The Day The Earth Stood Still out on DVD now

This is the remake of the 1951 Si-Fi movie in which an alien sphere lands in Central Park New York and from this emerges Klaatu (Keanu Reeves), an alien with a message about the human race. A group of scientists are assembled one of which is Dr Helen Benson (Connelly) a widow with a step child (Smith).

Klaatu aided by an enormous robot brings a message that the human race is destroying the earth and this can not be allowed to continue, he is in fact the herald sent to reclaim the earth back from destructive mankind. Dr Benson becomes convinced the only way of saving the human race is to free Klaatu so he can deliver his message.

It’s a very good looking movie; great effects and the actors are well cast. Reeves is great as the distant emotionless Klaatu, it’s a part that is similar in many ways to Neo from the Matrix, blank and detached.

Unfortunately though, like Klaatu I felt detached and distant from the whole film. The world wide phenomenon of spheres appearing is only seen through TV screens – it’s a story very based in the USA, their reaction to Klaatu’s arrival and the decisions that are made about attacking the invaders are solely from a US view – as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist. I wasn’t convinced that humans had learnt their lesson and also ultimately why Klaatu makes the final decision he does – I’m not sure on the evidence of the film that I would.

Director Scott Derrickson

Cast:
Keanu Reeves – Klaatu
Jennifer Connelly – Dr Helen Benson
Kathy Bates – SecDef Regina Jackson
Jaden Smith – Jacob Benson

For the official web site click here







Ive also included the original 1951 poster for you to see - as I think its a classic!

Frost / Nixon out on DVD now

The film based on the play of the epic 1977 interview between the disgraced ex president Richard Nixon and the young celebrity interviewer David Frost. Both parties are sure the interview will work in their favour and that they will easily be able to gain the upper hand in this televised battle of wits and intellect.

In the blue corner you have Richard Nixon, three years after he resigned from the Presidency in disgrace over the Watergate affair. He is seen pedalling himself around the after dinner speech circuit, bored and in need of money, desperate to clear his name and move on from the whole incident that saw him removed from the Whitehouse.

In the red corner David Frost the young British arrogant and cocky talk show host trying to get the scoop of the century by securing a no holds barred set of interviews with Nixon. So sure is he of the success of this endeavour he bankrolls the project himself at a time when no one wanted to even speak to Nixon.

It’s a great film providing a snapshot of a landmark event in television history. The lead actors (who originally played their parts on the stage) are incredible, Langella transforms into Nixon and the chameleon like Sheen yet again ‘becomes’ the real person he is portraying. I found it fascinating to see the work and preparation behind these long gone head to head epic interviews – I wish the format was still used today.

The film is presented in an almost flat style; the subject matter doesn’t need any embellishments and Ron Howard is confident that his actors can easily hold the subject matter, which they do - from the leads to the supporting cast.
It’s a great subject matter and a fascinating film – well worth watching.

Director Ron Howard

Cast:
Frank Langella – Richard Nixon
Michael Sheen – David Frost
Sam Rockwell – James Reston Jr
Kevin Bacon – Jack Brennan
Matthew Macfadyen – John Birt
Oliver Platt – Bob Zelnick

Click here to go to the website

Role Models – Out on DVD now

Think of two guys (Rudd and Scott) pedalling ‘have energy drinks instead of drugs’ messages around schools. Think of these guys having a particularly bad day when they end up having to undertake 150 hours of community service rather than go to jail. Think of these two guys who can barely look after themselves being put in a position of responsibility of mentoring kids. So begins the predictable but enjoyable film Role Models.

The film will be very familiar to people who have watched the latest wave of comedies like 40 Year Old Virgin, Superbad, Knocked Up etc, it’s humour is crass, unsubtle and slightly juvenile. If you can deal with adults acting really inappropriately in front of kids then this film is fine, although if your likely to be offended then I would suggest you stay away from this film.

The kids who are being mentored are great – there is Mintz-Plasse who stood out as Mclovin in Superbad and the new scene stealing Thompson, who’s rude and shocking remarks may offend some viewers but I personally found him both shocking and funny.
This film made me laugh and although it is crass at times taken in the right way its light-hearted fun. If you liked the movies I have listed above then add this to your viewing list. It may not be as good as Superbad but its still fun.

Directed by David Wain

Starring:

Seann William Scott – Wheeler
Paul Rudd – Danny Donahue
Christopher Mintz-Plasse – Augie Farks
Bobb’e J Thompson – Ronnie Shields
Elizabeth Banks – Beth
For the official website click here

The Road trailer now on line

Release date in the US is listed as October 2009.

For some time now (since I read the book) I have been talking about the upcoming movie The Road, based on the Cormac McCarthy movie of the same name starring Viggo Mortensen.

Today a first trailer has been released and although its wetted my appetite a bit more I’m confused as it seems to have taken every piece of action in the film and placed it in the trailer. If the film stays true to the book the simplicity and stillness is what makes it so powerful. I am also a little confused at the amount of screen time in the trailer Charlize Theron’s character is given as I feel it will be disproportionate to what is actually in the film. Maybe I just feel that this is being somewhat miss-sold although I still can’t wait for its release.

Click here for the trailer

Mega Shark V’s Giant Octopus trailer

I came across this trailer today for what could possibly be the most bizarre movie to be released this year – its pure B movie stuff a giant shark (that can jump into the sky) fighting a giant octopus (I’m not sure if it can jump but its tentacles reach very very far!), and its all going to be released in glorious 3D!

The film also stars Debbie (now known as Deborah) Gibson, the 1980’s singer and a guy who does appearances in the Bold & the Beautiful!

I guess it could be great and maybe I am just being cynical the trailers worth a look though – it made me laugh out loud!

Click here for the trailer

X Men Origins – Wolverine in UK cinemas now certificate 12A

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the latest comic superhero movie to hit our screens.

There has been a relentless queue of comic book titles vying for our hard earned pennies since the release of Spiderman in 2002 revamped this neglected genre of films. For every successful film like Spiderman, Dark Knight or Iron Man there is always an unsuccessful one – Catwoman, Daredevil or the Punisher anyone? So as Wolverine the most popular stand out X-Men character takes his turn to unsheathe his claws will he deliver a fastball special or will he sink?

The film is centred on Wolverines’ pre X-Men days, where he comes from and what drove him to volunteer to become part of the weapon X programme at the hands of Stryker. It tells a story of friendship with Creed and how this changed and also how Wolverine became a ‘man with no past’.

The film delivers everything you could ask of this genre of movies. Jackman again fills Wolverines boots well and the supporting characters are good especially Liev Schreiber as the animalistic Sabretooth, and and Taylor Kitsch as the flamboyant Gambit.

This movie has a lot of supporting mutant characters and comic book fans will no doubt enjoying spotting them in the supporting cast – Cyclops and Deadpool for instance although there are also many others who we get tantalising glimpses at before they are moved on never to be seen again.

There are fights, special effects, brutality, love, revenge and Hugh Jackman naked (well I am female), and so in that respect this film ticks all of the boxes. This film is not a perfect superhero movie though; some of the mutant characters powers seem to be the same as others and as often happens some of the special effects look a little unfinished. I found one of the major villains of the piece very disappointing, it’s a new character thought up with very little imagination and almost verges on the ridiculous, this though didn't ruin the film for me. This film is also a 12A certificate film so all of the violence (which is a fundamental part of Wolverines character) is suggested and occurs off-screen which, for me, dilutes the overall effect of the film.

Its good popcorn movie, its not going to change the world but it is a lot of fun.

Directed by Gavin Hood

Hugh Jackman – Logan / Wolverine
Liev Schreiber – Victor Creed / Sabretooth
Danny Huston – William Stryker
Will I Am – John Wraith
Lynn Collins – Kayla Silverfox
Kevin Durand – Frederick J Dukes / The Blob
Dominic Monaghan – Chris Bradley/ The Bolt
Taylor Kitsch – Remmy LeBeau / Gambit

For the official website click here

Gonzo: The Life and Times of Hunter S Thompson - out on DVD now

Dr Hunter S Thompson was a writer, reporter, sports journalist, NRA member, hippy, protester and walking symbol of excess until he committed suicide in 2005. This film focuses on Dr Hunter’s life from 1965 – 1975 and includes vintage footage of Hunter and his friends and family.

Hunter was a truly unique individual who rose to fame as a journalist in the 1960’s. Hunter had a talent that reached way beyond the sports articles that he was supposed to be covering; he became a satirical commentator as well as a participant of the psychedelic peace movement. His books have been made into films and he has been depicted on screen by Bill Murray in ‘Where the Buffalo Roam’ (1980) and more recently Johnny Depp in ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ (1998), Depp is currently filming another of Hunters books ‘The Rum Diary’ which is due for release in 2010.

I really enjoyed this film, but I can’t work out if it’s because I got to spend time in the madcap company of Hunter or if the actual film itself was informative. I was already a fan of Dr Thompson, I have read his books and watched the films but I didn’t actually know much about his personal life except his love for drugs, excess and his premature death. This film helped flesh out the man and his motivations as a journalist when he started out to his death. It also explains how the artist – Ralph Steadman, developed his instantly recognisable style. This film is also a cautionary tale, as Hunter became a victim of his own success, trapped by his own fame, unable to escape from the Gonzo lifestyle that his admirers expected.

Overall it’s a good view, either for fans of Dr Thompson, or for the curious it also leaves you feeling that the world is a sadder place for not having a personality like Hunter in it.

Director: Alex Gibney

The trailer can be viewed here.

For more information about the life and works of Hunter S Thompson click here.

For more information on the Gonzo art work click here.

The Idiots Certificate 18

The Idiots is the second in Lars Von Trier’s Dogma films, which was originally released in 1999. Dogma was an expression used to describe a spontaneous type of film making where hand held shaky cameras are used with a homemade documentary feel to the footage. When The Idiots was first released it came out in a blaze of controversy, bad press and was heavily censored – although 10 years after release this film is no longer current, a quick ‘google’ search confirms that the debate about this film still continues.

This is my first viewing of the film, for various reasons I missed it when it was first released and because of the content of the film its only once been shown on UK TV (in its uncut version), so I was lucky to come across a copy of the DVD.

The basic premise of the film is that a group of educated middle class people decide that they want to ‘spazz out’ when in public. They pretend to be mentally handicapped, with no real explanation. At the films start, an ordinary member of the public Karen helps out one of the ‘carers’ and its only when she is in a car with them driving away does she realise it was all a hoax, she then joins the group who live in a sprawling mansion in the countryside. The group then go through a series of trips and visits where they act out their ‘inner idiot’ in public. The films main controversy surrounds the birthday party of Stoffer, which degenerates into an orgy, but there is so much more to the film than just this scene.

When real life intrudes on the group the audience gets possible glimpses into why they have chosen to live in this way. In the group they are happy, supportive and provide protection and love to each other without question. There are a series of pieces to camera, from some group members, which appear to be given retrospectively, in these the group is always spoken with affection and almost longing. The group decide to ‘spazz’ in front of family or loved ones – people who they really care about, to prove that they are happy with their ‘inner idiot’, this culminates in Karen’s very shocking personal reasons for joining – a very shocking hard scene which will be with me for a long time.

I am very glad I have seen this film, even though it was uncomfortable, disturbing and unsettling. It left me with many questions and thoughts about disability, middle class ideals, perception and society. This film is not an easy view and its not entertainment but that’s the beauty of cinema – as well as to entertain it also can be used to inform and question.

I have only been able to find this poor quality trailer for the film at the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2358116633/

Directed by Lars Von Trier

Cast:
Bodil Jørgensen – Karen
Jens Albinus – Stoffer
Anne Louise Hassing – Susanne
Troels Lyby – Henrik
Nikolaj Lie Kaas – Jeppe
Louise Mieritz – Josephine

The Mist – Out on DVD now

This is another Stephen King story directed by Frank Darabont (who also directed the classic Shawshank Redemption). David Drayton and his son travel into town with a neighbour the day after a heavy storm. Whilst in a supermarket a dense mist descends around the town, a near hysterical guy then runs into the shop shouting about something being in the mist and to lock the doors. This event begins starts off a series of incidents; both supernatural and also very human.

This was a really strange film for me; on one level it was incredibly cheesy and naff with B movie monsters that reminded me of smaller versions of the ones in The Host. Essentially it was just people fighting and ultimately getting killed by the killer albino bugs in a variety of ways. Also characters were shooting off predictable lines all over the film I actually expected someone to say they were going out and may be gone for some time before they headed into the whiteness.

Jane’s acting wasn’t great especially when he was required to produce anything resembling emotion, but the presence of Marcia gay Harden and Toby Jones added significant weight to the cast for me. The psychology of a totally mixed bunch of people under stress in extraordinary circumstances proved to be very interesting and raised this film up a level. Hardens religious zealot actually made me wish I could shut her up and made me question how I would deal with such a person in such circumstances (probably not very well). This film also explores how close the human race is from being savages and from turning into a mob, although maybe this issue was already raised in my consciousness by reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy, which is being made into a (hopefully) better film.

Its not a terrible film, its just not great either though and as for the ‘shock ending’ its ok, its different from what you would normally expect but I wouldn’t just watch the film for it.

http://www.themist-movie.com/

Directed by Frank Darabont

Cast:

Thomas Jane – David Drayton
Marcia Gay Harden – Mrs Carmody
Laurie Holden – Amanda Dumfries
Andre Braugher – Brent Norton
Toby Jones – Ollie Weeks

Lakeview Terrace – out now on DVD

A young mixed race couple (he’s white, she’s black) move into their first home. Unfortunately for them their neighbour is a racist cop (Jackson) who does his best to make their lives hell.

This film for me was just ok, it is a bog standard thriller done by numbers. The couple are alright, not great but ok, Jackson is the person you don’t want to move next door to - he’s a neighbour from hell; he hides behind his badge abusing his power. He begins by making things awkward for the couple, they then argue (although it would seem they were already having some problems before), he tries and succeeds in winding them up etc etc.

The actors play their parts ok and the film just moves along, there are also hints at deeper issues: the base for Jacksons racism and also Wilsons character also, it appears is having problems with being in an interracial relationship but these are glossed over and merely hinted at. If your going to watch it wait until it comes to TV – which wont be long.

Website: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/lakeviewterrace

Directed by Neil LaBute

Starring:

Samuel L. Jackson – Abel Turner
Patrick Wilson – Chris Mattson
Kerry Washington – Lisa Mattson