It really is - This Is It review

This Is It - Starring Michael Jackson. Directed by Kenny Ortega. Rated G. By Simon Miraudo.

In March of 2009, Michael Jackson emerged from a long period of seclusion to announce a final comeback tour. “This is it,” he declared; it was the name of the show, an exclamation of excitement, and a nod towards finality. Rehearsals began. Dancers were hired. Pyrotechnics were tested. Every moment was captured by a number of high-definition cameras for Jackson’s private collection. The footage was never intended for general release. After all, why would anyone ever need to see it? Soon enough we would have the actual show to enjoy. Then on June 25th, less than a month before the tour was to begin, Jackson was pronounced dead at his home in California. Kenny Ortega, director of the High School Musical trilogy and choreographer of the shows, was enlisted to piece together the hundreds of hours of footage and bring the final document of Jackson’s life to the fans.

This Is It, much like its subject, is a pop cultural oddity. It is a documentary on (what are essentially) the final days of Michael Jackson’s life, released three months after his death. Cynics rightfully question the motives of concert promoter/film producer AEG Live, who no doubt lost hundreds of millions of dollars on the cancelled shows. Thankfully, Ortega has delivered a fine film that puts the electrifying raw rehearsal footage to good use. Most impressively, Ortega achieves something not even Jackson himself could in the past decade: he makes the King of Pop seem human.

What is most surprising about a film of this nature is the level of joy that emanates from the screen. This is no funeral dirge. We are introduced to Jackson’s backup dancers and band members, each incredibly thankful to be able to share the stage with one of the world’s most exquisite performers. As the film reminds us, they really do have a lot to be thankful for. Jackson moves as lithely and confidently as he did when he debuted the moonwalk on Motown’s 25th Anniversary TV Special. If anyone were to suspect Jackson of being on the precipice of death based on this rehearsal footage, they might have similarly suggested Usain Bolt be rushed to the emergency room immediately after he broke the 100m world record.

The movie is primarily made up of reconstructions of Jackson’s songs, in which rehearsal footage and specially filmed miniature features are combined to give the audience the full experience. The effect is, surprisingly, seamless. In fact, it’s better than seamless. It’s flawed. In This Is It, Jackson stops songs mid-way to correct tempo; to redo dance moves; to chastise sound men. Although this isn’t exactly a ‘warts-and-all’ depiction of Jackson, it goes a long way to reminding us that this was actually just another human being. In this sense, Ortega has accidentally stumbled into a scenario in which he is able to present perhaps the truest version of Michael Jackson to the world. There is no perfect footage, so he has no choice but to show us imperfect footage. And because of that, it is among the best and most exciting footage of Jackson ever seen.

Michael Jackson led a life none of us could ever claim to fathom. He achieved the kind of iconographic fame usually reserved for world leaders and founders of religions. However, as his fame increased, his eccentricities emerged. His skin faded from black to white; he befriended Macaulay Culkin; he had a pet monkey. These are the facts. In comparison to the other rumours and allegations that plagued Jackson’s life, they seem as regular as brushing one’s teeth. Over the course of his career, and especially at the time of his death, two schools of thought on Jackson emerged: some saw him as a messiah, while others saw him as a monster. The fact that MJ often seemed to consider himself a messiah didn’t exactly quiet his critics. Jackson was never able to outlive these controversies; his name will always remain the punch-line to numerous unsavoury jokes. However, this film manages to reclaim a shred of dignity for MJ’s legacy.

This Is It is an interesting take on the traditional concert film. The essence of each song is broken down, reduced to their raw materials, and then reconceptualised. There is no audience, except for those actually involved in the production. Songs are not followed by rapturous applause, but anti-climactic silence, and sometimes even criticism from Jackson himself. This is not the way we expect to see Michael Jackson perform. He has always been about impeccable timing and movement. However, that had always made him seem untouchable; perhaps even inhuman, and contributes to the semi-messianic adoration from his fans. This Is It reminds us that it was always just a human being performing these songs. Sometimes he loses his voice and sometimes he even loses his temper. The film never shows us whether or not Michael Jackson had lost his mind. But it does show us that he never lost his talent.

4/5

Check out my other reviews here.

Adam Sandler to play his own sister in Jack and Jill

source: variety.com

Adam Sandler will star in an upcoming romantic comedy entitled Jack and Jill, in which he will play both Jack and his sister Jill.

Little else is known about the project, except that it will begin shooting next year for a 2011 release. The screenplay was written by former Saturday Night Live scribe Steve Koren.

Sandler was last seen in the Judd Apatow-directed dramedy Funny People, in which he played an actor/comedian named George Simmons who starred in a number of terrible comedies.

During the course of the film, we see a clip from Re-Do, a movie in which Simmons plays an adult man who turns back into a baby (see above). It was a wonderfully astute and cheeky dig at Sandler's back catalogue of silly, high-concept comedies.

Well, I guess the financial and critical disappointment of Funny People has Sandler running back to the genre he was mocking.

For what it's worth, I would rather see Re-Do.

Discuss: Is Sandler's career heading in the right direction? Should he try to do more dramatic roles (a'la the excellent Punch Drunk Love) or stick to dumb comedies?

Balibo, Samson and Delilah lead AFI nominations

source: afi.org.au

A great year in local cinema has being capped by the announcement of the 2009 Australian Film Institute Award nominees. Let us know in the comments what flicks you tip for victory!

Robert Connelly's Balibo, which told the story of the 1975 murder of six Australian journalists killed in East Timor led the pack with 14 nominations. Warwick Thornton's Cannes-victor Samson and Delilah followed close behind with 13 nominations. Both will compete for Best Film against Beautiful Kate, Blessed, Mao's Last Dancer and Mary and Max.

Baz Luhrmann's Australia, the most financially successful Australian film of the past year, grabbed seven nominations, but was excluded from most major categories.

Best Film

Balibo
Beautiful Kate
Blessed
Mao's Last Dancer
Mary and Max
Samson and Delilah

AFI Member's Choice Award

Australia
Balibo
Beautiful Kate
Mao's Last Dancer
Mary and Max
Samson and Delilah

Best Director

Robert Connelly - Balibo
Rachel Ward - Beautiful Kate
Bruce Beresford - Mao's Last Dancer
Warwick Thornton - Samson and Delilah

Best Actor

Anthony LaPaglia - Balibo
Ben Mendelsohn - Beautiful Kate
Hugo Weaving - Last Ride
Rowan McNamara - Samson and Delilah

Best Actress

Sophie Lowe - Beautiful Kate
Frances O’Connor - Blessed
Sacha Horler - My Year Without Sex
Marissa Gibson - Samson and Delilah

Best Supporting Actor

Brandon Walters - Australia
Damon Gameau - Balibo
Oscar Isaac - Balibo
Bryan Brown - Beautiful Kate

Best Supporting Actress

Bea Viegas - Balibo
Maeve Dermody - Beautiful Kate
Rachel Griffiths - Beautiful Kate
Mitjili Gibson - Samson and Delilah

Best Original Screenplay

Serhat Caradee - Cedar Boys
Adam Elliot - Mary and Max
Sarah Watt - My Year Without Sex
Warwick Thornton - Samson and Delilah

Best Adapted Screenplay

Robert Connolly, David Williamson - Balibo
Rachel Ward - Beautiful Kate
Andrew Bovell, Melissa Reeves, Patricia Cornelius, Christos Tsiolkas - Blessed
Jan Sardi - Mao's Last Dancer

You can see the full list of nominees here!

The AFI Awards will be hosted by Julia Zemiro in Melbourne on December 12th.

Discuss: Your thoughts on the nominations?

Title of new Woody Allen film reassuringly aggressive

source: thr.com

For the past few months we have heard about the impressive cast of Woody Allen's latest London-based film, including Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts and Freida Pinto. Well, now we know the title, and it is...

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger.

As I mentioned during my review of Whatever Works, Allen gave The Telegraph an easy guide to picking his good scripts from the bad:

“I never title a movie until it’s finished because if I look at the film and it’s no good I don’t like to give it an aggressive title. I give it what I call one of my hiding titles – the kind of title that is low-key and promises nothing, so people are less disappointed by it.”

Therefore, I guess we can be pretty excited for this pretty aggressively titled new flick of his.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stranger "revolves around different members of a family, their tangled love lives and their attempts to try to solve their problems."

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger hits cinemas mid-2010.

Discuss: What are your feelings on Allen''s last few projects (Whatever Works, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Match Point etc)?

Damon, Brolin in talks to join Coen Brothers' True Grit

source: variety.com

Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are in discussions to join The Coen Brothers' upcoming re-imagination of the classic 1969 western True Grit.

Jeff Bridges is already attached to play Rooster Cogburn, the role for which John Wayne nabbed his only Oscar.

Damon is being considered for the role of La Boeuf (no, not that one), a lawman who joins Cogburn and a fourteen-year-old girl on the hunt for the killer of the girl's father. Brolin would play the killer Tom Chaney.

As previously reported, the Coens will be adapting the original Charles Portis book of the same name instead of strictly remaking the film. The (as-yet uncast) young girl will be the central focus of the new film.

Very excited to hear that the Coen's will reteam with The Big Lebowski's Jeff Bridges and No Country for Old Men's Josh Brolin. This project is getting more delicious every day.

True Grit will go into production early next year.

Before then, you can catch the Coen Brothers latest film A Serious Man in Australian cinemas November 19, 2009.

Discuss: OK, it's the Coen brothers, but it is also a remake. Is this one worth getting excited about?

First look at the New A-Team!

source: slashfilm.com

The cast of Joe Carnahan's upcoming film adaptation of The A-Team have donned their respective costumes and struck a pose for the camera. Enjoy.

Click on the image to see a hi-res shot.

From left, Bradley Cooper as Lt. Templeton 'Face' Peck, Quintin 'Rampage' Jackson as B.A. Baracas, Sharlto Copley (District 9) as 'Howling Mad' Murdoch and finally Liam Neeson as Col. John 'Hannibal' Smith.

The film also stars Jessica Biel and Patrick Wilson.

The A-Team hits Australian cinemas June 10th, 2010.

Discuss: Is that a good-looking bunch of fellas or what?

Keira Knightley to star in My Fair Lady remake?

source: thetelegraph.co.uk

The Telegraph are reporting that Keira Knightley will portray Eliza Doolittle in a remake of the classic film My Fair Lady. According to the report, she beat Scarlett Johansson to the part.

Knightley revealed in 2006 that she had auditioned for the role and begun singing lessons. Looks like they paid off!

The role was originally made famous by Audrey Hepburn in the 1964 Academy Award winner for Best Picture. (As readers have reminded me, the 1964 version of My Fair Lady was a remake of the 1938 film Pygmalion, based on the play by George Bernard Shaw, itself inspired by the Greek myth of the same name).

Emma Thompson is writing the screenplay for the remake while Daniel Craig is rumoured to be playing Professor Henry Higgins.

Joe Wright is slated to helm the pic. He previously directed Keira Knightley to an Oscar nomination in 2005's Pride and Prejudice.

The involvement of Knightley and Wright are yet to be confirmed, as is any production or release dates for the remake. We'll keep you updated.

Discuss: My Fair Lady 2.0. Want it?

Paranormal Activity the most profitable movie of all time?

source: latimes.com

The ultra low budget fright-fest Paranormal Activity has collected an astounding $62 million after five weeks of limited release in the U.S. The film, which only cost a measly $15,000 to make, is now on track to become the most profitable film of all time.

The Oren Peli directed feature about a couple experiencing ... paranormal activity ... has been building buzz ever since it debuted in a few select cities across America last month. With folks all a'Twitter about the spooky film, it was no surprise that Paramount decided to distribute it widely over the pre-Halloween weekend.

The decision turned out to be a wise one; P.A. trounced the Saw franchise's sixth instalment and claimed a tremendous $22 million, leaving Jigsaw with a disappointing $14.8 million.

CHECK OUT OUR WRITE-UP ON THE TUMULTUOUS HISTORY OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY.

Industry insiders are now predicting that P.A. will hit the golden $100 million mark in the coming weeks; an unthinkable feat considering that this tiny film was originally going to be nothing more than an extra on the DVD of a big-budget remake.

The big question now is: Can Paranormal Activity become the most profitable movie of all time?

The Blair Witch Project was once considered to be the most profitable movie of all time. However, that film's original $20,000 budget ballooned to around $500,000 - $750,000 after Artisan Entertainment (the studio that purchased the film following its Sundance debut) forced the filmmakers to shoot some (relatively unused) new scenes. Blair Witch went on to gross $248 million worldwide, marking a profit ratio of approximately 496:1.

Paranormal Activity meanwhile, has a profit ratio of 4133: 1.

Of course, it is unknown if Paramount Pictures pumped any extra cash into the film (not including the film's $10 million marketing budget of course). We'll wait until Paramount issue a press release before we unfurl the congratulatory banner.

Unsurprisingly, Paramount are now considering a sequel to Paranormal Activity.

Can anyone say Book of Shadows?

Paranormal Activity opens in Australia December 3rd, but there will be late-night screenings this Halloween across the country. Check your listings.

Discuss: Favourite spooky film?

Lost and loster - Land of the Lost DVD review

Land of the Lost – Starring Will Ferrell, Anna Friel and Danny McBride. Directed by Brad Silberling. Rated PG. Originally published June 10, 2009. By Simon Miraudo.

Land of the Lost is a terrible family film - let's just get that out there - but it is certain to live on as a staple of bleary-eyed uni students' movie nights; sandwiched in-between repeat viewings of The Wall. Despite being completely demolished at the U.S. box office and renounced by almost any critic with an inch of credibility to their name, I find myself developing fond feelings for Brad Silberling's messy, madcap remake of the classic 70's television show. Although it may have at first been developed as a variation on the money-generating Night at the Museum franchise, Silberling, the screenwriters, and star Will Ferrell all completely forget about entertaining kids in an effort to squeeze in as many drug references and sex jokes as possible. In a $100 million tentpole release? You have to admire that.

I’m sure right now you are all attempting to find your hats that were no doubt blown off your head by the fact that I enjoyed Land of the Lost. I promise I will clarify my reasons, but first allow me to set the scene. Will Ferrell stars as Will Ferr... I mean, Dr. Rick Marshall, an infamous palaeontologist who believes he has solved the fossil fuel situation. He has developed a mysterious device called the Tachyon Amplifier that will (insert explanation here) and open a portal to a parallel dimension. From this new dimension, he will be able to acquire all the fossil fuels the human race will ever need or something like that.

Laughed out of the industry for his crazy idea, he is rescued from his shame spiral by the determined, Cambridge-educated Holly (Anna Friel), who implores him to put the Tachyon Accelerator to use. They head out into the desert and team up with gas-station-attendant/fireworks salesman/cave tour-guide/would-be entrepreneur Will (the always hilarious Danny McBride), for reasons I’m sure were never explained. The three of them fire up the Tachyon Amplifier and are sucked into a parallel universe, in which past, present and future combine. Dinosaurs, ape-men and lizard-people (Sleestaks for the initiated) roam the planet; ships are wrecked in the middle of the desert; Ice Cream vans fall out of the sky. And this all comes before the main characters share some alternate-universe peyote.

“Did you say peyote?!” Yes I did, and I’ll ask you not to interrupt mid-review. Here's what I meant about LOTL completely missing the mark as a good kids film. The picture features scene-after-scene of sexual innuendo and pot-addled humour that is sure to go over the head of any audience member under the age of 15. Combined with the bizarre imagery of a giant-bloodsucking bug the size of a basketball and a motel half-sunken into the ground, Land of the Lost plays less like Elf and more like the funnier, younger cousin of Un Chien Andalou. Director Silberling, who also helmed the fantastic yet similarly unloved Lemony Snicket, has no interest in pandering to children (despite a couple of groan-worthy poop jokes). While some kids may enjoy the sight of a big T-Rex chasing Will Ferrell across the jungle, I doubt many will giggle at a recurring joke based around the show tunes from A Chorus Line.

I completely understand why people are using this film as a punching bag. Parents are watching it with their kids and are being turned off by all the salty language and drug references (and believe me, I have no idea how this thing got away with a PG rating). Will Ferrell fans are disappointed by what is arguably a phoned-in rent-a-Ferrell performance. Watching the picture, I couldn’t understand who this film was made for. And then I realised: It was made for me. Not just me, obviously, but anyone who enjoys watching a film that dares to blow its $100 million budget on scenes that feature Ferrell and McBride breaking into a rendition of Cher’s hit song ‘Believe’ (complete with Autotune).

So this may be the most selfish and pointless review I’ve ever written, but if you find any spiritual kinship with myself then this film is for you. Ferrell and McBride may be pulling out their stock-caricatures (Ferrell the lovably arrogant man-child; McBride the wimpy, sexist redneck), but their comic timing is so pitch-perfect that they could make me laugh even if they were breaking really awful news. Call it a bad idea; call it a misfire; call it a waste of $100 million. But a film this strange has ‘cult classic’ written all over it. Much like my deformed, grotesque sibling that I keep caged in the attic, Land of the Lost has its flaws, but I love it all the same.

3.5/5

Check out my other reviews here.

Tom Cruise: American Psycho?

source: blackbookmag.com

This one makes so much sense we cannot believe we didn't piece it together sooner. Director Mary Harron has revealed that Christian Bale's terrifying performance in American Psycho was inspired by Tom Cruise.

The 1999 film was based on the controversial novel by Bret Easton Ellis, in which a smiling yuppie named Patrick Bateman (Bale) took the capitalist excesses of the 1980's to its natural conclusion: serial killing.

Harron unveiled the revelation in an interview with Black Book Mag. When asked how she and Christian Bale developed the character of Patrick Bateman, she spoke thusly:

It was definitely a process. We talked a lot, but he was in L.A. and I was in New York. We didn’t actually meet in person a lot, just talked on the phone. We talked about how Martian-like Patrick Bateman was, how he was looking at the world like somebody from another planet, watching what people did and trying to work out the right way to behave. And then one day he called me and he had been watching Tom Cruise on David Letterman, and he just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes, and he was really taken with this energy.

I've made no secret of my admiration of Tom Cruise on this blog. I genuinely think he is one of the best and most charismatic actors working today. However, when photos like this exist:

... it's hard to deny that he isn't perfect inspiration for a maniacal murderer.

Discuss: OK, a lot to talk about here. Any thoughts?

Mary and Max wins top prize at animation festival

source: ca.reuters.com

Australian claymation film Mary and Max was named Best Animated Feature at the Ottawa International Animation Festival.

It is yet another accolade for the story of a pen-friendship between an adult New Yorker with Asperger's Syndrome and a lonely young Australian girl.

The film was directed by Oscar winner Adam Elliot and features the voices of Philip Seymour Hoffman and Toni Collette.

Mary and Max is already on DVD in Australia, yet is still awaiting cinematic release in the U.S.

Hopefully it will receive American distribution in the coming months. Perhaps if the rave reviews are any indication, it could even nab a Best Animated Feature nomination at next year's Academy Awards.

Check out my review of Mary and Max here!

Discuss: Is Mary and Max a genuine Oscar contender?

Carey on campus - An Education review

An Education - Starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard and Alfred Molina. Directed by Lone Scherfig. Rated M. By Simon Miraudo.

“Action is character,” announces Jenny, the literature loving, French speaking, cello playing, Audrey Hepburn-evoking leading lady of An Education. She’s spouting one of the oldest rules of writing, but it’s something that continues to be ignored by some filmmakers. In 2009 alone, we’ve endured picture’s whose main characters are comprised of fighting robots, GI Joe’s and, quite literally, talking statues. Therefore, while the plot of An Education may be sparse (no ancient alien hieroglyphics to decode here), the film is brimming with life thanks to a whole set of richly drawn characters. That includes the impressionable young Jenny, played by the exquisite newcomer Carey Mulligan. That name again is Carey Mulligan. Once more for good luck: Carey Mulligan. Believe me; you’ll need to remember this one.

Jenny is a 16-year-old student living in the “beige” town of Bagshot in Surrey. The year is 1961; Beatlemania is still a couple of years away and young girls are looking for something to distract themselves with. Jenny listens to French music and read Albert Camus, dreaming of the day she can leave home and study English at Oxford University. Her parents (Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour) are supportive enough to pay for her studies, but they’d much prefer if she married a suitor with deep pockets.

Enter David (Peter Sarsgaard), a funny, charming and distinguished man with eyes for our teenage heroine. He is at least twenty years older than she is and likes to be called ‘Bubl’ in the bedroom, but as far as Jenny is concerned, his flaws are far outweighed by the ‘idea’ of dating him. He listens to classical musical, has a taste for the finer things in life and offers Jenny an education she could never receive from Oxford. And he’s handsome. As Jenny gets swept up into David’s high class world, complete with cultured friends and romantic weekends away, she is forced to choose the direction of her life. So what’s it going to be? Bronte or Bubl?

An Education is based on the memoir of journalist Lynn Barber; a woman whose interview style is famous for its combative nature. In 1999, Barber told The Independent how she approaches a subject: “start ... from a position of really disliking people, and then compel them to win you over." Harsh? Maybe. Effective? Definitely. And completely understandable following the betrayals of trust she experienced in her youth, as depicted in this film. Barber’s memoir has been adapted for the screen by author Nick Hornby (About a Boy, High Fidelity). Although I’ve never been the biggest fan of Hornby’s books, I have found their cinematic translations to be mostly spectacular (although the less said about The Perfect Catch, the better). An Education matches Hornby’s best work, displaying a similarly funny, three-dimensional and realistic cavalcade of characters.

To compliment these characters, the film has been populated with every talented English actor not currently working on the Harry Potter franchise. Alfred Molina delivers yet another densely layered performance as Jenny’s easily flustered and equally easily manipulated father. Olivia Williams gives a classy and restrained performance as Jenny’s English teacher. Emma Thompson and Sally Hawkins also impress in small yet memorable roles. However, American Peter Sarsgaard surprises most as the charming David. He’s made a career for himself playing seemingly nice guys with terrible secrets, but he has never been this lovable. I mean sure, he still has a terrible secret, but British accents always make people sound polite and likable, even if they're really not. Of course, this film is Carey Mulligan. As far as ingénues go, few have as much charisma as she does. Her performance evokes Audrey Hepburn at her sweetest and Ellen Page at her spunkiest.

Danish director Lone Scherfig brings some visual flair to the picture and the film’s first two thirds zip by in a flurry of snappy dialogue and exotic locations (including a gorgeous digression in Paris). However, the momentum is lost in the final act as the film chugs along to its inevitable conclusion. The questions raised by Jenny as she debates the merits of formal education aren’t really answered and contribute to an ultimately unsatisfying ending. But these problems are hard to focus on in the fog of the film’s overwhelming charm. Besides, you could do a lot worse than spend 100 minutes with Ms. Mulligan. Movie fans, I give you a woman worth educating yourself on.

4/5

Check out my other reviews here.

Head to Head - Cloverfield

Welcome to the latest edition of Head to Head, in which our Quickflix critic takes on our readers in a rip-snorting battle to the death! You pick the film, and we pick the fight!

This week, a reigning victor returned to take on the Cloverfield monster. Rohan Daenke previously took on DVDman (and won) by eviscerating 30 Days of Night. But can he defeat smiling assassin Simon Miraudo? For his troubles, he received a double pass to Pixar's latest film Up.

Rohan Daenke will argue AGAINST the film, while Quickflix critic Simon Miraudo will argue FOR it. Let us know in the comments section below who you agree with. Spare no vitriol! Choose your side! There can only be one winner!

Rohan Daenke - 1/5

What a god-awful film. Contains: basically no plot, a panicky script full of screams and "we gotta get outta here" lines, a very poor plot device in the form of a piss-weak love story and no explanation whatsoever about the beastie that is terrorising the city. As for that particular beastie, it is some lame mix of Godzilla, a pterodactyl and the Predator that inexplicably spawns little aliens that like to stab people with their praying mantis-like legs. Just be glad that the movie only goes for 75 minutes. It’s painful enough as it is! DVDs of this film would be better used as coasters or hung on trees to keep the birds away!

Simon Miraudo - 4.5/5

Rohan, your reign of terror ends here. Cloverfield is one of the most enjoyable disaster movies of the past decade. Compare it to the bland, blah-fest of Roland Emmerich's Godzilla, or Roland Emmerich's The Day After Tomorrow (or any Roland Emmerich film for that matter) and you see just how impressive Cloverfield is. It eschews the tired clichés of the genre and gives us a brisk, energetic and emotionally engaging rollercoaster ride through the decimated streets of New York City. The cinematography is some of the best (and most underrated) of the past few years. It will be a long time before I forget the experience of seeing this movie in the cinema; being thrown around as if I were strapped into a vibrating "monster movie" simulator.

Now it's over to you! What were your thoughts on Cloverfield? Let us know in the comments section below. And if you would like to be featured in the next Head to Head, and possibly win some free movie tickets, send your mini-reviews to us here at Quickflix!

Trek it out - Star Trek DVD review

Star Trek - Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Eric Bana. Directed by J.J. Abrams. Rated M. Originally published May 5, 2009. By Simon Miraudo.

Well, it looks like the curse is broken. The theory goes that the odd-numbered installments of the Star Trek franchise are significantly worse than their even-numbered brethren. Of course, the original Trekkie theorists never factored the skills of director J.J. Abrams into the equation. Before you can shout “ye canne change the laws of physics”, this, the 11th picture in the series, has broken free of all superstitions and given us one of the most electrifying space operas the genre has ever seen.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should state that I am only a casual Star Trek fan. My knowledge of creator Gene Roddenberry’s universe is limited to the 10 feature films and not the vast back catalogue of the various television series. However, I am a fan of science-fiction, space battles, time travel, extra-terrestrial life-forms, intergalactic mining ships, robotic patrol cops and sexy green alien ladies, which, thankfully, are all featured in this Star Trek: The next next generation.

Star Trek begins with one of the most spectacular space battles ever committed to film. An enormous, calamari-looking Romulan ship emerges from what seems like a giant thundercloud in the middle of space, led by the intense Captain Nero (a show-stopping Eric Bana). Nero forces the U.S.S Kelvin to surrender the one known as Spock, although they might be a couple decades early. As the Kelvin valiantly, and hopelessly, fights back, the captain evacuates his wife and newly born son, but not before giving him a name: James T. Kirk.

Jump forward 20 years to Starfleet Academy 90210, with rebellious young dropout Kirk (Chris Pine) hitting, unsuccessfully, on vivacious language specialist Uhura (Zoe Saldana). After getting into a scrap with some of graduates, Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) of the U.S.S Enterprise dares Kirk to re-enlist, and do better than his deceased father. No extra marks for guessing what he decides to do. Kirk makes quite an impression at the Academy; especially on the half-human/half-Vulcan Spock (Zachary Quinto). Seems it’s not quite friends-at-first-sight. You can expect that eventually all the characters we know and love will find their way aboard the Enterprise. You can also expect that Nero won't be far behind.

As you would expect, a significant portion of time is spent (re)introducing beloved characters like Bones (Karl Urban), Chekhov (Anton Yelchin), Sulu (John Cho) and Scotty (Simon Pegg). Thankfully, Abrams doesn’t go the cute route, getting on with the space-action as quickly as possible. The cast are perfectly capable of arousing the fans excitement based on their own performances. Pine is as close to capturing the essence of William Shatner’s iconic performance without mirroring it too closely. Urban and Pegg give faithful recreations of Bones and Scotty, and are sure to emerge as fan favourites (once again). Sadly, Yelchin, Cho and Saldana aren’t really given much to work with here. But hey, that’s what sequels are for. Only Quinto seems to struggle; trying to find the balance between emotion and extreme logic and not really succeeding at either.

Abrams has emerged as one of the premier action directors currently working today. The film is full of brilliant action set-pieces; some funny, some haunting, all riveting. The cinematography is also jaw-dropping. I cannot remember the last time space looked so vast; full of endless possibilities, both terrifying and hopeful. Set to Michael Giachhino’s beautiful, nostalgic score, seeing The Enterprise traverse Abrams’ cosmos might be the closest a Trekkie gets to a religious experience. I honestly cannot imagine any other blockbuster of the American summer toppling Star Trek as the most enjoyable popcorn flick of ’09.

4.5/5

Check out my other reviews here.

Head to Head - 2001: A Space Odyssey

Welcome to the latest edition of Head to Head, in which our Quickflix critic takes on our readers in a rip-snorting battle to the death! You pick the film, and we pick the fight!

This week, Tom Clift took down the monolith known as 2001: A Space Odyssey. For his troubles, he received a free pass to Pixar's latest film Up. If you would also like to win free movie tickets, send your controversial mini-reviews to us here!

Tom Clift will argue AGAINST the film, while Quickflix critic Simon Miraudo will argue FOR it. Let us know in the comments section below who you agree with. Spare no vitriol! Choose your side! There can only be one winner!

Tom Clift - 1/5

Let’s make one thing clear; I love the works of Stanley Kubrick. The Shining, Full Metal Jacket & Dr. Strangelove are all fantastic. Where I fall off is at the film that is probably his most beloved – 2001: A Space Odyssey. Sure, I can appreciate the landmark special effects and the influence it’s had on the sci-fi genre, but at the end of the day, when viewed solely on its own merits, 2001 is mind-numbingly dull. 22 minutes – count ‘em! – 22, before a word is even spoken. For the sake of my movie buff cred, I want to love it. But every time I put in the DVD I end up either falling asleep or wanting to punch my television. The man has made so many great films; perhaps it’s time to stop fawning over what may be one of the most pretentious, over-rated and boring movies ever created.

Simon Miraudo - 5/5

Cliiiiiiiiiift! A pox on thee! Kubrick's 2001 is the most thought-provoking, terrifying, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, and thigh-slappingly entertaining movie to ever venture into space. Difficult to penetrate and almost impossible to comprehend in one sitting, 2001 takes us into the future that never was, yet may still be inevitable. From Ape to Man to Computer to God to Giant Space Baby, Space Odyssey speaks volumes about human kind, even when its characters say nothing at all. The film represents the horrific terror of the great unknown, the endless vastness of space, and the lengths man will go to conquer the unconquerable. Has any other movie provided us with so much iconic imagery, as terrifying a villain as HAL or as much meaty philosophical debates? P.S. I personally think Full Metal Jacket is Kubrick’s most flawed movie. I await your response.

Now it's over to you! What were your thoughts on 2001: A Space Odyssey? Let us know in the comments section below. And if you would like to be featured in the next Head to Head, and possibly win some free movie tickets, send your mini-reviews to us here at Quickflix!

Now is the season of our discontent – The Damned United review

The Damned United - Starring Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall and Colm Meaney. Directed by Tom Hooper. Rated M. By Simon Miraudo.

Ask any soccer fan and they’ll tell you the same thing: You’ll find more drama in one season of football than in any of Shakespeare’s artsy-fartsy works. Take the story of Brian Clough; the coach who managed to bring dizzying heights of success to several fledgling teams in the 1960’s and whose blinding hubris turned him into a national joke; the man who was awarded the plum position of managing Leeds United (then the greatest team in England) and was sacked 44 days into the season. If soccer is a Shakespearean drama, then The Damned United is Richard III.

Michael Sheen stars as Clough, in all his posturing Northern glory. The film begins in 1974, with Clough being named coach of Leeds, replacing the beloved Don Revie (Colm Meaney) who has been hired as the new manager of England. His appointment is met with disdain from the Leeds community; no doubt fuelled by Clough’s admission that he has taken the job out of spite. Director Tom Hooper bounces between Clough’s doomed run at Leeds to his glorious successes in 1968, in which he and his faithful assistant Pete Taylor (an excellent Timothy Spall) coached 2nd division Derby County all the way to the top of the 1st division. The duo shares an almost uncanny knack for developing successful teams. However, as we learn over the course of the film, success for Clough is relative. Being recognised as the best isn’t enough for him; he’s looking to be canonised.

If phrases like ‘2nd division’ and ‘Derby County’ have you scratching your head in confusion, don’t be frightened away from The Damned United. Hooper manages to condense the seemingly incomprehensible English League for the layman (of which I happily categorise myself). Even the most football-ignorant will be able to relate to film’s core; specifically Clough’s obsession with besting Revie’s accomplishments. He is Salieri to Revie’s Mozart. Now, if you’re a football fan scared of the Richard III and Amadeus references, don’t you run away either. The Damned United captures the most important essence of the sports movie: the anticipation. There are plenty of pre-game jitters in which the players look like they’re about to land at Normandy, and inspirational locker room speeches that could have been penned by Patton himself. That sensation of walking onto the pitch (or onto the stage, or hell, even down the aisle) is portrayed perfectly here.

If any screenwriter is suited to making potentially unsympathetic characters seem sympathetic, it’s Peter Morgan. Here he adapts David Peace’s book of the same name; a fictionalised account of Clough’s career that became the center of a legal scandal. But that’s all par for the course. Morgan previously penned The Queen, in which he and Helen Mirren managed to make dear Lizzy seem far more lucid and spritely than the matriarch herself has managed in the past two decades. He also adapted his play Frost/Nixon for the big screen, in which one of the most despised U.S. President’s of all time (portrayed by Frank Langella) seemed more tragic than evil.

The phenomenal achievements of those previous films could be attributed to Morgan’s lucky charm and usually unsung hero, Michael Sheen, who portrayed Tony Blair and David Frost in these pictures. I would call him Britain’s best impressionist, but that feels like a dismissive insult when you look closer at what he’s really doing. Sheen embodies these historical figures and doesn’t drop his standards in The Damned United. It is one of the best performances of the year and I hope it doesn’t go as unrecognised as his previous works.

The film is likely to gain detractors from those who dispute the ‘truth’ as presented in the film. As someone who doesn’t follow soccer closely (or who hadn’t even heard of Brian Clough before), I can’t comment on the historical accurateness. However, on an emotional level, the film is sound and effective. Although Hooper tacks on a relatively happy ending, the film is at its best when trawling the murky depths of Clough’s obsession. That being said, the relationship between Clough and Taylor is the heart of this film. Clough, like Richard III, ends up betraying his “brother”, but not even Shakespeare could have written as bromantic an ending as seen here.

4/5

Check out my other reviews here.

The Devil in M. Night Shyamalan

source: slashfilm.com

Details on M. Night Shyamalan's latest project, Devil, have emerged. Could this be one of the best nail-biters of the next decade? Will it be a return to form for the much maligned filmmaker? Check out details after the jump.

When M. Night Shyamalan emerged on the scene with The Sixth Sense under his belt, audiences were sure they had found the next big name director. A 'spooky Spielberg' if you will. These days, his name still sends shivers down our spines, but not for the right reasons.

Although the auteur managed to show off his skills in Unbreakable and Signs, his last three films have all been critical and commercial disasters.

Mention The Village, Lady in the Water and The Happening in the same sentence as his other films and you'll find yourself laughed out of any conversation.

As it stands, Shyamalan is rocking a 50% success rate. Even though he is three films in the hole, it's hard not to anticipate his next project and wonder if this will be the one to get him out of his funk.

Although his very next project is an adaptation of the animated television show Avatar: The Last Airbender, we at Quickflix are more excited about another film he is involved with.

Entitled Devil, the film is based on an original idea by Shyamalan, written by Brian Nelson (Hard Candy) and set to be directed by Drew and John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine). Although details are scarce, the boys at Slashfilm have done some digging and discovered an incredibly tantalising logline for the project. Comme ca:

A group of people are trapped in an elevator, and one of them is the devil.

Wowzers. If the brilliant Hard Candy is anything to go by, Nelson is perfectly capable of maintaining a tense environment between a few characters in a minimalist setting. And the Dowdle brothers are no slouches in the horror department either.

However, all eyes will be on producer Shyamalan. It is his time to prove that he can be a winning idea generator just like Spielberg. And if The Last Airbender turns out to be a hit family film, we might actually see this man live up to the promise he showed back in 1999.

The Hollywood Reporter have revealed that the cast will include Chris Messina, Bokeem Woodbine, Caroline Dhavernas, Bojana Novakovic and Geoffrey Arend .

Filming commences next week in Toronto.

Meanwhile, check out the trailer on Shyamalan's The Last Airbender and share your thoughts below.

Discuss: What are your thoughts on Devil? Can Shyamalan still live up to the promise of The Sixth Sense?

Wog Boy 2 wraps in Greece

source: twitchfilm.net

Filming of the upcoming Wog Boy 2: The Kings of Mykonos has wrapped in Greece following a two-month shoot that began in the streets of Melbourne.

Nick Giannopoulos and Vince Colosimo reprise their roles as Steve and Frank in the sequel to the 1999 hit.

In The Kings of Mykonos, Steve discovers that he has inherited a Greek beach from a distant uncle.

When Paramount announced that The Wog Boy was getting a sequel back in June, we'll admit that we were taken by surprise. However, the original film collected a massive $13 million at the local box office in 1999. Ten years later, the $6 million gross of Mao's Last Dancer has nearly doubled the grosses of the next most successful Australian film of the year. The local film industry is no doubt pegging some high hopes on Giannopoulos and co.

Wog Boy 2: The Kings of Mykonos is directed by Peter Andrikidis (Underbelly) and will likely hit Australian screens Easter, 2010.

Discuss: Is the world ready for Wog Boy 2?