We’ve already seen some impressive trailers for the comic book film reboot The Amazing Spider-Man from director Marc Webb, but tonight on NBC, the latest premiere of more reality competition garbage “America’s Got Talent” brought a four-minute “super preview” of the summer blockbuster hitting theaters on July 3rd, just in time for a big holiday weekend. If you haven’t been convinced that this new franchise is something completely different from Sam Raimi’s trilogy with Tobey Maguire, this should convince you and get you pretty damn pumped. It’s action-packed, a bit dark but still fun, and hits all the sweet spots. Enjoy!
Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Connors, his father’s former partner.
Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man features Garfield as Peter Parker, Emma Stone as Gwen, Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben, Sally Field as Aunt May and Denis Leary as George Stacy. 500 Days of Summer director Marc Webb is at the helm of this Spider-Man reboot, from a screenplay written by Alvin Sargent (Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 & 3), Steve Kloves (Harry Potter movies) and James Vanderbilt (The Rundown, Zodiac, The Losers). Sony/Columbia is bringing The Amazing Spider-Man to theaters in 3D on July 3rd this summer.
Based on a campy 1966-1971 TV soap opera, the movie focuses on fish-out-of-water (or vampire-out-of-coffin) humor. But it bookends the funny stuff with run-of-the-mill special effects and action. A consistent comic tone would have made it all more enjoyable. Barnabas’ origin story is standard-issue in the realm of monster sagas. A playboy back in the 18th century, he dallied with lusty housemaid Angelique (Eva Green) but fell in love with pure-hearted Josette (Bella Heathcote). But Angelique was a witch who cast a spell that killed Josette and turned Barnabas into a vampire.
Set in the fishing village of Collinsport, Maine, which was established in 1750 by Joshua and Naomi Collins, the story grows lively when their aristocratic son, Barnabas, suddenly emerges in 1972, parched with bloodthirst. He finds his way to his family’s ancestral manor, baffled by all he sees in the new world of hippies and troll dolls.
His relatives, now languishing in the faded elegance of the estate, take the return of their ancestor blandly in stride. Barnabas is determined to restore his family’s luster and regain control of their fishing enterprise. Not only does the humor disappear in the attenuated climactic finale, but so does a key character — for no discernible reason. Depp’s dialogue is a comical hybrid of formal and droll: His nemesis, Angelique — now Angie and the town’s leading businesswoman — is “a whore of Beelzebub and succubus from Satan.” Burton’s offbeat montages are amusing, but the story’s slow start and overblown conclusion make Dark Shadows half a good movie.
A gothic-horror tale centering on the life of 200 year old vampire Barnabas Collins and his run-ins with various monsters, witches, werewolves and ghosts as master of Collinwood Manor in Collinsport, Maine. Dark Shadows is directed by imaginative filmmaker Tim Burton, of films including Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland.
Reports have been conflicting about which roles actresses have sought, but according to Twitch, Jolie was looking at the role of Malkina some said she was toying with the smaller part of Laura, the Almodóvarean femme fatale of the film. Penelope Cruz was last reported to be kicking the tires on the part but it looks like the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie power couple casting for the movie won’t be panning out. But hell, this marks the bravest role Diaz has taken on, well, ever.
Now, we’d also heard that Penelope Cruz was circling the role of Fassbender’s love interest in the story about an attorney Fassbender, a good man in need of money who decides to dabble in the cocaine trade. The story heats up when he teams up with a rich acquaintance (Bardem) for the new business that also brings in a shady type (Pitt). Of course, things don’t go as planned, and that only makes sense for a film that has been called No Country for Old Men on steroids. We’re not entirely sure if the role once said to go to Cruz is the same that Diaz has landed, but word of Cruz’s involvement came from THR who is usually more reliable than Twitch (though that’s not to say they don’t have good sources), so there’s a chance that both actresses might have parts in the film. There’s likely some more casting to be done so stay tuned as all this gets sorted out and becomes a bit more official.
The story follows an attorney Michael Fassbender who is in search of a big payday after he proposes to his girlfriend, Laura. So he hooks up with Reiner, an acquaintance with deep criminal ties, for a new business proposition: they’ll take $20 million worth of cocaine from south of the border and offload it themselves, aided by the no-good Westray. As you might imagine, things do not go well for anyone involved. In the script, Malkina is a hyper-sexualized Argentinean woman who’s hooked up with Reiner, and it’s pretty meaty part all around. But obviously, it has be tweaked to fit Diaz and like we said, she’s never really done anything like this ever, so it’s a ballsy move.
The cast of Ridley Scott’s next film The Counselor, which will bring him back from the deep space of Prometheus which is officially rated R, is already stellar. Michael Fassbender will lead the film with Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem following. At the time the latter two names were announced to join the cast, Angelina Jolie was also said to be circling a role, marking the first time she would work with her husband since the two first became very acquainted with each other in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. However, the schedule for Maleficent has kept her away from the film and now Twitch says Cameron Diaz has landed the role.We’d wager Jolie’s Maleficent scheudling ultimately couldn’t be worked out, as the two projects were more or less gearing up to start rolling around the same time. But holy hell, this is pretty much out of left field and we’ll be curious to see if Diaz can pull this off.
The Avengers had a lot to live up, four years of anticipation leading to this one film, and that’s not even counting all the years fans of the comic have been waiting. With enough attention given to each character, the sharp performances that create these characters on screen, and the epic nature of the action therein, the experiment Marvel Studios has conducted finds its result. This one film has so much riding behind it that it’s a wonder anything as grand and awesome as The Avengers movie we’ve gotten is possible at all. This isn’t the end, though. Another post-credit sequence sets the stage for what is sure to be The Avengers 2. If that future film delivers similar entertainment value, by all means Marvel Studios should assemble away
Chris Evans as Captain America. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. And they’re all under one roof. Since 2008, The Avengers has been on the minds of moviegoers everywhere. Thanks to deft screenwriting and a grandeur Joss Whedon brings to its execution, that film is here, and it delivers. It may not be the most accomplished of comic book movies or even the best Marvel Studios has to offer from recent years, but The Avengers blazes a trail like few others, satiating the appetites of superhero junkies the world over.
Padded though it is – Much of that comes from building the aforementioned characters as well as various others – the story is somewhat stripped of convoluted twists and overly expanded ideas. Loki, the God of Mischief played once again by Tom Hiddleston, has found his way to Earth. His alien benefactors wish to invade our planet, and the one item Loki needs to open a portal to their world is in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D. Naturally, once comic book ink starts hitting the fan, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, brings his Avenger candidates together to try and thwart Loki’s plan.
It’s realized very early on in The Avengers that Whedon was a great choice to handle this material. The man who brought us Serenity and “Firefly” clearly knows how to construct a team-oriented narrative. He has a grasp for relationships, which characters get along with which, and which of these superheroes literally go hand-to-hand in steam-blowing combat. Each of them have their built-in qualities that obviously must be addressed. Steve Rogers/Captain America is still playing the “fish out of water” role while he adjusts from a 70-year nap in a block of ice. Bruce Banner/Hulk, after being pulled in by S.H.I.E.L.D. from hiding, is just trying to keep himself calm. The arrogance level between Tony Stark/Iron Man and Thor is enough that it’s a sure sign these two will butt heads even though Stark’s cynicism puts him in the driver’s seat for comic relief.
The action is paced smoothly, smaller battles coming in here and there before major set pieces begin showing themselves at the mid-way point. However, soup to nuts, The Avengers looks and feels like an action movie. Much of the film involves two or more characters bickering and bantering, but unlike some of the pre-Avengers movies, the scope when things being to explode is undeniable here. When Loki’s plan begins moving and the Avengers are forced to suit up and save the world, it feels precisely how it should feel. The world is at stake, this group of special individuals is the only thing that can save it, and some of them may be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice. Whedon knows emotional weight when it comes to group efforts. Serenity and the state of the crew when that film was over is a testament to this opinion. This movie is a must see and clearly one of the best movies of the year.
Rob Cohen’s The Fast and the Furious put Michelle Rodriguez on the map back in 2001. Her appearance in that movie laid the groundwork for the actress to carve out a solid career as a badass in multiple action films, including S.W.A.T., Robert Rodriguez’s Machete, and a little movie you may have heard of called Avatar. But now Rodriguez is going back to her roots, as Variety reports she is coming back behind the wheel for director Justin Lin in Fast and Furious 6, and she’s also reprising her role as the eye-patch-wearing Luz in Robert Rodriguez’s forthcoming Danny Trejo action sequel Machete Kills. More below!
In a post-credits sequence during Fast Five, it was revealed that Rodriguez’s character, Letty, did not actually die in the fourth film, Fast & Furious. Letty’s appearance in the sixth movie will act as a great piece of narrative continuity for the series. I’m a big fan of what director Justin Lin has done in revitalizing this franchise, and I’m actually really excited to see how far these movies can go now that they’ve given it a jolt of energy with Dwayne Johnson, Gina Carano, and maybe even Rihanna.
Machete Kills looks to be a lot of fun, with the titular hero now working for the U.S. government and trying to prevent an all-out war from a deranged billionaire arms dealer and a cartel leader who plan to use a space weapon to spread terror across the world. Mel Gibson and Michelle Williams’ names have been tossed around in connection to the movie, and apparently Gibson has signed on as the arms dealer, so hopefully Williams comes on board to add to the eccentricity of this cast. I’m actually already looking further ahead to Machete Kills Again…in Space! because that one sounds even more ludicrous than the first two.
Every time a new Jason Stratham movie comes out I always wonder, What’s he going to be mad about so he can kick everybody’s butt in this movie? In Safe Stratham’s character has plenty to be mad about. When the movie starts he’s a mixed martial arts fighter who just lost his last big fight and the Russian mob is on his tail because they took a beating on a large bet on the fight. When the mob catches up to him he becomes a walking dead man. The mob allows him to live but promises to kill anyone who he’s close to. They threaten to kill his landlord if he doesn’t move from his current apartment.
Meanwhile a parallel story is running about a genius little Chinese girl who is kidnapped by the Chinese underworld because of her human computer like abilities. The Russian mob wants her and corrupt NYC officials get involved in the plot when a bidding war breaks between the Chinese Triads and the Russian mob for her services. The corrupt New York City cops are more than willing to deliver her to the highest bidder. During the bidding war the little girl escapes from a bathroom window and all hell breaks loose as every bad guy in town gets involved in the hunt to bring her in.
Enter Stratham’s character, Luke Wright saves the little girl in the subway and a break neck pace story develops as he tries to protect the little girl from an army of bad guys out to capture her. Safe is an action ride. Stratham’s character invents new ways to kill and maim and, oh by the way, we discover he was a former special agent recruited by the New York City police to do special covert ops for the city in the interest of national security. He is a bad boy!
Catherine Chan plays Mei, the math genius who is taken from her mother in China and brought to the city. She’s perfect in the role. A supporting cast of corrupt NY City bad guys (cops, Russians and Chinese) round out the ensemble in this gritty urban crime thriller. Safe is a violent graphic movie with non-stop violent action definitely not for the kids but it’s amazing. The action scenes are very entertaining and the movie is a great way to get out some pent up aggression you may be holding inside.
A humorous self-help relationship book becomes an amusing and often biting take on the war between the sexes with “Think Like a Man,” based on the bestseller book by Steve Harvey’s Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. When four friends realize they have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire using the book’s insider information to turn the tables and teach the women a lesson of their own.
As the movie jumps from one couple to the next, with everybody stealing strategies and counter-strategies from the bestseller book by Harvey
the execution is not always clever, particularly as the stories tie up all too neatly. Gender politics, however, is presented with breezy humor, and the cast is amiable across the board. Director Tim Story draws on the talent he displayed in witty ensemble comedies such as Barbershop and taxi. This is a great movie so you and your friends should check it out this weekend.
The movie is set some 50-plus years in the future, but a lot of things remain the same. Pearce is ex-agent Snow who discovered some double-crossing in a CIA-like operation — but instead of getting a promotion he ended up doing jail time for murder. The movie opens as agency investigators are trying to beat him into revealing where to find a briefcase that holds some state secrets. But it only serves to bloody his face, strengthen his resolve and sharpen his comic timing.
Meanwhile, Emilie Warnock (Maggie Grace) is the U.S. president’s daughter who is dressed to the nines to tour the maximum-security prison orbiting not too far from an international space station. Her aim is to interview the inmates who serve most of their sentence in stasis — a medically induced sleep state — and she’s looking into rumors that it has, well, drawbacks, early dementia among them. Guy pearce a man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the US is offered freedom if he can rescue the president’s daughter from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates. This movie is ok but lacks more of a story line.
Silent House is a new horror-thriller with an interesting twist. The entire movie is shot in one continuous scene. No cuts, no edits. The camera follows Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen-the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley) as she goes from one creepy situation to the next.
In Silent House a teenage girl is working with her uncle and father to clean up the family’s old lake house so they can put it up for sale. While she’s in the house she starts to experience some eerie feelings and for the entire movie we follow Sarah all over the house for minute after minute of frightening suspense. The problem with the movie is after a while the continuous camera shot takes over the movie. (It has a “Blair Witch Project” feel to it.) While there are some suspenseful moments in the movie; it starts to become an exercise of style over substance.
It’s a shame too because they had a lot of the right elements in place for a really good suspense movie. The movie started out with a great premise (a dark spooky house) and an actress with some serious “scream queen” potential. But it seems like the movie’s directors were more interested in making the gimmick work than they were interested in telling a good story. Even worse, the movie’s directors, Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, nailed the “one continuous shot” movie with the 2003 thriller Open Water. I don’t understand why they decided to go back to the same premise.
There are also some disturbing images in the movie that may upset some movie goers. So keep in mind the film’s “R” rating. It’s bloody and intense too. (Keep the kids at home). However, if you are looking for a scary good time; Silent House may be just what the doctor ordered. Scarey movie lovers this movie is a horror thriller
Over a decade has passed and the gang return to East Great Falls, Michigan, for the weekend. They will discover how their lives have developed as they gather for their high school reunion. How has life treated Michelle, Jim, Heather, Oz, Kevin, Vicky, Finch, Stifler, and Stifler’s mom? In the summer of 1999, it was four boys on a quest to lose their virginity. In one long-overdue weekend, they will discover what has changed, who hasn’t and that time and distance can’t break the bonds of friendship.
In the years that has passed Jim has married Michelle while Kevin and Vicky said goodbye. Oz and Heather grew apart, and Finch still longs for Stifler’s mom. Now these lifelong friends have come home as adults to reminisce about-and get inspired by-the hormonal teens who launched a comedy legend that touch us all and make us think about our high school days.
