Twisted sister's misery porn - My Sister's Keeper review

My Sister's Keeper - Starring Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin and Sofia Vassilieva. Directed by Nick Cassavettes. Rated M for mature themes and infrequent coarse language. 103 mins. By Simon Miraudo.

My mother is going to hate this review. In fact, I can guarantee that most women will hate this review. Of the several hundred ladies that attended the screening for My Sister’s Keeper, I would estimate that 85% left the cinema in tears. They will tell their friends that the film is beautiful and one of the saddest, loveliest motion pictures they have ever seen. And hey, that’s their completely valid opinion. But if you are one of those ladies, I recommend you stop reading this review. You are not going to like me very much by the end of it.

Now, I’m just going to come out and say it: My Sister’s Keeper is an evil, evil film. It grabs a hold of its audience and confronts them with horrific images of young children dying of cancer; vomiting blood; losing their hair; trying to kill themselves; weeping constantly. But this isn’t emotional, or touching, or even real. It’s misery-porn of the lowest degree. “Look how awful it is to die!” the film screams at us. “Even children suffer to the last breath!” it howls. This film doesn’t have a heart. It has a blackened husk fueled by dollar bills. My Sister’s Keeper is a committee-approved nerve-snapper that, much like its main character, has been genetically engineered to MAKE! YOU! CRY!

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The film tells the story of sisters Anna (Abigail Breslin) and Kate (Sofia Vassilieva). Kate is dying of cancer, and she needs a kidney if she wants to see her 15th birthday. Parents Sara (Cameron Diaz) and Brian (Jason Patric) have known this since Kate was only five years old – which is why they genetically engineered a daughter to be a perfect match for that all-important transplant. The thing is, Anna doesn’t want to undergo the procedure. It seems that Anna loves Kate with all of her heart ... just not with all of her kidney. The film’s climax takes place in a courtroom, because as we all know, unoriginal films must conclude in a courtroom. Anna hires slick attorney Campbell Alexander (Alec Baldwin) to sue her parents for ‘medical emancipation’ and free her from their bizarre birth pact. Before we get to that point however, the audience must endure a dumbfounding 90 minutes of soul-crushing tragedy.

Now, soul-crushing tragedy isn’t inherently bad; but when it is constructed as manipulatively as it is in this film, it’s inexcusable. Moments of joy are almost immediately juxtaposed with moments of intense gloom, seemingly just to enhance the awfulness of the latter situation. Characters are introduced just so they can die and illicit yet another scene in which the main character’s weep. Observe the Judge presiding over the case played by Joan Cusack –why are we told that her daughter is recently deceased? Just so another character can mention it and make her cry? Is this what we accept in place of reasonable character interaction these days?

The performances in the film are actually pretty great, most notably young Breslin and Vassilieva. They are spared my vitriol. My sights are set on the man behind all the manipulation: director Nick Cassavettes. I haven’t seen his most famous film, The Notebook, but every woman I meet seems to love it more than their actual partners. Needless to say, I’ve been preventing my girlfriend from seeing it for the past three years. His handling of the source material is so heavy-handed and overbearing, I half expected him to jump into frame and start showing us pictures of starving third-world babies.

And speaking of the source material - I haven’t been so terrified in a cinema as I was when the opening credits revealed that My Sister’s Keeper is based on a book by Jodi Picoult. Nooo! Anyone but Jodi Picoult! Seriously, I’d take Stephanie Meyer over Jodi Picoult any day. The film is full of the lazy story-telling that has made Picoult a joke in the literary world. For example, the movie has five narrators. Five narrators!? Any filmmaker worth their salt knows they should show and not tell. My Sister’s Keeper features five of the main characters talking about how much they love each other and are so sad all the time. Heaven forbid we actually see them talking or relating to one another; whenever they start to, they’re overdubbed by the freaking narration.

I’d like to get back to the film’s core problem – its blackened husk of a heart. Just because a movie is about such a horrible, family-destroying illness as cancer doesn’t make it manipulative. Terminal illnesses have touched pretty much everyone’s life, and every subject, no matter how upsetting, deserves to be discussed in an intelligent forum. Cinema is no exception. However, My Sister’s Keeper has nothing to say about cancer, except that it’s really, really awful. Cassavettes attempts to tag onto the very end of the film a moralistic lesson about appreciating the time we have while we’re alive. That’s hard to buy when the main characters spend Kate’s dying days planning for one of history’s most contrived court-cases.

I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t reluctant about posting this review. The last time I eviscerated a film about illness and organ donation, readers threatened to donate my testicles – and against my will no less. But I’m just going to have to deal with the potential backlash, because I truly believe that this film is not only bad, but bad for society. Rich Hollywood honchos have bought the rights to a lazy-Jodi Picoult novel with a built-in audience, handed it over to a director known for making weepies, and hired a talented cast to really sell the awfulness. Most despicably, it hinges its success on the hopes that the film will inspire a pavlovian response from the audience, who will remember the time they were confronted with a horrible illness, and break them down into tears. And just to reiterate – sorry mum.

0.5/5

Check out my other reviews here!

Toy Story 3D re-release trailer debut!

source: firstshowing.net

The trailer for the Toy Story 1 and 2 double feature 3D re-release has debuted online. Similar to the trailer for Toy Story 3, it features Woody, Buzz and co. goofing off. But hey, it's still better than Shrek!

Not really much to say here. We've all seen Toy Story 1 and 2, and we know that they're both masterpieces. I'm dubious as to whether or not the 3D will actually enhance the film. In fact, I'm a little concerned that animated films are now using the 3D gimmick as a crutch over good story and detailed animation (cough Monsters vs. Aliens cough).

Regardless, if they brought any Pixar film back to cinemas in measly 2D, I'd still line up to see it. Except maybe Cars.



Toy Story 1 and 2 will play as a double feature for a limited time from January 21, 2010. Toy Story 3 hits Australian cinemas June 24th.

Discuss: This whole 3D business - where do you stand?

Quick! Have sex! There's something in the woods!

source: impawards.com

A bunch of teaser posters for the upcoming Joss Whedon-scripted horror film The Cabin in the Woods have debuted, poking fun at a couple of iconic scary-movie tropes.

Although the film has been produced and written by Whedon, co-writer Drew Goddard was handed the directorial reigns.

Goddard has previously written episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel for Whedon, as well as episodes for J.J. Abrams' shows Lost and Alias. He also wrote the screenplay for the Abrams produced monster flick Cloverfield.

Although little is known about the project at this point, it seems clear from the posters that Whedon will apply his trademark humour to the traditional horror genre. Can it top Drag Me To Hell in the funny/scary stakes? We'll have to wait until February 2010 to find out.

The Cabin in the Woods features movie hunks Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford, alongside Underbelly star Anna Hutchison and Thor himself Chris Hemsworth.

Discuss: Is it fair to assume this will be better than the non-Whedon affiliated Buffy movie?

The Wolfman delayed until February!

source: shocktillyoudrop.com

Universal Pictures has pushed Joe Johnston's "hairy-movie" The Wolfman from November to February 2010. The picture's Australian release date is likely to follow suit.

This is the third time The Wolfman has been delayed. The $85 million project was originally set to open February 13th this year. The release date was then changed to April 3rd before being moved to November, and then finally (hopefully) landing on February 2010.

The film has had its problems in the past. Original director Mark Romanek abandoned the project one month before shooting. He was replaced by Jumanji helmer Johnston.

The Wolfman stars Benicio Del Toro as the titular monster. He will be joined by Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving and Emily Blunt.

You can check out a particularly shaky cam version of the trailer that debuted at Comic Con 2008 here.

Discuss: February is pretty much where studios send films to die. I am still holding on to the hope that The Wolfman will be a decent horror film though. What are your thoughts?

See Mickey Rourke drive a stake through Stallone's back!!!

source: empireonline.com

OK, we fibbed a little. Mickey Rourke isn't so much driving a stake through Sylvester Stallone's back as he is calmly tattooing it. In fact, Stallone looks like he's kind of enjoying it. The shot comes from their upcoming action smorgasbord The Expendables.

The film, written and directed by Sly, features an unstoppable cast of straight-to-video heroes such as Dolph Lundgren, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Eric Roberts and Danny Trejo. It will tell the story of an "expendable" team who are sent to overthrow a ruthless South American dictator.

In the above picture, we can see Rourke's arms dealer/part-time tattooist Tool inscribing the below symbol on Stallone's character Barney Ross.

Yeah that one.

The Expendables is set for a release in the U.S. next April.

Discuss: Rourke's playing a guy named Tool? Stallone's character is called Barney? This really is going to be the greatest film ever, isn't it?

The times they are a-changin' - Watchmen DVD review

Watchmen – Starring Patrick Wilson, Malin Akerman, Jackie Earle Haley, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Directed by Zack Snyder. Rated MA for strong violence and sex scene. 160 mins. Originally published March 1, 2009. Available on DVD May 29.

They called it the ‘unfilmable’ graphic novel. It was written with the specific intention of showing the limitations of cinema, and the boundless artistry of the comic book form. It was a sprawling 12-issue limited series that parodied the superhero genre, held a confronting mirror up to society, mutated the events of the past and set the bar for comics of the future. Twenty-three years since it was released, Alan Moore’s and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen remains THE definitive comic book. In 2009, Zack Snyder’s film adaptation is now THE definitive comic book movie.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I am a complete Watchmen fanboy. Like so many others, I fell in love with Moore and Gibbons’ comic from the first panel on the very first page. This wasn’t just ‘the next big superhero movie’ to me. This film has all the added weight of years of anticipation; that insatiable excitement of wanting to see your favourite book on the big screen and the crushing anxiety of not wanting to see it butchered. Suddenly I realised how all those tween Twilight fans were feeling, and now share a depressing kinship with them. I’m sure there will be many obsessed with making sure the film covers each individual frame of the comic, ignoring the beautiful whole in front of them. That’s their loss. Watchmen is a bold, bizarre and completely breathtaking masterpiece, for fans and newcomers alike.

Watchmen takes place in an alternate 1986; one in which masked vigilantes once protected the people, and eventually required protection themselves. An alternate past in which America has won the Vietnam War, thanks to an all-powerful God-like being known as Dr. Manhattan. An alternate past in which Richard Nixon is serving his fifth term as President, the Cold War is escalating and the Doomsday Clock sits at five minutes to midnight. The film begins in the apartment of Edward Blake, the retired and amoral masked vigilante known as The Comedian (Morgan). Wasting away in a daze of alcohol and regret, he is attacked by a mysterious assailant and thrown out of his window into the street, many stories below. It is a masterfully executed intro, followed by one of the all-time great opening credit sequences. Set to Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changing”, the entire history of masked vigilantism is displayed, from its quaint beginnings in the forties, to its eventual outlawing in the seventies. I’m desperately trying to think of a film with better opening credits, and I swear I’m drawing a blank.

Blake’s murder strikes a chord amongst the other retired heroes. The uncompromisingly violent Rorschach believes someone is hunting down masks, and he won’t rest until he finds out why. Dressed in a hat, overcoat and ever-changing balaclava, he is the ultimate film-noir anti-hero; an unhinged detective with his own brand of demented justice. Jackie Earle Haley plays the gravelly voiced narrator with pitch perfect precision. He is the Rorschach we always dreamed of. Over the course of the film we are introduced to former Watchmen (known as Minutemen in the comic) such as Ozymandias (Goode), Nite Owl (Wilson) and Silk Spectre (Akerman). Some are living prosperous post-hero lives, while others desperately miss the old days, wallowing in self-pity and stifling mediocrity. As Rorschach’s investigation intensifies, each of them don their old costumes and become privy to a conspiracy of cataclysmic proportions, of which they are all at the center.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Watchmen universe, don’t be fooled by that beautiful trailer. Although there are a couple of great action sequences, this is far from an action film. It is a three-hour examination of the human (and not-so-human) psyche. The film asks ‘what kind of person is crazy enough to put on a costume and fight crime?’ Our heroes are murderers, sadists, rapists, sexual deviants and emotionally detached maniacs. Peter-Parker puberty blues this ain't. Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl (encapsulated wholly by Wilson) is a shell of man when not wearing his mask; impotent figuratively and literally. Laurie Jupiter/Silk Spectre (Akerman) reluctantly took over the heroics from her mother, and is now living in her judgmental shadow, resigned to be Dr. Manhattan’s sexual plaything. As for Manhattan himself (Crudup shining through jaw-dropping CGI), he is slowly losing his connection with humanity, and is forced to deal with the consequences of his own omnipotent existence. And you thought The Dark Knight had it tough.

Speaking of The Dark Knight, Watchmen is sure to attract many who contributed to that film’s billion dollar gross. However, the two films are as disparate as they come. Christopher Nolan’s film is gritty and realistic; Snyder’s is full of garish, colourful costumes and exaggerated sound effects. Every punch sounds as if it breaks a bone; every drop of blood looks richer than tomato sauce. The words “Bam!” and “Pow!” might as well flash up on the screen. The collision of the cartoonish and the startlingly gloomy destroys any lingering memory of how we always believed our heroes should be. Just as the comic redefined the superhero genre, the film makes The Dark Knight seem sooo 2008.

Snyder truly knocks this one out of the park. There are sequences in this film that are even more evocative and devastating than in the book. Dr. Manhattan’s origin plays like a short-film within the picture; it stands alone as a heart-wrenchingly tragic sequence whilst also fitting into the makeup of the movie. Snyder grapples with the multiple storylines and flashbacks like a master watchmaker creating a tightly wound timepiece.

Of course, the comic fans will always have their complaints: a couple of small subplots have been excised (but are promised by Snyder to be in the Director’s Cut DVD), and there is a slight change in the ending. However, the message remains true, and its effectiveness is undeniable. It took twenty-three years to make it to the big screen, but it seems almost fitting to debut in 2009, especially considering that the Doomsday Clock currently sits at 11:55. Whether non-fans embrace the picture is unknown; I can only speak in my capacity as a nutty Watchmen geek. The film is a ballsy, brainy, and thoroughly bloody examination of human nature, pop culture and ‘the good old days’ that never were. And it rocks really, really hard.

5/5

Check out my other reviews here.

Win free tickets by sending us your controversial movie reviews!

Alright gang, we're going to keep posting this article as a reminder - if you send in your mini reviews you can win free tickets!

You can win FREE MOVIE TICKETS by sending us mini-reviews of the movies you love (or love to hate)! Any film is on the table. Nothing is off limits. Be brave! Be daring! Be controversial! Defend the film's no one else will, or cut down some tall poppies that always get a free ride!

Tell us why Citizen Kane is overrated malarkey. Explain why Norbit is the best film of the decade. Convince us that Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen doesn’t really, really suck.

The best and most convincing reviews will be published on the Quickflix Blog in our regular Head to Head feature. One of our Quickflix Critics (either the charmingly handsome Simon Miraudo or the bitter wildcard DVDman) will argue against you, and the winner will be selected by the Quickflix community!

But don’t freak out! Win or lose, if your review is selected for publication, we'll send you FREE MOVIE TICKETS to the latest cinema releases!

So what are you waiting for! Email us with your mini-review (no more than 150 words) and a picture of yourself (optional, but please do!) and you can find yourself the victor of Australia’s fiercest, most-brutal showdown since Thunderdome.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this just got real.

UPDATE: We've already gotten a pretty great response from quite a few members. HOWEVER, this is an ongoing feature, so DON'T STOP SENDING IN YOUR REVIEWS! Cheers!

Send your reviews to us here!

Here's Freddy! See the first pics from A Nightmare on Elm Street!

source: slashfilm.com

The first images of Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger from the upcoming Nightmare on Elm Street remake have debuted online. Click the images to see them in high resolution.

The remake will be directed by Samuel Bayer, and comes from Michael Bay's production company Platinum Dunes.

The images originally debuted at Comic Con last week, where the filmmakers also revealed some interesting tidbits about the project.

According to the footage screened at the Con, the film will begin with the legendary burning of Freddy Krueger by local parents. The filmmakers would not reveal whether or not Krueger would be both a child murderer and child molester as in the original series.

Bayer also revealed that the film would take on a darker edge, with Freddy's trademark one-liners gone for good.

A Nightmare on Elm Street is set to hit cinemas in 2010.

Discuss: Revamped Freddy? Are we excited?

Kunis and Portman dance off!

source: hollywoodreporter.com

So Mila Kunis thinks she can dance? The actress is in discussions to star as a rival ballet dancer opposite Natalie Portman in Darren Aronofsky's supernatural thriller Black Swan.

Portman headlines the picture as a talented ballerina who suspects a dangerous rival (Kunis) might be a figment of her imagination. As they prepare for a big performance, stranges things start to happen. Spooky.

The picture begins shooting later this year in New York City.

Aronofsky's last picture was the Academy Award nominated The Wrestler. Although he had been signed on to direct a Robocop reboot for MGM, that project is now in doubt. It is unknown whether or not MGM will wait for him to complete production of Black Swan or whether they will hire another director.

Discuss: I don't know whether it's the combination of the impossibly beautiful duo Kunis and Portman or just the excitement of seeing a new Aronofsky film, but I've got high hopes for Black Swan. I'm reminded of the great Dario Argento ballet-school horror flick Suspiria. What are your thoughts?

Downey Jr and Galifianakis set a Due Date

source: variety.com

Robert Downey Jr. will team up with The Hangover star Zach Galifianakis and director Todd Philips for the road movie Due Date.

Downey Jr. will star as an expectant father who must race home for the birth of his child. Galifianakis will play his mismatched road trip buddy.

Philips previously directed Galifianakis in the surprise comedy blockbuster The Hangover. The film has so far grossed a gargantuan $345 million worldwide.

They will (obviously) follow up Due Date with a sequel to The Hangover.

Due Date hits cinemas June 2010, while The Hangover 2 will debut May, 2011. It is unknown which of Galifianakis' body parts will be censored in each film.

Discuss: Galifiankis in a baby movie? Isn't this kind of what happened in The Hangover? Ah well. Bring on more Downey Jr. comedies!

Original gangster - Public Enemies review

Public Enemies - Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard. Directed by Michael Mann. Rated MA for violence. 140 mins.

Michael Mann’s latest film Public Enemies suffers from the biggest movie spoiler of all – history. Even a cursory glimpse into the life of legendary bank robber John Dillinger will reveal that he was gunned down outside of a movie theater by the police at the age of 31. The awareness of culturally significant deaths has also ruined such biopics as Milk, Control and Hunger (although The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford gets points for not attempting to hide anything). It takes a good film to overcome the awful burden of an educated audience, and sadly, Public Enemies is not a good film. Therefore, when our anti-hero announces that he feels like going to the movies, you’ll be hard pressed not to breathe a sigh of relief.

Public Enemies takes place in 1933, an era in which local criminals were the tabloid fodder of the day. It seems unlikely these days that Paris Hilton would ever pop up on the front page for holding up a bank and killing dozens of police officers, but hey, I wouldn’t bet against it. John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and his band of merry men are tearing across America; ripping off banks without even breaking a sweat. J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) christens the crook ‘Public Enemy #1’ in an attempt to inspire the Government to create a national police agency (the FBI). Hoover enlists the straight-cut Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to bring Dillinger to justice. Not that Dillinger is too concerned. He’s busy romancing Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), a sweet coat-check girl who will pay dearly for their relationship.

Johnny Depp stars as Dillinger. I don’t need to tell you how he is in the film, because you already know. This is exactly how you imagine Johnny Depp would play a gangster. Charming, disarming and anything-but alarming, Depp’s Dillinger is handier with a smirk than a Tommy gun. But there is emptiness to the portrayal, and it becomes difficult to differentiate the character from the enigmatic actor. The great Roger Ebert complimented Depp’s performance, exclaiming: “for once an actor playing a gangster does not seem to base his performance on movies he has seen.” I’ll agree with that. Depp is playing a gangster who seems to have only seen Johnny Depp films.

But I’ll stop my criticism of Depp there because this film has far greater problems than a charismatic star. Michael Mann has been championing the use of HD recording equipment for the better part of the decade, and has applied it to his films with varying degrees of success. I don’t particularly enjoy seeing a film set during the Great Depression look like a Bourne movie; it completely removes that beautiful period sheen (although I’m sure that's what Mann was going for). If the intended effect of HD is sharper images, then I encourage Mann to start work on a better HD camera. Much of the film is near incomprehensible due to the picture’s grainy composure. Combined with Mann’s penchant for natural lighting and shaky handycam, you won’t know whether to squint or retch.

Now if only Mann’s obsession with technical perfection extended to drafting screenplays. The script was adapted from Bryan Burrough's book Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34 by Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman and Mann. Although they clearly want to tell the story of Dillinger, they have carried far too many distractions over from Burrough’s book, including Hoover’s obsession and the growing threat of interstate gambling. The screenwriters’ indecision can even be seen in the film’s title: Public Enemies. They want to tell us the story of two men (Dillinger and Purvis) who shared a highly publicised vendetta against one another. But of course, this was not their relationship. Purvis was simply doing his job, and Dillinger couldn’t have cared less about the police. Dillinger’s identity as ‘Public Enemy #1’ was a publicity stunt on behalf of the FBI. And this is what we learn from the movie! The closer Mann and co. stick to the truth, the less focused the picture feels.

Ironically, Public Enemies shares the same flaws as brainless blockbusters Terminator: Salvation and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – it doesn’t matter how pretty your movie is if we don’t care about the characters. The film features a stellar, completely underutilised cast. Dillinger’s fellow bandits are portrayed by David Wenham, Steven Graham and Giovanni Ribisi; good luck identifying them amongst the dozens of other co-conspirators in all those night-time shoot-outs. Depp, Cotillard, Bale and Crudup are all serviceable, although I blame Mann for not allowing us to engage with his characters. This is a film in which the most complicated arcs can be described as going from ‘living’ to ‘dead.’ Public Enemies ends with a pretty obvious nod to Jean Luc Godard’s new wave classic Breathless, a film more famous for its style than its substance. Hmmm.

2/5

Check out my other reviews here

Twilight fans out-geek the geeks at Comic Con

source: aintitcool.com

COMIC CON! It's a Comic Con update blitz today as we report on the biggest stories to come out of San Diego's legendary geek-gasmic festival.

Twilight mania struck Comic Con over the weekend, as devoted fans waited in line a full 24 HOURS for the New Moon panel. 24 HOURS! Do you know how many times they could have watched Twilight again during that time?

The panel for the heavily-anticipated (to some) sequel featured stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene and director Chris Weitz. They talked about stuff like motorcycles and filming in Rome but ultimately nothing worth reporting.

Oh except maybe this: Apparently Edward Cullen (Pattinson) isn't actually in the book New Moon very much at all. So, to keep fans happy, he will appear to Bella Swan (Stewart) as a hallucination in the film. Makes sense. She is certifiably insane.

The real story here is the fans. Slashfilm have some interesting interviews with Twilight obsessive's who have driven from all over America just to look at Robert Pattinson's hair in person (I assume).

I've been quite cruel to Twilight fans in the past, so I'm going to turn over a new leaf and at least try to treat them with some respect. So if they're happy, I'm happy.

Of course, I still think the movie and books are terrible, terrible blights on the history of art and culture.

Discuss: What would you wait in line 24 hours for? I don't mean "Star Wars Episode 1" because that baby has come and gone. I mean, hypothetically, what would you devote a day of waiting too?

Behold The Green Hornet's Black Beauty

source: slashfilm.com

COMIC CON! It's a Comic Con update blitz today as we report on the biggest stories to come out of San Diego's legendary geek-gasmic festival.

The team behind the upcoming Green Hornet adaptation turned up at Comic Con to debut the stunning vehicle of choice for the playboy billionaire/secret avenger Britt Reid - The Black Beauty.

Writer, executive producer and star Seth Rogen was joined by co-writer Evan Goldberg, director Michel Gondry and producer Neil Moritz for the unveiling.

Check out Rogen unveiling the car in all his charming, awkward glory.



Also, thanks to a great couple of interviews from the guys at Slashfilm, we learnt that Nicolas Cage is indeed being actively pursued to play the film's villain. Yay? Still no confirmation on who will play Kato, although Rogen and Gondry confirmed that their relationship will be central to the story.

Discuss: Happy to see this project finally take shape, or were you hoping it would have collapsed on itself before it got this far?

Commissioner Gordon claims Dark Knight sequel starts shooting next year

source: slashfilm.com

COMIC CON! It's a Comic Con update blitz today as we report on the biggest stories to come out of San Diego's legendary geek-gasmic festival.

After The Dark Knight grossed a zillion dollars at the box office, the rumour mill sprung into action about the potential villains for the sequel. Of course, no sequel had actually been confirmed. Director Christopher Nolan had not (and as far as we know, has not) signed on to work on another Batman film and we decided not to entertain any more rumours until we had some facts. Well, this is good enough I suppose.

At The Book of Eli presentation at Comic Con, star Gary Oldman was asked what the position on the potential Dark Knight sequel was. He responded:

"The next batman is next year, so I think it is two years away. But you didn’t hear it from me.”

Now it wouldn't take a genius to guess that the inevitable sequel would start filming within the next two years. Nolan is currently filming his sci-fi thriller Inception, so a 2010 start date sounds pretty likely.

However, I don't know Chris Nolan. Gary Oldman does. So I would call him a more reliable source than myself.

Obviously we will report any official confirmations in the coming weeks/months/decades.

UPDATE: Quint from Aint It Cool News has spoken to Oldman about the claim, and it seems the actor has recanted slightly. He said that he's sure Warner Bros will want to make one in the next 2 or 3 years. Hrm...

Discuss: Do we still want a sequel to The Dark Knight? I mean, I still love that movie, so it's a "yes" from me. But what do you think?

TRON Legacy trailer coming at you from right angles!

source: traileraddict.com

COMIC CON! It's a Comic Con update blitz today as we report on the biggest stories to come out of San Diego's legendary geek-gasmic festival.

Walt Disney have finally debuted the teaser trailer for TRON Legacy, the surprise sequel to the original 1980's cult classic.

The teaser originally screened at Comic Con 2008 to a crowd of people who had no idea that a sequel to TRON was even in development.

Director Joseph Kosinski originally shot (or I suppose rendered) the footage to sample his vision for the project. Disney were so impressed with the clip, they screened it for the masses last year. Now, at Comic Con 2009, the trailer has been made available online to us lowly peons.

Take a look at the clip and let us know what you think!



I won't lie - I haven't actually seen the original TRON, so I'm not the best person to comment on the potential of a sequel. However, from the looks of the above trailer, TRON Legacy could be a lot of fun.

It looks very sleek, very clean, and very computer-generated (although I think that's half the point). In 3-D, this could be a great throwback to those amusement-park video displays. You know the ones, where you get in an abandoned car and they tell you it's a spaceship as they shake it around and show you a video of the stars. Except more fun.

TRON Legacy stars Garrett Hedlund, Jeff Bridges and Olivia Wilde. Hedlund plays Sam Flynn, the sun of Kevin (Bridges) who disappeared into the world of TRON 25 years ago. Sam gets sucked into the game, and the two must embark on a life-or-death journey across the cyber universe.

Discuss: TRON Legacy. Good idea?

Megan Fox invited to make a sex tape

source: slashfilm.com

COMIC CON! It's a Comic Con update blitz today as we report on the biggest stories to come out of San Diego's legendary geek-gasmic festival.

Look, it had to happen sometime. A bunch of horny, adolescent fanboys given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to talk to Megan Fox. Of course one of them was going to ask her to star in a sex tape.

Fox appeared at Comic Con to promote her upcoming film Jonah Hex, alongside star Josh Brolin and director Jimmy Hayward. A teaser of the film was received warmly by attendees, and was followed by a Q&A. A very brave/very stupid young man took to the microphone and asked Fox the following question:

"I just graduated film school and I'm trying to help my career. I was wondering if you'd be interested in some kind of, like, celebrity sex tape?"

You can check out the video here.

Now it is unknown whether or not the gentleman wanted to participate in the tape himself, or whether he was offering to film Fox's tryst with some other celebrity. Sadly, we'll never know.

The fan was promptly escorted out of the convention room by security following a series of jeers from fellow audience members.

Brolin jumped to his co-star's defence as the fan was being escorted away by quipping "Dude, I can't wait to see what you look like in 30 minutes."

Brolin stars as the titular Wild-West bounty hunter with half-a-face in the Jimmy Hayward directed comic adaptation. Fox stars as his loyal prostitute/lover.

The film is slated to hit cinemas August 6th, 2010. The Megan Fox/Random Nerd sextape is still awaiting a release date.

Discuss: I already know what most comments are going to sound like, so I won't incriminate myself by providing a "discussion topic."

Avatar Day is coming! See the 3-D trailer for free!

COMIC CON! It's a Comic Con update blitz today as we report on the biggest stories to come out of San Diego's legendary geek-gasmic festival.

James Cameron announced at the Avatar panel at Comic Con that the world will get its first look at his long-awaited sci-fi epic on August 21st. The trailer will debut in cinema's everywhere while select theaters will screen an extended 15-minute clip.

According to Cameron's statement at Comic Con, admission to the trailer screening on Avatar Day will be completely free. It is unknown whether or not this will be the case in Australia. Details on locations and how to reserve tickets will be released soon.

The trailer will be available in all formats and will debut online on the same day.

The extended footage will ONLY be shown in 3-D cinemas on the 21st of August.

Since I'm lazy and not too smart, I have been unable to decode the plot of Avatar from the tidbits of information released over the last few years. Therefore, please enjoy this Fox Studio approved summation:

AVATAR takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption, discovery and unexpected love, as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization. The film was first conceived by Cameron 14 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not yet exist. Now, after four years of actual production work, AVATAR 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.

Ah, that's nice patter.

Avatar stars Sam Worthington and opens December 17, 2009.

Discuss: OK, so seriously, what are your thoughts on Avatar Day? I think this is an incredibly smart way to create awareness for what is sure to be one of the most exciting film experiences of 2009. But will people rock up to the cinema to watch a 3-minute trailer in this online-fixated world?

Run away kids! Burton's Alice in Wonderland trailer debut!

source: traileraddict.com

COMIC CON! It's a Comic Con update blitz today as we report on the biggest stories to come out of San Diego's legendary geek-gasmic festival.

The trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland debuted at Comic Con last week to a rapturous response. Now you can check it out yourself in all its weird, creepy glory.



So, what did you think? It looks as if they're really going to push this as "a Johnny Depp movie" which probably isn't the worst idea in the world. Aiming at an older audience might be essential when the film seems intent on making every last child poop themselves.

The film stars Aussie Mia Wasikowska as Alice, Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen and Anne Hathaway as The White Queen.

Alice in Wonderland will be released March 2010.

Discuss: What did you think of the mixture of live-action and motion-capture? I personally thought Tweedledee/Tweedledum and The Red Queen looked a little too weird, but hey, what was I expecting?

Sam Raimi directing World of Warcraft movie?

source: aicn.com

I'm still wetting myself over the mind-snapping awesomeness of Sam Raimi's Drag Me To Hell as I write this article, so forgive me if it seems overly enthusiastic. AICN are adamant that Raimi has been hired to direct a live-action adaptation of the hit MMORPG World of Warcraft.

Back in 2007, Blizzard announced their plans for a World of Warcraft film, which would supposedly take place one year before the game. Legendary Pictures (who brought us great, ballsy films like The Dark Knight, Watchmen and Observe and Report) were set to produce.

Although there hasn't been an official confirmation from the trades, AICN are certain we will see Legendary Pictures and Blizzard make an announcement later this week.

The WOW movie would not begin production until Raimi wraps up Spiderman 4 late next year.

So, the idea of Raimi making a film for Legendary Pictures is exciting enough. The thing is ... I don't know the first thing about World of Warcraft. Literally, nada.

If anyone asks (and until I find out what WOW actually is) I'm officially "tentatively excited."

Discuss: If there are any WOW fans out there (and don't be ashamed, I know there are a bunch of you) please let us know what your thoughts are on this project. Is Raimi a good fit?

Don Draper's drowning! Mad Men season 3 poster debut!

source: newyorker.com

The poster for Season 3 of Mad Men has debuted, and it's one of the best promotional images I've ever seen. And not just because Jon Hamm is one handsome dude.

Now unless the Madison Avenue offices of Stirling Cooper have fallen victim to one of the worst plumbing disasters in history, we can assume that the above image is a metaphorical representation of Don Draper's psyche. Or maybe Season 3 will genuinely be taking on a Poseidon-style shift in direction. I bet this was Campbell's doing! You better not touch a hair on Peggy's head Campbell!!!

The season 2 DVD of Mad Men doesn't land until August 19th, but you'll have to take my word that it's just as good as the first season. Mad Men is easily the best drama on television and considering how season 2 wraps up, it's no wonder that Don Draper feels as if the water is rising.

Over at The New Yorker there is a great write-up on the marketing of Mad Men, where they run through some of the alternate poster concepts:

"Draper at an office party (“too kitschy”), Draper trapped on an ice floe (“too obvious”), Draper getting sucked into a vortex (“too end-of-the-world”)."

I don't know about you but I would literally kill a man to see that last poster.

Anyway, if you haven't been following Mad Men, catch up now lest everyone you love abandon you in shame.

Discuss: Is Mad Men really the best drama on television? What are the other contenders?

The Iron Man 2 photos don't stop coming!

source: usatoday.com

I literally have nothing left to say about Iron Man 2, so I'm going to keep this as short as possible. USA Today have a batch of new images from the highly anticipated superhero sequel featuring all your favourite characters and some newbies.

If you want to see Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff (A.K.A. Black Widow) you can check out these previous articles. If you would like to see Mickey Rourke as the villainous soviet Ivan Vanko (A.K.A. Whiplash) won't you make your way over here. And if you would like to see the very first picture released of Robert Downey Jr. as the charming Mr. Stark, look over yonder!

And now: more pictures!

Iron Man 2 sees the return of original director Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell. It hits Australian cinemas April 29th, 2010.

Discuss: I've even run out of discussion topics for Iron Man 2! Do we need a temporary moratorium until a trailer?

Seth Rogen hates Entourage

source: movieline.com

Entourage returned to television screens in the U.S. last week, to the delight of some and the chagrin of others. Seth Rogen admitted he falls into the latter category after some disparaging comments were made about him in a recent episode.

Rogen called series creator Doug Ellin both an "asshole" and a "moron" after last week's episode, in which the titular entourage discussing the likelihood of someone who looks like Rogen landing a hottie like Katharine Heigl in Knocked Up.

Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) described Rogen's "ugliness" as "oddly fascinating." These are pretty big words coming from someone who looks like freakin' Jerry Ferrara.

First things first: A Knocked Up reference in 2009? That movie is like, TWO YEARS OLD! For a show that prides itself on having its finger on the pulse of the pop cultural zeitgeist, this is pretty poor form. Not only has there been at least 35 films starring Rogen since Knocked Up, he has also lost virtually all his fat in preparation for the upcoming Green Hornet movie.

Anyway, Rogen had this to say to E!'s Daily 10 in regards to the Entourage tease:

“Yeah, those guys are assholes. I actually ran into Matt…Kevin Dillon in a Starbucks. And he’s like ‘you know, I’ve got to kind of apologize because apparently the guy who created our show doesn’t like you so much.’ And I said ‘well I have reason to believe because I think [showrunner] Doug Ellin is a moron from all I can understand so it makes sense he doesn’t like me.’ And I’ve kind of said some disparaging things about the show. Although in our defense, [producer] Mark Wahlberg called us misogynistic in an interview, so I think they kind of started that…It’s on. Luckily I never have and never plan on watching Entourage.”

If we are forced to choose sides in the looming Apatow/Ellin war, I'm rooting for Apatow. My feelings for Entourage are extremely mixed. Although I was once obsessed with the show, the last two seasons have descended into mind-numbing mediocrity. The characters have lost all of their charm, and the complete lack of forward momentum and conflict makes it virtually unbearable.

I mean, this is a show in which a lead character is described as being at his lowest point while having threesomes in Tahiti.

Finally, the show is barely funny anymore. With the exception of Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold, there is really nothing to see. Now Knocked Up - I'll never get sick of that movie.

P.S. - Before my workmates call me a hypocrite, I'll come out and admit that 'yes' I do still watch Entourage. It's a sickness.

Discuss: Rogen v Turtle - who ya got?

See MORE Scarlett Johansson in Iron Man 2!

source: movies.yahoo.com

Marvel have debuted a brand new picture of Scarlett Johansson from Iron Man 2. She will star as Tony Stark's assistant Natasha Romanoff (A.K.A. Russian spy Black Widow).

Earlier this week we published another image of Johansson in her Black Widow outfit. Needless to say, it's been a good week.

We're going to keep this article short because I guarantee that Iron Man 2 news will be coming thick and fast between now and its April 29th release date next year.

Iron Man 2 sees the return of original director Jon Favreau and also stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell.

Discuss: Damn you Ryan Reynolds!!!

Futurama to continue without original cast!?

source: moviehole.net

Well this is just terrible, terrible news. When Futurama returns to television screens in 2010, it is possible it will be without the original voice talent.

Talks between voice actors Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche and Tress MacNeille and 20th Century Fox have broken down due to the slashed budget of the new series.

We reported last month that Fox had agreed to produce 26 new episodes for Comedy Central to be aired in 2010. At the time the cast had all supposedly signed on for the new season.

Variety now reports that the cast's demands of $75,000 per episode were not met. For comparison, the cast of The Simpsons get around $400,000 an episode.

Fox recently released a casting call for all the main parts, including Fry, Leela and Bender. Series creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen are yet to comment.

NOW, before we all get too worked up, this could very likely be a negotiation tactic on Fox's behalf. Anyone who watches Entourage knows that studios will threaten to recast a role if the actor's salary demands are too high. Remember back in 2008 when Patrick Fugit was slated to replace Tobey Maguire as Spiderman? Obviously, this was never going to happen.

Hopefully either Fox comes to their senses and gives the Futurama cast what they want, or they call the whole project off. Because I, flat out, do not want to see Futrama with a completely different voice cast.

Discuss: How angry are you right now? This news is sadder than that episode Jurassic Bark!

Nicolas "Wicker Man" Cage in Green Hornet?

source: variety.com

Nicolas Cage is in early talks to portray a gangster villain in the The Green Hornet.

As reported previously, Cameron Diaz is also in negotiations to play the love-interest alongside star Seth Rogen. Although little is known about her character, she is supposedly a reporter.

The Green Hornet screenplay was written by Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg. Rogen will star as billionaire playboy/vigilante avenger Britt Reid.

The role of Kato (Reid's bodyguard) is yet to be cast.

Michel Gondry stepped up to helm the project after Stephen Chow left the director's chair late last year.

Check out our full Green Hornet report here!

Discuss: I am a big fan of Nicolas Cage, but it's not exactly controversial to say his career has been on the slide of late (although I will defend Knowing to the grave). Is this just another notch on his bedpost of shame, or could he actually make a fun villain?

It takes deux - Duplicity DVD review

Duplicity – Starring Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson. Directed by Tony Gilroy. Rated PG for mild sexual references and coarse language. 125 mins. Originally published March 23rd. Available on DVD July 23.

First things first – where is George Clooney? Duplicity is exactly the kind of battle-of-the-sexes/verbal-sparring-match that he eats for breakfast. Sure, Clive Owen is charming. But he ain’t no Clooney. You would have thought director Tony Gilroy could have roped his Michael Clayton star into his latest feature film. Well, no matter. We’re here now with Owen in British-scoundrel mode, as a former member of MI6 entangled in a web of romance, money and espionage. His foil is a smirk-happy Julia Roberts, who is both a former-fling and former CIA operative. Following their first encounter/tryst in Dubai, she leaves him drugged and unconscious in bed. She probably fake-numbered him too.

Claire Stenwick (Roberts) and Ray Koval (Owen) are thrown together again several years later, seemingly by chance (although in this film, that should be your first clue that something is up). Koval is recruited into a secret team of investigators by Dick Garsik (Giamatti), a nervy, arrogant CEO with a helluva chip on his shoulder. His rival, Howard Tully (a lumbering, ominous Wilkinson) is about to unveil the greatest product in history. Garsik wants to beat him to the punch, but first he needs to find out just what the product is. Luckily, Stenwick has been working under Tully for a year, and is ready to roll-over.

Stenwick and Koval’s relationship is seemingly held together by a thread; it’s no wonder considering what she did to him back in Dubai all those years ago. However, their co-conspirators can’t deny that the former spies are necessary to the project. If they want to pull off their audacious mission, Stenwick and Koval will have to make nice. Perhaps their relationship is not as tenuous as it seems. Maybe they’ve been making nice for the last few years, in hotel rooms around the world. Maybe they’re planning the ultimate triple cross. Or maybe not.

Gilroy’s carefully paced film keeps Roberts and Owen as far apart as possible, except when dancing back through the film’s snaking timeline. They have a plan; then they don’t; then they call it off; then its back on. Was it ever off? Is it really on? Are they playing each other? For what it’s worth, the film is never as confusing as my fevered rhetorical questioning. Tony Gilroy might be the best director around with only two credits to his name, and he knows exactly what he’s doing, even if the audience isn’t quite as quick.

Owen and Roberts are perfectly cast, although at times they feel like supporting players in their own film. That happens when you go up against the great Wilkinson and Giamatti. Owen does display a cheeky roguishness we rarely get to see; however, a former member of the MI6 shouldn’t get tricked as often as Koval does. Roberts gives a nice and quiet (if perhaps unmemorable) performance. It’s her best work since Closer, in which she and Owen swapped barbs of a nastier nature.

Tony Gilroy’s directorial follow up to the phenomenal Michael Clayton is an impressive addition to his short but impressive filmography. Duplicity is an Oceans’-esque romp through the world of corporate sneakery and back-stabbery. The film moves quickly, and manages to uncover the fun and thrills in a subject that probably doesn’t deserve it. Owen and Roberts attempt some old-school Hollywood to-and-fro, and while they don’t quite set the screen on fire, they at least drop a couple of cinders. A shame really that its finale doesn’t quite have the “oh-snap” quality it so desperately attempts to build towards. Oh well. Maybe they’re saving it for a sequel. “Duplicity Deux”.

4/5

Check out my other reviews here!