Director JJ Abrams took time off from the last season of Lost to bring life to a tired franchise – Star Trek, and Borat’s at it again this time Sacha Baron Cohen is Bruno! Plus Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow’s collaboration, the sequel to Da Vinci Code and a slew of more of everything ever released this year!
New Releases this Week:
Star Trek Cast: John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin
To boldly go where no one has gone before, that’s the catch phrase that begun Gene Roddenberry’s legendary television series Star Trek. After many years and many movies, director JJ Abrams finally came up with a movie that bests them all by starting at the beginning. This is the story of how a young James T Kirk joins Starfleet, meets up with his regulars Bones, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov Uhura and of course Spock, Kirk’s best friend and mentor. The story features a wonderful villain played by an almost unrecognizable Eric Bana and crosses dimensions in time by introducing Leonard Nimoy the original Spock to himself as a young man (Zachary Quinto). The film in my opinion is stolen by Simon Pegg as Scotty, with choice one-liners and a sassy attitude. All the main crew take on the same characteristics of the original actors, Karl Urban’s Bones is perfect and even Chris Pine manages a young William Shatner. Fabulous movie, rent it twice!
Bruno Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alice Evans, Trishelle Cannatella, Sandra Seeling, Ben Youcef, Alexander von Roon, Candice Cunningham, Tom Yi
Borat’s at it again! This time Baron Cohen calls upon yet another of his alter egos - Bruno, a gay fashionista/TV reporter from Austria, who after being thrown out of the fashion world and sacked from his TV show Funkyzeit, Austrian media sensation Brüno goes to Los Angeles to reinvent himself and become a big, gay star... This time Cohen pushes discomfort to an often unbearable degree, going way, way further than Borat, with graphic anal sex jokes, and a talking penis to mention just two embarrassing moments. Verdict? I loved it, as they say if you can’t take a joke?
ThirstCast: Song Kang-ho, Shin Ha-kyun, Kim Ok-bin, Kim Hae-sook, Park In-hwan, Oh Dal-soo, Song Young-chang, Mercedes Cabral
When priest Sang-hyun (Song) volunteers for a medical experiment, a transfusion turns him into a vampire. Soon he’s drawn to Tae-ju (Kim), the wife of an old friend. The couple kills her husband, and Tae-ju turns into a bloodthirsty creature. The whole world seems to be intent on turning out vampire movies, TV shows and novels at the moment. Yet Park Chan-wook, the Korean director who made Oldboy, has still managed a fresh spin on the subgenre in this tale. Oldboy is one of my favorite movies of all time and this one is going to stay in my collection (I get screeners!) P.S. This movie is in Korean which means it isn’t badly dubbed, but you do have to read subtitles.
Angels and Demons Cast: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Thure Lindhardt, David Pasquesi, Cosimo Fusco
Ron Howard’s film of Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code ranks among the most profitable films of the decade, so naturally he again teamed up with Tom Hank’s to make the next novel. A sort of who dun-it and who’s going to do-it all situated in and around the Vatican. Given that it combines religious, scientific, political, and lunacy in one package, Angels & Demons is more entertaining than the dreary, talky Da Vinci Code (I thought so anyway!) This time out, heroic Harvard academic and devout agnostic Robert Langdon (a trim Hanks) has only an evening to solve a series of puzzles which have thwarted thinkers for centuries, as Se7en-style mangled corpses (cardinals killed by the four elements, great movie Se7en by the way!) are delivered on the hour before the possible destruction of the entire Vatican by anti-matter.
Funny People Writer: Judd Apatow Cast: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, RZA, Aubrey Plaza, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow
Judd Apatow has long-since established his credentials in the comedy marketplace ($1.4 billion ago, give or take) Funny People is comfortably his best movie yet. A personal friend of Adam Sandler it was obvious the two of them would collaborate; the movie’s pre-credits footage of a 20 year-old Adam Sandler making prank phone calls ; shot by Apatow when the pair were flatmates, begins one of the best comedies of the year. Oft used buddy Seth Rogen (he slimmed down for this movie) is wonderful; this is a real treat watch it now!
Shorts Cast: Jimmy Bennett, Kat Dennings, Trevor Gagnon, Rebel Rodriguez, Jake Short, Leslie Mann, James Spader, Jon Cryer, William H. Macy
A young boy discovers a rock which grants wishes. So far, so awesome, however the joy is spoiled when calculating children and trouble-making adults all make a play for the power of the rock. There are a lot of people getting stuck into trash cans and there are a few monsters, some crocodiles get their hands on the wishing rock causing some consequences for the humans. All in all a nice movie for the holidays.
Ben 10 Alien Swarm One of the top shows on the cartoon network, a game and now a movie sort of. With live and animated action, this is one for the young at heart crowd, (note how I said that!) The stakes are high and the action is intense as Ben fights to protect our planet from the Alien Swarm!
My One and Only Cast: Kevin Bacon, Rene Zellweger, Logan Lerman, Eric McCormack, Chris Noth, Mark Rendall, Nick Stahl, Steven Weber
My One and Only, starring Renée Zellweger and Kevin Bacon, is reportedly based on actor George Hamilton's memories of his youth. It takes place in the 1950s of memory: a Technicolor world of big Cadillacs, white gloves and pastel dresses. Zellweger plays Anne, a woman of refinement who gets tired of her bandleader husband's philandering and takes off with her two sons on an adventure into America. This got a limited theatrical release, which is a pity because it deserved so much more, try it you’ll like it, I promise.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Continuing with the release of every important film of the year, comes the number 1 box office animated film. A very funny family film that will become a classic and is one that will never date. Speaking of dates, a perfect date movie in the Ugly Truth is a sure fire winner.
New Releases this Week:
The Ugly Truth
Cast: Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, Cheryl Hines, Bonnie Somerville, Bree Turner, Eric Winter, Vicki Lewis, Holly Weber, Nick Searcy, Yvette Nicole Brown
Hot Scotsman Gerard Butler and the lovely “doctor” Katherine Heigl star in this delightful yet raunchy romantic comedy. TV producer Abby (Heigl) is forced to work with relationship ‘expert’ Mike (Butler), who advises women to use sex to get men. They make a bet: unless his methods snag her dream man (Winter) for her, he’ll leave the show. Can’t miss, co-star two of the most popular and eye pleasing new actors in the business and you have a sure renter.
Up
Cast: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger.
From Disney-Pixar here is the highest grossing animation this year. A comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman (voiced by Ed Asner) who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But, he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic eight-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. This was shown in 3D in the theatres and thankfully Disney didn’t try to release the DVD this way. In Blu-Ray it’s spectacular, yet a must see DVD in any format. The first animated movie to open the Cannes film festival and sure to garner loads of awards come Oscar time, leads to a question though, how is Disney going to top this one?
Classics Now Playing at the Spot
The Naked Gun Series:
One of the funniest series ever starring Leslie Nielsen is now at the Spot, rarely shown on TV because of one co-star namely O.J. Simpson!
The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad! Came about in 1988 and grossed almost $100 million, spawned two sequels and countless imitators. Also continuing to prove the best acting OJ ever did was trying to put on a pair of gloves in a California courtroom.
As Lieutenant Frank Drebin, the star is Leslie Nielsen; he is as dapper as he is deadpan, and somehow this makes the fact that he's actually a bumbling idiot endlessly funny. The plot of the film is somewhat superfluous, and finds Frank attempting to thwart the assassination of Queen Elizabeth (at a baseball game of all places), avenge the attempted murder of his colleague Nordberg (played by O.J. Simpson, that’s irony for you!), and find love with the beautiful Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley).
Naked Gun 2 ½ Smell of Fear
In the first sequel Frank Drebin is walking out of the men's room, causing First Lady Barbara Bush to slam face-first into the door. That's the Drebin we know and love: a walking disaster who is utterly and completely unaware of the destruction he constantly causes.
Naked Gun 33 1/3 the Final Insult
This last of the series is just as funny as the other two. Having retired from Police Squad, Frank Drebin is having difficulty adjusting to domestic life and the prospect of starting a family. When a vicious terrorist (Fred Ward) is linked to a previous suspect (Anna Nicole Smith), Ed (George Kennedy) and Nordberg recruit Frank to come back and go undercover…
Dave Chappelle’s Block Party
In September 2004, wildly popular comedian Dave Chappelle took his time and money to put together a block party for Brooklyn, New York. To entertain the crowds, he invited hip-hop luminaries such as Kanye West, The Roots, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Dead Prez, Common, and, after pleasing some higher power, he also managed to get The Fugees to reunite for this special day. "Block Party" is the documentary covering the invites, the reasoning, and the spectacle. It cuts back and forth between concert footage with his standup and the often-funny events that precipitated it.
Unforgiven
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, Jaimz Woolvett, Saul Rubinek, Frances Fisher, Anna Levine, David Mucci, Rob Campbell
Clint Eastwood won the best director Oscar for this superb Western. In all it won 4 academy awards including best picture and has become somewhat of a classic. Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman (who won for best supporting actor) and Richard Harris are terrific, and even though Hackman plays the brutal bad guy sheriff, I couldn’t help feel sorry for him in the end. A must see...
Tomorrow Never Dies
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Ricky Jay
One of the best Pierce Bronson James Bond movies and for the first time since Sean Connery left the franchise; it feels like a real James Bond adventure. Jonathan Pryce plays a villain cut from the same cloth as Blofeld and Goldfinger, and it’s a treat to see the lovely Teri Hatcher years before she moved to desperate housewife land! If you are a newcomer to the Bond movies and just think of 007 as Daniel Craig, this is a good one to start your viewing off with.
Two summer blockbusters and a remake of a Philippines scarer plus the first Christmas release of the year; as we continue to release every film that came out this year!
New Movies Now Playing at Movie Spot
Taking of Pelham 123
Cast: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli, James Gandolfini
Tony Scott directs this remake of a 1974 classic thriller about the hijacking of a New York subway train. Thirty-five years after this sleek, faster-paced remake not only improves on a good thing, it showcases a much different New York after 9/11. Like the 1974 version, the story revolves around the takeover of the lead car of a subway train by armed hoods headed by their crafty mastermind, Ryder (John Travolta). They kill a cop, take 18 people hostage and give authorities just one hour to deliver $10 million. It’s up to train dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel) to negotiate with Ryder in a cat-and-mouse game where innocent lives are used as bait. This is the John Travolta’s best outing in some time; I always like him when he plays the bad guy and this is definitely his forte. Almost stealing the film is the original Tony Soprano himself, James Gandolfini, who plays a slippery NYC Mayor trying to keep the incident from spiraling out of control. John Turturro is also worthy of praise as the hostage negotiator, a much different role than in the recent Transformer movie.
G.I. Joe – The Rise of CobraCast: Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park.
“Dead guys don’t breakdance”
In the not-too-distant future, US Army grunts Duke (Tatum) and Ripcord (Wayans) are tasked with couriering “nanomite”-filled warheads, when they’re ambushed by mysterious baddies armed with supercool hi-tech weaponry; one of them Duke’s ex, Ana (Miller) and saved by mysterious goodies with more supercool hi-tech weaponry. The goodies the Alpha Team of GI Joe, a secret international force formed for, uh, fighting baddies. If you think you need a 10 year old to figure out who’s who, do it, because this is one loud, brash, action packed Saturday morning movie!
The Echo
Cast: Hrant Alianak, Jamie Bloch, Jesse Bradford, Iza Calzado, Brendan Carmody, Kevin Durand, Jayne Eastwood, Bathsheba Garnett,
From the executive producers of The Ring and The Grudge, this is a creepy thriller about a man who fresh out of prison as a condition of his parole goes to live in his dead mother’s apartment. He soon begins to suspect that his neighbors had a sinister hand in his mother’s death. A remake of the Philippine film SIGSAW and directed by the same guy Yam Laranas.
Nothing Like the Holidays
Cast: Freddy Rodriguez, John Leguizamo, Debra Messing, Alfred Molina, Jay Hernandez, Melonie Diaz, Vanessa Ferlito, Luis Guzman, Elizabeth Peña
It’s Christmas in Chicago and the far-flung members of the Rodriguez clan are coming home to spend the holidays at their parent’s house. But Mom (Elizabeth Pena) has a surprise in store for the grown siblings: She is divorcing their father (Alfred Molina) right after the tree is taken down. This doesn’t sit well with the now adult kids, including business man, Mauricio (John Leguizamo), who has arrives with high-powered wife Sarah (Debra Messing). There’s also Roxanna (Vanessa Ferlito), a successful Hollywood actress, who seems to be at a crossroads in her life, while her nice neighborhood friend Ozzy (Jay Hernandez) would like to be mean more to her. And then there’s Jesse (Freddy Rodriguez), just back from Iraq and unsure of his place in the family. All of these situations intertwine when the serious illness of one of their own is suddenly revealed, and the family has to pick up the pieces and come together.
It’s trick or treats time again! Halloween is nearly here so read on for my list of the top ten horror films of all time! Plus this week’s releases including the latest Ice Age, the latest Woody Allen, a creepy Halloween horror film and a very violent ridiculous actioner the type of which we all love
This weeks Releases
Ice Age –Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Cast: Cast: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary, Chris Wedge, Simon Pegg
Manny, Diego and pals find themselves tangling with T-rexes for this, a third outing, after Sid the Sloth discovers a forgotten dino paradise buried deep beneath the ice. It’s yet another excuse for the woolly troupe to set out on an epic journey, following in the well-trodden tracks of its predecessors. Simon Pegg’s (Hot Fuzz, Run Fat Boy Run) swashbuckling Buck, a plucky, one-eyed weasel brings a welcome note of derring-do to the proceedings. Don’t worry about the characters interacting with dinosaurs that’s sure to make paleontologists bleed out of their ears, it’s a fun for the whole family cartoon and kudos to the studio for not bothering to release in 3D, we all know it doesn’t work.
Whatever Works
Cast: Larry David, Ed Begley Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Conleth Hill, Michael McKean, Evan Rachel Wood,
Woody Allen is back in his beloved New York and has brought Larry David along for the ride. What could be better than this dream team? Woody Allen's latest, is the filmmaker's best feature since Match Point and his most effective pure comedy in a dozen years. A collaboration with Larry David the man who brought us Seinfeld should have come years ago. The Curb Your Enthusiasm star plays a cranky pessimist who becomes the initially unwilling husband to a much younger Southern girl with a father fixation. But when her conservative mother arrives, all hell breaks loose as Mom tries to drive her daughter away from the old guy and toward a much younger model.
Orphan
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder, Jimmy Bennett
Just in time for Halloween comes this creepy tale. It's the story of a couple - played by Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard - who lose their baby and decide to adopt a 9 year-old girl, only to get more than they bargained for. Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman, the Goth Dakota Fanning) is a precocious orphan with a sinister Russian accent and a penchant for vintage dresses. Her adoptive parents ignore all the warning signs, like knowing glances from nuns and the mysterious death of Esther’s former adopted parents, and decide that this little loner is the perfect Band-Aid for their family. Esther is an entertaining and solid addition to the Evil Child story. There may be something wrong with Esther, but there’s nothing wrong with “Orphan.” Very highly recommended.
The Tournament
Cast: Ving Rhames, Robert Carlisle, Kelly Hu.
Every 7 years, in a small, clueless town somewhere in the world, 30 of the world’s best assassins are brought together to compete in a kill-or-be-killed tournament, whereby the last one standing wins a cool $10 million. Meanwhile, gamblers bet on the game from the comforts of the tournament holder’s operation center. An excuse for a film that consists of a whole lot of wanton bloodshed? Maybe, enjoyable? You bet; 30 contestants, with the more notable ones being Chinese hitwoman Lai Lai Zhen (Kelly Hu), the crazy Texan Miles Slade (Ian Somerhalder), and the reigning champ Joshua Harlow (Ving Rhames). Of course there are more, but since most of them get shot, blown up, or decapitated early on, they aren’t worth mentioning. The final contestant is Father Macavoy (Robert Carlyle), the alcoholic non violent priest who finds himself pulled unknowingly into the tournament. Only thing missing is Jean-Claude Van Damme, still you can’t have everything. Thanks to Alliance films I had a screening copy and boy did I enjoy this movie, a perfect way to relax!**#!
The Spotter’s Top 10 Horror Titles Ever! (not in any particular order, that’s too difficult)
The Exorcist – Definitely the scariest movie ever made, trust me I was there in the cinema when it first came out and witnessed real screaming and an ambulance parked outside! Halloween – John Carpenter’s classic that introduced us to Michael Myers the original slasher and Jamie Lee Curtis; this was the one that started it all. Alien – OK not really a horror film, this is Ridley Scott’s sci- fi masterpiece with a really great alien monster, brilliant movie score and superb direction. The Pit and the Pendulum – Vincent Price in a very campy movie using the same sets and background used in many other Roger Corman productions, but this was the first horror film I ever saw in a cinema. I sneaked in through the back door when I was a boy and I couldn’t sleep for a week thinking of that pendulum swinging downwards and Vincent Price hamming it up as a demented inquisitor; wonderful! Trick R Treat – A new release that you have to see (go rent it now!) a first class Halloween tale broken up into episodes neatly joined together. Saw; Saw 2; Saw et al – Very original with complex flashbacks-within-flashbacks explaining how the characters have come to these frightening predicaments and a satisfying mystery to go with its ghastly claustrophobia. Also a great serial killer to boot! All the sequels worked, which in itself is very rare. Night of the Living Dead – This is George Romero’s masterpiece from 1968. Romero’s black and white “home movie” with its occasional bad lighting and amateurish acting made it seem like a real event was unfolding. Adding to this is the radio broadcast that gradually updates us on the latest news, a not so subtle way of narrating over the script. The last broadcast confirming that dead people are literally coming back and seeking the living; Romero created a surreal Hell on Earth that haunted for days after first seeing this terrific zombie movie. Psycho – Alfred Hitchcock’s really scary movie about Norman Bates and his “mother”. The shower scene is cinematic history; Bernard Hermann’s score around this 2 minute wonder is now legendary. Psycho not only set off a raging controversy around censorship, but it also ruined the morning shower for a generation of Americans. The Ring - This remake of the J-horror hit 'Ringu,' about a mysterious video tape that kills anyone who watches it. It's drenched in taut suspense, and boasts a finale that'll have you sprinting away from your TV set featuring a young lady with the worst haircut in movie history! This one is really scary; you have been warned. Nosferatu – Horror films have been around since the invention of the movies; there has and will always be a market for scaring viewers especially those of the weaker sex, presumably so their dates can hold them close to keep them safe from those evil people on the screen. This 1922 movie despite being an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' novel, director F.W. Murnau's seminal vampire flick is lauded as one of the best silent films ever. And Max Schreck is so chillingly creepy as bloodthirsty antagonist Count Orlok (aka Count Dracula) that the actor himself was believed to be a vampire.
Some notable movies I did not include but still warrant a mention. “Scream”; Wes Craven’s homage to classic horror films. “Friday the 13th” Admit it, just the mention of "summer camp" or "Crystal Lake" has you glancing over your shoulder, listening for a noise in the woods and swearing off hockey masks. “Evil Dead” Sam Raimi’s cult classic, and don’t forget his latest “Drag Me to Hell” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” The ratty red-and-green sweater, the grotesquely burned visage, the glove made of knives, the ability to turn Johnny Depp into a puree of blood and guts: If ever a man was made to haunt dreams; and murder people in them; it was Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). “28 Days Later” The zombie genre goes even darker in Danny Boyle's malevolent take, in which flesh-eating is a viral affliction and the stricken are possessed with rabid ferocity and superhuman speed. “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” No, it's not based on real events as advertised in the opening credits (that tricky Tobe Hooper!), but that doesn't make it less terrifying. This shocking low-budget scare about limb loss in the Lone Star State set the stage for Michael Myers, Freddy and Jason, awful sequels and all. Well that’s it for this year. I know I missed some of your favorites, why not email me and let me know?
Friday, October 16, 2009
Movie Spot is now carrying Blu Ray, with copies of all the major titles we add to the kiosks. They can be found for now in selected locations and soon available everywhere.
This week sees the release of the biggest movie of the year “Transformers – Revenge of the Fallen” as well as a really good comedy, a return of the horror master and a remake of a classic TV show.
Transformers Revenge of the Fallen
Cast: Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf, Rainn Wilson, Hugo Weaving, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Frank Welker, Isabel Lucas, Reno Wilson
Two years have passed since Sam Witwicky and the Autobots saved the human race from the invading Decepticons. Now he's preparing for the biggest challenge of his life: leaving home for college. Meanwhile, the Decepticons (the bad guys) learn what Sam doesn't know: he alone holds the key to the outcome of the struggle between evil and the ultimate power of good. With the help of the Autobots, the soldiers of NEST, and an old adversary-turned-ally, former Sector 7 Agent Simmons, Sam and his girlfriend Mikaela (the very lovely Megan Fox) must uncover the secret history of the Transformers presence on earth, and an ancient Decepticon named The Fallen; sworn on returning here for revenge. This is a movie of wild excess and a string of bad-taste jokes. Dogs hump each other, robots hump human legs and the camera spends so much time ogling Megan Fox’s torso you start to wonder if it’s being operated by a 13 year-old boy. There are now 42 robots, including one that looks like a jaguar, one that can turn into ball bearings to access high-security areas and one in the form of a Dyson vacuum cleaner. Director Michael Bay had a wonderful time and a truckload of money making this 150 minute sequel, and I must say that this is the loudest film I have ever heard! There are so many explosions, crashes and stressed machinery noises to turn an old metal-head deaf! The other problem I had was trying to differentiate between the good guys and bad guys (that’s robots) when they were slugging it out with each other. They all look the same when they’re in bits so who knows? Well actually any one under the age of thirteen for starters, which reminds me of the old Groucho Marx joke when asked if he understood a contract and said “this is so simple a child can understand it, someone get me a child I can’t make any sense of it”
The Proposal
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, Denis O'Hare, Malin Akerman, Oscar Nuñez, Aasif Mandvi, Niecy Nash
When high-powered book editor Margaret faces deportation to her native Canada, (nice of them to mention us eh?); the quick-thinking exec declares that she's actually engaged to her unsuspecting assistant Andrew, who she's tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. The unlikely couple heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family, and the always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after another. With an impromptu wedding in the works and an immigration official on their tails, Margaret and Andrew reluctantly vow to stick to the plan despite the precarious consequences. Sandra Bullock has never been more appealing in the kind of “tough boss” role normally associated with male actors. The Proposal turns the usual romantic comedy tables around, painting a hilarious picture of an attractive and bossy business exec caught in a situation spiralling out of control. Ryan Reynolds’ comedic expertise is put to good use in the role of her willingly unwilling assistant who must join her charade or risk losing his job. This is Reynolds’ best outing yet, and he shows he could own the genre if provided the right material. Stealing the movie from both of them, however, is the irrepressible Betty White, who plays Reynolds’ saucy Grammy. Once again, the Golden Girls, Boston Legal, alum proves she has comic timing second to none. Can you believe she’s 87 years old?? Wholly recommended, could be the best comedy yet this year!
Drag Me to Hell
Director: Sam Raimi Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer, Adriana Barraza
Desperate for a promotion, kind-hearted loans manager Christine (Lohman) refuses an elderly customer, Mrs. Ganush (Raver), only to become the subject of a terrifying gypsy curse that will see her dragged to hell by a vengeful demon called the Lamia...
Director Sam Raimi made his name in the horror genre with the Evil Dead trilogy. Since then, his career’s led him away from scares towards web-covered franchises. (That’s Spiderman natch!) Drag Me to Hell is a return to a genre he once ruled in fact, this is easily the purest Raimi movie since Evil Dead II. This movie is pure horror fun, lurching from wild laughs to beautifully choreographed scares like a locomotive threatening to leave the tracks. As with a ghost train, the objective is simple. Build tension. Scream. Reveal scary thing. Scream. Relieve tension. Laugh. And start all over again... Although there is no ‘message’ here, the film can be seen as a cautionary tale about the perils of greed, Christine’s one slip, her one concession to ambition, is enough to damn her to a horrific ordeal in which Lohman is humiliated and abused . And boy, does Christine suffer. If she’s not being slammed into a ceiling by an invisible demonic force, then she’s hose-spraying a nosebleed around her office or vomiting up flies at the dinner table. There are other characters in the movie; Justin Long, (I’m a Mac) as her earnest boyfriend, and Dileep Lao, as a shaman saviour, but this is undoubtedly Lohman’s show, turning in an impressive performance. Drag Me To Hell is Raimi’s most satisfying movie in ages; a low-down, cheap, nasty return to the vibe of the films on which he was granted most creative freedom. Drag Me To Hell? Try How Sam Got His Groove Back...
Land of the Lost
Cast: Will Ferrell, Danny R. McBride, Anna Friel, Raymond Ochoa, Pollyanna McIntosh, Logan Manus
Space-time vortexes suck. Dr. Rick Marshall is sucked into one and spat back through time. Now, Marshall has no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in an alternate universe full of marauding dinosaurs and fantastic creatures from beyond our world; this is a place known as the "Land of the Lost." Sucked alongside him for the adventure is his research assistant Holly and a redneck survivalist named Will. Chased by a T. Rex and stalked by painfully slow reptiles known as Sleestaks, Marshall, Will and Holly must rely on their only ally, a primate called Chaka. Get stuck, and they'll be permanent refugees in the "Land of the Lost." This is yet another remake of an old Saturday-morning staple from the early ’70s. And, on paper, the show, in which a father and two kids are whisked into a parallel dimension populated by stop-motion dinosaurs, creepy lizard-men and gibberish-spouting primates, has plenty to recommend it. Dinosaurs are always good value, of course, and LOTL boasts a bunch of them, including a super-intelligent T-rex with a grudge named Grumpy. But that was then and now, well; there’s nothing wrong with the cast; Ferrell, as disgraced palaeontologist Dr. Rick Marshall, adds another puffed-up buffoon to his collection; Danny McBride is as reliable as ever in wiseass redneck mode; and Anna Friel adds both sex appeal and Brit grit as a plucky Cambridge grad ostracised for her faith in Marshall’s crackpot theories. Trouble is who does this film cater to? Can’t seem to make up its mind, and that’s the problem. It has great bits, some good gross out laughs, great special effects, but somehow lacks in totality. Could have been much better, still for $1.99. It’s a great rental.
Next time it's Movie Spots' Halloween special! A nice list of some of the best horror movies at the "Spot", including some I bet you never saw!
Till next time! The Spotter.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Baseball seasons over, Hockey starts, another year as the world turns, Blue Jays were rubbish and the Leafs will probably go the same way again. Who knows, maybe the Raptors will make the playoffs. Oh how we live in hope in Toronto! Still, this all means there is plenty of time to watch some good movies, lots of blockbusters (not the store!) coming out (Oh I don’t know!) the first real Halloween title is reviewed, some comedies and a glorious Adrien Brody movie!
Year One
Cast: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Olivia Wilde, David Cross, Hank Azaria, Juno Temple, Oliver Platt, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Gabriel Sunday
In a Paleolithic kind of-Eden live brash hunter Zed (Black) and sensitive gatherer Oh (Cera). But, after Zed eats forbidden fruit and accidentally burns down their village, he and Oh are exiled, leading them on a journey towards Sodom; via a few biblical incidents. Director Harold Ramis has tried this before with Bill Murray and John Belushi at the Second City improve lounge; there it worked but here it sort of reminds me of the Toronto Blue Jays, shoulda, coulda, didn’ta. Personally I laughed a lot, but then I like gross humour and I’m a huge Michael Cera fan; but this movie yearns for some Mel Brooks type script or even some Monty Python outtakes. I suppose if you really want to laugh at the Old Testament, watch some of the work by the aforementioned experts.
My Life In Ruins
Cast: Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, María Ádanez, Sheila Bernette, María Botto, Rachel Dratch, Alexis Georgoulis, Ralph Nossek, Bernice Stegers, Harland Williams
Georgia has lost her kefi (Greek for "mojo"). Discouraged by her lack of direction in life, she works as a travel guide, leading a rag-tag group of tourists as she tries to show them the beauty of her native Greece while waiting to land her dream job. Opening their eyes to an exotic foreign land, she too begins to see things in new ways finding love in the process. Once upon a time ago (actually 2002), Tom Hanks, and Nia Vardalos teamed for what proved to be the surprise hit of the year, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. (still the most profitable romantic comedy of all time) The delightfully appealing film had enough to keep it from turning to mush and enough chemistry between the leads to get us rooting for the happy ending. Now Nia Vardalos tries it again as Greek-American Georgia who returns to her roots as a down-on-her-luck Athens tour guide, lurching from one disaster to the next as she shepherds a motley crew of Australians, kleptomaniac octogenarians and brash Yanks from one Athenian antiquity to the next. A nice travelogue of Greece and not a bad little movie mainly thanks to Vardalos’ warm performance, and it’s a pleasure to see Richard Dreyfuss back on the screen as kindly if irritating widower Irv. The DVD has an alternative ending which I haven’t seen yet, someone fill me in on that.
Trick R Treat
Cast: Quinn Lord, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb, Moneca Delain, Anna Paquin, Rochelle Aytes, Tahmoh Penikett, Lauren Lee Smith, Britt McKillip
It is said that Halloween is the night when the dead rise to walk among us and other unspeakable things roam free. The rituals of All Hallows Eve were devised to protect us from their evil mischief, and one small town is about to be taught a terrifying lesson that some traditions are best not forgotten. Nothing is what it seems when a suburban couple learns the dangers of blowing out a Jack-o-Lantern before midnight; four women cross paths with a costumed stalker at a local festival; a group of pranksters goes too far and discovers the horrifying truth buried in a local legend; and a cantankerous old hermit is visited by a strange trick-or-treater with a few bones to pick. Costumes and candy, ghouls and goblins, monsters and mayhem; the tricks and treats of Halloween turn deadly as strange creatures of every variety; human and otherwise; try to survive the scariest night of the year. Michael Doughterty’s movie has been waiting in the wings for a release for two years, and finally its here. It is A delicious, twisted, gleeful anthology, with each story complimenting and, in some cases, completing the one before it. Connecting them all is the instantly iconic figure of Sam. About the height of a child, wearing tattered pajamas, a sack over his head, and wielding a large bag full of candy, this little guy is the stuff nightmares are made of. At 87 minutes, there is not a dull moment. The tone is morbidly charming, effortlessly switching between laughs and screams. The ensemble cast works marvelously and other than perhaps 1978's Halloween, Trick 'r Treat sets out to be the definitive movie of the holiday, and it succeeds. This is a very good movie, why did we have to wait 2 years for this to come out?
Imagine That
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Yara Shahidi, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox, Martin Sheen
Eddie Murphy is terrific as Evan Danielson, an overworked financial advisor who is so immersed in his job he’s forgotten about Olivia, his daughter from an estranged marriage. When he is given custody for a week and he gets too busy with work, she retreats into her fantasy world, imagining a group of princesses who, as it turns out, really know their way around big business. When Dad figures out his daughter’s special blanket and otherworldly friends have the magic touch for investment advice, he becomes an instant superstar in his firm. But his newfound success soon sets up a confrontation with his chief rival, Johnny Whitefeather. Eddie Murphy has carved out a solid alternate career as a star of family-friendly movies. But none of those previous works play to his overall talents as a comedian better than this movie. The purely delightful premise, in which Murphy faces off with skeptical business partners, is perfectly toned to his talents and allows him to be widely appealing for both kids and their parents. As daughter Olivia, newcomer Yara Shahidi won out over 3000 girls and is wonderful, a real charmer who goes toe to toe with Eddie. Thomas Haden Church provides the perfect foil for Murphy as Whitefeather, a guy who plays off a phony Native American heritage and spouts nonsensical advice like he’s E.F. Hutton. Ronny Cox and Martin Sheen play it straight allowing Eddie to shine; this is a great movie, the best thing Eddie Murphy has done for a while and probably missed at the theatre, so if you need a laugh, go rent this one. So sayeth the Spotter!
The Brothers Bloom
Cast: Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz , Rinko Kikuchi, Nora Zehetner, Mark Ruffalo, Robbie Coltrane, Andy Nyman, Maximilian Schell, Noah Segan, Zachary Gordon
My pick of the week! From their childhood in a long series of gloomy foster homes to their high-flying lives as international con artists, Stephen and Bloom have shared everything. Stephen brilliantly concocts intricate stories that the brothers live out, but he's still searching for the perfect con, the one where "everyone gets what they want." Eager to retire, Bloom agrees to take part in one last grand scam. He insinuates himself into the life of Penelope, a bored, single New Jersey heiress. When a genuine romance begins to blossom between them, she impulsively joins Bloom, Stephen and their "associate," a sexy Japanese explosives expert named Bang Bang on an ocean liner to Greece. Penelope is convinced she's happened upon the adventure of a lifetime and offers to bankroll a million dollar deal. But as Stephen's elaborate web of deceit pulls tighter, Bloom begins to wonder if his brother has devised the most dangerous con of his life. Adrien Brody plays the role of Bloom with a suitable helping of melancholy and loneliness, and works surprisingly well as a romantic lead. Mark Ruffalo is a likeable rogue a change of pace for a guy who usually plays darker and heavier parts. Rachel Weisz positively sparkles, lending her blend of sexiness to this film; Rinko Kikuchi steals scenes with her nearly-mute portrayal of Bang Bang. This is my pick to rent, spend 2 hours with these loveable rogues, you’ll thank me!
Newly added Movies You have to watch again (or maybe for the first time!) Friday the 13th
Cast: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, Jeannine Taylor, Kevin Bacon, Mark Nelson
As we’re getting ready for Halloween I thought we might want to add to the kiosks the first of the series that introduced us to the hockey mask wearing nut case Jason. On Friday, June 13th 1958, two Camp Crystal Lake counselors, Claudette and Barry, slip away from the campfire for an illicit rendezvous. They are discovered and murdered by an unseen assailant (hello Jason!) Two decades later, the camp is preparing to reopen. "Camp Blood" has a death curse, the murders in '58, a boy drowning in '57, the fires and bad water that thwarted attempts to reopen the camp etc, etc. This highly successful franchise consists of twelve slasher films, a television show, games and comic books. This is the first and probably the best of the lot, it’s campy, scary and funny like the one idiot girl who chases down a faint cry for help through the woods in the middle of the night in the rain in her nightgown, just what every girl should do isn’t it. Admittedly the film lacks John Carpenter’s skill in making Halloween, it isn’t nearly as suspenseful but Jason Voorhees has sold a lot of masks, models and posters just like Michael Myers, so stuff that into your body bags!
Face Off
Cast: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Gina Gershon, Harve Presnell Directed by John Woo
Woo, who is known and appreciated for his unique stylistic approach to violence and bloodshed, creates a ballet of bullets and explosions that drives the adrenaline level through the roof. This is my favorite all time John Travolta and Nicholas Cage movie; now let’s see if you can get the plot. Sean Archer (John Travolta) is a dedicated federal officer whose obsession with bringing down one particular master criminal, Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage), has blinded him to all other concerns; you see six years prior, Troy's attempt to kill Archer went wrong, and Archer's young son was killed. Since then, a thirst for revenge has driven the FBI agent to pursue Troy with such vigor that it has alienated both his wife (Joan Allen) and his teenage daughter (Dominique Swain). When the latest confrontation between the two leaves the criminal in a coma, Archer is forced to undergo a face transplant with Troy's features so that he can go undercover in a prison, and interact with Troy's paranoid brother, Pollux (Alessandro Nivola), because very bad guy Nicholas Cage has a bomb that is ticking away somewhere in downtown L.A. But, while Archer is masquerading as his arch- enemy, the real Troy regains consciousness and hijacks Archer's face. Got it so far? So now Nick Cage is John Travolta and vice versa. So good John is now bad Nick and we are now rooting for Nick and booing John. Sci-Fi predicament? You bet, action galore and really good acting, this is one of the best action movies ever in my opinion so go out and rent this it really is good.
Transformers
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox ,Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, Rachael Taylor, , John Turturro, Jon Voight
Our world will be transformed when two races of robots; the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons (which are able to change into a variety of objects, including cars, trucks, planes and other technological creations); make Earth their final battleground. As the forces of evil seek the key to ultimate power, our last chance for survival rests in the hands of young Shia LaBeouf. Michael Bay’s live-action rendition of the cult Japanese toy-line, is a film about big toys attacking a lot of small toys, and some equally as big, and some much bigger (Transformers are equal-opportunity), and a lot of humans (if you’re a Decepticon) and buildings (mostly downtown LA). This film is miles better than the sequel, I found that one to be a little difficult to figure out who’s who (Decepticon or Autobots), not hard for my 10 year old however! Both John Turturro and Jon Voight are wonderfully political and unlike the sequel, LaBeouf’s parents play parents and not silly straight men! This film also introduced us to the latest femme fatale, cover girl Megan Fox, so that alone probably recommends it. This is a perfect 5.1 surround sound DVD, crank it up it’ll blow the doors down!
Black Rain
Cast: Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Yusaku Matsuda. Directed by Ridley Scott
Michael Douglas plays again the hard-boiled cop in the form of Nick Cunkley who’s out of favor due to his wife and has a chance to redeem himself by escorting with his partner Charlie Vincent (Andy Garcia) a notorious mob boss predictably called Sato (Yusaku Matsuda) back to Japan, only to lose him when they turn him over to the mobsters disguised as policemen. So Douglas and Garcia have to reluctantly team up with Japanese cop Mashahiro Matsumoto (Ken Takakura) to track him and his Yakuza buddies. Black Rain explodes with action it’s really a much layered film that offers content between the raindrops of a soaky Osaka. Michael Douglas plays rough well his diction is edged with a harshness that effectively captures the pragmatic cop Nick Conklin. Andy Garcia is given a wonderful opportunity to shine in the role of Nick’s partner. Ken Takakura lends perfect balance to Douglas and Garcia, and the thick delivery of Tomisaburo Wakayama as Sugai, one of the Oyabuns or family heads of the Japanese Mafia is reminiscent of Brando in The Godfather. Sugai is one dangerous dude. Ridley Scott made this film after “Blade Runner” and the magnificent scenery and rainy ambience that defined said film is alive and well in Black Rain. The grit versus the glitz of New York City and Osaka is replicated admirably. The score by Hans Zimmer sounds terrific on this Dolby Digital 5:1 DVD. Well recommended for anyone who enjoys a good cop movie.
Got an opinion on any movie? Write a review, if we publish it we'll give you a free rental at any Movie Spot kiosk. e-mail me at thespotter@moviespot.ca
See you next week!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
September 22nd 2009
The Emmys celebrated the best of TV this week, well their version of the best anyway, still I agree with Mad Men winning, a super expose of the advertising world in the 60’s. Created by one of the guys who invented the Sopranos, so you know it had to be good! If you still haven’t seen Mad Men, take yourself down to the Movie Spot nearest you and hopefully you’ll find a copy of the 1st season to rent. If you can’t find it, email your friendly movie spotter and I’ll add it to your local kiosk. This week not much to write about, a good black comedy with Seth Rogen and a remake of Christmas Carol only with ex girlfriends and for you girls a hunky Matthew McConaughey. If you have the stomach for it and you’re a horror movie fan, check out the Clive Barker flick, now that’s over the top!!
Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Lacey Chabert, Michael Douglas, Emma Stone, Anne Archer, Robert Forster
Connor Mead is an absolute cad who doesn’t just two-time ladies; he four-times them. But when he goes to a weekend retreat for a family wedding, he runs into Jenny – the one that got away, and now the one who wants to cut off his unmentionables. A sleazy dead Uncle tells him that three ghosts will visit him, in an attempt to change the error of his ways. Cue the Ghost of Girlfriends Past, who shows him what life was like in a simpler, happier time when he and Jenny were in love. Matthew McConaughey does Dickens — kind of — in this Christmas Carol rehash. He’s photographer Connor, who’s eyeing up the bridesmaids and slugging Scotch at his brother’s wedding. The party’s interrupted by Connor’s playboy uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas), back from the dead to warn his protégé about his lonely lifestyle, with help from flashbacks to Connor’s misspent youth. Can Connor repent and win over his childhood sweetheart (Jennifer Garner)? This movie has some nice moments, good looking cast but maybe Matthew McConaughey wasn’t right for the role. I would love to see Ricky Gervaise doing this!
Observe and Report
Cast: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Michael Peña, Ray Liotta, Collette Wolfe, Jesse Plemons, Aziz Ansari, Dan Bakkedahl, Z. Ray Wakeman, David House
Shopping mall guard Ronnie Barnhardt (Rogen) is a jobsworth extraordinaire, and dangerously so. Not only does he have mental issues, he’s also a gun nut who wants to cop off with Anna Faris’ make-up-counter girl. Now, if only he can catch that pesky flasher stalking the car-lot... Seth Rogen is a one-man comedy army. Since 2007’s Knocked Up, barely a month has slipped by without either his goofy voice or features being seen (or heard) in some corner of the multiplex. Superbad, Pineapple Express, Zack And Miri Make A Porno, Kung Fu Panda, Monsters Vs Aliens... And now Observe And Report, this year’s second mall-security-guard comedy. But Paul Blart this ain’t; Observe And Report is no heartwarming tale of a lovable blue-collar slob, and neither does it see Rogen once again reprise his chubby, witty slacker persona he is an angry, confused man who you never feel entirely comfortable laughing at; but you do.
Book Of Blood
Cast: Jonas Armstrong, Sophie Ward, Paul Blair, Doug Bradley, Simon Bamford, James Watson, James McAnerney, Romana Abercromby
The opening scene of the Clive Barker film packs a punch as a young woman is assaulted by unseen forces, climaxing with a rather gruesome effect in which her face is torn away. We are then introduced to Simon McNeal (Jonas Armstrong), a young college student and medium whose body has been ravaged and become a literal book of blood. The story is thus set in motion as Simon recalls the events that led him to his current predicament. As the flashback begins, the focus shifts to paranormal investigator and college professor Mary Florescu (Sophie Ward), who’s haunted by an incident that occurred during her childhood. Mary’s path crosses with that of Simon, who suffers from his own childhood demons. She enlists his aide and, with the help of paranormal technician Reg Fuller (Paul Blair), they investigate the house where the young woman was murdered—and soon find them being menaced by the spirit world. Book of Blood adapts and combines two of these Clive Barker stories, "The Book of Blood" and "On Jerusalem Street", with one serving as a framing sequence for the other "Book of Blood" features some genuinely unnerving moments, and can certainly be recommended to fans of pure horror and Barker's particular flavor of it. This DVD is presented on both disc formats in 1.78:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound on the former and DTS-HD 5.1 Surround on the latter. The audio is exceptional, and sets the mood perfectly; especially when the spirits banged away at the doors and floor.
Newly added Movies You have to watch again (or maybe for the first time!)
Bad Lieutenant
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Zoe Lund Directed by Abel Ferrara
A man in a dark suit drives his two little boys to school. On the way, the kids complain that their aunt hogged the bathroom. "Next time, you come tell me," says this upstanding father, "and I'll throw her the **** out." He drops the kids off, waits for them to get out of range, and then puts a couple of lines of coke up his nose. He drives on, stopping at the scene of a crime. What business does he have here? He steps out of the car and ... pins a badge to his chest. Jesus, this guy's a cop? That's the joke, but in Abel Ferrara territory, it's also reality. Harvey Keitel plays an unnamed New York City lieutenant who's a lot worse than the criminals who infest his streets. A womanizer, drug abuser, alcoholic, and gambler, the bad (and unnamed) lieutenant epitomizes corruption and decadence. When his chance at redemption comes as the result of the brutal rape of a nun, is there anything left within him to redeem? If a movie could survive on the force of a single performance, Bad Lieutenant would be it. Keitel throws himself into his role with undisputed gusto. He is never upstaged; in fact, most of the time when he's on-screen, whoever happens to be sharing the scene is virtually invisible. Keitel holds nothing back. There is a remake coming with Nicholas Cage; forget it; this is the real deal!
Windtalkers
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Christian Slater, Peter Stormare, Noah Emmerich, Mark Ruffalo, Brian Van Holt, Martin Henderson, Roger Willie, Frances O'Connor Director: John Woo
Windtalkers chronicles the June 1944 Allied invasion of the Japanese island of Saipan. During this offensive, the Americans were using the so-called "Navajo Code" - a code developed from words in the Navajo language and translated by Navajos. Marine Sergeant Joe Enders (Nicolas Cage), a decorated fighting man, is partnered with Private Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach), one of the Najavo "codetalkers". His orders are simple: "Protect the Code". That means protecting Yahzee, unless he falls into enemy hands - then it means killing him. In a similar position are Sergeant Ox Anderson (Christian Slater) and his partner, Private Charles Whitehorse (Roger Willie). Meanwhile, Enders remains closed off from his fellows, including Yahzee, as he tries to come to grips with events in his past that have created physical and psychological scars. Action is director John Woo’s middle name. After directing frenetic flicks such as Mission: Impossible II, Face/Off, and Broken Arrow, you know you will get enough bombs, blood and broken body parts to give his WWII drama Windtalkers an accurate feel. In this special directors cut, Woo turns in a 2 1/2 hour version, adding about 15 minutes of material into the original.
Movie News
The studio’s releasing a deluxe version of Snatch, the Guy Ritchie gangster movie with Brad Pitt as a gypsy (his best role?)
Critics may still not be able to decide if Guy Ritchie's films offer too much style and too little substance, whether he's the flavor of the month or a legitimate successor to Quentin Tarantino as a new interpreter of crime-related genres. Ritchie's full-length audio commentary for the smartly packaged, two-disc DVD edition of Snatch makes a good case for his value as a filmmaker, and convincingly explains why he chose to make a film so similar to his breakthrough effort Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels but this time with the box-office appeal of Brad Pitt. While doing that, he bickers with producer Matthew Vaughn, largely ignores a list of talking points handed to him in frustration by the "men in suits" outside the studio and forgoes the industry standard's time-killing blather in favor of cheeky asides and assorted gritty tales from the set. If that weren't enough to already make this a stand-out entry, Snatch's highly stylized art direction is lovingly expanded, starting with snazzy animated menus and including a top-notch 25-minute on-the-set featurette, animated storyboard comparisons, a photo gallery that for once isn't throwaway filler and a handful of deleted scenes that can either be viewed separately or within their context during the film. More accomplished and entertaining than Smoking Barrels, Snatch sports a flawless first reel and deserves a look, if not only to give Ritchie the chance to prove that he didn't make the same film twice
See you next week!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
It’s macho man week, with our favorite Oz and Brit actors, Hugh Jackman and Jason Statham, a scary movie “Grace” a Wayans brothers take off of the teen dance movie genre and some really great movies you haven’t seen in a while. Plus more non stop martial arts action with 2 more Dragon Dynasty titles. So sit back and relax for these weeks releases.
X-Men Origins Wolverine
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Dominic Monaghan, Ryan Reynolds
The first blockbuster of the summer is here! "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," the first chapter in the X-Men saga, unites Wolverine with several other legends of the X-Men universe, in an epic revolution that pits the mutants against powerful forces determined to eliminate them. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" explores Logan's tragic romance with Kayla Silverfox. Kayla's fate triggers Logan's involvement with the ominous Weapon X program, a top secret, billion-dollar military experiment, in which Wolverine and other mutants are key players. They include Gambit, a young Scott Summers (later to be known as Cyclops); a beautiful young mutant named Emma Frost; and Deadpool, against whom Wolverine faces his ultimate challenge. While the three previous X-Men films were set in the not-too-distant future, the main story of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"--as the saga's first chapter--is set prior to the events of those pictures, in the not-too-distant past, sometime in the 1970s. But the epic sweep of the new film also encompasses flashbacks that span 150 years. Did you know there was an unfinished print of this film that leaked onto the internet, getting downloaded 75,000 times within a single day? But you know, it wasn’t finished, the special effects were only penciled in so if you were one of those downloader’s (I won’t tell!) it’s a gas to see the finished film here
Crank 2 – High Voltage
Cast: Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Efren Ramirez, Bai Ling, David Carradine, Reno Wilson, Joseph Julian Soria, Dwight Yoakam
Picking up immediately where the first movie left off, where hitman Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) fell from a helicopter and died – except he didn’t because of his indestructible heart. "Crank High Voltage" finds Chev Chelios surviving the climactic plunge only to be kidnapped by a mysterious Chinese mobster. Three months later, Chev wakes up to discover his nearly indestructible heart has been surgically removed and replaced with a battery-operated ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity in order to work. “Morally bankrupt” doesn’t come close. This is a film that replaces plot with gratuitous violence, sex / nudity, and theme with a stripper getting her implants punctured in a gunfight. Thank god it’s also endlessly entertaining and one of the funniest films of the year. No doubt the next one will be in 3D! Can’t wait...
Grace
Cast: Jordan Ladd, Gabrielle Rose, Samantha Ferris
“Grace” is a profoundly disturbing, chilling motion picture that immediately vaults it above most horror movies out now. Eager to start a family, Madeline (Jordan Ladd) is pregnant with her first child, trying to land a suitable birthing method for her baby, much to the chagrin of her controlling mother-in-law, Vivian (Gabrielle Rose), who demands traditional hospital attention only. Finding a place with midwife Dr. Patricia (Samantha Ferris), Madeline’s life is soon shattered when a car accident kills her husband and her unborn child. Determined to carry the fetus to term, Madeline is presented with a miracle when the baby, Grace, is born dead, only to spring to life moments later. Now back home caring for Grace, pushing outsiders away, the new mother finds her baby exhibiting strange behaviors, attracting flies, and refusing the consumption of breast milk, preferring the taste of human blood. Whoo, scary!!
The Informers
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke, Jon Foster, Amber Heard, Rhys Ifans, Chris Isaak, Lou Taylor Pucci, Mel Raido
Focusing on the Los Angeles of the early 1980s, "The Informers" balances a vast array of characters. The script was written by Nicholas Jarecki and Bret Easton Ellis, who wrote the original series of short stories back in 1994. The film contains 7 of the 13 linked, short-stories found in the original book. The stories make up a broader slice-of-life snapshot of an entire week in the lives of social circle of people who represent everything from the cream of the crop; a Hollywood dream merchant, a dissolute rock star, and an aging newscaster; to the scum of society;a voyeuristic doorman, and an amoral ex-con.(Mickey Rourke) Loosely constructed, the film covers many characters, though Graham (Jon Foster) interacts with most of them. As a drug dealer, his social circle is wide, and as a bisexual, his romantic possibilities are infinite. His father (Billy Bob Thornton) is a film executive having an affair with a frazzled newscaster (Winona Ryder), and his mother (Kim Basinger) is an emotionally shattered rich lady with nothing to live for.
"Dance Flick" brings together the talents of two generations of the Wayans family, the explosively funny clan who brought us the "Scary Movie" franchise and "White Chicks," as well as the groundbreaking TV series "In Living Color." In "Dance Flick," a young street dancer, Thomas Uncles, from the wrong side of the tracks and a beautiful young woman, Megan White, are brought together by their passion for dancing and put to the test in the mother of all dance battles. "Dance Flick" sends up the dance movie genre, including such recent hits as "Step Up" and "You Got Served," as well as the classic "Flashdance." At its best, this is an energetic, slaphappy comedy with a cheerful attitude. I mean, come on: it’s a scant 75 minutes long, contains a well-deserved swipe at the goofiness that is the “Twilight” saga, and features a beatboxing vagina. If that doesn’t marginally entertain you, nothing will.
Newly added Movies You have to watch again (or maybe for the first time!)
The Punisher (John Travolta version)
Cast: Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Will Patton, Roy Scheider, Laura Elena Harring This is the second version of the Marvel comic character, and my favorite of the 3 versions.
The film opens with an arms deal going sour when undercover FBI Agent Frank Castle (Thomas Jane) foils an attempt to buy illegal arms. A very unhappy development is the death of a young man during the shooting. This young man turns out to be the son of Howard Saint (John Travolta), a very bad man, but also a very powerful and influential man. Upon discovering Castle’s part in his son’s death, Saint sends a team of gun-happy assassins to murder the entire Castle family at a family reunion. Frank survives the massacre and with memories of his wife and son lying dead in front of him, he takes up his guns and goes out to bring down Saint and his army. When the law won’t punish the guilty, he will. Castle dons the old skull costume and takes the fight to the bad guys as the Punisher. Not as violent as the latest version, but I love Travolta playing a bad guy, loved him as the good guy/bad guy with Nicholas Cage in the John Woo directed Face Off. Travolta plays a great baddie, and Thomas Jane is every bit The Punisher! A great 2 hours, go rent it!
Rambo First Blood
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna, David Caruso
The first Rambo movie and the one that started the Stallone franchise. Before he single-handedly took on the Vietnamese army, John Rambo was a tormented Green Beret who only wanted a little something to eat.
First Blood, which introduced Rambo to an audience hungry for a "real American hero," is a time when Sylvester Stallone could be taken seriously as an actor. Remember, he'd taken home an Academy Award for Rocky a few years earlier (not for his acting, but it was a nice feather in his cap).
This lean, mean fighting machine strolled down the street, unassuming and weary in his army jacket, having just found out that another of his veteran friends who made it through the 'Nam died shortly after coming home. A few minutes into the movie, our unlucky hero gets hassled by a tough-talking small-town sheriff (the inimitable Brian Dennehy), After being arrested for doing nothing he is hosed down and berated by the police including a very young, fresh faced, thin actor David Caruso, way before C.S.I Miami, even before NYPD Blue! However, don't mess with Rambo; he beats the living hell out of an entire room of police officers in a gritty fistfight. Here's the rare action film that makes every punch, elbow, kick and broken bone count. Not only does the adrenaline get pumping, it also feels like brute physical action is happening. When an actor gets hit, the frisson is real. Anyway, Rambo escapes and Richard Crenna as his old colonel comes to rescue not Stallone but the police from him! This is brilliant stuff, if you haven’t seen it you must, if you have, go rent it again!
Rolling Stones Shine A Light
Martin Scorsese is almost as adept at putting rock 'n' roll on film as he is at blood-drenched tales of murderous mobsters. He served as an assistant director on 1970's Woodstock, the standard-bearer of concert flicks. Eight years later, he chronicled The Band's farewell performance in The Last Waltz. In more recent years, Scorsese has produced first-rate documentaries on Bob Dylan and the blues. So it is only fitting that arguably America's greatest living filmmaker would turn his attention to arguably the world's greatest surviving rock 'n' roll band, the Rolling Stones. While the resulting picture, Shine a Light, may not be the ultimate cinematic statement on the Stones, what it lacks is compensated for with a taut, powerhouse performance by these formidable geezers. The first smart decision Scorsese makes is opting for a more intimate concert venue. Far from indulging in an arena-rock spectacle, Shine a Light documents a pair of Stones shows in the fall of 2006 at New York's 2,700-seat Beacon Theatre. A sea of cameras posted around the Beacon ensures that no moment of musical alchemy goes unchecked. Mick Jagger’s craggy face and skeleton-thin frame give away his age (63 at the time), but he remains a dazzling showman, strutting and swaying as if he's made of rubber. His inimitable stage presence is contrasted by Keith Richards, pasty-faced and unkempt as ever and still very much a rock god. A concert picture necessitates knockout sound, and Shine a Light does not disappoint. The 5.1 Surround is terrific; sharp and precise, free of defect and even managing to make interesting use of rear speakers. A 2.0 Stereo track is fine, but pales in comparison. So, if you have a surround set up, crank up the volume and watch one of the best concert movies ever!
Blazing Saddles
Cast: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, David Huddleston, Liam Dunn, Alex Karras, John Hillerman, George Furth, Jack Starrett, Mel Brooks
The town of Rock Ridge is slated for destruction in order to build a railroad that will pass through the area it inhabits. Unfortunately, the politicians need to get rid of the people who live in Rock Ridge to get the land. After the sheriff or Rock Ridge is killed, they put a slave in charge of the racist town which causes chaos among the townspeople. This is still one of cinema's funniest movies, with stellar performances across the board. Although originally created for Richard Pryor to star, Cleavon Little is extremely likeable as is the rest of the cast. Mel Brooks does a masterful job as director in probably his best work. It's amazing to find a film that is so full of jokes and in which there's scarcely a dud in the bunch. Ironically, Madeline Kahn was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in probably the film's only lull, singing a song called "I'm Tired" a la Marlene Dietrich. It's not profound, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.
Natural Born Killers
Director: Oliver Stone Writer: Quentin Tarantino Cast: Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Robert Downey Jr., Rodney Dangerfield
The mayhem of NBK begins when Mickey (Woody Harrelson), a working-class bumpkin whose spirit has been poisoned by too much TV, rescues his teenage girlfriend Mallory (Juliette Lewis) from her household. The home, is lorded over by a darkly abusive and unforgettable Rodney Dangerfield. Mickey’s liberation of Mallory begins an amoral Southwestern road trip of killing, hallucinogens, torture, kidnapping, and more killing. At the end of each spree, they leave one survivor to tell the story to a ravenous press. Their exploding fame, popularity even, drives sadomasochistic super-cop Jack Scagnetti (Tom Sizemore) to hunt the two like a ravenous grizzly stalking prey, while tabloid TV producer Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr. with a sleazy English accent) tries to get the “get” with the couple as their reputation grows. Word is, they are re-releasing this movie theatrically, this is the original version in all its blood thirsty brilliance. Oliver Stone went on to direct more classics and we all know what happened to Quentin Tarantino. Only weird thing is that all of us came to love Woody Harrelson as the slow loveable bartender in Cheers. Oh what a difference to see him act this one!
More Action Packed; Kick A**, Stunt Driven Dragon Dynasty!
The next 2 movies in a continuing series of the best martial arts action movies around!
Above the Law
Yuen Biao plays Jason Chan a lawyer, angry at the way the law seems to protect the bad guys; he decides to take the law into his own hands when a key witness and his entire family are murdered. But Cindy Si is soon on his case and it all spirals into a situation only a few will survive. This film is virtually plot free but of course that isn't important. What it does have is action legend Yuen Biao (Best known as one of the three dragons, with Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung) and Cynthia Rothrock the most popular female action star in HK at the time. She is one mean lady and kicks butt like the best of them.
Dog Bite Dog
All hell breaks loose when a renegade detective (Sam Lee, Invisible Target) squares off with a savage assassin (Edison Chen, Infernal Affairs trilogy) in a raging blood feud. After most of his team is viciously murdered, the obsessed detective goes to unthinkable extremes to track the killer and get his revenge. Through the back alleys of Hong Kong, they fight in an escalating series of one-on-one battles that builds to an unforgettable bare-knuckle showdown. Intense, brutal and packed with jaw-dropping raw action, "Dog Bite Dog grabs you by the back of the neck and body slams you into the mud." (Peter Martin, TwitchFilm.net)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Friday August 21st 2009
More action movies you say? Well... Movie Spot is introducing the famous Dragon Dynasty catalogue in order to cater to the needs of our martial arts, kick ass fans of the Asian cinema. Dragon Dynasty brings home the world’s greatest martial arts and Asian action films, featuring the groundbreaking work of international superstars and legendary filmmakers, including Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, John Woo, Yuen Woo-Ping, and many more. Here are the best of classic and contemporary smash hits from the world’s most exciting genre like never before, with cutting-edge digital video and audio remastering and exclusive, never-before-seen bonus features. This is action at its best, all dubbed, full of unbelievable stunts and often very violent, just like you asked for. The first three titles we are offering for your consideration are: Born To Fight, PTU Police Tactical Unit and Dragon Heat, read on for the scoop.
New releases this week:
Hannah Montana The Movie
Cast: Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Emily Osment, Jason Earles, Mitchel Musso, Moises Arias, Lucas Till, Vanessa Williams, Margo Martindale, Peter Gunn Every girl’s favorite teen star in her first real movie. Hannah is the pop star alter ego of Miley Stewart, who lives a double life thanks to one blonde wig. Here, Miley gets too big for her boots and is taken to the country by her dad. Hannah has to make a choice between the good life and; well, the good life. Should she carry on trashing the clothes shops, fighting over shoes in L.A.? Or should she rediscover her old life back in Tennessee? Grandma’s birthday is the reason to pay a visit down-home instead of downtown, so off she goes, courtesy of a private jet and some clever help from her Dad. Actually this is a good movie, lots of songs and happiness; you know what I mean!
Last House On The left
Cast: Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Garret Dillahunt, Sara Paxton, Martha MacIsaac, Riki Lindhome, Spencer Treat Clark, Aaron Paul, Joshua Cox
Teenagers Mari (Paxton) and Paige (MacIsaac) are horribly assaulted by a gang led by the brutal Krug (Dillahunt). Later, Krug’s gang seeks refuge in the home of Mari’s parents. Realising what their guests have done, the couple execute gruesome revenge. This is a remake of a 1972 film directed by a young Wes Craven which was considered quite shocking back then, even being refused a rating in the UK, but it was really a poorly executed good idea, a remake of Bergman's "The Virgin Spring" raging against the inhumanity of the Vietnam War. The violence in the film is brutal. Every punch or kick is felt. The irony of John Collingwood's (Tony Goldwyn) profession as a surgeon is explored more. The over-the-top cheesiness of Mary's parents' revenge upon her killers is replaced by some horrific, well-executed gore. Only the film's final coda should evoke some tension-relieving titters, the chainsaw replaced by a foreshadowed broken appliance. Emma's 'seduction' of Krug's brother is a lot more subtle and Monica Potter ("Saw") draws out the dance beautifully. Strangely enough the usual teenage girl’s nude scenes are missing and only the adult psycho chick (Riki Lindhome, the sadistic nurse from Changeling) does nudity. I can’t think of any more classic slasher movies left to remake, maybe now they can jump to the 90’s and redo “Scream” I’m sure there’s someone who hasn’t seen it!
Labor Pains
Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Cheryl Hines, Chris Parnell, Luke Kirby, Kevin Covais, Aaron Yoo, Janeane Garofalo, Bonnie Somerville, Creed Bratton, Christa Campbell
Do you want to know what's really sad about Labor Pains? It's not half bad. And it's a shame that Lindsay Just-Had-A-Fight-With-Sam-Ronson Lohan has become so inextricably associated with the wrong kind of drama that we no longer appreciate the fact that the girl can act. When she wants to, Ms. Lohan can turn on the charm and morph into a relatable, funny Every Girl. She does just that in Labor Pains. When we first meet Thea Clayhill (Lohan), she is a young woman struggling to support herself and her younger sister in the wake of her parents’ death. It’s difficult enough just paying the rent, but at age twenty-five, Thea is also saddled with the responsibility of getting her little sister through college. Making matters worse, after Thea’s boss (Chris Parnell) dog falls ill under Thea’s care, he seriously considers dismissing her. In an attempt to save her job, Thea blurts out that she’s pregnant. It seems you can’t fire pregnant girls, or at least that’s what Thea learned from watching Law and Order. Once her job is again secure, Thea has to figure out what to do about this massive fib. Her best friend and co-worker (Cheryl Hines) quickly comes to her aid, and they plot to fake Thea’s pregnancy just long enough to avert unemployment. Then something can go wrong, right? A miscarriage, a false alarm...something will get her out of this bizarre situation. Labor Pains is a likable movie mainly because of Lohan. Her comedic timing is dead-on ; and considering all the negative publicity she gets Lindsay Lohan can’t be counted out just yet.
Mutant Chronicles
Cast: John Malkovich, Thomas Jane, Devon Aoki, Ron Perlman
Hundreds of years into the future, the world is controlled by a handful of corporations. As they wage war on each other, a great seal is destroyed, opening up a vast hole in the Earth containing an alien machine capable of turning the living into vicious, body piercing mutants. Quickly taking over the planet, the mutants force the population to flee off-world, pushing Brother Samuel (Ron Perlman) to turn to an ancient book for answers on how to stop the infernal machine. Assembling a squad of soldiers armed to the teeth, including Major Mitch Hunter (Thomas Jane), Samuel leads the team into the bowels of the planet to stop the machine once and for all. Their only obstacle is the legion of mutants ready to tear them apart. A LONG-IN-THE-MAKING sci-fi picture based on a Scandinavian role-playing game, Mutant Chronicles is strong on world-building yet weak on plot. It opens impressively on a grim future battlefield which looks like a rerun of the worst elements of World War I (with manga-influenced blasting cannons) as heroes go up against ‘mutants’ ( zombies with bony scimitars where their right arms should be) wielding crusader swords and uniforms that borrow from a variety of historical periods. The film has a solid cast — Ron Perlman is a warrior monk who has the inside dope on this whole mutant business (don’t ask — it makes no sense whatsoever at the start, and only gets more confusing as it goes on), John Malkovich plays a fey corporate head and Anna Walton (the elf chick from Hellboy II) as a martial arts nun. The film’s happiest inventions are the Jules Verne-ish flying machines, which look like a combination of steam engine, space shuttle and Flash Gordon rocketship.
Duplicity
Cast: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti, Rick Worthy
When it comes to spy thrillers, Director Tony Gilroy knows the game. turning in a screenplay that's more diabolical and pulpy than his convoluted directorial debut, Michael Clayton, but no less fun. He maximizes his assets, and considering his stars, they are considerable. For Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, this is a much different sort of movie than their previous on-screen collaboration, Closer. Their duels are via dialogue, not guns, and their weapons are words. Roberts and Owen provide characters who clearly love one another but do not trust each other. That's the way it is in the spy business. James Bond and Jason Bourne notwithstanding, espionage movies have fallen into disfavor since the collapse of the Soviet Union, which is something of a shame since, when well-written, they can provide a superlative source of suspense; there are still ways to develop spy thrillers since companies guard trade secrets as jealously as nations protect their national security. Duplicity is an unpretentious pleasure, combining as it does the deft plotting of Gilroy, the unforced acting of charismatic stars Roberts and Owen (not to mention nice turns by supporting performers Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti as the rival CEOs Not the greatest spy thriller ever made but a great waste of a couple of hours.
Fighting
Cast: Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Brian J. White, Luis Guzmán, Zulay Henao, Roger Guenveur Smith, Angelic Zambrana, Anthony DeSando, Aaron Behr, Cung Le
Tatum plays Shawn MacArthur, a recent transplant from Alabama to New York who gets by selling questionable items at a make-shift stand on a NY street. Terrence Howard is a much more street-wise and savvy hustler named Harvey who sets his pack of no-gooders on Shawn, snatching up the small amount of money he earned and sending potential customers scurrying away. Shawn doesn't take this invasion of his sales space lying down, and delivers a beating on Harvey's young cohorts that sets Harvey's mind to spinning. It's easy to see Shawn's got fighting skills and this makes Harvey think twice about the kid they just robbed. Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard are a formidable onscreen team, and Zulay Henao isn't just a pretty face in the male-dominated production; but it's Howard that holds this film together with his performance. Howard's Harvey is a hustler who knows his limits and a guy who lives by an interesting code of ethics. Howard is quietly contemplative in moments and in that restraint Howard shows just how talented he is. While the dialogue is well written and the acting was terrific, the actual storyline left a little to be desired. When does Shawn work out? He looks cut, but the only time we see him do anything to get in shape is a brief segment on a deserted train in which he does a few minutes of exercise. Of course he could be a natural, but that’s not real is it? Also, the first fight scene is more like a dance than hand-to-hand combat and it looks staged. A reference to Fight Club maybe? On the other hand, the final fight is down and dirty and ruthlessly violent and almost painful to watch.
Obsessed
Cast: Idris Elba, Ali Larter, Beyoncé Knowles, Bruce McGill, Jerry O'Connell, Christine Lahti
Yet another version of “Fatal Attraction” in this one Idris Elba plays Derek Charles, a recently promoted business executive who has just purchased a posh new home with his doting wife, Sharon (Beyoncé Knowles), and their baby boy. Derek is the perfect hero; his life is soft-focus perfect. But no life is too perfect, to avoid the eventual disturbance of the psychotic stalker who works in the office as , you guessed it , a temp. Lisa (Ali Larter) strikes up an immediate rapport with Derek, and quickly begins her plot to become his one and only love... whether he likes it or not. Our femme fatale digs her claws into every aspect of Derek's personal and professional life ; she propositions him at parties and in the parking garage, stalks him to a lush business retreat where she pretends to be his wife, and slips him a drug in his cocktail. Derek doesn't say a word about his trouble to anyone, thereby creating massive distrust when his wife finds out that could "end their perfect marriage." Lisa crosses the line when Beyoncé gets mad, and the film crescendos in what could be this years best girl fight, complete with treacherous staircases, everyday household weaponry, and floors that give out under just the right amount of pressure. The film is mindless, yet emotion-driven, and just crazy fun. Don’t try to think too much about what’s going on; this is the kind of movie best enjoyed whilst having a beer and a ton of popcorn.
Adventureland
This is a sharp, insightful, charming motion picture. Written and directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad); this isn’t Judd Apatow territory, although the dialogue doesn't shrink from sex and other matters that obsess 22-year old men and women, it's not wall-to-wall crudeness and profanity. If The Wonder Years had followed Kevin and his friends into their early 20s, the end product might have occupied similar terrain as Adventureland. It's 1987 and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), a newly minted college graduate, is looking forward to a summer in Europe before heading east from Pittsburgh to New York City for an Ivy League graduate education. Unfortunately, James' dad (Jack Gilpin) suffers a setback at work and the money is no longer there for either the trip or Columbia. So James must get a job, and the only place where his lack of practical experience isn't a hindrance is a minimum-wage shift at Adventureland Amusement Park, running a game booth. It's a crappy job, but the compensation is that James meets some interesting people: Mike Connell (Ryan Reynolds), the rock star maintenance man who plays the field despite his wedding ring; Joel (Martin Starr), whose intellect and awkwardness around women match James'; Lisa P (Margarita Levieva), the star of every male's wet dreams; and Em (Kristen Stewart), whose mixture of compassion, substance, and girl-next-door good looks dooms James to a summer of longing. Despite his geeky appearance and fondness for deep thinking, he's surprisingly popular - although that could have something to do with his stash of joints.
Introducing Action Packed; Kick A**, Stunt Driven Dragon Dynasty! The first 3 movies in a continuing series of the best martial arts action movies around!
Born To Fight
Directed by Panna Ritikrai Starring Dan Chupong
I bet you've never seen a movie that could be described as Gymkata meets The Dirty Dozen mixed with Die Hard, only over-stuffed with that patented Thai trademark of hardcore "stunt fighting" -- with a whole lot of John Woo-style gunplay to keep things juicy. Born to Fight is an absolutely insane experience, and it's definitely something you'll want to see if you're a big fan of action movies. The story concerns a bunch of gifted young athletes (and one cop) who must prevent a platoon of village-attacking evildoers from launching a full-scale nuclear attack on Bangkok. Throw in some really harsh violence (these are some seriously vicious villains, believe me), a strangely appealing sense of humour, a whole lot of Thai culture and patriotism, a few exceedingly well-choreographed brawls, and just a little bit of melodrama to keep the blood boiling -- and you've got Born to Fight. (The last 30-some minutes consist of one long action scene. Honest.) Come see our heroes disarm and destroy opponents through the use of balance beams, rugby tackles, kicked fruit, parallel bars, and soccer balls. Yes folks this action movie delivers the goods. The fights, the falls, and the athletic prowess on display are the real deal all the way, and once that village has been invaded and that super-team of teenage athletes (and one cop) have had enough ... boy do things get wild. Lead actor Dan Chupong makes a strong case for himself as another young Thai action star. The guy defies gravity, and he really knows his way around a knee to the chest and an elbow to the forehead; as one fan stated “The Matrix wouldn't have needed that many CGI or wire gags had they known about Panna and his amazing stunt team. Born to Fight is the ultimate action junkie's dream come true”
PTU Police Tactical Unit
Acclaimed director Johnnie To (Election) scores again with this action-packed thriller, nominated for 10 Hong Kong Film Awards. Following a run-in with a gang of thugs led by Ponytail, Sergeant “Fatty” Lo (Lam Suet) loses his gun and turns to the brutally efficient Sergeant Mike Ho (Simon Yam) of the PTU to help him retrieve it. It’s late and Lo agrees to search for the gun until dawn, after which he will follow procedure and report the missing weapon.What follows is “sheer over-the-top delirium” (Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter), as their mission intersects with a gangland assassination that threatens to ignite an all-out war. Gripping and unpredictable, PTU is a masterpiece of stylized cool and explosive action.
Dragon Heat AKA Dragon Squad
Dragon Heat is the product of writer-director Daniel Lee who was inspired by a hit Japanese TV series from the ’70s to create a story about a squad of supercops taking on an equally skilled gang of criminal mercenaries in the mean streets of Hong Kong. One of the year's most exciting action-thrillers, Dragon Heat features the star-studded cast of action icons Sammo Hung (Kill Zone), Michael Biehn, Maggie Q (Live Free or Die Hard; she was the “skinny oriental chick” remember?) and Shawn Yue (Infernal Affairs). When a notorious Triad crime lord disappears shortly before trial, a team of elite Interpol agents must wage an all-out war through the streets of Hong Kong against a mysterious and heavily-armed foe to recapture him. Dragon Heat sizzles with non-stop action, apocalyptic gunfights, and a no-holds barred climactic martial arts showdown.
