To contact us Click HERE
As usual with most recent Tarantino films, if you look closely at the trailer you'll find bits of action surrounded by lots of people talking and talking. The effectiveness of a Tarantino film generally rests with the quality of the conversations. In this case, why not spend Christmas day listening to Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, and Christoph Waltz chit-chat for a couple hours (or more)? DiCaprio looks like he's having the time of his life and if the film earns Oscar love he seems the most likely recipient. As I've said before, Tarantino makes *movies* and this gorgeous and richly-colorful bit of revisionist history looks like no exception. Will it be high art, a subversive look at another very dark historical chapter through the wish-fulfillment lens of cinema? One hopes so, as Inglorious Bastards pulled off that trick three years ago. But even if it's just a trashy good time, it looks like a fun time with good company. I'm not sure how smart a Christmas day release is. If you have a bunch of family members in the house after Christmas, what are the chances everyone in the family is old enough for this hard-R action comedy? Truth be told, the big family is going to probably see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey again as a consensus choice. If I were Weinstein Company, I'd move this one to the December 14th slot vacated by Les Miserables, which is now opening alongside Django Unchained. Oh heck, December 7th now has nothing but the Gerald Butler romcom Playing For Keeps. Point being, being perceived as a box office flop won't help the film's Oscar chances, especially with voting occurring even earlier this season. So I'd get the hell out of Christmas if I were them. Anyway, what do you think of the trailer or the release date?
Scott Mendelson
13 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi
If you have the time, watch the entire 42-minute Steven Spielberg Q&A from last night's Lincoln screenings.
To contact us Click HERE
I will hopefully be seeing Lincoln when the regular press screenings begin, but for now here is the complete 42-minute Q&A that followed a national sneak of sorts that took place last night at various AMC theaters (the LA one started at 4:30pm, so I didn't even try to sneak in). Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis were in attendance. For now, enjoy this rather enjoyable video. if the embed crashes or doesn't work, the link is HERE.
Scott Mendelson
Scott Mendelson
The Gangster Squad gets a second silly trailer along with some very Caucasian character posters.
To contact us Click HERE
This still looks like a bunch of kids playing dress-up and acting out juvenile cops-and-robbers fantasies. Think Bugsy Malone remaking LA Confidential. Maybe it's the weirdly 'let's appeal to the kids!' rap song on the soundtrack. Maybe's it's Sean Penn acting as badly as he can. Maybe it's the marketing department trying to sell the idea that we're supposed to *care* about the forbidden romance between Emma Stone (as "the girl", I hope merely as a favor to Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer) and Ryan Gosling. But this frankly looks rather silly and, R-rating and apparent ultra-violence notwithstanding, like a stereo-typically CW-friendly remake of LA Confidential or Mulholland Falls (yes, I know the latter also starred Nick Nolte). Anyway, also dropping over the last couple days are a bunch of posters. The theatrical one-sheet is notible in that it resembles the cover of a low-budget straight-to-VHS gangster movie from the early 1990s. Not *bad* so much as having a distinct 'B-movie' vibe. The character posters are more disconcerting. As you'll see after the jump, we've got nine actors getting billing and just five character posters. Amusingly, the cast's lone African American castmember, Anthony Mackie, doesn't get his own poster, having to stand at the back of the proverbial bus behind box office dynamo Giovanni Ribisi. What about Michael Pena? Hispanics apparently don't get face time at all, as he, along with the very Caucasian Robert Patrick are completely MIA. Stay classy Warner Bros, stay classy.
Scott Mendelson
This still looks like a bunch of kids playing dress-up and acting out juvenile cops-and-robbers fantasies. Think Bugsy Malone remaking LA Confidential. Maybe it's the weirdly 'let's appeal to the kids!' rap song on the soundtrack. Maybe's it's Sean Penn acting as badly as he can. Maybe it's the marketing department trying to sell the idea that we're supposed to *care* about the forbidden romance between Emma Stone (as "the girl", I hope merely as a favor to Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer) and Ryan Gosling. But this frankly looks rather silly and, R-rating and apparent ultra-violence notwithstanding, like a stereo-typically CW-friendly remake of LA Confidential or Mulholland Falls (yes, I know the latter also starred Nick Nolte). Anyway, also dropping over the last couple days are a bunch of posters. The theatrical one-sheet is notible in that it resembles the cover of a low-budget straight-to-VHS gangster movie from the early 1990s. Not *bad* so much as having a distinct 'B-movie' vibe. The character posters are more disconcerting. As you'll see after the jump, we've got nine actors getting billing and just five character posters. Amusingly, the cast's lone African American castmember, Anthony Mackie, doesn't get his own poster, having to stand at the back of the proverbial bus behind box office dynamo Giovanni Ribisi. What about Michael Pena? Hispanics apparently don't get face time at all, as he, along with the very Caucasian Robert Patrick are completely MIA. Stay classy Warner Bros, stay classy.
Scott Mendelson
Les Miserables gets character posters and a very familiar theatrical one-sheet. Can't friggin wait...!
To contact us Click HERE
The four character posters, highlighting the four lead actors/characters (Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfriend, and likely Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway) are after the jump. I have little to add only to repeating my foaming-at-the-mouth excitement from earlier discussions of this project. December 25th, or whenever Universal lets me see this thing, can't come soon enough. The above comparison, which basically speaks for itself, came from Average Film Reviews.
Scott Mendelson
The four character posters, highlighting the four lead actors/characters (Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfriend, and likely Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway) are after the jump. I have little to add only to repeating my foaming-at-the-mouth excitement from earlier discussions of this project. December 25th, or whenever Universal lets me see this thing, can't come soon enough. The above comparison, which basically speaks for itself, came from Average Film Reviews.Scott Mendelson
Brandon Peters dissects the 007 series part 20: Die Another Day.
To contact us Click HERE
With Skyfall dropping in theaters in just a few weeks, along with the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, a close friend and fellow film nerd, Brandon Peters, has generously offered to do a comprehensive review of the entire 007 film franchise. Today is the twentieth entry, with a full review of one of the worst films in the franchise, Die Another Day. I hope you enjoy what is a pretty massive feature leading up the November 9th release of Skyfall. I'll do my best to leave my two-cents out of it. But just because I'm stepping aside doesn't mean you should. Without further ado...
Die Another Day
I’m Mr. Kil
Okay, so I’m starting a little early, but I have to mentionthis. This moment is so horrible. Bond gets out of his car and this big goon bythe side of the road just awkwardly and out of place says this to him. FOR NO REASON. Bond doesn’t acknowledge the guy oranything. Its almost very “I liketurtles” variety. And seriously? Mr. Kil? That’s like calling Oddjob ‘Mr. Hat’. Or Red Grant “Blonde Strong”. Orcalling Jaws…uh…oh…well…”Giant Metal Mouth Biting Man”.
STATS
Ridiculous. If I wereto describe Die Another Day with justone word, that’s what I would choose. Bond’s 20th film, released on his 40th anniversaryfeatures poor direction, performance and much absurdity with an overabundanceof call backs (some obvious and some very Where’s Waldo-ish). Like the other long tenured Bonds, RogerMoore and Sean Connery, before him, Pierce Brosnan bows out on an obvious subpar entry and one of the worst films of the series. Funny, both Pierce and Sean left off withdiamond related satellite-laser beam plots by madmen who are having DNAreconstruction done to change faces.
Die Another Day’splot resembles the book Moonrakermore than the film of that name. Afterbeing set up and taken in to North Korean captivity, Bond is released inexchange for terrorist Zao. Anassassination happens shortly after, making MI:6 suspect that under extremetorture, 007 has given up top secret information to the North Koreans. Stripped of his license to kill, James Bondgoes on a hunt to find out who set him up. Aided along the way by NSA agent Jinx, Bond’s investigation leads him toBritish billionaire Gustav Graves. Graves has built the satellite Icarus, intended to provide sunshine forcrops year round. But alas, Graves isactually General Moon, whom Bond thought he killed at the opening of thefilm. Moon has gone through complete DNAreconstruction and taken the identity of Graves. Graves isn’t the only person who isn’t whothey appear to be, as fellow MI:6 agent Miranda Frost is the one who set upBond all along and is working with Moon. Moon intends to use Icarus to cut a path through the KoreanDemilitarized Zone so North Korea could invade South Korea.
Lee Tamahori takes the director’s seat for this one. Prior to this, his notable films were The Edge and the really bad Along Came A Spider (side note, afterthis fall, this may not be the worst Alex Cross film anymore). After DieAnother Day he did garbage like xXx:State of the Union and the embarrassing Next. Bond’s 20th film and 40thanniversary is a big deal and the producer’s knew it. They delayed production so that they couldhit that mark. So why not bring in abetter known director? Why not pairBrosnan back up with Martin Campbell. Pierce Brosnan was championing Brett Ratner for the film, but theproducers wanted a non-American. I won’tsay this about him often, but Ratner would have been a much better choice. Tamahori makes some really weird andnoticeably out of place in the 007 world decisions. To start off, we get a bullet zipping by thescreen during the gun barrel sequence. Thereis also an over abundance of some really weird slow motion at times. The film is marred by a heavy reliance on CGIfor its special effects, lacking in the practical stunt work the 007 series isknown for. The opening titles also try tofeed us some story mixed with the silhouette dancers. This would be fine and not so bad, if theydidn’t use a flashback five minutes after to show us everything that just happenedin the opening titles again. When I usethe word ridiculous, most of that aim is going at Tamahori.
There are a lot of really dumb ideas brought into thefilm. As if starting with James Bondsurfer dude isn’t enough, later in the film he gets out of a situation in aRIDICULOUS kite surfing moment that is pretty much entirely CG. It is REALLY bad and possibly the dumbestmoment in the franchise. A lot of theaction is just too much, over the top and too fantastical. I know there’s been some big over the topstuff moments in earlier films (space, I know), but those were done withpractical, physical effects and stunts. There’s much more enjoyment and charm watching something you know isreal compared to obviously computer generated stunts, vehicles andlocations. Did I mention there’s aninvisible car? Ridiculous. And the one practical action moment thatshould be cool, is just comes off as incredibly juvenile. I love sword fights like everyone else, butthis one has no respect for logic, character or plausibility in the story. Yes, the film forces itself by a few brushlines to acknowledge what just happened, but it shouldn’t have gone to thatplace to begin with.
2/3 of the villains in this one are awful. I’m giving Miranda Frost a pass. Rosamund Pike is pretty good and makes apretty thin character more intriguing and interesting than she should be. And it’s not her fault for that stupid costumeduring the final battle. Gustav Gravesis turned in by a horrible performance by Toby Stephens. I can tell just by this film why I’ve notseen him in anything since. Thecharacter in itself is pretty stupid, but Stephens make it worse with hisRIDICULOUS performance. I feel like I’mwatching the villain in a really bad kids movie from the 80s/early 90s withhim. It’s not campy fun, notso-bad-its-good, just flat out bad. Idon’t have many things to say about Zao other than he is a cool concept, but theactor stinks.
I have been waiting for this moment for pretty much thiswhole series. One of my biggest petpeeves of this film – HALLE BERRY. Imentioned last time I preferred Denise Richards to her. Jinx is something we’ve seen before, a rivalspy from another country. For somereason, Berry can’t bring any credibility to her being this character. She also can’t decide what kind ofpersonality Jinx should have. She’s sotough. Now she’s a damsel indistress. Now she’s a dollar bin Coffy. Ope, now she’s a smitten teen in love. It’s all over the place. Mybiggest beef with her is she tries to blatantly upstage everyone in any sceneshe’s in. It’s rather annoying. Her ego just shines through this wholething. You can tell she’s thinking she’smuch better than she is. And to thinkthey were going to attempt a spin off of this character? NOOOOOO THANKS! We’ve had our share of bad actresses andmiscast women in these films, but nothing as ego driven and determined to stealscenes with every frame which in turn hurts the overall film. At least the other actresses tried to be apart of the whole, rather than try to slit throats on their way to the top.
Also of note that Madonna, someone people long wanted tosing a Bond tune, provides the title song. However, they got Madonna far too late. The Madonna you wanted was in the 90s. Her Razzie award winning song sounds more like a club single remix thana Bond song. Its really weird and doesn't make a lick of sense (Sigmund Freud? WTF?).
Despite my gripes and the fact this film is rather bad, Ihave to say it’s actually watchable. Youwill shake your head and groan throughout, but it’s pure shut your brain offentertainment. The film’s pace reallydoes move and has lots of explosions, crashes, and gunshots to carry to the end. I’m sure there’s a level of fun people canhave with this movie. The film doesstart out with a great concept, but then begins flying off the rails when 007reaches Cuba. I do like glass shatterring gadget and some of the action, while silly, provides some fun. The film also became the highest grossingfilm of the franchise. But, theproducers weren’t too trusting that going on in this direction was the rightmove. And wisely, they chose to move onto a different path with 007.
Brandon Peters will return in CASINO ROYALE
Follow me on Twitter – www.twitter.com/@btpeters
With Skyfall dropping in theaters in just a few weeks, along with the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, a close friend and fellow film nerd, Brandon Peters, has generously offered to do a comprehensive review of the entire 007 film franchise. Today is the twentieth entry, with a full review of one of the worst films in the franchise, Die Another Day. I hope you enjoy what is a pretty massive feature leading up the November 9th release of Skyfall. I'll do my best to leave my two-cents out of it. But just because I'm stepping aside doesn't mean you should. Without further ado...Die Another Day
I’m Mr. Kil
Okay, so I’m starting a little early, but I have to mentionthis. This moment is so horrible. Bond gets out of his car and this big goon bythe side of the road just awkwardly and out of place says this to him. FOR NO REASON. Bond doesn’t acknowledge the guy oranything. Its almost very “I liketurtles” variety. And seriously? Mr. Kil? That’s like calling Oddjob ‘Mr. Hat’. Or Red Grant “Blonde Strong”. Orcalling Jaws…uh…oh…well…”Giant Metal Mouth Biting Man”.
STATS
Ridiculous. If I wereto describe Die Another Day with justone word, that’s what I would choose. Bond’s 20th film, released on his 40th anniversaryfeatures poor direction, performance and much absurdity with an overabundanceof call backs (some obvious and some very Where’s Waldo-ish). Like the other long tenured Bonds, RogerMoore and Sean Connery, before him, Pierce Brosnan bows out on an obvious subpar entry and one of the worst films of the series. Funny, both Pierce and Sean left off withdiamond related satellite-laser beam plots by madmen who are having DNAreconstruction done to change faces.
Die Another Day’splot resembles the book Moonrakermore than the film of that name. Afterbeing set up and taken in to North Korean captivity, Bond is released inexchange for terrorist Zao. Anassassination happens shortly after, making MI:6 suspect that under extremetorture, 007 has given up top secret information to the North Koreans. Stripped of his license to kill, James Bondgoes on a hunt to find out who set him up. Aided along the way by NSA agent Jinx, Bond’s investigation leads him toBritish billionaire Gustav Graves. Graves has built the satellite Icarus, intended to provide sunshine forcrops year round. But alas, Graves isactually General Moon, whom Bond thought he killed at the opening of thefilm. Moon has gone through complete DNAreconstruction and taken the identity of Graves. Graves isn’t the only person who isn’t whothey appear to be, as fellow MI:6 agent Miranda Frost is the one who set upBond all along and is working with Moon. Moon intends to use Icarus to cut a path through the KoreanDemilitarized Zone so North Korea could invade South Korea.
Lee Tamahori takes the director’s seat for this one. Prior to this, his notable films were The Edge and the really bad Along Came A Spider (side note, afterthis fall, this may not be the worst Alex Cross film anymore). After DieAnother Day he did garbage like xXx:State of the Union and the embarrassing Next. Bond’s 20th film and 40thanniversary is a big deal and the producer’s knew it. They delayed production so that they couldhit that mark. So why not bring in abetter known director? Why not pairBrosnan back up with Martin Campbell. Pierce Brosnan was championing Brett Ratner for the film, but theproducers wanted a non-American. I won’tsay this about him often, but Ratner would have been a much better choice. Tamahori makes some really weird andnoticeably out of place in the 007 world decisions. To start off, we get a bullet zipping by thescreen during the gun barrel sequence. Thereis also an over abundance of some really weird slow motion at times. The film is marred by a heavy reliance on CGIfor its special effects, lacking in the practical stunt work the 007 series isknown for. The opening titles also try tofeed us some story mixed with the silhouette dancers. This would be fine and not so bad, if theydidn’t use a flashback five minutes after to show us everything that just happenedin the opening titles again. When I usethe word ridiculous, most of that aim is going at Tamahori.
There are a lot of really dumb ideas brought into thefilm. As if starting with James Bondsurfer dude isn’t enough, later in the film he gets out of a situation in aRIDICULOUS kite surfing moment that is pretty much entirely CG. It is REALLY bad and possibly the dumbestmoment in the franchise. A lot of theaction is just too much, over the top and too fantastical. I know there’s been some big over the topstuff moments in earlier films (space, I know), but those were done withpractical, physical effects and stunts. There’s much more enjoyment and charm watching something you know isreal compared to obviously computer generated stunts, vehicles andlocations. Did I mention there’s aninvisible car? Ridiculous. And the one practical action moment thatshould be cool, is just comes off as incredibly juvenile. I love sword fights like everyone else, butthis one has no respect for logic, character or plausibility in the story. Yes, the film forces itself by a few brushlines to acknowledge what just happened, but it shouldn’t have gone to thatplace to begin with.
2/3 of the villains in this one are awful. I’m giving Miranda Frost a pass. Rosamund Pike is pretty good and makes apretty thin character more intriguing and interesting than she should be. And it’s not her fault for that stupid costumeduring the final battle. Gustav Gravesis turned in by a horrible performance by Toby Stephens. I can tell just by this film why I’ve notseen him in anything since. Thecharacter in itself is pretty stupid, but Stephens make it worse with hisRIDICULOUS performance. I feel like I’mwatching the villain in a really bad kids movie from the 80s/early 90s withhim. It’s not campy fun, notso-bad-its-good, just flat out bad. Idon’t have many things to say about Zao other than he is a cool concept, but theactor stinks.
I have been waiting for this moment for pretty much thiswhole series. One of my biggest petpeeves of this film – HALLE BERRY. Imentioned last time I preferred Denise Richards to her. Jinx is something we’ve seen before, a rivalspy from another country. For somereason, Berry can’t bring any credibility to her being this character. She also can’t decide what kind ofpersonality Jinx should have. She’s sotough. Now she’s a damsel indistress. Now she’s a dollar bin Coffy. Ope, now she’s a smitten teen in love. It’s all over the place. Mybiggest beef with her is she tries to blatantly upstage everyone in any sceneshe’s in. It’s rather annoying. Her ego just shines through this wholething. You can tell she’s thinking she’smuch better than she is. And to thinkthey were going to attempt a spin off of this character? NOOOOOO THANKS! We’ve had our share of bad actresses andmiscast women in these films, but nothing as ego driven and determined to stealscenes with every frame which in turn hurts the overall film. At least the other actresses tried to be apart of the whole, rather than try to slit throats on their way to the top.
Also of note that Madonna, someone people long wanted tosing a Bond tune, provides the title song. However, they got Madonna far too late. The Madonna you wanted was in the 90s. Her Razzie award winning song sounds more like a club single remix thana Bond song. Its really weird and doesn't make a lick of sense (Sigmund Freud? WTF?).
Despite my gripes and the fact this film is rather bad, Ihave to say it’s actually watchable. Youwill shake your head and groan throughout, but it’s pure shut your brain offentertainment. The film’s pace reallydoes move and has lots of explosions, crashes, and gunshots to carry to the end. I’m sure there’s a level of fun people canhave with this movie. The film doesstart out with a great concept, but then begins flying off the rails when 007reaches Cuba. I do like glass shatterring gadget and some of the action, while silly, provides some fun. The film also became the highest grossingfilm of the franchise. But, theproducers weren’t too trusting that going on in this direction was the rightmove. And wisely, they chose to move onto a different path with 007.
Brandon Peters will return in CASINO ROYALE
Follow me on Twitter – www.twitter.com/@btpeters
12 Ekim 2012 Cuma
Full details of Armageddon 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Below are the full details of the Auckland Labour Day Weekend Armageddon Expo - as ever you can find more out about the guests at the event by visiting the official Armageddon website!See you there???Dates: ASB Showgrounds: Friday 19thOctober – Monday 22nd October 2012OpeningHours: FridayOctober 19th –6pm to 9pm - Preview night!
Website: www.armageddonexpo.com/nz
Ticketprices: SINGLE DAY ENTRY - Friday toMonday
THREEDAY PASS
FOURDAY PASS
Tickets will be on sale through www.iTicket.co.nz
EventDescription
Anime/ Manga / Cartoons:
Comics/SciFi/ Fantasy / Cards:
SpecialMovie Screenings and Guest Panels:
Gaming/Technology:
Sports:
Funfor Everyone:
Formore information on any of the above, head to www.armageddonexpo.com/nz for afull schedule of guest panel times and Armageddon Expo Auckland events!
Full details of Armageddon 2012
Below are the full details of the Auckland Labour Day Weekend Armageddon Expo - as ever you can find more out about the guests at the event by visiting the official Armageddon website!See you there???Dates: ASB Showgrounds: Friday 19thOctober – Monday 22nd October 2012OpeningHours: FridayOctober 19th –6pm to 9pm - Preview night!
Website: www.armageddonexpo.com/nz
Ticketprices: SINGLE DAY ENTRY - Friday toMonday
THREEDAY PASS
FOURDAY PASS
Tickets will be on sale through www.iTicket.co.nz
EventDescription
Anime/ Manga / Cartoons:
Comics/SciFi/ Fantasy / Cards:
SpecialMovie Screenings and Guest Panels:
Gaming/Technology:
Sports:
Funfor Everyone:
Formore information on any of the above, head to www.armageddonexpo.com/nz for afull schedule of guest panel times and Armageddon Expo Auckland events!
New Flight trailer surfaces
To contact us Click HERE
Brand new Denzel Washington trailer has hit this morning for upcoming movie Flight, which hits New Zealand on February 7th.
From the Academy Award® winning Director Robert Zemeckis comes this action-packed mystery thriller. Academy Award® winner, Denzel Washington stars as Whip Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot, who miraculously crash lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board.
After the crash, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault and what really happened on that plane?
Also starring Don Cheadle, Melissa Leo, Bruce Greenwood, Kelly Reilly and John Goodman
New Flight trailer surfaces
Brand new Denzel Washington trailer has hit this morning for upcoming movie Flight, which hits New Zealand on February 7th.
From the Academy Award® winning Director Robert Zemeckis comes this action-packed mystery thriller. Academy Award® winner, Denzel Washington stars as Whip Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot, who miraculously crash lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board.
After the crash, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault and what really happened on that plane?
Also starring Don Cheadle, Melissa Leo, Bruce Greenwood, Kelly Reilly and John Goodman
New Django Unchained trailer hits
To contact us Click HERE
It's been a while since we've heard anything about this, but today is a day to celebrate for Django Unchained as we've got a new trailer!
The new Django Unchained trailer - which is of course from Quentin Tarantino - looks sizzling.
Django Unchained is due in NZ cinemas January 2013.
A bit more about Django Unchained -
Set in the South two years before the Civil War, DJANGO UNCHAINED stars Academy Award®-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award®-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles – dead or alive.
Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South’s most wanted criminals with Django by his side. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago.
Django and Schultz’s search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of “Candyland,” an infamous plantation where slaves are groomed by trainer Ace Woody (Kurt Russell) to battle each other for sport. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie’s trusted house slave. Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them. If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival…
Written and directed by Academy Award®-winner Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED is produced by Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone. The executive producers are Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Michael Shamberg, Shannon McIntosh, and James Skotchdopole. DJANGO UNCHAINED will be released in theNZ in January 2013.
New Django Unchained trailer hits
It's been a while since we've heard anything about this, but today is a day to celebrate for Django Unchained as we've got a new trailer!
The new Django Unchained trailer - which is of course from Quentin Tarantino - looks sizzling.
Django Unchained is due in NZ cinemas January 2013.
A bit more about Django Unchained -
Set in the South two years before the Civil War, DJANGO UNCHAINED stars Academy Award®-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award®-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles – dead or alive.
Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South’s most wanted criminals with Django by his side. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago.
Django and Schultz’s search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of “Candyland,” an infamous plantation where slaves are groomed by trainer Ace Woody (Kurt Russell) to battle each other for sport. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie’s trusted house slave. Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them. If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival…
Written and directed by Academy Award®-winner Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED is produced by Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone. The executive producers are Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Michael Shamberg, Shannon McIntosh, and James Skotchdopole. DJANGO UNCHAINED will be released in the
The Intouchables: Movie Review
To contact us Click HERE
Cast: Francois Cluzet, Omar Sy, Audrey Fleurot
Director: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
After smashing its way through the box office and hearts in France, The Intouchables finally lands on New Zealand cinema screens. Rumour has it as well, that it's on course for the Oscars next year - but time will tell.
It's the heartwarming and true, yet irreverent tale of quadriplegic millionaire, Philippe (Cluzet) whose life took a turn for the worst after a paragliding accident. Confined to a chair, Philippe lives day to day, appreciating the finer things in life like art and classical music and yet not quite living properly.
One day, while interviewing for a new carer, he comes across Omar Sy's street smart ex-con Driss. Driss is there simply to tick a box and to apply for a benefit - however, when he ends up at the interview, his lack of interest in the role and stolid adherence to being there only because he has to (although he ends up flirting with flame haired interviewer Magalie, played by Audrey Fleurot), fires up something long dormant in Philippe.
Driss ends up being hired by Philippe and, unsurprisingly, the pair strike up an unlikely friendship as the carer from the projects brings his unorthodox view on life to the starchly stiff world of Philippe.
The Intouchables is very much the antithesis to the Diving Bell and The Butterfly - and is so diametrically opposed in approach that it's easy to see why this broadly uplifting and at times, irreverent comedy has been so cherished by many.
With the words: "Based on a true story" ringing out at the start, it's clear that this piece will strike a chord in many - and to be frank, having sat through it, you'd be hard pressed to have it not elicit some form of reaction from you while viewing.
Uplifting, surprisingly never mawkish and always heartwarming, The Intouchables is a joy to behold. From the humour of the writing which punctuates any lingering sentimentality (which would normally threaten to derail a film such as this) to central performances which are never anything less than compelling despite being non-showy, it's a film which will linger on in you long after you've left.
With pathos and touching nuanced acting, the main duo paint a plausible picture of an unlikely and unconventional friendship and bond. Sy gives a dogged realism to his street character and Cluzet brings a restrained and underlying sadness to the man who believes his handicap "is not living in the chair - it's living without her (his wife)." Scenes have a tenderness when they need to and an irreverence which will cause laugh out loud moments when they come.
Some films are meant to be seen - and by seeking out The Intouchables, you will find yourself acknowledging some of the predictability of this story of a man from the wrong side of town meeting a man from the higher echelons of society, but yet revelling in the mismatched duo. Smart repartie and camaraderie punctuate the screen and with plenty of charm to it, The Intouchables is a near shoo in for Oscar nominations come 2013.
Rating:
The Intouchables: Movie Review
Cast: Francois Cluzet, Omar Sy, Audrey Fleurot
Director: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
After smashing its way through the box office and hearts in France, The Intouchables finally lands on New Zealand cinema screens. Rumour has it as well, that it's on course for the Oscars next year - but time will tell.
It's the heartwarming and true, yet irreverent tale of quadriplegic millionaire, Philippe (Cluzet) whose life took a turn for the worst after a paragliding accident. Confined to a chair, Philippe lives day to day, appreciating the finer things in life like art and classical music and yet not quite living properly.One day, while interviewing for a new carer, he comes across Omar Sy's street smart ex-con Driss. Driss is there simply to tick a box and to apply for a benefit - however, when he ends up at the interview, his lack of interest in the role and stolid adherence to being there only because he has to (although he ends up flirting with flame haired interviewer Magalie, played by Audrey Fleurot), fires up something long dormant in Philippe.
Driss ends up being hired by Philippe and, unsurprisingly, the pair strike up an unlikely friendship as the carer from the projects brings his unorthodox view on life to the starchly stiff world of Philippe.
The Intouchables is very much the antithesis to the Diving Bell and The Butterfly - and is so diametrically opposed in approach that it's easy to see why this broadly uplifting and at times, irreverent comedy has been so cherished by many.
With the words: "Based on a true story" ringing out at the start, it's clear that this piece will strike a chord in many - and to be frank, having sat through it, you'd be hard pressed to have it not elicit some form of reaction from you while viewing.
Uplifting, surprisingly never mawkish and always heartwarming, The Intouchables is a joy to behold. From the humour of the writing which punctuates any lingering sentimentality (which would normally threaten to derail a film such as this) to central performances which are never anything less than compelling despite being non-showy, it's a film which will linger on in you long after you've left.
With pathos and touching nuanced acting, the main duo paint a plausible picture of an unlikely and unconventional friendship and bond. Sy gives a dogged realism to his street character and Cluzet brings a restrained and underlying sadness to the man who believes his handicap "is not living in the chair - it's living without her (his wife)." Scenes have a tenderness when they need to and an irreverence which will cause laugh out loud moments when they come.Some films are meant to be seen - and by seeking out The Intouchables, you will find yourself acknowledging some of the predictability of this story of a man from the wrong side of town meeting a man from the higher echelons of society, but yet revelling in the mismatched duo. Smart repartie and camaraderie punctuate the screen and with plenty of charm to it, The Intouchables is a near shoo in for Oscar nominations come 2013.
Rating:
Brand new Gangster Squad trailer arrives
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Hot off the press, it's the brand new Gangster Squad trailer....
Starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, Gangster Squad is already shaping up to be one of the must see films of 2013.
It's about the LAPD's fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s and also stars Giovanni Ribisi and Josh Brolin.
GANGSTER SQUAD releases in NZ cinemas on Jan 17th
Brand new Gangster Squad trailer arrives
Hot off the press, it's the brand new Gangster Squad trailer....
Starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, Gangster Squad is already shaping up to be one of the must see films of 2013.
It's about the LAPD's fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s and also stars Giovanni Ribisi and Josh Brolin.
GANGSTER SQUAD releases in NZ cinemas on Jan 17th
11 Ekim 2012 Perşembe
Tarantino's Django Unchained gets a full trailer, keeps its awful Christmas Day release date.
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As usual with most recent Tarantino films, if you look closely at the trailer you'll find bits of action surrounded by lots of people talking and talking. The effectiveness of a Tarantino film generally rests with the quality of the conversations. In this case, why not spend Christmas day listening to Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, and Christoph Waltz chit-chat for a couple hours (or more)? DiCaprio looks like he's having the time of his life and if the film earns Oscar love he seems the most likely recipient. As I've said before, Tarantino makes *movies* and this gorgeous and richly-colorful bit of revisionist history looks like no exception. Will it be high art, a subversive look at another very dark historical chapter through the wish-fulfillment lens of cinema? One hopes so, as Inglorious Bastards pulled off that trick three years ago. But even if it's just a trashy good time, it looks like a fun time with good company. I'm not sure how smart a Christmas day release is. If you have a bunch of family members in the house after Christmas, what are the chances everyone in the family is old enough for this hard-R action comedy? Truth be told, the big family is going to probably see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey again as a consensus choice. If I were Weinstein Company, I'd move this one to the December 14th slot vacated by Les Miserables, which is now opening alongside Django Unchained. Oh heck, December 7th now has nothing but the Gerald Butler romcom Playing For Keeps. Point being, being perceived as a box office flop won't help the film's Oscar chances, especially with voting occurring even earlier this season. So I'd get the hell out of Christmas if I were them. Anyway, what do you think of the trailer or the release date?
Scott Mendelson
Scott Mendelson
Release date musical chairs: How to fix the upcoming November/December clusterf**k...
To contact us Click HERE
I mentioned this briefly last night, but taking a look at the release date calendar of the last two months of the year, it is clear that something is quite amiss. It's not just a matter of too many movies being released at the end of the year, nor even a matter of too many "Oscar bait" pictures drowning each other out as is sometimes the case. No, when you look at the release calendar for November and December, you notice an odd pattern. There are nine weeks in the last two months of the year, during which we have a total of twenty-one (21) wide releases, counting the November 16th expansion of Spielberg's Lincoln. Now you might think "Oh, that's about two per week, that's not so bad". But the problem is the scheduling itself. There are five of those nine weeks with just a single new release, leaving the fifteen other movies to fight it out over the remaining five weeks. It gets even more dire when you look at the specific release schedules in question. You've got four weekends with one (1) new release and one weekend with two (2) new nationwide releases. That leaves fifteen movies fighting it out over four weekends, four weekends which now average 3.75 films a weekend. Something's gotta give and/or someone has to have the good sense to move around a bit and spread the wealth.
The first weekend of November is pretty much packed, with Robert Zemeckis's Flight, the Disney animated feature Wreck It Ralph, and the RZA/Russell Crowe martial-arts adventure The Man With the Iron Fists. So you've got three wide releases that arguably target three different demographics. So far, so good. But just the next weekend you have the understandably 800-pound gorilla that is Skyfall. Despite the fact that Skyfall is probably looking at an $80 million opening weekend, there is still room for some kind of counter-programming. Why not release Weinstein's The Silver Linings Playbook and let the allegedly terrific film parlay strong word of mouth going into the Thanksgiving holiday? As it is, the Bradley Cooper/Jennifer Lawrence dramedy is one of four wide releases on Turkey-Day weekend and arguably the one least likely to be the consensus family pick due to its (I presume) R-rating. After that you have another small weekend, with only the nationwide expansion of Lincoln and the release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part II. Obviously Breaking Dawn 2 is going to make $140-$160 million no matter what the competition is, but the Twilight fanbase is so entrenched at this point that there is indeed room for counter-programming. We can of course argue that Lincoln aims to be the Blind Side of the Thanksgiving 2012 season and leave it at that. That brings us to a four-film Thanksgiving holiday.
Dreamworks' Rise of the Guardians will likely top the new releases by virtue of being a PG-rated animated adventure, so it stays put. I think Silver Linings Playbook is picking a dangerous weekend to go wide, although much of that depends on if it gets an R or a PG-13. Life of Pi is aiming to be this year's Hugo, the big-budget Oscar-bait family film that no families actually want to see. Red Dawn is well, Red Dawn. Unless Film District has some kind of "grassroots" market to the Tea Party campaign up its sleeve, it probably would be toast no matter when it opened. But again, any one of these films, save for Rise of the Guardians would be arguably better suited for the next two nearly-empty weekends. Weinstein has Killing Them Softly dropping on November 30th, arguably because Harvey didn't want the angry political polemic to influence the election against Barack Obama (it's a very good film, but I'm not allowed to review it yet). The next weekend, December 7th, sees the Gerald Butler rom-com Playing For Keeps which shockingly enough opens unopposed. Again, this would be a prime weekend to move into for any of the various films stuck on the traffic jam weekends. December 14th was supposed to be a clash of the titans with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Les Miserables facing off. But Universal inexplicably moved Les Miz to Christmas Day, further crowding the last weekend of the year and leaving Middle Earth unopposed. Yes, The Hobbit part 1 of 16 is going to be huge, but there is still room for counter-programming
Because the last two weekends of the year have eight (8) wide releases clogging up the Christmas season. December 19th sees Jack Reacher and Monsters Inc. 3D while December 21st sees This Is Forty and Zero Dark Thirty. December 25th sees Django Unchained, The Guilt Trip, Parental Guidance, and Les Miserables. You can't possibly convince me that the massive overcrowding, specifically over Christmas and Thanksgiving, isn't going to hurt all the films being released during those prime dates? And you can't possibly convince me that spreading out at least the eight films opening over the last two weekends onto the several basically unopposed weekends wouldn't help everyone. Offhand, I'd move Django Unchained to December 14th, move Monsters Inc. 3D back to what was its intended mid-January 2013 release date, and throw Zero Dark Thirty into the December 7th spot (Red Dawn can die on Thanksgiving leaving the world no poorer). Again when you're dealing with hard-R rated material, opening on a holiday weekend is a bit of a risk. Ask yourself: If a large family with kids of varying ages are all going to a movie after Thanksgiving or Christmas, are they really going to pick *my* movie? If not, I'd advise fleeing the holiday weekend. I'd move Life of Pi out of Thanksgiving for this reason, but I'm not sure where one safely opens such an unusual film, so I guess Fox will tempt fate.
Obviously this is speculation based on box office history as I know it, but I'm personally predicting an out-and-out bloodbath over the end of December, one that arguably doesn't need to happen. I've often said that the smooshing together of prestige pictures at the end of the year can turn what should be a joy, seeing the best films of the year, into a chore/marathon sprint. This year has them much better spread out, only to find us with a final two months filled with seemingly worthwhile popcorn fare all smooshed together as well. This doesn't have to happen because there is no reason that Skyfall, Killing Them Softly, and/or Playing For Keeps (especially Playing For Keeps) need to open unopposed. You have nine weeks of release dates, I say to the studios: Use them!. Spread the wealth. The audiences will appreciate it and I'd argue box office will reflect as much. But that's just my opinion for the morning. What are your thoughts? Are the prime release dates overbooked this year or will you somehow be able to see everything you want to see in a timely fashion anyway? What release date choices would you make? Sign off below.
Scott Mendelson
I mentioned this briefly last night, but taking a look at the release date calendar of the last two months of the year, it is clear that something is quite amiss. It's not just a matter of too many movies being released at the end of the year, nor even a matter of too many "Oscar bait" pictures drowning each other out as is sometimes the case. No, when you look at the release calendar for November and December, you notice an odd pattern. There are nine weeks in the last two months of the year, during which we have a total of twenty-one (21) wide releases, counting the November 16th expansion of Spielberg's Lincoln. Now you might think "Oh, that's about two per week, that's not so bad". But the problem is the scheduling itself. There are five of those nine weeks with just a single new release, leaving the fifteen other movies to fight it out over the remaining five weeks. It gets even more dire when you look at the specific release schedules in question. You've got four weekends with one (1) new release and one weekend with two (2) new nationwide releases. That leaves fifteen movies fighting it out over four weekends, four weekends which now average 3.75 films a weekend. Something's gotta give and/or someone has to have the good sense to move around a bit and spread the wealth.The first weekend of November is pretty much packed, with Robert Zemeckis's Flight, the Disney animated feature Wreck It Ralph, and the RZA/Russell Crowe martial-arts adventure The Man With the Iron Fists. So you've got three wide releases that arguably target three different demographics. So far, so good. But just the next weekend you have the understandably 800-pound gorilla that is Skyfall. Despite the fact that Skyfall is probably looking at an $80 million opening weekend, there is still room for some kind of counter-programming. Why not release Weinstein's The Silver Linings Playbook and let the allegedly terrific film parlay strong word of mouth going into the Thanksgiving holiday? As it is, the Bradley Cooper/Jennifer Lawrence dramedy is one of four wide releases on Turkey-Day weekend and arguably the one least likely to be the consensus family pick due to its (I presume) R-rating. After that you have another small weekend, with only the nationwide expansion of Lincoln and the release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part II. Obviously Breaking Dawn 2 is going to make $140-$160 million no matter what the competition is, but the Twilight fanbase is so entrenched at this point that there is indeed room for counter-programming. We can of course argue that Lincoln aims to be the Blind Side of the Thanksgiving 2012 season and leave it at that. That brings us to a four-film Thanksgiving holiday.
Dreamworks' Rise of the Guardians will likely top the new releases by virtue of being a PG-rated animated adventure, so it stays put. I think Silver Linings Playbook is picking a dangerous weekend to go wide, although much of that depends on if it gets an R or a PG-13. Life of Pi is aiming to be this year's Hugo, the big-budget Oscar-bait family film that no families actually want to see. Red Dawn is well, Red Dawn. Unless Film District has some kind of "grassroots" market to the Tea Party campaign up its sleeve, it probably would be toast no matter when it opened. But again, any one of these films, save for Rise of the Guardians would be arguably better suited for the next two nearly-empty weekends. Weinstein has Killing Them Softly dropping on November 30th, arguably because Harvey didn't want the angry political polemic to influence the election against Barack Obama (it's a very good film, but I'm not allowed to review it yet). The next weekend, December 7th, sees the Gerald Butler rom-com Playing For Keeps which shockingly enough opens unopposed. Again, this would be a prime weekend to move into for any of the various films stuck on the traffic jam weekends. December 14th was supposed to be a clash of the titans with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Les Miserables facing off. But Universal inexplicably moved Les Miz to Christmas Day, further crowding the last weekend of the year and leaving Middle Earth unopposed. Yes, The Hobbit part 1 of 16 is going to be huge, but there is still room for counter-programming
Because the last two weekends of the year have eight (8) wide releases clogging up the Christmas season. December 19th sees Jack Reacher and Monsters Inc. 3D while December 21st sees This Is Forty and Zero Dark Thirty. December 25th sees Django Unchained, The Guilt Trip, Parental Guidance, and Les Miserables. You can't possibly convince me that the massive overcrowding, specifically over Christmas and Thanksgiving, isn't going to hurt all the films being released during those prime dates? And you can't possibly convince me that spreading out at least the eight films opening over the last two weekends onto the several basically unopposed weekends wouldn't help everyone. Offhand, I'd move Django Unchained to December 14th, move Monsters Inc. 3D back to what was its intended mid-January 2013 release date, and throw Zero Dark Thirty into the December 7th spot (Red Dawn can die on Thanksgiving leaving the world no poorer). Again when you're dealing with hard-R rated material, opening on a holiday weekend is a bit of a risk. Ask yourself: If a large family with kids of varying ages are all going to a movie after Thanksgiving or Christmas, are they really going to pick *my* movie? If not, I'd advise fleeing the holiday weekend. I'd move Life of Pi out of Thanksgiving for this reason, but I'm not sure where one safely opens such an unusual film, so I guess Fox will tempt fate.
Obviously this is speculation based on box office history as I know it, but I'm personally predicting an out-and-out bloodbath over the end of December, one that arguably doesn't need to happen. I've often said that the smooshing together of prestige pictures at the end of the year can turn what should be a joy, seeing the best films of the year, into a chore/marathon sprint. This year has them much better spread out, only to find us with a final two months filled with seemingly worthwhile popcorn fare all smooshed together as well. This doesn't have to happen because there is no reason that Skyfall, Killing Them Softly, and/or Playing For Keeps (especially Playing For Keeps) need to open unopposed. You have nine weeks of release dates, I say to the studios: Use them!. Spread the wealth. The audiences will appreciate it and I'd argue box office will reflect as much. But that's just my opinion for the morning. What are your thoughts? Are the prime release dates overbooked this year or will you somehow be able to see everything you want to see in a timely fashion anyway? What release date choices would you make? Sign off below.
Scott Mendelson
If you have the time, watch the entire 42-minute Steven Spielberg Q&A from last night's Lincoln screenings.
To contact us Click HERE
I will hopefully be seeing Lincoln when the regular press screenings begin, but for now here is the complete 42-minute Q&A that followed a national sneak of sorts that took place last night at various AMC theaters (the LA one started at 4:30pm, so I didn't even try to sneak in). Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis were in attendance. For now, enjoy this rather enjoyable video. if the embed crashes or doesn't work, the link is HERE.
Scott Mendelson
Scott Mendelson
The new Texas Chainsaw 3D poster is missing something.
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Anyone else notice anything missing in this one-sheet for Texas Chainsaw 3D? Anyone else notice that there is perhaps a rather iconic object, one that you would think would be a key marketing image, is not present in this theatrical one-sheet? No? Okay, I'll give you a hint... look at the title again. Okay now look at Leatherface's hands. What isn't he holding? YES! Sigh... this rather terrible-looking Texas Chainsaw 3D opens on January 4th, 2013. I'm sure a trailer will be attached to every print of Paranormal Activity 4 next weekend ensuring a massive opening weekend come January. Oh well, at least now I'll have an easier time defending the painfully underrated Texas Chainsaw: The Beginning.
Scott Mendelson
Anyone else notice anything missing in this one-sheet for Texas Chainsaw 3D? Anyone else notice that there is perhaps a rather iconic object, one that you would think would be a key marketing image, is not present in this theatrical one-sheet? No? Okay, I'll give you a hint... look at the title again. Okay now look at Leatherface's hands. What isn't he holding? YES! Sigh... this rather terrible-looking Texas Chainsaw 3D opens on January 4th, 2013. I'm sure a trailer will be attached to every print of Paranormal Activity 4 next weekend ensuring a massive opening weekend come January. Oh well, at least now I'll have an easier time defending the painfully underrated Texas Chainsaw: The Beginning. Scott Mendelson
The forgotten classic among 007 theme songs...
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I've generally stayed out of the James Bond waters of late for pretty obvious reasons. But as a result of Adele's Skyfall being released, I went back and listened to the previous 007 theme songs, paying extra attention to the post-GoldenEye tunes that I have perhaps only listened to once or twice. First of all, I take back every vaguely defensive thing I ever said about Madonna's "Die Another Day". The tuneless, joyless disco chore is every bit as awful as the pundits claimed ten years ago, so mea culpa. But the next one on the list was Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" from Casino Royale. I had only heard the song perhaps once, when I saw the film in theaters six years ago (confession: when I watch the 007 films at home, I usually skip the credit sequences as they do nothing for me and of course are completely disconnected to the narrative). So imagine my surprise as I discovered, six years late perhaps, what a rather terrific and catchy kick-ass rock tune Cornell's ditty actually is. It's firmly in the vein of hard-rock "being a spy is *hard!* tunes from The Living Daylights and A View To A Kill (and arguably Live and Let Die). It's also the catchiest tune since Duran Duran's "Dance Into the Fire" and stands alongside that camp classic as one of the best pure rock-n-roll songs in the Bond universe. Anyway, if you haven't listened to it in awhile, sample above. And consider this a second mea culpa, for not realizing how good this theme was all those years.
Scott Mendelson
Scott Mendelson
10 Ekim 2012 Çarşamba
Safety Not Guaranteed: Movie Review
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Director: Colin Trevorrow
A quirky little indie film, Safety Not Guaranteed is a gentle nugget of quirky cinematic genius.
Aubrey Plaza is Darius, a grad who's unable to get a job and ends up working as an intern at Seattle magazine. When reporter Jeff (a Mark Ruffaloesque Jake Johnson) suggests he looks into an ad in a newspaper promising to take a trip back in time, but with "safety not guaranteed", Darius, along with studious intern Arnau head to Ocean View to find out more.
But while Jeff uses the opportunity to look up an old flame, Darius discovers that the guy who placed the ad, is a curious oddball called Kenneth (a brilliant Duplass). Kenneth works at the local store and is convinced the authorities are following him as he nears completion of his time machine.
So, the question is - is Kenneth telling the truth or is it the mutterings of a mid American nutjob?
Safety Not Guaranteed is a real charmer of a film and an unexpected humour filled delight, which will amuse and engage your heart too.
From its start where we first meet Darius being rejected for a job right to its final shot where something unexpected happens, it's a film which confounds your expectations and surprises you.
It's a low key, lo fi indie film in many ways which hits all the right notes; part rom com, part sci fi flick, part road trip and part relationships/ hipster film, it's a mash up of many genres and all of them sensitively and sensibly handled with charm and ease.
The central premise is an intriguing one and throwing together the trio works very well; from the lazy, just out to hook up Jeff to the uptight Indian intern Arnau, mixed in with a dash of sullen sarcasm courtesy of Aubrey Plaza, the final resulting cocktail works very well.
But the film scores its major points with Mark Duplass as Kenneth, a denim jacketed slight oddball of a man about whom you're never quite sure if he's a sandwich short of a picnic or actually onto something with his notion of time travel and reasons for it. (And his occasional resemblance to 1990s Scott Bakula in time travelling TV series Quantum Leap is uncanny at times - or perhaps, a deliberate nod). Thanks to sensitive acting and a bit of depth of character, he remains an enigma throughout and a character you can't quite get a handle on.
However, the director wisely chooses not to dwell on this or reflect on a character who could be unhinged but instead propels the story forward with an energy and zest that's perfectly in keeping with this delightful little charmer.
With an eye for some sharp dialogue as well, Safety Not Guaranteed is as much of a treat as you're likely to get at the movies these days. Thanks to some great central turns from Johnson, Plaza and Duplass who give 110% in a never anything less than riveting watch, you're engaged at every level and when the movie ends, you find yourself puzzling about what actually transpired.
As one character remarks "This mission has to do with regret, mistakes and is about love" - it's an adage which helps us identify with the characters and engage with what could be a lunatic proposition. With dashings of deadpan humour thrown in, and a final act which once again confounds your expectations by swiftly whipping the carpet from asunder, Safety Not Guaranteed deserves to be a hit thanks to its charm, performances and touchingly heartfelt and yet universal story.
Whether or not it will be depends on how much you're willing to gamble on this - my advice, roll the dice and enjoy every moment of what is one of the best character films of the year.
Rating:
Safety Not Guaranteed: Movie Review
Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan SoniDirector: Colin Trevorrow
A quirky little indie film, Safety Not Guaranteed is a gentle nugget of quirky cinematic genius.
Aubrey Plaza is Darius, a grad who's unable to get a job and ends up working as an intern at Seattle magazine. When reporter Jeff (a Mark Ruffaloesque Jake Johnson) suggests he looks into an ad in a newspaper promising to take a trip back in time, but with "safety not guaranteed", Darius, along with studious intern Arnau head to Ocean View to find out more.But while Jeff uses the opportunity to look up an old flame, Darius discovers that the guy who placed the ad, is a curious oddball called Kenneth (a brilliant Duplass). Kenneth works at the local store and is convinced the authorities are following him as he nears completion of his time machine.
So, the question is - is Kenneth telling the truth or is it the mutterings of a mid American nutjob?
Safety Not Guaranteed is a real charmer of a film and an unexpected humour filled delight, which will amuse and engage your heart too.
From its start where we first meet Darius being rejected for a job right to its final shot where something unexpected happens, it's a film which confounds your expectations and surprises you.
It's a low key, lo fi indie film in many ways which hits all the right notes; part rom com, part sci fi flick, part road trip and part relationships/ hipster film, it's a mash up of many genres and all of them sensitively and sensibly handled with charm and ease.The central premise is an intriguing one and throwing together the trio works very well; from the lazy, just out to hook up Jeff to the uptight Indian intern Arnau, mixed in with a dash of sullen sarcasm courtesy of Aubrey Plaza, the final resulting cocktail works very well.
But the film scores its major points with Mark Duplass as Kenneth, a denim jacketed slight oddball of a man about whom you're never quite sure if he's a sandwich short of a picnic or actually onto something with his notion of time travel and reasons for it. (And his occasional resemblance to 1990s Scott Bakula in time travelling TV series Quantum Leap is uncanny at times - or perhaps, a deliberate nod). Thanks to sensitive acting and a bit of depth of character, he remains an enigma throughout and a character you can't quite get a handle on.
However, the director wisely chooses not to dwell on this or reflect on a character who could be unhinged but instead propels the story forward with an energy and zest that's perfectly in keeping with this delightful little charmer.
With an eye for some sharp dialogue as well, Safety Not Guaranteed is as much of a treat as you're likely to get at the movies these days. Thanks to some great central turns from Johnson, Plaza and Duplass who give 110% in a never anything less than riveting watch, you're engaged at every level and when the movie ends, you find yourself puzzling about what actually transpired.
As one character remarks "This mission has to do with regret, mistakes and is about love" - it's an adage which helps us identify with the characters and engage with what could be a lunatic proposition. With dashings of deadpan humour thrown in, and a final act which once again confounds your expectations by swiftly whipping the carpet from asunder, Safety Not Guaranteed deserves to be a hit thanks to its charm, performances and touchingly heartfelt and yet universal story.
Whether or not it will be depends on how much you're willing to gamble on this - my advice, roll the dice and enjoy every moment of what is one of the best character films of the year.
Rating:
LEGO LOTR Developer Diaries
To contact us Click HERE
Fans of Lego and Hobbitses can rejoice as the upcoming Lego Lord of the Rings release is likely to tick all of the boxes.
But as ever with these LEGO releases, it's all about the fun elements.
Thankfully, Travellers Tales look like they're pushing that theme - here, collected all together are the LEGO Lord of the Rings Developer Diaries for you to enjoy!
Whether or not you’re familiar with the epic moments from the films, LEGO The Lord of the Rings is set to take you on an unforgettable journey. And if you’re teaming up with a friend or family member, you’ll both be able to tackle the thrilling adventure in a phenomenal, unique co-op experience. Take control of your favourite characters to take part in huge battles, complete imaginative puzzles, collect astonishing treasures, and overcome any number of fantastic challenges as you trek and build your way through Middle-earth.
While the developer diary series may have come to an end, the real journey is soon to begin! Stay tuned, as there are plenty of updates to come leading up to the release of LEGO The Lord of the Rings this Summer for Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Nintendo 3DS™, PlayStation® Vita, and PC.
LEGO LOTR Developer Diaries
Fans of Lego and Hobbitses can rejoice as the upcoming Lego Lord of the Rings release is likely to tick all of the boxes.
But as ever with these LEGO releases, it's all about the fun elements.
Thankfully, Travellers Tales look like they're pushing that theme - here, collected all together are the LEGO Lord of the Rings Developer Diaries for you to enjoy!
Whether or not you’re familiar with the epic moments from the films, LEGO The Lord of the Rings is set to take you on an unforgettable journey. And if you’re teaming up with a friend or family member, you’ll both be able to tackle the thrilling adventure in a phenomenal, unique co-op experience. Take control of your favourite characters to take part in huge battles, complete imaginative puzzles, collect astonishing treasures, and overcome any number of fantastic challenges as you trek and build your way through Middle-earth.
While the developer diary series may have come to an end, the real journey is soon to begin! Stay tuned, as there are plenty of updates to come leading up to the release of LEGO The Lord of the Rings this Summer for Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Nintendo 3DS™, PlayStation® Vita, and PC.
Assassin's Creed III Developer diaries
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As the release of Assassin's Creed III grows ever closer, there's been further releases from the developer diaries and trailers to get us ready.
First up, we have the Assassin's Creed III - Official Developer Diary - Liberty Chronicles...
Next up, the creators of Assassin’s Creed III shed some light on what it takes to redesign one of gaming’s most iconic franchises from the ground up. Part three in a four-part documentary series, Inside Assassin’s Creed III: Episode Three is all about Connor, the all-new hero of mixed British and Native American ancestry on a mission to save his homeland. Get a behind the scenes look at what makes Connor the true hero behind the war and a sneak peek at the new combat and animation systems that will allow you to experience more intense, gut-wrenching battles than ever before.
And finally, the making of trailer...
Assassin's Creed III Developer diaries
As the release of Assassin's Creed III grows ever closer, there's been further releases from the developer diaries and trailers to get us ready.
First up, we have the Assassin's Creed III - Official Developer Diary - Liberty Chronicles...
Next up, the creators of Assassin’s Creed III shed some light on what it takes to redesign one of gaming’s most iconic franchises from the ground up. Part three in a four-part documentary series, Inside Assassin’s Creed III: Episode Three is all about Connor, the all-new hero of mixed British and Native American ancestry on a mission to save his homeland. Get a behind the scenes look at what makes Connor the true hero behind the war and a sneak peek at the new combat and animation systems that will allow you to experience more intense, gut-wrenching battles than ever before.
And finally, the making of trailer...
Hollywood hits HALO 4
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Exciting news for HALO fans today - the launch trailer for the XBox release's gonna have some touches of Hollywood.
The release has just come in:
"Famed Hollywood Visionaries David Fincher and Tim Miller Team Up with Microsoft to Create “Halo 4” Launch Trailer
Legendary director of award-winning films like “Fight Club” and “The Social Network” and acclaimed visual effects lead for “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” collaborate with 343 Industries to ignite anticipation for the year’s biggest entertainment launch
Today Microsoft and 343 Industries announced renowned Hollywood director David Fincher (“Fight Club,” “The Social Network,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) as executive producer and acclaimed visual effects lead Tim Miller (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) as the director of the launch trailer for the most anticipated blockbuster game of the year, “Halo 41.” In partnership with 343 Industries and agency twofifteenmccann, Fincher and Miller will help deliver an emotionally-charged look at the backstory of “Halo’s” iconic hero, the Master Chief.
The extended two-minute trailer will make its world premiere during the Oct. 18 (Oct. 19 NZST) episode of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (airs weeknights on NBC at 12:35am ET/4:35pm Oct 19 NZST) before the launch of “Halo 4” on November 6. It will be available on Halo Waypoint and the Xbox YouTube channel immediately following the broadcast debut.
Titled “Scanned,” the trailer is an action-packed cinematic production that offers a captivating look at the backstory of Master Chief, and provides a glimpse of the new threat he will encounter in “Halo 4.” Filmed in Prague, “Scanned” continues the franchise’s tradition of expanding the universe through award-winning live-action stories, adding to the lore and anticipation for the next chapter in the landmark franchise that has sold more than 43 million game copies worldwide and generated more than $3 billion in franchise sales.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to direct the ‘Halo 4’ launch trailer in creative partnership with 343 Industries and David Fincher,” said Miller, who also collaborated with Fincher to create the title sequence for the Academy award-winning 2011 film, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” “‘Halo is one of the most iconic sci-fi universes, with a depth that allows for amazingly cinematic and emotionally riveting stories. The chance to tell a story that explores never-before-seen facets of Master Chief’s journey is an honour. Our goal is to deliver a blockbuster, Hollywood-quality trailer that raises the bar for the award-winning legacy of live-action ‘Halo’ storytelling and gets fans stoked for the return of Master Chief.”
Reinforcing the talent behind the powerhouse team, Fincher stated, “I enjoy collaborating with Tim Miller, who is at the visual and technical forefront of hybridized live-action/CGI – not only pushing the boundary but defining it.”
“As a studio, we’re incredibly excited to be working with one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors and one of its top visual effects leads to bring our creative vision for the launch trailer to life,” said 343 Industries’ franchise development director Frank O’Connor. “Their involvement is a testament to the significance of ‘Halo’ as a pop culture touchstone, and we think fans are going to be blown away when they see the final piece.”
Launching worldwide exclusively on Xbox 360 Nov.6, 2012, “Halo 4” is the next blockbuster installment of the iconic franchise that has shaped entertainment history and defined a generation of gamers. Developed by 343 Industries, “Halo 4” continues the story of the series’ iconic hero the Master Chief as he returns to confront his destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. “Halo 4” takes the series in a bold new direction by delivering its most epic and explorative campaign yet, alongside an emotionally resonant story and a groundbreaking multiplayer offering unlike anything before it – setting the stage for an epic new sci-fi saga."
Hollywood hits HALO 4
Exciting news for HALO fans today - the launch trailer for the XBox release's gonna have some touches of Hollywood.
The release has just come in:
"Famed Hollywood Visionaries David Fincher and Tim Miller Team Up with Microsoft to Create “Halo 4” Launch Trailer
Legendary director of award-winning films like “Fight Club” and “The Social Network” and acclaimed visual effects lead for “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” collaborate with 343 Industries to ignite anticipation for the year’s biggest entertainment launch
Today Microsoft and 343 Industries announced renowned Hollywood director David Fincher (“Fight Club,” “The Social Network,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) as executive producer and acclaimed visual effects lead Tim Miller (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) as the director of the launch trailer for the most anticipated blockbuster game of the year, “Halo 41.” In partnership with 343 Industries and agency twofifteenmccann, Fincher and Miller will help deliver an emotionally-charged look at the backstory of “Halo’s” iconic hero, the Master Chief.
The extended two-minute trailer will make its world premiere during the Oct. 18 (Oct. 19 NZST) episode of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (airs weeknights on NBC at 12:35am ET/4:35pm Oct 19 NZST) before the launch of “Halo 4” on November 6. It will be available on Halo Waypoint and the Xbox YouTube channel immediately following the broadcast debut.
Titled “Scanned,” the trailer is an action-packed cinematic production that offers a captivating look at the backstory of Master Chief, and provides a glimpse of the new threat he will encounter in “Halo 4.” Filmed in Prague, “Scanned” continues the franchise’s tradition of expanding the universe through award-winning live-action stories, adding to the lore and anticipation for the next chapter in the landmark franchise that has sold more than 43 million game copies worldwide and generated more than $3 billion in franchise sales.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to direct the ‘Halo 4’ launch trailer in creative partnership with 343 Industries and David Fincher,” said Miller, who also collaborated with Fincher to create the title sequence for the Academy award-winning 2011 film, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” “‘Halo is one of the most iconic sci-fi universes, with a depth that allows for amazingly cinematic and emotionally riveting stories. The chance to tell a story that explores never-before-seen facets of Master Chief’s journey is an honour. Our goal is to deliver a blockbuster, Hollywood-quality trailer that raises the bar for the award-winning legacy of live-action ‘Halo’ storytelling and gets fans stoked for the return of Master Chief.”
Reinforcing the talent behind the powerhouse team, Fincher stated, “I enjoy collaborating with Tim Miller, who is at the visual and technical forefront of hybridized live-action/CGI – not only pushing the boundary but defining it.”
“As a studio, we’re incredibly excited to be working with one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors and one of its top visual effects leads to bring our creative vision for the launch trailer to life,” said 343 Industries’ franchise development director Frank O’Connor. “Their involvement is a testament to the significance of ‘Halo’ as a pop culture touchstone, and we think fans are going to be blown away when they see the final piece.”
Launching worldwide exclusively on Xbox 360 Nov.6, 2012, “Halo 4” is the next blockbuster installment of the iconic franchise that has shaped entertainment history and defined a generation of gamers. Developed by 343 Industries, “Halo 4” continues the story of the series’ iconic hero the Master Chief as he returns to confront his destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. “Halo 4” takes the series in a bold new direction by delivering its most epic and explorative campaign yet, alongside an emotionally resonant story and a groundbreaking multiplayer offering unlike anything before it – setting the stage for an epic new sci-fi saga."
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