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Iron Man 2

2010-02-15T20:44:00.000-08:00

In "Iron Man 2," the world is aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is the armored Super Hero Iron Man. Under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, Tony forges new alliances and confronts powerful new forces.

Wolverine 2009

2008-12-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Logan, the mutant who eventually becomes Wolverine and sometimes member of the X-Men. "Origins" hints at a prequel of sorts, allowing us to look back at the origins of Wolverine and the shadowy Mutant X program.

Die-hards may raise an eyebrow at the timing of Gambit's (Taylor Kitsch) introduction to the Marvel film world. However, much like Wolverine, he has a cult-like following (albeit smaller), questionable origins, and the Marvel franchise was running out of options as to when to bring Gambit into the fold. If played true-to-form, look for Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) to steal the show and reappear in his own spin-off at some point in the future.

Cast:

Hugh Jackman ... Logan / Wolverine

Ryan Reynolds ... Wade Wilson / Deadpool

Liev Schreiber ... Victor Creed / Sabretooth

Dominic Monaghan ... Barnell Bohusk / Beak

Lynn Collins ... Silver Fox

Danny Huston ... William Stryker

Daniel Henney ... David North / Agent Zero

Taylor Kitsch ... Remy LeBeau / Gambit

Kevin Durand ... Frederick J. Dukes / The Blob

Scott Adkins ... Weapon XI

Tim Pocock ... Scott Summers

Myles Pollard ... Lumberjack

Will i Am ... John Wraith

Troye Sivan ... Young Logan

James D. Dever ... Platoon Leader

Matthew Dale ... Surgeon

Alice Parkinson ... Elizabeth Howlett

Directed by:
Gavin Hood

Genre:
Action + Fantasy + Sci-Fi + Thriller

X Files

2008-07-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Twentieth Century Fox has announced a July 25, 2008 release for a new motion picture based on the phenomenally-popular, award-winning series THE X-FILES. Long-anticipated but only recently confirmed, the film reunites series stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson under the direction of series creator Chris Carter, who co-wrote the screenplay with Frank Spotnitz.

In grand "X-Files" manner, the as yet untitled film's storyline is being kept under wraps, known only to top studio brass and the film's principals. This much can be revealed: The supernatural thriller is a stand-alone story in the tradition of some of the show's most acclaimed and beloved episodes, and takes the always-complicated relationship between Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson) in unexpected directions. Mulder continues his unshakable quest for the truth, and Scully, the passionate, ferociously intelligent physician, remains inextricably tied to Mulder's pursuits.

Also starring are Amanda Peet and Xzibit.

Created and executive produced by Chris Carter, "The X-Files," which premiered on FOX on September 10, 1993, chronicled the lives and adventures of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, two disparate FBI agents assigned to investigate unsolved cases within the Bureau - cases that often involved the paranormal, the supernatural, and the inexplicable.

"The X-Files" won numerous awards and honors, including a George Foster Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting, three Golden Globes for Best Dramatic Series, a Golden Satellite Award for Best Drama Series, Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturn Awards for Outstanding Television Series, and a Parents' Choice Honor for Best Series. In 1997, Gillian Anderson won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

The show's nine-season run came to an end in 2002. In 1998, Twentieth Century Fox released the first feature film based on the series. The film - produced and written by Carter and co-written by Spotnitz - became a worldwide success, taking in $187 million in theatrical box office.

In grand "X-Files" manner, the film's storyline is being kept under wraps. This much can be revealed: It is a stand-alone story in the tradition of some of the show's most acclaimed and beloved episodes, and takes the complicated relationship between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully in unexpected directions. Mulder continues his unshakable quest for the truth, and Scully, the passionate, ferociously intelligent physician, remains inextricably tied to Mulder's pursuits.

The Mummy

2008-05-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Mummy 3 entitled the mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is such a blockbuster film that everybody waits to see. The story shifts from Egypt to China where Brendan Fraser returns as explorer as Rick O’Connell to combat the resurrected Qin Emperor which is played by Jet Li. In the movie trailer, you can see how people conquer all to save their lives from the legendary evil (the mummy).

Rick O’Connell is joined by son Alex (Luke Ford), wife Evelyn (Maria Bello, taking over from Rachel Weisz) and her brother, Jonathan (John Hannah). The O’Connells desire is to stop a mummy from a 2,000 years-old curse who threatens to bury the world into his merciless, unending service. The movie trailers of the film mummy 3 consists of the adventures and exciting battle with the China’s ruthless Dragon Emperor and his 10,000 warriors. Doomed by a double crossing sorceress (Michelle Yeoh) to spend eternity in suspended animation.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is helmed by director Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious, xXx) and written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (Spider-Man 2, television's Smallville). Reprising their roles as producers in the series are Bob Ducsay, Sean Daniel, Stephen Sommers and James Jacks.

There are lots of upcoming movie trailers who will attract your attention this year. But, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Movie trailer is one of the most awaited one.

Credited Cast:

Jet Li ... Emperor Han

Brendan Fraser ... Rick O'Connell

Maria Bello ... Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell

Luke Ford ... Alex O'Connell

Michelle Yeoh ... Zijuan

John Hannah ... Jonathan Carnahan

Russell Wong ... Ming Guo

Isabella Leong ... Lin

Anthony Wong Chau-Sang ... General Yang

Hancock

2008-04-26T04:05:00.000-07:00

Meet The Superhero That Everybody Loves To Hate.

A hard-living superhero that has fallen out of favor with the public enters into a questionable relationship with the wife of the public relations professional who's trying to repair his image.

The movie itself I found to be rancid, I know call me a plant all you’d like. The story itself is just bland and drags terribly. It’s about Hancock being a terrible superhero, drinking on the job, calling people names, causing property damage and the sort. There is a good 30 minutes of set up showing that Hancock is supposed to be an alcoholic dick and another 15ish of him shoving things up peoples asses in prison(no joke). Once were out of the “Hancock is a misunderstood dick-head” phase of the movie were into the “Hancock is childlike and can’t understand how to just be a nice guy” phase. Luckily that only lasts for about five minutes of the movie, during a bank robbery which Hancock is supposed to stop. He breaks it up no problem but seems to run into problems with saying the words “good job” over and over. The story changes a bit and reveals that Hancock is apparently a god, or at least that’s what people used to call them, now they’re superheroes, and talks a bit about his kind being built it pairs etc. I’m gonna go ahead and stop my description of the plot there because I’m closing in on spoiler territory and I don’t want to ruin it for anyone.

21

2008-04-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

"21" is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.

Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is an MIT student who – needing to pay school tuition – finds answers in counting cards. As a superior math and statistics student, he is recruited to join a group of mathematically-gifted students that heads to Las Vegas every weekend with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favor. Unorthodox math professor Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey) leads the way. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals, the team can beat the casinos. Drawn by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and his teammate, Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn’t illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying one step ahead of the casino’s menacing enforcer, Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne). The genius here is in a breezy tour of a system for beating blackjack, created by a (very) extracurricular MIT club. Through a combination of math, code words and the magic of oversimplification, 21 makes you feel like you, too, could beat the house.

Of course, nothing's ever that easy, nor is it as much fun as it looks. And that's the problem with 21, a film that's great with abstract theories but ignores the ugly truths about its characters—which is to say, there really aren't any, just contrived motivations papered over with amiable, attractive young actors. (Well, and Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne, who are older, therefore dour and mean.)

The trouble starts right off the bat, when protagonist Ben gets a superfluous rationale for joining the blackjack team—he needs $300,000 for med school, and he needs it because apparently we wouldn't believe that he just wants it. In giving us someone to root for, 21 takes away someone that might hold our interest; it's this zero-sum storytelling that makes it impossible to take the proceedings seriously.

Fans of Bringing down the House, the best-seller that inspired this movie, might well walk out wondering what went wrong. How often is a nonfiction Hollywood adaptation less lurid and exciting than its source? Director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde, Monster-in-Law) doubles down on the book's glitz but leaves out all of the grit, trading scenes of real panic and menace for corny backroom confrontations with zero scare factors. As an adaptation, it's a disappointment. As Hollywood fare, it's a bust.

Doomsday

2008-03-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

lethal virus spreads throughout a major country and kills hundreds of thousands. To contain the newly identified Reaper, the authorities brutally quarantine the country as it succumbs to fear and chaos. The literal walling-off works for three decades--until Reaper violently resurfaces in a major city. An elite group of specialists, including Eden Sinclair, is urgently dispatched into the still-quarantined country to retrieve a cure by any means necessary. Shut off from the rest of the world, the unit must battle through a landscape that has become a waking nightmare.

The first trailer to Neil Marshall’s Doomsday had a similar, sudden change in trajectory, but it wasn’t like Juno’s pffffft-to-tissues, it was zzzz-to-being attacked by a bat out of hell. Let me add to that: if the hell bat had a mohawk, a nice ass and a friggin’ chainsaw.

When a nasty virus rips through Scotland, the authorities in the U.K. get a little overzealous with the quarantine, building a big fat wall across the country and leaving millions behind to die. Decades later, the reemergence of the virus sends a special-forces team, led by the requisite flinty cop (Rhona Mitra), into the no-man's-land in search of a cure. They promptly discover more survivors than anyone expects; said survivors are predictably (a) angry and (b) hungry, and there the troubles begin.

This is a sprawling, messy, riotous, not-quite-finished picture. Marshall's last film, The Descent, was a lean, claustrophobic shocker without a wasted frame. Here he's thrown in the kitchen sink and a bit of plumbing to boot.

The unruly result could no doubt have been better.

Doomsday isn't quite funny enough to make up for its inherent nastiness, some of the dodgier effects would have been better off on the cutting room floor, and Marshall's often edging toward the wrong side of the line between homage and outright theft. But it's hard to watch it without having at least a little fun, and that's what Doomsday and all the movies it's aping are for.

My interest had hit a valley as soon as the trailer yelled what it was within the first two seconds with, “This is the end of the world!” But when that skull punch was followed by, “It was an epidemic unlike any other,” and expressed via a deadly virus spreading across a digital map of London in blood red, I could hear the words “Yeah, right!” echoing across the world. My Swatch watch hit “played out zombie time” and I decided to get in my Audi and drive to Hollywood on a fiery mission (from blog, ugh). I mean, they have a Victoria Beckham doppleganger fighting the undead? I like Bob Hoskins, but not that much. But then the skies opened or did they slam shut in time for a trashy punk rock concert?

The Spiderwick Chronicles

2008-02-20T09:41:00.000-08:00

You don't see us, now you do, but only if we want you to

From the beloved best-selling series of books comes "The Spiderwick Chronicles," a fantasy adventure for the child in all of us. Peculiar things start to happen the moment the Grace family (Jared, his twin brother Simon, sister Mallory and their mom) leave New York and move into the secluded old house owned by their great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick. Unable to explain the strange disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames Jared. When he, Simon and Mallory investigate what's really going on, they uncover the fantastic truth of the Spiderwick estate and the creatures that inhabit it.

The Grace kids—twin brothers Jared and Simon (Freddie Highmore in a dual role) and their sister, Mallory (Sarah Bolger)—move into the old family mansion when their dad leaves their mom (Mary-Louise Parker, who doesn't look as if she had a sandwich recently, let alone three kids). The crumbling house belonged to their great-great uncle, Arthur Spiderwick (David Straitharn), an eccentric who disappeared 80 years before.

But it turns out Uncle Arthur wasn't crazy after all! Jared finds his life's work—a book that catalogs an entire unseen world inhabiting this one with us. Faeries, goblins and pixies are all real, it turns out, and Arthur learned all their secrets.

Unfortunately, the book also contains the secret of how to rule the world (exactly how is never explained, but nobody pauses to ask). That means the evil ogre, Mulgarath (Nick Nolte), only slightly scarier than he was in his DUI mug shot—wants it. Which makes Jared and his siblings the only line of defense—and the target of all kinds of nasty things.

The Hottie and the Nottie

2008-02-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

It's not like Paris Hilton to rise above her material, but "The Hottie and the Nottie" sinks so low that all she has to do is stand upright. Cast (it must be said, against type) as chaste, self-effacing beauty Cristabel Abbott, Hilton convincingly breaks with her public persona, which is good news for her acting coach but not for the movie's prospects, since there is little evidence that Hilton's fans want to see her playing anything other than herself.

The nottie to Hilton's hottie is her lifelong best friend, June Phigg (Christine Lakin), a snarling deterrent to would-be suitors, or, as one puts it, the "hideous dragon" at the castle gates. With her cracked teeth, festering toenails and matted body hair, June is indeed a hideous creation, although not as stomach-turning as the movie that contains her. Director Tom Putnam and writer Heidi Ferrer have concocted a feminine monstrosity so inhuman she might be an evolutionary throwback.

Hottie's real knuckle-draggers, though, are the men whose jaws drop at the mere sight of Cristabel's spandex-clad frame. Nate Cooper (Joel David Moore) has been nursing a crush on her since the first grade. Twenty years later, without job, friends or a clue, he decides that tracking down his long-lost love is the answer to all his problems. Of course, one man's hopeless romantic is another woman's stalker, but a few restraining-order jokes handily put that to rest.

Deciding that the only way to loosen June's grip is to find her a man of her own, Nate tries to bribe, cajole and even hypnotize potential suitors, who inevitably run screaming at the sight of her. But with the help of a few spa treatments and a friendly dentist, June begins to transform herself, which is when "Hottie" goes from insufferable to downright intolerable. While it pays lip service to inner beauty, the movie winds up as a feature-length advertisement for cosmetic surgery. Sure, an ugly duckling can become a swan -- but it's gonna cost you.

Mercifully, Christine Lakin emerges from the muck unstained. But by the time she's peeled off her bald cap, she seems far too good for any of the drooling mouth-breathers around her. Beauty may be skin deep, but ugliness goes to the bone.

By: Sam Adams

Meet The Spartans

2008-01-29T08:23:00.000-08:00

'Spartans' win box-office battle

Twentieth Century Fox's "Meet the Spartans," a spoof of "300" and other swords-and-sandals epics, topped the weekend box office in the U.S. and Canada with estimated sales of $18.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The New Regency Pictures production, made on a budget of $18 million, opened at the upper end of expectations and edged out Lions Gate Films and Weinstein Co.'s "Rambo" for No. 1. It looks like another modestly budgeted hit from the team behind "Date Movie" and "Epic Movie," similar comedies.

Young fans made the difference. An estimated 75% of the crowds at the PG-13-rated "Meet the Spartans" were younger than 25.

"The kids want to laugh, and they like these parodies because they know the movies being spoofed so well," said Bert Livingston, Fox's senior vice president of distribution.

"Meet the Spartans" -- written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, who also helped write the first "Scary Movie" -- poked fun not only at last year's Spartan battle saga "300" but also at "Spider-Man," "You Got Served" and pop-culture phenomena such as paparazzi.

Fox's romantic comedy "27 Dresses," starring Katherine Heigl, held up firmly in its second weekend to place third with an estimated $13.6 million, down 41% from its debut. Last weekend's box-office champ, Paramount Pictures' monster movie "Cloverfield," plunged 68% from its record-setting holiday weekend to finish fourth with $12.7 million.

The Friedberg-Seltzer comedies have been remarkably consistent performers.

"Date Movie" and "Epic Movie" both opened at about $19 million and ended up grossing $80 million to $90 million worldwide.

This "movie" was not screened in advance for critics, which as you know by now, means it's probably awful, unfunny and should have been dumped straight-to-DVD.

So, we aren't going to send a critic to some desolate mall megaplex to see what the "filmmakers" behind Epic Movie and Date Movie plan to inflict on us now. Even at a pitiful 84 minutes long, it's simply not worth the effort.

We're just going to give this "parody" of 300—and a bunch of other movies that don't have anything to do with each other—an F and save everyone a load of trouble. Have you seen it? Post a review. Really. Go ahead. We're not going to.

By: Josh Friedman

Cloverfield

2008-01-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

Godzilla Thrills on a Bambi Budget

Cloverfield's cost-conscious formula proves that by dispensing with overpriced stars, Hollywood can make a popular thriller that doesn't break the bank

by Ron Grover

It sure looked like one of Hollywood's big-budget, blockbuster send-offs. Inside the gates of Paramount, a 12-foot tall faux Statue of Liberty loomed—its head lopped off much as it is in the studio's latest horror movie, Cloverfield. A commercial for the movie, due in theaters Jan. 18, aired on the top-rated American Idol season premiere.

But that's where the big-budget similarities end: Cloverfield, as fierce a New York-stomping monster movie as you will ever see, may also be Exhibit A in how a Hollywood that loves its $100 million action films can learn to mend its overspending ways.

Who Needs Star Power?

Cloverfield, according to Hollywood buzz, was made for just north of $30 million. Given Hollywood accounting, which is famous for loading on costs where you least expect to find them, the film more likely set Paramount back $40, maybe even $50 million. But that's still peanuts compared to, say, the Will Smith film I Am Legend, which easily dinged Warner Bros.' coffers by $150 million to create its own version of New York destruction. I'm not sure that Cloverfield will ever sell more than $220 million in tickets, as Legend has, but I'm willing to bet that when it comes time to determine profitability, the Paramount flick may just give Will Smith and his rabid zombies a run for their money.

So how do you produce a film that stars a six-story, tail-slashing monster for less than $50 million, while throwing in crumbling bridges, collapsing skyscrapers, and even some fierce man-eating insects the size of large dogs? Well, you start with the fact that there isn't a brand-name actor in the young, good-looking crew. By contrast, Will Smith got $20 million and a big piece of the profits for I Am Legend.

When producer J.J. Abrams, the mastermind behind the TV show Lost, decided to make a low-budget monster flick, he went with a bunch of unknowns who no doubt were happy to get a steady paycheck. The star? Michael Stahl-David got his first professional acting gig two years back in a small role on Broadway in The Diary of Anne Frank and he had another small role in the quickly canceled NBC series The Black Donnellys.

An American Godzilla

Cloverfield is clearly an homage to the cheesy look of the Godzilla films. Abrams says he decided to make the film while on a publicity trip to Japan with his son to promote Mission Impossible III, which Abrams directed. Abrams figured what America needed was its own Godzilla, he says. Moreover, he decided to make the movie from the vantage point of the folks being squished. The result is a film made to resemble the herky-jerky style of a camcorder. Forget the monumental, sweeping shots. The up-close and personal style makes the special effects doubly jarring. When the monster's tail snaps through the air, it whips right past your eye. When the monster's tail smashes the Brooklyn Bridge, it rumbles through your stomach. And when the Statute of Liberty's head comes hurtling down a Lower Manhattan street, you all but jump out of its way.

Abrams and director Matt Reeves, his longtime buddy and collaborator, used high-end special effects houses to create the reptilian monster. But to save money, you mostly get quick glimpses of the monster—a head here, a tail there—and a ton of horrified folks stumbling through New York streets as things rumble around them. (O.K., so Reeves says there is "something scary about things you don't see.")

Borrowing from The Blair Witch Project

Where Cloverfield's real hit-in-the-making genius shines is in its marketing campaign, which was brilliantly designed to build suspense by giving audiences just a hint of what it was about. There was one big Cloverfield sighting—a theatrical trailer that ran right before screenings of Paramount's Spielberg-produced blockbuster, Transformers. But the trailer was more teaser than commercial and didn't even show the film's title. Pretty soon, the studio was leaking snippets of their flick to online sites, much as Artisan Entertainment did in 1999 with a low-budget horror film called The Blair Witch Project. That film, which pioneered a new, camcorder verité style, was made for $350,000 or so and went on to gross $140 million.

Abrams describes Cloverfield as "a Cameron Crowe movie meets Godzilla meets The Blair Witch Project." I'm not going to tell you that Cloverfield will have anywhere near the profitability of The Blair Witch Project. Few films have. And with its share of stomach-wrenching bloodiness, Cloverfield may not be a date movie. But it does show what Hollywood can do when it puts its mind to watching its pennies instead of signing stars. And other studios can do it as well when they put their minds to it. Last year, Warner Bros. (TWX) turned a nifty profit with its computer-generated action flick 300, which it made for $65 million and sent off to a $211 million U.S. box office. Again: no stars, just plenty of computer-generated backdrops.

It all depends on how you measure success. I'm figuring Paramount may not have a $200 million box office on their hands. (If they thought it would be bigger, they wouldn't have released it in January.) But Abrams and friends have created a film that is a raucous, head-rattling thrill ride of a flick. And they did it for less than what Will Smith will report to the IRS for his role in I Am Legend.

Hellboy II

2008-01-16T12:04:00.000-08:00

Reportedly turning down I Am Legend, Halo, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince leads us to believe Guillermo del Toro has got some pretty strong and fanciful plans for Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Need to be convinced further? Check out the Golden Army trailer, an exclusive glimpse on the elves, big guns, and superhero-on-superhero relationships coming to theaters this July.

Click for the trailer!

Whatever a studio doesn't kill can only make it stronger, right? Once Sony put the Hellboy movie rights on the auction block, Universal snapped them up with the quickness and del Toro looks to be happy with his new workspace. Ron Perlman reprises his role as Hellboy, along with Selma Blair as girlfriend/partner in heroism, Liz Sherman. Together, they make up part of a paranormal investigative bureau, this time combating a renegade elf vying for Earth domination. The trailer confirms creator Mike Mignola's claim that Hellboy II eschews the 2004 original's pulp overtones for a more fantastical story. The horde of critters and baroque artifact designs give some scenes a sleek Pan's Labyrinth-esque bent.

Click here for the trailer! Hellboy II: The Golden Army rises into theaters July 11, 2008.

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Justice League

2008-01-10T12:46:00.000-08:00

Justice League Assembles, But Beyond Smallville?
Posted By: Jerrica / Source
Filed Under : Comics , Television ,

The next episode of "Smallville" seems primed to bring the Justice League to TV, and this is something fans like myself have not only been predicting but eagerly awaiting. A preview played following last week’s "Smallville" episode, "Subterranean," for the next new hour, kicking off a two-episode extravaganza for the New Year with "Hydro" set to air on The CW on Thursday, January 11th and "Justice" set for the following Thursday, the 18th. The teaser was just the kind of stuff that gets a fan’s pulse racing and taps into the fan dream with one of those things you always wanted to see on the show but never thought you would.

In the return of epic proportions, "Hydro" features Lois delving deep into the question of Green Arrow’s identity. Then, it all leads into the next week with "Justice" where Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) seemingly has assembled an army of mutants, and who better to take them on than the JLA. That’s right, all the members of the team that have appeared in full to date in one episode; The Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and even Cyborg gets to join in to fight the good fight. Martian Manhunter will not be back for these two episodes. And now a quick warning that the following is a spoiler; Kryptonsite.com reports that Martian Manhunter will be back for the episode after "Justice" entitled "Labyrinth."

In "Justice," Kyle Gallner, Alan Ritchson, Justin Hartley, and Lee Thompson Young will all be reprising the roles as a few of DC’s most elite superheroes. The combined preview for the first two episodes of 2007 finishes with Bart Allen, Oliver Queen, Clark Kent, Arthur Curry, and Victor Jones marching together, ready for battle. It’s a real rush to see. Just when you thought the show couldn’t top some of its best moments, "Smallville" may outdo itself yet. But, this supercharged imagery brings the inevitable question to mind; are they considering a series? Because for many who have been disappointed by things like the failed "Justice League of America" TV pilot of 1997 and the sunken pilot of "Aquaman" last year, this is just too exciting to contain within the realm of "Smallville."

The Hobbit

2008-01-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson; Harry Sloan, Chairman and CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of New Line Cinema have jointly announced that they have entered into the following series of agreements:

- MGM and New Line will co-finance and co-distribute two films, The Hobbit and a sequel to The Hobbit. New Line will distribute in North America and MGM will distribute internationally.

- Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as Executive Producers of two films based on The Hobbit. New Line will manage the production of the films, which will be shot simultaneously.

- Peter Jackson and New Line have settled all litigation relating to the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) Trilogy.

Said Peter Jackson, "I'm very pleased that we've been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line. The Lord of the Rings is a legacy we proudly share with Bob and Michael, and together, we share that legacy with millions of loyal fans all over the world. We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth. I also want to thank Harry Sloan and our new friends at MGM for helping us find the common ground necessary to continue that journey."

"Peter Jackson has proven himself as the filmmaker who can bring the extraordinary imagination of Tolkien to life and we full heartedly agree with the fans worldwide who know he should be making The Hobbit," said Sloan, MGM's Chairman and CEO. "Now that we are all in agreement on The Hobbit, we can focus on assembling the production team that will capture this phenomenal tale on film."

Bob Shaye, New Line Co-Chairman and Co-CEO comments, "We are very pleased we have been able to resolve our differences, and that Peter and Fran will be actively and creatively involved with The Hobbit movies. We know they will bring the same passion, care and talent to these films that they so ably accomplished with The Lord of the Rings Trilogy."

The two Hobbit films -- The Hobbit and its sequel -- are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, with pre-production beginning as soon as possible. Principal photography is tentatively set for a 2009 start, with the intention of The Hobbit release slated for 2010 and its sequel the following year, in 2011.

The Oscar-winning, critically-acclaimed LOTR Trilogy grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide at the box-office. In 2003, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of The King swept the Academy Awards, winning all of the eleven categories in which it was nominated, including Best Picture -- the first ever Best Picture win for a fantasy film. The Trilogy's production was also unprecedented at the time.

Plot Summary:

The sequel to ''Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' follows the continuing quest of Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship that has joined together to destroy the One Ring and stand against the leader of the dark lord Sauron. The fellowship has divided and now find themselves taking different paths to defeating Sauron and his allies. Their destinies now lie at two towers: Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupted wizard Saruman waits, and Sauron�s fortress at Barad-dur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor.

27 Dresses

2008-01-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

A single woman is tired of always being the bridesmaid at her friends' weddings. This time, she sets off to find her own Mr. Right.

I want to say flat out I LOVED LOVED LOVED this movie. I went to see this movie at a sneak preview and was really excited because I've always liked James Marsden and I think Katherine Heigl is fun. So I was expecting to be entertained like I am with most chick flick. I did not expect a well written script with moments that made me laugh, almost cry, and actually feel something for these characters.
I can't wait to buy it on DVD. It was NOT what I thought it'd be. I was in the mood for a cheesy romantic comedy and what I got was a hysterically funny non-Judd Apatow written and directed comedy. Couples older and younger and even single people (coughs at self) were laughing so hard we were crying. It is a perfect Valentine's date movie but I'm glad they had a sneak preview of it.
James Marsden does a fantastic job in his first real male lead. I expect his Hollywood status to go up because of this movie.

James Marsden is definitely hot and made a great Cyclops but in this movie he's definitely the leading man you want to see constantly. I enjoyed the movie a lot and (under breath) even Katherine's performance. I'd say acting wise Katherine is definitely the next Julia Roberts.
His comedic timing is perfect. Katherine Heigl shows that Knocked Up wasn't a fluke and that she can be the star of the comedy. Judy Grier is quick and witty as always. The only downside to this movie is Malin Akerman who seems to make the same face and say her lines the same every time she talks, however her character was supposed to be annoying so it could be forgiven. This was so much more than your average chick flick. I suggest it to anyone who even has remote interest. If you were planning on renting it, go see it instead. You won't want to wait. It's hilarious, it's touching, and it's GREAT!

There Will Be Blood

2007-12-28T11:44:00.000-08:00

There Will Be Blood was written for the screen and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. This is without a doubt his best movie to date and right on my top movies of all time list. PT Anderson delivers perhaps his best work with "There Will Be Blood". Unlike "Magnolia", the film's daunting runtime is not very daunting whilst watching it. All acting in the film was solid, even the work of the child actors. Daniel Day-Lewis in particular delivered a truly phenomenal performance, capturing the power of greed, fear, insanity, and comedy simultaneously, at many points throughout the film. At no point does the time period distract from the power of the film. Sometimes period pieces cannot be appreciated because they delve too deep into historical details -- turning the experience into more of a documentary than a narrative set in the past. This is not the case for "There Will Be Blood", as human interactions are the focus of the film. Johnny Greenwood's chilling score is very strong, benefiting from the elegant minimalism that he show's in the band Radiohead.
Daniel Plainview(Daniel Day-Lewis) is a silver miner who strikes it rich after discovering oil underground. He gets a tip-off that there is an impoverished town out West has tons of oil underground. When Daniel goes there with his son(Dillon Freasier), he meets a young Christian preacher(Paul Dano) and his family who own the land where Daniel wants to drill. Soon Daniel stops at nothing to get what he wants, and is struck by insanity, envy, greed and vengeance in the process. Will this picture go on to win Best Picture? It absolutely has every right to, however I feel that this movie is a bit ahead of current trends in modern cinema, and will sadly go unnoticed for that particular Oscar. I'm certain that this film will garner many accolades in the independent and film festival scenes. All in all, this is truly a perfectly crafted film. The movie contains flawless cinematography and art direction. It is a beautiful movie to look at. It has very poignant dialogue and even though it is a 160 minute long movie, it certainly didn't feel like one. I didn't want the film to end. Paul Thomas Anderson did a great job here and definitely should get an Oscar Nomination for his work. Nevertheless, the movie belongs to Daniel Day-Lewis. He is in every scene of this movie and he simply doesn't act, but becomes Plainview. He gives without a doubt one of the greatest performances in cinematic history. It's not even a question as to whether he should get the Oscar this year. The Academy doesn't base it on talent though so we'll have to see.

Paul Thomas Anderson (dir.)
Daniel Day-Lewis
Paul Dano
Ciaran Hinds
Kevin J. O’Connor
Dillon Freasier

Atonement

2007-12-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

I thought that "Atonement" was terrific. It is a really great movie. Obviously it is early days yet, and there are a lot of contenders still to appear, but "Atonement" might just be the winner-in-waiting of the Best Film Oscar in 2008. Put your money on it now. The superb Ian McEwan book translated into cold beautiful images by the startling Joe Wright and scriptwriter Christopher Hampton. The result is a series of powerful rushes and abrupt stops. A pacing that, perhaps, is a bit too self conscious for its own good doesn't help us to connect the emotional dots. I had the feeling I had lost something in the love story of the protagonists - something that didn't happen to me reading the book. By the time the "injustice" takes place I was taken by the pain of the injustice but not by Knightley and McAvoy's liaison. Their love story is left to its own devices. The beauty of the images is overwhelming and the assuredness of Joe Wright at his second feature after the, much better, "Pride and Prejudice" keeps you going. The score tends to be monotonous and irritating but in spite of all that I intend to see "Atonement" again and I would recommend it with just the above mentioned reservations.
"Atonement" is pure poetry on film. From the hazy, dreamy, hopeful days of 1935, a destructive act of spite, the horrors of Dunkirk (with one of the most fantastic long takes I have seen in a cinema for a very long), to the aftermath and a devastating "happy" ending, it is a magnificent and moving film, beautifully directed by Joe Wright.

I went to see the movie last night and were totally blown away by the whole experience. So brilliantly directed and acted. The movie time just flew by and we were drawn in and captivated by each dramatic moment. Never having read the book or been an expert on WW2, I had a truly open mind on what to expect and I'm not one of those who count every rivet or go looking for technical inaccuracies however small. This was truly a masterpiece of cinematography. We were treated to wonderful performances, lavish sets, shocking and thought-provoking moments and haunting themes. I had the privilege of being an extra in the Redcar, Dunkirk scene and once seen in its full glory and effect on the big screen I was simply in awe and glad to have been a part of it. Walking along Redcar beach from now on will never quite be the same again. I am quite sure that the movie will win a number of awards within the next 12 months, but that is not what really matters. Movies are there to entertain, tell a story and affect you emotionally and by God this did it in spades! If you have not seen it yet, you must!

I have never really rated Keira Knightley or understood her popularity. Except for her role in "Pride & Prejudice" (for which she was perfectly cast) I have tended to refer to her as Girl-Who-Would-Be-Winslet, as I thought that she had not played a single role that Kate Winslet could not have done better. Maybe I won't say that anymore. "Atonement" is easily the best thing Keira Knightley has done.

Keira Knightley has had a lot of the press over here, but we should not forget to mention the pitch perfect performances from James McAvoy and Romola Garai. They share as much screen time as La Knightley and are as impressive.

Wonderful film.

Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie (James McAvoy) are so young and beautiful and in love that you'll want to gag. Fortunately—for the drama, at least—their romance is blown apart by World War II and a bombshell dropped by Cecilia's younger sister. Love is a battlefield, but this gorgeous tragedy proves victorious.

National Treasure

2007-12-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

I will keep it short and simple. Just watched it and it is worth it. Not much of details as you would expect out of a great movie, not much of substance in the movie itself however the acting and the pace of the movie is so beautiful you wont think of the flaws in the intricate plans they carry out in the movie. Shortly, the movie is great to me! Great acting, good plot, great actions, with some suspense parts, and wonderful locations and sets! Honestly I don't really know how to write this comment but I will say "Go watch it and judge it yourself". It is a great movie and even better than the first one! Go watch it and I will be glad if you like it like I do! Cannot wait to see it again! BEWARE! Contains some kisses, some mild actions violence and one people got shot at the head.

The subtle comedy is really nice and they have kept the first movie in consideration and have not brought many new characters. It is not a movie that you would think a lot about after you come out of the hall, however you will not think anything else either while the movie is going on. I will give it 7 for the sheer value of entertainment and nothing else and of course the one liners that keep popping up which actually make you laugh.

Bring everyone to go watch it and have fun at the movie! And don't expect too much! If you like the first one, you will surely like this one too!

I like it! And yes, the movie did get me confused in the beginning but as the movie proceeds, I felt better and better until the end!

The ending/climax at the end was the best part besides the big car chase sequence in the movie. Just love it! But it seems a bit too fast at the time they find the treasure but that's okay, still.

It is really suitable for the whole family and I hope it will do very well in the box office. This movie deserves it!

I also hope the sequel will be made!

As for the spoilers, I will not give away too much because I don't want to spoil you so badly. But none of the three main characters die in the end, but one person die but I will not state who! Go watch it and have fun!

The movie runs at 1 hour 58 minutes (approx.), I watched it in Malaysia, time at 12:45pm at Golden Screen Cinemas, Mid Valley. The movie opens here today on December 20, 2007.

The Kite Runner

2007-12-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

It was AMAZING. The Kite Runner was beautiful, poignant and very moving. I particularly loved the two child actors in the film as well as the actor portraying the father. It really made me want to go back and read the book again. The release of the movie has been delayed because of concerns about the welfare of the child actors involved.

Regarding the movie, I feel it was masterfully done. It had as much impact on me, I think, as Stanley Kubrik's A Clockwork Orange, even though it is much less graphic - MUCH less. There is no comparison between the horrendous, shocking violence and rape shown in A Clockwork Orange and the small amount of violence actually shown in Kite Runner; only the subject matter and the implications for the human psyche are comparable. (I have written more details about the violence and child rape and how it was handled on my MySpace blog.) My overall impression was that this film was fantastic; one of the best-made films I have seen. The depiction of the Afghani boys flying their kites captured some of the beauty and grace of an art form unknown to most of the world. The subject matter is intensely serious, and the movie carries the emotions of the audience into that subject matter without many jarring "Hollywood touches" which have ruined other movies. Although the overturned cart of pomegranates was an obvious bit of symbolism (to me). The music was a wonderful part of the fabric of the movie. If there is a soundtrack coming out for the film, I will buy it to accompany my second reading of the book. It is also a visually stunning film. The cinematography was gorgeous and really added to experience.

I must mention the excellence of the sound track. The recitation by the boy of poetry by Rumi as two main characters are fleeing the country during the Russian invasion - under terrifying circumstances - truly showed the power of those poems. I urge anyone watching to disregard the subtitles in that scene to the extent that you can, and just listen to the beauty of the language. I don't even know what language Amir is quoting, whether his normal Dari Persian dialect is the same as Rumi's original Persian dialect. Also, please note the sound heard every time a kite line is cut. I found it a profound, distinctive sound, though the librarians who were with me did not notice it at all. I can't help but wonder if kites actually make a sound like that when they are "cut", or if it gives a sense of the vibration/sound experienced by the kite flyer during competition.

Juno

2007-12-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

Last night, I finally got to see Juno, which I had been looking forward to for many months, as I am a big fan of Michael Cera. Now I realize just how much of an amazing actress Ellen Page is! I still need to see Hard Candy, even though I know the character will be so different, but she really blew me away. Her lines alone carried enough of the dry, sardonic flavor of the film to temper the perfect amount of winsome sweetness, which is present mostly in the last third of the movie. The character of Juno's father is also a standout, and a totally realistic portrayal of how a loving father would react to the situation. The final couple of scenes are incredibly affective, as well, and had more than just me shedding a few tears. I can't wait to see it again!

"Juno" is funny (nearly every single line of dialogue is written to elicit laughter), directed with at just as sure a hand as "Thank You For Smoking".. possibly surer.. and acted gamely by the whole cast -- especially Olvia Thirlby and J.K. Simmons as the title character's galpal and understanding dad. The script, by Diablo Cody, is rich with one-liners; anyone who's read Candy Girl (which is unbelievably intelligent and funny; her description of Shania Twain, especially, had me rolling) will kind of know what to expect.

This is without a doubt Ellen Page's show. She's in almost every scene, and I couldn't spot an instance when she made a bad decision or timed a delivery anything but dead-on. During a funky, kick azz opening title sequence, Juno is on her way to the pharmacy. "I just drank my weight in Sunny D, and gotta go, pronto!" It's time for another pregnancy test, because the last result looked more like a division symbol than a plus sign. New stick: same plus.

The father's a guy Juno had sex with once upon a time, who also happens to be her best friend, Paulie Bleeker (a non-affected, quite bland Michael Cera). She decides to give it up for adoption, being 16 and all, which Paulie supports -- as do Juno's father and step-mom -- and the rest of the film is about her selection of adoptive parents.

Pretty straightforward storytelling, but with an ear for quirky, hip dialogue. If the spoken words were any more "cool", or the actors speaking them did so with any less suave, my gag reflex might have taken over. The AFF audience I saw it with, last Sunday, couldn't get enough from the second Juno tells a dog to shut up, through lines comparing babies to iPods and Alison Janney going off on a physician.

There's good stuff, here. And even though it never really swept me off my feet, the film is consistently humorous and, in one scene near the end, somewhat heartbreaking.

Teeth Movie

2007-12-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

I loved this movie! It was easily one of the most enjoyable ones I saw at Sundance. I saw it at the Eccles and the crowd seemed to go wild for it. There are some painful moments, and I figure now men have an idea of how uncomfortable an annual exam can be for us women. It's graphic but absolutely funny. The guy next to me said it should be mandatory viewing for middle school kids to keep them from having sex. The Suggestion is somewhat funny but worthwhile listening as we both knock off our bonkers laughing.

I just got back from the Sundance Film Festival where I saw the premier of "Teeth" – a disturbing horror / black comedy written and directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein. This move was a spectacular mix of horror, comedy, and disturbing special effects which is a must see movie for all horror buffs.

My favorite aspect of Sundance, apart from the Britney or Paris sightings are the independent horror movies. Every year I am pleased with the offerings – Blair Witch was entertaining (though over hyped by the time it was released); Wai Keung Lau's "The Park," was a blast, Neil Marshall's "The Descent" was horror at its best, and now Lichtenstein's "Teeth" was a bloody trip, which, because the vast majority of theater owners are male, I am not sure will see the wide release it deserves.

The movie involves a high school girl named Dawn, played convincingly by Jess Weixler. Dawn possesses the condition called Vagina dentata. The condition exacts sweet, painful justice on the abusive men she encounters. Through the use of tense music, convincing acting, and prosthetic special effects real enough to make all of the men in the audience groan, the result is a horror comedy of top-notch caliber.

It was fun and gross and even had a theme about taking charge of your own body and the choices that you make.

It so rocked!

I recommend it to everyone with a good sense of humor and a strong stomach.

August Rush

2007-12-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

This was one absolutely brilliant movie. I just saw it at the special premiere to the Grammy Recording Academy members at the Warner Brother's studios in Burbank. It's an absolutely amazing story with a brilliant cast and a soundtrack that will blow you away. Apparently, both Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell,Jonathan Rhys Meyers learned most of the songs and played/sang them themselves, which is very impressive once you see the movie. John from five for fighting wrote a few songs on the soundtrack as well. Music is the common thread that keeps the entire movie together and completes it into the masterpiece of a movie that it is. Although at times, there may seem like there are gaps in the story line/character development, the point of this is that the music is what communicates those hidden details of the movie. Overall, this film is a masterpiece that should be cherished by music-lovers everywhere.

Some movie reviewers just don't get it. One calls August Rush, "…a piece of shameless hokum..."; another calls it "…the sort of movie that requires you not only to suspend disbelief, but to check your sanity at the ticket counter." That same reviewer said the movie Babel was a "towering dramatic achievement"; I thought it was lumbering and tedious with scenes arguably pedophilic. As one Yahoo user said about it, "Please let's not confuse art with ego…the sensationalism of seeing the naked girl or the masturbating boy was only necessary to compensate…THERE IS NO STORY HERE." How often do we see reviewers totally out of touch with the opinions of the movie-going public? Back to August Rush. This movie went right over many critics' heads. I believe these are the elements they least understood: August Rush is a story of hope that teaches hope, determination, perseverance, and to never give up on your dream. It gracefully defines the benefits of listening. It takes us to another realm where we can witness there is more to us than our mortal bodies, brains, and intellects. Aha! It teaches things of the spirit, things unseen, things beyond our human understanding, and it does so through a child who is full of joy when there seems to be no reason for him to have any! But, he is a prodigy with a talent kindling in him and he can do things for which there is no logical reason.

Numerous other marvelous instances of a "miraculous" vein have occurred in my own family's life's experiences. I submit to you, why do the Stephen Kings et all who present almost exclusively the darkside have the corner on the supernatural market? It's okay by today's standards to have the bejeebers scared out of us by the macabre, but to be encouraged by the extraordinary powers of our Creator? Why, that's just "shameless hokum." Do you know that each and every one of us has glorious potential within us if we'd just listen to the still small voice within? And that ain't "hokum," folks! My heart truly goes out to those people who are of such a cynical, worldly nature that they cannot set aside their cerebral traits long enough to fathom the positive spiritual potentials of God.

Golden Compass

2007-12-05T11:46:00.001-08:00

I am about two thirds of the way through the book when I decided to watch the limited engagement sneak preview of The Golden Compass in theaters. I feel that the film exceeded my expectations regardless of the structure change made by the film adaptation. I was expecting the worse but a good one showed.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into, as there seems to be a rather large glut of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings wannabes crowding theaters now and in the near future. This version of the Golden Compass beautifully brings the books to life and was very pleasing to watch with rather nice visuals.

The story was changed moderately, but not too much to take away from the mood of the book, and was in no way detrimental to the flow of the story. Otherwise, this movie was a roller-coaster ride from beginning to end! The effects exceeded my expectations and were just plain amazing. The flow of the daemons in the film was almost completely convincing, however there were times when the speech of the animals had that typical 'computer animated falseness' that you see in the CGI cartoons. Other than some minor CGI blemishes, the realism is some of the most convincing I have seen! The polar bear is completely lifelike and the animal morphing I felt was simply spectacular and a site to behold.

The acting is quite good, especially from the young lead, and the animation makes one wonder what they can't do with computers these days. The only true complaint I have about this movie is that it is difficult to understand and follow if one is not familiar with the books. Some scenes at the beginning seems disconnected, but after the halfway point the story comes together. The Golden Compass series is rather dark in its nature, and I'm glad that the movie didn't pull any punches with the supernatural combat (which is awesome, specifically when the witches and bears do battle). Some liberty is taken with the story as expected, and many church references are renamed, but the quality of the story never suffers. I recommend the movie and I look forward to seeing the rest of the trilogy completed.

The flow of the film is very fast, which is a negative and a positive. While it really leaves us guessing or feeling unfulfilled in some of the crucial story elements, it also sets the pace for an exhilarating fast-paced adventure story that keeps you on the edge! The broad range of characters prevents the film from truly developing the characters that we really WANT to know. Since the book is a 3 part series, hopefully these characters will develop further in the next two films.

I must say that there were several parts in this film that surprised me, considering this is marketed as a family film. This is a dark film. This could frighten some small kids. I feel this film definitely belongs in the pg-13 rating, and might even be a bit much for a 13 year old for the more sheltering type parents. Not only can it be conceived as very violent, there are some very adult themes that could be considered questionable.

Overall, this is a film I would like to see again, and I am DYING to see the next film in the series. I walked out of this film excited, satisfied and wanting more. Might want to leave the young ones at home, but you won't regretting fighting for front row seats on a Friday Night.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

2007-12-03T12:54:00.000-08:00

With little known plot, the story of when The Chipmunks get adopted by human Dave Seville (Jason Lee) and how they formed a musical group.

Alvin and the Chipmunks is an upcoming live-action/computer-animated film, based on the popular musical group the Chipmunks (and, in several ways, the animated series Alvin and the Chipmunks). It is being directed by Tim Hill and being produced by New Regency Productions and 20th Century Fox. It is currently scheduled for theatrical release on December 14, 2007. It is rated PG for some mild rude humor which is barely evident in the old cartoons.
No matter how often we berate you for your bad musical taste, whenever we post some piece of crap soundtrack (this one, this one) and a few others, you people of the internet (or you google users anyhow) seem to flock to them which makes us just want to throw up our hands in the air and quit (kidding, we love all you) living.

Anyhow, there's this 'Alvin & The Chipmunks' animated movie nightmare and (was part of our These Holiday Season Films Make Us Want To Wretch preview) and it's got those Christmas time songs in it that you'll remember from when you were a kid, and if voices of helium induced males turned into chipmunks ain't having a high marketting value, then you're wrong. Just be thankful we didn't post the updated modern rock version. That's cringeworthy like you don't even wanna know. So far no good when I saw the previews and the trailers. Eating poop is supposed to be funny??? Whatever, this is a shameless google bid, let's face it.

As much as I hated the bizarre hip-hop version of the Chipmunks from the poster, this hardcore lesbian version is a far, far more terrifying alternative.

Look at the chipmunks poster everywhere to see how their 'Disco Chipmunks' version somehow ended up a confusing amalgam of Saturday Night Fever, pregnancy, and pubic hair.

I am Legend

2007-11-29T11:14:00.000-08:00

Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable, fast spreading...and manmade. Somehow immune to the virus, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City...and maybe the rest of the world. But he is not alone. He is surrounded by "the Infected" victims of the plague who have mutated into carnivorous beings who can only live through in the dark and who will devour or infect anyone or anything in their path. Sounds like a very enticing plot isn't it?

“I am Legend” stars Will Smith as the last man on Earth — well, except for the vampires or mutated humans that is — and is directed by Francis Lawrence. It opens December 14th, 2007.

I Am Legend is an upcoming 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film starring Will Smith. The film is based on Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name. Somehow immune to it all, Robert Neville (Will Smith), a brilliant scientist, is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and maybe the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. The Infected, mutant victims of the plague, are watching him.

Something is wrong with the ending of Will Smith’s upcoming “I am Legend”, the latest movie adaptation of Richard Matheson’s novel of the same name. Or at least, something is “wrong” according to the studio that produced the movie, because they have just finished reshoots on the film. Of course, no one knows if the reshoots had anything to do with the ending at all. It’s widely known, and I think you can figure it out from the trailers, that the 2007 version of “I am Legend” is barely faithful to Matheson’s book, so one would expect the ending would also be different. The book’s ending was very, shall we say, non-audience friendly, and what kind of a Big Budget Will Smith movie would this be if the ending was non-audience friendly?

I have confirmed that there were reshoots on the movie as late as last week. What’s not confirmed is what has been reshot. My source tells me that the ending was redone, as the studio wasn’t happy with the finale that director Francis Lawrence had. Since I know that Lawrence’s ending was already unfaithful to Richard Matheson’s original story, I can only imagine that the new ending is more action packed and even more upbeat than before.

Okay, here’s where I’m going to depart a bit, and tell you that I kinda don’t want the original ending ala Matheson’s book. I’m sorry, but this is a Big Budget, Special Effects-driven Event film, and I just don’t want to sit through all the eye candy only to have a downbeat as hell ending.

So sue me, but I hope they change the ending to something more upbeat so I can enjoy the film even more.

I'm Not There

2007-11-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

The Film "I'm Not there" is by far the most important, exhilarating, profound, and exciting film of the year, if not the decade for me in my own opinion. A biopic that captures the essence of an equally important, exhilarating and profound man by showing the different personas throughout his life through seven different fictionalized characters. Todd Haynes has crafted the quintessential biopic, a vision of a musician, a storyteller, and a prophet, applauded and ousted throughout his lifetime by the public and the media.

If there was ever any question of Haynes being a true film director, he has solidified his title as director and also as one of the most talented American filmmakers today. "I'm no there" isn't the type of film that will appeal to the mass audience thats the sad part. It's an artistic vision, and will find the most interest with the indie crowd and Bob Dylan fans and a few fanatics here and there.

None of the fictional characters have the name Bob Dylan; "Bob Dylan" isn't mentioned once in the film but you will know it's talking about him. The film is basically seven different short films intertwined, each one representing a different phase of Dylan's life.

Richard Gere plays Billy the Kid, showing an older Bob Dylan, the Dylan of today and he did very well. This segment is set against the backdrop of the American West. The papers report that Pat Garrett shot and killed Billy the Kid. However he's still alive. The myth, and the press and public's perception, is wrong. This is used as a metaphor for Dylan's entire life.

In the Cate Blanchett sequence, we continually see the theme of how the public has certain perceptions of Dylan. A reporter continually shows up questioning these perceptions, and drilling Dylan on whether he still cares, if his changing music is still addressing the issues "it used to." This is a sad notion of Dylan's life.

The title has a lot to say about the man. After awhile, anyone in the public eye is no longer there; they're only the perception of what people have of them.

This is a true masterpiece, and a big credit goes to Co-writer/Director Todd Haynes, and his longtime producer Christine Vachon, who continually produces noteworthy films.

The Chrismast

2007-11-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big moviegoer and I watched a few films in my arsenal, but I do know that this movie was too full of drama to be reasonably resolved within a 2-hour viewing. Maybe it would have made a better novel, I don't know??? The only plot that seemed to actually play through was the husband-wife scenario, but even that was rushed (though it was resolved with great humor) and kinda hasten. The movie also didn't "warm my heart" in the traditional sense of a holiday movie and the feeling good feeling wasn't there. I was left wondering what the true message was supposed to be??? I thought this was a movie for the teens or kids or even maybe to the kids at heart but I was disappointed. I knew it was rated PG-13, but I'm convinced now more than ever that the range of PG-13 is far too wide and kids may find themselves wondering what's going on the screen.

The movie trailers made it look like this would be a family movie. Well, it was ABOUT family - but it definitely not FOR the entire family. Specifically, I was disappointed in the way the family "ideal" was portrayed. In the words of my grandmother, there was too much "shackin' up" in this movie - in fact (the viewer learns in the first few minutes of the movie), the wise, God-fearing matriarch has a live-in boyfriend who happens to be a deacon in the church.

Needless to say, two of the matriarchs apples don't fall far from the tree. And since when to do one-night-stands lead to true love??? I know that this movie was not marketed as a moral movie per se, but the matriarch and live-in patriarch sure did talk a LOT of Christian talk to be living with each other and leanin' on the Lord for deliverance from their family problems.

I realize that this is life - people do what they want to do. I'm just saying: don't try to do the Tyler Perry thing (add a spiritual connection) at the same time you're trying to do the Zane thing (everybody-get-their-freak-on). Just let it be one or the other, and don't sell us out with a teen-magnet like Chris brown if you're going the Zane route (and DON'T try to hide it under the "holiday film" radar)! I do hope that the film-makers remember: when you put Chris Brown into a film, you're going to attract a lot of young, impressionable girls. Be mindful of the message you're sending. I do try to support films that portray African-American families positively and I know how important that first weekend is for a new film. But, next time, I'll have to wait and see what a few of my friends say before viewing similar movies.

The Mist

2007-11-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

I have long observed when it comes to adapting written works of Stephen King to the big screen nobody has enjoyed greater success than Frank Darabont. In 1994 he parlayed King's The Shawshank Redemption into a score of Oscar nominations, and repeated the feat with 1999's The Green Mile. Stephen King has even gone so far as to anoint Frank Darabont as the filmmaker he trusts most to faithfully render his work into movies. As such it should come as no surprise that his visioning of King's 1980 novella The Mist is about as faithful as a movie can be to the source material, but in this case that's not always a good thing.

The Mist is a thrilling film about a town swept over by, well, a mist... and the movie focuses on a supermarket that has roughly a hundred trapped local citizens, along with a few out-of-towners who came along for the ride. Everyone is confused about what is going on, but a few people stick out as they try to pressure their ideas onto others with some authority. Some are petrified of the mist while others believe it's the work of God trying to warn them.

This movie was extremely entertaining. It kept my attention through the entire 2 hours of film. First, there's no "dilly-dallying" and side tracking; the movie starts off right with a storm. The mist slowly forms over the lake by the horizon once the storm settles. The locals run to the supermarket for supplies, but soon upon arrival, the mist swarms to the store and traps them inside. Some try to escape early but are torn away like mice to mice traps. The mist evolves as the movie goes on to these vial creatures that take over everything outside. As days pass, the people become desperate and that's when they try new plans, only leading to more danger and more desperation.

Here are the strong points of this movie. You don't know what is in the mist for a good part of the movie, which lets your imagination take over and let's you wonder more and more. In my opinion, that is much scarier. Another thing is that the mood is set very well: police cars speeding across the supermarket, the bull horn, the rolling of the mist towards the supermarket; the director did a remarkable job in convincing us audiences. The last thing was the psychological warfare amongst the people at the market. A quote from the movie was a reply to someone who asked why drastic measures needed to be taken, and he said "People are civilized, but when you take their possessions and put them into the dark, they will listen to anyone who says they have an answer". This movie isn't just about the mist, it is a metaphor for how trouble or error will only be acknowledged when it occurs in real life. We can be civilized today when everything is normal, but once something happens we are lost and in turmoil. We turn to whomever gives advice or a solution because we are so wrapped up in misery that we will try almost anything to get it back. The Mist is a perfect scenario for this occurrence.

The hitman

2007-11-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

Don't ask me how, but I was lucky enough for the opportunity to see Hit-man in advance and that's me and my connections. When I first heard about this movie being made based on the game character, I was optimistic to say the least and I have heard that vin Diesel will produce and play the part. However, after seeing the movie, I can be the first to say, I was pleasantly surprised not in a negative way but somehow in light. The action is non stop and creative, all the scenes were shot okay. You fall in love and are in awe by the, well, AWESOMESS of 47, he's one hell of a bad ass. The story is above average but not superb and times predictable. However, good acting and great action makes but well for this. Anyways, see this movie, you will love it, especially if you are a fan of the game. And if you do know the game well, you will notice very precise details that are true to the game in the movie, it's just like playing the real thing inside the cinema.

So, everything I've seen so far - trailers, clips, posters, etc - look unbelievably close to scenes in the games. I'm a huge fan of the games and this looks to be a really good adaptation of the series. I'm actually surprised they've taken scenes directly out of the games and, and going so far as to have the game appear in the movie as well as what sounds like the same voice of Diana. And, even though I don't think Olyphant is quite right (he just doesn't quite have the right face for me or, more importantly, the voice of 47), I really think this is shaping up to be a good adaptation of the game and I am excited how well this movie do in the box office. Anyone agree?

p2

2007-11-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

Been awaiting for the release of P2 for quite while now. As a horror fanatic I needed to see this. It was great to hear Alexandre Aja involved. I'm not a fan of High Tension, but think he did a great job on The Hills Have Eyes remake. 2007, in my opinion, has been a great year for Horror - but P2 certainly stands out in the crowd. Suspenseful, Thrilling, Realistic and a lot more...you don't want to miss out on P2.

One of the best thrillers out there, P2 is exciting, entertaining and very, very well done. It's talk about a business woman who is stalked by a psychopath killer after she gets stuck in a parking garage, and she must fight many challenges through the night for survive. This movie is very enjoyable, it's keep you on the edge of your sofa, from the beginning to the end.

Rachel Nichols plays Angela, a dedicated worker who is heading home to her family on Christmas Eve. However, when she gets in the parking garage - her car refuses to start. Pacing up and down the parking levels, she meets a friendly security guard named Thomas (Wes Bentley) who offers kind help. But before Angela knows it, she is knocked unconscious and awakens in Thomas' office, who appears to be fascinated with her and is, in short - mental and psychopath. Angela realizes she has to survive his psychotic ways, his vicious dog and being trapped.

Firstly, the cast do great. There's a small cast and they all do their jobs very well. Rachel Nichols and Wes Bentley both stand out and shine in their performances. Rachel Nichols is great and Wes Bentley's too, they are both very talented and Rachel is very sexy. Wes doing a villain has very real reactions and Rachel (i think) for the first time in a lead role is very charismatic. The script is very good but has it mistakes (of course), it is far from the perfect film, but is not close from the worst. I'm particularly impressed with Nichols as she truly does a great job. It's also great to be seeing Wes take on a role he hasn't done before, which is of the "psycho" in the movie. He does it really well. The characters and their characterization are done really well too. We focus on both characters and get to know them both. Angela is the hard worker who just wants to get home to the family and please everybody, whereas Thomas is this lonely man with a dog in need of some company. You actually feel sorry for him at times.

The plot of the movie is also great, and like I said before - one of the things that attracted me to see P2. I love the fact the movie takes place at Christmas, and it's even got me into the Christmas spirit early! I think the idea of being trapped, alone, in a parking garage is scary enough. But to be trapped with a psychotic man is even scarier, as well as his menacing dog. This movie has tons of thrills and suspenseful chase scenes to keep the viewer on the edge of their seats, and it's entertaining from start to finish. The movie also has some bloody, cringe-worthy scenes which are quite brutal.

I don't have any complaints about the movie, as it's what I expected it to be and more. You know, I'm already hearing bad things said about this film, and it's a shame. I don't know why people are bad mouthing it, as to me - it seems people are just hard to please. Maybe people saw this and expected a gore-fest? I don't know, but I do advise you watch this movie for yourself as it is amazing and one of the best horrors I've seen in 2007.

SouthLand tales

2007-11-15T11:52:00.001-08:00

Having just read the lengthy review of this instantly forgettable movie, one would think "Southland "Tales" is the greatest movie never seen or it seems to be there in the greatest of all time list. Believe me, it's not even close. Far from it, this film probably spends most of its life on the shelf at your local video store, removed sporadically for viewing by some soon-to-be-disappointed film nut, checking it out for to discover what all the hoopla isn't about only to discover that this is no "Donnie Darko". The Failure of a film it is.

The blame for this dismal failure falls on writer-director, Richard Kelly, whose flawed myriad of confusing back stories completely undermines some mildly interesting stuff that he had going on before tanking it. Kelly's ill-conceived story renders "Southland Tales" as nothing more than a disappointing and lengthy "wannabe" of "Donnie Darko" except this is a story that lost me somewhere in the middle. But, unlike "Donnie Darko, "Southland Tales" fails dismally because in the end, one feeling completely cheated, if not, in my case, disgusted.

You can't fault the investors who shelled out hard cash for this project cuz they probably thought Kelly would come through with another gem like "Darko". The fault is Kelly's alone. He really botched this one.

What a waste of time and money. The most mixed up, confusing story that led absolutely nowhere is a good description to save it. It's hard to understand what the producers were thinking when they made this film. I mean, they had to have read the script before investing millions into this project, wouldn't ya think? I read somewhere that there was so much money put into developing this film that they almost had to finish it or lose millions. Well, in my opinion, it was good money after bad. Or maybe bad money after bad. In the end they still came out losing.

On top of everything else, the story was too long. The best word I can use to describe this film is confusing. The actors couldn't possibly have done a good job when they didn't even have a good script to begin with. Richard Kelly who, as good as a job as he did with "Donnie Darko" did just the opposite on this film. This film was about as much fun as a root canal. So, if you're thinking of watching this one, instead, just call your dentist. You'll have a better time. Trust me on that one, you'll have benefits too.

This isn't a movie for most audiences. You won't relate to any characters, and you won't follow or really care about the preposterous plot. It is dark and cynical. And despite it's heavy-handed political story, there is no deep, introspective meaning behind anything whatsoever. This is why many people won't get it, and thus will hate it. It's a dark film with a dash of comedy and a heavy dose of LSD. But there are enough funny moments to save it from feeling like a depressing, bad trip.

No Country for Old Men

2007-11-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

“No Country for Old Men,” adapted by Joel and Ethan Coen from Cormac McCarthy’s novel, is bleak, scary and relentlessly violent. At its center is a figure of evil so calm, so extreme, so implacable that to hear his voice is to feel the temperature in the theater drop.

But while that chilly sensation is a sign of terror, it may equally be a symptom of delight. The specter of Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a deadpan sociopath with a funny haircut, will feed many a nightmare, but the most lasting impression left by this film is likely to be the deep satisfaction that comes from witnessing the nearly perfect execution of a difficult task. “No Country for Old Men” is purgatory for the squeamish and the easily spooked. For formalists — those moviegoers sent into raptures by tight editing, nimble camera work and faultless sound design — it’s pure heaven.

So before I go any further, allow me my moment of bliss at the sheer brilliance of the Coens’ technique. And it is mostly theirs. The editor, Roderick Jaynes, is their longstanding pseudonym. The cinematographer, Roger Deakins, and the composer, Carter Burwell, are collaborators of such long standing that they surely count as part of the nonbiological Coen fraternity. At their best, and for that matter at their less than best, Joel and Ethan Coen, who share writing and directing credit here, combine virtuosic dexterity with mischievous high spirits, as if they were playing Franz Liszt’s most treacherous compositions on dueling banjos. Sometimes their appetite for pastiche overwhelms their more sober storytelling instincts, so it is something of a relief to find nothing especially showy or gimmicky in “No Country.” In the Coen canon it belongs with “Blood Simple,” “Miller’s Crossing” and “Fargo” as a densely woven crime story made more effective by a certain controlled stylistic perversity.

The script follows Mr. McCarthy’s novel almost scene for scene, and what the camera discloses is pretty much what the book describes: a parched, empty landscape; pickup trucks and taciturn men; and lots of killing. But the pacing, the mood and the attention to detail are breathtaking, sometimes literally.

In one scene a man sits in a dark hotel room as his pursuer walks down the corridor outside. You hear the creak of floorboards and the beeping of a transponder, and see the shadows of the hunter’s feet in the sliver of light under the door. The footsteps move away, and the next sound is the faint squeak of the light bulb in the hall being unscrewed. The silence and the slowness awaken your senses and quiet your breathing, as by the simplest cinematic means — Look! Listen! Hush! — your attention is completely and ecstatically absorbed. You won’t believe what happens next, even though you know it’s coming.

By the time this moment arrives, though, you have already been pulled into a seamlessly imagined and self-sufficient reality. The Coens have always used familiar elements of American pop culture and features of particular American landscapes to create elaborate and hermetic worlds. Mr. McCarthy, especially in the western phase of his career, has frequently done the same. The surprise of “No Country for Old Men,” the first literary adaptation these filmmakers have attempted, is how well matched their methods turn out to be with the novelist’s.

Mr. McCarthy’s book, for all its usual high-literary trappings (many philosophical digressions, no quotation marks), is one of his pulpier efforts, as well as one of his funniest. The Coens, seizing on the novel’s genre elements, lower the metaphysical temperature and amplify the material’s dark, rueful humor. It helps that the three lead actors — Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin along with Mr. Bardem — are adept at displaying their natural wit even when their characters find themselves in serious trouble.

The three are locked in a swerving, round-robin chase that takes them through the empty ranges and lonely motels of the West Texas border country in 1980. The three men occupy the screen one at a time, almost never appearing in the frame together, even as their fates become ever more intimately entwined.

Thing is, there's nothing simple about Joel and Ethan Coen's ultraviolent, wise and funny meditation on, like, nature, morality and man. Every shot's loaded with tension and beauty, every line is a great line, every performance is just exactly right. Brolin's regular joe on the run gives the plot plenty of action-picture momentum, while Jones takes his sweet time as a heartbreakingly pure lawman, feeling that he's "outmatched" in this desolate space on the border.

But the movie's soul belongs to Bardem, the most frightening movie villain since Hannibal Lecter, or even old-school Michael Myers. Is he simply a well-armed psychopath out to get his two million dollars back, or is he a ghost, or an angel, or the very force of nature taken human form for the convenience of story and metaphor?

Fred Claus

2007-11-10T08:12:00.000-08:00

Vince Vaughn stars as Santa's unknown, unappreciated brother in what's supposed to be a blend of heartwarming fun with cynical humor. But it's more like a holiday fruitcake: a lot of different chunks of stuff—some bitter, some sweet, some awful—half-baked and sent to people low on the Christmas list.

Repo man Fred Claus (Vaughn) is in need of cash, so he pays a visit to his estranged brother Nick (Paul Giamatti, great even when trapped in a fat suit) at the North Pole. It's a particularly stressful time for Nick, aka Santa Claus, who's facing outsourcing and a snotty efficiency expert, played with delighted malice by Kevin Spacey.

This fairly neat twist on Christmas mythology is, sadly, failed by nearly every level of the execution, leaving us with an uncomfortable mashup of The Wedding Crashers and Miracle on 34th Street. The filmmakers never strike a balance between cold reality and the Magic of Christmas, and much of Fred Claus simply makes no sense: Why should Santa, who drives a magic sleigh, have to answer to a board of directors? How does Fred's girlfriend (Rachel Weisz, criminally wasted in a small role) accept that this regular guy is blood relatives with an immortal elf? And what's Elizabeth Banks doing as Santa's slutty little helper?

Much of the problem is Vince Vaughn himself, as he doesn't bother to play any character other than Vince Vaughn. And he's yet to perfect how to be likable and a jerk at the same time (see Bill Murray in Scrooged), so Fred ends up being a dick—just not too much of one. His repo man is working during the holidays, sure, but only takes stuff from rich people.

Despite a few funny scenes, this attempt to make a PG comedy for the whole family ends up only working sporadically, like tree lights on the fritz.

Lions for Lambs

2007-11-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

Lions for Lambs begins after two determined students at a West Coast University, Arian (Derek Luke) and Ernest (Michael Pena), follow the inspiration of their idealistic professor, Dr. Malley (Robert Redford), and attempt to do something important with their lives.

Hey, you know what we just don't get enough of these days? Long rants about war and politics. Thank God Robert Redford has stepped up with this triple take on the War on Terror. Good performances from Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise are wasted in what's basically a dorm-room debate with a couple of action scenes.

The Bigger Picture: A college professor (Redford) tries to make an apathetic student care about politics while, at that same instant, two of his former students (Derek Luke and Michael Peña) walk into a dangerous mess in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, a TV reporter (Streep) interviews the hotshot senator (Cruise) who created the plan that has put the two soldiers in harm's way.

Got all that? Doesn't matter. These three plotlines turn out to be nothing but high-speed delivery systems for speeches as subtle as a brick to the skull. Redford, Cruise and Streep give good efforts, sure, but these aren't characters—they're blogs.

The senator's plan goes pear-shaped, and Luke and Peña's characters are wounded and cut off from their unit. Cruise uses all his charm and teeth to convince Streep to sell his initiative—and his own shot at the White House—to the American people. Streep is torn, which we're shown, embarrassingly, by her singing lyrics from The Who to her boss. Seriously.

The movie's big dilemma, however, supposedly belongs to Redford's student (Andrew Garfield, not really tall enough for this ride). Redford challenges him to make a difference, and he bitches that he'd rather drink beer and get a sweet job, because the whole system kinda sucks anyway. Then we're asked to believe that this whiny little snot's choice of a major is just as important as the sacrifice of the soldiers.

"Rome is burning," Redford snaps at him. Maybe so, but this movie is barely a plastic bottle of Evian against the flames.

martian child

2007-11-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

Having watch Martian Child, I must say Martian Child is a unique movie that you will not only find emotional but totally very true! The movie is intelligent, funny and loving with some of the finest acting from both John Cusack and Bobby Coleman. It is a mix between Big Daddy and K-Pax but without doubt has more intelligence and emotion than those two movies! Both Cusack and Coleman form a bond that is so strong and loving, you actually shed tears throughout the movie! With John Cusack, I have found great performances and amazing films, as well as movies that left a lot to be desired. This movie was perhaps one of his best films and most satisfying performances since "Say Anything..." in 1989. It is a great film and I am sure that when it is release it will do well at the box office like all of Cusacks movies! Its a feel good piece of art and one of the best of the year! The movie will make you want to hold your children and enjoy life, it has a Disney feel but is so intelligent that you admire the director and the actors.

This film had perfect justification which is on the same standard as "Little Miss Sunshine." The movie hits you hard, makes you think, and just as it's about to make you cry--something outrageously funny happens and you are laughing too hard to even think of crying. Bobby Coleman is perfect in his role--quirky, poignant, and subtly portrays a character that many children would over-act, giving Dennis the credibility and relativity's that he deserves. His performance is reminiscent of Johnny Depp in "Benny and Joon," and this young boy will win just as many hearts. Both leading actors portray their characters perfectly and work so amazingly well together that their performances are seamless. This movie is one of the best I have seen in a long time. It is truly a work of universal mastery.

Director Menno Meyjes
Cast John Cusack
Amanda Peet
Joan Cusack
Sophie Okonedo
Oliver Platt
Bobby Coleman
Release Date November 02, 2007 Studio New Line Cinema

Awakeawake

2007-11-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

Awake

2k7's most awaited psychological thriller

Thriller movies always captivate my attention. This genre has an element that somewhat makes me curious. I think guessing game enters the picture. I believe that thriller movies are one of the most unpredictable ones. Sometimes, I am left wondering what will be the next scene and its consequences that follow.

I think thriller movies really make me awake. Is it a matter of mind exercise or just for curiosity sake? I leave that to my fellow viewers. My take on the matter is that that thriller movies are made for both. I, as a curious person, would tend to use my intellect in perceiving the logical flow of the movie.

This year (2007) the movie Awake is one of the thriller movies released for the general movie viewers. Not only that, Awake is no ordinary thriller movie. Awake is in fact a psychological thriller. This would surely make your mind work, at the same time keep curiosity levels at a high rate.

Written and directed by Joby Harold, the movie stars Hayden Christensen as Clay and Jessica Alba as Sam. Other casts include Lena Olin, Terrence Howard, Christopher McDonald, Pooma Jagannathan, and Steve Hinkle among others. The movie is still in the production stage and the target release date would is between November and December of the aforementioned year.

Awake's plot focused on a young couple, Clay and Sam, that have to settle with future unforeseen problems. The couple's problem was a consequence of Clay's open heart surgery. Upon his operation, he suffered anesthesia awareness. This is the pain felt during any surgery done in the body due to the lacking intake of anesthesia or analgesic dosage.

The problem with anesthesia awareness is the consequences that it can bring to the person. As for the case of Clay, he suffered trauma. Indeed, his open heart surgery was a very depressing experience. Along the way, his wife Sam must make decisions which are life changing. This is a result of the combination of his husband's struggles with the trauma and her ability to handle the unprecented situation.

American Gangsteramerican gangster

2007-11-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

American Gangster

Actually based on true events, Director Riddley Scott, producers Brian Grazer, Steven Zaillian and Oscar winning actors Russel Crowe and Denzel Washington all manage to create a truly dramatic, powerful, top-notched and compelling cop-based gangster movie.

Lot of folks out there think that “American Gangster” is a classic. "American Gangster" has already been compared to major gangster epics like "The Godfather" and "Goodfellas" and is starting to be considered a new American classic itself.

The two leading actors (both Oscar winners) clash like titans and deliver convincing and highly remarkable performances.

The screenplay is very sharp, entertaining, compelling and intelligent. It deals with corruption the way it should, not by making any exaggerated statement, but simply by beautifully telling the tale of Frank Lucas (real life gangster), who rose from the poor to become one of the biggest heroin dealers in USA.

Scott does an excellent job at recreating New York in the early 70's, with the help of great design and costumes, as well as a flawless cinematography and film editing.

A totally engrossing movie from beginning to end. Great performances from Washington and Crowe. I'm guessing it will get Best Picture and at least one, possibly two Oscars for the leading actors.

I've never seen Washington in a dud movie. Crowe, however, is a different story. In both this movie and 3-10 to Yuma his American accent just doesn't cut it.

He first came to light (to me) in Romper Stomper, which no doubt brings him to the attention of the likes of Ridley Scott when casting for similar movies.

I'd have no hesitation recommending this movie to anyone. Even with a length of 2.5 hours the time seemed to whiz by. The accuracy with which the director created the late 60's can't pass without comment. Fantastic !

bee movie

2007-10-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

Bee Movie

As promoted "Bee Movie" is a comedy that will change everything you think you know about bees. Right after graduating from college, a bee by the name of Barry B. Benson finds himself disillusioned with the prospect of having only one career choice – collecting honey. As he ventures outside of the hive for the first time, he decided to break one of the cardinal rules of the bee world and talks to a human, a New Yorker florist named Vanessa. He is shocked to discover that the humans have been stealing and eating the bees' honey for centuries, and ultimately realizes that his true calling in life is to set the world right by suing the human race for stealing their precious honey. This is an ingredient for fun and lasting family flick.

The synopsis given for Bee Movie tells: “Barry B. Benson, a bee who has just graduated from college, is disillusioned at his lone career choice: making honey. On a special trip outside the hive, Barry’s life is saved by Vanessa, a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans actually eat honey, and subsequently decides to sue us.”

Cast : Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, John Goodman, Chris Rock directed by Simon J. Smith
Director : Steve Hickner,Simon J. Smith
Writers: Spike Feresten, Barry Marder,
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Keywords: Multiple Cameos, Scatological Humor , Individualism, Egg, Teamwork
Country: USA
Language: English
Company: DreamWorks Animation
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for mild suggestive humor, and a brief depiction of smoking.
Release Date: 2 November 2007 (USA)

Seinfeld also had a lot of input in Bee Movie. He dreamed up the concept, cowrote the script (with Feresten, among others, hence that TV appearance), produced the movie and voiced Barry B. Benson, the talking winged insect who falls for a human florist who sounds just like Renée Zellweger (thanks to voiceover artist Renée Zellweger).

The A-list Bee Movie—it cost a reported $150 million to make—is Seinfeld's first major Hollywood venture since his TV alter ego ended up in a Massachusetts jail on the last episode of Seinfeld back in 1998 (out on DVD on Nov. 6, by the way, along with the rest of the final season).

According to Jeff Bock, of the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, the film should start Seinfeld's big-screen career right at the top. Bock's predicting a $40 million-plus opening weekend, enough to best Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe's American Gangster, also opening Friday, and kick-start the holiday movie season.

Funny thing is, Bock thinks Seinfeld's swarm of activity probably will help Bee Movie's bottom line "a little bit," but that the movie would have been big even if its star had decided to spend the fall at home with his family.

"With these types of films, DreamWorks has solidified itself as one of the top [animation studios]," Bock says of the company behind the Shrek franchise. "Any film they come out with is going to be huge, no matter what."

Just in case, though, Seinfeld's also doing Larry King Live on Thursday.

Dan in a Real Life

2007-10-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

Dan in a Real Life

Dan Burns (Carell) is a single father who dedicates his life to his children, but one day he meets Marie (Binoche) at a bookstore. but then Dan finds out that Marie is actually dating his brother, Mitch Burns (Cook).

he ads for Dan, starring Steve Carell as a widowed dad who falls for his bro's girlfriend (Juliette Binoche), show the actor with his head on a plate of pancakes. It's an appropriate metaphor, since the recipe here is to stack up the awkward, comedic situations and to top it all off with sap. Carell and Binoche do make a sweet couple, but this rom-com fare—albeit tasty at times—isn't as substantial as it should be.

The Bigger Picture: Meet the boisterous Burnses. Every autumn, this close-knit clan gathers at the Rhode Island home of Nana and Poppy Burns (Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney) for bonding time and gobs of family activities. These guys have crossword puzzle tournaments, perform talent shows, make crafts, play games, bowl, bake, sing and Jazzercise together! It's all a little too precious and movie-ish. It's also somewhat disappointing, given that writer-director Peter Hedge's previous films—What's Eating Gilbert Grape, About a Boy and Pieces of April—depict edgier, more complex family relationships. That's real life!

Dan, an advice columnist, arrives at this New England lovefest with his three rebellious daughters. Taking a break from all that togetherness, he wanders into a local bookstore where he meets Ms. Right, er, Marie (Binoche), who suddenly makes Dan feel like a man again. But—bummer for him—this alluring, articulate woman turns out to be the new girlfriend his brother Mitch (Dane Cook) proudly introduces to the family.

During the long weekend, Dan and Marie attempt to avoid each other, even as their mutual attraction grows. But then—as is the movie's repetitive pattern—desperate Dan does dumb stuff to embarrass himself and to confound his family, and then the lonely loser stares off sadly as everyone bustles around him.

Don't look for big yuks here. Dan is more understated than you might expect, though it occasionally detours into sitcomland. Fortunately, Carell can handle these wrong turns and tone shifts, but like the film, he's better in quieter moments, revealing a charming vulnerability and earnestness. Though this doesn't serve as satisfactory recompense for the sins of Evan Almighty, Carell does demonstrate why he's one of our more winning seriocomic actors.

The 180—a Second Opinion: Sure, Binoche is luminous, and anyone would fall in love with her. But we never get to know Marie very well. Neither does Dan actually, since during their fateful bookstore meeting, he talks only about himself for hours and hours as she attentively listens. Typical self-involved dude, right?

Things We Lost in the Fire

2007-10-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

Things We Lost in the Fire

All in all Del Toro fans will love this film. He is true to form and again delivers an amazing performance as a recovering heroin addict touched by the family of his best and only friend finds life anew. With a running time of over 2 hours, I did find myself wondering if this film really needed to be that drawn out, but extreme close-ups and lamenting of a lost one is no quick and dirty Hollywood stunt fest. 'Things we lost in the Fire' does a great job if you don't mind melancholy, and heart-string tugging. Some of the kids lines I found to be forced and cliché but their cute faces will (almost) make you forget about their bad acting almost right away and just make you sit back and relax.

I also hoped for more screen time for Alison Lohman. Her talent is always the bright star in any movie she's in. Halle Berry did well but I am still waiting for her to top her performance in 'Introducing Dorothy Dandridge'. That all said, bring some tissues, this one's for the girlfriend.

Accurate depiction of drug addiction and recovery. I highly recommend this movie. Del Toro is a force on-screen and this film is the result of it. Omar Berry is a very understated actor whom i hope to see more of in the future. I've never liked Duchovny, but I think he was perfectly cast in the role of Halle's husband. My only negative is the over use of very close zooms on the eyes and other features of the actors. It was good, but overused which sometimes can be irritating.

Considering the surprising amount of humor in the movie, I'd love to see Benicio del Toro in a comedic role. As much as I love to see Halle Berry naked, I'm glad she was not nude in this movie. It would have been gratuitous and would have detracted from the quality acting.

Gone Baby Gone

2007-10-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

Gone Baby Gone

The people of law said vows to their duties, responsibilities and commitments. For they believe that doing their job well and clean proves them right and makes them less evil. No matter how the process is done, the outcome shall be “good”, or, the other way around.

Patrick Kenzie takes over a case about a 4-year old girl gone missing in Boston. Together with her girlfriend and partner Angie, they talked to Helene the mother of Amanda which turns out she stole $130,000 from a drug lord together with his boyfriend Skinny Ray. Helene confesses she hid the money in Ray's backyard but latter in time, when Kenzie and Angie gets to his house, they found him beaten and shot to death. The investigators retrieves the money, together with two more cops, Remy and Nick, they set a trade and ransom for Amanda.

However, the trade is botched and Amanda drowns in the quarry. Kenzie and Angie is now affected and blames themselves for the death of Amanda. Chief Doyle who also lost a child in a similar heist, steps downs from his position and retires. Another case comes up to Kenzie regarding child abduction as he involves his drug lord friend as an informant about some pedophiles. With the help of the earlier two police men Nick and Remy, they raid a house where Kenzie suspects that the abducted bot is there. To his dismay, he found the kid dead in the bath tub, in disgust he vomited and shoots the pedophile in the back of the head and Nick was shot by another pedophile as well.

After a while in the hospital, Remy confesses about his corruptive schemes and and heroin planting at a crime scene to blame an abusive father, Kenzie finds out that Remy knows Skinny Ray even before the Amanda case began. Willed and driven to do the right thing, Kenzie met up with an old friend, Lionel. Again, Kenzie discovers another corruptive being, Lionel confessed that Remy and him took away Amanda from her abusive mother to teach her a lesson however, his wife turned the disappearance into a media market and this resulted the fake trade at the quarry.

Downhearted Kenzie drives up to Chief Doyle's house with Angie only to find out that Amanda is there alive and healthy living with Doyle and his wife. Still, Kenzie calls on the State Police to retrieve Amanda and have Doyle arrested. Complications come up as Angie tells him not to do so but Kenzie reasons out that he will stick to his convictions and return Amanda to his mother. Angie hates Kenzie and this resulted their break-up.

Amanda is reunited with her mother once again. Kenzie sees Helene leaving on a date without someone to watch over Amanda while she's gone. Kenzie volunteers to baby sit and watches over her.

Based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, Ben Affleck directed, co-produced, co-wrote this film where his brother Casey Affleck stars in. Together with Casey Affleck is Michelle Monghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris and John Ashton. Released in October 19, 2007 in USA and soon to be released in UK.

30 Days of Night

2007-10-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

30 Days of Night

This is the story of an isolated Alaskan town that is plunged into darkness for a month each year when the sun sinks below the horizon. As the last rays of light fade, the town is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires bent on an uninterrupted orgy of destruction. Only the small town's husband-and-wife Sheriff team stand between the survivors and certain destruction. Written by Risin' Outlaw

30 Days of Night as you can probably guess, is about just that. A town in small rural Alaska, the northern-most town in the US, experiences a phenomenon where darkness sets upon the town for an entire month, and leaves most residents scrambling to get out. But unfortunate for those who stayed, a pack of hungry vampires has found the town and decides they should get fed. And as the dead begin to outnumber the survivors, it becomes very clear that those who can stay alive need to wait out until the sun finally comes up.

The sheer idea for the film, having the town being draped in darkness for a month, is nothing short of astounding. Yes, it was lifted and is based on a graphic novel, but compared to your typical vampire-related horror flick, it is quite the step up. And as the film sets itself up for the feeding frenzy, it really continues to breathe originality and a blazing sense of imagination. Some of the things happening may not strike you as being particularly relevant at first (or even, who would do some of these things), but as the film moves along, it just all feels so right. And with a very sombre and coked-out character only referred to as The Stranger (Ben Foster) making bizarre predictions of the inevitably obnoxious death scenes soon to come, the film really feels like it is going to jump past the clichés, the terrible American horror norm, and become something extraordinary and memorable.

But then the film betrays itself. It takes far too long to set up the motivations of the main character, Sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett), his separated wife Stella (Melissa George), and even more time on supporting characters like the burly Beau Brower (Mark Boone Junior). I just got far too restless, and even more so when I realized only a few of these characters would make it to the final frame of the film. Why should we care about these characters when these laggy scenes just do nothing but introduce their one-dimensional selves, and not much else? It felt kind of like overkill, but also like the film was trying to compensate for having such a great idea, but no idea as to how to flesh it out.

And when the survival scenes begin to kick in, it becomes even more of a hit and miss. Some scenes are genuinely terrifying and suspenseful, watching the characters try to cope with decisions of wanting to save their fellow townspeople, or just sit in genuine fear of not wanting to be the next victim. But then others drag on with meaningless drivel about absolutely nothing. It just cannot find the balance it needs to survive this pitfall of the idea for the film, and just does not seem to want to attempt more than a handful of times to try and amend it. And do not even get me started on the preposterous ending, which seems ripped out of an entirely different movie altogether (sad to say, it is almost shot-for-shot intact from the graphic novel).

But while the film does have its share of story and pacing problems, the scenes with the vampires attacking are just plain stellar. There are more than a handful of quick cuts, but the majority of the scenes involving them eating their dinners are stylistically beautiful. There are some shots that are just so majestic and so powerful, that one wonders if they are actually in the same horror movie, or if they randomly started splicing in some art-house horror. The tracking shots, the close-ups, the long shots, they are all here, and are all so brilliantly played that the style just takes anything the movie has going for it, and catapults it right into the stratosphere. And even as the violence gets even more senseless and even more graphic, you cannot help but watch in awe at the visuals captured by the camera (and by CGI). Their exquisiteness is enough to make me pray that other mindless (or near mindless) horror flicks take note, and start creating similar if not better visuals. The music is above and beyond top notch as well, giving the film a really heightened sense of style and intense violence (albeit, nowhere near as blood-soaked as I had originally assumed it would be).

The cast, for the most part, is alright. Hartnett has seen better days, and for some reason, seems to be struggling as the lead here. Maybe he had something else on his mind? Some of the scenes he is in just do not completely jive, and when they do, there is awkwardness to all of them. I do not like to even imagine saying it, but it looked like he had more heart to show off in Pearl Harbor, then he does here. George on the other hand, does an infinite amount better, continuing much in the same way she did in the very poor remake of The Amityville Horror. She had an aura around her there that felt like she was above the material, and the same aura appears here. Foster, for his limited amount of screen time, does a great deal of delivering dread and despair for a few of the characters. I wish he had more scenery to chew.

But it is John Huston, more of a classically refined actor, who owns as the vampire leader. He does not speak any English (he communicates in the vampiric language and through grunts and body motions), but that does not stop him from being almost downright terrifying. Seeing this guy at work was a real pleasure, and I just wish the rest of the film was as well done as his performance is.

Nagging issues aside, 30 Days of Night is a decent horror film with aspirations of being better than it is. Watch it for the visuals, and forget about the plot

Michael Clayton

2007-10-20T15:34:00.001-07:00

Michael Clayton

Our conscience plays big roles in our daily life. May it consist of simple facts or logical reasoning, it affects our every move. Sometimes, we are dumb founded about what we are thinking of, talking about and doing that it turns out to unexpected events, events that could be a threat to our lives and others as well.

A fixer in a prestigious law firm, Michael Clayton wakes up every morning with intentions to fulfill his duties as a lawyer, a colleague and a friend. When a colleague and friend of Clayton, Arthur Edens, had a mental breakdown and jailed in Milwaukee, Clayton discovers that Edens had been diagnosed with mental illness and he is not taking his medication. Clayton plans to bring back Edens to New York to receive and under go mental treatment, but Edens sneaks away and goes back to New York on his own.

Back in New York, Karen Crowder, U-North's Chief counsel and a client discovers that Edens is keeping a file and internal memorandum that proves U-North's liability for releasing cancer-causing chemicals – with a lawsuit. Crowder hires two spies to spy on Edens and to her surprise, Edens was building a case against U-North, their own client. A threat to Crowder, she had Edens put to death and made it look like a suicide

Clayton becomes suspicious as he breaks into Edens' apartment and discovers a receipt for a copy store. Clayton retrieves the copies that Edens had made and it turns out that Edens has assembled documents to present a case against U-North. In the scene again, two hit men were following Clayton as they informed Crowder that such documents are in Clayton's possession. Again, Crowder had him followed around and soon to be killed.

Clayton realizes the danger and threat that Crowder had set upon on him and he leaves the firm immediately. The hit men attempted to install a tracking device and a bomb in Clayton's car but failed to install the tracking device properly. On the road while driving, Clayton stops on the side of the road when he struck a pedestrian. His car explodes and it made the hit men satisfied seeing the explosion from a distance. Clayton throws his cell phone, wallet and watch in the fire to make him look dead.

At U-North, Crowder makes an argument with the firm as she steps out of the meeting, Clayton appears and confronts her making her admit and dealing with the death of Eden and made an attempt on his own life. Clayton demands to be paid for silence and he agrees to $10 million. Clayton walks away and police officers converge on Crowder. Clayton reveals for having a phone in his pocket and his NYPD brother happened to be listening on the other end of the line.

Michael Clayton now gave justice to the death of his ill friend and remained loyal to himself and keeps the dedication to his work.

Michael Clayton is directed by Tony Gilroy, produced by Sydney Samuels, Steve Samuels and Jennifer Fox. Distributed by Warner Bros, the film was released in October 5 2007 in USA and UK. Starring in the film is George Clooney as Michael Clayton, together with Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton.

jumper

2007-10-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

Jumper

A genetic anomaly allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere. He discovers this gift has existed for centuries and finds himself in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between “Jumpers” and those who have sworn to kill them.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
Release Date: February 15th, 2008 (wide)
Distributors: 20th Century Fox Distribution

Starring: Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell, Diane Lane, Katie Boland
Directed by: Doug Liman
Produced by: Vince Gerardis, Ralph Vicinanza, Marc S. Fischer

Potential to be the coolest, top notch, and most interesting movie that will come out in 2008. Or, it may be the most undeserving flop. The Jumper is a fantastic sci-fi thriller, based on the novel, about a genetic anomaly that allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere.

He discovers this gift has existed for centuries and finds himself in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between “Jumpers” and those who have sworn to kill them.

How can it fail you may ask? Will fans still flock to see Hayden Christensen after his disastrous performance in the Star Wars series? Lets face it, Hayden Christensen can’t act… he’s incredibly boring and dull. Ah, but this movie could be the change he needed to demonstrate his abilities.

Samuel Jackson, Jamie Bell, Diane Lane and Rachel Bilson also star in Jumper.

Why Did I Get Married

2007-10-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

Why Did I Get Married?

Marriage is defined as an interpersonal relationship concerning the government, social and religious recognition. The reason why people marry is because of legal, social and economic stability; also to form a family and procreation; education and nurturing of children; legitimizing sexual relations and most of all, public declaration of love. In modern times, people rush into marriage to spend the rest of their life with their loved ones. But what if when the time comes marriage is just about responsibilities, arguments, infidelity and all that? I believe that is the true concept of marriage, for all times.

Very well known as a playwright, writer, director and actor, Tyler Perry had been writing books, plays and movies most likely talking about married life. One of these written works is Why Did I Get Married? mainly focusing on truths, lies, ups and downs of marriage. His works are also known as morality plays.

Why Did I Get Married is a film about eight married college friends getting over the difficulty of maintaining a solid relationship in modern times. When everything is going fine and they are living their daily normal marriage life, something goes wrong. During their long-week reunion in Colorado, a seductress comes in their way and the couple's infidelity comes to light. Like any other secrets, it will always be revealed, it happened and the couples started questioning themselves, “Why did I get married?” Over the week, arguments are battling around, considering the thought of betrayal and forgiveness and self examination. This is the ultimate test of their married lives and it is up to them to fight it, or simply let go.

Directed, produced and written by Tyler Perry, he also stars as Terry, alongside with Janet Jackson, Jill Scott and more. The film was released in October 12 in the US and Canada. Prior to the premier of the movie, there was no advanced screening for critics. The movie turned out successful ranking #1 in the box office during its opening week.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

2007-10-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

As Nietzsche once said, Stupidity in a woman is unwomanly. This is in fact a true statement that women make highs higher and lows less frequent. A perfect example is Elizabeth of England, her reign had lead England to a golden age and being the most powerful country in Europe after the defeat of Spain.

In 1585 King Philip II sees England as a threat, due to different religious beliefs and a threat to his own power. The pessimist King Philip II considers his young daughter a traitor for having a miniature of Elizabeth I, Queen of England. On the other hand, Philip II declares a war against England but the Queen declines it. In England, Elizabeth I is being pressured to marry as she is aging with no child to be her successor.

As always, Elizabeth refuses to take someone's hand in marriage but sees another prospect in mind, Walter Raleigh from the New World known as India. Elizabeth finds Raleigh attractive and asks Bess to observe him. Bess also finds him attractive and begins an affair with the explorer secretly. Elizabeth, concerned about her leadership, seeks an astrologist for guidance and advice. Two empires will go to war, but one will win and one will lose, not mentioning who will fall. Elizabeth ponders on the fate of her country as she detests war again Spain. In the meantime, Bess confesses that she is pregnant with Raleigh's child, the enraged queen bullies her and sends Raleigh to prison. Feeling betrayed, Elizabeth reminds Bess that she cannot marry without royal consent.

As a leader, Elizabeth seeks the loyalty of her people. For having a Protestant belief, Catholics are being hunted, tortured and murdered, including the brother of her adviser and the cousin of Bess. Not to mention, she also seeks the loyalty of her family - her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots had threatened her that she will place herself on England's throne and rule over England. Elizabeth had her cousin executed and her son beheaded. Now, the only threat to England is Spain.

Elizabeth finally goes against the Spanish army joining her men in battle right after she forgives Bess and sets Raleigh free. The amount of the Spanish army outnumbered the English but strategy never runs out for the Queen, The men light their ship on fire before retreating to the water below and being rescued by another one of their own ships. The English watch as the Spanish Armada sinks in flame. A history in the making occurs, Spain's loss proves to be the greatest in naval Spanish history.

The forgiven Bess and Raleigh awaits for their child's birth as Elizabeth blesses the child.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age is the sequel to the film Elizabeth of 1998 also starring Cate Blanchett and directed by Shakhar Khapur, written by William Nicholson and Micahel Hirst and produced by Working Title Films. Co-starring Cate Blanchett is Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush, Rhys Ifans and Abbie Cornish. The Golden Age was released in the US on October 12 and will be released in UK in November 2.

Beowulf

2007-10-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Beowulf

Beowulf is an Anglo Saxon (Old English) epic filled with elements of German folklore along with Christian statements. As part of the earliest society, heritage, fate and destiny is governed. The belief that fate controls him is a central factor in all of Beowulf's actions.

In the peaceful and flourished kingdom of Heorot, a celebration is being held by King Hrothgar, his wife Queen Wealtheow, his warriors, family and all towns men. While Grendel, being an outcast of society is deeply enraged and angered by the noise of the singing and celebration of the crowd. Momentarily while everyone in the kingdom is sleeping, Grendel attacks Hrothgar's warriors. Helpless and nowhere to run to, Hrothgar and his people left Heorot. Determined to help, Beowulf from another kingdom helps Hrothgar. Together with Beowulf's few men, they wait for Grendel's return. Almost asleep, Grendel attacks Heorot hurting one of Beowulf's men. Trying to defeat Grendel with human weapons, all of it breaks and Beowulf grabs his arms and tears it apart from his shoulder and Grendel runs to his home in the marshes to die.

While celebrating Grendel's death, Grendel's mother attacks Heorot once again for a killing as she ends up killing Hrothgar's best warrior. Beowulf together with his men once again gets ready to attack Grendel's mother by the lake where she lives. At this moment, Hrothgar gives Beowulf an armor and a giant sword called Hrunting. Beowulf ready for the battle dives in the lake for an attack but Grendel's mother quickly detects him and drags him down at the bottom of the lake. In a cavern where Grendel's dead body lies, Grendel's mother and Beowulf engage in fierce combat. Finishing the battle, Beowulf beheads Grendel's mother and retrieves Grendel's head to present to Hrothgar. Beowulf is given gifts by the King and he goes home to his own kingdom.

Due to his bravery and strength, Beowulf becomes king to his homeland and to his own people. Not knowing another battle awaits him on the latter part of his life.

Screen play written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, directed by Robert Zemeckis, Beowulf is set to be released on November 16, 2007 in USA, UK and Italy. Screening continues until April 5 2008 in other countries. Starring Ray Winstone, Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Crispin Glover and Sebastian Roche. Originally given the rating of PG-13, after seeing trailers, MPAA rated it R for nudity, violence and sexual material.

Rendition

2007-10-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

Rendition

World wide terrorism is definitely feared by many, particularly by the US government as they point out fingers to Middle Easterners. Two powerful countries keep their silent wars going on while, unknowingly, innocent people are being affected. Take the 9/11 incident as an example, it is still a conspiracy theory to most likely everyone if Iran triggered this or the US itself, resulted to death and destruction to many. Paranoia had also occurred to Americans which resulted to discrimination, specifically racism. Can this be called power tripping of the authority or simply ignorance of the citizens?

Anwar El-Ibrahim is an Egyptian scheduled to fly from South Africa to Washington DC. Far from his knowledge, Anwar is a terrorist suspected by the US government and CIA, due to baseless speculations, he disappears from his flight. His American wife Isabella travels to Washington to learn and look for answers how her husband disappeared and why. Meanwhile, in an unknown detention facility, Anwar is being kept as he is being interrogated by CIA analyst Douglas Freeman. Freeman does his assignment when forced due to save thousands of lives and penetrate an innocent man's life.

Unorthodox interrogation takes place and quickly replaced with sophisticated torture that results to Anwar's struggle.

Rendition is a 2007 thriller film starring Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep, Peter Sarsgaard Alan Arkin and introducing Omar Metwally. Directed by Gavin Hood and written by Kelley Sane, Rendidtion will be released in theaters October 19 in the US, Canada and United Kingdom. Screening continues in other countries until early 2008. Filming took place in Morocco, Cape Town, Washington and most of the time in California in Anaheim. Rendition is a film about deception, discrimination and racism. Rated R for torture, violence and language usage.

Hairspray

2007-10-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hairspray

Discrimination and racism is definitely 2 of the undying issues going around the world, not to mention, this comes to be a crisis those concerned. Particularly in America, racism is based on the color and physical features of the people they discriminate. Not only in racism most people discriminate, but also their sizes. Often than not, plus sized or simply overweight men and women gets discriminated for not having a pleasant appearance to media, preferably in television.

Hairspray is a musical film adapted from the 2002 Broadway musical and adapted from the 1988 comedy film of John Waters with the same title. Adapted from film and musical, Hairspray is choreographed and directed by Adam Shankman. Hairsparay stars big names in Hollywood such as John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Zac Efron, Brittany Snow and not mention the new comer Nikki Blonsky as the main character.

In a 1962 setting in Baltimore, Maryland, a pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad aspires to be one of the Council Kids in her favorite TV program The Corny Collins Show. Some of the teenagers in the show also attends the school of Tracy and her best friend Penny, including the snobby Amber and her boyfriend Link whom Tracy's madly in love with. Corny Collins and his Council kids are white and black kids are only allowed on the show on Negro Day hosted by the local radio disc jockey “Motormouth” Maybelle which only shows on the last Tuesday of every month.

One day, Corny Collins announces that there will be an audition in search for replacement of one of his Council Kids to be held during the next day during school hours. However, the station manager Velma turns down Tracy in the audition for being overweight as she is sent to detention for skipping school. In detention, where all black kids hang out and dance, Tracy meets Maybelle's son Seaweed, who teaches her R&B dance moves that will secure Tracy a spot in the Corny Collins show.

Tracy becomes one of Corny's most popular Council Kids at the same time becomes a threat to Amber's rise to fame in the Miss Hairspray Teenage pageant, not to mention to Amber's courtship with Link. Link increasingly becomes so fond of Tracy and less so of Amber. In a party, Maybelle announces that Velma canceled Negro Day as Tracy suggests that they conduct a protest march the next day, a day before the pageant. On the day of the protest march, Velma sets up a roadblock to stop the march and arrest the protesters but Tracy managed to escape and joins the pageant.

The greedy and insecure Velma places policemen around and inside the station in order to stop Tracy from entering the building and joining the pageant. To her dismay, Tracy sneaks in with Penny, the detention kids, and all people concerned but the undying schemes of Velma continues. Velma switches the tallies from the pageant's phone line so that Amber is guaranteed to win. In the nick of time, Tracy reaches the stage to dance as Link joins her and pulls Inez to dance with them.

Surprisingly, Inez receives most votes and wins the pageant capturing the heart of The Corny Collin's Show. Disappointed Velma screams out her frustration as she tells daughter Amber about her tally-switching scheme and broadcasts it on air, unknowingly. The busted Velma gets fired while the celebration of the show ends with a kiss from Link and Tracy.

stardust

2007-10-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

Stardust

Up in the heavens, the sky, clouds, sun, moon and stars are visible for always. In the naked eye, it is something glorious, bright and plain beautiful. In science, they are mixture of matter like gases, plasma, balls of fire, gravity and the like. In magic, heavenly creatures could be anything, royalty, witch craft, magic and drama. Seeing this movie reminds me of the a song that goes like “Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day. Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away...” People associate falling stars as something to grant their wishes, but differ this young lover, Tristan. Tristan promises his loved one to bring back a falling star to her and she shall grant his heart's desire.

In an English town called Wall, a wall is built to separate the mortal town Wall and the magical kingdom called Faerie. After a young man named Dunstan Thorne crosses a portal to the magical realm, he meets a young lady and makes love to her. Una is the slave of the witch Ditchwater Sal. After a night of pleasure, the two separate ways and went on with their lives. Nine months later, a baby in a basket appears in front of Dunstan's doorsteps, Una sends him their infant son Tristan.

Eighteen years later at the other side of the wall, in the land of Faerie, the king of Stormhold is dying and his seven sons fight for who will be the next king. Though four of them left alive (Primus, Septimus, Secundus and Tertius), Secundus is recently killed by the tricks of the sly Septimus. The king orders them to get the ruby he tossed in the heavens. This ruby knocks a star down and falls to the grounds of Faerie.

While wooing and capturing the affection of the grown Tristan's love Victoria, he promises that he will cross the wall and retrieve the fallen star in exchange of his heart's desire. Victoria promised that he will wait for him as she is willing to grant his heart's desire. Tristan packs up and crosses the wall to start his search not knowing grave danger awaits him and the falling star. On his journey he bumps into a young lady named Yvaine who turns out to be the star. Tristan resolves to take her back to Victoria but Yvaine escapes him with a help of a Unicorn.

Along the way around Faerie, there are many people that want to put their hands on the star. One of them is Lamia, one of the three witches; Primus, but dies in ambush; Tertius, but poisoned by Septimus; and Septimus, the only remaining son and putative heir to the throne. Persistent to retrieve the star, Tristan rushes and takes Yvaine away from Septimus and Lamia as Tristan and Yvaine ends up standing in the clouds lost in their way home. Tristan and Yvaine are captured by the “notorious” Captain Shakespeare on a flying pirate ship but he reveals that he is a flamboyant drag queen who shuns killing. After a good contact, Shakespeare helps them to go back to Wall but Sal captures them and turns Tristan into a mouse. Weeping, Yvaine confesses his undying love for Tristan and shocked, Sal turns him back to human form. Confrontation happened and a night not to forget takes place.

In a battle between Lamia kills Sal and abducts Una and Yvaine. Septimus and Tristan both pursue Lamia as Lamia's two sisters die and kills Septimus. As Lamia is about to kill Yvaine, she weeps for there is noi use for Eternal Youth and Beauty without her sisters. Tristan and Yvaine embraced and an explosion killed Lamia. Una reveals that she is the only daughter of King Stormhold and Tristan is his son and the heir to the thrown. Tristan turns king and Yvaine as her queen.

Story based from the 1998 novel by Neil Gaiman, Stardust was released in the US in August 10, 2007. Directed by Matthew Vaughn and Narrated by Ian McKellen, the cast includes Charlie Cox as Tristan, Claire Danes as Yvaine, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller, Rupert Everett, Peter O'Toole and whole lot more. Filming took place in Wester Ross, Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye for the Faerie and in Elm Hill in Norwich for Wall.

Sweeney Todd

2007-10-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Revenge is one of the worst elements that corrupts human beings. As it may lead to hell, lead to the loss of someone's sanity and humanity. As for revenge, it may leave you nothing.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street is adopted from the musical by Stephen Sondheim. The musical is based on the 19^th century legend of Sweeney Todd and the 1973 play by Christopher Bond. Johnny Depp stars as Sweeney Todd formerly known as Benjamin Barker. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton working the sixth time around, Depp portrays the role of a barber having escaped a fifteen year imprisonment for wrong charges by the Judge Turpin, played by Alan Rickman. Included in the cast is Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Nellie Lovett, former land lady and owner of “the worst meat pie” bakeshop; Laura Michelle Kelly as The Beggar Woman and Jane Wisener as Johanna.

Benjamin Barker returns to London as Sweeney Todd to search for his wife and daughter. Through Mrs. Lovett, he finds out that his wife Lucy poisoned herself and daughter Johanna is being kept by Judge Turpin as a ward. Mrs. Lovett has kept the barber's razors and restores them to the owner. Wanting to take revenge on Judge Turpin, one by one he murders people that will bring him closer to the judge. First of his victims is Pirelli, his rival barber that threatened Todd to reveal his real identity. Seeing the grown Johanna, the Judge is tormented by his lust for his ward and announces he will marry her. Persistent to gain her affections, the Judge plans to go to the barber for a shave. This caused Anthony Hope to elope with Johanna, accidentally informing Todd. Furious and deranged Todd keeps Johanna in an asylum. Mrs. Lovett on the other hand suggests that she use the corpse as meat in her meat pies every time Todd kills. This broadened the target o f Todd and at the same time, inspired with the practicality of Mrs. Lovett.

As the neighbors get suspicious of the prospering business of Mrs. Lovett, a beggar lady comes up to Todd to warm him. Worried that the beggar lady knows too much, Todd slits her throat as her body goes down to the bakeshop uttering her last words “Hey, don't I know you, Mister?”. Judge Turpin enters the barbershop and asks for a shave, Todd reveals his true identity, slits Turpin's throat and the body goes down the bakeshop. As Todd leaves the parlor to kill another suspicious being Tobias, the butcher that Lovett hired, Todd sees Mrs. Lovett distraught and struggling seeing the Beggar Lady and Turpin dead, Todd realizes that the Beggar Woman is Lucy his wife. Mrs. Lovett being accused of having deceived Todd, admits that Lucy poisoned herself but it only drove her insane and not caused her death. It was Todd that caused her death. Todd calms Mrs. Lovett down and allures her as a ploy then traps her in the oven. Driven nearly insane, Todd weeps next to his wife as Tobias kills the compliant barber with his own razor. Tobias has lost his mind and he couldn't stop grinding the meat grinder.

Produced by DreamWorks, Warner Bros, MacDonald/Parkes Productions ans Zanuck Company Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is set to be released on December 21 in the US for a limited time. In South American countries and Asian countries, release date starts as soon as January 17, 2008.

The Heartbreak Kid

2007-10-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

The Heartbreak Kid

The most important quality of man is one's personal independence in decision-making matters. Whatever other people say, in the end it is still us who decides for ourselves. These decisions lead only to two results – magic or tragic. A decision could be magical when we get the results that we have always wanted from the very beginning. Otherwise it is tragic if the results yield are far off from our expectations.

One of the hardest decisions we make in life is related with our love life. This is not the petty boyfriend – girlfriend thing, this is more on the serious stuff. This is the matter of settling down, in the hopes of starting one's own family. Indeed, entering the state of marriage is like making an oath as strong as the oak tree.

Come the 5^th of October this year (2007), a romantic comedy movie regarding the importance of decision-making in enter marriage life will hit the theaters. Entitled The Heartbreak Kid, the movie was written by Leslie Dixon and directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly. The important cast comprise of Ben Stiller as Eddie Cantrow, Michelle Monaghan as Miranda, Malin Akerman as Lila, Jerry Stiller as Doc, Rob Corddry as Mac, Carlos Mencia as Uncle Tito, and Danny McBride as Martin. Also note that the original “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Micheals will have a cameo appearance in the film.

The story revolves around the bachelor Eddie Cantrow and his exploits of single hood. Believing that he already had too much of blessed singleness, he decided that his life needs a new path – that is the path to settling down. The once foreign word is now a part of his vocabulary.

Eddie tried his luck by dating the sexy and incredible TV personality in Lila. They barely knew each other. In the courting state, it was all best foot forward. Six weeks of dating have been really good for the both of them. Asking the guidance of his dad and best friend, Eddie tied the knot with Lisa.

Everything went well according to plan. It seemed like it was good as it lasted. The couple then had their honeymoon in the south of the border, Mexico. During their honeymoon, Eddie got to know the other side of Lila. He was disoriented and wanted out of the relationship already.

At the same time, he also met another girl during their stay in sunny Mexico. The girl goes by the name of Miranda. As he tries to get to know Miranda, he was also balancing how to please and make at ease his wife, Lila. Eddie is torn between two women. One is his wife, who was different from what he truly expected, and the other is his new found friend and true soul mate.

The Heartbreak Kid have a lesson for the bachelors. That is to take their time before making a decision with regards to settling down. Once you are in, there's no coming back – except maybe for divorce or annulment. The decision in settling down has its pros and cons, whether we like it or not. Its not like we are in love everyday.

With this movie, Ben Stiller affirms that he is one of the sensible comedians out there. He played the role of a lost good guy in this film, lost between the fear of not having a family and finding the right woman without rushing the process. Just like in his other movies such as “There's something about Mary” and “Meet the Fockers,” Ben really showed how to mix sensible stuff with comedy. He makes us laugh, yet he teaches us the lesson too.

breach

2007-10-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Breach

The United States of America, if not considered a hegemony, is one of the most powerful nations in the world. It is a bastion of economic and military power. With great power also comes sensitivity that the nation has to endure. Remember, history have taught us, time and again, that once great nations have the tendency to fall down. See the examples of Rome, Greece, and Great Britain among others.

This led me to the notion of national security. Speaking of delicate matters, national security should be at the forefront of the agenda. The United States has a government that is delicate on this matter, that's why there is the Central Information Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Homeland Security. These three agencies alone put forward the aim of the government to make the United States a real safe nation.

Even with these government agencies, national security is still breached. And it was done from within. This year (2007), the film Breach is based on a true story regarding FBI personnels Robert Hanssen and Eric O'Neill. Hanssen was a former FBI agent nabbed for selling information to the Soviet Union. O'Neill was the man in charge of tracking him down, serving as his assistant.

Written and directed by Billy Ray, Breached was out last February 16 in United States theaters and on August 31 in Untied Kingdom theaters. It will be distributed under the license of Universal Pictures. The cast includes Chris Cooper as Robert Hanssen, Ryan Philippe as Eric O'Niell, Laura Linney as Kate Burroughs, Caroline Davhernas as Juliana O'Niell, and Gary Cole as Richard Garces among others.

The plot revolves around a senior FBI agent in Robert Hanssen and an aspiring apprentice in Eric O'Niell. Agent Hanssen is in the FBI for about 25 years now, and is nearing his retirement. Eric O'Niell is still to be promoted as an agent. The latter served as a clerk and secretary of the former, before being promoted as a full time agent.

Hanssen had been under the suspicious eyes of the same agency where he works. The reason that was flaunted is because of sexual perversion. But the real reason is different. He is to be observed due to some allegations that he is a spy providing the necessary information for the former Soviet Union.

Along the way, the two became real close to each other. Hanssen, a devoted Catholic, taught O'Neill to be more involved in his faith. Their families also bonded along the way. Hanssen opened things up for the newbie. He taught him some FBI stuff. The two seemed to click it off the bat.

On the side, O'Neill was doing his job. He was tasked to write down everything that Hanssen is doing. Also he was tasked to take hold of Hanssen's PDA so that the FBI would know if he was having communications with the Russians. In the end, he took hold of the PDA gadget and proved that his senior is really an informant of the Russians.

Hanssen was apprehended by the FBI for spying for the enemy. O'Neill resigned before becoming an FBI agent. The movie ended with both of them in the same elevator, where Hanssen told O'Neill to pray for him. They still are in good terms.

The movie is considered as top caliber and the real life case is dubbed as “one of the worst spy cases in US history.” Chris Cooper once again played a complex role. Another applause for the former Oscar Award winner.

Knocked Up

2007-10-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

Knocked Up

A long time ago, a friend of mine told me that he is the product of a Friday night, a bottle of alcohol, and the backseat of a car. That was so honest of my buddy. He knows he was conceived out of wedlock. This is reality that some people face nowadays. Teenage pregnancy happens at the most unexpected time. Like it or not, this is the consequence of unsafe sex.

June this year (2007), a somewhat satire-like comedic film entitled Knocked Up will be released focusing on a young woman getting pregnant with a stranger after a couple of rounds of alcohol. Written and directed by Judd Apatow, Knocked Up main casts include Seth Rogen as Ben Stone, Katherine Heigl as Alison Scot, Paul Rudd as Pete, and Leslie Mann as Debbie.

The plot of Knocked Up focuses on Ben Stone, a 23 year old bum who does nothing but party, and Alison Scot, a career oriented woman whose a few years older than the former. Ben is an IT specialist whose latest work is a pornographic site that features the moments of skin exposure in movies. Alison works in E! Television network. Her career was on the rise, while Ben's path was taking him nowhere but making him the king of perverts.

One night, they saw each other in a club. Alison was there to promote one of E! Television's show, while Ben was there for the party itself. The two shared some drinks. At the end of the night, they hooked it up together – having a wonderful evening. The two separated the next morning.

Thinking that he got what he wanted without baggage, Ben was knocked off his feet when Alison told him she was pregnant with his baby. The two then bonded together. They became close and Ben asked Alison for marriage. In the beginning, it was good while it lasted. The latter part exposed the weaknesses of Ben as an irresponsible partner.

Alison, having grown tired of Ben's irresponsibility and seeing the failed relationship of her sister Debbie to Pete, decides to kick Ben out for awhile. Ben, in turn, teamed up with Pete. They went on a road trip to Las Vegas. In this trip, both Ben and Pete experienced other stuff, including drugs. They were like having their hippie stages.

In the process, the two men learned to stand up with their responsibilities. They went home and tried to patch things up with their wives. Pete got it immediately right with Debbie. Ben had a little rough time before patching things up with Alison. The couples were together once again, trying to make their once failed relationship work.

Ben got a job as a web designer. He then rented an apartment, that was good enough for the three of them, including the baby. Alison gave birth, and they moved in to the apartment. It was a happy ending for the accidental couple.

Knocked Up, a financial success, is summer's breakout movie. It really Knocked up the coffers of movie viewers. The film budget is only $30 Million yet it earned a whopping $148.6 Million. The exceptional acting of Seth Rogen also led him to earn a role in “The Green Hornet,” a movie to be released around next year (2008). Katherine Heigl has also some good news. She is engaged to musician Josh Kelley. In fact, she was even quoted that the plastic belly she used in shooting Knocked Up could be substituted for the real thing.

Lust Caution

2007-10-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Lust, Caution

Political killings have been rampant throughout the political world may it be during election periods or simply during their reign. These assassinations may be done by hit-men and “accidental” happenings, not to mention lustrous acts. Seduction is said to be the most interesting game, but how interesting can it get when the seducer falls in love with the victim and disrupts the assassination mission? Unlike addicting vices, how hazardous it can be, it is somewhat deadly as love. But at least such vice comes with a warning, Caution.

Adapted from the 1950 short story by Eileen Chang, Lust, Caution of 2007 is the product of the loosely-believed actual event that happened in 1939-1940 during the World War II era involving Shanghai and Hong Kong. The story depicts a group of Chinese students plotting to kill a Japanese collaborator, with lust and seduction as their bait.

Wong Chia Chi is a freshman college students who gets involved in acting and joins a drama club, when a close friend and a schoolmate, Kuang Yu Min asks her to play a dangerous role in real life. That is to allure a powerful Japanese collaborator and formulate an assassination. As Wong pretends to be Mrs. Mak and befriends Mrs. Yee, the wife of the Japanese collaborator, twisting and covetous event happens under the mahjong table. However, the plan fails for unexplainable reasons that occurred between Yee and Wong. After few years living at peace when Wong moved to Hong Kong, Kuang suddenly shows up and re-enters her life to ask to resume with their deadly plan. This leaves Wong puzzled with her identity as pushes herself through the limit. Dazed, Wong now questions her attachment, whether is it for the mission or for the man she had seduced and had an affair, more than once.

Financed and produced by Focus Features and River Road Productions, director of Academy award winning movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee directs and co-produces Lust, Caution. Receiving the rating R for graphic sexual content, Lust, Caution premiered at the Venice Film Festival and set to release on September 28 in USA, September 25 in Taiwan, October 26 in China and January 4 in UK. Casted in the film are actors Tony Leung as Mr. Yee, Wei Tang as Wong Chia Chi, Joan Chen as Mrs. Yee and Lee-Hom Wang as Kuang Yu Min.

number 23

2007-10-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Number 23

Novel turned films are already a common sight in the movie industry. It could happen in any form like drama, romance, non-fiction and the like. What I find more interesting are the suspense filled novels turned movie. The Number 23 is one of the latest suspense filled novel turned into a movie.

Released February 23^rd this year (2007) in the United States and the United Kingdom, the movie was directed by Joel Schumacher and distributed under the license of New Line Cinema. The movie is based on the writings of Robert Anton Wilson, whose work is consistent with the 23 enigma. The Number 23 stars Jim Carrey as Walter Sparrow, Virgina Madsen as Agatha Sparrow, Logan Lerman as Robin Sparrow and Danny Huston as Isaac French.

The Number 23 is a fictional suspense story that evolves around the Sparrow couple in Walter and Agatha. Walter Sparrow works as an animal control officer, his specialty is the handling of strayed dogs. His wife, Agatha, is a cake shop owner.

The movie started on the birthday of Walter Sparrow. He got a call from one of the businesses in the area, complaining that there is a strayed dog named Ned. He responded to the call and eventually accomplished his mission. From the mission he met his wife, who had been waiting for him in a bookstore called A Novel Fate.

During Agatha's wait, she read a book entitled The Number 23 by an unknown author under the pen name of Topsy Kretts. Agatha liked the book, and she bought the copy for her husband as her birthday gift. Once Walter read the book, there was no stopping anymore. He thought that there are similarities between him and the main character of the novel named Fingerling.

Walter saw a lot of commonalities between him and the character played by Fingerling. Walter was soon consumed by the thought that the novel was not fictional, and that it truly happened in real life. He was looking for The Number 23 signs everywhere. Walter even admitted to his wife about his obsession, but it was only laid to rest.

It was just the beginning. A lot of things have happened after. That. In fact, he even holed him up in a hotel, just to have an answer to the questions brought about by the novel. Deep inside, Walter was puzzled by the events written in the novel. But there was one thing that mattered most in the end. He discovered that he was the author of the same novel – and the events in the novel really happened in his life.

It may be real surprising to see Jim Carrey in a suspense filled film. He is a fixture of the comedy genre. It will be very surprising for the avid movie viewer to see him in a psychological thriller role. He is an outstanding comedian. Surely, he will have a different grade in a more serious role. The judgment is up to the viewers, The Number 23 is an opening to a new Jim Carrey look.

trade

2007-10-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

Trade (2007)

Migration, in the common use of the word, means massive human movement from one place to the other. Commonly, this movement is seen on the brighter side. It is associated with human development and economic prosperity. The negative effects is often forgotten. It is as if there are no consequences in migration.

From the workforce point of view, one of the consequences of migration is brain drain. This happens when the best graduates of country A goes to the more prosperous country B. What's left to the former are less competitive people. Focusing more on the humanitarian side, one of the consequences of migration is human trafficking. Sex trade is one of the notorious activities happening on a global scale.

The movie Trade, premiered January and released September 2007, focused on the aspect of illegal human trafficking in line with commercial sex and underage prostitution controlled by international crime groups. The movie is based on the New York Times cover story entitled “Girls Next Door” last 24 January 2004 that featured sex slaves.

Trade, set in Mexico, is a story about two siblings in Jorge and Adriana. The story began when the 13 year old Adriana was abducted, together with a little Thai boy and the Polish woman Veronica, by the Russian gang whose business is into sex trafficking. They capture these people with the intention of selling them in the sex market – the headquarters based in New Jersey.

The 17-year old Jorge, upon knowing her sister's fate, find ways and means to enter the United States just to save her sister. He was able to elude the border police. Needing a big help, he met a Texan police in Ray who is also out to capture those people behind this illegal industry. The two worked together to get back Adriana. It was a tall order, but they eventually succeeded in their drive.

The movie stars Kevin Kline as Ray, Alicja Bachleda-Curus as Veronica, Paulina Gaitan as Adriana, and Cesar Ramos as Jorge. Among the movie's main cast, Kevin Kline stood tall above everyone. He recently opened the film in the United Nations main offices in New York City. People applaud him, and the film in general. It was even reported that 5% of the profits will go directly to the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime. The film's true purpose is to serve an eye opening regarding the black market of sex trade.

The Kingdom

2007-09-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

The Kingdom

The age-long argument and battle of power had gone for two rival countries which caused the lives of innocent civilians. May the cause be of power, money, religious beliefs or political beliefs, it had gone too far for people concerned which are their fellow country men. Based on actual bombing events in Saudi Arabia, the film The Kingdom displays the heroic tactics of four FBI agents that will attempt the search of those responsible of the civilian killings.

Based on actual events, the film is based on the Riyadh compound bombings which happened on May 12, 2003 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the Khobar Towers bombing on June 26, 1996 at the Khobar housing complex. The attack at the Khobar housing complex had killed 20 Americans and left 372 wounded by a car bombing. Next to this bombing is the Riyadh compound bombing which left 35 American civilians dead and more than 160 people injured which was caused by al-Qaeda.

As the film goes, four FBI agents are sent to Riyadh to capture those responsible for the bombings that caused their country men's death but they find themselves competing against rival intelligence agencies. For five days, theses agents find their expertise useless without gaining the trust of their Saudi counterparts. They no longer worry when Saudi Colonel Al-Ghazi helps them navigate royal politics and reveal secrets of the crime scene and workings of terrorists for destruction. The search for true justice continues as they battle with do or die confrontation.

The Kingdom is rescheduled to release on September 28 from original date April 20. Directed by Peter Berg, the film has been rated R by the MPAA for graphic brutal violence and language. Included in the film are stars Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Chris Cooper and Ashraf Barhom as Col. Faris Al-Ghazi.

Across the Universe

2007-09-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

Across the Universe

Going retro has been one of the fad nowadays. It can be seen in the way people dress, the music that they listen, and in many more ways that point to the retro movement. Not only that, retro could also be seen in cinemas. Some films have retro as their theme nowadays. The movie entitled Across the Universe is the latest retro movie out in cinemas.

Across the Universe is the latest musical film as of this writing. Its world premiere happened at the Toronto International Film Festival on the 10^th of September this year (2007). on the 14^th of September, it was shown only in 27 selected cinemas. Then it was shown to 276 cinemas on 21 September 2007.

Across the Universe, set in the 1960s, is the story of a simple dock worker, Jude, from England who went to the United States to look for his estranged father, whom he never met in his lifetime. His father used to be part of the US Army, but have since then retired from active duty making his task a little harder.

Upon his arrival in the States, Jude befriended Max Carrigan. Jude's new friend is a rebellious kid from a wealth family. The two were billeted in an apartment in New York with other young individuals. Soon Max's sister, Lucy, joined them in their New York enclave. Jude and Lucy became friends. A relationship developed between the two. There was a budding romance.

As part of his duty as an American citizen, Max was drafted for war in Vietnam. Lucy soon found herself joining the anti-war protests. Jude, apathetic by nature, was soon convinced by Lucy to join her in their protests against the Vietnam war.

The film was directed by Julie Taymor and is distributed by Columbia Pictures. The movie was based on the Beatles album Across the Universe. The name of the characters are also based on the different songs of the Beatles. Somewhat the movie is just an adaptation of the call of the times during the hippies era, where the motto was “make love, not war.”

The movie has a total of six primary characters. These are Evan Rachel Wood as Lucy, Jim Strugess as Jude, Joe Anderson as Max, Dana Fuckes as Sadie, T.V. Carpio as Prudence, and Martin Luther McCoy as JoJo. Four people also appeared with cameo appearances. These are Bono as Dr. Robert, Eddie Izzard as Mr. Kite, Salma Hayek as the characters of the Bang Bang Shoot Shoot Nurses, and Joe Cocker as Tramp, Hippie, Tramp. Digital effects have something to do with the different characters of Salma Hayek and Joe Cocker.

Focusing on the main actress of the movie, Evan Rachel Wood, is rumored to be romantically involved with the rocker Marilyn Manson. This report is not confirmed yet. On the career side, she has a total of six films this year (2007). With this many films, there is no way but up for her both in showbiz and in the financial ladder. Not a bad thing for someone who just recently turned 20 years old as of this month of September.

P.S I love You

2007-09-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

P.S. I Love You

Love stories either end up as magic or tragic. There seem to be nothing in between. Magical love stories happen when two sweethearts overcome all odds. Tragic love stories happen when the two aren't meant to be, when their paths lead to separate ways. Magic or tragic is the ending in the mainstream love story movies.

A unique love story will hit the the US theaters during the Christmas season, specifically on the 21^st of December this year (2007). It would be real hard to classify it in the category of magic or tragic. Maybe its better to call it a love story of its own kind. Indeed, the movie PS, I Love You is a combination of both the elements of magic and tragic. But certainly it is not in between.

Based on the international bestseller novel by Irish Cecilia Ahern, the story is about the young Kennedy couple in Holly and Gerry. The Gerry passed away due to brain tumor, thus leaving his wife Holly all alone. At 30 years old, she is a young widow.

Widowed at a young age has its consequences. Holly was clearly devastated. In fact, she doesn't want to live anymore. Life is worthless without his husband because she was so emotionally attached to him. She became emotionally detached to everything.

Thinking that everything was over she just withdrew in her apartment, until one fateful day when she received a bundle of mysterious letters from her deceased husband. The bundle consists of 10 envelopes, each to be read every month. The purpose of these letters is for her to move on in life. Every month there was something new, except that all the letters ended with PS, I Love You. With the guidance of her best buddies, Holly tried to rediscover the life that lays ahead of her as stated exactly in these letters. Holly truly lived in Gary's letters and in the process discovered a new life ahead of her.

PS, I Love You is both magic and tragic. It is tragic because the husband died early. It is magic because, despite the death the husband still thought of doing good for her spouse, by the way of writing those letters before he died. Holly had an angel in Gary.

The movie is directed by Richard LaGravenese and distributed by the Warner Brothers and Summit Entertainment. The important cast in the movie are Hillary Swank as Holly Kennedy and Gerard Butler as Gerry Kennedy. By the way, in one filming episode Hillary Swank got a cut in the forehead upon watching Gerard Butler do the striptease, since his suspenders fell off and hit the forehead of Hillary. The injury required a couple of stitches. One report even gave the comment like it was worth getting the cut having seen one of the sexiest men do the striptease.

The film is just right for the Christmas season. This could lighten the hearts of the hopeless romantic, even just for a little while. Remember the movie 'Love Actually'? It was also shown a couple of Christmas seasons ago. It was a hit. Love during the Christmas season. This one will surely be also a hit. No doubt about that.

The Assassination of Jesse James

2007-09-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Legends are part of the celebrated folklore tradition in any culture. Children grew up having their own never dying folklore tradition, having been passed on from generation to generation. The Americans never run out of legends. There's Lewis and Clark, Casey Jones, The Jersey Devil, and the like. This article focuses on the ever popular Jesse James. In fact, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is out in US cinemas this September.

Jesse James is a legendary figure in inner America, more known in the older days as White America because it was dominated mainly by the descendants of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs). The real Jesse James existed from 1847 to 1882. Born in Clay County, Missouri he was from a well-off family. They owned a large piece of land, and at the same time they also have a number of black slaves.

Having vested personal interests (as mentioned in the previous paragraph), the James family sided with the Confederates during the American Civil War. So did Jesse James. The war went the other way though. In one incident, the Union Army visited the James' family farm. It was said that they were looking for Confederate guerrillas, but Jesse James claimed that he was beaten up by the Union Army. The second incident is that their land was grabbed by the Union Army. These two incidents led to the rise of a new Jesse James, the one who became the legend.

Jesse James is a product of his environment. His first robbery assassination was mainly to steal the family's land title from the bank, where the Union Army deposited it. But it was only the beginning. One thing led to the other. Soon Jesse James and his brother were robbing trains and other carriages. The law were hot on them. Jesse and his brother, Frank, had bounties as an incentive if they were captured.

Since the gang was a notorious entity, some of their comrades have already fallen to the police. A number died in shoot out and the others were captured. In his last stand, he was with his two most trusted men in Bob and Charley Ford. It happened in St. Joseph, Missouri where he was shot in the head by one of the Ford broods in Bob, also known as Robert.

The assassination of Jesse James is due to treason. It was reported that Robert was in connivance with the Governor of Missouri. He was sent to jail for a short time, only to be pardoned after and given part of the bounty tagged on Jesse James head.

The assassination made national headlines. It gained prominence throughout America. This made Jesse James a legend, a sort of America's Robin Hood, famous for being a class act bandit and a desperado.

The film was based on the novel of Ron Hansen, and directed by Andrew Dominik. It will be distributed under the license of Warner Brothers. The important cast includes Bread Pitt as Jesse James, Casey Affleck as Robert Ford, Mary Loise-Parker as Zee James, Sam Shepard as Frank James, and Brooklynn Proulx as Tim James among others.

The latest news suggest that the movie is a good pick, with most reviews having a positive tone regarding the movie. The good news have a multiplier effect, it also translates with the two leading actors in Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck. For Brad Pitt, the adjustment part in his role for the movie was not a problem. Jesse James plays a moody character. Accordingly, Brad admits he has the problem of congenital sadness. But he's moving away from it, since his kids are really a big help to him. I think Brad's success is more on the family matters.

Casey Affleck's growth in showbiz is surely on the right path. He experienced a good rubbing under Brad Pitt. Some would say that he stole the show as Robert Ford. Well, not a bad start to distinguish him aside from being called “Ben Affleck's brother.” Another good news is that his wife is expected to deliver their second child anytime soon.

Good movie and good news to the actors. What can I say? Well, I guess its a series of very fortunate events. Not a coincidence, but purely something out of talent, hard work, and a little luck.

Sydney White

2007-09-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

Sydney White

and the Seven Dorks

Summer time is over. Another academic year in progress for the students. For most of the bunch, its still the same grind. But for a special bunch, high school seniors, its gonna be a jump from preparatory schools to college. Adjustments have to be made over again for a new and brighter chapter in one's life.

Generally speaking, boys could adapt to the college condition better than women. The female sex usually have a hard time to cope up with these changes. After all, life in high school is far off removed from college. Eventually, every one should adjust to the call of the times. “Zeitgeist” as the Germans would call it.

This September (2007), a movie about adjustment from high school to college life is out in theaters. Specifically for college frosh, Sydney White gives the audience a perspective on how to deal with the new challenges and dilemmas that enters a girl's world once she becomes a fully pledged college student.

Distributed by Universal Pictures, the movie Sydney White is directed under the supervision of Joe Nussbaum. Accordingly, the movie was just shot in the State of Florida in the University of Central Florida (UCF) and the University High School in Orlando, which has in its vicinity one of Universal Studio's theme park. The cast of the movie includes Amanda Bynes as Sydney White, Sara Paxton as Rachel, Matt Long as Tyler, John Schneider as Paul White, and Jack Carpenter as Lenny to mention a few.

The movie's plot is quite simple. Sydney White, an up and coming college frosh, enrolled in the fictional Southern Atlantic University. The reason is because of blood line and succession. Her deceased mom, an alumni, is a member of the university's most prestigious sorority. Sydney is ready to be the next family sorority member.

Having passed through all the steps made for membership accession, Sydney discovered that the sorority is not what it used to be. In fact, it was the opposite of being prestigious. Though still influential, as a testimony to this claim the student body president in Rachel Witchburn is the student body president, the sorority is a sort of power status. Those who are in belonged, and those who aren't part are losers.

Deviating from the sorority, Sydney found her true friends from the most unexpected group in the university. A group of seven socially challenged guys, thereby called dorks, became her core group. In the process, she also found her love interest in the frat boy Tyler. The love blossomed between the these two love birds.

The frat boy and the seven dorks became close because of Sydney. Together they had worked for one goal, and that is to overthrow the sorority led student government. They wanted to change the student dynamics system in the university.

Movie reviews have mixed reactions about the film. Others would say the movie have no charm at all, like it does not reach the level of Mean Girls or Clueless. Others would praise it as a poor man's version of Cinderella and the Seven Dwarfs. The positive connotation of the previous sentence is that the movie is viewed on the level of a 1^st year college girl. Its like bringing Cinderella down to the level of an earthly figure. Someone that most girls could really relate.

By the way, the selection for the leading actress in the movie was also excellent. Amanda Bynes, as the choice for the role, is the perfect fit for this type of films. She's just barely 21 years old. Also she is a good influence for the youth, not known to have any notorious records compared to most of her colleagues – with the likes of Lindsey Lohan or High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens. From the business side of things, she recently was able to launch her own fashion line “Dear” under the license of Steve and Barry's, a fashion line that caters to mostly college students.

A college model for the frosh, who would you want? I'm sure with all the drug allegations Lindsey is up against, you would think twice. Nor you would want to have a topless role model in Vanessa Hudgens. Well, Amanda Bynes is all we need in the picture.

Good Luck Chuck

2007-09-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

Good Luck Chuck

Teenage sex comedy movies have usually one common theme, and that is getting laid. Almost every movie of this kind usually point to sex and pleasure. Do you happen to know any movie that is opposite the common theme? Personally, I really don't know any movie that opposes the trend.

That is until I have read about the movie Good Luck Chuck. Released on the 21^st of September this year (2007), the movie really deviated big-time from the recurring theme. Instead of getting laid, the movie's theme presented the other side of the coin – controlling one's sexual appetite despite the temptation from your most most treasured girl.

The movie Good Luck Chuck, produced by Tracey Edmonds, is directed by Mark Helfrich, and distributed by Lionsgate film productions. The movie casting is a bit diverse. Its stars Dane Cook as Chuck, Jessica Alba as Cam Wexler, Jodelle Ferland as Lila Carpenter, and Dan Fogler as Stu, among others.

The plot of the movie revolves around a certain guy named Chuck. In his childhood, he played a game of spin the bottle with a goth girl. Upon losing one round, he was dared to kiss this girl, but he refused. The goth girl then cursed him that every girl he sleeps with breaks up with him and find Mr. Right immediately.

Chuck is now fully grown up and is a successful dentist. Having observed the pattern, he hoped to have the opportunity of having new women every time. As for the women's part, many lined up in his clinic just to be able to hook up with this hot hunk. What happened is that both parties benefited from each other. The women got the chance to settle down. Chuck, on the other had, obtained sexual pleasures.

That trend continued until one day when he met the woman that would change his life. Chuck met a penguin trainer in Cam Wexler. She is single, love-able, and clumsy. Suddenly, Chuck realized the value of truly falling in love. The two dated exclusively together. In the process, she was trying to persuade him to have sex with her. Knowing the curse that affects him, he tried every step of the way to avoid sexual intercourse. Chuck simply doesn't want to lose Cam to another guy, deemed to be her Mr. Right. Chuck believes he is Mr. Right for her. He struggles both to let go of the curse and to be her keeper.

Different movie reviews mostly do not view the movie in a good light. Most say that it is offensive, expletive, tiresome, and insensible. In fact, there was one review that stated Good Luck Chuck is not good at all. Also it was classified as below par with movies released this year having the same genre.

Put the worry aside, the movie had a far more reaching influence on its cast. My focus turns to Jessica Alba. It was reported that she is now a major supporter of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW),an international organization advocating the mission to improve animal welfare by reducing commercial exploitation and abuse of animals.

The question that enters my mind is that, was she influenced by her role in the movie? I bet we don't need to debate about that one. Jessica Alba's intentions need not be known to all of us. The hanging question is whether she did it just for the show, or for real. Will she be the next showbiz ambassador for a great cause – like UNHCR's Angelina Jolie. All I could do is wonder, I just hope Jessica Alba's support for IFAW is genuine.

Mr. Woodcock

2007-09-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Mr. Woodcock

Life is always a progression. There is nothing constant in our lives. Along the way, we have only memories to cherish. These memories are either good or bad. There is no in between, no gray areas. Others would magnify their experiences by saying something like “we just had a rough childhood.” Still this line is a good way of saying, we had it bad.

For the people who had a rough childhood, I think the movie Mr. Woodcock is theirs for the taking. I believe this will refresh these people of the memories on the bad episodes in their childhood. But with a smile already since it has all been done. Past is past, nothing can be changed about it. All we could do is to smile.

Mr. Woodcock, released last 14 September 2007, stars Sean William Scott, Billy Bob Thornton as Mr. Jasper Woodcock, Susan Sarandon as Beverly Farley, Amy Poehler as Maggie Hoffman, and Ethan Suplee as Nedderman. The movie was written by Micheal Carnes and Josh Gilbert, produced by Bob Cooper and David Dobkin, and directed by Craig Gillespie. It runs for only around 87 minutes. Such a short movie, maybe even one of the shortest for comedy films.

The movie was set in a small town somewhere in Nebraska. It featured how little boys would handle the pressure under a sadist coach in Mr. Jasper Woodcock. Since then, the boys have grown up but the man in charge of the Physical Education classes never changes. He still is the same cruel PE teacher.

The boys have had different paths in life. One of them in John Farley went on to become a successful book author. His works are mainly on the inspirational materials that youngsters usually read. As an addition to his success, he is also a motivational speaker in line with the real life characters such as Coach K of Duke University, Stephen Covey, and the like.

As a tribute to his success, the town planned to award him with the honor bestowed to successful people from the area. Going back to the small town in Nebraska, the memories of his childhood returned to him. He remember the joys, and the sorrows too. The beating he got from Mr. Woodcock did not escape his memory.

Bad omen didn't escape John Farley. In fact, he learned of the worst thing upon returning to his hometown. His famous tormentor is dating his already-widowed mother. Yes, Mr. Woodcock is dating Beverly Farley. And not only that, they are scheduled to marry each other.

John, on his part, still has the ire over his coach. He can't seem to forget the way they were manhandled by their former coach. As a from of retribution, he tried every way so as to sabotage the upcoming wedding between his mother and former coach.

December Boys

2007-09-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

December Boys

Friends may stand as our brothers or our sisters. In times of happiness and grief, these are the people that we want around us, and these are our so called alliance, or simply, friend. Fraternities and sororities are also another way of having acquaintances, it is firmly stated that “all for one and one for all.” But how far can friendship go? How big is a factor friendship to people? Will friendship dispute family, relationship, studies, career, hopes and dreams? Its always been claimed that friends come and go, and true friends are here to stay. Look at the bigger picture, we may have tons of friends but only real friends will surely count. The question is, “how far will you go for the sake of friendship?”

In 1960's there are four orphans called the December Boys, a title given because they were all born in the month of December in different years. The boys leave their orphanage for the reason that there hope getting adopted is most likely impossible to happen. The December Boys finally dropped this dream and swore to be by each others side no matter what. As they set off to the beach of Australia, they meet an old couple wanting to adopt a child. Facing the consequences brought by the holiday trip, all four boys compete among themselves as the bond of brotherhood breaks to gain a real family. As new alliances are made, their friendship is put to the test when long gestating feeling of rejection erupts to the surface. In the end, each boy learns and discover something about himself and his place in the world.

Rated PG-13 in the US and in Australia, December Boys is directed by Rod Hardy, produced by Richard Becker, written by Marc Rosenberg and based from the novel by Micheal Noonan it is set to be released in Australia on September 20 and September 14 in the US. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Maps, Lee Cormie as Misty, Christian Byers as Sparks, James Fraser as Spit and Jack Thompson as Bandy and more others to mention.

The Brave One

2007-09-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

The Brave One

Suspense films have not always catered to the tastes of the youth. Teenagers would rather watch no-brain chick flicks rather than occupy themselves with movies that have a deeper storyline. Anyway, the movie that I am going to write about is suited for mature audiences. In a more vivid description, the movie I'm going to write is comparable to an old-aged wine. Only a few may know how it really tastes, but once you've tasted it, you know what class is all about.

The Brave One movie is not like any other suspense film. Yes, people would say that more than suspense it could be considered as a vigilante film. But if it is such, its not just any other vigilante movie. And what is the real difference? Its the twist that makes the movie different. The leading actor in this movie is a woman, contrary to most vigilante films that we have known about.

The Brave One, directed by Niel Jordan, is a crime and drama film produced by Susan Downey and Joel Silver. It was written by Roderick and Bruce Taylor, and Cynthia Mort. It was released just recently, 14 September 2007 to be exact. The important cast of the film includes Jodie Foster as Erica Bain, Naveen Andrews as David, Terrence Howard as Detective Mercer, Mary Steenburgen as Carol, and Jane Adams as Nicole.

The story is between two lovers who were about to get married but circumstances have avoided them to do so. The Lady, Erica Bain, is a late night radio talk show host, while her guy, David, is working in the hospital. On one fateful night, the soon to be couple strolled their dog Curtis in the dark streets of New York. Happily walking with each other, David suddenly throws the ball down a tunnel so that Curtis would chase after it. Curtis chased the ball but never came back.

The couple checked out the what took their dog so long inside the dark tunnel. Soon they encountered three thugs. These thugs have nothing but bad intentions for the two. Soon a struggle happened between the couple and the hoodlums. David got beat to death, while Erica got hospitalized and treated for more than a month after being beaten badly.

Upon regaining her consciousness, she was informed by what have happened to her. She was even shocked that her boy friend died after the incident. A few people have tried to help her, but she is still in the state of mind where she wants nothing but revenge. Taking the matter into her own hand, Erica Bain once again lived the normal life, but with a chip on her shoulder this time.

She had a solution to that one. And that is to take the law in her hands. By having that chip on her shoulder, she literally pursued for the killer of her boy friend. First she looked for a gun. Not having obtained it legally, she bought it from the black market. This was the beginning of her search. Along the way, she killed a lot of thugs before having found the killer of her boy friend. In the end, revenge became a pretty thing. She got the monkey off her back, and she was able to continue with her life.

Dragon Wars

2007-09-15T14:09:00.001-07:00

D-WAR

What is a myth? What difference can it make to one's society when there are certain myths that has been passed on from one generation to the other? As a kid, these types of questions have entered my mind. It was a great help for me since it widened my imaginations and wanderings in life.

The common man would say that myths are a stuff of legends. These are legendary figures that we always look up as part of our culture's mystic past. I was raised having that thought in mind, and up to date these mythical stories somehow amazes me in one way or the other.

One of the riches cultures in the world belongs to the Koreans. Though they are currently ideologically divided into the North and South disciplines, the former being the communist and the latter democratic, they still have the same cultural beginnings. And yes, they share a common myth. Koreans believed in the myth of Haram.

As a proof that the Koreans believe and adore in such a mythical figure, the movie Dragon Wars was released just this year (2007). The director, producer, and writer of the movie are all Koreans by nationality. James Kang is the producer, Shim Hyung-Rae is both the writer and the director of this film. The movie casts include Jason Behr as Ethan, Amanda Brooks as Sarah, Robert Forster as Jack, and Aimee Garcia as Brandy, to mention a few.

Set in the city of Los Angeles, the movie talks about the reincarnation of the spirit of Haram, Narin, and Bukari and his men. Haram is the mythical ancient warrior that existed more that 500 years ago. Narin is the love in the life of Haram, whom he will fight for no matter what happens. Bukari on the other hand is an Imugi serpent, or more known nowadays as a mythical Korean dragon, measuring about 200 meters long. Bukari has a legion that includes monsters that are reptile-like in their physical appearance. These legion includes the Dawdlers, Bulcos, Atrox soldiers, and Shaconnes.

The is about a young boy in Ethan Kendrick, who is just curious as any kid out there would be, unexpectedly meeting an antique dealer named Jack. Ethan encountered the owner when he was window shopping inside the antique store. Ethan looked at the glowing Korean chest with a dragon scale. Upon seeing him, Jack recognizes that Ethan is the reincarnation of Haram's spirit.

Jack gave Ethan a pendant and told him the story of Haram. Jack's mission was to find who the reincarnation of the love of Haram's life in Narin, and together they should fight Bukari and his men. His mission was accomplished twenty years after the fateful day that he met the antique shop owner. And yes, just like the original Haram, Ethan fought tooth and nail against Bukari and his serpent-like army.

Indeed, this story is made for the ages. This has been part of the Korean oral tradition. Haram's story have been passed on from one generation to the other. This is the myth of an ancient warrior against a dragon and his legions.

Resident Evil

2007-09-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Resident Evil: Extinction

The video game turned movie phenomena have not yet died down. The moviegoers have seen Mortal Combat, Street Fighter, and Final Fantasy just to name a few. There is one common denominator that stands out for these video-inspired movies – and sad to say it is that most of them are a flop in the big screen.

This does not stop brave producers from creating movies out of video games. One of the latest to be out in theaters this year (2007) is the last series installment of the popular game Resident Evil. Produced by Paul Anderson and directed by Russell Mulcahy, the movie will be out in the United States theaters on the 21st of September.

The cast of the movie includes the same notables from the previous Resident Evil movies, such as Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter. Milla Jovovich stars as Alice and is one of the most important character in the series. The other main star is Ali Larter playing the role of Claire Redfield. Other notable actors in this film are Ian Glen, Oded Fehr, Spencer Locke, Mike Epps, and Ashanti to name some of the more important cast.

The movie Resident Evil: Extinction is a loose adaptation of one of Resident Evil's video game series namely Resident Evil: Code Veronica. Somewhat the movie is a sequel of the events in the previous Resident Evil: Apocalypse movie. In the latter, Raccoon City was destroyed using nuclear means but it was not able to contain the spread of the T-Virus. Umbrella corporation tries to be the watchdog in the spread of the virus but the outbreak could never be really stopped.

Alice, one of Umbrella's agents, tried to contain it herself. But now she is alone – some of her comrades are dead already – left in the wastelands in the United States trying to desperately save the few people left not yet infected by the virus. She has become so powerful, with many years in the Umbrella, but at the same she has to contend with a lot of enemies. There are the zombie armies and the undead people infected with the T-Virus.

She was able to deceive her opponents, thus escaping to the confines of the Nevada desert. There she met fellow Raccoon survivors and the Raccoon's new found friends. She was able to accessed to a notebook that points to a place north of Alaska where it is to believed that it has not yet been reached by the T-Virus. They believed it was their sanctuary.

Together with the other survivors, Alice led the way in finding the means to go to the sanctuary. Along the way, they had many opponents, including the Umbrella. They fought with a purpose, and that is to save the whole of humanity.

Virgin Territory

2007-09-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Virgin Territory

Comedy movies have usually only one objective: to leave a smile on people's faces. People watch them in the cinemas and go home empty handed. These types of movies are made for purely laughs alone. They're made not to make you think at all, or even get a lesson out of the movie. Most of these movies are not connected to reality. It serves as a retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Have you heard of comedy movies that are not part of the mainstream line, as described in my previous paragraph? I bet there are only a number of comedic films that are somewhat connected to reality, may it be part of history or the current social era. One of them is the up and coming Virgin Territory movie. Indeed, this movie was made partly to put a smile on people's faces and also to learn something about one of the most significant event in western history.

Virgin Territory, directed by David Leland, is based on the book of Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron. The book is a compilation of medieval allegory novels that spoke of the times where they mix the classical genre to the Christian culture. Just imagine mixing the thoughts of Plato or Aristotle to that of St. Peter or the higher ups in the Roman Catholic ladder. That is the picture of medieval allegory in a nutshell. The cast of the movie includes Mischa Barton, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Egan, Tim Roth, and Sylvia Colloca.

The Dark Ages of western civilization was when there are rampant wars, diseases, and the like. Mortality rates rise up like it could never be controlled. This is the period between the classical and the renaissance milieu. Also this is where the movie Virgin Territory was set. At this point in history, Florence in Italy was experiences the great plague phenomenon. A group of young people tried to avoid the diseases and the panic it caused so they agreed to get out of the city for a little while.

Upon having that little liberty, these group of young people shared a common life with each other. They had the same experiences, from the more refined ones to being a little sexy and erotic. What happened in the precious time that they were together need not to be expounded. If you are really interested, then check out the movie. I am sure you will surely enjoy the movie.

Comedy and history combined as one. There is no such word to describe it, but maybe “comistory” would fit that category. Well, its just in my imagination that such a word exist. Anyway, what is more important is for the audience to get something from history with a smile on their face. Laughter and learning could be synonymous after all.

3:10 to Yuma

2007-09-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

3:10 to Yuma

Action and adventure movies may be portrayed with different time lines. They could be situated in the modern times or way back in the early part of the 1900s. Many films in this genre usually focus on the earlier 20th century era with the likes of the can't-miss Indiana Jones series. These films surely have a vintage look.

Take into consideration a much more older time setting, like maybe in the 19th century, and you will get somewhat a classic feel. Imagine watching an action and adventure movie with those cowboys in action and seeing a vast land free of all the modern infrastructures. Wouldn't that be real great? There's no need to worry. The movie 3:10 to Yuma has the feel of the vastly unoccupied 19th century America.

3:10 to Yuma is directed by James Mangold and a remake of the original 1957 film. Its main actors are Russel Crowe as the villain and Christian Bale as the protagonist. Set in the context of the progressive reform period in American history, the movie was shot in some parts of the state of New Mexico. It is about highway banditry and heroism on the part of a family-oriented cowboy.

The story revolves around Ben Wade and Dan Evans. It all started when the notorious Ben Wade, played by Russel Crowe, and his gang intercepted an armored carriage in the Southern Pacific Railroad in Arizona. Mr. Evans was affected by the incident since his cattle was used by Wade and his gang in doing their latest operation.

Though Wade was successful with the aforementioned operation, Evans was irked so he tracked him down where ever he could. He found Wade while the latter is making love with a waitress in one of the pubs. The good thing is that he was able to delay his escape until the police arrived to capture the notorious hold up suspect.

As Wade was about to be transferred to Yuma, the brave Dan Evans volunteered himself to be a volunteer guard in the transferring of Wade. Having been a veteran of the Civil War, he knows the consequences that goes with it. Along the way, Wade's group tried to rescue him so as to avoid the tribulation in court. With every offensive that Wade and his group makes, Evans have an answer. He never let his guard down until he's gonna drop dead.

In the end, 3:10 to Yuma is a battle of the determination and spunk between the king burglar and the simple living war veteran. Who won between the two? Well, its for you to know and for me to find out. I'm gonna watch this movie, will you follow suit?

I'll be waiting..

The Nanny Diaries

2007-09-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

The Nanny Diaries

Life's journey can take us from zero to hero, or vice versa. It all points out to the conclusion that life is uncertain, and that there are no definite givens in one's existence. Some people born with the silver spoon may end up in the poorer sector of society someday. Poor people may get out of their current state and become truly efficient economically. In the end, what matters are the decisions that we make throughout the process.

One of the hardest decision-making age is right after one's graduation in college. At this age and time, youngsters have to make choices that could most probably affect the rest of their lives. Some would think about their career undertakings. Others would focus on having the first job only for experience sake. A plethora of questions is waiting for the young person just barely out of college.

The Nanny Diaries movie is a good reflection of how every graduate should handle their situation. A fresh college graduate is basically equal to a question mark. This question mark is how s/he gonna be starting an independent life, or better known as “the life of their own.” The movie tries to show that rush judgment has its price, of course in a comedic way.

Written and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, the movie is an adaptation of the 2002 Novel by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin. The cast includes the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, and Alicia Keys to mention a few.

The story revolves around a young lady in Annie Braddock who just recently graduated from the fictional Montclair State University in New York City. She was pressured in having a choice between following her mom's dream that she will have a position in the business sector and her own ambitions of being an anthropologist someday.

In one incident, she met Mr. & Mrs. X from Upper East Side Manhattan, the place where usually the rich people reside. She was tasked to be the nanny of their restless son. In the beginning she was excited to have the job, but in the process she learned that it was hard to be in the middle of a situation where the wife is spoiled and the dad does not pay any attention to the kid. Also she fell in love with some guy in the process, the neighbor of the X family, whom she calls “Harvard Hottie.”

All these experiences are written in a journal. This served as her diary for the nine months while working as a nanny for the X family. Somewhat the journey is kinda emotional, but also full of laughter, for a woman barely out of college and finding her niche in society.

The movie points to only one thing, which is to be very careful in one's decision-making processes. Also we should be enjoying the journey that we are taking. For all we know, what matters most in life is not the destination, rather it is the journey that we take in order to reach the aforementioned destination.

Bourne Ultimatum

2007-09-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

Bourne Ultimatum

There's a saying which goes, “you have to save the best for last.” This could be applicable in any way people wanted. In my case, I think this is applicable in movies, especially in movie trilogies. A case and point would be the Bourne Trilogy. Basing on gross figures of the box office, the latest of the Bourne trilogy is the choice of the people as the best among the three movies. Indeed, Bourne Ultimatum made the exit of the Bourne character from the theaters a truly remarkable one.

The Bourne Trilogy kicked off in 2002 with Bourne Identity. Two years after (2004) it was followed by Bourne Supremacy. Then the last in the trilogy series – Bourne Ultimatum – was recently released this year (2007).

Watching the third and last of the trilogy series, the advantage goes to those who have watched the first two Bourne movies since all these three are constantly connected with each other. The actors who played important characters also remain the same. These are Matt Damon as Jason Bourne or Captain David Webb, Julia Stiles as Nicky Parsons, Joan Allen as Pamela Landy, and David Strathairn as Noah Vosen to mention a few.

The start of Bourne Ultimatum is the ending of Bourne Supremacy, where David Bourne was able to elude the arrests of the Russian police. Now in France, Bourne resurfaced to tell Marie's brother of hear death. Soon after, he was headed to England to meet one journalist by the name of Simon Ross. The problem with this meeting is that the CIA was able to detect when the word “Blackbriar” was mentioned. The reason being is that this is the codename for the supposed assassination of Jason Bourne.

Once again, Bourne was able to escape from the hands of the CIA and its hired assassins with the purpose of solely targeting former agent David Webb aka. Jason Bourne. Still in search for his identity, Bourne was able to contact Nicky. He was given the idea to go to the Treadstone Facility to have some psychological tests. He was finally captured by the antagonists in the facility. Still he got away with it by jumping in the river.

Due to the incident at the facility, the “Blackbriar” mission was exposed and it was investigated by the government. The senate investigated the matter. It was never known if Jason Bourne was really alive after he jumped from the East River. Only it was shown in a flashback that he walked away from the river after some motionless moments.

Balls of Fury

2007-09-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

Balls of Fury

Sports movies have been the trend for the past couple of years. From the top of my head, I can even mention more that five movies already. These are The Longest Yard, Gridiron Gang, Kicking and Screaming, Invincible, Blades of Glory, and Goal I & II, to mention a few. Usually these movies are either comedy or inspirational material. It is either for laughs alone or for motivational purposes.

The common recurring sports movies are usually the mainstream sports. These are football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and ice skating. The latter being somewhat the main recreation during the winter season. Little attention is given to other sports. Will this be the case all the time?

Good thing the movie Balls of Fury strays a little bit from the recurring stream. Though it is a sports movie, it focuses on a less popular sport. The featured game is table tennis, more popularly known as Ping Pong. The sport is popular to Asians but not that appealing to the Europeans and Americans.

Balls of Fury is another sports comedy movie directed by Reno 911's co-producer in Robert Ben Garant. The movie was written by the director himself and his Reno 911 colleague in Thomas Lennon. It is produced by Derek Evans, Ron Schmidt, and Toby Emmerich. The cast of the movie includes Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez, Thomas Lennon, Thomas Lennon, and Terry Crews to mention a few.

The movie's plot revolves around a former world great and table tennis Olympian Randy Daytona. Haunted by his loss in the 1988 Olympics, his skills were never the same after the meet. Retired from competitive playing, he found employment in a casino in Nevada with the use of his still-exceptional ping pong tricks.

As a matter of fact, this led to his discovery by an FBI Agent in Agent Rodriguez to sneak inside the operations of Master Feng, a notorious criminal leader. Daytona can infiltrate his lair by going back to his old self as one of the top ping pong players since Master Feng holds an annual underground ping pong tourney.

Having lost the edge that brought him to the Olympics, Daytona seeks for the help of Maggie Wong who is a true master of the sport. He underwent a rigorous training that included a match against a wonder kid 8-year old girl. That match became the turning point since it means that he was ready to enter the underground tournament, with the possibility of death if defeated by the opponent. Daytona's mission is once and for all completed.

The movie gives a new twist to the avalanche of sports comedy hitting the theaters. This gives the viewers a chance to know unpopular sports, such as table tennis. Also it gives them the chance to laugh themselves out, even just for a little while.