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Showing posts from August, 2010

'Social Network' Site Launched

Columbia has launched a  new site  for David Fincher's The Social Network.  It features 46 new photos (promos, and stills), the trailers released so far and a hint of former NIN frontman Trent Reznor's score for the film (shades of Why So Serious from The Dark Knight soundtrack). And if that weren't good enough for you there's a blurb of Rolling Stone's four star rave that suggests this could be the best film of the year so far.

The Vault: Solaris (2002)

Steven Soderbergh has always been an interesting filmmaker, but for the most part all of his wide variety of films have been centered around: a cool heists ( Ocean's Eleven , Twelve , Thirteen, Out of Sight ), biographies ( Erin Brokovich , Good Night & Good Luck, Che ), and the odd ( Kafka, Bubble, Schizopolis ). Solaris is a venture of sorts for Soderbergh as it is his most intimate film to date. There is no cool sheen to replace substance - only a heart that beats throughout the story. Chris Kelvin (George Clooney) is urged to the space station by friend and colleague Dr. Gibrarian, whose distressed message to Earth lures him away from his grief of his dead wife. Once aboard the Prometheus Chris finds his friend dead on a slab and two distraught crew members left. There appears to be a small child, but Chris shrugs it off, or at least until he finds out the truth: everyone on the Prometheus has either gone mad, or killed themselves after receiving a "visitor&q

Review: Winter's Bone

Winter’s Bone starts off in the comfortable warmth of a small wood-fired cabin. This pocket of an intimate moment between Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) and her siblings is about to be ruptured. A visit from the sheriff (Garret Dillahunt) comes to inform Ree that her father is in trouble with the law again. Ree's father has a reputation as a meth cook and his product has lead him to jail several times. His absence suits Ree fine, she can take care of her near-catatonic mother as well as her brother and sister. The only problem with his latest arrest is that he has put up their home as bail. If he doesn't appear for his trial, Ree and the family will lose their home. Her father's court appearance is near and he cannot be found. Ree can shoulder a lot of weight, but she needs her home to keep everyone on their feet. If Ree wants to keep her family together she will have to navigate the dangerous Ozark terrain. The occupants of the backwoods are slavishly devoted to t

I Love You Phillip Morris Gets Release Date

Finally! Reports have it that Roadside Attractions and Liddell Entertainment have the rights to I Love You Phillip Morris starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. Roadside Attractions has set a December 3 release date. For a long while it was thought that this film was never going to see the light of day which is disappointing because Carrey himself said that reading the script for this was like reading Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, he just had to do it. And now we will get to see the fruits of his labor. (via:  Deadline )

127 Hours Trailer

I may never have been a big fan of the politics of Utah, but jeez does that state look beautiful on camera. Anthony Dod Mantle (collaborator with Boyle on Slumdog Millionaire) may need to find room on his Oscar shelf come awards season. Franco is really starting to get away from that Saul Silver (Pineapple Express) Daniel Desario (Freaks and Geeks) image and given a lot of solo screentime he will have to carry this film.

Review: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (***1/2)

Without going so far into the realm of self-conscious comedy as Wright's past masterpieces, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World raises the bar for hipster-nerd comedies. The film is an ode to the modern day slacker; Scott (Micheal Cera) is living through the proverbial quarter-life crisis of the average 22 year-old. He's dating a 17 year-old high-schooler Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) to avoid the serious hurt suffered in relationships past. Meanwhile, the drummer in his band Kim (Alison Pill, excellently cast) harbours similar feelings toward him. Soon enough, Scott meets the woman of his dreams (literally) when Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) skates into his life. His sole source of grounded discourse comes from an unlikely source, his gay room mate Wallace, with whom Scott shares a bed (played by Kieran Culkin, in the film's show-stealing role). If this mess of relationships seems like a load of spoilers, don't worry; we're not yet out of the first 10 pages of

The Ending: Inception

After watching Inception for a second time this weekend I can say with certainty that I know which world Cobb is in. It should go without saying that this discussion will invoke spoilers so people who have not seen Inception (and honestly how many people could that be?) tread carefully. Armed with a secondary knowledge of all the tricks to distinguish between Cobb's (Leonardo DiCaprio) dreams and the waking life my girlfriend and I spent our Saturday deciphering every little moment in Christopher Nolan's latest mind-bender. For every dream Cobb is in his wedding band is placed securely on his ring finger, when he is not it disappears. A key point to remember during the last scene of the film. As Cobb sets down his luggage to spin his totem one last time his band does not appear on his hand. More importantly, the children are wearing different clothes than the same outfits during all the previous scenes. Whether Ariadne (Ellen Page) is a plant by Miles (Michael

New 'Town' Screencaps

It's nice to see that The Town won't be all about gunplay and shoot-em-up robberies. What was special about Michael Mann's Heat is that it showed Neil McCauley (DeNiro) on downtime and what he was like without the mask. Affleck knows what he is going for in The Town and, while it may not be an awards contender, this will top my must-see list. (Courtesy: The Playlist )

'Black Swan' Poster

This may seem redundant given that the trailer for this was just posted, but I think that this poster is easily one of the most minimalistic, yet captivating, one-sheets I have ever seen.

'The Dark Knight Rises' Wishlist

With the third Batman film looking to start production in 2011 it's time to look at a few different directions that the Nolan Bros. could go with the film. 1) Batman as an Outlaw With the aftermath of The Dark Knight Batman is officially persona non grata to the city of Gotham. To many, he is the primary factor the Joker decided to wreak havoc on their lives. Commisioner Gordon will have a tightrope to walk handling his job duties and assisting Batman in restoring Gotham to what it could have been prior to Dent's scarring and the Joker's deadly plans. In absense of the Joker in the next film an all-out war against Batman could easily replace the hole of a more traditional villain. 2) A New Batmobile The tumbler is destroyed, I can't see a Batwing being invented, especially with the sense of realism Director Christopher Nolan is going for. So will we see a repeat of the batpod, or a new vehicle created by Nathan Crowley (production designer)?

My Favorite Scenes: The Big Lebowski (1998)

This particular scene is so quotable I can't even begin to pick a favorite line: "It really tied the room together." "Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature." "Donnie you're out of your element here!" The Coens have crafted one of the finest send ups of film noir, while still having you laugh out loud.

Review: Animal Kingdom

A teenager finds himself thrown into the criminal lifestyle when his mother overdoses and leaves him orphaned. Joshua Cody (James Frecheville) hasn't seen his family for a long time and the more information that comes out about the dealings of the Cody clan, perhaps this was for the best. His grandmother, affectionately called Smurf (Jacki Weaver), is the matriarch of perhaps the most violent armed-robbery crew in Australia and possesses in her arsenal the most sadistically devoted son in cinema history (Ben Mendelsohn). Mendelsohn's portrayal of Pope makes Norman Bates seem relatively tame in comparison. After Joshua unwittingly participates in the murder of two police officers, he must make a decision and Sergeant Leckie (Guy Pearce) offers two choices. Testify against his uncles and run the risk of having to hide the rest of his life, or risk incarceration and become King of his Pride. Director David Michôd has a lot to work to do with a virtual unknown as his lead.

First Look at True Grit

The first still from the Coen Bros. adaptation of True Grit hit the internet today and I'm really liking what I see. Jeff Bridges seems to have nailed the look of tough U.S. Marshal, Rooster Cogburn and I foresee another Academy nod this next February. True Grit is due to hit theatres this Christmas and this my most anticipated film of this winter. (Courtesy:  InContention /Paramount)

The Town Poster

I like this poster a lot more than the previous one released that smacked of Photoshop. At least this gives the audience some idea of what they're going to be seeing September 17th.

The Vault: Let the Right One In (2008)

Oskar is a lonely child, in his spare time he finds himself playing with knives and clipping stories of homicides, arson and other calamities out of papers and pasting them in his notebook. At school he is frequently harassed by others, but he can't find it within himself to fight back. One evening Oskar attacks a tree imagining it to be one of his tormentors, Eli appears and the two, while remaining cautious strike up a friendship. HÃ¥kan is Eli's handler and a serial killer. In order for him to feed Eli he must drain victims in the new town they find themselves strangers in. Lately, he is not able to complete his task and finds himself being pushed out of Eli's life by Oskar. When HÃ¥kan is unable to escape after trying to bleed out a teenage boy, he burns himself unrecognizably, is arrested and taken to a hospital where he has Eli feed on him. After she has her fill he falls to his death from the seventh floor window. Violence escalates for both Eli and Oskar as El

Review: The Other Guys

I do not know who decided to have Mark Wahlberg lead a comedy by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, but God bless whoever made the genius decision. Detectives Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and Danson (Dwayne Johnson) are the pride of New York City, they are the heroes that are entrusted to hold down the fort when things go bad, and then there are Detectives Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg). Gamble loves nothing more than to do the paperwork that Highsmith and Danson won't and Hoitz shot Jeter before game seven, they're known as the other guys. Will Ferrell is traditionally funnier in his straight man roles and he is here as well. Gamble is the logical, play-it-safe partner we know from such action hits as Lethal Weapon , Dragnet , and  Men in Black . Hoitz is the repressed action guy that lurks underneath all desk-bound detectives. This could have ended up like Kevin Smith's Cop Out , but Ferrell and McKay make the most out of this super

Most Valuable Performances: George Clooney

The first thing that comes to mind when  Michael Clayton  opens is that Mr. Clayton is a broken man. He is unkempt, his suit is a little baggy and the lack of sleep from stress is definitely taking its toll. George Clooney is not playing Danny Ocean here, or even Jack Foley, he is The Janitor. This was a film seemingly out of Clooney's comfort zone and what made Tony Gilroy's thriller so mesmerizing is the beaten look in Clayton's eyes as he trudges through the cut-throat world of business law that seems so banal on the surface. He unknowingly brought about the death of a trusted friend and in the end has less than he started with. A man, who after his car explodes, throws his belongings into the flames and runs into the forest. A Rousseau-ian character if there ever was one. As is the story of George Clooney's career, he lost to a performance that could not go unrewarded against Daniel Day-Lewis's Daniel Plainview. Though he went home without the gold ma

The Vault: Hard Candy (2005)

A clever revisionist take on Little Red Riding Hood, director David Slade does not pick sides with the cat and mouse thriller about what happens when an (alleged?) paedophile and teenage girl collide after sharing some heartfelt talks over the web. Ellen Page is frighteningly good in the role of Hayley Stark, a young girl who is zealously devoted to her convictions. Patrick Wilson manages to both be distressed and disturb the audience as Jeff Kohlver, the thirty-two year old photographer, who invites fourteen year old Hayley into his home.  This film is cold and, at times, disjointed but to be honest if you feel a connection to either one of these characters you might have a problem. Neither Hayley, nor Jeff are to be liked. While Hayley is easier to understand she seems to revel in her darker tendencies as well. If you have not seen Ellen Page in anything but Juno , Whip It , Smart People  or her smaller turn as Kitty Pryde in X-Men: The Last Stand you owe it to yourself t