First Poster and a Leaked Teaser for Aronofsky's NOAH

November 13, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Movie Posters Tagged Anthony Hopkins, Darren Aronofsky, Emma Watson, Jennifer Connelly, Logan Lerman, Noah, Posters, Russel Crowe, Teasers

Probably the most controversial film on the upcoming release slate is Darren Aronofsky‘s Noah. Famous for his bleak views into crumbling psyches, this isn’t gonna be the kiddy version of Noah and his animals zipadeedoda-ing on the merry sea. Since the beginning of the project, Aronofsky has said that his film will focus on survivor’s guilt and the birth of environmentalism. How much of an appearance God and Christianity will make is surely a toss up but don’t expect church groups to be rowing out in full force to see this (like they did with Mel Gibson‘s Jesus-as-torture-porn Passion of the Christ.)

Today we get two first looks at Noah with a first official poster and a bit of a leaked trailer (that will most likely be yanked by the time you read this). From this little peak, we can get a bit of a read on the tone of the film which does look to cross sandal-and-sword epics with the quiet psychological trauma of an Aronofsky film. The poster on the other hand conjures up the feeling of big 3D spectacle flicks like Clash of the Titans or the new 300: Rise of an Empire poster but I hardly expect the similarities to go much further than that.

I’m having trouble embedding the link here (these leaked ones are often ass-backwards) so instead I’m going to re-direct you over to ComingSoon.com. So just follow this link over there to check it.

Noah is directed by Darren Aronofsky and stars Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, Kevin Durand, Douglas Booth and Dakota Goyo. It storms into theaters March 28, 2014.

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Joe Wright to Direct Peter Pan Origin Story

November 12, 2013 by Jill Landon Posted in Movie Announcements Tagged Joe Wright, Peter Pan

Joe Wright has already proven his high-brow literary cred, with adaptations of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Ian McEwan’s Atonement, and Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. While not an apatatio, he also directed Hannah which is entertainment in its purest form. Continuing on, according to Variety’s sources, he will be adapting Peter Pan, one of the most beloved children’s stories of all time. Jason Fuchs, with only two full length screenplays under his belt, wrote the script and Greg Berlanti will produce.

Wright has proven to have a striking visual style that blends realism and a more stylistic, fantastical approach, which should make him the ideal man for the job. It remains to be seen, whether this will be geared more towards children (Fuchs has previously worked on the Ice Age films) or if it will take a more mature approach to the subject matter. Wright has an excellent opportunity here to toe that line, in the same way he did in Anna Kernina and Atonement.

Peter Pan hasn’t been done in a while so why not just do it all over again? That is the studio mentality these days right? However according to rumors, Sony and Disney are also working on Peter Pan films of their own. Of the three, Wright’s name certainly gives this one the edge, in terms of potential artistry.

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Angelina Jolie is Horny in Poster for MALEFICENT

November 12, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Movie Posters Tagged Angelina Jolie, Disney, Maleficent, Robert Stomberg

A twist on Disney’s classic animated feature Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent revolves around the “Mistress of All Evil,” here played by Angelina Jolie. Much like “Wicked” took the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, Malficent sees the story through the eyes of the antagonist, revealing just how she did become so evil after all.

In storybook lore, jealous that she was not invited to her christening, Malficent cursed baby Aurora to prick her finger and die before she hit 16. Once called the “most menacing villain in Disney canon,” it’ll be interested to see how effective Disney is at humanizing a character that’s always been little more than a deep hue of evil.

Visual effects guy Robert Stromberg will direct with John Lee Hancock (Saving Mr. Bank) apparently brought in to do some reshoots. A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal — an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora (Elle Fanning). As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom — and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.

Maleficent is directed by Robert Stomberg and stars Angelina Jolie, Miranda Richardson, Imelda Staunton, Kenneth Cranham, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville and Brenton Thwaites. It hits theaters on May 30, 2014.

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Spiderman Dons a Fighterfighter Helmet and Hose in…Wait What?

November 12, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Film Editorials Tagged Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jaime Fox, Marc Webb, Paul Giamatti, Spiderman, The Amazing Spiderman 2

Ok, where to begin on this one? Deep breath. So it appears that spidey sense, web-shooters, and wall climbing abilities just aren’t cutting it these days as Spidey has taken up a new mantle as an amateur firefighter… helmet and all. It’s not really clear where this will fit into the events of the next film or if it’s maybe just a joke intended to stir the internet into a WTF frenzy but the high quality of the photo and the apparent effects erupting all around Mr. Fireman seem to indicate that this is actually an event that takes place within the film. Because there’s nothing that Spiderman can’t and won’t do. Just you wait until stripper firefighter Spiderman. I don’t know about you but I can’t help but laugh at this photo while simultaneously dreading how terrible the film will likely be. I humbly apologize though because you’re now undoubtedly dumber for having seen this photo.

While the first film in this controversially rebooted franchise saw the events of Sam Raimi‘s Spiderman and his origins mimicked to the n^th degree and a very poorly realize baddie in Doctor Connors – a man/lizard intent on turning the rest of Manhattan into man/lizards – this followup will feature Jaime Foxx as a very, very blue Electro. Because why would you cast a black man and leave him with black skin? Also, Paul Giamatti will step in as a small role as the Rhino with speculation pointing towards an eventual gang of super villains in the form of the canon classics, The Sinister Six. Finally Spiderman 3 and it’s three villains will seem like a respite once these six start rolling along.

In a typical move of putting the cart before the horse, it seems that Fox cares more about the future of the franchise than the present, dumping villain names as if they’re movie gold. I, for one, am very over this property and am already waiting for it to default back over to Marvel. Go ahead and look at these photos of Electro, Peter, and Gwen with the knowledge that you’ll probably just end up complaining about this flick after it comes out anyways.

Jaime Foxx as Electro

Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker

The Amazing Spiderman 2 will see the return of director Marc Webb and stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone but also features a whole cast of new actors including Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Paul Giamatti, Felicity Jones, Chris Cooper, and Sally Field. The Amazing Spiderman 2 opens May 2, 2014.

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Justin Lin Brought On For BOURNE 5

November 12, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Movie Announcements Tagged Bourne 5, Bourne Legacy, Jeremy Renner, Justin Lin, Tony Gilroy

You might not think you know the name Justin Lin but trust me, it’s right there at the tip of your tongue. He’s the guy who turned the Fast and Furious franchise from a joke into an empire, somehow winning over action junkies, international crowds, and even critics to the tune of billions. But now that he’s been confirmed to direct Jeremy Renner, the star of last year’s very mildly successful Bourne Legacy, in a fifth Bourne film, already rumored to see the return of original trilogy header Matt Damon, talks have turned to how Lin will handle a property that drops fast cars, massive set spectacles, and a flock of skin-deep meat heads (sorry Dom) for a simmering thriller rife with political undertones.

Lin has most certainly shown he’s adept at staging larger-than-life action sequences but Bourne has always been more about close quarters combat – not to mention shaky cam – than actual the stuff of stunning spectacle. Legacy suffered a horde of bad reviews that marked it down for keeping its head in the chem clouds and prioritizing twists and turns over genuine character arcs so one wonders how Lin – a typically action-heavy director – will serve as a substantial improvement over Tony Gilroy‘s (Michael Clayton) direction. If one thing is abundantly, it’s the fact that Universal Studios seem to want to go a new direction with the franchise, presumably a much more high-octane-oriented route.

Whether Renner’s Aaron Cross character will actually cross paths with Damon’s Jason Bourne is nothing more than unsubstantiated rumors at this point but there’s something about nabbing Lin that leads me to believe that this fifth film looks to really take things to another level.

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Weekly Review 32: IN A WORLD, DEAR ZACHARY, SOMM, 21 AND OVER

November 11, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Weekly Review Tagged 21 and Up, Dear Zachary, In A World, SOMM, Weekly Review

After an extremely busy week at the theater that saw reviews for Thor: The Dark World, Diana, and Dallas Buyers Club and screenings of Nebraska and Philomena – which I’ll write about next week – I got busy with some more at-home viewings, catching up with a couple of flicks from 2013 that had previously swooped under my radar. I would certainly gush about the two documentaries – SOMM and Dear Zachary – that I encountered but the two traditional feature films – 21 and Over and In a World – left something to be desired. Take a stroll down movie watching lane with this week’s edition of Weekly Review.

IN A WORLD (2013)

Lake Bell‘s directorial debut is a well of indie potential that never quite finds its footing. The resulting dramedy – as if we really need another movie that fits the “dramedy” bill – is sloppy but mildly entertaining, even though it has this strange feeling that the fun was intentionally capped at 7. Laced with many B-list comedy stars, In a World rewards those plugged into film geekery with its wacky premise following a battle to become the next big thing in trailer voice over work. Demetri Martin, Jeff Corddry, Ken Marino, and a barely used Jeff Garlin all feel squandered, as if Bell didn’t want anyone to shine more than her and underwrote their characters and left any improvisation strokes of comic gold on the cutting room floor. There’s certainly many elements to like and Bell’s unkempt VO laggard is a great – dare I say feminist – turn of counterculture to an industry dominated by men but, ultimately, the ratio of laughs to mere smiles make this comedy a venture not worth pursuing.

C

DEAR ZACHARY (2008)

Amateur filmmaking and (un)happy accidents turn what could have been a minor pet project into an often unruly and always devastating documentary. Originally meant to commemorate the loss of Andrew Bagby – an at-home filmmaker/aspiring doctor who has murdered at the hands of a jealous girlfriend – this documentary shifted focus with news that his murderer was pregnant with his child. As a letter to a son about his father, Dear Zachary transforms into a whole different beast entirely. Reality tends to be more shocking and messy than fiction and the events that take place throughout this film serve as unholy proof of that fact. As much a peepshow into the failings of the justice system as a degradation of a murderer let off the hook, her name is Shirley Turner, Dear Zachary is a devastating documentary of the highest degree.

B+

SOMM (2013)

Taking a peek into the little known world of sommeliers, SOMM shows us just how little we know about wine and to what lengths some will go to be called “a master.” Despite any initial reaction urging you to jump up and yell “Bullshit!”, these gurus of grape knowledge must learn about every imagine facet of the wine making process – from grape varietals to dirt to regions, subregions, and villages – to even stand a chance at the impenetrable master sommelier test for which they are studying. Giving us a new perspective on a beverage as old as time, SOMM showcases devotion and persistent in the most unexpected of professions. The film stutters in moments and feels like it could have shaved off certain elements but for making us believe that a test about wine might just be much harder than passing the bar exam, filmmaker Jason Wise deserves a big glass of wine and a respectful nod.

B

21 AND OVER (2013)

There’s little to like in this cliche-ridden college movie that’s smothered in familiar tropes like cold gravy on a hard biscuit. Taking each and every familiar path we’ve seen so many times before, 21 and Over lacks anything distinct and is unable to summon a single laughter during its 93 minute runtime. For so short a film, it quickly overstays its welcome and only just barely glides by on the easy charm of star Miles Teller. Even the cursory gross out gags are inessential, mere distasteful moments tacked on as a last ditch effort that the film isn’t completely forgotten.

D

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10 Best Movies on Netflix Instant (You Probably Haven’t Seen)

November 9, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Lists Tagged Bellflower, Blue Valentine, Brick, Bullhead, Hustle and Flow, In Bruges, Pi, Populaire, The Cabin in the Woods, Warrior

Obviously Netflix is choke full of classics like Pulp Fiction, comedy gold like Zoolander and my favorite movie of all time Apocolypse Now. Also Once Upon a Time in The West, The Avengers, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Y Tu Mama También, Bottle Rocket, Midnight Cowboy, Being John Malkovich, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Braveheart, Memento, Punch Drunk Love. But we’re not here to talk movies that you’ve already seen or know. However if you’ve missed any of them, I implore you to get on the saddle and get to queuing because none of those films are to be missed.

But for every movie that you know you should have seen, there are two that you’ve never even heard of. This list covers those diamonds in the rough scattered throughout Netflix Instant. So do yourself a favor, grab a bag of popcorn and settle in for some hidden gems of the film world.

BELLFLOWER

An absolute knockout, Bellflower opens like a cheaply made indie romcom and evolves into one of the darkest looks at a relationship ever to grace the silver screen. Beyond the absolutely devastating third act, Bellflower amazes with its paltry budget and DIY filmmaking approach. Made for a figure shy of $17,000, Bellflower squeezes more bang for its buck than any other movie I can think of. If you’ve got a strong stomach and want to experience a film that will rip your heart out, throw it on the floor and set it on fire with a flamethrower, be sure to pop on Bellflower immediately. But don’t be deceived by the first flowery half-hour or so, once you peel back the shades, Bellflower is one of the most grim and bluntly devastating films ever made.

Add Bellflower to “Your List”

HUSTLE AND FLOW

Everyone seems to know that this movie scored an Oscar for Three6 Mafia but much fewer have seen the actual movie. If you had, you’d understand exactly why that Oscar was earned. And you would helplessly start chanting, “Whoop that trick (get ’em)” in your head. A powerhouse film that showcased a host of America’s “underbelly”, Hustle and Flow made us care about a pimp and his hoes. Like Terrence Howard‘s Djay we awaited the American Dream and were just as crushed and uplifted by his uphill journey to a mystical pot of gold.

Add Hustle and Flow to “Your List”

PI

Darren Aronofsky‘s first film is also his least seen, but there’s no good reason for it. Filmed entirely in black-and-white (not for artistic purposes but for budgetary reasons), Pi follows a troubled mathematician coming to head with his own fleeting sanity. Lean in scope but full of challenging intellectual hurdles, Pi set the table for Aronofsky’s career tailor made of mental deterioration and bleak cinematic landscapes. Pretty much everyone has seen Black Swan by now (or at least the beloved Portman on Kunis scene) but most have overlooked this early gem in the true auteur’s career. If you’ve been putting it off, now is the time to delve in. Just make sure you don’t have any power tools on hand.

Add Pi to “Your List”

BULLHEAD

Nothing cinches a movie like a great ending and Bullhead is perfect evidence of that fact – it’s filmmaking 101 on how to stick your ending. It may be Belgian and may not feature any actors you’re familiar with but this story of corruption and crime packs an unforgettable punch that’ll linger long after it’s rock hard finale. Chartering the nature of violence and the inescapable shadow of childhood, Bullhead explores the dire notion that we do not control our destiny. Instead, it is irrevocably pieced together from our experiences – the tide of nurture overtaking nature. Though it is often hard to watch, it is eerily sincere in its frankness and surprisingly affecting.

Add Bullhead to “Your List”

WARRIOR

A criminally underseen tale of two estranged brothers who meet in the Ultimate Fighter arena, Warrior only pulled $13 million on a $25 million budget, making it all but a financial failure for distributor Lionsgate. But for however unsuccessful Warrior was monetarily, it garnished near universal praise from critics and for good reason. With showstopping performances from stars Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte, Warrior continued the streak of movies centered on men in the ring striking gold (for further evidence of this fact look to The Wrestler and The Fighter). However borrowed some of the story elements may have been, Gavin O’Connor‘s film does them the right way, proving the continuing power of the sports epic.

Add Warrior to “Your List”

BLUE VALENTINE

When I reviewed Blue Valentine in 2010 to the tune of an A, I called it a “taxing but worthwhile study of the ups-and-downs of a rocky relationship.” Having seen it a number of times now, I can stand by that statement wholeheartedly. One of the most powerful and intimate looks at a relationship I can remember seeing on the screen, Blue Valentine unleashes the acting prowess of Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling as they tear up each and every scene. Falling in and out of love with each other on a dime, their relationship is a train wreck that we can’t help but stare at. But don’t think of this as a “date movie”, the hard-hitting conclusion probably won’t leave anyone into lovey dovey mode.

Add Blue Valentine to “Your List”

POPULAIRE

A frothy French rom-com that’s sure to delight even the surliest of humbuggers, Popularie turns typewriting into sport and transcriptions into an allegory for women’s rights. Starring a bunch of people from France that you’ve never heard of, Populaire is insta-artistry and you’ll be that much more likeable for having seen it. Next time you’re at a dinner party and are trying to impress a lady fella, mention that you saw and loved Populaire. Mission accomplished. Netflix has a great tendency to scoop up little independent gems like these barely after they’ve hit theaters and Populaire is a great example of this media giant helping out the little guy and bringing something that otherwise wouldn’t reach a huge audience to the legion of at home viewers. Now do yourself a favor and pop it on your list.

Add Populaire to “Your List”

IN BRUGES

A jet black comedy that gently reminds you to love Colin Farrell, In Bruge has heart, wit and tension in spades. Following the exploits of two bumbling hit men hiding out in a quiet Belgian village, Farrell and co-star Brendan Gleeson are certainly an onscreen odd couple but their pitch perfect chemistry works wonders. Whether they’re bickering or sharing heartfelt moments of manlove, this mismatched duo speaks to the broken dreams in all of us. From unforgettable one-liners (“You’re just the rudest man, the rudest man”) to the shockingly gruesome showdowns – all of this plus a dour midget whacked out on hallucinatories – In Bruges is full of unexpected surprises. Director Martin McDonagh went on to make Seven Psychopaths but it failed to reach the crazy highs of In Bruge.

Add In Bruges to “Your List

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

Forgive me if you’ve already seen Cabin in the Woods but considering how new it is, I felt it demanded an inclusion on this list. If you have seen it, you most likely already love it though so won’t mind seeing it recommended to others. As a send up to the genre, Cabin in the Woods is a witty deconstruction of horror tropes, lambasted through the lens of comedy. While the first half of the film tries to convince you that it’s just the same old cabin in the woods story you’ve seen a million times before, the last bombastic act flips the genre on its head, offering heady satire in spades. Joss Whedon of The Avengers co-wrote the script with director Drew Goddard and by the end of the writing process liked it so much that he wanted to direct it himself. Even though Whedon got shut down, Goddard managed to handle the material with wily perfection. Cabin in the Woods reminds us of all the reasons why we love and hate horror, doubling as a love letter and a reminder to shake things up every once in a while. Top all that off with a merman with a blood blowhole and you have yourself a truly delightful experience.

Add The Cabin in the Woods to “Your List”

BRICK

Before Looper, director Rian Johnson debuted to the film world with a hard-boiled high school noir the likes of no other. Before becoming a household name, Joseph Gordon-Levitt rocked shaggy hair and spectacles as he saunters through a silky script that perpetually tipped its hat to Chinatown. Tactile, greasy, and totally compelling, Brick is imagination gone wild – the unicorn of independent cinema. For every hundred movies made, there is only one like Brick and appreciating its eccentricity is half the fun. Combining elements of 50s noir with a high school setting sounds unnatural but the result is a thing to behold. A film that challenges the intellect and keeps you on your toes to keep up, Brick is something of a stunner. Whether you like your detective yarns fresh squeezed or not, this one’s spilling over with extra pulp.

Add Brick to “Your List”

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Out in Theaters: DIANA

November 8, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Biopic, Diana, Naomi Watts, Naveen Andrews, Oliver Hirschbiege, Out in Theaters, Reviews

“Diana”
Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel
Starring Naomi Watts, Naveen Andrews, Douglas Hodge, Cas Anvar, Daniel Pirrie, Charles Edwards, Geraldine James
Biography, Drama, Romance
113 Mins
PG-13

A princess locked away in her castle has never been quite as dull as in Diana. Even her knight in shining armor is a touchy troglodyte, so petrified of being in the public eye that he’d sooner bury his passion under a callused doctoral turtle shell than mumble “I love you” one more time. Diana keeps telling us to root for this unlikely and spotted relationship and yet we see it clearly for how fickle and irrevocably broken it is, eviscerating all emotional attachment and leaving its audience with cold feet.

While Diana the woman was a visionary humanitarian, Diana the movie is blind to its own half-baked inconsequentiality – a relic of biography as bore that has no place in the rom-com market it nearly exists in. A shining example of the tail wagging the dog, Diana is tugged through the mud with its lackluster “universal love story” front and center, a mistakenly proud icon of this flunky biopic.

Rather than focusing on Princess Diana’s chest of civil achievements, Oliver Hirschbiegel contents himself with this turkey of a love story. In doing so, he misses out on establishing historical interest and wholly makes us wonder why he chose to make a film about Diana at all since this lame love story could have belonged to pretty much anyone else.

Entirely uninterested in stirring the pot, Diana presents events that take place behind closed doors as fact and headlines as monuments to her character. With a narrative that’s pierced by moments of tabloid iconography and held in place by the glue of hearsay, there’s nothing to learn about Diana here apart from that one fated schoolgirl crush on an unlikable doctor.

As Diana, Naomi Watts is sadly unremarkable. Rather than a woman of action, she drifts like a puppy dog, hopping from cause to cause like they’re islands in the tropics, never taking a moment for deeper introspection. While Watts assumes some of Diana’s physical tendencies, there is little to award for her performance as Diana: The Princess of Tedium. Naveen Andrews is similarly disappointing, embodying a character that you never really like much less fall in love with. It’s hard to tell though how much fault belongs to Andrews though as his character is unfitting of this love saga – his hardened, driven persona incongruous with the stuff of true love fables.

Worse than the parts of their two fruitless performances is its sum. Even a blind man could see that there is no great love here. In fact, there hardly seems to be any love at all. Chemistry between Andrews and Watts is mostly invisible and consistently as sultry as a wool blanket. Little more than a wet dream fantasy overcooked in an Easy Bake Oven of delusion, their relationship is borderline pathetic, much less inspiring.

Having based the entire film around this floundering relationship, Hirschbiegel has set it up for inevitable failure. In romance, there is joy, but there is no joy here. No, just a wandering stream of historical conscientiousness built on a creaky foundation of overwrought infatuation.

Perhaps most unforgivable of all is how long Diana seems to stretch on – it’s an endless desert of enjoyment without the mirage of anything better to come. A mere ten minutes in, I was checking my watch. From there on out, it hardly improves.

The most harrowing aspects of Diana’s life are surely found in her relationship with her celebrity status but even that is treated with clumsy hands. For Diana, every outing is a exercise in dodging her inescapable fandom. The claustrophobia of the public forum – a space that’s constantly transformed into the most intimate of photo shoots – is palpably noxious. But as she waffles between celebrity and infamy, her relationship with the press remains largely unchanged, as if no one thought to account for the impact of her shifting public persona.

For all the psychological trauma that these snapping cameras seem to cause Diana, little light is shed on her emotional burden. Rather, Hirschbiegel vilifies the press – here seen as an animalistic force operating solely under the “sharks to blood” mentality. Like a maiden set for sacrifice, Diana’s destruction comes across as inevitable. As if her high horse was just waiting to buck her off while everyone snapped photos and passed judgment. But for all of the supposing about Diana’s frail mental state, nothing ever sets. There’s nothing definitive about Diana in Diana, a film that is definitively dull.

There must have been some attempt along the way to reciprocate Diana’s perpetual boredom, a state brought upon by her princess locked away in a tower qualities, but boring your audience is something else entirely – something you steer clear of at all expenses. Closer in kind to a Hallmark movie than any biopic of substance, this torpid film gives ennui the royal treatment.

D-

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Out in Theaters: THOR: THE DARK WORLD

November 7, 2013 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Anthony Hopkins, Chris Hemsworth, Idris Elba, Marvel, Natalie Portman, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Thor: The Dark World, Tom Hiddleston 2 Comments

Between Chris Hemsworth‘s washboard abs and the razzle-dazzle signature FX of Marvel‘s brand, Thor: The Dark World uses blinding awesomeness to cast shade on its portended plotting. First and foremost a Marvel movie, this second (or third if you’re counting The Avengers) outing for the God of Thunder rounds all of the superhero studio’s likely bases, but a gilded touch from Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor helps bring an epic scope to the proceedings. Far exceeding the first film in terms of visual panache and high stakes action beats, the crowning gem of the Thor camp continues to be Tom Hiddleston‘s Loki. Deviant, seething, and locked away for treason, Loki may not be as much of a focal point as he was as the big baddie in The Avengers but he persists in being the most complex and unpredictable character in Marvel’s stable. Read More

New THE RAILWAY MAN Trailer Rolls Out

November 7, 2013 by Jill Landon Posted in Trailers Tagged Colin Firth, Jonathan Teplitzky, Nicole Kidman, The Railway Man

Character exploration of PTSD-suffering war vets as well as studies of mental illness and masculinity is a topic that has been well tread in film. But the topic is so rich and important that it warrants such attention. Rarely is it explored in the context of WW2 (Last years The Master being one of the few exceptions) and even rarer is it explored in the context of the Pacific Front. The recently released second trailer for Jonathan Teplitzky’s The Railway Man looks to explore those issues from an exciting persepective, as Eric Lomax (played by Colin Firth) sets out to find the soldiers responsible for his torture on the Death Railway.

Firth, Nicole Kidman, and Stellan Skarsgard look to turn in strong performances as per usual. The cinematography and set locations look fantastic as well. Unless the script completely falls flat on its face, this should be an emotional journey and a definite award contender.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEGTm1jgf_U

The Railway Man is directed by Jonathan Teplitzky and stars Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Stellan Skarsgard, and Hiroyuki Sanada. It hits theaters December 26, 2013.

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