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- Sundance 2011: Beats, Rhymes, and Life Movie Review
- Concept Art For The New Mr. Peabody
- Sony Pictures Classics Buys The Guard
- The Hunger Games Will Hit Theaters March 2012
- MTV’s Skins Loses Ratings and Advertisers
- Comic News: The Fantastic Four Loses a Member
- New DVD Releases: Red, Secretariat, Glee
- Sundance 2011: Perfect Sense Movie Review – Best of the Fest?
- Source Code Poster – Run Jake Gyllenhaal Run!
- Cars 2: Meet Carla Veloso!
- Sundance 2011: Mad Bastards Review
- Brand New Poster for Hanna – Adapt or Die
| Sundance 2011: Beats, Rhymes, and Life Movie Review Posted: 25 Jan 2011 11:46 PM PST
Microphone check, one two, what is this? It’s actor Michael Rappaport’s entry to the Sundance Film Festival, Beats, Rhymes, and Life. The film is a documentary about iconic 90’s hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, charting everything from their formation, rise to fame, split, and recent reunion for 2008’s “Rock The Bells” tour (although they still haven’t gone back into the recording studio). So how does the actor turned documentarian fare in creating a bio-doc about one of the most prolific hip-hop groups from the medium’s adolescence? Check out the rest of the review after the jump… The Players:
The Good:
The Bad:
Overall:This is a serviceable documentary about an interesting group of artists, whose music holds a place in history and the hearts of their fans. It is peppered with interviews from other hip-hop stars and figures who offer decent perspective on A Tribe Called Quest. If you don’t know about them, it will provide you with enough information to send you off to the record store with some enthusiasm. If you are a fan already, you will probably be happy to see all of this footage collected into one piece. However, as a movie, it isn’t anything particularly special. This is the kind of movie that is likely to end up on something like Netflix Instant View, and will be good for an afternoon when you’re folding laundry, or just hanging out with nothing else to do. But you shouldn’t feel like you have to burn too many calories hunting it down or thinking too hard about. Rating: 5/10Related Posts
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| Concept Art For The New Mr. Peabody Posted: 25 Jan 2011 05:30 PM PST
Last week we learned that Robert Downey Jr. would use his charismatic voice to bring life to the cartoon character Mr. Peabody. He’s one half of the popular duo Peabody & Sherman, which was a spin-off of the TV series "Rocky and His Friends" as well as "The Bullwinkle Show." Over at CartoonBrew, they’ve managed to find the first concept photo of the revamped character. Take a look…
Well, this is…the same old, same old. They didn’t really change much of the original character design. How NOT exciting. The screenplay for the new Peabody & Sherman was written by Jeffrey Ventimilia and Joshua Sternin, who have done work on "The Simpsons" and the recently adapted Yogi Bear film. The new animated feature, planned for 2014, aims to bring the duo back to the pop culture mainstream. "Certainly for Boomers, they're in the sweet spot of our childhood animation memories, but beyond there it gets a little bit, well, not quite as familiar," says director Rob Minkoff. The film will be released in 3D ( no surprise there), and no other cast members besides Downey have been announced. What do you think of Mr. Peabody’s new (old) look? Additional Source: EW Related Posts
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| Sony Pictures Classics Buys The Guard Posted: 25 Jan 2011 04:40 PM PST
John Michael McDonagh’s Sundance favorite The Guard has found a home. According to a press announcement Sony Pictures Classics have acquired the U.S. and Latin American rights for the film that stars Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle (be sure to check out ScreenCrave’s review of the film).
The Guard centers on an unorthodox Irish policeman (Gleeson) who joins forces with a straitlaced FBI agent, played by Don Cheadle, to take on an international drug-smuggling gang. That sounds like a recipe for unnecessary roughness — and we like it. The film also stars Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot, Rory Keenan, Mark Strong, Fionnula Flanagan and Dominique McElligott, Sarah Greene, Slovenian newcomer Katarina Cas, Pat Shortt and Darren Healy. There has to be a conspiracy surrounding Mark Strong. That man is in everything. The only thing that would make his casting more predictable is if he plays a villain. If he’s a bad guy in this movie, we official throw our hands to the sky on the matter. On a side note, The Guard is also produced by Cheadle and Martin McDonagh who worked with Gleeson on In Bruges. Everybody’s connected here. What do you think of Sony picking up The Guard? Have you seen the film? What did you think? Source: Coming Soon Related Posts
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| The Hunger Games Will Hit Theaters March 2012 Posted: 25 Jan 2011 04:17 PM PST
Lionsgate has finally set a release date for their upcoming novel adaptation of Hunger Games. The best selling book was written by Suzanne Collins, and the feature film version will be directed by Gary Ross. Over at THR, they’ve received the official release information for the movie straight from the studio…
The Hunger Games will open in theaters nationwide on March 23, 2012. “Lionsgate is looking to prosper from spring break and the Easter holiday (Easter Sunday falls on April 8 in 2012). So far, Hunger Games has the March 23-25 weekend to itself.” Hmmm, we didn’t realize how much Easter made people want to watch children fight to the death. That’s an interesting marketing plan. The studio is aiming for a PG-13 rating for the story that’s set in post-apocalyptic America, Hunger Games introduces 16-year-old heroine Katniss Everdeen, who must participate in a fight-to-the-death annual event called the Hunger Games. The battles are televised, and pit youths from each of the Capitol's 12 Districts against each other. What do you think of the Hunger Games release date? Are you excited to see the film? Related Posts
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| MTV’s Skins Loses Ratings and Advertisers Posted: 25 Jan 2011 03:56 PM PST
It looks like MTV can only ride the wave of controversy for so long before people realize the truth. The cable networks’ U.S. version of the U.K. teen series “Skins” has suffered a serious ratings drop after its first airing. When the show debuted it was surrounded my negative buzz due to the explicit and sexual nature of its content, which features some underage actors. When parental watch dog groups caught wind of the show they went into full protest mode, and it looks like they’re hard work is paying off.
According to Reuters, nearly half a dozen advertisers have backed off from promoting their products during the series. Some of them include Taco Bell, Wrigley gum, General Motors, Subway, Schick, and even H&R Block (What were they doing advertising during this show?). Therefore, MTV was forced to air network heavy promos during the show.
Next, the ratings for “Skins” dipped from its first week’s debut of 3.3 million, to this week’s 1.6 million. That’s a 52 percent drop. This probably had something to do with their M.I.A. lead-in. They didn’t have a new episode of the hit “Jersey Shore” to anchor them new viewers, and after the initial curiosity of the show wore off following the pilot, people didn’t come back for more. Do you think MTV will continue to air the show or pull the plug? Related Posts
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| Comic News: The Fantastic Four Loses a Member Posted: 25 Jan 2011 03:20 PM PST
We usually don’t cover comic book news, but this is too epic to ignore. The long running Marvel series Fantastic Four is about to experience a serious death in the family. The upcoming issue will feature one of the four members perishing in battle. If you want to know who, take a deep breath, brace yourself, and continue reading…
The dying Fantastic Four member is Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch. The blond-haired, flame thrower’s exit has been planned out by writer Jonathan Hickman who’s been scripting the story for a year-and-half. After half a century of being the rambunctious and troublesome younger brother of Susan Storm, his light will finally be put out.
According to the New York Times, Tom Brevoort, senior vice president for publishing at Marvel said “588 is the final issue of the Fantastic Four. Beyond that, we’re not ready to say exactly what we’re doing. There won’t be an issue 589.” How do you guys feel about that? The future of the group seems so uncertain. It sucks to see Johnny go, he was our favorite character out of the bunch. He had such life, and such a…fiery spirit (yes, we had to say it.). What do you think of Johnny Storm’s exit? Are you upset he’s the one to go? Related Posts
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| New DVD Releases: Red, Secretariat, Glee Posted: 25 Jan 2011 02:38 PM PST
If you like indie movies, this is a dream DVD weekend for you as it is absolutely loaded with smaller pictures. Sure, there's a wide release in there (Takers), but for the most part, this weekend belongs to the little guy with everything from Oscar contenders (Animal Kingdom) to people writing spam e-mails saying their movie should be an Oscar contender (Buried). So set your DVD player for "Arthouse" and enjoy. Or, if none of that is your bag, you can watch lots of old TV shows on DVD. Or relax with the canine misadventures of Chris Parnell. Check it all out below…
Feature FilmsRed Have you not seen Red? Well, maybe you have. If you saw The A-Team, The Losers, Mr. and Mrs. Smith or any other action “comedy” with violence and jokes coming in equal measures then, yes, you’ve seen Red. It’s literally become that formulaic. Take some kooky characters, give them plenty of firepower and roll out the weird jokes and overwhelming set pieces. Some must love the formula. While others, like me, just feel like they’re seeing the same movie over and over again. If you are one who loves this formula, then buy Red on DVD. Also:
TV On DVD“Glee”: Season 2, Vol. 1 I can’t decide if releasing these DVD boxes mid-season is a good or a bad thing. Is it a good thing because it easily allows people who’ve missed episodes to catch up? Is it a bad thing because these are essentially the equivalent of a bare bones relief of a feature film in it that forces people to buy the full season down the road? Agh! I can’t decide. Either way, you can buy Glee Season 2, Vol. 1 on DVD And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…
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| Sundance 2011: Perfect Sense Movie Review – Best of the Fest? Posted: 25 Jan 2011 02:08 PM PST
At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, we at ScreenCrave have been making a big deal out of Kevin Smith’s Red State for the last few days, because it’s been the hottest ticket, carried the most controversy, and frankly, been most exciting movie so far. But with the premier of David Mackenzie’s Perfect Sense, it is without a doubt that we’ve seen the best, most effective and affecting movie of the festival. The film is a romantic/sci-fi/horror film which stars Ewan McGregor and Eva Green. It is graceful, tender, heartbreaking, and terrifying. It is also a movie with a very organic flow, with plot reveals that are best left as a surprise. But it is impossible to discuss the emotional weight this film carries without getting into some of these finer points. So the following review contains a few mild *SPOILERS* with regard to the story, so please be warned. Check out the rest of the review after the jump… Perfect Sense is the story of a worldwide epidemic which robs people of their senses, one at a time. There is no cure, no understanding of how it transmits, and it affects populations nearly simultaneously. Furthermore, one of the symptoms of this disease is that the loss of a sense is preceded by an intense emotional impulse. Before people lose their sense of smell, they are struck by a crippling sense of sadness and despair. The sadness reflects the connection between the senses of smell and memory. People are suddenly struck by the aspects of their lives they will never be able to reconnect with through the sense they are about to lose; the smell of a grandmother’s perfume and its association with childhood, or fresh cut grass with their first summer job. Yet even through all this, across the world, people adapt and move on with their lives, attempting to return to a sense of normalcy, simply because the alternative is too bleak to acknowledge. But all of this is merely the premise. The film’s story is framed in the reluctant romance of a chef named Michael (McGreggor), and an epidemiologist named Susan (Green). The two of them are at the center of the crisis in different ways: while Susan struggles in vain to solve the puzzle of this illness, Michael must deal with the consequences; When people lose their sense of smell or taste, Michael must adapt his craft to provide a particular experience which is imperative to human interaction: dining. But the crux of the story is found in their relationship. As the epidemic worsens, they grow closer, in order to distract themselves from the impending doom humanity faces. Their ability to connect on an emotional level provides a modicum of comfort, and they must also take advantage of their sense of touch while it still exists. Yet throughout the whole ordeal, they both carry the scars of tragic relationships from earlier in life, and must open themselves to the other in order to connect. Before the chaos ensues, romantic or otherwise, the film takes its time to establish a tone of loneliness and despair. It opens with a poem describing the world as it is today, as well as a montage of images depicting it. The tone for Michael and Susan’s relationship, guarded and cold, yet grasping for glimmer of hope, is established almost immediately when, the morning after an evening together, Michael asks Susan to leave. Their mutual disappointment indicates that they were both hoping for a genuine kinship, but their acceptance of this decision implies that they are accustomed to disillusionment in love. Thus, their relationship is established as an allegory for the modern human condition: Despite the fact that we are surrounded by masses of humanity in urban centers, not to mention the technology that supposedly draws people closer together, we go through most of our daily lives by ourselves, and alone. As the symptoms progress, the pair must adapt their careers to suit the new world as it moves on. How does one make a restaurant survive when people can’t smell or taste their food? Susan’s challenge is harder still, since her feelings of inadequacy and fear for not being able to determine how the disease spreads, or how to cure it. The despair weighs heavier on them, but they take greater comfort in each other. With the end of the world looming darker and closer with each passing symptom, the only thing they can do is share what remains with each other. This is not a fun movie-going experience, yet it remains more rewarding than say, any of the films made by Alejandro Gonzalez-Innaritu, whose despondence does little more than point out how miserable people are across the globe. This film is more of a celebration of humanity’s ability to connect with one another in the face of these apocalyptic circumstances. Even when they are being harsh with each other, there is a sympathy that lies between Michael and Susan, which makes the events leading to the inevitable end of their relationship, as well as that of humanity, all the more profound. The acting is tenderly subdued, allowing the metaphors of the script to shine through without bludgeoning the audience over the head with the point. And it’s no surprise that the emotional flashes that precede the symptoms of the disease reflect those experienced in the grieving process: we grieve for the loss of their love, the loss of our world as we know it, and eventually, the whole human race. But make no mistake: This is a horror film. It is an examination of the collapse and end of humanity. The fact that it doesn’t feature a killer, monster, or grimy torture chamber doesn’t change the fact that there is a visceral response to the absolute terror of the situation at hand. This is one of the reasons zombie movies are such effective horror films: the zombies are not the scariest part, but the notion of the complete breakdown of world society, as well as the nature of epidemics, and the fear associated with those themes. But it does not rely on simply that one emotion. It takes you across the spectrum through the highs and lows of life, but always returns to the horrifying prospect of the end of the world. Faces in the Eccles Theater’s crowd were twisted into grimaces, peoples hands covered their mouths and eyes, and sobs & sniffles were audible among the viewers. Incidentally, the film should be considered science fiction to a certain degree, in the same way that Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men is. It takes a notion with a scientific basis, and leads it through a logical progression of events. Epidemiology is one of the most relevant facets of medical science, and this film acknowledges that. As allegorical as this scenario may be, its progression and the way it is handled by those whose job it is to deal with these matters in the film maintains an element of rational truth. The technical aspects work in perfect harmony to achieve the aforementioned tone: the editing is frenetic and disorienting while in the throes of the disease, and the camera work is smooth and calm when the couple’s love is growing. For example, a long shot on the two lovers’ faces, one in profile and one straight on, merge as they lie in bed holds for a long period to paint their newfound unity. The film’s score is understated, yet dramatic with swelling strings and soft piano melodies leading the listener to an emotionally vulnerable space which the story then takes advantage of. And special note should be made for supporting actors Ewen Brennen (Trainspotting) and Stephen Dellane (44 Inch Chest), whose clear understanding of their roles as friends in Michael and Susan’s respective lives bring a sense of fun and rationality to the turmoil as the necessity for those types in their lives increases. Consequently, when succumb to the disease, as everyone does, it carries particular emotional weight. Again, it is a difficult and uncomfortable movie to internalize, but truly speaks to the power of film as an artistic medium. It represents senses that cannot be expressed in film with sublime simplicity, and charts the extreme ends of the emotional scale. It can leave viewers feeling crippled with sadness for the end of all things, or overjoyed at the potential for human sentiment to be expressed among each other. The haunting part of this movie, is that the intense feelings one is left with as the credits roll are likely one of those represented as a symptom of the disease at the center of it. So on your way out of the theater from seeing this film, stop and smell the roses, just to make sure you still can. Rating: 10/10Related Posts
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| Source Code Poster – Run Jake Gyllenhaal Run! Posted: 25 Jan 2011 02:01 PM PST
The official poster for Duncan Jones’ latest film Source Code has hit the net and it has its star on the move. Jake Gyllenhaal headlines the sci-fi thriller and is surrounded by a talented cast including Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, and Michelle Monaghan. Check out the full sized poster below…
Is Jake running away from the Airbrush Monster because he’s barely recognizeable in this poster. Secondly, all those pictures floating in the background make it seem as if he’s running away from bad memories, which makes sense but it seems kind of lazy. They could have illustrated it in a better way by focusing more on the time traveling element. Source Code centers on a decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he's ever known, he learns he's part of a government experiment called the "Source Code," a program that enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. With a second, much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack. Source Code opens in theaters on April 1. What do you think of the poster for Source Code? Source: Yahoo Movies Related Posts
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| Posted: 25 Jan 2011 01:29 PM PST
Disney has released a new bio and showroom video for one of the many characters in Cars 2. This time, Carla Veloso is in the spotlight, and she’s representing her hometown of Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Unfortunately, we have no idea who voices the vehicle because that info hasn’t been released. What’s up with that? Check out Carla’s showroom video below…
World Grand Prix contender Carla Veloso hails from Rio de Janiero, Brazil. The sweet but powerful Latin diva can dance the night away at "Car-nival," but spends most of her time on the racetrack. After setting a new track record at the local Interlagos circuit, she was drafted to join the 24-hour endurance racing team in Europe, where she posted a consistent series of podium finishes. In the World Grand Prix, the proud Brazilian Le Motor Prototype racer is the only female in the field, and Carla is ready to prove to the world that #8 is there to win for her home country. This synopsis tells us everything we need to know except for who plays her voice. Darn it Pixar! Who do you think it is? What do you think of Carla Veloso;s feisty design? Related Posts
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| Sundance 2011: Mad Bastards Review Posted: 25 Jan 2011 01:01 PM PST
The Australians have been breaking the boundaries of filmmaking and dominating Sundance for the past couple of years. Two of my favorite films of the past two years, Mary and Max and Animal Kingdom both came through Sundance and set an unusually high bar for indie Aussie fimmakers. Maybe it’s because I went into Mad Bastards with such high expectations, maybe it was because I had absolutely no understanding of what I was about to watch, or maybe it was just the serious lack of sleep, but I walked out of the film disappointed.
The Players:
The film wasn’t all bad though. In fact there were a number of impressive qualities to it. It was beautifully shot, the colors were absolutely gorgeous, the cinematography was amazing, the faces of the actors picked were charismatic and interesting to watch — visually this film was stunning. Sadly the content didn’t live up to the presentation. The music, though fun, took over about 80% of the film and tried to cover up the fact that the story was actually quite limited. As a result it felt more like a music video with a few plot points connecting it. I loved that the actors looked like real people, the problem was they WERE real people. I don’t know if this was entirely their fault, because I think there wasn’t much acting done. It felt like the director was trying to capture the “real life” reactions of these people’s lives, but unfortunately if the acting is not up to par, and this is a “film” not “documentary” it’s hard to follow a story because we don’t believe the characters. This was not a documentary, but I think it may have been better presented as one. They either needed to make it a true story, hire better actors, or have a director who knows how to get performances out of non-actors. To me it felt like the scenes were highly chopped up to try and create emotions that the actors couldn’t give. They also never stayed in one place, stayed on one actor or even in one scene for more than a minute before cutting to another music montage. Maybe in an action thriller they could pull this off, but in a drama, we need to spend some time with our characters to feel anything for them. The characters, though they physically looked the part, didn’t know how to actually BE the part and therefore there was no emotional investment. In addition to choppy scenes, the film itself was choppy and had trouble tying together in any meaningful way. Overall:To me this was a film where the director didn’t trust that he had a good thing going. I will say that his craftsmanship was impressive enough that whenever he finishes his next film, I’ll buy a ticket. This film was not a success, but there are enough successful parts to it that I feel like he’s someone to look out for in the future with a bit more experience. Rating: 4.5/10Related Posts
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| Brand New Poster for Hanna – Adapt or Die Posted: 25 Jan 2011 12:33 PM PST
Someone better watch out because Hanna is on the prowl. A new poster has been released for Joe Wright’s juvenile action flick that centers on a teenage assassin. This one sheet gives a new meaning to the term “eye of the tiger.” Check out the rest of Saoirse Ronan and her deadly stare below…
Official Synopsis:
Besides Ronan, Hanna stars Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams, and Jason Flemyng. He’s in everything isn’t he? Hanna opens in theaters everywhere on April 8. What do you think of the new poster for Hanna? Are you excited about the film? Related Posts
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