The legendary designer of Ridley Scott’s classic movie Alien, H. R. Giger has died aged 74
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47 Ronin (2013/4) – Movie Review ★★★★
Director: Carl Rinsch – Cast: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kou Shibasaki, Rinko Kikuchi and Jin Akanishi – Synopsis: A fictional account of the forty-seven Ronin, a real-life group of Ronin in 18th-century Japan who sets about to avenge the death of their master who was set to death after a demon used magic tricking him into an act of aggression that resulted in him betraying his kind and execution – after his death the band of Ronin led by Oishi must seek the help of Kai – a half-breed previously shunned by the Ronin to help them defeat an evil Warlord and his magical army – Verdict: Forget all the haters ! rent it or buy it 47 Ronin is worth the watch – the movie has everything from some decent CGI, a whole bunch of fun & colorful characters and action delivered on a grand scale with some fantastic sword fights and hand to hand combat – now okay I’m a big fan of Keanu Reeves and adore his films from the 1990s that includes Point Break, Speed and The Matrix but 47 Ronin has more to offer than just Neo – Hiroyuki Sanada (The Last Samurai & Helix) gives an intense performance as the proud Samurai turned Ronin leader and Pacific Rim’s Rinko Kikuchi looks deliciously evil and totally bad ass as the Warlord’s magic squeeze – some of the locations used in shooting the film were impressive & atmospheric including the backdrop of The Isle of Sky doubling for 18th Century Japan – overall: Carl Rinsch’s film debut is all sorts of bonkers fun and whilst the story has been slightly bastardized for entertainment value 47 Ronin is without question an enjoyable movie romp that’s dark in it’s story telling and respectful in it’s execution….
OMG! THIS DRUG MULE is going to kick your ass!! not many movie trailers have had me gushing with excitement and re-watching instantly – LUCY the latest sci-fi flick by filmmaker Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) that stars the Black Widow aka: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman and Choi Min-sik looks delicious in every way possible – at times Besson’s career behind the camera has flattered to deceive but with cult movies such as Leon, Fifth Element and the underrated La Femme Nikita under his belt we should never loose hope in his French magic returning – Take a peek at Johansson and co in this mind warping, action packed trailer…. Enjoy!
here’s some new movie stills from the upcoming Rodriguez & Miller’s sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For that stars Eva Green, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dennis Haysbert, Juno Temple, Ray Liotta and Stacy Keach – loved the first movie and this sequel promises much of the same, fabulous visuals, beautiful & sexy ladies and a gritty, dark storyline – I for one can’t wait…. Enjoy!
I know what your thinking… a reboot of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES WTF?… No Thank you! But listen one minute you stubborn sons of turtles this one looks different, Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: LA) looks to have crafted a darker, edgier feel to the whole proceedings, with some creepy ass looking Turtles that may make young kids run away rather than go awwwww and with the inclusion of the delicious Megan Fox this 2014 version looks somewhat sexier and modern and even with the limited running time of this small teaser trailer the mood, the intensity and the excitement actually looks a vastly superior beast, more reminiscent to a Transformers flick than that sappy 1990 version…. here’s the teaser and some new stills – take a look and enjoy!
The cast includes: Megan Fox, Pete Ploszek, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Alan Ritchson, Danny Woodburn, Whoopi Goldberg, William Fichtner & Will Arnet
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – US (8th August) – UK (17th October) – Australia (N/A)
300: Rise of an Empire (2014) – Movie Review ★★★¾
Director: Noam Murro – Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro & Callan Mulvey – Synopsis: The story is told about the Battle of Marathon where King Darius I of Persia is killed by the warrior General Themistocles – The King’s son Xerxes witnesses his father’s death and after a week of mourning and some devilish words from Darius’s loyal naval commander Artemisia he declares war on Greece and then embarks on a bizarre journey through a desert, a cave where he bathes in some strange liquid substance and reemerges as the “God King” – Verdict: Noam Murro’s movie takes place before, during and after the events of Zack Snyder’s 2007 film where Gerard Butler’s King Leonidas and his 300 met their fate on the battlefield – 300: Rise of an Empire may not quite hit the dizzying heights of it’s predecessor but it’s an action movie that’s quite the ride, containing sumptuous visuals, great underwater shots, some fabulous stylish blood splatter moments and a cast that’s equally the measure of the first, especially the delicious Eva Green who delivers yet another evil performance playing the warrior Artemisia who is uncompromising in her revenge against the Greeks, that sex scene with Themistocles (Stapleton) is worth the admission ticket on it’s own, two great warriors coming together for a moment of energetic raw, brutal passion – overall: if like me your a fan of the slow-mo style action used to good effect in Snyder’s original and the brilliant TV show Spartacus and you love your movies to be of a blood thirsty nature then Rise of an Empire is just the ticket….
Here’s some new Theatrical Banners from four new films coming soon – First up the delicious GODZILLA that stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Cranston and is helmed by Monsters Director Gareth Edwards – from the footage I’ve seen already this one promises to be this years Pacific Rim (love me some monster mayhem) – next up is Marc Webb’s THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 banner that is simply electrifying, the film stars Andrew Garfield & Emma Stone and see’s our hero take on Electro, The Rhino and The Green Goblin – this one’s followed by MALEFICENT the new Disney movie that stars Angelina Jolie & Elle Fanning – I must confess after watching the trailer this one has moved up a few notches on my 2014 must see list – and finally we have Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore reuniting for more comical romance in BLENDED – big fan of these two, loved The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates so more of the same and I will be a happy chappy…. Enjoy!
Here’s a new movie poster, the latest trailer and some stills for THE MAZE RUNNER a post-apocalyptic adventure that is based around the 2009 novel by James Dashner – It’s the latest in the craze of possible young adults film franchises similar to those that have come before: The Mortal Instruments, The Hunger Games and this years Divergent and it’s full of familiar faces too: Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf), Will Poulter (We’re the Millers), Thomas Brodie Sangster (Game of Thrones) and Ki Hong Lee (The Nine Lives of Chole King) – judging by this early teaser the film’s got lot’s of promise, it has an interesting almost Cube like premise played out within a dark and futuristic setting – take a peek and then mark your calendar…. Enjoy!
The Maze Runner – US 19th September) – UK (24th October) – Australia (18th September)
HER (2014) – Movie Review ★★★★½
Director: Spike Jonze – Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt & Scarlett Johansson – Synopsis: The latest directorial feature from the mind of Spike Jonze tells the story of Theodore Twombly (Phoenix) a complex and somewhat lonely individual who makes his living writing personal letters for other people. After Theodore’s marriage comes to and end he becomes intrigued with a new operating system, and a voice within that system called Samantha, a bright, female voice, who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. The two of them strike up an unusual friendship and slowly but surely Theodore falls deeply in love – Verdict: Spike Jonze’s HER has joined Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and Where the Wild Things Are amongst the strangest, yet wonderful, original achievements I have witnessed on a cinema screen in over twenty years – and like it’s predecessors HER is a thought provoking, visually stunning and emotionally haunting movie, Phoenix gives yet another acting masterclass playing the sensitive, almost huggable Theodore and he is well supported by the delightful Amy Adams who plays his best friend and Scarlett Johannson who lends her seductive, husky vocals for Samantha – One thing I always like about a Spike Jonze feature is his camera work and the beautiful images he manages to capture and HER is full of them, one of my favorite moments in the movie is when Theodore lets Samantha guide him through a small fair, with his eyes closed Theodore follows Samantha’s instructions, spinning, sneezing and eventually ordering some food, it’s gorgeous to watch – overall HER is a worthy addition to any movie collection – it’s sad, funny and somewhat scary but one that will have you talking about it’s content for many years to come….superb!
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (2014) – Movie Review ★★★★
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée – Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner – Synopsis: From director Jean-Marc Vallée comes an autobiographical movie based on the real-life AIDS patient Ron Woodroof, who went against the FDA and smuggled unsanctioned drugs into Texas to help fellow sufferers – the drugs were effective in improving his symptoms so he began distributing them by establishing the “Dallas Buyers Club” – Verdict: I must confess before watching the movie I had never heard of Ron Woodroof and his fight against the AIDS disease and the FDA – I don’t know how much liberty was taken with the story but the Dallas Buyers Club is a very moving, inspiring and at times mildly amusing one – Matthew McConaughey has been ramping up his career of late with killer performances in brilliant films such as Killer Joe, Mud and TVs True Detective and in the Dallas Buyers Club he delivers a mesmerizing performance not only with his appearance but his ability to suck the audience into his character and allow them to feel and root for this Electrician come Grifter Ron Woodroof who’s happens to be not the nicest of guys but you slowly believe in his cause and his overwhelming courage – alongside McConaughey is Jared Leto (Requiem for a Dream) who plays Rayon a transgender woman who also has the AIDS virus and befriends Woodroof, Leto is a talented character actor and is delicious in this role feeding off McConaughey’s energy and looking pretty amazing dolled up with a wig and makeup – the scenes with the Marc Bolan photos had me in stitches – overall the Dallas Buyers Club is a wonderful piece of film-making that is essential viewing and will go down as one of this years finest….
Here’s some brand new Character Posters and a TV spot for the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier – the film’s great cast includes Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Robert Redford, and Samuel L. Jackson – the film is based Two years after the events of The Avengers…. Enjoy!
Here’s two pretty Badass movie posters from upcoming action flicks that I’m excited to watch on the big screen – after it’s horrible 1998 version it’s down to British filmmaker Gareth Edwards (Monsters) to send GODZILLA back to it’s rightful place amongst the “King of all Monsters” – then we have the first of many movie posters (I’m sure) from Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY directed by James Gunn – the film pitts Peter Quill and his band of merry outlaws against the evil and villainous Ronan – take a peek…. Enjoy!
ALL IS LOST (2013/4) – Movie Review ★★★★
All is Lost stars Robert Redford – After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face VERDICT after watching & enjoying 2013’s Wall Street movie Margin Call with it’s hugely impressive ensemble cast I was interested to see how filmmaker J.C. Chandor would handle the complete opposite – one actor (Robert Redford), buckets & buckets of water, a sailing boat and the modern technology that is the the green screen – well I can tell you this much J.C. Chandor not only handled these scenario’s but he captured the struggle of a sailor stranded at sea incredibly, the filmmaker allows it’s star Robert Redford the freedom to show off his underrated acting talents, it’s a picture from a director who has some serious future behind the camera – in All Is Lost Robert Redford commands the screen giving one his finest onscreen performances for many a year, it’s not only his acting but his physicality that impresses, he’s totally convincing as this sailor all alone at sea fighting against mother nature demonstrating great determination and barrels of courage to survive – All Is Lost is one of them pictures that doesn’t have much in the way of dialog but is delivered in a manner that actions speak louder than words – it’s so refreshing to see an original indie drama that contains no sex, no excessive language and hardly any violence BRAVO to Chandor and Redford for this engrossing and emotional journey, one that I would highly recommend….
THE BAG MAN is a taut crime thriller that follows JACK (John Cusack), a tough guy with chronic bad luck but human touches, and legendary crime boss DRAGNA (Robert De Niro). DRAGNA has summoned JACK and a host of shady characters to a remote bayou motel for unknown reasons, and over the course of a long and violently eventful night, Jack’s path crosses with the stunningly beautiful RIVKA (Rebecca Da Costa). All of their fates intertwine, and when Dragna arrives on the scene there are sudden and extreme consequences for everyone involved – David Grovic makes his directorial debut working with a cast that includes Robert De Niro, John Cusack, Crispin Glover, Dominic Purcell, Sticky Fingaz and Rebecca Da Costa – here’s some new character posters and the trailer…. Enjoy!
THE COUNSELOR (2014) – Movie Review ★★½
The Counselor stars Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, Penélope Cruz, Rosie Perez & Brad Pitt – the movie follows a lawyer knows to his friends & colleagues as The Counselor who is rich and successful yet finds himself deep in an extremely complex drug plot that involves the Mexican Cartel, some pretty unsavory characters and a middle-man known as Westray played by Brad Pitt – when the plan The Counselor’s involved with goes south he must try and protect himself & his soon to be wife after the Drugs Cartel start eliminating those who have doubled crossed them – VERDICT since 2001’s Black Hawk Down and the wonderful Matchstick Men in 2003 I have found Ridley Scott’s directorial efforts to fall between average & very poor and The Counselor sadly falls in the latter – despite containing a delicious cast and at times some incredible cinematography by Dariusz Wolski (Crimson Tide & Dark City) the film is a 2hr 18mins mixture of the bizarre, the disjointed and is amongst the dullest big screen events in the last few years – The Counselor’s memorable moments such as Diaz orgasmic moment on a car windscreen (yep that happened), the colorful outfits & delightful hairstyle of Javier Bardem & a couple of well executed be-heading’s are quickly forgotten, swept away in the nonsensical over complicated nature of the film’s script – overall The Counselor only adds to the list of recent movies that fall below the quality expected from one of cinema’s greatest filmmakers – it contains some horrible acting performances & a script by the ever reliable Cormac McCarthy who wrote No Country for Old Men and The Road that is a tiresome, sloppy, yawn-fest that contains numerous, meaningless exchanges between characters that you find awkward, cold and pretty much unlikeable – sadly The Counselor is yet another Ridley Scott disappointment so now my hopes on this great filmmaker returning to form rest firmly with his next big screen outing the biblical EXODUS that lands later this year and stars Christian Bale….
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