getting 48% on RT. Bob Berney, president of FilmDistrict (who acquired the film from Miramax Films, which was going to distribute it before the Walt Disney Company sold it) even admitted that wasn't good. Like Colombiana, the film performed well with females, only younger. African-Americans and Latinos made up most of the audience.
Our Idiot Brother debuted in fifth place with $7 million at 2,555 locations. As dismal as that may look, when you really think about it, it's not that bad. The movie was filmed independently and was financed for $5 million by Big Beach Entertainment, the production company that brought us Little Miss Sunshine. The Weinstein Company acquired the film for $6 million after it premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The future for this film might not be so bad as many people say it'll be. While critics liked the film (68% on RT), audiences had more of a mixed response, giving it a C+ and getting 65% on RT. TWC's exit polling showed that 55 percent of the audience was female and 70 percent was age 25 and older. As for the other holdovers, Rise of the Planet of the Apes ranked third, bringing in $8.8 million, lifting its total up to $148.7 million domestically. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World ranked sixth with $6 million, falling 48 percent for an unsatisfying total of $21.9 million so far. Conan the Barbarian continued its downward spiral, collecting $3.1 million for a total of $16.6 million and Fright Night grossed the same amount, bringing its total to $14.2 million. Be prepared for what may be another slow weekend. The Debt, the long-delayed thriller that Focus Features acquired from Miramax, will come out this Wednesday and two horror films, The Weinstein Company's Apollo 18 and Relativity Media's Shark Night 3D debut on Friday.
After a bunch of pictures, one-second teases and a motion poster, we finally see what will be one of many trailers. Here is the very first teaser trailer for the highly anticipated film of next year, The Hunger Games, with a nice little introduction from Jennifer Lawrence. This came from last night's MTV Video Music Awards and it's a pretty short teaser, but the atmosphere looks good and that voiceover that you hear comes from Liam Hemsworth's portrayal of Gale. Enjoy the teaser. The film hits theatres March 23rd, 2012.
Here's some new promo art for The Avengers via Bleeding Cool. While it doesn't really mean anything, it still looks awesome. The film hits theatres May 4th, 2012.
Prometheus is director Ridley Scott's return to the world of science fiction and behind-the-scenes snaps were released this weekend, coming courtesy of Alien Prequel News. One is a lifter and the others are a ground tunnel and what looks like an alien tunnel. The film stars Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Wilson, Idris Elba and Guy Pierce and the film opens in 3D on June 8th, 2012.
Our Idiot Brother debuted in fifth place with $7 million at 2,555 locations. As dismal as that may look, when you really think about it, it's not that bad. The movie was filmed independently and was financed for $5 million by Big Beach Entertainment, the production company that brought us Little Miss Sunshine. The Weinstein Company acquired the film for $6 million after it premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The future for this film might not be so bad as many people say it'll be. While critics liked the film (68% on RT), audiences had more of a mixed response, giving it a C+ and getting 65% on RT. TWC's exit polling showed that 55 percent of the audience was female and 70 percent was age 25 and older. As for the other holdovers, Rise of the Planet of the Apes ranked third, bringing in $8.8 million, lifting its total up to $148.7 million domestically. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World ranked sixth with $6 million, falling 48 percent for an unsatisfying total of $21.9 million so far. Conan the Barbarian continued its downward spiral, collecting $3.1 million for a total of $16.6 million and Fright Night grossed the same amount, bringing its total to $14.2 million. Be prepared for what may be another slow weekend. The Debt, the long-delayed thriller that Focus Features acquired from Miramax, will come out this Wednesday and two horror films, The Weinstein Company's Apollo 18 and Relativity Media's Shark Night 3D debut on Friday.After a bunch of pictures, one-second teases and a motion poster, we finally see what will be one of many trailers. Here is the very first teaser trailer for the highly anticipated film of next year, The Hunger Games, with a nice little introduction from Jennifer Lawrence. This came from last night's MTV Video Music Awards and it's a pretty short teaser, but the atmosphere looks good and that voiceover that you hear comes from Liam Hemsworth's portrayal of Gale. Enjoy the teaser. The film hits theatres March 23rd, 2012.
Here's some new promo art for The Avengers via Bleeding Cool. While it doesn't really mean anything, it still looks awesome. The film hits theatres May 4th, 2012.
Prometheus is director Ridley Scott's return to the world of science fiction and behind-the-scenes snaps were released this weekend, coming courtesy of Alien Prequel News. One is a lifter and the others are a ground tunnel and what looks like an alien tunnel. The film stars Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Wilson, Idris Elba and Guy Pierce and the film opens in 3D on June 8th, 2012.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
News, News, News: The Hunger Games VMAs Footage, More on Hit Somebody
In just a few hours, The MTV Video Music Awards start and other than the musical performances and the big awards given out, the VMAs will also have the very first footage of The Hunger Games, presented by the film's star, Jennifer Lawrence. Throughout this week, MTV has been teasing us with promos only showing one second of footage. You read that right. Only one measly second. Here's one of those promos:
While this footage really means nothing, I'll admit, it does get you a little prepared for what will be shown. I recently read the book this summer and it'll be interesting to see how Gary Ross, the film's director, will bring the source material to life. It'll also be interesting to see how Jennifer Lawrence plays the main character, seeing as she played an almost similar one in Winter's Bone, which garnered her an Oscar nomination. I didn't think that movie was as great as everyone said it was, but I did enjoy her performance, as well as John Hawkes, who was also nominated for an Oscar. He could get nominated again for Martha Marcy May Marlene, judging by its trailer. The Hunger Games hits theatres March 23rd, 2012. The MTV VMAs begins live tonight at 9pm in Canada on MuchMusic and in the United States on where else, MTV.
Kevin Smith went to Twitter on Friday morning and revealed the titles for both parts of his final film, the hockey dramedy, Hit Somebody. The first part will be called Hit Somebody: Home and the second will be called Hit Somebody: Away. The first part will focus on the main character Buddy, played by Nicholas Braun, growing up and the second part will see him playing pro hockey. Smith also tweeted he's aiming for a PG-13 rating for the first part and an R rating for the second part. Smith is done writing the first part and is currently writing the second.
While this footage really means nothing, I'll admit, it does get you a little prepared for what will be shown. I recently read the book this summer and it'll be interesting to see how Gary Ross, the film's director, will bring the source material to life. It'll also be interesting to see how Jennifer Lawrence plays the main character, seeing as she played an almost similar one in Winter's Bone, which garnered her an Oscar nomination. I didn't think that movie was as great as everyone said it was, but I did enjoy her performance, as well as John Hawkes, who was also nominated for an Oscar. He could get nominated again for Martha Marcy May Marlene, judging by its trailer. The Hunger Games hits theatres March 23rd, 2012. The MTV VMAs begins live tonight at 9pm in Canada on MuchMusic and in the United States on where else, MTV.
Kevin Smith went to Twitter on Friday morning and revealed the titles for both parts of his final film, the hockey dramedy, Hit Somebody. The first part will be called Hit Somebody: Home and the second will be called Hit Somebody: Away. The first part will focus on the main character Buddy, played by Nicholas Braun, growing up and the second part will see him playing pro hockey. Smith also tweeted he's aiming for a PG-13 rating for the first part and an R rating for the second part. Smith is done writing the first part and is currently writing the second.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Trailerpalooza: Underworld: Awakening, Drive, Blackthorn, Fireflies in the Garden, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
It's Trailerpalooza time! Today, we have a fourth installment in one of the first vampire/werewolf movie franchises, an international trailer for a film on my must-see list, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid strike back, another Ryan Reynolds movie and a film with four words that you can easily remember. So, let's get to it, shall we?
Underworld: Awakening is the fourth film in the franchise, after that sub-par prequel we got in '09. Kate Beckinsale returns as Selene, who escapes from imprisonment and enters a world where humans know that Vampires and Lycans exist and are planning to take them all out. Expect much of the same slo-mo, blood-spilling action from the first three films, only this time in 3D. The film hit theatres January 20, 2012.
Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive is still on my Fall must-see list, ever since the first clip was released. A few weeks ago, I put up the first poster for the film and in yesterday's Trailerpalooza, I put up a nice little mash-up trailer between that and Star Wars. And now, here's a new international trailer released this week. There's some more footage involved and not that it should bother you, but just a little spoiler. Ignore the French subtitles and enjoy. After its premiere at TIFF, FilmDistrict will release the film a week later on September 16th.
You've heard that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in a standoff with the Bolivian military back in 1908. That all changes in Blackthorn. Sam Shepard plays Cassidy, who, alongside the Sundance Kid, survived the legendary standoff and is hiding in a small Bolivian town under the name James Blackthorn. Butch wants to see his family one last time, but while on his journey back home, an ambitious young criminal (Eduardo Noriega) stops his plans and Butch is back into one last adventure. Magnolia Pictures will release the western On Demand September 2nd and in theatres October 7th.
A trailer for Fireflies in the Garden was released online this week. The film focuses on the Taylor family, who seem like the perfect picture of an American family. But when a serious car accident kills the mother, the family is forced to confront the history and relationships as they come to light. The film has an ensemble cast that includes Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Julia Roberts, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hayden Panettiere and Emily Watson. The funny thing about the film is that it was filmed back in 2008 and it's finally heading to theatres after all this time. Despite the stars it has, it won't really matter to audiences. That's something that Take Me Home Tonight, which was completed back in 2007 and had a couple of name changes, faced earlier this year. The film hits select markets October 14th.
Finally, we have the new international trailer for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and it looks awesome. Based on the novel by John le Carre, the thriller stars Gary Oldman as an intelligence expert veteran who comes out of retirement to catch a Soviet mole hiding within Britain's M16. Directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) and also starring Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones, Kathy Burke and John Hurt, the film hits UK theatres September 16th and North American theatres November 18th.
Underworld: Awakening is the fourth film in the franchise, after that sub-par prequel we got in '09. Kate Beckinsale returns as Selene, who escapes from imprisonment and enters a world where humans know that Vampires and Lycans exist and are planning to take them all out. Expect much of the same slo-mo, blood-spilling action from the first three films, only this time in 3D. The film hit theatres January 20, 2012.
Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive is still on my Fall must-see list, ever since the first clip was released. A few weeks ago, I put up the first poster for the film and in yesterday's Trailerpalooza, I put up a nice little mash-up trailer between that and Star Wars. And now, here's a new international trailer released this week. There's some more footage involved and not that it should bother you, but just a little spoiler. Ignore the French subtitles and enjoy. After its premiere at TIFF, FilmDistrict will release the film a week later on September 16th.
You've heard that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in a standoff with the Bolivian military back in 1908. That all changes in Blackthorn. Sam Shepard plays Cassidy, who, alongside the Sundance Kid, survived the legendary standoff and is hiding in a small Bolivian town under the name James Blackthorn. Butch wants to see his family one last time, but while on his journey back home, an ambitious young criminal (Eduardo Noriega) stops his plans and Butch is back into one last adventure. Magnolia Pictures will release the western On Demand September 2nd and in theatres October 7th.
A trailer for Fireflies in the Garden was released online this week. The film focuses on the Taylor family, who seem like the perfect picture of an American family. But when a serious car accident kills the mother, the family is forced to confront the history and relationships as they come to light. The film has an ensemble cast that includes Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Julia Roberts, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hayden Panettiere and Emily Watson. The funny thing about the film is that it was filmed back in 2008 and it's finally heading to theatres after all this time. Despite the stars it has, it won't really matter to audiences. That's something that Take Me Home Tonight, which was completed back in 2007 and had a couple of name changes, faced earlier this year. The film hits select markets October 14th.
Finally, we have the new international trailer for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and it looks awesome. Based on the novel by John le Carre, the thriller stars Gary Oldman as an intelligence expert veteran who comes out of retirement to catch a Soviet mole hiding within Britain's M16. Directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) and also starring Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones, Kathy Burke and John Hurt, the film hits UK theatres September 16th and North American theatres November 18th.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Trailerpalooza: The Rum Diary, The Artist, In Time, Our Idiot Brother, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, Drive/Star Wars Mash-Up
Welcome to Trailerpalooza, where we give you the most talked about new trailers of the week. This week, we have a silent film, Depp and Thompson strike back, an international trailer for Andrew Niccol's latest, two red-band trailers for two already released films and a nice little mash-up trailer.
First, let's start with The Artist, a movie set in 1927, and it follows George Valentin, a popular silent film star. But as more talking pictures come in, his career could end completely. That's not the same for Peggy Miller. She went from an extra to a major movie star. The movie shows how their different lives collide with each other. The movie got major buzz at Cannes this year and the film's main star, Jean Dujardin, won the Best Actor prize. The Weinstein Company has major faith in this film and hopefully, audiences will give it attention, because this trailer looks amazing. After it hits TIFF, it'll open in limited release November 23rd.
Another film that looks amazing is The Rum Diary, a film that's been in limbo for a while until now. Based on the novel of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson, Johnny Depp plays a journalist who travels to Puerto Rico to write for a local newspaper. Quickly, he adopts to the lifestyle of the city and becomes entangled with an American women who's engaged to a big businessman. The film also has a great supporting cast that includes Giovanni Ribisi, Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart and Richard Jenkins. The last time Depp and the late Thompson teamed up together was back in 1998. That movie was the weird, incredible and hilarious cult classic, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. FilmDistrict will release the film on October 28th.
However, The Rum Diary has some competition. In Time, which was written and directed by Andrew Niccol, the man who brought us Gattaca and Lord of War. It comes out the same day. The film is set during the "near future" when time is used as money and people live until 25, unless they acquire more of it. Justin Timberlake plays a man accused of murder and is forced to go on the run, along with a mysterious women (Amanda Seyfried) in order to stay alive. This new international trailer shows a lot more footage than the first two trailers gave us. You can take a look now.
There are two new red-band trailers for two films that came out today, actually. They both seem like last-minute decisions in order to get more of an audience, I think. The first is Our Idiot Brother. Recently, ABC refused to air advertisements for the comedy and that prompted The Weinstein Company to put this together. This is definitely a red-band trailer, filled with profanity and Steve Coogan holding his balls. The other is Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which I don't exactly know how that one's red-band. I guess it's more creepier, especially the teeth part of it. Ew. Like I said before, both films are out today and I look forward to both.
Before we go, I want to show you this very interesting mash-up trailer between the upcoming Drive and Star Wars. It basically takes the audio of the Drive trailer and puts it with footage from the original trilogy. Watching Han Solo play Ryan Gosling's character is priceless. Check it out!
First, let's start with The Artist, a movie set in 1927, and it follows George Valentin, a popular silent film star. But as more talking pictures come in, his career could end completely. That's not the same for Peggy Miller. She went from an extra to a major movie star. The movie shows how their different lives collide with each other. The movie got major buzz at Cannes this year and the film's main star, Jean Dujardin, won the Best Actor prize. The Weinstein Company has major faith in this film and hopefully, audiences will give it attention, because this trailer looks amazing. After it hits TIFF, it'll open in limited release November 23rd.
Another film that looks amazing is The Rum Diary, a film that's been in limbo for a while until now. Based on the novel of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson, Johnny Depp plays a journalist who travels to Puerto Rico to write for a local newspaper. Quickly, he adopts to the lifestyle of the city and becomes entangled with an American women who's engaged to a big businessman. The film also has a great supporting cast that includes Giovanni Ribisi, Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart and Richard Jenkins. The last time Depp and the late Thompson teamed up together was back in 1998. That movie was the weird, incredible and hilarious cult classic, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. FilmDistrict will release the film on October 28th.
However, The Rum Diary has some competition. In Time, which was written and directed by Andrew Niccol, the man who brought us Gattaca and Lord of War. It comes out the same day. The film is set during the "near future" when time is used as money and people live until 25, unless they acquire more of it. Justin Timberlake plays a man accused of murder and is forced to go on the run, along with a mysterious women (Amanda Seyfried) in order to stay alive. This new international trailer shows a lot more footage than the first two trailers gave us. You can take a look now.
There are two new red-band trailers for two films that came out today, actually. They both seem like last-minute decisions in order to get more of an audience, I think. The first is Our Idiot Brother. Recently, ABC refused to air advertisements for the comedy and that prompted The Weinstein Company to put this together. This is definitely a red-band trailer, filled with profanity and Steve Coogan holding his balls. The other is Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which I don't exactly know how that one's red-band. I guess it's more creepier, especially the teeth part of it. Ew. Like I said before, both films are out today and I look forward to both.
Before we go, I want to show you this very interesting mash-up trailer between the upcoming Drive and Star Wars. It basically takes the audio of the Drive trailer and puts it with footage from the original trilogy. Watching Han Solo play Ryan Gosling's character is priceless. Check it out!
Fright Night- Movie Review
Screenplay by Marti Noxon, story by Tom Holland, based on the 1985 film of the same name by Holland.
Running Time: 106 minutes (1h, 46 mins.)
Rated R (for bloody horror violence, and language including some sexual references).
Distributor: Disney (Dreamworks Pictures, released under the Touchstone Pictures banner).
(Note: I watched the film in 2D. A 3D version was not playing in the theatre I was in, which is actually good, since most of the movie had many scenes set during night.)
Fright Night, for those who didn't bother to read the credits on the top, is a remake of a similar film from the 1980's. This isn't just another film that wants to capitalize on the vampire craze. Oh, wait, actually it is. I honestly don't think that this movie would be remade if it wasn't for the Twilight movies, but the Twilight movies don't have traditional vampires like this movie did.
Anton Yelchin plays Charley Brewster, a high school student living the suburbs of Las Vegas, Nevada and dating the hottest chick in school, Amy Peterson (Imogen Poots). When his single mother (Toni Collette) introduces him to a new next door neighbor, Jerry (Colin Farrell), his former best friend, Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) quickly lets Charley know that he may be a vampire, due to other students disappearing day by day. Charley doesn't believe him at first, but when he witnesses one of his neighbors get bitten by Jerry, he gets the help of a Las Vegas magician and so-called vampire expert (David Tennant) in order to get rid of him.
I'll be honest: I haven't exactly seen the original film. Don't get me wrong, I've heard of it and seen a couple of scenes from it, but never the whole thing. However, after watching this version, I'm eager to see how this compares to the original, because this is actually pretty good. The main vampire, Jerry has that True Blood style: he's a vampire who's has a bad boy image to him, an image Colin Farrell knows all too well. He takes over the role originally played by Chris Sarandon (who has a cameo in this version, by the way) and he is awesome. In fact, this is one of his best performances since his Golden Globe-winning performance in In Bruges back in '08. He's very sly and darkly funny. I enjoyed Anton Yelchin's performance, especially in the scenes he has with Farrell. They got McLovin in here, too, but he's not in the film that much and what makes that unfortunate is we don't get to know much about his character. I was glad to see David Tennant (The tenth incarnation of Doctor Who) play Peter Vincent. What makes his performance so entertaining is that he had a lot of fun with it. Imogen Poots was okay, but I've seen her do better (Watch 28 Weeks Later on Netflix) and while Toni Collette is pretty good, they don't exactly use her character too much.
I like Craig Gillespie's direction in here and in certain scenes, it's amazing. One of the scenes that stand out is the one-shot sequence where Charley, his mom, Jane and his girlfriend Amy are all in the car driving away from Jerry. The camera moves all around the car and doesn't stop until Jerry attacks the car. Marti Noxon wrote the script for this and it's a pretty good one, too. The script has some references to many other vampire movies, like Dracula and of course, Twilight. She also co-wrote the screenplay for another Disney/Dreamworks film that came out earlier this year, I Am Number Four, which I also liked, but many other critics didn't. Plenty of blood and gore is shed is this film and some things fly out at you (which might be one of the effective things of 3D. I don't know, because as I said before, I only saw this in 2D.)
I liked this film. It's smartly written, pretty gory and a lot of fun to watch. I've seen a lot of non-Twilight vampire films that haven't really impressed me, and Fright Night is thankfully not one of them. This gets *** (3 stars).
(Note: I watched the film in 2D. A 3D version was not playing in the theatre I was in, which is actually good, since most of the movie had many scenes set during night.)
Fright Night, for those who didn't bother to read the credits on the top, is a remake of a similar film from the 1980's. This isn't just another film that wants to capitalize on the vampire craze. Oh, wait, actually it is. I honestly don't think that this movie would be remade if it wasn't for the Twilight movies, but the Twilight movies don't have traditional vampires like this movie did.
Anton Yelchin plays Charley Brewster, a high school student living the suburbs of Las Vegas, Nevada and dating the hottest chick in school, Amy Peterson (Imogen Poots). When his single mother (Toni Collette) introduces him to a new next door neighbor, Jerry (Colin Farrell), his former best friend, Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) quickly lets Charley know that he may be a vampire, due to other students disappearing day by day. Charley doesn't believe him at first, but when he witnesses one of his neighbors get bitten by Jerry, he gets the help of a Las Vegas magician and so-called vampire expert (David Tennant) in order to get rid of him.
I like Craig Gillespie's direction in here and in certain scenes, it's amazing. One of the scenes that stand out is the one-shot sequence where Charley, his mom, Jane and his girlfriend Amy are all in the car driving away from Jerry. The camera moves all around the car and doesn't stop until Jerry attacks the car. Marti Noxon wrote the script for this and it's a pretty good one, too. The script has some references to many other vampire movies, like Dracula and of course, Twilight. She also co-wrote the screenplay for another Disney/Dreamworks film that came out earlier this year, I Am Number Four, which I also liked, but many other critics didn't. Plenty of blood and gore is shed is this film and some things fly out at you (which might be one of the effective things of 3D. I don't know, because as I said before, I only saw this in 2D.)I liked this film. It's smartly written, pretty gory and a lot of fun to watch. I've seen a lot of non-Twilight vampire films that haven't really impressed me, and Fright Night is thankfully not one of them. This gets *** (3 stars).
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Breaking News: Steve Jobs Resigns From Apple
Sad news comes from the offices of Apple: Steve Jobs has just announced his resignation as CEO of Apple Industries. This may not seem like movie news to you, but if you didn't know, Jobs has served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios and even became a member of the board of directors of the Walt Disney Company in 2006. Jobs wrote a public letter of resignation and after that came the press release. You can read them both now.The Letter:
CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:
I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
I hearby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.
As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
Steve
The Press Release:
CUPERTINO, Calif., Aug 24, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Apple’s Board of Directors today announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as Chief Executive Officer, and the Board has named Tim Cook, previously Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, as the company’s new CEO. Jobs has been elected Chairman of the Board and Cook will join the Board, effective immediately.
“Steve’s extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world’s most innovative and valuable technology company,” said Art Levinson, Chairman of Genentech, on behalf of Apple’s Board. “Steve has made countless contributions to Apple’s success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple’s immensely creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration.”
“The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO,” added Levinson. “Tim’s 13 years of service to Apple have been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated remarkable talent and sound judgment in everything he does.”
Jobs submitted his resignation to the Board today and strongly recommended that the Board implement its succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO.
News, News, News: Shark Night 3D Clips, Conan Screenwriter Sad That His Movie Flopped, Project X and Bullet To the Head Release Dates, Trespass, Ryan Gosling's A Hero
First, we had Piranha 3D, now we have Shark Night 3D. However, SN3D is an, I guess I could say, original film from David R. Ellis, the man who brought us Final Destination 2 and Snakes on a Plane. Basically, it's a bunch of hot, young people getting attacked by sharks. Oh yeah, that's totally original (Go, sarcasm!). It's not going to be as gory as you expect, due to its PG-13 rating, unfortunately, but that doesn't mean it might not be a fun movie. It should be. I hope it'll be. Anyway, here's seven new clips from Relativity Media's horror film, out September 2nd. Check it out:
When you work "above the line" on a movie (writer, director, actor, producer, etc.) watching it flop at the box office is devastating. I had such an experience during the opening weekend of Conan the Barbarian 3D.
A movie's opening day is analogous to a political election night. Although I've never worked in politics, I remember having similar feelings of disappointment and disillusionment when my candidate lost a presidential bid, so I imagine that working as a speechwriter or a fundraiser for the losing campaign would feel about the same as working on an unsuccessful film.
One joins a movie production, the same way one might join a campaign, years before the actual release/election, and in the beginning one is filled with hope, enthusiasm and belief. I joined the Conan team, having loved the character in comic books and the stories of Robert E. Howard, filled with the same kind of raw energy and drive that one needs in politics.
Any film production, like a long grueling campaign over months and years, is filled with crisis, compromise, exhaustion, conflict, elation, and blind faith that if one just works harder, the results will turn out all right in the end. During that process whatever anger, frustration, or disagreement you have with the candidate/film you keep to yourself. Privately you may oppose various decisions, strategies, or compromises; you may learn things about the candidate that cloud your resolve and shake your confidence, but you soldier on, committed to the end. You rationalize it along the way by imagining that the struggle will be worth it when the candidate wins.
A few months before release, "tracking numbers" play the role in movies that polls play in politics. It's easy to get caught up in this excitement, like a college volunteer handing out fliers for Howard Dean. (Months before Conan was released many close to the production believed it would open like last year's The Expendables.) As the release date approaches and the the tracking numbers start to fall, you start adjusting expectations, but always with a kind of desperate optimism. "I don't believe the polls," say the smiling candidates.
You hope that advertising and word of mouth will improve the numbers, and even as the numbers get tighter and the omens get darker, you keep telling yourself that things will turn around, that your guy will surprise the experts and pollsters. You stay optimistic. You begin selectively ignoring bad news and highlighting the good. You make the best of it. You believe.
In the days before the release, you get all sorts of enthusiastic congratulations from friends and family. Everyone seems to believe it will go well, and everyone has something positive to say, so you allow yourself to get swept up in it.
You tell yourself to just enjoy the process. That whether you succeed or fail, win or lose, it will be fine. You pretend to be Zen. You adopt detachment, and ironic humor, while secretly praying for a miracle.
The Friday night of the release is like the Tuesday night of an election. "Exit polls"are taken of people leaving the theater, and estimated box office numbers start leaking out in the afternoon, like early ballot returns. You are glued to your computer, clicking wildly over websites, chatting nonstop with peers, and calling anyone and everyone to find out what they've heard. Have any numbers come back yet? That's when your stomach starts to drop.
By about 9 PM its clear when your "candidate" has lost by a startlingly wide margin, more than you or even the most pessimistic political observers could have predicted. With a movie its much the same: trade magazines like Variety and Hollywood Reporter call the weekend winners and losers based on projections. That's when the reality of the loss sinks in, and you don't sleep the rest of the night.
For the next couple of days, you walk in a daze, and your friends and family offer kind words, but mostly avoid the subject. Since you had planned (ardently believed, despite it all) that success would propel you to new appointments and opportunities, you find yourself at a loss about what to do next. It can all seem very grim.
You make light of it, of course. You joke and shrug. But the blow to your ego and reputation can't be brushed off. Reviewers, even when they were positive, mocked Conan The Barbarian for its lack of story, lack of characterization, and lack of wit. This doesn't speak well of the screenwriting - and any filmmaker who tells you s/he "doesn't read reviews" just doesn't want to admit how much they sting.
Unfortunately, the work I do as a script doctor is hard to defend if the movie flops. I know that those who have read my Conan shooting script agree that much of the work I did on story and character never made it to screen. I myself know that given the difficulties of rewriting a script in the middle of production, I did work that I can be proud of. But its still much like doing great work on a losing campaign. All anyone in the general public knows, all anyone in the industry remembers, is the flop. A loss is a loss.
But one thought this morning has lightened my mood:
My father is a retired trumpet player. I remember, when I was a boy, watching him spend months preparing for an audition with a famous philharmonic. Trumpet positions in major orchestras only become available once every few years. Hundreds of world class players will fly in to try out for these positions from all over the world. I remember my dad coming home from this competition, one that he desperately wanted to win, one that he desperately needed to win because work was so hard to come by. Out of hundreds of candidates and days of auditions and callbacks, my father came in....second.
It was devastating for him. He looked completely numb. To come that close and lose tore out his heart. But the next morning, at 6:00 AM, the same way he had done every morning since the age of 12, he did his mouthpiece drills. He did his warm ups. He practiced his usual routines, the same ones he tells his students they need to play every single day. He didn't take the morning off. He just went on. He was and is a trumpet player and that's what trumpet players do, come success or failure.
Less than a year later, he went on to win a position with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he played for three decades. Good thing he kept practicing.
So with my father's example in mind, here I sit, coffee cup steaming in its mug and dog asleep at my feet, starting my work for the day, revising yet another script, working out yet another pitch, thinking of the future (the next project, the next election) because I'm a screenwriter, and that's just what screenwriters do.
In the words of Ed Wood, "My next one will be BETTER!"
(Note: This is my 30th post already! What's up next: 40).
Things haven't been good for Conan the Barbarian. It had a bad opening at the box office, it's been sued by Stan Lee (of all people) and now, one of the screenwriters of the reboot/remake, Sean Hood beared his feelings of the failure on Quora.com. Here is his entire reaction of the film's financial failure unedited:
When you work "above the line" on a movie (writer, director, actor, producer, etc.) watching it flop at the box office is devastating. I had such an experience during the opening weekend of Conan the Barbarian 3D.A movie's opening day is analogous to a political election night. Although I've never worked in politics, I remember having similar feelings of disappointment and disillusionment when my candidate lost a presidential bid, so I imagine that working as a speechwriter or a fundraiser for the losing campaign would feel about the same as working on an unsuccessful film.
One joins a movie production, the same way one might join a campaign, years before the actual release/election, and in the beginning one is filled with hope, enthusiasm and belief. I joined the Conan team, having loved the character in comic books and the stories of Robert E. Howard, filled with the same kind of raw energy and drive that one needs in politics.
Any film production, like a long grueling campaign over months and years, is filled with crisis, compromise, exhaustion, conflict, elation, and blind faith that if one just works harder, the results will turn out all right in the end. During that process whatever anger, frustration, or disagreement you have with the candidate/film you keep to yourself. Privately you may oppose various decisions, strategies, or compromises; you may learn things about the candidate that cloud your resolve and shake your confidence, but you soldier on, committed to the end. You rationalize it along the way by imagining that the struggle will be worth it when the candidate wins.
A few months before release, "tracking numbers" play the role in movies that polls play in politics. It's easy to get caught up in this excitement, like a college volunteer handing out fliers for Howard Dean. (Months before Conan was released many close to the production believed it would open like last year's The Expendables.) As the release date approaches and the the tracking numbers start to fall, you start adjusting expectations, but always with a kind of desperate optimism. "I don't believe the polls," say the smiling candidates.
You hope that advertising and word of mouth will improve the numbers, and even as the numbers get tighter and the omens get darker, you keep telling yourself that things will turn around, that your guy will surprise the experts and pollsters. You stay optimistic. You begin selectively ignoring bad news and highlighting the good. You make the best of it. You believe.
In the days before the release, you get all sorts of enthusiastic congratulations from friends and family. Everyone seems to believe it will go well, and everyone has something positive to say, so you allow yourself to get swept up in it.
You tell yourself to just enjoy the process. That whether you succeed or fail, win or lose, it will be fine. You pretend to be Zen. You adopt detachment, and ironic humor, while secretly praying for a miracle.
The Friday night of the release is like the Tuesday night of an election. "Exit polls"are taken of people leaving the theater, and estimated box office numbers start leaking out in the afternoon, like early ballot returns. You are glued to your computer, clicking wildly over websites, chatting nonstop with peers, and calling anyone and everyone to find out what they've heard. Have any numbers come back yet? That's when your stomach starts to drop.
By about 9 PM its clear when your "candidate" has lost by a startlingly wide margin, more than you or even the most pessimistic political observers could have predicted. With a movie its much the same: trade magazines like Variety and Hollywood Reporter call the weekend winners and losers based on projections. That's when the reality of the loss sinks in, and you don't sleep the rest of the night.
For the next couple of days, you walk in a daze, and your friends and family offer kind words, but mostly avoid the subject. Since you had planned (ardently believed, despite it all) that success would propel you to new appointments and opportunities, you find yourself at a loss about what to do next. It can all seem very grim.
You make light of it, of course. You joke and shrug. But the blow to your ego and reputation can't be brushed off. Reviewers, even when they were positive, mocked Conan The Barbarian for its lack of story, lack of characterization, and lack of wit. This doesn't speak well of the screenwriting - and any filmmaker who tells you s/he "doesn't read reviews" just doesn't want to admit how much they sting.
Unfortunately, the work I do as a script doctor is hard to defend if the movie flops. I know that those who have read my Conan shooting script agree that much of the work I did on story and character never made it to screen. I myself know that given the difficulties of rewriting a script in the middle of production, I did work that I can be proud of. But its still much like doing great work on a losing campaign. All anyone in the general public knows, all anyone in the industry remembers, is the flop. A loss is a loss.
But one thought this morning has lightened my mood:
My father is a retired trumpet player. I remember, when I was a boy, watching him spend months preparing for an audition with a famous philharmonic. Trumpet positions in major orchestras only become available once every few years. Hundreds of world class players will fly in to try out for these positions from all over the world. I remember my dad coming home from this competition, one that he desperately wanted to win, one that he desperately needed to win because work was so hard to come by. Out of hundreds of candidates and days of auditions and callbacks, my father came in....second.
It was devastating for him. He looked completely numb. To come that close and lose tore out his heart. But the next morning, at 6:00 AM, the same way he had done every morning since the age of 12, he did his mouthpiece drills. He did his warm ups. He practiced his usual routines, the same ones he tells his students they need to play every single day. He didn't take the morning off. He just went on. He was and is a trumpet player and that's what trumpet players do, come success or failure.
Less than a year later, he went on to win a position with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he played for three decades. Good thing he kept practicing.
So with my father's example in mind, here I sit, coffee cup steaming in its mug and dog asleep at my feet, starting my work for the day, revising yet another script, working out yet another pitch, thinking of the future (the next project, the next election) because I'm a screenwriter, and that's just what screenwriters do.
In the words of Ed Wood, "My next one will be BETTER!"
Deadline has announced that Warner Bros. has dated two new films for early 2012. First, they moved the mysterious high school party comedy, Project X, from November 23rd to March 2nd. It is produced by Todd Phillips and directed by Nima Nourizadeh. April 13th will be the release of Bullet To The Head, the Walter Hill-directed actioner starring Sylvester Stallone.
Here's another trailer for you: Trespass, the Joel Schumacher-directed thriller which stars Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman as a married couple taken hostage by a group of extortionists. But what starts off as a simple home invasion turns into something much more complicated. The film also stars Liana Liberato, Cam Gigandet and Jordana Spiro. It'll have a premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival and hits theatres October 14th.
This was talked about a lot yesterday, so I just had to put this up. Not a lot of stars have the guts to do something this courageous, but judging by this, that could change. Ryan Gosling (the huge star that he is) had the guts to break a random street fight in New York. Seriously! Check it out now:
(Note: This is my 30th post already! What's up next: 40).
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World- Movie Review
Written and Directed by Robert RodriguezRated PG (for mild action and rude humor)
Distributor: The Weinstein Company (Dimension Films)
(Note: I didn't see the film in 3D. A 3D, or in this case, "4D" version was not showing in my theatre, but they did hand out one of those scratch and sniff cards. I'll talk about that later.)
Ten years ago, Robert Rodriguez, a director who was better known for such bloody, violent films like Desperado and From Dusk till Dawn, decided to a break from that stuff and work on a film that was appropiate for everyone. At the time when he announced Spy Kids, I sure that many people (especially his fans) laughed it off. They must have thought it was a joke, but he wasn't kidding. Of course, everyone loved the film. I love the film, even to this day. The second one was good, too and the third one was okay, although I loved the 3D (It was the first 3D film I saw). Yeah, I had a lot of good memories watching all three Spy Kids movies. So when they announced that there would be a fourth film, I was less than amused. But when the cast members were announced, I thought maybe this one wouldn't be too bad. Then I saw the finished material...
This new Spy Kids revolves around two new twins named Rebecca and Cecil (Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook), who have a stepmom: Marissa Wilson (Jessica Alba). Their dad is Wilbur Wilson (Joel McHale), a spy-hunting reporter. Yes, you read that right. They all don't know that Marissa is a retired agent for the OSS (Organization of Super Spies). However, she gets thrown back out of retirement when Earth gets threatened when a villain called The Timekeeper makes time go way faster. The kids learn that she's a spy and they join in the action as well, along with the family dog, who's actually a talking robot (voiced by Ricky Gervais) and the return of the original Spy Kids, Juni and Carmen (Daryl Sabara and Alexa Vega).I'm just going to cut to the chase: this movie sucks. It has none of the excitement, adventure, fun or humor that the first three films had. It instead has unfunny fart jokes, barfing, and the dog pees oil slick and poops exploding balls. Wow. The scractch and sniff cards are a gimmick, obviously, but it's an okay gimmick. Some of the smells came out nice, but the rest smelled more like cardboard. Like I said before, I didn't see the film in 3D, but I hear it's pretty crappy. Just like this movie. The visual effects were terrible, then again the film did have a $27 million budget, so I understand why. Next time, Robert, why don't you make another film like this with a budget that's higher?
The dialogue is pretty bad, as well as the acting. I was highly disappointed with Joel McHale's performance. He's funny on Community and on The Soup, but he's terrible in this movie. I know that he was trying to match the feel of the movie by going over-the-top, but it just doesn't work. Not much to say for Jessica Alba, except she tried her best. The kids were alright, but they're pretty unmemorable, but thank God for the originals. They're at least good in this movie as well as Ricky Gervais, who has some funny lines in between. Jeremy Piven (who's awesome on Entourage) plays both the head of the OSS and the villain. Big coincidence. He's not bad in the film, but he's not that good either.I can be pretty soft on these kinds of movies, but I can't be soft on this film. It's stupid, unfunny, wasted and just plain boring. It's a sequel that definitely killed one of my favourite franchises, and that's why I give the film *1/2 (One and a half stars). Originally, this wasn't going to get the half, but Gervais, Sabara and Vega kind of save the film from being a entire stinkfest.
Monday, August 22, 2011
News, News, News: Box Office, WarGames Gets Remade, D23 Highlights
Man, who knew a movie about black maids would make four new releases bleed half to death? That's right, The Help climbed to the top of the box office this weekend with $20 million, easing 23 percent and bringing its total up to $71.3 million in 12 days. You can't be entirely surprised. The movie started off strong last weekend with $26 million and then there's the positive reviews from critics (including mine) and strong word-of-mouth. Rise of the Planet of the Apes got knocked down to second place after two straight number one weekends, dipping 42 percent to $16.1 million, raising its tally up to $133.6 million in 17 days. Let`s get to the new releases.
The only top-grossing new release was Spy Kids: All the Time in the World and it only reaped $11.6 million on 4,400 screens at 3,295 locations, so not only is it the worst-reviewed Spy Kids movie (22% on Rotten Tomatoes), it is also the worst-performing Spy Kids movie by far. It even fell short of last summer's Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Despite its so-called "4D" presentations (3D with Aromascope), they only accounted for 44 percent of the gross. According to The Weinstein Company, 67 percent of the audience was female and 65 percent were kids under the age of 12 years old. Luckily, the film cost $27 million to make, so the future doesn't look bleak for this sequel. However, I can't say the same for Conan the Barbarian. The film debuted in fourth place and only grossed $10 million on 4,500 screens at 3,015 locations, which is definitely a huge step back from the 1982 Conan, whose gross was much similar ($9.6 million), but three times the attendance. Its budget is reported to be $90 million, so it'll have a very hard time trying to make back its budget. I guess Jason Momoa can probably stop writing the sequel. 3D was 61 percent of the movie's take and Lionsgate's exit polling indicated that 65 percent of the audience was male and 69 percent was over 25 years old.
Another 80's remake made less than Conan, but unlike the former, it had a better marketing campaign. Fright Night made $7.7 million on 4,600 screens at 3,114 locations, debuting in sixth and the gross was much worse than Priest and last summer's critically-panned Vampires Suck. The original film made $6.1 million in the summer of 1985. 3D presentations made up 61 percent of the gross, same as Conan. Produced by Dreamworks and distributed by Disney, their exit polling gave a demographic breakdown of 60 percent male and 60 percent over 25 years old. So who edged out Fright Night for fifth? The Smurfs, down 43 percent, bringing in $7.8 million to $117.5 million in 24 days. Final Destination 5 fell 57 percent, grossing the same amount as Fright Night and very few showed up for One Day, another new release. The Anne Hathaway/Jim Sturgess romance ranked ninth with only $5 million. There was some good news though: Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris crossed the $50 million mark. We'll see if it grosses even more when it comes back to wide release this Friday.
Now, in this time and age, I'm not exactly what you call a fan of remakes. I don't know about the Fright Night remake, mainly because I haven't seen the original. But when MGM announced they would remake WarGames, one of my favourites, I wasn't angry. I didn't react by saying stuff like "Why the f@#k would they remake that?``. I simply just said, Cool. I mean, this is WarGames. They`re obviously going to set the film in modern times and seeing as we`re in a world filled with better technology, Gadhafi, and the death of Osama Bin Laden, I think this could be a pretty good remake. Seth Gordon (The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Horrible Bosses) is set to direct and it`s just been announced that Noah Oppenheim will script the film. I didn`t hear of him, so I decided to search him up. Turns out he was part of TV production for the Today show and Hardball With Chris Matthews.
Disney held the second-annual D23 Expo this weekend in Anaheim and judging by all the concept art, footage, and news about all their upcoming films that went about there, it`s easy to understand why they skipped Comic-Con this year. Monsters University, Pixar`s prequel to Monsters, Inc., had a panel hosted by director Dan Scanlon and animator Ricky Nierva. Concept art was shown during the panel and the pictures, via FirstShowing.net, are very clear too:
Notice how Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) look younger? That`s because the film is set during the years they were in university. The movie will show how these characters, who were bitter school rivals, weren`t pleased to discover they would become roommates on their first day of college and how they had to learned to get along and form the bond that drives the original film. The film is still in development and is slated for release June 2013. Pixar also revealed that they`re working on an untitled film about dinosaurs. Already, I`m hooked. The film, directed by Peter Sohn and Bob Peterson (Up) scheduled for a May 2014 release, involves a young boy and his brontosaurus. PixarTalk already released a photo of Ricky Nierva standing in front of concept art for the film:
Those aren't the only things they announced. They also announced another Toy Story short film, entitled Small Fry, which follows Buzz Lightyear getting replaced by a fastfood kids meal version of Buzz Lightyear. It'll be attached with The Muppets, out November 23.
Now enough about Pixar, let's get to another film I've been excited for some time now: Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, the first 3D black and white stop-motion animation film. Based upon his original short film from 1985, the feature film centers around a boy named Victor who tries to rebuild his dog Sparky after he's been hit by a car and killed. Featuring the voices of frequent Burton collaborators Winona Ryder, Martin Landau, Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short and (like all Burton films), scored by Danny Elfman, the film will be released on October 5, 2012.
Disney also revealed Wreck-It Ralph, their next 3D animated film, which tells the story of an arcade game bad guy who wants to be the hero. Ralph is voiced by John C. Reilly and the game's real hero, Fix-It Frank, is voiced by 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer. Ralph gets the chance to prove himself when a new bad guy comes in, but he accidentally releases another villain that could threaten the entire arcade. Here's the logo of the film and two images as well:
But of course, one of the biggest events there was the panel for The Avengers. Other than the cast talking about the film, new footage was shown there as well. No one has the footage and it won't be released online for some time, but /Film has a very detailed description of the footage. You can click this link here to read the description, but beware of spoilers. BEWARE!!!
Disney held the second-annual D23 Expo this weekend in Anaheim and judging by all the concept art, footage, and news about all their upcoming films that went about there, it`s easy to understand why they skipped Comic-Con this year. Monsters University, Pixar`s prequel to Monsters, Inc., had a panel hosted by director Dan Scanlon and animator Ricky Nierva. Concept art was shown during the panel and the pictures, via FirstShowing.net, are very clear too:
Notice how Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) look younger? That`s because the film is set during the years they were in university. The movie will show how these characters, who were bitter school rivals, weren`t pleased to discover they would become roommates on their first day of college and how they had to learned to get along and form the bond that drives the original film. The film is still in development and is slated for release June 2013. Pixar also revealed that they`re working on an untitled film about dinosaurs. Already, I`m hooked. The film, directed by Peter Sohn and Bob Peterson (Up) scheduled for a May 2014 release, involves a young boy and his brontosaurus. PixarTalk already released a photo of Ricky Nierva standing in front of concept art for the film:
Those aren't the only things they announced. They also announced another Toy Story short film, entitled Small Fry, which follows Buzz Lightyear getting replaced by a fastfood kids meal version of Buzz Lightyear. It'll be attached with The Muppets, out November 23.
Disney also revealed Wreck-It Ralph, their next 3D animated film, which tells the story of an arcade game bad guy who wants to be the hero. Ralph is voiced by John C. Reilly and the game's real hero, Fix-It Frank, is voiced by 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer. Ralph gets the chance to prove himself when a new bad guy comes in, but he accidentally releases another villain that could threaten the entire arcade. Here's the logo of the film and two images as well:
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Final Destination 5: Movie Review
Running Time: 95 minutes (1h, 35 mins).
Rated R (for strong violence/gruesome accidents, and some language).
Distributor: Warner Bros. (New Line).
Oh yes, horror fans. Final Destination is back for a fifth installment and this time, the game has changed. At least, that's what they say. This review will be shorter than the usual reviews I write, mainly because the story doesn't really need to be explained. However, if you're one who's never seen a Final Destination movie and don't know how they work, you should probably watch the first four films or read my So Far... segment on the film series. In fact, I'm just gonna lay this out on whoever's reading this: everyone dies. It's not really a spoiler, it happens in all four films.
Going into this one, I was a little worried that this fifth film would be a ball full of dog crap, judging that The Final Destination was. That one was so lazy and stupid and was the worst of the series. I was angered that the person who wrote it obviously wasn't creative enough to make this fun like the others and all the characters didn't feel real. Then again, no character in any of the films felt real, but at least they had some redeeming qualities. That one had none. Okay, now I'm talking about the past. Now, let me head back to the present. Final Destination 5 gets the franchise back into place. Yeah, it's got lots of blood and guts flying all over the place (in 3D none the less), but that's why we see these movies. The deaths are cool, clever and very creative, especially the collapsing bridge scene. It's one of the best opening scenes in the series since the second film's highway pile-up. It's well-directed and well crafted. The 3D is pretty impressive. Like I said, there's blood and guts all over the place. At some points, I even cringed. The director here is Steven Quale, who's just one of James Cameron's right-hand men, which is good, because Quale knows how to use the 3D technology well. He did work with Cameron on Avatar.
The acting in this one is much better, thanks to some clever dialogue and a few jokes in between. Nicholas D'Agosto does a pretty good job as the guy who has the vision. The other survivors are good as well. I don't feel like naming the rest of the actors, except for Tony Todd, who's thankfully back after being AWOL from numbers three and four. Oh, and David Koechner. He's always hilarious and judging by this film, I hope he brings some more laughs when he's in Piranha 3DD. He finds many ways of telling the survivors that you can't cheat death. One of the best things about it though is the big twist when it's close to the end of the film. Due to spoilers, I can't say what it is, which is ironic because earlier in this review, I already mentioned that everybody dies. But why we watch the movies is to find out how they die. I also like the musical score composed by Brian Tyler. He composed the previous one, which was one of the savings graces about that film, other than some of the deaths and 3D effects. I also liked how this one had a good use of Kansas' famous song, Dust in the Wind, because all what the survivors will be by the time the movie's over is, well, dust in the wind.Wow, I guess this review wasn't as short as I thought I would write it. You just read why I thought this film was an improvement over the last one, so I'll just cut to the chase. *** (3 stars). That's all.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
News, News, News- Red State In Your Home Before Theatres, New Images from Spider-Man, Dragon Tattoo, Breaking Dawn: Part 1 and Mission: Impossible
I know I haven't been giving a lot of news this week and there's plenty to catch up on. But this is a start.
Kevin Smith's Red State has been generating plenty of conversation this year. First, Smith announced the film would be released under his own Smodcast Pictures after its premiere at Sundance. Through its touring across North America, it's been getting some buzz. If you want to see what the buzz is about, it'll be available in your home this fall. Lionsgate Home Entertainment will distribute Red State On Demand September 1st, which is six weeks before it hits Blu-Ray, DVD and digital download October 18th. It packs several bonus features that include:
* "The Making of Red State" Documentary
* Audio commentary with Kevin Smith
* Sundance speech with introduction by Kevin Smith
* Sundance ending
* Deleted scenes with introduction by Kevin Smith
* Poster gallery with introduction by Kevin Smith
New images have shown up for many anticipated films. First I'll start off with two from The Amazing Spider-Man, then two from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, one from Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol and to top it all off, nine from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part 1.
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