Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Tim Story

Country

USA | Germany | UK

Cast

Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Doug Jones, Laurence Fishburne, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Beau Garrett, Vanessa Minnillo, Andre Braugher, Stan Lee, Brian Posehn, Debbie Timuss, Moneca Delain, Kevin McNulty, Crystal Lowe

Storyline

As the Silver Surfer (Doug Jones, voiced by Laurence Fishburne) races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed (Ioan Gruffudd), Sue (Jessica Alba), Johnny (Chris Evans) and Ben (Michael Chiklis) must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon), before all hope is lost.

Opinion

I did have really low expectations for this one, and it didn't disappoint me. While a little improvement on its predecessor, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer still is mediocre, dull, and a shame to the fantastic comic books.

As if letting Mark Frost write the script for the first film was a good idea, they called him back, and along with director Tim Story and screenwriter Don Payne, he did a bad job.
Although I like films to be faithful to the comic books, I tolerate some little differences or omissions. Unfortunately, in here, it is a huge problem. There is no backstory of Galactus - he is not even a character - and his servant, the Silver Surfer, has the power to destroy him. How ridiculous is that? Also, the Silver Surfer goes around resurrecting people. There is no explanation to the power swapping, the Torch can just swap powers with the others by touching them, and how the Torch manages to absorb everyone's powers, leaving them powerless, is a mystery.
And the villain for god's sake! Couldn't they come up with some other bad guy? Why did they have to bring Julian McMahon's awful Dr. Doom back?

Nothing exciting happens aside from the chase scene involving the Human Torch and the Silver Surfer. The visual effects suck. Mr. Fantastic looks fake most of the time.

The acting is bad as the rest. Ioan Gruffudd looks like some guy from a soap opera, and his accent still is bad. Jessica Alba is painful to watch. She is nothing more than a pretty face. And the chemistry between the two of them is inexistent. Chris Evans steals the show as Johnny Storm having the fortune to play the only character that evolves during the film. Michael Chiklis did a better job the first time. Julian McMahon is ok. Doug Jones and Laurence Fishburne do a good job as Silver Surfer's body and voice.

The Prestige (2006)

Genre

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Director

Christopher Nolan

Country

USA | UK

Cast

Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Ricky Jay, Roger Rees, W. Morgan Sheppard, Daniel Davis

Storyline

In 1878, two young stage magicians, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), clash in a darkened salon during the course of a fraudulent seance. From this moment on, their lives become webs of deceit and exposure, secrets and revelations, as they feud to outwit and destroy one another. Their rivalry takes them both to the peak of their careers, but with terrible consequences.

Opinion

Besides this, I've only seen other two Nolan's films - Memento and Inception -, and the thing that amazed me the most is their ability to hypnotize the audience.

Although at first I wasn't much into it, The Prestige turned out to be a complex, engaging, thrilling mind-blowing film, as well as an excellent portrait of obsession and competition of magicians. 

Though adapted from Christopher Priest's novel 'The Prestige', the story is a perfect fit for Nolan's direction, as the increasing engagement and twists keeps you wondering like Memento did. Also, he succeeded in having a dream cast.

The narrative structure of the film is very interesting. Nonlinear, the film starts from the end, and builds the story through flashbacks and flashforwards, showing the same episodes from the point of view of both the main characters.

Also, part of the story has a historical confirmation. In fact, besides the invention of a machine capable of teleporting or duplicate matter, the several references to the studies of Nikola Tesla and his rivalry with Thomas Edison are accurate.

The cinematography by Wally Pfister and the scenography by Nathan Crowley and Julie Ochipinti are outstanding, giving the film a magical and mysterious setting.

Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier, Christian Bale as Alfred Borden, and Michael Caine as stage engineer John Cutter all give charismatic, emotional, stunning performances. Rebecca Hall, who plays Borden's wife, provides a great performance. Scarlett Johansson, once again in the mistress's shoes, performs badly. Mention worthy is David Bowie's performance as Nikola Tesla, which despite the small screen time, proves to be a better actor than most of Hollywood's people.

Quotes

Cutter: Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".

Cutter: Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.

Rivalries (2015)

Genre

Thriller

Director

Philip Stainsby

Country

UK

Cast

Patrick Doyle, Mark Manning

Plot

The film sees a man, an employee (Patrick Doyle), try to come to terms with this mega city while trying to deliver a document to his employer (Mark Manning), along the way he becomes increasingly at odds with himself in a reflection of sorts of Freudian ideas of the psyche.

Opinion

I do like indies because they prove no big amounts of money are needed to make something good, and Rivalries is a good example of that.

At his feature length debut, director and writer Philip Stainsby manages to bring the audience into the state of consciousness of the protagonist, creating a continuous and increasing tension, partially enhanced by the spectacular and pulsating music, composed by Andrew Mobbs.

Beautifully shot, the chaotic city of Shanghai has an important role in the story. The employee/Doyle's inner monologue, which provides most of the film's dialogue, is very interesting.

As Neil Hopkins did in Detour, Patrick Doyle is able to carry the film through until the end alone, delivering a fantastic performance.

Quotes

The employee: Apparently too much fast food can... oh, like I give a fuck. Gotta other things to worry about.

For more infos check out Rivalries website.

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Genre

Drama | War

Director

Michael Cimino

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, John Cazale, Meryl Streep, George Dzundza, Shirley Stoler, Chuck Aspegren, Rutanya Alda, Amy Wright, Joe Grifasi

Plot

Michael (Robert De Niro), Steven (John Savage) and Nick (Christopher Walken) are young factory workers from Pennsylvania who enlist into the Army to fight in Vietnam. After some time and many horrors, the three friends fall in the hands of the Vietcong and are brought to a prison camp in which they are forced to play Russian roulette against each other. Michael makes it possible for them to escape, but they soon get separated again.

Opinion

Ranked by many, actually almost every single person who saw it, as a masterpiece, The Deer Hunter is one of the most overrated films ever, and one of the worst Academy Award Best Picture winners ever.

The film is boring, senseless and historically inaccurate. To begin with, it's too long - 3 hours seemed like an eternity. The wedding sequence at the beginning goes on and on - 30 minutes or so - but doesn't tell you more about the characters than a 10 minutes sequence could have. Then the action goes straight to Vietnamese jungle: the three friends don't need any kind of training, they just go, and they serve in the same squad too. The Vietnameses are portrayed as monsters or victims, there are no shadings. When Michael and Steven are back home, Nick is still in Vietnam and plays the Russian roulette for god only knows how many years - if it was a sport he would have been the World Champion. 

The acting is good. Robert De Niro is spectacular and should have gotten the Oscar instead of Christopher Walken - I am not saying Walken sucks in the film, he delivers a good performance, but, in my opinion, De Niro's better. Meryl Streep and John Savage are a great supporting cast.

Do you want to see a film about Vietnam War? Watch Apocalypse Now or/and Full Metal Jacket, they are definitely worth the time.

Quotes

Michael: A deer has to be taken with one shot. I try to tell people that but they don't listen.

Green Street (2005)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Sport

Director

Lexi Alexander

Country

USA| UK

Cast

Elijah Wood, Charlie Hunnam, Leo Gregory, Claire Forlani, Marc Warren, Ross McCall, Rafe Spall, Kieran Bew, Geoff Bell, James Allison, Terence Jay, Joel Beckett, Francis Pope, Christopher Hehir, David Alexander

Plot

Unjustly expelled from Harvard, Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) moves to London to live with his sister (Claire Forlani) and her husband Steve (Marc Warren). As he meet Pete (Charlie Hunnam), Steve's cocky brother, he is introduced to the violent underworld of football hooliganism.

Opinion

Critics have said everything bad they could possibly say about this film, from Elijah Wood being not credible as the tough guy to Charlie Hunnam's awful cockney accent. Good thing is I'm not a critic.

Green Street is a very emotional drama that deals with many themes: loyalty, honor, revenge, importance of family - The Major's decision to leave the GSE for the sake of his family -, and power economically strong people have - Matt being kicked out of Harvard.

The film does not glorify hooligans, it portrays them honestly. The violence is believable, realistic, and frightening. The direction and cinematography are flawless. The story manages to engage the audience immediately. The sad and mesmerizing final fight perfectly goes along with Terence Jay's song "One Blood".

The acting is spot-on. Elijah Wood is amazing, and maybe he wasn't the best choice to play a tough guy, but who cares? After all, his character wasn't that tough at the beginning. Charlie Hunnam gives a great performance.

Now, the film is violent, but there is much more than that, so if you didn't get it, I really suggest you to watch it again.

Quotes

Matt Buckner: You know the best part? It isn't knowing that your friends have your back. It's knowing that you have your friends' back.

Pete Dunham: You don't run, not when you're with us... You stand your ground and fight!

Matt Buckner: I've never lived closer to danger, but I've never felt safer. I've never felt more confident, and people could spot it from a mile away. And as for this, the violence? I gotta be honest - it grew on me. Once you've taken a few punches and realize you're not made of glass, you don't feel alive unless you're pushing yourself as far as you can go.

Life of Brian (1979)

Genre

Comedy

Director

Terry Jones

Country

UK

Cast

Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Kenneth Colley, Neil Innes, Gwen Taylor, Terence Bayler, Carol Cleveland, Charles McKeown, Chris Langham, Sue Jones-Davies, John Young, Bernard McKenna, Spike Milligan, George Harrison

Plot

Monty Pythons tells the story of Brian from Nazareth (Graham Chapman), an unwilling prophet who wants to free his land from the oppression of Rome.

Opinion

Life of Brian is not just an incredible satire of Christian religion and Hollywood's epic films, or an extremely funny film, but pure gold. It's amazing how this 36-year-old film doesn't feel aged at all. I laughed at it most of the time - although it slows down a bit in the second part - and, at one particular moment - when Pontius Pilate speaks of his friend Biggus Dickus - I laughed so hard, tears ran down my leg.

The direction is good; the costumes are good; the acting is great, and Graham Chapman's performance is the one who stands out.

Quotes

Pontius Pilate: Wait until Biggus Dickus hears of this!

Rating

8.0/10

Horror without Borders: 5 Movies, 5 Countries

Fright doesn't need a passport.

In the spirit of Halloween, here are a handful of notable horror films streaming on Netflix, from places other than the United States. All but one of these has subtitles, but that shouldn't deter true horror buffs (most of whom I assume can read). Arranged in order from Artfully Serious to Disgustingly Funny, these are my picks for a horrific, internationally themed All Hallow's Eve...

Let the Right One In (2008)

(Sweden) The justly celebrated Let the Right One In may be the most low-key horror film ever made. It doesn't frighten so much as slowly seep into your skin, like a stealth transfusion that uses the wrong type of blood so your body has no choice but to reject it. Resembling a low-budget European art film (which in many ways it is), Let the Right One In keeps the big shocks and scares to a minimum, calibrating them for maximum intensity as director Tomas Alfredson's observational camera records the film's acts of violence with a contemplative, almost mournful gaze�until you're so invested in the characters, every subtle shift in tension leaves you gnawing a knuckle. Shaped as much by mood and silence as emotion and sensation, the film can be viewed as a touching story of friendship between sensitive, introspective 12-year-olds�except when it isn't�making it one of the more unusual, artful, and disturbing vampire movies you're likely to see.

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Expiration Watch: THE PUBLIC EYE

I'll go ahead and predict right now that this will be among the least viewed�and least searched for�of my blog posts. But, hey, no one said trumpeting the obscure is about getting attention, right?

One benefit of the high licensing fees Netflix pays to stream popular movies is that a lot of lesser-known (and thus, cheaper) titles are acquired which get to make a case for themselves long after their initial release. These can be anything from last year's Drinking Buddies, a low-gauge indie charmer starring Jake Johnson and Olivia Wilde, to films from 30 or 40 years ago that have somehow faded into obscurity. Case in point: 1972's The Public Eye (released in England as Follow Me!)

Along with being the final movie by British director Carol Reed (The Third Man, Our Man in Havana, Oliver!), The Public Voice was written by playwright Peter Shaffer (future scribe of Equus and Amadeus); stars Mia Farrow�between high-profile roles in Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Great Gatsby (1974)�and Topol, Oscar-nominated the year before for Fiddler on the Roof; and boasts a score by John Barry, who was already well on his way to legendary composer status by virtue of his James Bond films. In other words, A-level talent across the board.

So, what happened? Why has this amusing, and occasionally trenchant, comedy-drama been almost completely forgotten?
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And Once Again... Bond Is Back

License to smoke--and look suave doing it

James Bond has returned to Netflix Instant in August. How long he'll remain is anyone's guess. [Not very long, it turned out.] The good news is, unlike the last time the erstwhile spy reappeared, now pretty much all the pre-Daniel Craig films are available. That includes the two dark horse entries, On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1968), and Connery's "unofficial" 1983 return, Never Say Never Again. The latter I remember liking quite a bit--save for the crucial absence of Monty Norman's iconic Bond theme�and I still think Klaus Maria Brandauer's Largo was the most nuanced and complex Bond villain until Javier Bardem in Skyfall.

Herewith, an updated repost of an April look at select Bond titles, including two all-new entries. I may add more as I rewatch them�assuming they don't disappear again at the end of the month!

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Not Your Average Britcom: SPACED

Let's get Spaced

If you like your comedies smart and zingy and fueled with pop culture riffing, you're due for a visit to Spaced. Written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, Spaced is a British TV series that ran from 1999 to 2001 and still plays hummingly over a decade later. Long a cult favorite among geeks and filmmakers, it was well ahead of its time and credited as a major influence on the pace and comic style of such shows as Arrested Development, 30 Rock, and Community. What made it unique was not just the way it was made--more like a short film than a situation comedy--but its ability to mash together an offbeat, often surreal sense of humor with the pop culture-soaked psyches of its twenty-something leads.

Set in a suburban North London flat, the show's 14 episodes follow platonic roommates Tim (Pegg) and Daisy (Stevenson) as they learn to deal with living together, their oddball friends, and their larger place in the world. On its face that could describe any number of stories about slacker youth. But with its clever, finely tuned scripts and clueless yet sympathetic characters, Spaced brought a topical freshness to the drab sitcom world not unlike Quentin Tarantino's pop makeover of crime films.

Along with Pegg and Stevenson's scripts, equal credit goes to series director Edgar Wright, who went on to make Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. His resourceful touch utilized every ounce of ingenuity to give practically every scene a visual zip or ping, turning an ostensibly low-rent sitcom into a charmingly baroque cinematic funhouse.

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Romance with a Touch of Smut: CASHBACK

If you like your romantic comedies with more of an adult sensibility than today's Hollywood usually allows, take a look at 2006's Cashback. Despite its unassuming title and a plot description that does it no favors, the film manages to combine romance, whimsy, and a bit of healthy European randiness with an artistic sensibility that never interferes with its off-beat humor. This is owed to fashion-photographer-turned-director Sean Ellis, around whose Oscar-winning short of the same name the film was based (a short whose fantastical conceit--a young artist with the ability to freeze time--is incorporated here and successfully deepened). If you're familiar with the '80s films of Bill Forsyth--Gregory's Girl and Local Hero being two personal faves--then this has a similar sensibility, only with a bit of magic and a lot of breasts.

This overlooked charmer stars Harry Potter's Sean Biggerstaff and a cast of fellow Brits, including the lovely Emilia Fox

Yes, there are a fair number of beautiful ladies doffing their kits (as they say in the U.K.) throughout the film. So if that kind of thing frightens you, or if naked ladies are against your ideals of Art, Cinema, and Good Taste, then by all means dial up something with Julia Roberts or J-Lo. Otherwise, this slow-burn examination of a young artist's fascination with love, beauty, and the female form offers many small and satisfying rewards.

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Spoilers And Opening Date For The UK Is One Week Early

Let's get the non-spoiler item out of the way first. J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS will be opening a week earlier in the UK than in North America with the UK enjoying a May 9 launch (all formats according to Simon Pegg) and across the pond in the US and Canada, a May 17 date (May 15 in IMAX).

Now let's get something straight about these spoilers. I'm against them. I'm literally against reading them and - get this - I haven't. I am blind copying and pasting this info for those of you who do want to be spoiled for this much anticipated movie. I can't bring myself to read it because I am a die hard Trekkie and I refuse to not see this thing in a pristine form.

SO. If you don't mind being spoiled - these are MASSIVE spoilers by the way - then read on. I know they're massive by the reception it's getting. Whoever wrote this in Brazil broke many a cardinal rule in doing so and he should be banned from the web. Can't stop it now - it's on the Internet and with a life of its own.

**SPOILERS AHEAD** Read at your own risk. This is YOUR decision NOT mine to read this. Know that now. I HAVE NOT and will not read it. 

Hit the jump for more...


Highlight the white portion below with your cursor to read.

Brazilian site Judao.com.br has a report from a press screening for Star Trek Into Darkness from Sau Paulo which was presented by producer Bryan Burk. 38 minutes of the movie was shown, mostly from the beginning of the film. TrekMovie has confirmed that the event did happen and that the report is accurate.

Below are some highlights from the report

From the extended beginning of the film…

Opening sequence (previewed at IMAX theaters in December) has been reordered to have Nibiru Volcano sequence now opens the film followed by title card and then the scenes in London and at the hospital

Nibiru mission ends with Kirk rescuing Spock by violating the prime directive by revealing the Enterprise to Nibiru natives so he can beam Spock out of the Volcano

Kirk has a scene in bed (back in San Francisco) in bed with two "cat women"

Kirk makes mention of hoping to get assigned to a "five year mission" (implying that the famed five year mission hasn’t started yet for the time he has been captain)

Kirk is demoted for violating prime directive on Nibiru, loses command of Enterprise with Pike to take over command Kirk as first officer

Pike wanted to send Kirk back to Academy but was convinced (possibly ordered?) to make Kirk first officer of Enterprise by Admiral Marcus (played by Peter Weller)

Spock assigned to another ship

The "father" character uses his Starfleet ring as a bomb (dropping it into water for a reaction) and destroys a facility (in London)

London attack leads to big meeting of Starfleet captains which itself is attacked by John Harrison, resulting in Pike being injured…Harrison transport away

Later scenes in the film….

Enterprise severely damaged falling to Earth with Spock in command ordering evacuation

Kirk and Scott seen in Engineering trying to stabilize ship

Later Spock scene beaming down to San Francisco and starting long chase with Harrions

Eventually Spock meets up with Harrison and engages in a fight

**END SPOILERS**

Whew. You don't know how hard it is to post something and not read it. I trust the authenticity of it enough to do so. Personally I hope you didn't read it because this movie deserves a fully timed out reveal to you in its own pace and surprises. This is Star Trek after all.

Here's the movie's storyline:
In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes Star Trek Into Darkness. When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS opens in North America on May 15 (IMAX) and May 17 (wide). The UK will get it in all formats on May 9.

Spoilers from Judao via TrekMovie

SKY Ready To Net 3DTV Viewers In The UK Starting In October!

3DTV owners in the UK rejoice! Starting October 1, you will be able to enjoy Ryder Cup Golf and movies such as MONSTERS VS. ALIENS on your new SKY+HD channel. After in the field testing at more than 1500 locations, SKY is ready for primetime.

As Christmas approaches, other 3D movies will be available including ALICE IN WONDERLAND and HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE.

Further to golf, a variety of 3D sporting events will be on the channel including Premier League football.

The service will work on most 3DTVs including units from Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic.

I am elated that the UK are getting their 3D in the home so quickly! SKY seems to be doing things right so it should be a pleasure to watch. If you are in the UK and getting this service, let me know! I will pass along your thoughts to our readers.

Source: BBC