Review: The Green Hornet – Not so lean, mean and green

By markdavison

19th January 2011 | 0 comments | 0 votes yet, click here to agree or disagree

Seth Rogen may well be the luckiest guy in Hollywood. That’s not to say that he isn’t a likeable screen presence, but considering his not particularly versatile acting style and fairly average looks, not to mention the fact that his biggest hit was largely sold on its writer-director rather than him, it’s somewhat mind boggling that the still twenty-something star has been given the opportunity to not only star, but co-write this latest attempt to launch a new action franchise. To be fair, The Green Hornet is not one of the more beloved of pulp characters – it’s hard to imagine Rogen being let lose on more enduring characters of the same vintage like Batman (the comparison to the Dark Knight being a telling one as this version of playboy vigilante Britt Reid has also been provided with an origin story very similar to that of Bruce Wayne, presumably to remind the audience of the more-beloved hero while, thankfully, skirting the dark tone of that franchise). Yet, while it looked like Rogen’s luck may well have been about to run out, what with The Green Hornet’s difficult conception, peppered with numerous stories of delays and reshoots, he may well have just scraped by yet again (especially when taking the respectable box office figures for the film’s opening into account).

Like Rogen’s other writing credits, The Green Hornet isn’t exactly a ‘good’ film, but it does have a sort of scruffy charm about it. The extremely loose, meandering writing style of Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg is visible all over the film (an impressive feat for a film subject to so much studio interference), which may make for a rather limp and unexciting action flick (although the action scenes aren’t too bad – Rogen’s well publicised pre-filming fitness regime may not have visibly slimmed him too much, but does mean that he can pull off a few fight sequences), but results in moments of pleasantly Apatow-esque bromance between Reid and his valet/sidekick/brains behind the operation Kato.

The non-Rogen parts of The Green Hornet are a lot more frustrating. It was a wise move on Sony’s part to partner him with seasoned, distinctive talents, but sadly none are really given a chance to shine. Tom Wilkinson turns up in essentially an extended cameo as a fairly standard tyrannical father-figure, while Cameron Diaz’s secretary/love-interest is a role that she could turn in in her sleep – its sometimes hard to remember what a great comedic actress she can be, and she’s barely given any opportunities here to remind us of that (not that surprising as like all women in the bromance genre she’s more of an afterthought than a character in her own right, with a fairly paltry amount of screen time). The foreign-language speakers imported by the studio also have somewhat mixed fortunes. Taiwanese pop singer Jay Chou may clearly not be an actor, or even someone who understands much English, but he does have a physical gift for both comedy and action. Inglorious Bastards’ breakout star Christoph Waltz has proved in the past to be both an unnerving and amusing actor and he manages to bring both qualities to his scenes here, but sadly he’s barely in the film. Possibly most hard done by is director Michel Gondry who is reduced from mad genius to anonymous hand for hire. Although the few moments where he tries to put his distinctive visual style on proceedings feel forced, his technical skills are put to use in less obvious areas – for one the film’s soundtrack is well chosen, taking in Johnny Cash and The White Stripes amongst others, and the film’s 3D is surprisingly effective, considering it was converted in post-production rather than shot in the format. The 3D is of course, still rather unnecessary – the film’s goofy tone would suit candy-coloured and bright visuals rather than the gloom bestowed on it by the dark glasses – but the effects are at least noticeable.

While there are many things wrong with The Green Hornet, the things that are right about it just about manage to keep the interest throughout the lengthy running time. Although should the film prove successful enough to warrant a sequel, hopefully the studio will choose to invest more in script editing.

Elijah Wood rumoured for role reprisal in The Hobbit

By joewest

10th January 2011 | 0 comments | 1 person likes this

Perpetual child Elijah Wood could be donning the unconvincing hairy feet of a hobbit in Peter Jackson’s next Tolkien adaptation, according to unverified reports doing the rounds online this week.

The Hobbit is hitting the big screen at the end of 2012 but the cast has yet to be finalised, with some suggesting that Wood will be joined by Orlando Bloom and that bloke from Lost, but until everyone is signed up and committed fans will continue to cross their fingers until they are red and raw.

Frodo Baggins, the part that made and essentially destroyed Wood, is not actually in the original book but fan site The One Ring.net has suggested that he’ll make an appearance as a narrator to frame the film in its opening.

What we really want to hear is that Ian McKellen and Andy ‘Green Screen’ Serkis have both bound themselves to this project, but as this is yet to happen we’ll have to sustain ourselves with potentially spurious morsels like this.

Piranha 3D: Meet The Mummy

By Leo Owen

6th January 2011 | 2 comments | 0 votes yet, click here to agree or disagree

Director/ Producer: Alexandre Aja
Writer: Pete Goldfinger, Josh Stolberg
DVD and Blu-ray release date: December 27 2010
Studio: Entertainment In Video
Number of discs: 2
Price: From £9.99-£14.93
Running Time: 89 mins
Certificate: 18
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Elisabeth Shue, Christopher Lloyd, Eli Roth, Jerry O’Connell, Ving Rhames, Kelly Brook

Favouring the horror genre and previously dabbling in remakes (Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes), the Director of Switchblade Romance and the less successful, Mirrors, brings us Piranha 3D.

Instantly more brutal than its 1978 predecessor, Piranha 3D’s opening underwater sequence shot through a red lens is somewhat misleading in that what follows is far more tongue-in-cheek than is at first suggested.

Thousands of scantily clad hotties and ogling youths annually hit the 25 miles of beach along Lake Victoria for Spring Break with their party motto “Dying to get wet”, wet t-shirt competitions and bikini dancers. But in “cowboy country” a quake has caused a rift under the lake unearthing a subterranean lake full of two million year-old Piranha. Evolving into cannibals to survive, these flesh hungry Piranha hunt in packs.

Jake, the son of the town’s Sheriff, is sick of having to babysit every Spring Break so instead bribes his younger sister, Lola, and brother, Jake, to occupy themselves while he takes a trip out on the “Wild Girls” soft porn boat. Unfortunately for Jake, the Piranhas are out in force and his siblings have their own ideas, venturing out to Sand Island where they end up stranded. Rescue is up to kick-arse mum, Julie (Elisabeth Shue), who can more than hold her own, tasering Piranhas and warning partygoers: “You boys take one more step, you’ll be pissing lightning bolts all year.”

Picking up on Piranha’s original B movie reputation, everything about Piranha 3D, is drenched in smuttiness. What Piranha 3D lacks in script it makes up for in large-breasted women and inventive gore with boob slashing and head squashing scenes; a parasailing corpse; gruesome underwater camera shots and the piece de resistance – a penis fight.

With the odd cliched hardened line (“Chow on this motherfucker”), girl-on-girl action, Bible bashers trying to convert partygoers, Piranha cam and skinny dipping, Piranha 3D has an 80s feel and is a less effective Lake Placid in its character creation. All set for a sequel, “Piranha: Meet The Parents” , Piranha 3D’s carnage scenes and ridiculous special effects are suitably bloody to at least satisfy goresters.

**

Special Features:

3D Edition DVD

• Filmmaker commentary
• Behind-the-scenes featurettes

Blu-ray 3D Edition

• Filmmaker commentary
• Behind-the-scenes featurettes
• 2D version of the film

Blu-ray – 2D Edition

• Filmmaker commentary
• Deleted scenes with optional commentary
• Deleted storyboard sequences
• 10 Behind-the-scenes featurettes
• Storyboard gallery
• Trailer & TV spots

Review: Scott Pilgrim Conquers The World

By Leo Owen

4th January 2011 | 0 comments | 0 votes yet, click here to agree or disagree

Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Edgar Wright, Michael Bacall, Bryan Lee O’Malley
DVD and Blu-ray release date: December 27 2010
Studio: Universal Pictures UK
Number of discs: Available on double disc DVD/Blu-ray, solo Blu-ray
Price: From £9.99-£16.99
Running Time: 112 mins
Certificate: 12
Starring: Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Ellen Wong, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kenricks, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aubrey Plaza

Previous Edgar Wright projects give a good indication of what to expect from comic book adaptation Scott Pilgrim Vs The World and fans won’t be disappointed – our jobless bumbling 23 year-old hero rarely gets a haircut, doesn’t drink, plays computer games, is guitarist in Sex Bob Bomb and lives in a “secret lair” opposite the house he grew up in.

After meeting a girl from a dream at a party, Scott embarks on the quest to re-find Ramona Flowers but is hindered by Knives Chou, his 17-year-old Chinese “fake high school” girlfriend. In order to go out with Ramona, Scott must shed Knives and battle Ramona’s seven evil exes who all have their own touch of the ridiculous: there’s seventh grade ex- Matthew Patel and his bollywood back-ups; the skate-boarding movie star, Lucas Lee, complete with a stunt double team; the evil Vegan Todd; half Ninja Roxanne; the Japanese Katayanagi twins – expert roboticists and ringleader Gideon.

Steeped in popular culture, as might be expected Wright pays homage to the world of manga, video games and comic books. When asked what instrument he plays, Young Neil instinctively replies “Tetrus”, character stat boxes are displayed, opponents are reduced to a spray of coins when defeated, there are plenty of smack down moves and best of all a depleting pee bar.

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is a neon all-out assault on the senses, with onomatopoeic words wafting across the screen, dingy venues and clubs aglow with technicolour, a Seinfeld tribute complete with studio audience laughter, a kick-arse soundtrack, including a Frank Black and The Catholics favourite and plenty of witty repartee.

The script has a similar style to Diablo Cody’s (Juno, Jennifer’s Body) writing with plenty of new blend creations, such as “hasbian”, nods to popular culture (“Nega-Scott”) and inventive fast talking: “He punched the highlights out of her hair.” Scott’s gay housemate, Wallace, masterfully played by Kieran Culkin gets most of the funny lines, alongside Scott’s nemesis, Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman pulling off his usual quirky performance): “You made me swallow my gum – it’s going to be in my digestive tract for seven years.”

Experimental and daring throughout, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World occasionally feels like it is trying too hard to be cool but cool it is, nonetheless. Roxanne’s knee fetish, the Vegan police, passwords for Gideon’s exclusive venue, montage fight scenes and the bass battle are all ingenious – the latter surely a nod to the equally surreal and colourful, Japanese oddity Electric Dragon 80,000 V.

Lead Michael Cera plays his usual geeky typecast but manages to pull off fight scenes but it’s Culkin, Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Ramona) and Ellen Wong (Knives) who really steal the show, aptly realising Wright’s exquisite direction.

Certainly a film for the ADHD generation, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World plays out like multi-media pop art, paying homage to South Park’s on-going Canadian-American feud gag. Amid all the colour and clever one-liners, Scott Pilgrim is a coming of age flick, harbouring a serious message – accepting responsibility for one’s actions. After all his arse-kicking Scott realises “If you want something bad you have to fight for it” and admits “I feel like I learned something.”

****

Special Features

DVD

• Deleted and alternative scenes with commentary from director/producer/co-writer Edgar Wright
• Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Bloopers
• Feature commentaries: Feature Commentary with director/producer/co-writer Edgar Wright, co-writer, Michael Bacall and Author Bryan Lee O’Malley; Technical Commentary with director/producer/co-writer Edgar Wright and director of photography Bill Pope; Cast commentary with Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong and Brandon Routh and Cast commentary with Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Kieran Culkin and Mark Webber
• Behind the scenes photo gallery, including Edgar Wright’s photo blog
• Trivia pack
• Galleries: Production photos, art galleries and marketing concepts.

Blu-Ray

• Insider Documentaries: Making of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Music Featurette and You Too Can Be Sex Bob-Omb
• Alternate footage: A special look at alternative edits to the film.
• Pre-production: A look inside the film’s pre-production process including storyboards, pre-visualizations, animatics, motion capture tests, rehearsal footage, casting tapes, hair/make-up tests and more!
• The music of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: This feature includes four complete music videos and video remixes from legendary DJ Osymyso.
• Visual Effects: This feature takes a second look at the movie’s inventive visual effects.
• Sound Work: A mini documentary about the creation of the film’s super-powered sonic landscape.
• Trailers & TV Spots from the theatrical release of the film
• Adult Swim™: Scott Pilgrim vs. The Animation
• Scott Pilgrim Vs The Censors: TV safe version
• Behind-the-scenes Production Blogs from the set of Scott Pilgrim vs.the World by director /producer/co-writer Edgar Wright.
• Free Bonus Movie For a Limited Time Only: Blu-ray Combo Pack consumers will have instant access to stream action hits Tremors or Pitch Black via BD-Live, Smartphone or computer
• U-Control: Universal’s exclusive signature feature allows viewers to delve into the making of the film with the click of the remote without ever leaving the movie.
• Storyboard picture-in-picture
• Digital copy of the film: Blu-ray™ consumers can download a digital version of the movie to their Mac® and or Windows® PC for a limited time only.
• BD-LIVE™: Access the BD-Live™ Centre through your Internet-connected player to watch the latest trailers and more.

Review: Not The Last But A Memorable Exorcism

By Leo Owen

4th January 2011 | 0 comments | 0 votes yet, click here to agree or disagree

Director: Daniel Stamm
Writer: Huck Botko, Andrew Gurland
DVD and Blu-ray release date: December 27 2010
Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment
Number of discs: 1
Price: From £9.99-£15.93
Running Time: 87 mins
Certificate: 15
Starring: Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Caleb Landry Jones, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum

Indie writer and director, Daniel Stamm returns to the award-winning ingredient of his directional feature debut, A Necessary Death. The Last Exorcism takes the well-worn fake doc style of recent horrors and gives it a new spin courtesy of a strong lead preacher in doubt.

Reverend Cotton Marcus was brought up a preacher, performing his first exorcism at the age of ten. Now all grown-up he’s seen forcing his son to go to church while having doubts himself. When he reads an article announcing the pope is to open a new exorcism academy, Cotton decides to expose exorcism for the scam it is. Previously believing exorcism “delivers a service” for those in need, he’s decided rather than healing, it’s harmful.

Taking a camera crew with him Cotton randomly opens an envelope begging for an exorcism and promises to follow the request wherever it takes him. The letter leads to Louis and his family – hostile son Caleb and apparently possessed sickly-sweet 16-year-old daughter, Nell. Louis’ wife and Nell’s best friend died of cancer two years ago, causing Caleb to start hating God and the start of Nell’s home-schooling.

Cotton rationalises, Nell’s crucifix burning as a nickel allergy but continues to “perform” the rituals of exorcism. With a book of demons handed down through family generations, Cotton identifies Abalam as the culprit to have possessed Nell – the most powerful demon listed who “defiles the flesh of the innocent”.

After the sham exorcism, Nell surprises Cotton by showing up speechless at his motel five miles from home and tries to strip off before vomiting. Since his wife’s death, Louis has lost faith in the medical system and no longer trusts “big city priests”; Refused treatment, Nell’s inexplicable behaviour becomes more disturbing and threatens more than the farm cattle.

One of the greatest strengths of The Last Exorcism is its unusual lead. Watching a priest criticising a community he describes as a “stopped in time place – the perfect breeding ground for demons and evil,” is highly entertaining. Humour is created by exposing Cotton’s unethical preparations to booby trap Nell’s room and watching him mock the locals by matter-of-factly asking where the UFO landing site is. Seeing a priest relishing explaining his trickery and contraptions to his crew, giving comically dramatic bible readings and boasting about the programme he uses with over 800 demon sounds, is strangely satisfying.

Convincing performances from the supporting cast make this mock documentary almost seem believable. A snarling Caleb threatening Cotton: “If anything happens to her. I will hurt you”, contrasts effectively with the seemingly harmless childlike Nell, who’s endearingly chuffed by the novelty of “Miss Iris’” DMs. The almost role reversal of these troubled teens helps build the suspense, leading to a crescendo of face slashing, cautionary notes (“Don’t leave her alone with him”), chains, the expected bone snapping and body contortion, doll drowning, sinister drawings, crazed eyes and ultimately a very limber Nell demonstrating some seemingly impossible gymnastic moves.

A fine follow-up to Stamm’s debut, The Last Exorcism, certainly isn’t an end to the genre as the title suggests but will take some topping. Introducing some talented new movie industry fodder and exploring the concept from a refreshing new angle, the film’s skimpy running time certainly leaves no room for boredom but unfortunately leads to a rushed-feeling ending.

***

Special Features

DVD Special Features

• Actor and Director commentary with Daniel Stamm, Ashley Bell, Patrick Fabian and Louis Herthum
• Audio commentary with Producers Eli Roth, Eric Newman and Tom Bliss
• “The Devil You Know: The Making of The Last Exorcism” featurette
• “Real Stories of Exorcism” featurette
• 2009 Cannes Film Festival teaser trailer

Blu-Ray Special Features

• Actor and Director commentary with Daniel Stamm, Ashley Bell, Patrick Fabian and Louis Herthum
• Audio commentary with Producers Eli Roth, Eric Newman and Tom Bliss
• “Witnesses to an Exorcism: An Audio Commentary with a Haunting Victim, Deliverance Minister and Clinical Psychologist”
• “The Devil You Know: The Making of The Last Exorcism” featurette
• “Real Stories of Exorcism” featurette
• 2009 Cannes Film Festival teaser trailer
• Audition footage
• Theatrical trailer
• BD Touch and Metamenu Remote
• Lionsgate Live™ enabled, featuring extra content for Internet-connected players

Review: Jonah, hexed from the beginning

By Leo Owen

4th January 2011 | 0 comments | 0 votes yet, click here to agree or disagree

Director: Jimmy Hayward

Writer: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor, William Farmer

DVD and Blu-ray release date: December 27 2010

Studio: Warner Home Video

Number of discs: Available on solo DVD, double disc Triple Play (DVD, Blu-ray and digital copy)

Price: From £7.99-£12.99

Running Time: 81 mins

Certificate: 15

Starring: John Malkovich, Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett, Michael Shannon

With so many comic book releases these days it’s no wonder the latest, Jonah Hex, delves into DC comic’s 70s back catalogue. Unfortunately evidence of its troubled production past is easily traceable in the final product; Before hitting the big screen Jonah Hexswitched Crank and Gamer directors, Neveldine and Taylor, to Pixar veteran, Jimmy Hayward with I am Legend’s Francis Lawrence “overseeing” the project.

During the American Civil War after an order Hex didn’t agree with, he betrays his commanding officer, Quentin Turnbull, killing his son in the process. Avenging his son’s death, Turnbull sets fire to Hex’s house, murders his family and brands Hex, leaving him for dead. Indians find Hex and save his life but in doing so kick-start his connection with the other side, allowing him to revive and speak to the dead.

Years later hearing Turnbull has died, Hex becomes a bounty hunter with a price on his head. That is until he discovers that “Terrorista” Turnbull faked his own death and was recently involved in train-jacking, successfully stealing the components to make a “nation killer” weapon. With the president on his side, Hex is paid to hunt down Turnbull and receive a pardon.

Resembling an old skool undertaker escorted by a murder of crows, Josh Brolin plays Hex, a good man driven to violence who’ll pay for unnecessary damages he causes but is essentially a feared badass. With the wisdom of the dead who can see the comings and goings of anyone they knew when alive, Hex is a one man army.

Malkovich is disappointing as his nemesis, Turnbull, although Michael Fassbender playing his right-hand man, Burke, was certainly a good call. The inclusion of Megan Fox as Lilah, a local prostitute sweet on Hex, is frankly pointless and wasted. What little screen time Fox has does nothing to further propel her career and her interest in Hex is entirely unconvincing.

Part spiritual, part western and bizarrely effectively set to a metal soundtrack, Hex’s short running time is to the detriment of the story. Characters feel underdeveloped, actors underused and there is no real sequence of events – just a series of poorly explained and realised happenings. Hex seems to have a laughable knack of being repeatedly rescued by spiritual-healing Indians, a strange scene involving a savage slack-jawed vampire creature fighting in a ring doesn’t fit and the film’s conclusion feels rushed and involves the most implausible ridiculous escape.

The slick opening graphic sequence and interesting concept character hint at the potential for what could have been. Aside from the supernatural element, Jonah Hex is your typical western revenge quest not done very well and dragging in time despite its dwarfed length.

*

Special Features

DVD

• Deleted scenes

Blu-ray

• Featurettes, including “The Inside Story of Jonah Hex” and “The Weird Western Tales of Jonah Hex”
• Digital copy of the movie

Will Smith and Mark Wahlberg may punch one another in 2011

By joewest

22nd December 2010 | 0 comments | 0 votes yet, click here to agree or disagree

A-list movie star and former TV monarch Will Smith has been offered $1 million to get in the ring with improbable hunk Mark Wahlberg in what could be the charity boxing match to end them all.

The two ex-rappers have been asked to duke it out by celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman who expects the pair to smash their gloved fists into one another next February in Las Vegas.

Smith has a height advantage over Wahlberg, whose 5’9” frame is dwarfed by that of the 6’2” star who previously played Muhammad Ali in the iconic boxer’s biopic. However, dinky beefcake Wahlberg is not only known for his buffness but is also a trained-up boxer who is tipped for an Oscar based on his performance in upcoming film The Fighter. Which is a boxing film. About a boxer.

Whether these multimillionaires will take their pugilistic skills into the ring for charity remains to be seen, but who wouldn’t want to watch this three-round bout of celebrity fisticuffs?

Thor movie trailer promises to leave you punch-drunk in 2011

By joewest

21st December 2010 | 0 comments | 1 person likes this

A trailer showcasing the Kenneth Branagh-directed superhero movie Thor has been released, presumably to plenty of shoulder-shrugging and glazed looks from the general public.

Thor isn’t exactly the most mainstream superhero from the Marvel library. And the Scandinavians might be a little annoyed that Hollywood has appropriated one of their ancient gods for some modern-day ass-kicking. Perhaps in the next millennium Jesus will be re-imagined as a beefcake renegade warrior in whatever interactive, virtual reality entertainment format has evolved to replace cinema. In fact I think Family Guy has already partially been there.

Expect to see Thor in UK cinemas at some point in May after its US release.

Fast Five teaser trailer released

By joewest

17th December 2010 | 0 comments | 1 person likes this

The fifth film in the petrol-headed franchise that began with 2001’s The Fast and the Furious has been unveiled in its first teaser trailer. This upcoming movie is cleverly called Fast Five, which makes it sound like an Enid Blyton book about a school sports day. You can see muscle-bound meat and two veg-head Vin Diesel and pretty idiot* Paul Walker larking about in Brazil along with most of the residual cast from the previous four films, Tokyo Drift excluded.

I have enjoyed all of the Fast and Furious flicks despite their obvious lack of substance or value, and this trailer suggests that the free-running introduced in the last movie will be dredged up once more, which can’t do any harm. Expect to see it in cinemas next April.

*That’s a little unfair. Apparently he loves marine biology. Thanks Wikipedia.