"Aftershock" with Eli Roth Due May 10, 2013

Radius/TWC

Present AFTERSHOCK


FROM ELI ROTH

The only thing more terrifying than Mother Nature…is human nature.

AFTERSHOCK will open in the following California theatres on May 10th:

TCL Chinese Theatre/Chinese 6 (6925 Hollywood Blvd.)

Loz Feliz 3 (1822 N Vermont Ave.)

Terrance Cinema 6 (28901 S. Western Ave.)

Laemmle’s NoHo 7 (5240 Lankershim Blvd.)

Roxy Stadium 11 (5001 Verdugo Way)

Plaza Cinema 14 (255 West Fifth St.)

Cinema City (742 Vine St.)

Triangle Square 8 Cinemas (1870 Harbor Blvd.)

Dos Lagos 15 (2710 Lakeshore Dr.)

California Oaks 17 (41090 California Oaks Rd.)

BLVD Cinemas (742 W. Lancaster Blvd.)

Apple Valley 14 (14 Apple Valley.)

Reading Valley Plaza Stadium 16 (2000 Wible Rd.)

New Barstow Station Cinema 6 (1503 E Main St.)


Directed by Nicolás López
Written By Eli Roth (@eliroth) and Nicolás López (@nicolaslopez)
Starring: Eli Roth, Andrea Osvart, Ariel Levy, Selena Gomez

In the middle of a night of wild partying, a hapless American tourist (Roth) and his friends are suddenly plunged into a living hell when a powerful earthquake rips through the coastal town of Valparaíso, Chile.

Running time: 90 minutes

Review: "Iron Man 3" About the Man in the Iron

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Iron Man 3 (2013)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief suggestive content
DIRECTOR: Shane Black
WRITERS: Drew Pearce and Shane Black (based on the characters and stories created by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Toll (director of photography)
EDITORS: Peter S. Elliot and Jeffrey Ford
COMPOSER: Brian Tyler

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Ty Simpkins, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Stephanie Szostak, William Sadler, Miguel Ferrer, Jon Favreau, and Paul Bettany (voice)

Iron Man 3 is a 2013 superhero film co-written and directed by Shane Black and starring Robert Downey, Jr. in the title role. It is the third movie in the Iron Man film franchise and the seventh installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which began with the first Iron Man movie in 2008). In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark/Iron Man is forced to rebuild his world after it is torn apart by a formidable terrorist.

Iron Man 3 finds billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) suffering from anxiety after his experiences with The Avengers. He has built several new Iron Man suits, which causes friction with his girlfriend and current CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Also, Tony’s friend, James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle), is now the U.S. government’s go-to-guy when it needs Iron Man-type help. Rhodes in his War Machine armor has also been re-branded as the Iron Patriot.

Tony has been working non-stop for months, but one thing that does catch his attention is the global tension caused by a mysterious terrorist known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). After his friend, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), is gravely wounded in one of The Mandarin’s terrorist attacks, Tony vows revenge, but The Mandarin strikes first. Tony begins a journey of rebuilding and retribution, which is complicated by a cast of characters that includes friends and foes and even people whose allegiances are suspect.

Iron Man 3 is spectacular. Destruction is rendered in vivid colors and in awesome visual effects generated by computer software with the god-like ability to create new realities. But I was buying it the way I did for the first two Iron Man films. Don’t get me wrong, Iron Man 3 is good, and I enjoyed it – for the most part. For all its superhero action pageantry and its out of this world combat between demigods and demigod wannabes, I was only somewhat titillated.

There is one glaring thing that dampened my enthusiasm for Iron Man 3, and it is the entire Tony Stark anxiety, panic attack, quasi-PTSD, crisis of faith/conscience factor that is at the heart of Iron Man 3. To me, Tony’s angst comes across as contrived. I just wasn’t buying it. Didn’t we already litigate Tony Stark’s mental demons, relationship shortcomings, and personality glitches in Iron Man 2?

I did enjoy Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, and the actress shows that if the filmmakers did more than just scratch the surface of this character, they’d have something super. In addition, Don Cheadle easily moves past being the replacement actor (as Terrence Howard played Rhodes in the first Iron Man), as he fully comes into his own as James Rhodes. Here, Cheadle is funny and engaging, and he clearly has the film personality to be an action-movie star – certainly in superhero movies. Also, Ty Simpkins is surprisingly good as the Harley, a non-annoying, forthright boy.

In terms of tone, attitude, and spirit, Iron Man 3 is different from its predecessors. In fact, it seems odd, and The Mandarin subplot keeps things weird – perhaps too much. So Iron Man 3… maybe I’ll like it more when I see it again, on DVD or television. It is a good movie, but I can only be generous enough to give it a grade of “B.”

6 of 10
B

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Happy Birthday, Sarah

And congratulations on your upcoming graduation.

Abrams, Takei, Samberg, Facebook, and Star Trek

Just days before Star Trek Into Darkness opens in theaters worldwide, JJ Abrams will answer YOUR questions on Facebook Live.

WHO: Featuring: JJ Abrams: Writer/Director/Producer (Star Trek Into Darkness, Super 8, Lost)

The Host: Andy Samberg: Actor/Comedian/Writer (Saturday Night Live,Celeste and Jesse Forever, The Lonely Island)

Special Guest: George Takei: Actor/Activist (Star Trek, Oh Myyy! (There Goes the Internet), Allegiance)

WHAT: JJ Abrams is a filmmaker whose work, on both the small and big screen, has been shaping our culture for decades. On May 10th 2013, just days before Star Trek Into Darkness opens in theaters across the globe, the acclaimed director visits the Facebook Headquarters in Menlo Park along side his friend Andy Samberg to answer your questions live. This is an exclusiveopportunity for Facebook fans to ask anything about the Star Trek universe, and to boldly go where few have gone before. Who knows, maybe even Sulu (GeorgeTakei) might beam in for a guest appearance.

RSVP to watch and participate live on Facebook here: http://bit.ly/abramslive

WHEN: Streamed live at 5:30pm PT / 8:30pm ET, Friday, May 10, 2013

WHERE: www.FacebookLive.com

Review: "Doctor Strange" Casts Animated Spell

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 119 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux


Doctor Strange (2007)
Running time: 76 minutes (1 hour, 16 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence and some frightening images
DIRECTORS: Patrick Archibald, Jay Oliva, and Richard Sebast with Frank D. Paur (supervising)
WRITERS: Greg Johnson; screen story by Craig Kyle and Greg Johnson
PRODUCERS: Frank D. Paur and Avi Arad
EDITOR: George Rizkallah with Aeolan Kelly
COMPOSER: Guy Michelmore

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/ and FANTASY/DRAMA

Starring: (voices) Bryce Johnson, Paul Nahauchi, Kevin Michael Richardson, Michael Yama, Susan Spano, Fred Tatasciore, Tara Strong, and Jonathan Adams

The subject of this movie review is Doctor Strange, a 2007 animated film based on the Marvel Comics character, Doctor Strange. Also known as Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme, this is the fourth straight-to-video (or direct to DVD) animated film produced by MLG Productions, a subsidiary of Marvel Animation and Lionsgate. The character, Doctor Strange, and the first comic book series featuring him were created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, the original creators behind Spider-Man.

A selfish and vain physician, Dr. Stephen Strange (Bryce Johnson), loses the use of his hands in an automobile accident. Although he is no longer able to perform surgery, he can still be a doctor, but he has always seen himself foremost as a surgeon. Putting his career on hold, Strange obsesses over finding a cure for his hands, and as his career dies, Strange falls apart.

Directed by a stranger named Wong (Paul Nahauchi), Strange makes a life-altering journey to Tibet, where he hopes to be healed by the Ancient One (Michael Yama). However, this Ancient One is Earth’s “sorcerer supreme,” and he has plans to heal more than just Strange’s hands. With the help of Wong, Stephen studies magic and learns to let go of the past. As Strange’s knowledge of and ability to wield mystical powers grows, the Ancient One hopes Strange will replace him as the sorcerer supreme, much to the chagrin of Mordo (Kevin Michael Richardson), a follower of the Ancient One who covets his master’s position and power. Soon, Stephen must embark on a mission to protect humanity from a dark, other-dimensional god called Dormammu (Jonathan Adams), but he and the Ancient One will discover a traitor in their midst.

Doctor Strange is by far the best of the Marvel/Lionsgate films to date. It is the first of this series that is equal to Warner Bros.’ animated television series and straight-to-video animated films that are based on DC Comics characters. Doctor Strange’s story is strong – capturing the rise and fall and redemption of the protagonist. It has an epic feel, a good supporting cast, and convincingly evil adversaries.

The animation is quite good, as the characters, creatures, and objects move very well. The layout, background art, set decoration, and conceptual design are all top notch, and the color has a painterly quality. Considering all that, Doctor Strange does indeed seem strange next to the earlier MLG animated films, which while entertaining, do not match the excellence of Doctor Strange.

7 of 10
A-

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

"Man of Steel" Soundtrack Due June 11 2013

Man of Steel Two-Disc Soundtrack Featuring Original Music by Hans Zimmer Set for Release June 11th

Limited Deluxe Edition Soundtrack Also Available

Man of Steel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Available For Pre-Order

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On June 11, 2013, WaterTower Music will release two configurations of the Man Of Steel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The album will be available in standard form as well as a limited edition deluxe version at all physical and digital retailers. Academy Award®, Grammy, and Golden Globe-winning composer Hans Zimmer composed the music for this highly anticipated project, joining forces for the first time with director Zack Snyder.

“The challenges of creating a Superman score are daunting because Superman is so iconographic," said Snyder. "I really feel like what Hans created is perfect. Subtle and stirring, epic and commanding. Honestly, Hans crushed it."

Fans will have the ability to choose between the standard two disc, 18-song soundtrack, and a limited, deluxe edition of the soundtrack. This deluxe edition will be housed in a special embossed steel case, contain 24 score selections, and give fans the ability to access multiple videos showing an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the music. Both the standard and deluxe editions will include the epic track “Man of Steel (Hans Original Sketchbook)” which clocks in at over 28 minutes long. This exclusive track is performed solely by Zimmer, and allows listeners to experience firsthand his initial experiments with the film’s music, which ultimately lay the foundation for the film’s final score.

Those fans who purchase the CD version of the deluxe edition will have the opportunity to download all 24 songs in DTS Headphone: X, which reproduces a cinematic multi-speaker surround sound experience using only the user’s headphones. DTS Headphone:X presents a whole new way to hear mobile entertainment over headphones. The technology garnered rave reviews from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, and Cnet, among others at this year’s CES convention.

Additionally, a double, 180 gram vinyl configuration of the soundtrack is slated for a summer release.

In addition to his orchestral arrangements, Zimmer, no stranger to stepping outside the confines of traditional film scoring, has assembled two unique musical entities to contribute music to Man of Steel. The first, a “drum orchestra,” which was brought together for the album, is described by soundtrack co-producer Peter Asher as “some of the best drummers in the world all playing simultaneously in a space designed for a symphony orchestra – using not only rock drum kits but tympani and field drums as well.”

The membership of this elite assembly consists of many of today’s top musicians including John JR Robinson, Jason Bonham, Josh Freese, Pharrell Williams, Danny Carey, Satnam Ramgotra, Toss Panos, Jim Keltner, Curt Bisquera, Trevor Lawrence Jr., Matt Chamberlain, Ryeland Allison, Bernie Dresel, Vinnie Colaiuta and Sheila E. Their contribution, under Zimmer’s musical direction, creates a towering and powerful musical accompaniment to the film.

Another distinctive group the composer assembled was a gathering of eight of music’s finest pedal steel guitarists who play classical string section parts. This collective, consisting of Chas Smith, Marty Rifkin, Skip Edwards, Boo Bernstein, Peter Frieberger, Rick Schmidt, JD Maness, John McClung, was described by Asher as, “a uniquely new metallic orchestra” added it’s own distinct and soaring musical stamp to the soundtrack.

The Man Of Steel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is currently available for preorder at Amazon and will be available for preorder on iTunes starting May 7.

SOUNDTRACK TRACK LISTING

Disc 1 – Flight

1. Look to the Stars

2. Oil Rig

3. Sent here for a Reason

4. DNA

5. Goodbye My Son

6. If You Love These People

7. Krypton's Last

8. Terraforming

9. Tornado

10. You Die or I Do

11. Launch

12. Ignition

13. I Will Find Him

14. This is Clark Kent

15. I Have So Many Questions

16. Flight

17. What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?

Disc 2 – Experiments from the Fortress of Solitude

1. Man of Steel (Hans' Original Sketchbook)

2. Are You Listening, Clark? (Deluxe Edition Only)

3. General Zod (Deluxe Edition Only)

4. You Led Us Here (Deluxe Edition Only)

5. This Is Madness! (Deluxe Edition Only)

6. Earth (Deluxe Edition Only)

7. Arcade (Deluxe Edition Only)

Hans Zimmer has scored more than 100 films, which have, combined, grossed over 19.6 billion dollars at the worldwide box office. He has been honored with an Academy Award®, two Golden Globes®, three Grammys®, an American Music Award, and a Tony® Award. In 2003, ASCAP presented him with the prestigious Henry Mancini award for Lifetime Achievement for his impressive and influential body of work. He also received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 2010. Some of his most recent works include the History Channel’s miniseries The Bible; the Christopher Nolan-directed films Inception, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises; and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Upcoming titles include Ron Howard’s Rush, Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger and Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave.

Zack Snyder directed Man of Steel from a screenplay by David S. Goyer from a story by Goyer & Nolan, based upon Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster and published by DC Entertainment. Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas and Deborah Snyder are the producers, with Thomas Tull, Lloyd Phillips and Jon Peters serving as executive producers. The film stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni and Russell Crowe.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Zack Snyder Film, Man of Steel. The film will be released in 3D and 2D in select theaters and IMAX®, and is slated for release on June 14, 2013. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.


About Headphone: X
DTS Headphone: X enables content owners (e.g., movie studios, music labels or retail) to capture the acoustics of a high quality audio production studio and control the manner by which they are reproduced at the consumer end. Content providers can rest assured that the sonic reproduction presented to the listener can match the mix they so carefully crafted.

About WaterTower Music:
WaterTower Music , the in house music label for Warner Bros., has been releasing recorded music since 2001. Distributed through InGrooves Fontana, WTM has released over 150 titles, including the film soundtracks to “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Project X,”, “Rock of Ages,” “Hairspray,” “Sex and the City,” “Elf,” “The Notebook,” and “Love and Basketball” among others. Its 2013 schedule includes “42,” “Pacific Rim,” and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.”

"May the Fourth" Be With You - Star Wars Fan Holiday

Millions of Star Wars Fans Around the World Prepare to Celebrate May the 4th

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Since the very first Star Wars movie came out in 1977, fans everywhere have made the galactic saga their own and found creative ways to celebrate their love of the Force. One of the most visible ways is annually transforming the date of May 4th into “May the Fourth,” the day that Star Wars fandom has created to share their passion around the world. Fans of all ages wear their favorite Star Wars items, partake in parties and screenings, and pass on messages of “May the Force be with you” in person and online.

Lucasfilm has long supported Star Wars fans in their grassroots celebrations, whether they be extravagant or small. Visit Lucasfilm’s official May the 4th microsite, http://maythe4th.starwars.com, for Star Wars Day news, ideas on how to celebrate, special events calendar, themed recipes, fun crafts and activities, fan photos, and a regularly updated list of deals and promotions from major online and brick-and-mortar retailers. Keep track of the Force of fans on Twitter with the #maythe4thbewithyou hashtag -- @StarWars will be tweeting highlights on May the 4th and in the days leading up to it.


About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company's activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © 2013 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Review: "Argo" is Indeed a Best Picture

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 30 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Argo (2012)
Running time: 120 minutes (2 hours)
MPAA – R for language and some violent images
DIRECTOR: Ben Affleck
WRITER: Chris Terrio (based on the book, The Master of Disguise, by Antonio J. Mendez and the article, “Escape from Tehran,” by Joshuah Bearman)
PRODUCERS: Ben Affleck, George Clooney, and Grant Heslov
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Rodrigo Prieto (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: William Goldenberg
COMPOSER: Alexandre Desplat
Academy Award winner

THRILLER/DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Zeljko Ivanek, Titus Welliver, Shelia Vand, Richard Kind, Michael Parks, Adrienne Barbeau, and Mark Rhino Smith

Argo is a 2012 thriller and historical drama directed by Ben Affleck, who also plays the lead role and is one of the film’s three producers. Argo is based upon two sources: the book, The Master of Disguise, by Antonio J. Mendez and the Wired magazine article, “Escape from Tehran,” by Joshuah Bearman. The film dramatizes a real-life event – the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran.

At the 85th Academy Awards (February 24, 2013), Argo won the Oscar for “Best Picture.” It is not my pick for best picture of the year (which I still think is Django Unchained), but it is not far behind. Argo is not only one of the greatest American thriller films ever made, but it is also a joy to watch.

Argo opens on November 4, 1979 at the United States embassy in Tehran, Iran. Militants and protestors storm the embassy and take the occupants hostage in retaliation for President Jimmy Carter giving asylum to the recently ousted Shah of Iran (Mohammad Reza Pahlavi). However, six of the embassy staff escape and find shelter in the home of the Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor (Victor Garber).

The U.S. State Department begins exploring options for exfiltrating the six Americans from Iran. Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), a CIA “exfil” specialist who uses the name “Kevin Harkins,” concocts a rather unusual idea. He creates a cover story in which a Canadian film production crew is scouting locations for a new science fiction film, and Iran is one of the locations he wishes to scout. With the help of his supervisor, Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston), Mendez recruits John Chambers (John Goodman), an Oscar-winning make-up artist, and Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), a film producer.

They pretend to have a film in development; entitled Argo, it is a science fantasy in the style of Star Wars. When Mendez moves to Iran for the most crucial stage of the operation, he discovers that he and his fake movie are always in real danger.

From the very beginning of the film, Argo grabbed me and pulled me to the edge of my seat, and from there, the movie kept me in the grip of fear and trepidation. From start to finish, damn, this is a great movie. Argo is an example of how supremely important the film editor, in this case, William Goldenberg, is to a film; Goldenberg is totally indispensable to success of the Argo. The nerve-wracking thriller that Argo is results from Goldenberg putting together what becomes a transfixing narrative. He certainly deserved and earned his best editing Oscar for Argo.

Of course, by praising Goldenberg, I do not want to take anything away from Ben Affleck as director. Affleck has made a movie that is a terrific thriller, but it is not an action thriller. Affleck uses the suspense weaved into Chris Terrio’s Oscar-winning screenplay and summons his inner Hitchcock, turning in what is one of the best heist movies in recent memory. He does it with such intimacy. Argo isn’t wide open. Affleck squeezes everything into tight and cramped visual spaces, as if it to emphasize that the characters are working hard to avoid the confines of either prison or the grave.

There are some good performances in this film, though nothing really outstanding, except for two. Alan Arkin and John Goodman turn in some of their most distinctive work in supporting roles as the unconventional Lester Siegel and John Chambers, respectively. Ben Affleck is oddly muted and stiff as Tony Mendez/Kevin Harkins. There are a few scenes when that works, but not many. Sometimes, it is as if Mendez isn’t even present in the movie, even when he’s in a scene; maybe that not-really-there act is the way a CIA operative is supposed to be.

Anyway, Argo is fantastic. This is one time when I don’t think that the “Best Picture” Oscar winner is a joke, even if it isn’t my choice. I plan to make Argo a favorite of mine, worthy of repeated viewings.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2013 Academy Awards, USA: 3 wins: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, and George Clooney), “Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published” (Chris Terrio), and “Oscar Best Achievement in Editing” (William Goldenberg); 4 nominations: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (Alexandre Desplat), “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn), and “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (John T. Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, and José Antonio García), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Alan Arkin)

2013 BAFTA Awards: 3 wins: “Best Film” (Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, and George Clooney), “Director” (Ben Affleck), “Editing” (William Goldenberg); 4 nominations: “Adapted Screenplay” (Chris Terrio), “Leading Actor” (Ben Affleck), “Original Music” (Alexandre Desplat), and “Supporting Actor” (Alan Arkin)

2013 Golden Globes, USA: 2 wins: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Ben Affleck) and “Best Motion Picture – Drama;” 3 nominations: “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Alexandre Desplat), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Alan Arkin), and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Chris Terrio)

Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Review: "Paycheck" More Than Minimum Wage Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 108 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Paycheck (2003)
Running time: 119 minutes (1 hour, 59 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense action violence and brief language
DIRECTOR: John Woo
WRITER: Dean Georgaris (based upon a short story by Philip K. Dick)
PRODUCERS: Terence Chang, John Davis, Michael Hackett, and John Woo
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jeffrey L. Kimball (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Christopher Rouse and Kevin Stitt
COMPOSERS: John Powell

SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring: Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman, Paul Giamatti, Colm Feore, Joe Morton, Michael C. Hall, and Peter Friedman

The subject of this movie review is Paycheck, a 2003 science fiction movie from director John Woo and starring Ben Affleck. The film is based on the short story, “Paycheck,” written by author Philip K. Dick and first published in the June 1953 issue of Imagination, a 1950s American science fiction and fantasy magazine. Paycheck the movie focuses on an engineer who takes what seems like an easy million-dollar payday, but ends up on the run and trying to piece together the reason why.

Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck), a brilliant reverse engineer (takes other people’s technology and works backwards to figure out what makes the tech work), takes a job from a powerful friend named Rethrick (Aaron Eckhart). The final part of each of Michael’s assignments involves his employer wiping Michael’s mind clean of the memories of his time working on a project; that’s how his employers keep what they’ve done secret.

However, Michael discovers something decidedly nasty while working on Rethrick’s project, so he mails himself a package full of goodies to help him remember his mission before Rethrick has Michael’s memory wiped. The problem is that once he wakes up from his mind wipe, he can’t remember why he needs this packet full of odds and ends, but he does learn that Rethrick wants him dead.

The writings of science fiction author Philip K. Dick, especially his short fiction, has been adapted into quite a few well-regarded films including Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report. Director John Woo’s Paycheck is the most recent adaptation, and while the film doesn’t make movie history or break new ground in cinema as the aforementioned have, Paycheck is an entertaining action thriller that doesn’t wear its sci-fi on its sleeves.

This is an old-fashioned action movie that relies on complicated and dangerous stunt work for the action sequences. It does not rely on CGI and the other computer enhancements that have become so favored since The Matrix. The film is true to what Woo does best, pure macho action built around car chases, explosions, gunfights, and fisticuffs. While Paycheck may not be as good as Woo classics like his Hong Kong work or Face/Off, the film is in that spirit.

The casting, however, isn’t great; I could think of actors who would have better fit these roles, and some of these actors weren’t given much with which to work. Still, everyone is game, and they seemed like they were into the film. They play their parts well enough to make this quite entertaining, so while Paycheck isn’t landmark science fiction, it is a fun movie to watch. It has more than enough suspense and mystery to keep the viewer intrigued. And while the chase scenes won’t keep you on the edge of the your seat all the time, they’ll get you close enough most of the time.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2004 Razzie Awards: 1 win “Worst Actor” (Ben Affleck – also for Daredevil-2003 and Gigli-2003)

2010 Razzie Awards: 1 nomination: “Worst Actor of the Decade” (Ben Affleck – also for Daredevil-2003, Gigli-2003, Jersey Girl-2004, Pearl Harbor-2001, and Surviving Christmas-2004; nominated for 9 “achievements” and “winner” of 2 Razzies)

-------------------------

May Day (2013) from Negromancer

We're still here! Welcome to Negromancer May 2013, a ComicBookBin blog (www.comicbookbin.com). This is rebirth of the former movie review website as a movie review and movie news website and blog.

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.

Star Trek "The Mission Continues" Contest

WHAT: Paramount Pictures, Bad Robot and Charitybuzz partner to offer Star Trek fans a once-in-a-lifetime oppurtunity to meet director J.J. Abrams and the cast of "Star Trek Into Darkness" at the film's Los Angeles premiere.  Proceeds will benefit "The Mission Continues."

Charitybuzz, the leading destination for online charity auctions, will host the bidding for a four-pack of VIP tickets to attend the “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” premiere in Los Angeles. The winners will walk the red carpet, meet director J.J. Abrams and the cast, and attend the premiere after-party. Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot will match the winning bid, up to $25,000. Proceeds will benefit The Mission Continues and its work to empower post-9/11 veterans on their new missions here at home.

WHEN: TUESDAY, MAY 14TH, 2013
Bidding is open now through Thursday, May 9th at www.Charitybuzz.Com/StarTrek


ABOUT “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS”
In the wake of a shocking act of terror from within their own organization, the crew of The Enterprise is called back home to Earth. In defiance of regulations and with a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads his crew on a manhunt to capture an unstoppable force of destruction and bring those responsible to justice. As the heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew. “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” opens nationwide May 17th, 2013.

“STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” is written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman & Damon Lindelof and directed by J.J. Abrams. Abrams is producing with Bryan Burk through Bad Robot Productions, along with Lindelof, Kurtzman and Orci. Jeffrey Chernov and Skydance Productions’ David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Paul Schwake are the executive producers.

ABOUT CHARITYBUZZ.COM
Charitybuzz raises funds for nonprofits around the globe through online auctions with the world’s most recognizable celebrities and brands. Featuring access to acclaimed actors and musicians, business and political leaders, sports stars, luxury travel, couture fashion, rare memorabilia and more, Charitybuzz brings its online community of bidders exclusive opportunities to live their dreams and make a difference. Since launching, Charitybuzz has raised more than $75 million for charity. To learn more, visit www.Charitybuzz.com, like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Charitybuzz or follow us on Twitter at @Charitybuzz.

ABOUT THE MISSION CONTINUES
Mission Continues is a community service organization that helps post-9/11 veterans transition from the military to leadership roles at home. The Mission Continues benefits veterans and communities in equal measure. The organization sponsors veterans’ enrollment in a 6-month service and leadership program. These veterans dedicate themselves to serving in their community, volunteering for at least 20 hours a week in community organizations to address issues like homelessness, illiteracy and unemployment. The Mission Continues provides the tools, the direction, and a living stipend to these veterans, while the veterans deploy their experience, their skills, and their desire against our communities' most pressing problems. Since its inception, The Mission Continues has awarded more than 600 fellowships and engaged thousands of volunteers at more than 350 community organizations. For more information, please visit www.missioncontinues.org or follow us on Twitter: @missioncontinue

Review: "Holy Smoke" is Kind of Wispy (Happy B'day, Jane Campion)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 173 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Holy Smoke! (1999)
Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sexuality and language
DIRECTOR: Jane Campion
WRITERS: Anna Campion and Jane Campion
PRODUCER: Jan Chapman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dion Beebe (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Veronika Jenet
COMPOSER: Angelo Badalamenti

DRAMA/COMEDY

Starring: Kate Winslet, Harvey Keitel, Julie Hamilton, Sophie Lee, Dan Wyllie, Paul Goddard, Tim Robertson, and Pam Grier

The subject of this movie review is Holy Smoke!, a 1999 Australian comedy-drama from director Jane Campion. The film stars Kate Winslet as an Australian tourist who falls in with an Indian guru and Harvey Keitel as a macho American deprogrammer hired to free her from that new spirituality.

Jane Campion won an Academy Award in 1994 in the category original screenplay for her 1993 film, The Piano. Whereas both the characters and the story were well written in that internationally acclaimed film, the same cannot be said of Ms. Campion’s Holy Smoke, which is not nearly as rich a film as The Piano.

When a young woman (Kate Winslet) falls under the influence of a charismatic guru and joins his ashram, her parents hire PJ Waters (Harvey Kietel, who also starred in Ms. Campion’s The Piano), an “exiter,” a counselor who specializes in deprogramming people taken in by cults. PJ, however, finds the young woman, Ruth Barron, to be not only iron-willed and intelligent, but also very sexy. Ruth engages PJ is an intense battle of wills and sexual politics that begs the question – who will win?

Ms. Winslet is nothing short of stunning in Holy Smoke, and the continual growth of her acting talent is a revelation. It’s hard to take your eyes off her, and she is so beautiful. Ms. Winslet is not one of those tiresome and too thin anorexia stars, but a big boned, baby-got-back-and-front, full figured, blond goddess. The combination of her acting prowess and raw sexuality will distract from a dull movie, and Holy Smoke, while not quite awful, needed this Meryl Streep with a body.

The film is just too up and down. It is at times funny and engaging, but at other times too dry and pointless. The other characters are quite interesting, but the screenwriters ignore them in favor of a drawn out battle between Ruth and PJ. That’s a shame because many of the other characters, including Ruth’s parents and PJ’s partner played by Pam Grier, seem to have interesting backstories. The film limps to the finish line with a tired battle of the sexes. Thankfully, a sentimental dénouement saves the film from being completely below average.

5 of 10
C+

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2013 MTV Movie Awards Spread the Love

Ooops, we forgot to post the results of the 2013 MTV Movie Awards.  We found this at the MTV website - the winners with a summary of why they won:

2013 MTV Movie Award Winners:

Movie Of The Year:
Marvel's The Avengers
Directed by Joss Whedon

An epic ensemble of superheroes, including Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and The Hulk, join forces to stop villainous Loki from subjugating the world.

Best Musical Moment Winner:
Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean and Hana Mae Lee
Pitch Perfect
Directed by Jason Moore

The Barden Bellas break outside of their comfort zones and step up their performance with an a capella cover of "No Diggity."

MTV Generation Award:
Jamie Foxx

Each year, the MTV Movie Awards recognizes an esteemed actor with an honorary Golden Popcorn for the Generation Award. The distinction is given to an artist who has shown us a variety of impressive roles, a personal and professional flair and of course, an awesome level of talent.

Best Villain Winner:
Tom Hiddleston
Marvel's The Avengers
Directed by Joss Whedon

Tom Hiddleston's Loki is an evil mastermind out to destroy planet earth with a swift stomp of his iron-heeled boot.

Best Shirtless Performance Winner:
Taylor Lautner
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
Directed by Bill Condon

Taylor Lautner left Team Jacob drooling into their popcorn buckets with his silver screen stripdown in 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2.

Breakthrough Performance Winner:
Rebel Wilson
Pitch Perfect
Directed by Jason Moore

The Aussie export kept the outrageous a capella adventure down to earth as Fat Amy, a girl whose confidence and personal pizazz provided some of our favorite LOL moments of the movie.

Comedic Genius Award:
Will Ferrell

Throughout his long and illustrious career, Ferrell continues to keep things super fresh. He pushes boundaries with his creative characters and keeps us guessing with his witty one-liners. Best of all, he shows no signs of slowing down.

Best Kiss Winner:
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper
Silver Linings Playbook
Directed by David O. Russell

Cooper and Lawrence had us believing there was no room for romance in Pat and Tiffany's mutual misfortunes. But, after a steamy dance routine in a swanky hotel, the pair finds love in a hopeless place.

MTV Trailblazer Award:
Emma Watson

The MTV Trailblazer Award returns for a second year to highlight a phenomenal young talent in the biz. The award is given to an actor who, despite their age, has managed to inspire others with a diverse portfolio of work and a transcendent reputation in the public eye.

Best Fight Winner:
Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, and Jeremy Renner
Marvel's The Avengers
Directed by Joss Whedon

Downey Jr., Evans, Ruffalo, Hemsworth, Johansson and Renner team up as a fully-assembled superhero clique to save the world from a Manhattan-bound nuclear missile.

Best WTF Moment Winner:
Jamie Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson
Django Unchained
Directed by Quentin Tarantino

In an excruciating sequence, Foxx's Django blasts servile head-servant Stephen, played by Jackson, and sets the Candieland mansion ablaze with the strike of a match.

Best Male Performance Winner:
Bradley Cooper
Silver Linings Playbook
Directed by David O. Russell

Bradley Cooper charms as Pat, a bi-polar man living with his parents who befriends a beautiful-but-equally-disturbed neighbor named Tiffany.

Best Female Performance:
Jennifer Lawrence
Silver Linings Playbook
Directed by David O. Russell

As Tiffany, a troubled young woman who forms a friendship with bi-polar Pat, Jennifer Lawrence is bewitchingly beautiful and intensely relatable.

Best Scared-As-S**t Performance:
Suraj Sharma
Life of Pi
Directed by Ang Lee

Sharma shines as 16-year-old Pi, whose life is changed forever when a startled zebra jumps into his lifeboat, forcing the pair overboard during a powerful storm.

Best On-Screen Duo:
Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane
Ted
Directed by Seth MacFarlane

The destructive pair encourages each other when it comes to just about everything unethical, and yet, you can't help but admire the unique understanding between John (Wahlberg) and his crude, rude and lewd little bear, Ted (MacFarlane).

Best Hero:
Bilbo
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Directed by Peter Jackson

Bilbo Baggins, The Shire's furry-footed hole dwelling hero, uses common sense and courage to take on Gollum in a tale of bravery on an unexpected journey.

Review: McDonnell, Woodard Shine in "Passion Fish" (Happy B'day, Mary McDonnell)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Passion Fish (1992)
Running time: 135 minutes (2 hours, 15 minutes)
MPAA – R
EDITOR/WRITER/DIRECTOR: John Sayles
PRODUCERS: Sarah Green and Maggie Renzi
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Roger Deakins
COMPOSER: Mason Daring
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: Mary McDonnell, Alfre Woodard, David Strathairn, Lenore Banks, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Nora Dunn, Angela Bassett, Mary Portser, and Will Mahoney

The subject of this movie review is Passion Fish, a 1992 drama from writer-director John Sayles. The film tells the story of a paralyzed soap opera actress and the bond she forms with one of her nurses.

Some would decry that Passion Fish, like most John Sayles films (Matewan, Eight Men Out), lacks precisely that: passion. The truth is that John Sayles films eschew the emotional histrionics that so many filmmakers mistake for emotional honesty. Plus, many directors (American directors are afflicted with this curse) probably think that you have to turn of the intensity to capture the attentions of a jaded audience. Besides, the word “passion” is not a lone adjective in the title, but half of a whole that describes the film’s central theme.

Mary-Alice Culhane (Mary McDonnell, Dances with Wolves), a popular soap opera actress, is left paralyzed and wheel chair bound after a car accident. She returns to her Louisiana childhood home where she runs through a succession of nurses until she meets the fiery Chantelle (Alfre Woodard, Grand Canyon), who is running from her own debilitating sickness. Together, they traverse the narrow road and rough terrain of healing, because, in the end, they are alike and really need each other. In the meantime, they also both find new male friends and companions. Mary attaches to an old-fashioned Cajun (Sayles veteran David Strathairn, City of Hope) and Chantelle to a black Cowboy (Vondie Curtin-Hall, Die Hard 2).

Sayles directs this film with deliberate slowness, a languid pace that mirrors Passion Fish’s sultry and humid setting. He gives his cast a chance to slip into the skins of their roles, and there is a pay off – believable performances and characters that feel right in their environments. His script is full of his sharp wit and his lush and rich dialogue, for which he has deft ear.

The performances are excellent. Although Ms. McDonnell alone earned an Academy Award nomination for performance, Ms. Woodard turns in an exemplary performance as Chantelle, desperately fighting her addiction and desperate to reclaim her child. As a duo, they subtly draw us into their lives, and we can’t help but leave a part of ourselves with them as they chose to remain together – forever or for as long as it takes them to heal.

I can’t stress enough how Sayles builds this movie on good acting and a strong story. For those who like strong characters with which one can identify, this movie has them. Passion Fish is truly a fine film for audiences looking for mature subject matter, and is another delight in the beautiful filmography of a great American independent filmmaker, John Sayles.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
1993 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Mary McDonnell) and “Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” (John Sayles)

1993 Golden Globes, USA: 2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Mary McDonnell) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Alfre Woodard)

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New "Star Trek Into Darkness" Scotty Poster

Review: "I Vampiri" is Not Great, But is Unique (Remembering Mario Bava)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 109 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

I Vampiri (1956) – B&W
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Italy
Running time: 78 minutes (1 hour, 18 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Mario Bava with Riccardo Freda
WRITERS: J.V. Rhemo; from a story by Piero Regnoli and Riccardo Freda
PRODUCERS: Luigi Carpentieri, Ermanno Donati, and Piero Donati
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mario Bava
EDITOR: Roberto Cinquini
COMPOSERS: Franco Mannino and Roman Vlad

HORROR with elements of drama

Starring: Dario Michaelis, Gianna Maria Canale, Carlo D’Angelo, Wandisa Guida, Angelo Galassi, Renato Tontini, Charles Fawcett, Gisella Mancinotti, Miranda Campa, Antoine Balpêtré, and Paul Muller

The subject of this movie review is I Vampiri (The Vampires), a 1956 Italian horror film. The film is apparently the first sound era Italian horror film, as the genre had been banned in the 1930s and 40s.

Although Riccardo Freda, working under the name “Robert Hampton,” is credited with directing the Italian horror film, I Vampiri, the movie was actually finished by cinematographer Mario Bava after Freda quit the production. I Vampiri has been was first released in the United States as The Devil’s Commandment (1956) and later as Lust of the Vampire (1963).

After a series of young women are found dead with the blood drained from their bodies, the citizens of Paris are calling these the “Vampire Murders.” Inspector Chantal (Carlo D’Angelo) and the French police aren’t the only ones investigating the murders. Pierre Lantin (Dario Michaelis) is a curious journalist determined to solve the murders, but he finds his investigation distracted by the lovely Giselle (Gianna Maria Canale), the niece of Margheita, the Duchess du Grand, who was obsessed with Lantin’s late father.

What Lantin doesn’t know is that back at the Duchess’ castle, mad scientist, Dr. Julien du Grand (Antoine Balpêtré), is draining young women of their blood. When Lorrette Robert (Wandisa Guida), a beautiful student, turns up missing, Lantin follows his suspicions to the Duchess and to the horrifying secret deep in the heart of her castle.

By no means a great film, I Vampiri is a nice introduction to Mario Bava’s ornate style of Gothic horror films. This moody curiosity, which features beautiful dream-like photography and splendid production values, is strangely mesmerizing. Somewhat over the top and yet strangely mannered and staid, I Vampiri is a unique movie treat.

6 of 10
B

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

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Review: "Identity" Almost Great

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 61 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Identity (2003)
Running time: 90 minutes (1 hour, 30 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence and language
DIRECTOR: James Mangold
WRITER: Michael Cooney
PRODUCER: Cathy Konrad
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Phedon Papamichael
EDITOR: David Brenner
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri

HORROR/MYSTER/THRILLER with elements of crime drama

Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, Rebecca De Mornay, John C. McGinley, John Hawkes, Jake Busey, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Bret Loehr

The subject of this movie review is Identity, a 2003 mystery thriller and psychological horror film from director James Mangold. The film is set at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rainstorm. There, ten strangers are stranded and being killed off one by one. It’s actually a very good film until the end.

I often think that suspense thrillers and horror movies don’t have to be great, just effective, although there are great suspense and horror films. The plot and story may be familiar (it usually is), but the execution should make us forget that we’ve seen this before. We should be too busy jumping in our seats or making sure we locked all our doors and windows before the sun went down and we started watching a scary movie. Thus, while What Lies Beneath isn’t a great film, say like Psycho, it’s very well executed and does what it’s supposed to do: make us jump in our seats and feel something akin to the fear that the characters in the story feel. That is what Identity does.

Director James Mangold burst onto the film scene with the heartwarming and heart-wrenching drama Heavy, and entered the big time with Copland, wherein which he drew a very good performance from Sylvester Stallone. Identity is his first film that tackles the suspense/horror genre, and it’s a mighty good first leap.

Through the vagaries of coincidence, ten strangers are stranded at an isolated hotel during a nasty storm. As they begin to know each other, they discover that someone, either one of them or an unknown person, is killing them off one by one. As the most likely suspects are knocked off, the survivors are further confused when the bodies of the dead begin to disappear.

Writer Michael Cooney, the mastermind behind the Jack Frost films, creates what you could call a typical, professional Hollywood script, especially for a suspense film. The story has the usual clues and subtle tricks that you have to catch in order to learn the identity of the “bad guy.” It has the usual “bumps in the night,” an isolated setting for the story, the duplicitous characters, and enough false positives to scare off any pro football team. This is very good, if not spectacular work.

The strength of the film is in its cast and in its director. John Cusack is, as ever, very good as the leading man, and especially good in this case, as the smart guy trying to figure things out. Ray Liotta continues to shine in whatever roles he takes; everyone just seems to take him for granted. Mangold makes Identity part Alfred Hitchcock and a little slasher film. He’s subtle, even when the story seems to go over the top, as he takes advantage of Cooney’s suspense thriller settings: the lonely stretch of highway, the isolated motel, the overbearing and claustrophobic rainstorm, and the characters who come in all colors: shady, sneaky, weird, mental, dangerous, dishonest, weak, and angry. Mangold lets the cast run wild with these characters. He simply and quietly follows them, his camera greedily drinking what he’s carefully staged. It seems like zany and scary fun done with abandon, and while it is, Mangold knew what he was doing. He knew the buttons to push, and he knows where to take the story, every inch of the way, every scene in its place to give us the same sense of panic, fear, and growing desperation that his characters feel.

I had hoped that Identity would be fun and it was – good, spooky fun. When the story reveals its big secret, it does knock the steam out of the film, ruining the fun…almost. With the grace and athletic skill of a Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady, the film gets back on its feet for an ending that at least slaps you in the face if it doesn’t exactly bunch you in the stomach. Early in the film is a clue as to the killer’s identity. I ignored it, because a later scene corrected what seemed like a mistake when one character wrongly accuses another. That later scene was wrong and was a trick to throw us off. So pay attention to every step you take on this creepy trip.

6 of 10
B

Marvel Unleashes "Iron Man 3" Products

Marvel Launches a Full “Armory” of Products Inspired by Marvel’s Iron Man 3

GLENDALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marvel Entertainment in conjunction with Disney Consumer Products (DCP) has unveiled the newest film-inspired product collection based on the highly anticipated Marvel’s Iron Man 3 releasing in theaters May 3, 2013. This armor and suit-inspired assortment features apparel, collectibles, lifestyle products, action figures, toys and role play products that capture the unique customization and dynamic personality of one of Marvel’s favorite Super Heroes, Iron Man.

“This innovative product assortment reflects the technological savvy and classic design of Iron Man coupled with the ingenuity and individuality of Tony Stark,” said Paul Gitter, senior vice president of licensing for Marvel at Disney Consumer Products. “From radio controlled flying figures and customizable action figures, to deluxe costumes and role play items, we have developed an extensive collection of products that will allow fans of all ages to create their very own Super Hero adventure.”

Additionally, Marvel Press, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide, has released several titles in print and eBook form in support of the feature film, including Iron Man 3 Movie Storybook and Suits of Armor storybook by Tomas Palacios. Readers can also experience the action-packed adventure of Iron Man through mini-games, authentic animated artwork and interactive activities in the free Iron Man: Armored Avenger App, available on iTunes.

Opening in theaters May 3, Marvel’s Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at this enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Ben Kingsley, Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black.

Marvel’s Iron Man 3 collection of products is available now at national retailers, specialty stores, Marvel.com, Disney Store locations nationwide and DisneyStore.com.

MARVEL’S IRON MAN 3 PRODUCT ASSORTMENT*

*For a further list of products, please see our fact sheet at http://bit.ly/IM3ProductFactSheet

•Innovative Technology Products:

◦Iron Man 3 RealD 3D Eyewear (MSRP $10.00): RealD’s patented technology enables an incomparable, premium 3D viewing experience. CDM has developed a limited edition line of collectible RealD 3D eyewear for Marvel’s Iron Man 3.

◦Iron Man 3 Levitator Lamp (MSRP $150.00): Recreating the high-flying power of Iron Man’s suit right in front of your eyes, the Iron Man 3 armor levitates in mid-air and rotates 360 degrees on a lamp base that also emits a ceiling projection.

◦Iron Man 3 3D LightFX Wall Light (MSRP $29.99): The Iron Man 3 3D LightFX Wall Light mounts to the wall and is cordless and battery operated; the innovative fixture is true to size and uses LED lights to bring the adventure of Iron Man to life.

◦Iron Man 3 iHome Electronics (MSRP $14.99 - $29.99): This exclusive collection includes noise isolating earphones, headphones, rechargeable character speakers and a dual alarm clock speaker system, all with cool character styling.

•Toys and Role Play:

◦Iron Man 3 Assemblers Action Figure Assortment by Hasbro (MSRP $9.99 each): Each figure in the buildable Assemblers Action Figure line features an Interchangeable Armor System, allowing one figure to create more than 25 armor combinations and allowing armor to be switched out to create hundreds of combinations.

◦Iron Man 3 ARC FX Role Play products by Hasbro (MSRP $24.99): The ARC FX MISSION MASK features dual missile launchers with ARC FX glowing visor lights and targeting beam light effect; the MOTORIZED ARC FX GAUNTLET features rapid-fire blasting action with NERF foam discs.

◦RC Flying Iron Man by EB Brands (MSRP $80.00): A full 19” long, the RC Iron Man banks, soars, dives and climbs, just like the extreme Super Hero, Iron Man; a unique, patented steering mechanism gives kids greater control and a super tight turning radius.

◦LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man 3 Construction Sets (MSRP $12.99 - $39.99): Kids can team up with Iron Man in his upgraded Mark 42 armor to battle villains with the new LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man 3 construction sets, each featuring a key scene and iconic characters from the highly anticipated new film.

•Lifestyle Products:

◦Under Armour Alter Ego Performance Shirts (MSRP $49.99 – Boys, $59.99 – Adult): Featuring the iconic Iron Man character design, Under Armour Alter Ego is the baselayer built for heroic performance.

◦Iron Man 3 Adult Hooded Fleece by Mad Engine (MSRP $59.50 - $63.50): Bring the powerful, strong, all-new suits of armor and their sleek designs featured in Marvel’s Iron Man 3 to your wardrobe with these adult hooded fleece.

◦Iron Man Threadless Tees (MSRP $18.50 - $23.50): Threadless challenged artists from all over the world to design t-shirts inspired by Marvel’s metal-clad Super Hero, resulting in 22 unique Iron Man tees in the collection.

•Collectibles:

◦Iron Man 3 POP! Bobble Head by Funko (MSRP $9.99): Iron Man is given a fun, and funky, stylized look as a collectible POP! style Iron Man 3 bobble head vinyl figure.

◦Iron Man 3 Micro Muggs by Hasbro (MSRP $1.99 each): The most epic Iron Man movie yet gets Hasbro’s smallest, coolest Iron Man collectibles. There are 24 unique armors across, each 1.75 inches, and two waves to collect.

•Disney Store:

◦Iron Man 3 Deluxe Costume for Boys (MSRP $59.95): Your junior Super Hero can suit-up for action in this deluxe padded armor inspired by Tony Stark's latest design for Marvel’s Iron Man 3.

◦Iron Man 3 Swim Collection for Boys (MSRP $7.50 - $19.50): He'll enjoy heroic days at the beach or pool in this Iron Man Swim Collection; prepare him for his aquatic adventures with Iron Man Swim Trunks, Rash Guard, Flip Flops and Beach Towel.

To download images of Marvel’s Iron Man 3 product collection, please visit http://bit.ly/IM3ProductImages (this link is case sensitive).


About Marvel’s Iron Man 3
Marvel’s Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at this enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce and Shane Black and is based on Marvel’s iconic Super Hero Iron Man, who first appeared on the pages of “Tales of Suspense” (#39) in 1963 and had his solo comic book debut with “The Invincible Iron Man” (#1) in May of 1968.

Marvel’s Iron Man 3 is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and DMG Entertainment. Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing and Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard, Alan Fine, Stan Lee and Dan Mintz are executive producers. The film releases May 3, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit marvel.com.

About Disney Consumer Products
Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) that delivers innovative and engaging product experiences across thousands of categories from toys and apparel to books and fine art. As the world’s largest licensor, DCP inspires the imaginations of people around the world by bringing the magic of Disney into consumers' homes with products they can enjoy year-round. DCP is comprised of three business units: Licensing, Publishing and Disney Store. The Licensing business is aligned around seven strategic brand priorities: Disney Baby & Classic Characters, Disney Media Networks & Games, Disney & Pixar Animation Studios, Disney Princess & Disney Fairies, Disney Live Action Film, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world's largest publisher of children's books, magazines, and digital products and also includes an English language learning business, consisting of over 40 Disney English learning centers across China and a supplemental learning book program. DPW's growing library of digital products includes best-selling eBook titles and original apps that leverage Disney content in innovative ways. The Disney Store retail chain operates across North America, Europe and Japan with more than 350 stores worldwide and is known for providing consumers with high-quality, unique products. Disney's official shopping portals online are www.DisneyStore.com and www.DisneyStore.co.uk. For more information, please visit Disney Consumer Products www.DisneyConsumerProducts.com or follow us at www.YouTube.com/DisneyLiving, www.Facebook.com/DisneyLiving and www.Twitter.com/DisneyLiving.

Review: "Pawn" a Game of Changes

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 29 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Pawn (2013)
Running time: 88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence, language and brief drug content
DIRECTOR: David A. Armstrong
WRITER: Jay Anthony White
PRODUCERS: Michael Becker, Michael Chiklis, Brad Luff, and Jeff Most
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Keith Dunkerley (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Jordan Goldman and Danny Saphire
COMPOSER: Jacob Yoffee

CRIME/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Michael Chiklis, Common, Marton Csokas, Sean Faris, Stephen Lang, Ray Liotta, Nikki Reed, Max Beesley, Jonathan Bennett, Forest Whitaker, Jessica Szohr, Ronald Guttman, Jordan Belfi, and Cameron Denny

Pawn is a 2013 crime thriller and drama. The independent film focuses on a petty robbery that turns into a tense hostage situation after three gunmen hold up a diner.

Pawn is mostly set in Be Brite Diner, an all-night diner (apparently located somewhere in Connecticut). Will Tompkins (Forest Whitaker), a police officer, walks in on a robbery in progress at the diner. Derrick (Michael Chiklis) and his crew, Billy (Max Beesley) and Nigel (Cameron Denny), want the contents of the diner’s safe.

Police and SWAT surround Be Brite. Nicholas “Nick” Davenport (Sean Faris), a recently paroled felon, finds himself caught in the middle, while his pregnant wife, Amanda (Nikki Reed), finds herself facing the “Man in the Suit” (Ray Liotta). Jeff Porter (Common), the hostage negotiator, isn’t sure whom he can trust… on either side of the situation. The big question is not only what happens next, but also what happened just before the robbery began? One extremely intense hostage situation is about to start taking some shocking twists.

The director of Pawn, David A. Armstrong, was the cinematographer on the Saw horror films, from the original to Saw VI. Like the Saw franchise, Pawn is filled with twists and turns and with the kinds of characters that always make twists and turns against their fellow characters. The film also has a non-linear narrative intended to make the viewer chase plots and subplots from one revelation to another. I never got tired of it because these revelations were sometimes delightful clarifications or like amusing sleights-of-hand. Pawn is determined to make you admit that you don’t know what you don’t know, and what you might actually know comes with an exception.

Pawn’s glaring problem is its low-budget and relatively short runtime. Pawn really looks like a movie made on the cheap. While there is nothing that the viewer can do about that (and nor are the film’s finances my business), Pawn, as written by Jay Anthony White, is an ambitious crime film, told across a sprawling landscape of characters, conflicts, and motivations. As director, it seems as if Armstrong is forced to keep the characters, plot, and setting confined to what amounts to a film production box, while Pawn wants to be wide open and loud, with some big action scenes.

Still, Armstrong turns in an engaging crime thriller and character drama in Pawn, with the help of some good performances. Common, the rapper and actor, has big, expressive eyes, and I love the way he uses them to convey being surprised and confused and especially to suggest his mistrust of some of the other characters. Pawn is also a reunion, of sorts, of Michael Chiklis and Forest Whitaker, who shared the small screen on the acclaimed television series, “The Shield.” When Chiklis and Whitaker’s characters are in proximity to one another, there is indeed some edgy tension and suspense, but there isn’t really that much of them together.

Pawn may not be a great crime film, but it is certainly a surprisingly compelling movie and is really fun to watch. Every time a character makes a move in this film, he changes this chess game of crooks that is the heart of Pawn. And Pawn is certainly a game of crooks and crime worth watching.

6 of 10
B

Monday, April 22, 2013

"Best" Named Best Short Film for Sundance London 2013

BEST Wins Sundance London Short Film Competition

Film by William Oldroyd to screen at Sundance London

Best, a five-minute film from Surrey filmmaker William Oldroyd, was announced today as the winner of the Short Film Competition for the second Sundance London film and music festival, 25-28 April at The O2. The film will screen as part of the official Short Film Programme at the festival, and Oldroyd will receive a three-night stay at The Langham, London as well as additional prizes.

The Short Film Competition was organized by a small team of Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication students, in collaboration with Sundance London organizers, including Sundance Institute, which annually hosts the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A. To correspond with Sundance London’s location at The O2 in Greenwich, the home of Greenwich Mean Time, short film entries focused on the concept of time: ‘The Time is Now; a story that is about being immediate and in the moment.’ Submissions between three and five minutes in length were accepted.

The winning entry was selected by two juries on either side of the Atlantic. The first included: Kate Kinninmont, Women in Film and Television; Chris Collins, BFI Film Fund; Freddie Gaffney, Ravensbourne; Dave Calhoun, Time Out; and director / screenwriter Kat Lo. A second jury, organized by Sundance Institute, included: John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival; Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival; and filmmakers Francesca Gregorini and Roger Ross Williams.

In Best, with one man’s wedding moments away, he and his best friend confront their future.

Oldroyd said: “I am privileged to have my short film presented in my home city as part of this year's festival. There is no better champion of international, emerging film makers than Sundance Institute, and I am grateful for their endorsement and support. I'm really looking forward to meeting the other participants and glad that Best will now get a wider, more diverse audience.”

Groth said: “The other jurors and I were delighted to find in Best a succinct yet moving story that so cleverly exemplifies the tagline ‘The Time is Now.’ Terrifically framed images as well as stellar performances bring to life a story that impressively manages to be tender, raw, visceral and heartbreaking in under five minutes.”

In addition to Best, finalists for the competition were: Double Take, by Sam Hodges; Fill Me In, by Sebastian Thiel; Kickoff, by Zoran Trajkovic / Pet Genius Productions; Outsiders, by William Wirrow; and What’s Past is Present, by Jason Robbins. All finalist films, including Best, are available for immediate viewing at http://competition.sundance-london.com/films/2013/

Extranjero, a short film from Daniel Lumb and Crinan Campbell, was the winner of last year’s Short Film Competition at the first-ever Sundance London.

Tickets for all Sundance London films, panels and music performances are now on sale at www.sundance-london.com. Music performers include Peaches, Gregg Allman and John Paul White of The Civil Wars, and British Sea Power. The film programme, made up of 21 feature films and nine short films, includes the International, European or UK premieres of films from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, including several award winners.

For more information visit www.sundance-london.com or follow @SundancefestUK on Twitter

Review: "Malibu’s Most Wanted" Still Funny

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 76 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Malibu’s Most Wanted (2003)
Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sexual humor, language and violence
DIRECTOR: John Whitesell
WRITERS: Fax Bahr, Adam Small, Jamie Kennedy, and Nick Swardson
PRODUCERS: Fax Bahr, Mike Karz, and Adam Small
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mark Irwin
EDITOR: Cara Silverman
COMPOSER: John Van Tongeren

COMEDY

Starring: Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson, Regina Hall, Blair Underwood, Damien Dante Wayans, Ryan O’Neal, Bo Derek, Jeffrey Tambor, and Snoop Dogg (voice)

The subject of this movie review is Malibu’s Most Wanted, a 2003 comedy co-written by and starring Jamie Kennedy. The film focuses on the character “B-Rad,” which Kennedy initially used in his stand-up comedy act and later featured on his hidden camera television series, “JKX: The Jamie Kennedy Experiment.”

Brad Gluckman (Jamie Kennedy) is B-Rad, a white Jewish boy from Malibu who is a wannabe rap star and “acts like he’s from the ‘hood.” The problem is that his father Bill (Ryan O’Neal) is a California gubernatorial candidate, and B-Rad’s thuggish behavior might cost him the election.

Tom Gibbons (Blair Underwood), his father’s campaign manager, hires two actors to scare the black out of B-Rad. If Julliard-trained Sean (Taye Diggs) and Pasadena Playhouse thespian P.J. (Anthony Anderson) can convince B-Rad that they’re carjackers, they just might put the white back in Brad’s act. However, B-Rad ain’t having it; before long he’s in love with Sean and P.J.’s accomplice Shondra (Regina Hall), an ambitious young woman with business dreams.

First, let me say that Malibu’s Most Wanted is simply hilarious. I laughed as much as I did at any other recent film including Bringing Down the House. Malibu Most Wanted, like the latter film, involves a traditionally, but especially of late, touchy subject: the portrayal of African-American (or just plain black folks) and black culture in Hollywood films. The film allegedly pokes fun at white kids who embrace hip hop culture, but who also embrace it with such relish that they try to “act black.”

However, the film makes a point of differentiating between poseurs and whites who are really into that chocolate flava. A friend of mine called white poseurs, “Negro lite” – all the style and coolness without the persecution of being black. When it comes down to it, there’s nothing wrong with white people embracing hip hop culture or black language, style, fashion, attitude, and lifestyle. People of different backgrounds and cultures cross pollinate; the Romans certainly enjoyed copying the Greeks.

Some people seem to think that it was beneath African-American actors to participate in movies like Malibu's Most Wanted and Brining Down the House. Black actors just go where the work is. Lord knows that Taye Diggs, handsome, talented, and possessing a deft comic touch, should be a leading man fighting off producers who constantly beat at his door to have him be the star of their next film. That’s not happening. And Anthony Anderson is no less funny than Seann William Scott (American Pie and Dude, Where’s My Car?), so he should also have many comic vehicles coming his way, shouldn’t he?

Regina Hall is sexy and beautiful, capable of being more than just the black girl with an attitude. After seeing her in Malibu's Most Wanted, I left the theatre wondering why I haven’t seen more of her; then, I pass by a poster for the overexposed Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and a Ho. Oh, nothing on Reese. I love her, and all things being equal, Regina came into the world with the exact same chance for opportunity as Reese, right? So they go where the work is. Besides, I love the subtle, sly, and wink-wink/nudge-nudge performances by Diggs, Anderson, and Blair Underwood.

Jamie Kennedy, his writers and the director, John Whitesell (a veteran director of various episodes of many television programs) do a good job with what could have been a one-note joke that dies quickly. The script is pedestrian in a number of ways, but especially in the story’s resolution. B-Rad justifies himself and his interest in hip hop, connects with the black folk, and makes up with his dad, but there are also lots of nice touches. Hell, he even gets the black woman, which I thought the filmmakers would avoid like the plague. Even the predictable material has a nice, funny spin on it. The main point of this movie is to be funny, and it’s damn funny. Its secondary nature is to make a lot of good points, and despite Malibu Most Wanted’s often tactless script, it does that, too. When all is said and done, Malibu’s Most Wanted is funny, and in the long term, it’ll be an important work in the canon of films about black culture.

How many people notice that for all the parody of hip hop that is done in this film, B-Rad is absolutely and honestly in love with hip hop? For all the whining that many people do about how “black culture” is ignored, they should notice the adoration, even when it is disguised as a sow’s ear.

6 of 10
B

"Only God Forgives" Due July 19, 2013

Radius/TMC PRESENTS

ONLY GOD FORGIVES

An official selection of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival

A film by Nicolas Winding Refn

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vithaya Pansringarm

IN THEATERS JULY 19th

Ryan Gosling and the director of DRIVE, Nicolas Winding Refn, are back with this visionary Bangkok-set thriller. Julien (Gosling) is a drug kingpin tasked with avenging his brother's death, but a mysterious, unhinged policeman is following his every move.

What's neon without a little flicker?

Follow @RadiusTWC to see an animated version of the poster.

#OnlyGodForgives
#WannaFight

Check out the redband trailer on Yahoo! Movies: http://movies.yahoo.com/trailers/red-band/?cache=clear

Review: "Bulletproof Monk" Not a Misfire

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 54 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Bulletproof Monk (2003)
Running time: 104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence, language and some sexual content
DIRECTOR: Paul Hunter
WRITERS: Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris (based upon the Flypaper Press comic book)
PRODUCERS: Terence Chang, Charles Roven, Douglas Segal, and John Woo
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Stefan Czapsky (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Robert K. Lambert
COMPOSER: Eric Serra

MARTIAL ARTS/ACTION with elements of adventure, fantasy, and sci-fi

Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Seann William Scott, Jamie King, Karel Roden, and Victoria Smurfit

The subject of this movie review is Bulletproof Monk, a 2003 martial arts and fantasy film starring Chow Yun-Fat and Seann William Scott. The film is a loose adaptation of a three-issue comic book miniseries published in the late 1990s.

After I first saw trailers and television commercials for Bulletproof Monk, I was sure that the movie was going to be a giant turkey bomb. The fights looked like cheesy, Matrix, bullet time, rip-offs, and the idea of a kung-fu mentor looking for a “chosen one” rang all too familiar. Worst of all, the film had Chow Yun-Fat spouting instant pudding Far East mystical mumbo-jumbo. The ads turned out to be quite misleading (in fact, those responsible shouldn’t necessarily lose their jobs if this film flops because of poor ads, but they should, at least, get demerits from their bosses), and the film is quite good, although the film still has one of those chosen one characters and lots of mystical quasi-Buddhist wisdom dialogue that even fortune cookie makers wouldn’t touch.

Somewhere in Tibet is an ancient scroll wherein is written the secrets to great power. Every sixty years, a new monk is chosen via prophetic signs to protect the scroll. In 1943, the Monk with No Name (Chow Yun Fat, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) takes responsibility for the scroll. 60 years later, the monk is in New York running from Strucker (Karel Roden), a sadistic Nazi holdover from the Forties who wants the secrets of the scroll. His granddaughter Nina (Victoria Smurfit) now leads the chase to capture the Monk with No Name. During one of those chases, the monk meets Kar (Seann William Scott), a young pickpocket who just so happens to possesses some formidable martial arts skills. Of course, the relationship between the two begins as an edgy one, but soon it’s sometimes difficult to tell who is the mentor and who is the “mentee.”

Director Paul Hunter, known for his music videos, shows great ability in creating a sustained rhythmic style in Bulletproof Monk. The material is old hat; Hunter just makes the film exciting and energetic. He creates a sense of drama, suspense, mystery, and intrigue through the flow of the film. He even stages the mystical and philosophical musings so that they seem interesting and move the story forward. Rather than just being the standard dialogue you’d hear in a martial arts flick, the wit and wisdom of the monk actually serves the story.

The acting is good. Fat has never seemed more comfortable and relaxed in an English language film than he does here. He’s the coolest silent, stoic hero since Clint Eastwood, and the camera loves him. There’s just something heroic and, well, mystical about his visage when it appears on a giant movie screen, and like Eastwood, his best work needs to be seen in a theatre. Seann William Scott, forever burdened with the Stifler character from the American Pie films, proves himself to be a screen idol in the mold of Keanu Reeves. Like Reeves, the camera loves Scott; he has a naïve and goofy, but charming look that can sell him as a part time rogue, but a rogue destined to be a hero. His performance and his character’s transformation really remind me of both Reeves performance and of the character Neo’s transformation in The Matrix.

Bulletproof Monk is pure fun and very entertaining. You don’t have to check your brain at the door because the film isn’t that simpleminded. There’s chemistry between the leads that is actually heartwarming and inspiring. The evolution of the teacher/pupil relationship here is one that rings true. They are the center of the story, and when their dynamic works and the fight scenes are good, then, the movie is probably good.

Bulletproof Monk does have some shaky moments, and sometimes, the characters don’t always ring true. The villains are such stock characters that the actors precariously balance appearing both pathetic and dangerous, although Ms. Smurfit plays her part with absolute relish. Still, Bulletproof Monk is a good action film with some excellent fight scenes in the spirit of The Matrix, and the soundtrack is also pretty cool.

Though I do wonder why, after centuries of having Asian protectors, the protectors of the scroll all of a sudden have to be white people. Would predominately white audiences accept Jet Li as King Arthur?

6 of 10
B