Due for release on July 15, 2011, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2," is the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series. The much-anticipated motion picture event is the second of two full-length parts. In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here. -- (C) Warner Bros
Saturday, April 30, 2011
IMMORTALS - Trailer
From the producers of 300. You can say that again. This movie wreaks of "300", but also of "Clash of the Titans". What is it with all these Greek myhtology movies all of a sudden. Are Greek gods back on the market ? Where they ever ? If it weren't for the somewhat polished visual effects, I would almost think this was an Asylum rip-off of "Clash of the Titans". Still, it does work as a showcase for Henry Cavill (playing Theseus), since he will play Superman in Zack Snyder's (director of "300") Man of Steel reboot. Mickey Rourke is in pretty much anything these days that requires a character with a raspy voice and an accent. Director Tarsem Singh has once proved that he has an astonishing eye for surreal visuals in the Jennifer Lopez starrer, "The Cell" and the less known 2006 "The Fall", but it seems only recently has Hollywood taken notice of him. He has also been attached to direct the new Red Riding Hood movie starring Lily Collins and Julia Roberts, set for a 2012 release. "Immortals" will be released in November in the US.
GREEN LANTERN Meets CGI Difficulties
As the June 17 release date fastly approaches, Warner Brothers is attempting to smooth over some the "Green Lantern"s rougher edges by adding another 9 million dollars to its visual effects budget, according to Variety, and calling in a third company to handle additional VFX scenes. The already massive budget, which is reported to be somewhere around $200 million, is getting larger, which means the movie is going to have to be extremely efficient at the box-office if Warner Brother is ever going to consider turning this into a movie franchise. Just think how badly the first "Hulk" movie did. It seems Warner is very worried about the quality of the CGI. Initial response from the fans was extremely negative when the first images from the movie surfaced some months ago, which determined the crew to drastically rework the visual effects. The improvement was noticable, especially in the WonderCon footage, but there's probably more work to be done. I'm sure the VFX guys know what they're doing, but from what I've seen, this is a very difficult movie to make, as there are so many crazy sci-fi elements to consider and adapt convincingly.
THE BEAVER - TV SPOT
"The Beaver" is Mel Gibson's big comeback as a serious actor, after last year's "Edge of Darkness" which failed to generate much buzz. Though this movies (directed by Jodie Foster) received mixed feelings in early reviews, critcs are universally praising Gibson's protrayal of a depressed man who chooses to talk through a hand-puppet, going as far as to say that his performance actually saves the film.
Friday, April 29, 2011
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - FEATURETTE
A (very) short featurette with some of the people involved in the production talking about the movie's story, with on-set images, short clips from the trailer and some concept art. It's all very teasing and starting to look promising. The movie comes out August 5, 2011.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
BLITZ (2011) - 3 NEW CLIPS
"Blitz" is an ultra-violent thriller starring Jason Statham and Paddy Considine. When a psychopathic cop killer causes mayhem on the streets of London, it's up to Det. Sgt. Tom Brant to stop him in his Dirty Harry-esque way. The three clips show some intense scenes featuring both the hero and the villain, complete with some violence and F-bombs. Viewer discretion is advised. Watch the next two clips after the jump :
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
NEW ON DVD/BLU-RAY - Apr.26, 2011
Blow Out (Criterion Collection)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Criterion Collection)
Southpark : Complete 14th Season
Human Planet
RECENT POSTS :
Brian de Palma's tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni's "Blowup", this classic paranoia thriller starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen and John Lithgow, has now been released on DVD
and Blu-Ray
as part of the Criterion Collection. If you've missed the original release on DVD and enjoy watching lots of special features, you might want to give this package a try. The movie is certainly worth it.
and Blu-Ray as part of the Criterion Collection. If you've missed the original release on DVD and enjoy watching lots of special features, you might want to give this package a try. The movie is certainly worth it.Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Criterion Collection)
Yet another classic movie, this time directed by Terry Gilliam gets the Criterion Collection treatment, on both DVD
and Blu-Ray
format. Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro set out on an epic psychadelic adventure that will challenge your sense of reality. No Gilliam movie is ever easy to watch, but will reward those who have the patience to see it through.
and Blu-Ray format. Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro set out on an epic psychadelic adventure that will challenge your sense of reality. No Gilliam movie is ever easy to watch, but will reward those who have the patience to see it through.Southpark : Complete 14th Season
There's hardly anything I can say about this one. If you're a fan of the series and its outrageous humor, then you've probably already ordered this. Available as a DVD
and Blu-Ray
release.
and Blu-Ray release. Human Planet
A wonderful eight-part series that observes eight different stories about survival and adapting to even the harshest conditions. Humans are the focus of this epic documentary, narrated by John Hurt. Available on DVD
and Blu-Ray
. Both editions only have one special feature, a 10-minute featurette, while the Blu-Ray also has a BD-Live feature.
and Blu-Ray. Both editions only have one special feature, a 10-minute featurette, while the Blu-Ray also has a BD-Live feature.Monday, April 25, 2011
'MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY' - EPISODE 3
This episode follows only Johnny Cage's story. It's pretty fun, but significantly weaker than the previous two episodes. There's plenty of fighting, though.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (2011) - Two New Clips
If you haven't decided yet whether or not to watch this movie, maybe these two clips will help you make up your mind as to what kind of movie this is. Watch the second clip, after the jump :
GREEN LANTERN (2011) - NEW TRAILER
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax...he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all. -- (C) Warner Bros
The trailer is basically a shorter version of the WonderCon footage, with little or no significant differences. The more I watch the trailers for "Green Lantern", the more intrigued I get. This could really be a significantly different superhero movie, if done right. Due for release on June 17, 2011.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
THE HANGOVER 2 - 4 NEW TV SPOTS
The 4 new TV Spots provide more scenes than the trailer, including some more images of a spectacular car chase and interactions between the characters. The spots are cleverly edited and make good use of music. It just doesn't seem to be very funny. The first movie had an original premise and managed to sustain it all the way. Now, the premise is unchanged, which means the movie needs to balance the predictability of it somehow. And they sure need to have a good explanation for bringing Mr. Chow back in this one. Maybe it's just a first impression and the movie will be hilarious. We'll see. Watch the remaining 3 clips after the jump :
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
X-MEN FIRST CLASS - NEW TRAILER
X-MEN FIRST CLASS
charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret
history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves
to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the
names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their
powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first
the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some
familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a
grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between
Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men. -- (c) Fox. The new trailer details the plot a little bit, showing us more of Charles and Erik, and shows off some cool new epic action scenes. The movie opens June 3, 2011.
'The Dark Knight Rises' Official Cast Update
After
long and passionate debates as to which actor goes to which
character, a bit of the 'Dark Knight Rises' mystery has
been lifted. Warner Brothers has confirmed the casting of Marion
Cotillard and Joseph-Gordon Levitt and their respective roles in the
picture. According to them, Cotillard will play Miranda Tate, a Wayne
Industries board-member who helps a still-grieving Bruce Wayne
continue his father's philanthropic work. Seems like the roles
assigned is that of Wayne's love interest. It's just a guess, though,
no official word on that just yet. And Levitt will play John Blake, a
beat cop assigned to a special duty under the command of Commissioner
Gordon, presumably regarding the fact that now Batman is a
fugitive, probably hunted down by any and all law enforcement
agencies. Already officially cast are Anne Hathaway as Selina
Kyle/Catwoman and Tom Hardy as Bane. Hardy, Levitt and Cotillard have
worked together on Christopher Nolan's „Inception”.
'The Dark Knight Rises' is set for a July, 2012 release date.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
'MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY' - EPISODE 2
Episode 2 is here. The story picks up where the last episode ended, with Jax and Kano knocked out by an explosion. There's some more Jax vs. Kano fighting, this time a little better choreographed. You can almost see Jax's moves from the videogame directly translated to the screen. Fans will love it. Sonya, now free, goes about smashing some heads before once again becoming a damsel in distress. She's not given much to do in this episode, either. Good news for the fans : Kano gets his cybernetic enhancement, though the way he loses that eye is a bit over-the-top. Jax will be getting his, as well, but probably in the next episode.
WATCH EPISODE 1 HERE
WATCH EPISODE 1 HERE
DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK (2011) - TRAILER
A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend
discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of
their own. It looks to be an interesting enough horror movie, and the fact that Guillermo del Toro is involved in the creative process guarantees this project is not your average creature feature. Starring Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes. Written and produced by Guillermo del Toro. Directorial debut of Troy Nixey. Rated R for violence and terror.
RELATED POSTS :
Monday, April 18, 2011
NEW ON DVD/BLU-RAY - Apr.19, 2011
The King's Speech
Rabbit Hole
Mortal Kombat
The Way Back
I'm sure this movie really needs no introduction whatsoever. Winner of 4 Oscars, including Best Picture, this historical epic, featuring a brilliant ensemble cast, will enthrall you. Director Tom Hooper, who also directed such TV classics as "John Adams" and "Elizabeth I", tells the tale of the stuttering king with great skill and attention to detail, always walking a thin line between the comical and the dramatic. An instant classic. Available on DVD
and Blu-Ray
. A review is available on this blog.
and Blu-Ray. A review is available on this blog.Rabbit Hole
"Rabbit Hole" is a heartbreaking study of a couple's struggle to cope with the death of their child as a result of a car accident. Riddled with guilt, they try to find the strength to carry on, not just to learn to live with the pain, but also to salvage their marriage. Wonderfully acted (Oscar nomination for Nicole Kidman), written ( by David Lindsay Abaire, based on his own play) and directed, the movie is one of the best movies of 2010. Available on DVD
and Blu-Ray
.
and Blu-Ray.Mortal Kombat
With all the interest the Machinima web-series is generating, I suppose it's a great time to cash in on the "Mortal Kombat" hysteria. So there you are, a Blu-Ray release for the 1995 Paul W.S. Anderson cheesefest. Much better than its sequel, and still great fun, if you can take the "so bad it's good" school of thought, it was kind of lacking in the violence department, quite unlike the videogame. I can't be sure, as the web-series has only just started, but I feel like Anderson's shameless B-flick style was more fun than the wannabe gritty delusions of the overly-serious web-series. We'll see. Watch Episode 1 here.
The Way Back
Based on the (heavily disputed) true story , the movie details the adventures of a group of Siberian Gulag prisoners who escape and walk over 4000 miles of the most dangerous terrain imaginable, all the way to India. Featuring a great cast : Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Jim Sturgess and Dragos Bucur, the movie is grand in scope and fairly entertaining, but sometimes lacks the emotional punch it needs to fully connect with the audience. Still, six-time Oscar nominated director Peter Weir delivers a visually stunning epic. Available on DVD
and Blu-Ray
.
and Blu-Ray.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
THE DEBT (2011) - TRAILER
In 1965, three
young Israeli Mossad agents on a secret mission capture and kill a
notorious Nazi war criminal. Now, thirty years later, a man claiming to
be the Nazi has surfaced in the Ukraine and one of the former agents
must go back undercover to seek out the truth. A tense thriller by John Madden, a director who achieved the ultimate success with "Shakespeare in Love", but also found himself mauled by critics with movies like "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" or "The Replacements". Either way, this looks interesting, although his last movie "Killshot" starring Diane Lane, Thomas Jane and Mickey Rourke, looked just as interesting, but failed to meet expectations. The cast is well chosen, with big names playing the older characters (maybe not so much Ciaran Hinds, but a fine actor nonetheless) and lesser-knowns playing their younger versions. And yes, I'd include Sam Worthington as a lesser-knwon, because to me at least, he hasn't yet proven he's a real actor. This looks like a good chance to showcase his talent, if he has it. The movie comes out August 31, 2011.
THE PERFECT HOST (2011) - TRAILER
Here's a nice little twist you don't see coming. Too bad they had to give it away like that. Then again, if they hadn't nobody would be interested. "The Perfect Host" is Nick Tomnay's first feature film work as both writer and director, and it looks interesting enough to attract some attention. There's some pretty off-beat stuff here and David Hyde Pierce, whose resume seems to include mostly voice acting (including uncredit work on "Hellboy" voicing Abe Sapien) looks to have a great time with this character. It might not be Hannibal Lecter, but he gives out a seriously creepy vibe. Plus there's the whole moral issue. Who will you root for ? There don't seem to be any positive character here, right ? It's crime versus madness. Who will prevail ?
Saturday, April 16, 2011
STAKE LAND (2010) - 3 TRAILERS
America is a lost nation. When an epidemic of vampirism strikes, humans find themselves on the run from vicious, feral beasts. Cities are tombs and survivors cling together in rural pockets, fearful of nightfall. When his family is slaughtered, young Martin ("Gossip Girl's" Connor Paolo) is taken under the wing of a grizzled, wayward hunter (Nick Damici) whose new prey is the Undead.
Simply known as Mister, the vampire stalker takes Martin on a journey through the locked-down towns of America's heartland, searching for a better place while taking down any bloodsuckers that cross their path. Along the way they recruit fellow travellers, including a nun (Kelly McGillis) who is caught in a crisis of faith when her followers turn into ravenous beasts. This ragtag family unit cautiously moves north, avoiding major thoroughfares that have been seized by The Brethren, a fundamentalist militia headed by Jebedia Loven (Michael Cerveris) that interprets the plague as the Lord's work.
Director Jim Mickle first grabbed the attention of horror film fans with his zombie-rat thriller Mulberry Street, in which Damici also starred and served as co-writer. They have teamed up again to deliver an even darker and bloodier shocker. Drawing on the post-apocalyptic frenzy described by Richard Matheson (author of the novel I Am Legend) and George Romero, STAKE LAND is a road movie with fangs and a phantasmagorical journey.
Also starring horror movie icon Danielle Harris and produced by indie horror director Larry Fessenden (THE LAST WINTER). -- (C) IFC Films
In theaters on April 22, 2011 as a limited release. Following below are two more trailers for each of two characters : Belle and Martin.
HESHER (2011) - TRAILER
Loud music. Pornography. Burning **** to the ground. These are a few of Hesher's favorite things. And they are what Hesher (Joseph Gordon Levitt) brings into the lives of TJ (Devin Brochu) and his father, Paul (Rainn Wilson) when he takes up residence in their garage uninvited. Grief-stricken by the loss of TJ's mother in a car accident, Paul can't muster the strength to evict the strange squatter, and soon the long-haired, tattooed Hesher becomes a fixture in the household. Like a force of nature, Hesher's anarchy shakes the family out of their grief and helps them embrace life once more. --(c) New Market Films
Radical Dude ! The movie look intense. It might just be the trailer editing, but it looks seriously pissed off. A surprising turn from Joseph Gordon Levitt, who recently has been the talk of the town because of his (still unclear) involvement in "The Dark Knight Rising". The movie will have a limited release on May 13, 2011.
RELATED POSTS :
Friday, April 15, 2011
THE HOBBIT - 10 Minute Making Of Preview
This preview offers some insight into the beginning of the production process. Peter Jackson himself walks us through. We get to see some the sets from the previous movies that will be reused, the props, the new visual effects, and we meet some of the actors involved, including Sir Ian McKellen. It's a fun little introduction to get us movie-goers into the mood for yet another epic adventure. And I will say, after the wonderful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, I can hardly wait for "The Hobbit" to be released. And I am glad Peter Jackson returned to direct, even though Guillermo del Toro was a fine choice too.
COWBOYS & ALIENS (2011) - NEW TRAILER
Here it is, in all its glory, "Cowboys & Aliens". Produced by Steven Spielberg, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, directed by Jon Favreau ("Iron Man") and written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci ("Transformers", "Fringe") the movie is based off a famous 2006 graphic novel. This trailer shows a bit more of the plot elements, but also reveals a lot more of the action scenes. It really looks cool.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - TEASER TRAILER
The teaser trailer for the highly anticipated "Planet of the Apes" prequel is finally here and it looks OK. Just OK. Nothing amazing. It looks a bit like the Will Smith movie "I, Robot" with apes. We also get a bit of plot to go along with the CGI. We see James Franco and Freida Pinto, involved in the experiments that will ultimately create the intelectually enhanced ape known as Caesar (Andy Serkis doing the mocap and voice), who will rise against the cruel human captors and free his monkey friends. Uhm, is it politically correct to say "monkey" ? 'Cause I wouldn't want Caesar coming after me after he reads this. Anyway, it's nice to finally see some actual moving images from the movie, but I find it rather dubious that they would advertise a movie as being made by WETA Digital, the visual effects company for Avatar ? What ever happened to using actors and directors to attract audiences ? Or a decent story for that matter ?
RELATED POSTS :
James Bond Movie Release Date Announced
Following MGM's messy financial trouble, the new James Bond movie found itself in production limbo. Now, as the studio is finally coming back to life, so is the new entry in the Bond franchise. Bond 23 will be released on November 9, 2012 and will once again star Daniel Craig. Furthermore, Sony Pictures Entertainment will not only distribute this movie, but will also be co-financing the 24th movie in the series. Good news all around for Bond fans. And I'm sure, quite a breath of fresh air for Daniel Craig. Look at this way, the man had just achieved fame by playing the most famous super-spy ever, and after only two movies, the whole thing falls apart. Now, he's at least sure he'll get two more movies. I'm quite satisfied with the arrangement myself, because I don't think I could have stomached yet another Bond reboot. I barely had time to get used to this one. Bond 23 will be directed by Sam Mendes and besides Craig, will also star Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem and Judi Dench.
RELATED POSTS :
RED HILL (2010) - TRAILER
The movie saw a limited release in the US on Nov 5, 2010, but despite solid reviews remains largely unknown. So, this trailer could be classified as "in case you missed it.". A slick violent modern western that is definitely worth watching. Available on DVD at Amazon.com
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
PRIEST (2011) - Two New Trailers
The first of the trailers is a lean mean demonstration of how cool this movie wants to be. Honestly, the dystopian western look and feel of the movie is really great, but the credit goes to the original graphic novel. The rest is just Matrix-like fighting and visual effects all adapted to be fed to us in 3D. Most of this trailer is focused on a single fight sequence between the Priest and those vampire thingies. On a positive note, Paul Bettany makes for a convincing anti-hero of sorts. Now if only they could actually give him a good movie to work with.
The second trailer is more focused on plot and gives us a little more insight into its villain, played by Karl Urban. We also get a glimpse of Maggie Q, apparently thrown into the edit for some sex-appeal. The trailer uses a Depeche Mode cover song appropriately hard and cool. I don't know. I'm looking at these trailers and the title "Judge Dredd" comes to mind for no apparent reason. I sure hope it's not one of my bad feelings. The movie opens May 13, 2011.
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