Posts Tagged ‘film’

Um… Where do I start? High School Musical 2 is coming out on DVD this Tuesday in an Extended Edition, which includes a new music scene, sing-along features, a rehearsal cam (where you can watch dance rehearsal footage while watching the movie), karaoke features and music videos. First, though, you have to see the movie, and if you’re not in the Disney demographic, you probably won’t like it.

“Probably won’t like it” – is that true? High School Musical 2 was one of the biggest hits of the year, and that must mean that more than pre-teen kids are watching it. It received pretty good reviews, so that must mean that some adult critics liked it, too.

But honestly, I do not see what the appeal is, though I’ll admit that I am way out of the target demographic. I like musicals, but I like realistic musicals with engaging music with excellent musical sequences. High School Musical 2 does not offer this. I liked one song out of the entire movie, and had to fast forward through several of the other musical sequences as they were just so utterly unbearable. The songs are so chipper (yes, so Disney) and cheesy, but what really kills them is the poor audio matching to the actors – I’m pretty sure they sing the songs, but the audio track is so obviously separate from the actual filmed scenes that it pretty much looks like they’re lip syncing the entire time. Oh, and the dance moves are just dreadful. I felt like I was watching an N’Sync or Backstreet Boys music video from ten years ago, as the dance moves are so goofy and un-trendy you just have to see them to believe them.

When the actors aren’t singing, High School Musical 2 is pretty bearable and somewhat entertaining. The development of Zac Efron’s character is decent enough (the story is about him forced to decide between a bunch of easy choices to get into college and allegiance to his friends and girlfriend), and I also liked the nasty performance by Ashley Tisdale. Having known nothing about the High School Musical franchise before tonight other than Vanessa Hudgens’ nude photos, I was a bit surprised to see that Hudgens has such a small role in the movie (maybe because her acting, singing and character aren’t very inspiring). In reality, the writers’ decision to keep the movie away from a typical teen romance story (though it does have a lot of those elements) and do something different (no, I’m not saying it’s original by any stretch) was a smart one, though.

The only other thing that bugged me about the movie was just how G-rated it was. I should have seen it coming – it’s from the Disney channel after all – but for some reason I had expectations that it was going to be something more. Since it has been so successful, I figured that the movie would branch away from Disney just a little bit, but nope. Why does G-rated stuff bother me? The movie is about 17-year olds, yet Efron and Hudgens only kiss at the very end, there’s almost no cleavage (hair is strategically placed at times to hide Tisdale’s) and the girls don’t wear bikinis. It’s not that I needed these things, but the absence of them are so blatant and forced that the whole movie feels unrealistic as a result. It’s hard to get into characters when everything about them is unbelievable.

High School Musical 2 is probably popular because it is safe and G-rated while never boring, which is perfect for families with younger children or people with certain religious values who don’t believe that men and women should touch each other before marriage. I understand this, and for the right age, I can see how the movie could be quite entertaining.

Still, I am just shocked at how low quality the music and the dance numbers are; they are so bad I couldn’t even watch them. That’s not a good sign for a musical.

Bloody-Disgusting.com is reporting that United Artists, which is owned by Tom Cruise, is in negotiations to secure the rights to Anne Rice’s The Tale of the Body Thief, the fourth book in her “Vampire Chronicles” series. With Cruise’s name associated so close to a sequel to Interview with the Vampire, rumors are circulating that Tom Cruise may reprise the role of Lestat, the bloody thirsty, morally ambiguous vampire.

Considering that Tom Cruise is trying to reestablish himself as a leading man after a bunch of PR nightmares over the last couple of years (not to mention a critical and box office flop in the form of Lions for Lambs), it isn’t completely unreasonable that he would consider returning to one of his most popular characters.

Hopefully the movie will be better than Queen of the Damned…

With Christian Bale being selected to play John Conner in the new Terminator movie, I figured it was time to do a top ten list for this rising actor. For years, Bale has been on the fringe of fame and popularity, and it appears that he is finally breaking into the A-list. If you look back on his career, you’ll realize that Bale chooses his films very wisely for the most part (neither Harsh Times or Captain Corelli’s Mandolin were very good, though).

The movies are ranked on a combination of his performance, the size of his role and the quality of the film overall. Without further ado, here are the top ten movies of Christian Bale’s career:

1. American Psycho
   This satirical drama put Christian Bale on the map as a man obsessed with appearance and reputation, and with killing people in very brutal ways. While some people were put off by the not-quite-literal movie, no one can deny that Christian Bale turned in an Oscar-worthy performance.
2. Batman Begins
   The combination of Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale, along with a cast where every single major player had been nominated for an Oscar other than Katie Holmes, revived the Batman franchise and is arguably the best, if not at least one of the best, comic book adaptations ever. Between Nolan and Bale, the character of Bruce Wayne has never been more realistic or deep.
3. The Prestige
   It took me a second viewing to really appreciate this film, but The Prestige (directed by Batman Begins‘ Christopher Nolan) is a great character study set against a revenge/murder plot. Bale is terrific, and while it was not the kind of movie that would evoke awards, it shows his taste for smart, edgy films.
4. Rescue Dawn
   Few people have seen this war drama as of yet, but Bale is excellent as a real-life pilot who is captured in Vietnam and held in a prisoner’s camp for several years. Funny and powerful at the same time, Rescue Dawn is one of the best movies of 2007.
5. The Machinist
   The movie isn’t completely extraordinary, but the transformation Bale put himself through to become the tragic protagonist shows his dedication to his movies: he lost a record 63 pounds down to a startling 120 pounds. His performance is also quite memorable, too.
6. Newsies
   A lot of you may not realize that Bale is the lead actor in Newsies, the 1992 film about turn-of-the-century kids who sell newspapers. This was one of my favorite films as a kid, and is still a quality musical that stands the test of time.
7. I’m Not There
   Still out in theaters, I’m Not There tells the story of Bob Dylan in a very odd way. While Cate Blanchett overshadows for her portrayal of the artist, Bale, in a lesser role, is also quite good. At the very least, the movie is one of the most unique films ever made, and shows Bale’s capabilities in identifying as such.
8. 3:10 to Yuma
   A classic western made in 2007, 3:10 to Yuma has Bale up against Russell Crowe. While Crowe steals the show, Bale still is a solid edition and is one of the main reasons audiences were lured to theaters. The movie is pretty good, too.
9. Equilibrum
   One of the best action movies to never get a major theatrical release, Bale stars as an assassin in a future, Big Brother society who decides to turn on his handlers and join the rebellion. Spectacular visual effects and direction have Equilibrium rivaling The Matrix, which is not an easy task.
10. Shaft
    A pretty good reimagining of Shaft that never got the recognition it deserved, some may forget that Christian Bale played the ruthless villain in the movie. His character here is not unlike his rich-but-vicious character in American Psycho, but that’s a good thing.

Other honorable mentions are Reign of Fire, a surprisingly good dragon movie that also didn’t get the recognition it deserved (watch it a couple times and you’ll see what I mean), Howl’s Moving Castle, a movie you can’t really credit to Bale even though he did do voice work for the American version and The New World, my Best Movie of the 2005. The only reason The New World isn’t on the list is that Bale has a smaller role and I had completely forgotten he was even in it.

We’ll ignore the fact he did voice work for Pocahontas, my most hated cartoons ever.

I’ve spent the weekend writing movie reviews for a slew of films that I’ve seen over the past week or so. In total, I’ve written eleven movie reviews over the last 48 hours, and I’m definitely looking forward to not writing anymore for a couple of days. The reviews include: Day Watch (2007), Hairspray (2007), License to Wed (2007), We Are Marshall (2006), Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Waitress (2007), Talk to Me (2007), The Nanny Diaries (2007), First Snow (2007), Stardust (2007) and I Know Who Killed Me (2007).

Coming soon… High School Musical 2 Extended Edition, and a DVD review of Lost: Season 3.

I’m not going to post them all at once so as not to overwhelm you all, so here are the four reviews I’ve made public thus far:

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

The only theatrical release of the eleven reviews, Lars and the Real Girl is a surprisingly good and entertaining film that is both sad (it’s about a delusional young man who falls in love with a sex doll) and funny (it’s about a delusional young man who falls in love with a sex doll). Starring Ryan Gosling, the movie is terrific and boasts a great but relatively unknown supporting cast. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud scenes, and overall the picture is very heartwarming and engaging. While I doubt it’ll get much Oscar recognition, it certainly is one of the best movies of 2007. Read the full review…

Day Watch (2007)

The sequel to Night Watch, Day Watch is a Russian film that boasts absolutely spectacular visual effects on a budget of – brace yourself -only $4 million. The visuals are enough to make it worth it, but unfortunately the story is so convoluted and weird that it’s hard to figure out exactly what the director was intending. Add on the fact that the movie isn’t nearly as exciting or action packed as it should have been, Day Watch really isn’t anything special. Read the full film review…

Hairspray (2007)

A funny and lighthearted musical starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, Queen Latifah and others, Hairspray works as an entertaining piece of work that balances goofiness and social commentary relatively well. The real star of the show is… the star of the show, Nicole Blonsky, who has never been in a feature length movie before. Read the full film review…

The Nanny Diaries (2007)

Coming to DVD this Tuesday, The Nanny Diaries stars Scarlett Johansson as a young woman who foolishly takes a job as a nanny for an uber-rich woman (Laura Linney) and her husband (Paul Giamatti), who are only referred to as Mrs. and Mr. X respectively. The parents, engrossed in their fortune and social “responsibilities”, complete neglect their child, and Johansson is afraid that if she quits, the son will be lost forever. The comedy and the drama work well together, and the result is a relatively lighthearted, funny and cute picture.  Read the full film review…

Pigs are flying. Hell is freezing over. Yes, Uwe Boll has risen from the ashes and will be gracing us with not one, not even two, but three disasters within one month of each other. Yes, can you believe it? Can you believe that he still gets work? Can you believe that distributors still believe in his movies? Can you believe that anyone actually goes watches his garbage?

On January 11, 2008, we get In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, a Jason Statham-starring film. Hell, even if Uwe Boll wasn’t directing the movie, I can tell from the title that it’s going to suck.

On January 25, 2008, we get Seed, also from Freestyle Releasing.

And on February 1, 2008, Postal, based on the video game, comes to theaters from – you guessed it – Freestyle Releasing.

What is Freestyle thinking? Are they just trying to dump these all at once so they don’t have to worry about Boll anymore? Somehow, I’m guessing they have more sinister plans in mind. I’m pretty sure that the soul of Adolf Hitler himself – if he had a soul – has returned and inhabited the body of the President of Freestyle Releasing. What other explanation could it be?

I would not be surprised if these releases turn into limited releases, or get pushed back, but it’s pretty shocking to see that three movies from the same director are coming out within a month of one another, let along from Uwe Boll, who is regarded by many as the worst director ever.

Boo, Freestyle Releasing! Boo!

December. It is the perfect month for movies. It is in this month where some of the best movies of the year are released (though for many, they don’t arrive until January). Below is a list of my top ten most anticipated movies of December 2007, in reverse order. These movies may be Oscar contenders, or they may just look entertaining, but they are the films I’m most excited about. Granted, some smaller release pictures may pop up that I can’t anticipate, but take it or leave it.

10. The Bucket List

The Bucket List doesn’t look particularly interesting to me, but you can never rule out the combination of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman come December. The movie has the chance of being this year’s As Good As it Gets, as it looks to be a blend of comedy and drama. The plot probably involves at least one of the characters dying at the end, but having a blast and hitting on young girls up until that point. The feel good movie of the year? Maybe.

9. Aliens vs. Predator Requiem

I definitely didn’t think this one would ever make any top ten lists. The first Alien vs. Predator was a God-awful, laughable mess, but I have to admit that its sequel, Aliens vs Predator Requiem (what does “Requiem” indicate?), with a different director and different cast, looks a lot better. The movie appears to be a lot grittier, a little more grounded in reality (as much as it can be), and a whole lot bloodier. Unlike the first one, the studio wisely made this sequel R-rated, which means a lot more gore. Aliens, Predators and gore is enough for me… I’m sold!

8. Charlie Wilson’s War

A big Oscar contender lies in Charlie Wilson’s War, a movie starring Tom Hanks as a politician who starts his own war and relief mission. The movie is directed by Mike Nichols, who hasn’t really proven himself as an especially powerful director with a few notable exceptions (The Graduate and Closer) come to mind. More intriguing to audiences will be that the movie is written by Aaron Sorkin, best known for “The West Wing”. The cast isn’t too shabby, either… Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman and others come to mind… Overall, this has the potential to be very good, though the trailers have been a little underwhelming. While it looks good, is it good enough to be an Oscar contender? That remains to be seen…

7. Cassandra’s Dream

Fans may be tired of Woody Allen films, but Allen has proven that when he stays away from comedy, he can deliver fresh and meaningful stuff. Following Match Point, a movie I consider to be excellent, Cassandra’s Dream is about two brothers (Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor) who get hired by a relative (Tom Wilkinson) to kill some dude. The movie is a thriller/drama about decisions that can affect the rest of your life. The movie looks dark and relatively gritty, and I’m definitely looking forward to this one.

6. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Love it or hate it? Really good or really bad? This one’s going to be divisive, and is definitely one of the riskier pictures of Tim Burton’s career. Then again, are movies really risky when they look like a Burton film and star Johnny Depp as a really weird and twisted character? It’s been a while since we’ve seen Burton and Depp together, and Depp looking like something closer to his Edward Scissorhand days, and that’s refreshing. Then again, it’s a musical, and that will be a challenge for Burton. Basically, this movie could be really good or really bad, and there’s only one way to find out.

5. The Golden Compass

The movie was heavily promoted over the summer, but since then I really haven’t seen much if any advertisements for this fantasy film, but New Line is certainly looking to capitalize on a lack of fantasy kids films. New Line has to be worried as several films from the same genre have struggled this year, with exception to Harry Potter, of course. The movie looks pretty good, and is one of the few blockbuster-type films this year. Reviews may make or break this one, however.

4. I Am Legend

Will Smith. Action. Sci-fi. It’s a pretty safe bet, even when Smith is the only actor on screen most of the time. The teaser trailer was top notch and quite creepy; the later trailers have revealed the mutated humans (zombies?) to be fast-moving CGI creatures, which have dampened my excitement a little bit. The special effects aside, the movie still looks like a lot of fun, and even if it isn’t a masterpiece, Smith has proven that he can make even so-so movies entertaining (I, Robot comes to mind).

3. Juno

This movie has more Oscar buzz around it than most, and could end up being the Little Miss Sunshine of 2007. My brother has already seen it and says it’s great, and I tend to trust his judgment 95% of the time. The previews are funny and quirky, and considering that there seems to be a real lack of quality comedies right now (Lars and the Real Girl and The Savages being comparable exceptions), this may find both critical and box office success.

2. Atonement

Another film with a lot of Oscar buzz, Atonement has received some great reviews, stars Kiera Knightley (always a plus) and is directed by the guy who brought us the most recent adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which was surprisingly well done. That combination, served up with another period piece story about two lovers who are betrayed by a jealous young girl, has me intrigued to see exactly what this movie is going to be like. Thus, Atonement is high on my list.

1. There Will Be Blood

This is my personal pick for Best Picture. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but if There Will Be Blood is not worthy of a Best Picture Oscar, I will be disappointed. I realize I’m setting myself up for disappointment here. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia) and starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine), the movie looks absolutely stellar. It’s going to be dark, gritty and powerful if I have anything to do with it, and even from the previews it appears there are Oscar nominations in sight for both Day-Lewis and young Dano. At the very least, Dano’s performance could be a break-out one.

Note: Two movies that would appear on this list if not for the fact that they are released in late November, not December, are The Savages (Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman in a comedy-drama) and Awake (a B-grade thriller that happens to look pretty entertaining and star Jessica Alba).

From the guy who brought us the awesome Donnie Darko, one of my favorite films of all times, comes Southland Tales, a movie with a few similar themes but one big difference: it sucks big time. Here’s a snippet of my full movie review…

Wednesday night. Eight people. Only four survivors. The emotional toll for those who endured was almost too much to handle.

The situation: Southland Tales, the two-hour, forty-minute Richard Kelly follow-up to the classic Donnie Darko. It was a massacre if I ever saw one, where fifty percent of the audience was shot down, their lives destroyed in an instant. Only it wasn’t an instant. One man, popcorn still in hand, didn’t make an hour, and the three large young ladies who had to sit down right behind me, most likely just to annoy me by talking the entire time (though as it turns out their commentary helped get me through the rough patches), left just before the scene where one SUV humps another SUV. I’d never seen so many people walk out before, but I don’t really blame them: Southland Tales is a mess, and not the fun mess Kelly was shooting for.

I am a big fan of Donnie Darko, and in terms of theme, Southland Tales isn’t that far removed. There are wormholes, time travel and distortion of reality, but how all of that is delivered is so absurd and unruly that it’s nearly impossible to enjoy. Southland Tales is like one of those movies you see in another movie, where some low grade director is trying to make an epic, and when he sits down at the premiere he watches in horror as everyone falls asleep or gets up and walks out. The movie is an epic; it’s just an epic that doesn’t find its identify and isn’t able to engage the audience. It has a message, but without interesting characters or an entertaining plot, Southland Tales falls apart at the seams.

Read my full Southland Tales movie review.

How is J-Lo so popular? She has rarely done a good movie, and her music isn’t very good, either. Yet here she is in yet another role, trying to prove that she can do gritty when she clearly cannot. In El Cantante, she plays the struggling girlfriend/wife of Latino singer Hector Lavoe (played by Marc Anthony, another guy who probably shouldn’t be acting). El Cantante is okay, except it’s not, because not only is it boring, uninformative and… boring… it is the exact same story we see in just about every singer’s story from the 1970′s (read: drugs, depression, AIDS or some combination of the three).

Read my full El Cantante movie review. El Cantante is now out on DVD.

The new Cloverfield trailer – which confirms the name of Cloverfield for a project that has had more rumors and buzz than any I can imagine in recent history – has found its way onto YouTube, albeit in a very low quality format. Still, it looks pretty exciting… Check it out below.

I’m excited for Atonement. Even though it is a period piece, it has good early reviews, hottie Kiera Knightley, rising star James McAvoy, and director Joe Wright, the man behind another Kiera Knightley period piece Pride and Prejudice (easily the best Jane Austen film I had ever seen – no, I haven’t seen the Colin Firth version).

The movie trailer is great, and now the studio has released three new character posters. It’s a bit surprising to have character posters for a movie like this, as it’s not one you would necessarily expect to appeal to the masses. More surprising is that the character posters are relatively edgy for a war drama… Click on the movie poster to the right to see the rest.

Here’s the new National Treasure: Book of Secrets movie trailer, starring Nicolas Cage. I really didn’t like the first movie (I found it long, boring and tedious), and this one looks just so ridiculous I doubt I will enjoy it. Still, this new movie trailer is a vast improvement over the original preview, which was full of camp and stupidity. The marketing department still reveals way too many of the twists (I would be much more intrigued to see the movie if they didn’t reveal that Cage plans to kidnap the President of the United States, which right there takes the film far off the believability scale), but until they hire me…