Movie weekly

BEING HUMAN

2011-06-24T07:43:00.002+07:00

Most people complaining about various problems facing them. Not infrequently people complaining about how difficult being a human being. In fact, not infrequently, people dream to be someone else, even God's creatures other than humans. But really, not much human effort when compared to the business of creatures physically like a human, but not the original, which seeks to be a human being like most people around.

The creature in question is none other than vampires, werewolves, and the latter is a ghost. And BEING HUMAN is the story of their efforts merge into most human and 'throw' away facts about their true identity forever.

BEING HUMAN

Aidan (Witwer) is a nurse at a hospital in Boston since the last few years. He likes to work in an atmosphere where he can do good and help others. He also found comfort while helping the patient to seek peace in death that is (probably) he would never know. Understandably, behind a beautiful figure and an idol many female nurses in there, Aidan is a vampire since the Revolutionary War.

Meanwhile, Josh (Huntington) who works in the same hospital with Aidan it also has its own secrets. Josh is a bright future as a medical school student was hijacked when he turns into a werewolf and 'forced' to leave his family with a question and his past life with no explanation. Every month, when the full moon, Josh pekatnya night hiding in the woods surrounding the minimal population, and turned into a werewolf. This he did so he would not attack the innocent population.

"We explore these moments and what the characters experienced in the British version and say to the writers, 'What if We do this differently?" - Jeremy Carver

His meeting with Aidan brings new hope for Josh. Because just as the vampire friends. Josh also want to live like human beings again. As they begin to realize the plan to run a normal life like most people, they met with Sally (Rath). The woman who rented the real occupy now inhabited Aidan and Josh are similar but not identical, in the sense that he is also not human, but he is also not a 'monster,' Sally 'only' ghost curious.

The house is now occupied by the three of them are Sally's house and {ex) fiancee; Danny (Venuta). Together, they try to organize their lives back, and mutually support one another. However, various constraints are not infrequently approached, one of which is the business James Bishop (Pellegrino), a Boston police officer who is actually a vampire from the UK who have lived since the 18th century. He always tried to pull back Aidan in the 'family', because the Bishop is none other than the people who changed the nurse. Besides that fact, Bishop is difficult to be separated from Aidan, because this is what the police rarely solve a variety of 'chaos' when Aidan failed to control thirst.

BEING HUMAN is recycled and the British series is titled the same creations Toby Whithouse the third season has just ended and it is certain to continue into the fourth season. For the American version, the series premiered on January 17, 2011 was developed by Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke. Own the first season just ended on April 11 last, but Syfy has confirmed that the series is up to 10 episodes originally seen on average by 1.5 million pairs of eyes each episode will continue into the second season since the far-away days. But there is no definite date when the second season will begin airing

Tower Heist; bunch of comedy star

2011-06-24T07:11:00.003+07:00

Film trends that combines several artists at once more numerous. Not for animation, but live action movies. Understandably they are often a potent recipe for scoring box office as well as restore the prestige of some members of the 'ensemble cast' is. This is what happens in the main role TOWER Heist with Ben Stiller. Followed by the next artist are Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck, Zachary Levi, and Michael Pena. In addition, there are still too Tea Leoni, Jon Voight, Gabourey Sidibe, Judd Hirsch, and Stephen Henderson

Surely not easy to combine some well-known artist in the film because the maximum duration of about two hours, they have to share time, in a sense, how many minutes each artist appears on the screen? For example, Ocean's Thirteen which in theory there are 13 important people in one group, so if you want 120 minutes divided equally, in theory each had less than ten minutes to appear on the screen. Obviously it is also not good, then it automatically at the end there should be one, two, or a maximum of three artists who stand out, while the rest remains as a complement to enliven the film. Look no Sylvester Stallone The Expendables, RED with Bruce Willis, and so on. Except in a film there are several pieces of new stories 'ensemble cast' could be more evenly distributed as in HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU.

Now Ben Stiller re-incorporate some of the artists off the star in a movie. Previously, he has also been 'an ensemble cast of' cross-generational series in MEET THE PARENTS. While in Tropic Thunder, Stiller invited some artist friends appear as a cameo. TOWER Heist filming has just finished in February 2011 which took the site entirely in New York. With big names and the cold hands of Ben Stiller, TOWER Heist will be one of the leading film ends of 2011. Although it is not easy considering the schedule of the adjacent circulation and also Puss IN BOOTS TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN: PART 1. But fortunately, TOWER Heist has a different genre so that the target market men and women are expected to be achieved.

Tower Heist film (reminiscent of the Oceans Eleven series), revolves around the figure of Josh Kovacs (Stiller) who manage one of the elite-rise buildings in the city of New York. Thanks to Josh supervision, residential buildings are always well groomed and orderly. One place at the top of the building occupied by prominent Wall Street brokerage; Arthur Shaw (Alda). Arthur was secretly taking money its investors which is then stored in his residence and soon will flee. Josh once traced the money also goes down in the investment game Arthur felt compelled to take the money right back. The trick to infiltrate into the residence and stole behind Arthur. Josh's main advantage is already feeling memorized the intricacies of this tower. The bad side of Josh and his group amateur in terms of theft. As a result, they were overwhelmed when stealing. Many new things are unexpected even though in theory they should already know the location.

It took five screenwriters to the story was initiated by Eddie Murphy is considered perfect. Meanwhile, director Brett Ratner himself would have experienced with the theme of having been a successful action comedy RUSH HOUR trilogy through. With a unique story line and cast and crew qualified, in theory TOWER Heist will achieve satisfactory box office.

In many Ben Stiller film, Owen Wilson's name was almost always there, whether as a partner willing to even just a cameo. There are at least 11 movies Owen Wilson worked with Stiller, ranging from THE CABLE GUY, PERMANENT MIDNIGHT, HEAT VISION AND JACK, Meet the Parents, Zoolander, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, Starsky & Hutch, MEET THE FOCKERS, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, AT NIGHT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE Smithsonian, and LITTLE FOCKERS. Even Owen Wilson should also exist in Tropic Thunder, it's just been canceled because the case involved a suicide. In TOWER Heist, so far has not listed the name of Owen Wilson. But, it could be staged later he attended two or three minutes just to cameo as he often did. Its characteristics are similar to Rob Schneider in Adam Sandler movies that have a record of working together more. the differences, Owen Wilson often get a more weighty role

Something BORROWED

2011-06-22T22:08:00.003+07:00

Sinopsis

Since in college Rachel White (Ginnifer Goodwin) does have a crush on Dex Thaler (Colin Egglesfield) but unfortunately she did not dare to reveal his love. Rachel tried to forgetting Dex, but fate seems to always bring them together, although sometimes must start with a bit of a problem.

Unbeknownst to Rachel, Dex was planning to marry Darcy Rhone (Kate Hudson ), a good friend of Rachel. At one point, Rachel had met Dex and since not take it anymore, she reveals her feelings. Totally unexpected, Dex also appeared to feel the same. Slowly the romantic atmosphere increasing and both could not control himself anymore.

This relationship is the start of new problems. No one knew of this relationship other than Dex, Rachel, and Ethan (John Krasinski), a Rachel good friend. Unexpectedly, Ethan was also kept secret while at the same time, Marcus (Steve Howey), a famous playboy eventually involved in this affair.

Review

There's a strange story that offered by Jennie Snyder Urman (scriptwriter) and Luke Greenfield (director) through Something BORROWED. Consequently, visualization of the Emily Giffin novel failed to 'touch' the audience. Yet this is actually going to be very helpful in this kind of film.

Something BORROWED is still struggling with the grip pattern of romantic comedy. There may be an attempt to be different though ultimately these efforts failed. What is clear, the characters in this film actually make the plot so absurd. Then the questions began to emerge. If Darcy's character is described as an antagonist character, then why Rachel and Dex so think of Darcy? Actually, the reason for it is not strong enough. Then if Dex is not the kind of guy who has a firm stance, why not just let Dex Rachel is married to Darcy?

And constraints are difficult to answer is what makes this film so it feels awkward. Its feels different with the character in the movie of Tom and Summer (500) DAYS OF SUMMER. Both are seen as fully human, complete with all the advantages and drawbacks. If only the three main characters in Something BORROWED intact portrayed as a man, perhaps this film will be an interesting spectacle.

'BLITZ' Police Killing Terrors

2011-06-22T21:52:00.002+07:00

Synopsis
They indeed have been sworn. They swore to protect and serve the community. Unfortunately their service is still not able to satisfy all levels of society. Some may only complain but there is also not hesitated to intervene. The victim began to fall.

South East London hit by terror. Not the ordinary people who became victims. Victims are falling but they are all police officers. This series of murders is done by the same person. At this critical moment Brant (Jason Statham) who is assigned to lead the police investigation into this murder case.

Brant is a cop who temper. He was uncompromising and courageous use of a variety of ways to catch criminals. With Sergeant Porter Nash ( Paddy Considine ), Brant began investigating the case. Who was this serial killer? What are his motives? And more importantly, can the Brant arrest serial killer terrorizing this?

Review
Jason Statham name is synonymous with action movies. After try out other film genres through GNOMEO and Juliet, now Statham back with BLITZ. Actually nothing really special about this film except that Jason Statham the main actor is. The rest was not different from other similar films.

After all this time playing as a criminal, this time Jason Statham finally gets a role as a cop. There was no change in anything in terms of acting. Statham still gets a two-dimensional role that was not too brain drain. Regardless, this role is right for Statham. It was the actor need not do much to prepare for a role in this film.

For an action movie, this one is quite a hodgepodge. In addition to live action show, there is also a thriller, there is a buddy-cop drama, and of course the depiction of life in the police. Consequently, there are nuances that transition sometimes feels a bit stiff. BLITZ does not promise more than can be offered mostly action movies, but not a lot of promise, at least BLITZ could be an entertaining.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

2009-12-31T16:21:00.001+07:00

box office review in movie-weekly.blogspot.com

For those just wanting to know if their youngsters will like the atrociously named ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKUEL, the answer is simple. If they liked the first one, they’ll like this. It is more of the same with the added “attraction” of The Chipettes, a female trio who mirror Alvin, Simon and Theodore. Jason Lee apparently didn’t want to repeat his role as Dave – their human keeper – and spends much of his limited screen time in a hospital bed. David Cross returns as the evil agent Ian, now planning his comeback via the Chipettes. There’s lots of slapstick, only one joke involving flatulence, and a not-so-subtle message about cooperation and respect.

However, watching this movie brings several questions to mind, and not only “Why are children’s movies are so bad?” It seems that only Pixar (“Up,” “Ratatouille”) remembers what everyone else in Hollywood used to know, that a good children’s movie is one that can be enjoyed by the whole family. It’s not just about keeping the 6-year-olds in their seats.

First, why do filmmakers think people climbing walls and fences at zoos and confronting dangerous animals is funny? Following the horrendous “Old Dogs,” this has just such a scene. Given that it’s being pitched to kids, this is some truly bad role modeling. We don’t need Hollywood to be a nanny, but there is such a thing as being responsible. Was this truly the only way to work out the story?

Second, why do the computer-animated chipmunks and the aliens in “Avatar” seem “real,” while the animated actors in “A Christmas Carol” do not? It’s not that you will believe chipmunks can sing, but that you can easily suspend your disbelief watching “Alvin” in the way you can’t with “A Christmas Carol” or the earlier “The Polar Express.” People have noted that it’s the eyes that make such characters work, but that doesn’t explain why chipmunks and aliens can have expressive eyes but human characters seem like the walking dead.

Third, the plot of “Alvin” involves them going to high school and being recruited by the principal (Wendie Malick) to appear in a competitive talent show. Budget cuts have put music programs on the chopping block but the winning school will receive $20,000 to save their program. You can guess which school’s winning ensures a happy ending, but are we not supposed to notice that that means that the other schools will have to shut their programs down?

Finally, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate provide the voices of the Chipettes. However, their voices are speeded up (as are Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jesse McCartney as the Chipmunks). That’s fitting for the characters but why bother to cast celebrity voices if they’re going to be so distorted as to be unrecognizable?

No one expects answers to these questions, but pondering them will help you pass the time if you’re unfortunate enough to have to sit through “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” with your kids.•••

Avatar

2009-12-29T21:03:00.002+07:00

what movies do you watch pals, have you watch this brand new movie?

AVATAR takes us to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure, ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home. James Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of "Titanic," first conceived the film 15 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not exist yet. Now, after four years of production, AVATAR, a live action film with a new generation of special effects, delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.

We enter the alien world through the eyes of Jake Sully, a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. But despite his broken body, Jake is still a warrior at heart. He is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where corporations are mining a rare mineral that is the key to solving Earth's energy crisis. Because the atmosphere of Pandora is toxic, they have created the Avatar Program, in which human "drivers" have their consciousness linked to an avatar, a remotely-controlled biological body that can survive in the lethal air. These avatars are genetically engineered hybrids of human DNA mixed with DNA from the natives of Pandora... the Na'vi.

Reborn in his avatar form, Jake can walk again. He is given a mission to infiltrate the Na'vi, who have become a major obstacle to mining the precious ore. But a beautiful Na'vi female, Neytiri, saves Jake's life, and this changes everything. Jake is taken in by her clan, and learns to become one of them, which involves many tests and adventures. As Jake's relationship with his reluctant teacher Neytiri deepens, he learns to respect the Na'vi way and finally takes his place among them. Soon he will face the ultimate test as he leads them in an epic battle that will decide nothing less than the fate of an entire world.

12/29 Box Office Mojo - Top Stories

2009-12-29T13:56:00.001+07:00

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Box Office Mojo - Top Stories - Top Stories from Box Office Mojo

Christmas Booms with 'Avatar,' 'Sherlock,' 'Alvin'
December 27, 2009 at 3:05 pm

The combination of Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel and other solid titles as well as Christmas landing on a Friday led to the highest-grossing weekend ever. Overall business came in at around $273 million, up 36 percent over the same timeframe last year and surpassing the previous high of $260.5 million on July 18-20, 2008, when The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia! debuted. Avatar was monolithic with an estimated $75 million, down a mere three p...

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12/25 Box Office Mojo - Current Box Office Results

2009-12-25T13:59:00.001+07:00

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Box Office Mojo - Current Box Office Results

Daily Box Office: Wednesday, December 23, 2009
December 24, 2009 at 7:52 pm

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel tops Wednesday's box office with $18.8 million

Weekend Box Office: December 18-20, 2009
December 24, 2009 at 9:28 am

Avatar tops the box office with $77.0 million

Daily Box Office: Tuesday, December 22, 2009
December 24, 2009 at 9:28 am

Avatar tops Tuesday's box office with $16.1 million

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FBI tried in vain to stop 'Deep Throat' film (AP)

2009-06-21T17:02:00.001+07:00

MIAMI - When the FBI investigated the landmark 1972 porno movie "Deep Throat," the case touched the highest levels of the FBI, even its second-in-command W. Mark Felt, the shadowy Watergate informant whose "Deep Throat" alias was taken from the movie's title.

The FBI documents newly released to The Associated Press reveal the bureau's sprawling and ultimately vain attempt to stop the spread of a movie some saw as the victory of a cultural and sexual revolution and others saw as simply decadent.

Agents seized copies of the movie, had negatives analyzed in labs and interviewed everyone from actors and producers to messengers who delivered reels to theaters.

"Today we can't imagine authorities at any level of government — local, state or federal — being involved in obscenity prosecutions of this kind," said Mark Weiner, a constitutional law professor and legal historian at Rutgers-Newark School of Law. "The story of 'Deep Throat' is the story of the last gasp of the forces lined up against the cultural and sexual revolution and it is the advent of the entry of pornography into the mainstream."

The papers are among 498 pages from the FBI file on Gerard Damiano, who directed the movie and died in October. Released this month following a Freedom of Information Act request by the AP, they are just a glimpse into Damiano's roughly 4,800-page file. More than 1,000 additional pages were withheld under FOIA exemptions and because they duplicated other material; the balance of the file has not yet been reviewed and released.

Many parts of the released files are whited out and the FBI's ultimate targets are unclear, but the seriousness with which the agency treated the investigation is unquestionable.

The file includes memos between the FBI's top men — L. Patrick Gray, William Ruckelshaus and Clarence Kelley, successive heads of the agency after J. Edgar Hoover — and field offices so widespread, it seemed nearly all of the country's biggest cities were involved.

On various entries in the file, a checklist of top FBI brass appears in the top right corner, with initials next to some names. One of those listed is W. Mark Felt, the FBI second-in-command whose "Deep Throat" alias as a Watergate informant came from the movie's title. None of the markings indicate he read any of the materials on the movie whose name became synonymous with his role in bringing down Richard Nixon's presidency. However, former FBI agents interviewed by the AP after the documents were released said Felt almost certainly would have been aware of the huge investigation.

Felt got the double-entendre nickname because he leaked crucial information about Nixon administration corruption on "deep background" to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward. His identity remained a secret until 2005. He died in December.

While much of the probe centered in New York, where many involved in the film lived, and Miami, where it was largely shot, agents from Honolulu to Detroit were involved.

Aside from investigative records tracking subpoenas, interviews, screenings and shipments of the film, the Damiano file includes various FBI agents' play-by-play accounts of the movie's plot, and the specific role of Damiano in the agency's investigation.

The FBI notes Damiano had been "somewhat cooperative," On Aug. 7, 1973, an assistant U.S. attorney general writes to Kelley, saying Damiano is being considered for immunity. The memo doesn't specify the crime, though mentioned throughout the file is the charge of interstate transportation of obscene material.

Among the areas of the case file whited out is an interview with the star of the film, who at the time went by the name Linda Lovelace.

"Deep Throat" achieved fame unlike any pornographic film in history and become the most widely known adult film to reach a general audience. It was hugely profitable — made for about $25,000 and amassing hundreds of millions in receipts — and became a cultural buzzword.

Authorities have long said the movie was made with mafia money — and the FBI has linked the mob with porn over the years — but the file includes no mention of mob links.

Officials at every level of government tried to stop screenings and obscenity trials continued for years. But in the end, experts say, it represents the end of an era in which the government sought to stop the changing cultural tides.

Eugene Volokh, a law professor at UCLA, said the oddity of the scope of the investigation into "Deep Throat" is a reflection of very different times.

"Certainly today, with our broadly socially less restrictive attitude to most pornography and to sex more broadly it may seem odd that the government was spending so much effort on something like this," he said. "But attitudes back then were much different."

Drag Me to Hell

2009-06-07T15:46:00.001+07:00

Betsey Sharkey

If a one-eyed gypsy with very bad teeth asks you for anything, and really, I cannot emphasize this enough, say yes. Don't waver, don't bargain; anything short of yes could put you on a fast track to damnation as surely as a broken mirror will bring you seven years of bad luck.

Look at what happens to Christine, a very good egg boiled to perfection by circumstance and a lot of good work by Alison Lohman. One bad decision and suddenly director Sam Raimi throws her under the bus of his terrific new horror film, Drag Me to Hell.

If you've been worried that Raimi's decade spent spinning the Spider-Man web might have caused him to go soft, well stop. The director who gave us the Evil Dead trilogy is back with a vengeance that rivals the one-eyed gypsy I warned you about.

With that fire in his belly, Raimi's Drag Me to Hell does everything we want a horror film to do: It is fearsomely scary, wickedly funny and diabolically gross, three stomach-churning states that argue for taking a pass on the $10 box of popcorn. Which also makes the movie an excellent economic investment in these tough times.

I mention the economy because Raimi has made it an issue at the heart of Drag Me to Hell, in the spirit of campy cultural commentary that good horror can do so well. The director and his brother Ivan began the script 10 years ago before Peter Parker's many tribulations in Spidey tights sidelined it. If the Raimis really are as prescient as Drag Me would suggest, I'd like to put in a good word for them to be added to the Obama economic recovery team.

You see, Christine is a lending agent at a bank and ambition has made her desperate for a promotion. The gypsy is old Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver), who just wants a little of the candy on Christine's desk and another extension on her home loan. Sounds reasonable to me. And it did to Christine too until her boss (David Paymer) hints that if she is serious about that promotion . . .

So good, decent Christine goes against her better judgment and denies Mrs. Ganush's request. Bad choice, Christine. Before she can begin what will be a long string of "I'm sorrys," that become "How dare yous," there's a curse on her head and the nightmare begins. Not too many scenes later you may find yourself wondering if the title was meant to refer to Christine or the rest of us.

Against all the craziness that any decent ghost story conjures up, there has to be the rational voice. In Drag Me, it comes from the Mac guy, Justin Long, who I'm sure will one day have a role that will turn his Apple ad stint into nothing more than a footnote, but this won't be it.

As the very proper professor Clay Dalton, Long is torn between what he knows is reality and his increasingly delusional girlfriend's belief that she's got just a few days to fend off the devil who's nipping at her heels. Clay doesn't have what it takes to fight off demons anyway, assuming he even believed in them, but he's a good boyfriend, willing to humor Christine even when he thinks she's completely lost her mind.

In Mrs. Ganush, Raimi and Raver have created a horrific otherworldly fiend that can hold her own against the best of the Freddy Kruegers of the world. This is one woman who can roar (still, I do worry that given the slimy dentures, projectile vomiting and that really bad temper, Raver won't be doing lunch in town any time soon). Other evil forces are churned up by that angry curse and rise too; the particularly deadly dark spirit called Lamia is the one to worry about.

Though the film has echoes of Raimi's earlier and much loved Evil Dead series -- especially what he does with mischief-making, chill-inducing wind -- Drag Me to Hell should not be dismissed as yet another horror flick just for teens. The filmmakers have given us a 10-story winding staircase of psychological tension that is making very small circles near the end. Though Christine is technically the one doing the climbing, it's nearly impossible not to feel like she's dragging us right along with her, which is after all the point.

There are all manner of grisly things that Christine must deal with before it is finished, but it's really grisly-lite, nothing like the torture-porn of the Hostel series or the bodies-on-meat-hooks style of sadomasochism you find in Hellraiser.

When Raimi says Lohman is in virtually every scene except the opening historical note, he's not exaggerating. In broad strokes, because you should experience the fear and loathing of the specifics for yourself, she must decide exactly how far she is willing to go to stay alive. There is one point that risks having sympathy turn to antipathy, and I'm betting that a contingent of the audience won't be able to get past it, but Lohman, with her strange blend of apple pie sweetness and business school pragmatism, is the right one for the job, making sure most of us stay on Christine's side.

From the stuff that is driven into and through bodies to the stuff that comes out of them and all the other strange things that go bump in the night, the look of the film is a studied balance between over-the-top camp and believable enough moments that, taken together, might give you a few sleepless nights. A certain grave-site scene demonstrates both nicely, so a special shout-out to the vast teams that handled the stunts, the effects, the makeup and the rest of it.

Horror might not be your thing, but if you can push through the fear, stomach the gross and just let yourself go with it, the payoff is experiencing a filmmaker totally in his element. Raimi is having the time of his life -- he knows exactly what he's doing with every scene and every scream. He's confident, he's smiling. If he has us squirming in our seats, then so much the better.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

2009-06-07T15:39:00.001+07:00

This movie is adapted from the famous cartoon series GI Joe. Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, whose previous collaboration was the worldwide blockbuster “Transformers,” join forces with Spyglass Entertainment for another extraordinary action-adventure “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos. “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” is directed by Stephen Sommers (”The Mummy,” “The Mummy Returns”).

Release Date : August 7, 2009

Director : Stephen Sommers

Writer : Stuart Beattie

Cast : Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid

Studio : paramount

IMDB : link

Runtime :

Website : http://www.gijoemovie.com/

Actor David Carradine found dead in Bangkok

2009-06-05T16:26:00.002+07:00

BANGKOK - Much like the character that made him famous, David Carradine was always seeking, both spiritually and professionally, his life forever intertwined with the Shaolin priest he played in the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu."

Just as the character, Kwai Chang Caine, roamed the 19th Century American West, Carradine spent his latter years searching for the path to Hollywood stardom, accepting low-budget roles while pursuing interests in Asian herbs, exercise and philosophy, and making instructional videos on tai chi and other martial arts.

Carradine was found dead Thursday in Thailand. The 72-year-old actor appeared to have hanged himself in a suite at the luxury Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel, said Lt. Teerapop Luanseng, the officer responsible for investigating the death.

"I can confirm that we found his body, naked, hanging in the closet," Teerapop said. He said police were investigating and suspected suicide, though one of his managers questioned that theory.

"All we can say is, we know David would never have committed suicide," said Tiffany Smith, of Binder & Associates, his management company. "We're just waiting for them to finish the investigation and find out what really happened. He really appreciated everything life has to give ... and that's not something David would ever do to himself."

Carradine had flown to Thailand last week and began work on "Stretch" two days before his death, Smith said. He had several other projects lined up after the action film, which was being directed by Charles De Meaux with Carradine in the lead.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, said the embassy was informed by Thai authorities that Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday.

"I was deeply saddened by the news of David Carradine's passing," said director Martin Scorcese. "We met when we made 'Boxcar Bertha' together, almost 40 years ago. I have very fond memories of our time together on that picture and on 'Mean Streets,' where he agreed to do a brief cameo."

Carradine came from an acting family. His father, John, made a career playing creepy, eccentric characters in film and on stage. Half-brothers Keith, Robert and Bruce also became actors, and actress Martha Plimpton is Keith Carradine's daughter.

"My Uncle David was a brilliantly talented, fiercely intelligent and generous man. He was the nexus of our family in so many ways, and drew us together over the years and kept us connected," Plimpton said Thursday.

Carradine was "in good spirits" when he left the U.S. for Thailand on May 29 to work on "Stretch," Smith said.

"David was excited to do it and excited to be a part of it," she said by phone from Beverly Hills.

Filming began Tuesday, she said, adding that the crew was devastated by Carradine's death and did not wish to speak publicly about it for the time being.

The Web site of the Thai newspaper The Nation said Carradine could not be contacted after he failed to appear for a meal with the rest of the film crew on Wednesday, and that his body was found by a hotel maid Thursday morning. It said a preliminary police investigation found that he had hanged himself with a curtain cord and there was no sign that he had been assaulted.

Police said Carradine's body was taken to a hospital for an autopsy that would be done Friday.

Carradine appeared in more than 100 feature films with such directors as Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman and Hal Ashby. One of his early film roles was as folk singer Woody Guthrie in Ashby's 1976 biopic, "Bound for Glory."

But he was best known for "Kung Fu," which aired from 1972-75.

Carradine, a martial arts practitioner himself, played Caine, an orphan who was raised by Shaolin monks and fled China after killing the emperor's nephew in retaliation for the murder of his kung fu master.

Pursued by revenge assassins from China, Caine wanders the American West in search of his half-brother Danny. His conscience forces him to fight injustice wherever he encounters it, fueled by flashbacks to his training in which his master famously refers to him as "Grasshopper."

Carradine left after three seasons, saying the show had started to repeat itself.

"I wasn't like a TV star in those days. I was like a rock 'n' roll star," Carradine said in an interview with Associated Press Radio in 1996. "It was a phenomenon kind of thing. ... It was very special."

Actor Rainn Wilson, star of TV's "The Office," said on Twitter: "R.I.P. David Carradine. You were a true hero to so many of us children of the 70s. We'll miss you, Kwai Chang Caine."

Carradine reprised the role in a mid-1980s TV movie and played Caine's grandson in the 1990s syndicated series "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues."

He returned to the top in recent years as the title character in Quentin Tarantino's two-part saga "Kill Bill." Bill, the worldly father figure of a pack of crack assassins, was a shadowy presence in 2003's "Kill Bill — Vol. 1." In that film, one of Bill's former assassins (Uma Thurman) begins a vengeful rampage against her old associates, including Bill.

In "Kill Bill — Vol. 2," released in 2004, Thurman's character catches up to Bill. The role brought Carradine a Golden Globe nomination as best supporting actor.

Bill was a complete contrast to Caine, the soft-spoken refugee serenely spreading wisdom and battling bad guys in the Old West.

"David's always been kind of a seeker of knowledge and of wisdom in his own inimitable way," Keith Carradine, said in a 1995 interview.

After "Kung Fu," Carradine starred in the 1975 cult flick "Death Race 2000." He starred with Liv Ullmann in Bergman's "The Serpent's Egg" in 1977 and with his brothers in the 1980 Western "The Long Riders." But after the early 1980s, he spent two decades doing mostly low-budget films.

Tarantino's films changed that.

"All I've ever needed since I more or less retired from studio films a couple of decades ago ... is just to be in one," Carradine told The Associated Press in 2004.

"There isn't anything that Anthony Hopkins or Clint Eastwood or Sean Connery or any of those old guys are doing that I couldn't do," he said. "All that was ever required was somebody with Quentin's courage to take and put me in the spotlight."

In the 2004 interview, Carradine talked candidly about his past boozing and narcotics use, but said he had put all that behind him and stuck to coffee and cigarettes.

"You're probably witnessing the last time I will ever answer those questions," Carradine said. "Because this is a regeneration. It is a renaissance. It is the start of a new career for me.

"It's time to do nothing but look forward."

Natalie Portman signs on for comedy "Your Highness"

2009-05-31T16:22:00.003+07:00

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Natalie Portman is joining Danny McBride and James Franco in the fantasy comedy "Your Highness."

Written by Ben Best and McBride, the Universal Pictures project centers on an arrogant, lazy prince (McBride) who must complete a quest to save his father's kingdom. Joining him on the quest is McBride's more heroic brother, played by Franco.

Portman will play McBride's love interest, a warrior princess.

Director David Gordon Green ("Pineapple Express," "All the Real Girls") is shooting the film this summer in Northern Ireland.

Portman is working on "Hesher," an indie drama that marks her inauguration as a producer. She next stars with Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire in the drama "Brothers," a remake of Susanne Bier's Danish film.

Hugh Jackman springs to life in sharply directed 'Wolverine'

2009-05-14T14:49:00.001+07:00

Hugh Jackman is a man of varied talents. And killer claws, in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

As Wolverine, the unstoppable mutant with the shiny metal knuckle knives, Jackman artfully embodies a character who is both ferocious and humane. In this fourth X-Men installment, we learn how Wolverine is recruited into a secret military corps and lured into the sinister Weapon X program.

Jackman invests his fierce character with a cheeky attitude, clear-eyed intelligence and inherent decency, compelling viewers to care about his metamorphosis.

Wolverine, set circa mid-1970s, also reveals the early years of the vicious Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber) and the villainous William Stryker (Danny Huston).

A few mutants are unveiled: Deadpool, a wise-cracking swordsman with deadly aim (Ryan Reynolds); Gambit (Taylor Kitsch), who can imbue inanimate objects with explosive charges; and the teleporting Wraith (The Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am).

Despite a couple of "Nooooo" yowls, Wolverine is well-acted, with spectacular action and witty one-liners. The special effects are top-notch. A few plot points raise questions, such as how Wolverine lost his memory. And his romance with Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins) is unconvincing.

Some sequences stand out: A scene with a helicopter, a tank and several Hummers in pursuit of Wolverine is exhilarating. Equally spectacular is a climactic fight on the edge of a nuclear reactor.

Though consistent in tone with the previous movies, this prequel, directed by Gavin Hood (2005's foreign-language Oscar winner Tsotsi), is an otherworldly fantasy, where the others were dark and brooding sci-fi adventures.

Although it's a quintessential popcorn movie, Wolverine is not mindless. Hood and Jackman bring depth to a comic-book tale of anti-heroes with anger issues.

Coming soon: Terminator Salvation

2009-05-12T16:43:00.001+07:00

Release date: May 21st, 2009

PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action and language

STARRING
Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood, Common, Jane Alexander and Helena Bonham Carter.

SYNOPSIS
John Connor is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future that Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

2009-05-09T13:02:00.000+07:00

A smear of petroleum jelly might have done wonders for “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” a junky-looking romantic comedy that’s neither remotely romantic nor passably comic. An old trick used to soften facial lines, greasing a lens or filter can diffuse the image and, much like candlelight, bring a touch of glamour to a scene. And if ever a movie needed to have its hard lines eased with some cheap glamour, it’s this one: a crude gloss on Dickens’s “Christmas Carol,” it tracks a high-flying photographer who, on the eve of his brother’s marriage, is forced by several ghosts to revisit a life dedicated to sexual catch and release.

Matthew McConaughey, flashing choppers so blindingly white that he could light his own premiere, plays Connor Mead, one of those rom-com roués whose itchy libidos hide the usual sensitive soul. He’s a cad — he breaks up with three women simultaneously during a video conference — but, really, he’s just heartbroken and waiting for the right woman to help him heal. That would be Jenny Perotti, a childhood friend played by an uncharacteristically hesitant Jennifer Garner, whose performance suggests that she knows that she’s strictly backup. Less a co-star than a place holder (you can almost see the words “enter generic female lead” in Jon Lucas and Scott Moore’s screenplay), she delivers her indulgent smiles so wanly that her requisite thaw feels more like capitulation than like love.

The director Mark Waters, who typically does better by his actresses, proves of no help to Ms. Garner or anyone else. (Given his smoother work on “Freaky Friday” and “Mean Girls,” it’s hard not to wonder if this production itself were haunted.) Whether by contract or default, “Girlfriends” is strictly a one-man show, a vehicle for Mr. McConaughey’s diminishing returns. While there’s still a little charm under that permatan, it’s getting tougher for him to sell the goods on only a smile. He might still be capable of delivering an actual performance again, giving up something other than mannerisms (sauntering walk, crinkling eyes, flashing grin), but he needs a director who can help him get going. Age isn’t easy, even for golden boys.

The movie makes much the same point with Uncle Wayne, Connor’s lifelong bad influence. Played by an insistently watchable Michael Douglas, Uncle Wayne is a cautionary tale incarnate: an old-school playboy wrapped in a leathery casing who appears to have been at least partly based on the Hollywood producer Robert Evans. Now mostly famous for being famous and, to an extent, for his autobiography, “The Kid Stays in the Picture,” Mr. Evans produced classics like “Chinatown” once upon a time. Although Mr. Douglas’s face is often obscured with tinted, oversize glasses and a luxurious wave of hair, almost as if he were trying to duck the camera, he brings this ghost to freakish life. The lizard king no longer rocks, but he certainly does slither.

GHOST OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST

Opens on Friday nationwide.

Directed by Mark Waters; written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore; director of photography, Daryn Okada; edited by Bruce Green; music by Rolfe Kent; production designer, Cary White; produced by Jon Shestack and Brad Epstein; released by Warner Brothers Pictures. Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes.

WITH: Matthew McConaughey (Connor Mead), Jennifer Garner (Jenny Perotti), Breckin Meyer (Paul), Lacey Chabert (Sandra), Robert Forster (Sergeant Volkom), Anne Archer (Vonda Volkom), Emma Stone (Allison Vandermeersh) and Michael Douglas (Uncle Wayne).

Blood: The Last Vampire

2009-05-09T11:08:00.003+07:00

On the surface, Saya is a stunning 16-year old, but that youthful exterior hides the tormented soul of a 400 year-old halfling. Born to a human father and a vampire mother, she has for centuries been a loner obsessed with using her samurai skills to rid the world of vampires, all the while knowing that she herself can survive only on blood like those she hunts. When she is sent onto an American military base in Tokyo by the clandestine organization she works for, Saya immediately senses that this may be her opportunity to finally destroy Onigen, the evil patriarch of all vampires. Using her superhuman strength and her sword, she begins to rid the base of its evil infestation in a series of spectacular and elaborate showdowns. However, it is not until she forms her first human friendship in centuries with the young daughter of the bases general that Saya learns her greatest power over Onigen may well be her ability for human connection.

Director: Chris Nahon
Writer(s): Not Available
Cast: Gianna Jun, Allison Miller, Masiela Lusha, Andrew Pleavin, Koyuki, JJ Feild, Constantine Gregory, Joey Anaya, Ailish OConnor

Release Date: May 29, 2009
Country: Hong Kong, Japan
Website: Not Available
Distributor: Not Available
Genre: Action, Horror, Thriller
Rating: Not Available
Runtime: Not Available

'The Informers': Bored Meeting, By Kurt Loder

2009-04-27T15:54:00.001+07:00

"The Informers" takes us back yet again to the soul-drained 1980s of Bret Easton Ellis, upon whose 1994 short-story collection this ghastly picture is based. Yet again we're assaulted by all the author's period signifiers: the bored golden rich kids, the joyless drug snarfling, the handfuls of hair goop, mandatory Wayfarers, ambisexual bed wallows. Is there anyone left to be titillated by this cartoon decadence? Ellis, who also cowrote the screenplay, is said to be unhappy with the way the movie's turned out. He won't be alone for long.

In place of a plot, the film, which is set in L.A. in 1983, offers a skein of limp stories of surprisingly minimal interest. Billy Bob Thornton wanders through the picture, possibly with a light concussion, playing skeezy film producer William Sloan, who's thinking of reconciling with his pill-head wife, Laura (Kim Basinger), but still has the hots for a TV newscaster named Cheryl (Winona Ryder, receiving the worst guidance of her career from director Gregor Jordan). Meanwhile, his son Graham (Jon Foster), a Porsche-driving coke dealer, is droopily distressed by the fact that his girlfriend, Christie (Amber Heard, mostly topless), is sleeping with his slimy pal Martin (Austin Nichols) — sleeping with him on her own, that is, apart from their frequent threesomes. Meanwhile, a scagged-out English rock star named Bryan Metro (Mel Raido) has brought his bad, doomy synth pop to town for a concert, but apparently left his charisma back in Blighty. Meanwhile, a rich alcoholic named Les (Chris Isaak!) is hitting the bars with his disgusted son Tim (Lou Taylor Pucci) in hopes that they can pick up a pair of young nubiles together. Meanwhile, a hotel clerk named Jack (the late Brad Renfro) is being leaned on by a lollipop-sucking kidnapper named Peter (Mickey Rourke, a few months before he started shooting "The Wrestler"). Meanwhile ... well, that'll do.

The movie has more dead scenes than a Monday night in Magnitogorsk. Especially baffling is the one in which Cheryl stops by a diner and is loudly and perplexingly derided by a group of knuckle-dragging youths — an interlude that sags on the screen and then crumbles away to no effect. (Possibly it once related to other scenes that were dispatched by an edit-suite delete button.) The dialogue is also notably wretched. In the process of brow-beating Jack, whom he raised (or something) out in the desert, Peter says, "All there was was the sand and the rock and the silence, and you could never accept that that's where you were meant to be." Characters also unburden themselves of lines like "I need someone to tell me what's good and what's bad," and "Is there someone here who cares?" At one point a failed actor whines, "You can't really make it in this town unless you're willing to do some awful things." This movie is proof.

Fans fixate on Beyonce as 'Obsessed' takes in $28M

2009-04-27T14:42:00.000+07:00

By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie Writer David Germain, Ap Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES – Audiences were in the mood for some fatal attraction action at the box office.

Beyonce Knowles and Idris Elba's "Obsessed" debuted as the top weekend movie with $28.5 million in ticket sales. The Sony Screen Gems thriller stars Knowles and Elba as a couple whose ideal marriage lands on the rocks after a psychotic temp played by Ali Larter begins stalking the husband.

The strong opening for "Obsessed" helped maintain Hollywood's hot streak, with overall revenues at about $112 million, up 23.5 percent from the same weekend last year, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

The busy summer season starts Friday with 20th Century Fox's spinoff "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," starring Hugh Jackman in the title role he played in three "X-Men" blockbusters.

Studios head into summer on a box-office tear, with receipts running at a record pace. Revenues for the year are at $3.06 billion, up 17.4 percent over last year. Factoring in higher ticket prices, movie attendance is up 15.7 percent.

"We have never been in this strong a position heading into the summer season, ever," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers.

Zac Efron's "17 Again" and Channing Tatum's "Fighting" were neck-and-neck for the No. 2 spot. With Sunday estimates of $11.7 million, the Warner Bros. comedy "17 Again" had the edge. After debuting in first-place a week earlier, "17 Again" raised its 10-day total to $40 million.

Rogue Pictures' "Fighting," starring Tatum and Terrence Howard in the story of a rising star in New York City's underground bare-knuckle fight circuit, debuted with $11.4 million.

The two movies were close enough that rankings could change when final numbers come out Monday.

Paramount's drama "The Soloist" opened at No. 4 with $9.7 million. It stars Jamie Foxx as a schizophrenic music prodigy living on the streets of Los Angeles and Robert Downey Jr. as a reporter who befriends him.

Disney's nature documentary "Earth" premiered in fifth place with $8.6 million, bringing its total to $14.2 million since opening Wednesday.

"Obsessed" was not screened in advance for critics, and those who reviewed it generally trashed the movie as a lame retread of 1987's "Fatal Attraction," which starred Glenn Close as a demented woman pursuing a married man, played by Michael Douglas.

But "Obsessed" had the lure of singer Knowles stepping out from her pop star image and duking it out with the crazy lady threatening her home and marriage.

"There's something about wanting to see Beyonce kick butt. She's taking on one wacked chick, played very well by Ali Larter," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "Let's face it, everyone loves Beyonce, and to see her in this role is a treat."

Documentaries rarely open in nationwide release or break into the top 10, but Disney aimed for a wide audience with "Earth," which traces families of polar bears, elephants and humpback whales over the course of a year.

Disney pledged to plant a tree for every viewer who sees the movie in the first week, with the number climbing to more than 2 million after five days. The film was tied to Earth Day and was the first release of the studio's Disneynature label.

"We just felt like if we make an event out of this, tied it to this whole plant-a-tree effort, tied it to Earth Day, maybe we could break the mold and come up with the kind of opening that you'd be satisfied with on a regular film," said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion-picture group.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Obsessed," $28.5 million.

2. "17 Again," $11.7 million.

3. "Fighting," $11.4 million.

4. "The Soloist," $9.7 million.

5. "Earth," $8.6 million.

6. "Monsters vs. Aliens," $8.5 million.

7. "State of Play," $6.9 million.

8. "Hannah Montana: The Movie," $6.4 million.

9. "Fast & Furious," $6.1 million.

10. "Crank: High Voltage," $2.4 million.

___

On the Net:

http://www.mediabynumbers.com

Jackie Chan's China comments prompt backlash (AP)

2009-04-20T17:09:00.000+07:00

HONG KONG - Action star Jackie Chan 's comments wondering whether Chinese people "need to be controlled" have drawn sharp rebuke in his native Hong Kong and in Taiwan .

Chan told a business forum in the southern Chinese province of Hainan that a free society may not be beneficial for China 's authoritarian mainland.

"I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not," Chan said Saturday. "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want."

He went on to say that freedoms in Hong Kong and Taiwan made those societies "chaotic."

Chan's comments drew applause from a predominantly Chinese audience of business leaders, but did not sit well with lawmakers in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

"He's insulted the Chinese people. Chinese people aren't pets," Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator Leung Kwok-hung told The Associated Press. "Chinese society needs a democratic system to protect human rights and rule of law."

Another lawmaker, Albert Ho, called the comments "racist," adding: "People around the world are running their own countries. Why can't Chinese do the same?"

Former British colony Hong Kong enjoys Western-style civil liberties and some democratic elections under Chinese rule. Half of its 60-member legislature is elected, with the other half picked by special interest groups. But Hong Kong's leader is chosen by a panel stacked with Beijing loyalists.

In democratically self-ruled Taiwan, which split from mainland China during a civil war in 1949, legislator Huang Wei-che said Chan himself "has enjoyed freedom and democracy and has reaped the economic benefits of capitalism. But he has yet to grasp the true meaning of freedom and democracy."

Chan's comments were reported by news outlets in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but were ignored by the mainland Chinese press.

Although Chan was a fierce critic of the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989, which killed at least hundreds, he has not publicly criticized China's government in recent years and is immensely popular on the mainland.

He performed during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics and took part in the Olympic torch relay .

Chan also is vice chairman of the China Film Association, a key industry group.

___

Associated Press writer Annie Huang in Taipei contributed to this report.

Wahlberg, Franco Board 'Date Night'

2009-04-17T17:03:00.000+07:00

Source: Variety

Mark Wahlberg and James Franco will reportedly star opposite Steve Carell and Tina Fey in 20th Century Fox's Date Night. Common, Taraji P. Henson and Kristen Wiig will also be appear for director Shawn Levy (Night at the Musuem: Battle of the Smithsonian).

Wahlberg had something of a disappointing year in 2008. He starred in The Happening, which grossed a modest $64.5 million domestically. In October, he failed to turn Max Payne into a hit, considering that the Fox release brought in only $40.7 million.

Franco helped turn Pineapple Express into an $87 million hit last year, and he fell just shy of snagging an Oscar nod for his supporting turn in Milk.

'Fast and Furious 5' Moving Forward

2009-04-17T16:58:00.000+07:00

Source: LA Times

Considering that Fast & Furious has posted a domestic haul of nearly $120 million after only 10 days of release it should come as no surprise that a fifth installment of the series is on the way.

Star Paul Walker told the LA Times that, "...with the way things opened up, Vin and I will be coming back, we’re making a fifth one, and we’re going to Brazil, that’s it."

The first film in the franchise raked in $144.5 million domestically in 2001 ($183.7 million adjusted). Even though Vin Diesel didn't return, 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious grossed an incredibly solid $127 million domestic ($151.4 million when adjusted). 2006's Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, which didn't feature Walker or Diesel in the leads, grossed a modest $62.6 million domestically ($68 million when adjusted for inflation).

17 again

2009-04-17T16:36:00.002+07:00

Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 102 min.
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Burr Steers
Writer: Jason Filardi
Cast: Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Matthew Perry, Melora Hardin, Jim Gaffigan, Sterling Knight

What would you do if you got a second shot at life? Class of 1989, Mike O'Donnell is a star on his high school basketball court with a college scout in the stands and a bright future in his grasp. But instead, he decides to throw it all away to share his life with his girlfriend Scarlett and the baby he just learned they are expecting.
Almost 20 years later, Mike's glory days are decidedly behind him. His marriage to Scarlett has fallen apart, he has been passed over for a promotion at work, his teenage kids think he is a loser, and he has been reduced to crashing with his high school nerd-turned-techno-billionaire best friend Ned. But Mike is given another chance when he is miraculously transformed back to the age of 17. Unfortunately, Mike may look 17 again, but his thirtysomething outlook is totally uncool in the class of 2009. And in trying to recapture his best years, Mike could lose the best things that ever happened to him.

Playphone.com, find 21 Movie here

2008-04-21T19:17:00.000+07:00

playphone.com is one site to find this movie. 21 movie is definitely the major film for the spring time, it has young hot actors, including an incredible academy award winner, Kevin Spacey, and another great actor who's head looks like it grew quite a bit bigger, Lawarence Fishburne. So it has all the key ingredients for a good movie, a decent plot, over all a good combination of actors, and looks like a well put together movie. So I saw it this weekend and I have to say that I was a little disappointed, I think this movie was more for the teenagers, with the actors and the rating, I think it should've been more adult. It was a typical rise and fall story with cliché'd characters. Kevin Spacey, seriously my favorite actor, he's always a dead on hit with every role he takes on, but he seemed to just sleep his way through the film and didn't really care about it. He and new and hot up-comer, Jim Sturgess were not a bad couple on screen, but were not strong enough to hold the story into something original.

Basically we have Ben Campbell who needs $300,000 for Harvard Med. School, he's extremely gifted with numbers, so when his professor, Micky Rosa notices his gifts, he invites Ben with a group of his other students to go to Vegas and play 21. But there is a way to beat the game apparently, by counting cards. Ben promises up and down that it is just for school, but of course when he gets so hot, he takes it way further and ends up making a huge mistake and gets caught with some nasty security guards you don't wanna mess with.

Now 21 has decent enough acting, the movie itself is decent, I didn't mind at all watching it. For the most part, it's the young group of students that keep the movie interesting and keeps your attention. My main problems are for example about the characters Ben and Jill hooking up, I seriously doubt that would happen for real, but for the movie, they want these two hotties to get together at least for the teenage audience's sake. Also supposedly the group says they have to stay on the down low in Vegas so they don't get caught, yet they go around Vegas buying all these new clothes, clubbing, drinking, etc. 21 is worth the watch, but to be honest, if you're reading this, wait for the rental, it's just a regular rise and fall story.

Do you like this 21 movie, maybe watching this movie is not enough. how about find the 21 movie merchandise or 21 movie ringtone? remember, 21 movie has many cool tone that will be good if you make it as ringtone. tone is everything, get the tone to your phone.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

2008-04-15T17:29:00.001+07:00

From the producers of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up comes a comic look at one guy's arduous quest to grow up and get over the heartbreak of being dumped -- if he can only make himself start Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Struggling musician Peter Bretter (Jason Segel, How I Met Your Mother, Knocked Up) has spent six years idolizing his girlfriend, television star Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars). He's the guy left holding her purse in paparazzi photos and accidentally omitted from acceptance award speeches. But his world is rocked when she dumps him and Peter finds himself alone. After an unsuccessful bout of womanizing and an on-the-job nervous breakdown, he sees that not having Sarah may just ruin his life. To clear his head, Peter takes an impulsive trip to Oahu, where he is confronted by his worst nightmare: his ex and her tragically hip new British-rocker boyfriend, Aldous (Russell Brand), are sharing his hotel. But as he torments himself with the reality of Sarah's new life, he finds relief in a flirtation with Rachel (Mila Kunis), a beautiful resort employee whose laid-back approach tempts him to rejoin the world. He also finds relief in several hundred embarrassing, fruity cocktails. For anyone who has ever had their heart ripped out and cut into a billion pieces comes a hilarious, heartfelt look at relationships -- featuring Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader and Jack McBrayer. Part romantic comedy, part disaster film, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the world's first romantic disaster comedy

Smart People

2008-04-12T20:40:00.001+07:00

The laughs are few and far between and the characters just wander about drinking too much, staring into space or being rude and their story lines don't amount to anything. And they're all unlikeable.

Ellen Page was the bright spot -- but her character doesn't have enough to do and her story arc doesn't really resolve. Ditto Thomas Haden Church.

Dennis Quaid is unattractive and unappealing and I couldn't believe Sarah Jessica Parker's doctor character would waste a moment of her time with him. He's doughy, sloppy, zoned out, self-absorbed and rude. And his family is a mess. What's the attraction? Can't she find a handsome doctor her own age? She should go work at Seattle Grace.

SJP is like a far duller version of Carrie Bradshaw (but still wearing her bra during sex! Yeah, that's comfortable.) The dialog is not actually smart -- it's about boring pompous twits TALKING about how they're smart.

Then somebody gets pregnant and that supposedly "fixes" everything.

Just rent "Juno". Far smarter people (and writing) there.

Jumper

2008-02-25T19:44:00.002+07:00

The first effects-driven release of 2008 won’t compel you to leap off the nearest tall building, nor will it make you jump to the defense of Hollywood. Jumper centers on a young adult with teleporting powers that enable him to zip around the globe at will through fissures in the universe’s spatial fabric. A pretty cool launching point, but elusiveness can be taken too far and Jumper is so elusive you quickly forget all about it. The visuals, particularly aerial shots of Rome’s Coliseum and the pyramids at Giza, are impressive. Without a mature storyline however, the travelogue experience is shallow. When you’re this light—weighing the same as one of the 10-year-old boys the movie seemingly targets—bouncing through space is easy. Add soda and candy for turbo-charging.

David Rice (Max Thieriot) is a bullied Michigan teen that discovers his special ability after falling into an icy pond while trying to woo his high school crush,
Millie (AnnaSophia Robb). He spills into the library stacks, waterlogged but alive and cognizant of his powers. Who knew the space-time continuum was so porous? Now you see David, now you don’t. There’s a swooshing sound whenever he jumps so we do hear him and when he can’t utilize a proper jump site (called a wormhole) there’s a messy crash because so much matter gets displaced. Soon David runs away to New York, robs a bank and—now portrayed by Hayden Christensen—sets up an apartment in a swank building and becomes a hedonist. Can this debauched lifestyle compensate for having been abandoned by mommy (Diane Lane) at age 5? Is Millie (now portrayed by Rachel Bilson), whom he eventually seeks out and dazzles, really worth all the fuss and commotion? And third, who is David’s mean pursuer Roland, besides Samuel L. Jackson with bleached hair and his Old Testament dander fully up?

We’re not given a whole lot to go on. Ample energy has been expended on the tech side, very little on plot and character. We learn nothing about the source of his abilities or the cosmic back story. That’s a relief since (a) we don’t really care and (b) exposition normally provides the dull filler in movies like this. Yet it’s also problematic because you suspect there’s not much to explain. Based on a novel by Steven Gould, Jumper is precariously idea-free. Whether the “mythology of the jumper” as the press notes call it is being withheld intentionally or is poorly refracted doesn’t matter. Here, calculated simplicity is indistinguishable from a lack of depth. After Shattered Glass and the Star Wars prequels, Christensen has the guilty and wounded adolescent thing down pat and gets no chance to grow as an actor.

While streamlined to a fault, at least Jumper doesn’t pretend to be cerebral. Nevertheless, it could still benefit from a different kind of levity. David’s jumper peer Griffin (Jamie Bell) flashes a sense of humor but the role is a truncated muddle. Judging by the blatant way the sequel is telegraphed, Doug Liman and company took their eyes off the bouncing hunk. Jumper is like a glorified TV pilot from 2005, when supernatural dramas were all the rage. It will make it onto the schedule, but have its legs cut out from under it before the season is over.

Free Ringtone

2008-02-25T19:23:00.002+07:00

With a modem and a computer you can now get your free ringtones, free mobile ringtones and free logos sent straight from your own PC to your mobile phone without messing around.

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Vantage Point

2008-02-25T18:59:00.001+07:00

Dennis Quaid is the most trusted Secret Service agent to William Hurt’s President of the United States of America (the entire title is required). He even once took a bullet for him and is perhaps still kind of skitzy about the whole thing. He sweats a lot and sees assassination attempts around every turn. All of which is handled quite clumsily in the back story revealed by the wholly ancillary sassy reporter (Zoe Saldana) and “GNN” TV producer (Sigourney Weaver), as they chatter aimlessly in preparation for the arrival of said President for a peace conference in the pastoral city of “Somewhere in Spain.”

If these were the only clumsy bits of writing and acting and bad filmmaking in this silly big-budget mess of a movie, it would all still be awful. As it is, the handling of the entire film is this contrived and the conceits of the filmmakers reach much farther and wider, delving not only into contemporary geopolitics that they reduce to simple polemics, but also into the personal demons that drive terrorists and such to do the things they do, without actually mentioning any of those reasons, save vague references to “our struggle.” The mélange of terrorist is equally contrived. They range from the Arabic sorts to a lovely yet cold Spanish woman one supposes represents the Vasco separatists of southern Spain, and one white American male, apparently leading a “double-life” if the dialogue is to be believed. Timothy McVey notwithstanding, it’s all too ridiculous for even the make-believe world of movies.

Here, the President is shot while giving a speech and in Rashomon-like style the filmmakers literally rewind the tape and show us the events no less than six times from differing vantage points, adding a bit more of the puzzle to each redundancy until the whole pointless story is complete—yet no better.

There is a chase sequence.

If there is an interesting reflection on Vantage Point it is that its mix of quasi-progressive rhetoric (Hurt’s President actually says something about having “the sympathy of the world” and not blowing it, at some point), and incoherent right-wing acts of aggression (most of the officials in fact shoot first, and ask questions later) could come from any quarter of the American political spectrum.

The Golden Compass

2007-12-16T18:29:00.001+07:00

It’s ironic that Chris Weitz—the writer/director best know for collaborating with his brother Paul on About a Boy and American Pie—quit The Golden Compass at one point because the action novice didn’t think he could handle the spectacular special-effects shots that would be needed to bring the first tale in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials fantasy trilogy to the silver screen. The action sequences—pulse-pounders pitting armored artic bears, ephemeral flying witches, seafaring gypsies and, um, a cowboy in a hot-air balloon against the alternately black-robed and white-coated underlings of an oppressive theocracy—are actually the only outstanding aspect of this less-than-golden adaptation, which is ultimately undermined by its strictly tinny storytelling.

A head-scratcher of an opening voiceover hastily introduces us to the world of 12-year-old Lyra Belacqua (played with pluck by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards), one in which humans’ souls manifest as animal spirits called—confusingly—“daemons.” Like the early scenes that follow it, the voiceover emphasizes certain aspects of this alternate reality that are rather self-explanatory and skips past others that have a greater relevance to the plot of the picture—especially the boogeyman-like “Gobblers” who kidnap troublesome children.

The pacing is also problematic, as Lyra lurches through an adventure involving both her guardian Lord Asriel’s (Daniel Craig) “heretical” expedition to the North to discover the true nature of elementary particles known as “Dust” and her best friend Roger’s (Ben Walker) apparent abduction by the Gobblers. Her journey is jumpstarted by an encounter with the icily imperious Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), an agent of the theocratic “Magisterium” who offers Lyra an opportunity to accompany her to the North. Of course, neither Mrs. Coulter nor Lord Asriel—nor Lyra herself, for that matter—are exactly who our heroine believes them to be.

Nor is The Golden Compass what New Line believes it to be—the next Lord of the Rings saga—despite an after-thought appearance by that blockbuster’s Saruman the White (Christopher Lee) and a voiceover role by its Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen).

I Am Legend; a Will Smith Movie

2007-12-16T18:23:00.000+07:00

From what I can tell from the movie trailer it seems to follow the book. Will Smith's character's name is Robert Neville, the survivor of a virus that has wiped out most of the population of the earth, including his family. The virus transforms all that contact it into vampires, ("vampires" is not used in the movie though). In the book, Neville survives due to his immunity to the virus. A temporary cure is created, allowing living people who have the virus to walk in daylight, and even eventually achieve a normal lifestyle. To them, Neville is on par with the vampire's who strive to kill the new societies founders. The book's location is Los Angeles, but the movie takes place in New York. As far as Robert knows, he is the only uninfected person in New York, and possibly the world. He spends his time trying to make contact with other survivors, working on a cure to the virus using his blood and, of course, killing vampires, dead and living.

I Am Legend is the third movie based on the 1954 Richard Matheson book of the same name (Matheson also penned Nightmare at 20,000 feet.) The first movie was called "The Last Man on Earth" starring Vincent Price, it was filmed in Italy in 1964.

This second movie based on the book was the 1971 classic movie "The Omega Man" that starred Charlton Heston as Robert Neville and Anthony Zerbe as Matthias the leader of the infected people that do their best to kill Charlton Heston due to the fact that Neville represents everything wrong that used to be before the virus.

I read that this is a serious attempt to make a good movie based on the book, and that you will most likely not see any reference to Omega Man or The Last Man on Earth

Blogsvertise

2007-12-16T18:16:00.000+07:00

The best thing about the Internet is that you can earn real money through it just by writing about your favorite topics. Blogging not only helps you in expanding your ideas and thoughts but also lets you discover new products and views by means of discussion. Making money online is a very interesting topic and taking into account the growth and money making skills of this blog I have decided to devote a section to ‘Make Money Online’ where I will introducing new online making sources to my readers and bloggers.

Make Money Online with Blogsvertise

Blogsvertise is just one of those services that pays its publishers for writing paid reviews which are offered by advertisers. It works on the formula of Get, Write and Earn where the publishers/bloggers get reviews from the Blogsvertise system which are often targeted to match their blog niche, then they write the review about the specific product or service that the advertiser demands and submit their review for approval. Once their review is processed and accepted they are paid in a cycle of one month through their paypal.

Blogsvertise For Your Blog

If you have good reviewing and writing skills and you have a blog that is 3 months old then Blogsvertise is the perfect solution to make money online through your blog. The Blogsvertise system automatically matches your blog with the best possible advertisers and notifies you when tasks are available.

Give it a try and make more money online through your blog.

Move on - Move on

2007-03-31T18:20:00.000+07:00

sorry bro, baru kali ini bisa nulis lagi, aku mo ngasih tahu kalo blog ini dah tutup!. iya, soalnya gak ada waktu sih buat ngelolanya. kalau pengen tahu blog ku yang lain, silakan klik irmanprasetya.wordpress.com ini adalah personal blog ku. adios!

The Prestige

2006-11-04T21:28:00.000+07:00

Two rival magicians engage a deadly contest of wills in writer and director Christopher Nolan's carefully constructed but unfulfilling The Prestige, a Victorian-era vehicle starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as dueling artists.

They meet as apprentices who are part of the act, two dashing young gentlemen seen through flashbacks. The multi-layered story traces their ongoing war through marriage, children and, primarily, competing magic shows. Shaded in a dark, muted gray, with flickering candles and with Michael Caine on hand as an old showman, Nolan, who created last year's sharp comics adaptation, Batman Begins, puts each prop in place. He forgets to say abracadabra.

During a performance one night, the third act—known as the prestige, or the grand finale—goes horribly wrong and distrust is planted between the two assistants, who break off into solo shows. For a long time, the antagonism generates interest. After a continual back and forth, it becomes clear that the pair are embroiled in a lifelong conflict driven by envy, not ability, and seeing petty obsession reach its logical conclusion is less than enigmatic, let alone entertaining.

US$28.1m has Jackass laughing at box office

2006-09-26T23:00:00.000+07:00

Young male moviegoers kicked Jackass Number Two to the top of the North American box office, while the star- studded drama All the King's Men failed to draw an audience, according to studio estimates.

Jackass, starring Johnny Knoxville and his band of pranksters in what a studio executive described as "the Three Stooges on steroids," earned US$28.1 million (HK$219.18 million) during its first three days to beat a studio target of US$23 million, its distributor Paramount Pictures said.

The film won unlikely critical praise from major media outlets, a factor that producers feared would turn off its target audience of men under 25.

"The thing that really flipped us out was that it got good reviews," said Van Toffler of MTV Network.

Young males also turned out for Jet Li's Fearless, a martial arts film from Focus Features' Rogue Pictures unit that as expected earned US$10.6 million in its first week to grab the No2 box office slot.

Football drama Gridiron Gang, last week's top film, brought in US$9.7 million in its second week, dropping 33 percent to take the third slot.

Moviegoer apathy and critical scorn hit the week's other two new releases - World War I flying adventure Flyboys, distributed by Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer, and Sony Pictures' All the King's Men, a remake of an Oscar-winning 1949 film based on Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize- winning novel.

Flyboys, the first film released under MGM's new plan to distribute films from other studios rather than investing in its own, finished fourth with US$6 million in ticket sales. Producer Dean Devlin had hoped for a US$10 million opening weekend for the film, which cost about US$80 million to make.

The seventh-place debut for All the King's Men, starring Sean Penn, Jude Law and Kate Winslet, was presaged by its cool reception at the Toronto Film Festival this month and, at US$3.8 million, fell far below expectations.

REUTERS

Ramadhan

2006-09-24T20:22:00.000+07:00

Ramadhan is coming. happy ramadhan to all of moslems.
i hope this ramadhan can change our life.

Ten World Box Office all time

2006-09-16T05:13:00.000+07:00

fyi, there are ten films which collect dollar more than other film in film history
1. Titanic (1997)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
8. Jurassic Park (1993)
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
10. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Lassie

2006-09-12T17:04:00.000+07:00

Starring Peter OToole, Samantha Morton, John Lynch, Jonathan Mason and Hester Ogders. Directed and written by Charles Sturridge. Produced by Ed Guiney and Francesca Barra. A Goldwyn.

The Review
this movie made me remember that in early 1990 there are a Drama TV called Lassie in TVRI . off course. i never watch other TV Station in that years. and now, the Movie is coming. sit back and relax. enjoy the movie.

Nine-year-old Joe (Jonathan Mason, whose terrific naturalism puts him nearly in league with "The Power of One's" Guy Witcher and "Into the West's" Ciaran Fitzgerald) is a lonely daydreamer; the highlight of his day seems to be finding his Lassie at classes' end awaiting him at the schoolyard gate. He's the only child of poor but loving parents, Sarah (Samantha Morton, Oscar-nom'd for "In America" and "Sweet and Lowdown") and Sam Carraclough (John Lynch, best known for such Isles fare as "Some Mother's Son" and "The Secret of Roan Inish"); late Depression times turn even rougher when the local coalyard closes, throwing miner Sam out of work. Desperate for money to keep food on the table, Sam with great reluctance accepts the standing offer of the local Duke of Rudling (Peter O'Toole), who keeps a collection of dogs, for the bonnie Lassie -- who escapes, again and again, to return to her broken-hearted Joe. Finally, in twain with granddaughter Cilla (a compassionate Hester Odgers), the duke takes Lassie 500 miles north to the family estate in Scotland. The rest of the tale is of Lassie's incredible journey, having escaped one final time, across the highlands and moors, through delights and dangers, back to her little boy.

Crank

2006-09-12T15:41:00.000+07:00

Starring Jason Statham, Jose Pablo Cantillo and Amy Smart. Directed and written by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Produced by Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Richard Wright, Skip Williamson and Michael Davis.

The Review
Chev Chelios (Jason Statham), a British hit man, wakes up after mysteriously being knocked out the night before. He soon discovers he’s been injected with a “Beijing Cocktail,” a drug that will kill him within the hour unless he keeps his adrenaline pumping through the use of specific drugs. But there’s no cure, and before the day is out he will die. What’s a man to do with the short time he has left? If you guessed that our hero would resort to the provocative Hamlet -- musing on death and eternity -- you’d be very wrong. Instead, Chev intends to get revenge, specifically on Ricky Verona (Jose Pablo Cantillo), the thug who injected him, but eventually he ends up taking on virtually the whole of Los Angeles’ crime underworld.

Loenpia dot net

2006-09-04T03:25:00.000+07:00

Its a good news pals.
I've found a blogger community in my hometown, Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia.
I read about their activity in a local newspaper, and i have an interest to join this community.

Actually, last week, i've trouble with the difficulties to write the post on this blog, but when i try today, my post can appear in this community blog.

Loenpia dot net give information about their members and the recent situation of Semarang. Thanks to all loenpia dot net crew (Tukang Loenpia) who gave a good impression for new member.

!!! Long Life Loenpia dot net !!!!

Top Ten Movies i've ever seen

2006-09-04T01:47:00.000+07:00

d you like to watch movie? i like it very much. and of course in all my whole life i've watched hundreds or maybe thousands movies. so, can we judge the movie by our self and pretend that we are good enough to critize those movies.

okay, there are the list of my favourite movie, Top ten Movies i've ever seen. mybe you'll say that my judgement is not as good as other judgement. but just relax, and make your own list

1.The Sixth sense
2.The Last Samurai
3.Troy
4.The Sound of Music
5.Trilogy Star Wars
6.Pirate of the carribeans
7.Beautiful mind
8.Ada Apa Dengan Cinta
9.Spiderman 1 and 2
10. Trilogy Back to the Future

didnt found your fav movies in the list above?
actually, it will be interesting if i give the reasons why i choose these movies. next time maybe....

Superman Returns

2006-08-30T03:11:00.000+07:00

Not terrible, not terrific, Superman Returns lacks power. Newcomer Brandon Routh as the strapping, handsome hero is not the problem. Most everyone pretty much does their job, but director Bryan Singer's revival is one long slog through a movie we have seen before.

Taking a half hour to get its bearings, the cherry-picked story apparently takes place after Superman: The Movie and Superman II, when Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane and Superman finally had sex. An exciting flight rescue offers a glimpse of Superman's supreme confidence and puts us squarely in present-day Metropolis.

It also introduces Lois, miraculously younger than she was 26 years ago—and the age difference impairs her character's ability to get swept up by Supe. At the low end of twentysomething, Lois (Kate Bosworth) now drives a luxury car, has a child out of wedlock, lives in a mansion with her boss (James Marsden), to whom she is not married—sleeping with Perry White's (Frank Langella) nephew hasn't helped her afford a haircut or a sitter for the kid—and, by the way, she has a Pulitzer.

Nothing against Kate Bosworth, in stringy black hair, but Lois is too preoccupied being superwoman to pine convincingly for Superman, who has a vague role as the world's savior. Margot Kidder's tenacious reporter had yet to achieve her career highs and she was a bit of a mess, and the contrast with clean-cut Superman added a deeper dimension to the bond. Kidder and Christopher Reeve were magnetic.

Routh's Man of Steel lacks purpose. He returns to earth after trying to find his home planet Krypton. Barely speaking to his adoptive mother (Eva Marie Saint, looking lost), he randomly flashes back to boyhood (and teases his dog in a way that seems cruel) and he eventually shows up at the Daily Planet building as Clark Kent after an absence of years. When he tries to reconnect his relationship with Lois, she snaps: "what relationship?"

Lois is neither the best nor the brightest, leaving her son stranded, taking him on assignment, dragging the child along as she trespasses and delivering him into the company of a serial killer. How can Lois be the world's greatest reporter at 23 and as street savvy as a supermodel? Welcome to the strange new world of Superman, where the tongue is nowhere near the cheek.

With Lois and child in imminent danger at the hands of Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey), who plans to set up a new continent of jagged rocks with a band of speechless thugs and Parker Posey—go figure—Superman springs into high gear. In his finest moment, he rises from the earth to literally bask in the sun.

But there's precious little of Superman, the exalted, and too much of Superman as Christ, arms outstretched, looking down, suffering and depending on others to save him. That last bit is an overwhelmed subplot about reciprocity and the reality of truly super men and it might have worked, thanks to good scenes between Routh and Marsden.

Like his core principles, described here as truth, justice and something other than the American way, the Man of Steel is ultimately reduced to near-mortal status. Director Bryan Singer tried to have it every which way—soap opera, epic, modern relevance—and ended up with too much movie and not much to say. That Superman is downsized comes with today's cultural territory: he aches and he broods, the hero with hospitalized feet of clay—this is Superman, right?—and, when he does take flight, he's a speck on the horizon; humbled, insignificant and noticeably smaller than life

Talladega Nights

2006-08-30T01:53:00.000+07:00

Starring Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen and Gary Cole.
Directed by Adam McKay. Written by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay.
Produced by Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller.
A Columbia release. Comedy. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language, drug references and brief comic violence. Running time: 107 min

The creative team behind "Anchorman: The Ron Burgundy Story" is back with a spoof of the car racing world, but "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" falls far short of "Anchorman's" often inspired brilliance. Will Ferrell ("Anchorman," "Elf") stars as Ricky Bobby, a not-too-bright Southern NASCAR driver who, nevertheless, is at the top of his sport. But then an accident and the unexpected appearance of a skilled, flamboyant French opponent (Sacha Baron Cohen) derails Ricky Bobby, who loses it all before attempting the comeback of the century.

"Anchorman" was a successful spoof of both the shallow television world and the blinkered attitudes of the 1970s. "Talladega Nights" tries to double up its satire as well, but its sports riffs are pretty lame and its political subtext -- American chauvinism versus French arrogance -- lacks imagination. Southern, French and gay stereotypes abound, but they're never delivered with much wit or style, and Cohen offers up a flat, one-note performance. And unlike in "Anchorman," Adam McKay's direction lacks punch. Obviously, Ferrell, who in addition to co-writing the movie was also one of its executive producers, thinks he's onto a great idea here, but he can't even get a clear handle on his own character, who's an inconsistent mix of the obnoxious and nice. John C. Reilly ("A Prairie Home Companion") is much better as Ricky Bobby's best friend and teammate, who chafes at finishing second to his buddy; unlike Ferrell, Reilly manages to play dumb in a smart way. Also a hoot is Gary Cole as Ricky Bobby's ne'er-do-well delinquent father. The rest of the cast, including Amy Adams ("Junebug') as Ricky Bobby's sweet girlfriend, makes a game effort, but they're the equivalent of bystanders watching as a car's wheels come off. "Talladega Nights" spins out early and never recovers. - Shlomo Schwartzberg

Invicible

2006-08-30T01:13:00.000+07:00

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks, Kevin Conway, Michael Rispoli, Kirk Acevedo, Dov Davidoff and Michael Kelly.
Directed by Ericson Core.
Written by Brad Gann.
Produced by Gordon Gray & Mark Ciardi and Ken Mok.
A Walt Disney release. Drama. Rated PG for sports action and some mild language. Running time: 105 min

While underdog sports films have been around almost since the inception of the movies, it’s only within the past few years that Disney has attempted to transform the genre into a virtual cottage industry. “Miracle,” “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” “Remember the Titans,” “Glory Road” and “The Rookie” were all conceived and constructed to mine the same audience: families seeking inspirational stories about real-life sports heroes who triumphed against incredible odds. Impressively, each of the films has, to varying degrees, managed to work on its own terms despite the obviousness of the formula and the utter predictability of the outcome.

“Invincible” is an apt case in point. The remarkable true story of a Philadelphia bartender and part-time teacher named Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg) who, in 1976, secured himself a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles football team after an unprecedented public tryout, this debut directing effort from “The Fast and the Furious” cinematographer Ericson Core doesn’t exactly take chances, but neither does it play the audience for dupes. Core and screenwriter Brad Gann are clearly aware that they’re working within narrow genre parameters, so rather than attempt to generate suspense or anticipation where there clearly can’t be any, they shine a spotlight on the characters. The story may nominally revolve around Wahlberg’s puppy dog-eyed Papale, but it’s the supporting cast -- Greg Kinnear as freshman coach Dick Vermiel, Elizabeth Banks as Vince’s lady love and Kirk Acevedo, Michael Rispoli and standup comic Dov Davidoff as his neighborhood buddies -- who give the picture its heart and soul.

The underlying theme, of course, is the same as always -- sufficient doses of self-confidence and determination will always trump physical talent. As tired and incredibly untrue as that adage may be, “Invincible” manages to sell it convincingly for about 105 minutes, largely because it doesn’t oversell Papale as a hero. Vince needs Vermiel, and Vermiel needs Vince. And, in the magic of the moment, circumstance and more than a little bit of luck, play ably into both their laps.

For all its paint-by-numbers plotting, there’s nothing unduly irritating about “Invincible,” either in execution or in marketing -- it’s precisely the film it was meant to be, precisely the film that’s being marketed, precisely the film its core audience expects it to be. Well shy of greatness, to be sure, but entirely successful in every other intended respect. - Wade Major

fotoku

2005-12-28T18:34:00.000+07:00