As May Sweeps and the "traditional" 2012-13 TV season draws to a close, it's time to take stock of the ever-abundant summer offerings -- including new seasons of True Blood, The Killing and Falling Skies, the Dexter and Burn Notice farewell tours, the series debuts of Mistresses, Devious Maids and King & Maxwell and last hurrahs for…
Back in 2009, JJ Abrams, Paramount’s latest wunderkind, was tasked with revitalizing the “Star Trek” brand for a new generation. Cleverly he found a way to create a parallel universe to the original Trek so they could continue the adventures of the USS Enterprise with a crop of fresh faces.
It was so clever that the new film kept die-hard Trekkies from crying outrage and even brought in the more action-oriented “Star Wars” fans into the mix. It was going to be an incredible achievement to top that film and carry on the momentum. Not only did Abrams have to surpass the relaunch but now he was going to come face-to-face with the classic “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan“. The best of the franchise.
Trek 2 was so classic because it brought back Ricardo Montalban as Khan Noonien Singh, who had originally appeared in the original episode “Space Seed“. Khan was a genetically modified human who became a vicious dictator during Earth’s Eugenic Wars. Khan was ruthless and like Kirk did whatever he could to protect his crew.
Trek 2 opened with Khan being discovered on a dead world after he was marooned there with his crew by Kirk. When he is discovered, he vows revenge. Khan kills Kirk’s son and a war of titans begins.
Flashforward to 2013, the Federation is under siege by a terrorist named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch). And Kirk, younger and brasher, offers to become the sword of the Federation and take down the terrorist at all costs. Even if it takes him to the Klingon Homeworld to do it. Can Kirk hunt down this sort of Osama Bin Laden of outer space? Is this mission as simple as it seems? Who is John Harrison?
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I have never really been a reviewer that includes spoilers in a film. But to really dissect this superior sequel I really had to get to the meat-and-potatoes of the film. JJ Abrams didn’t steer away from the infamous Trek sequel he decided to hit it head on. “Star Trek Into Darkness” is basically a remake of “Star Trek II”.
And really that can be taken two ways.
First, Abrams has taken the core story and enhanced it. Since the Abrams Kirk is younger they kill someone different to drive Kirk on his mission. There is no “Genesis Device”. Instead Abrams went back into the heart of Star Trek and pulled out more references to the stories subject matter. Namely “Space Seed”.
In case you haven’t guessed it, Harrison = Khan. Except this Khan wants revenge on all the Federation and is sort of a psychotic Moses and only wants the Federation to let his people go. Khan’s story here is actually less personalized and instead becomes more of a test for Kirk and crew.
The references to the original series and the classic sequel are really something to cheer about. Because Abrams is really playing to his audience. These are big, grand and exciting popcorn moments. They are all a huge plus.
The downside is that if you have seen “Star Trek 2″ a gazillion times then you might be bored. I hope if there is a third film that the homage is over. We don’t need to revisit “Search for Spock” or pickup “George & Gracie” in Star Trek 4. I want to see more original adventures.
“Star Trek Into Darkness” is a big bold homage to what we remember was superior about the original films. And a great popcorn movie for the summer.
(4 out of 5)
So Says the Soothsayer
Note: One last thing, please no more lens flares over a person’s face when they are talking. Especially one as lovely as Alice Eve. Thank you. Soothsayer Out!
Movies featured in this update in OBLIVION, THE LAST STAND, TRANCE, THE IMPOSSIBLE, GIJOE: RETALIATION and BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.
In his long career, Tom Cruise really hasn’t explored many genres. He’s done one fantasy film (Legend), one musical (Rock of Ages), and one horror (Interview with the Vampire). So when he does branch out into another genre it can be kind of jarring for the audience. “Oblivion” is Cruise’s third sci-fi film and could arguably be his best. This time Cruise teams with Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski where he plays a robot drone repairman working on what was once Earth after the invasion of the aliens known as the Scavengers. This film proves once more why Cruise is a movie star. His charisma, engaging performance and reactions help bring this world to life. Co-stars Olga Kurylenko and Andrea Riseborough also give outstanding performances. The movie is a little dull in some sections but the design and reveals make this a journey worth taking. (4 out of 5)
It has been a decade since Arnold Schwarzenegger headlined a film. His last was 2003′s Terminator 3. The action genre has changed alot since Arnie flexed his biceps, shot a bad guy and uttered a one-liner. They have become more intense, grimier, full of CG stunts and more videogame like. “The Last Stand” finds Arnie playing a border town sheriff who has to deal with a federal fugitive trying to escape to Mexico. Yes the grime is there, the stunts and explosions are everywhere but what is so glorious and fun about the film is it feels like a homecoming for not only Arnie but action fans. This is brainless popcorn fun at its best. (4 out of 5)
Director Danny Boyle went from winning an Oscar for “Slumdog Millionaire” to squeezing James Franco inside a rock crevice for “127 hours”. Boyle has spent his whole career taking risks. This is never more obvious then with his mind-twister “Trance” which features James McAvoy as an art house employee, who is kidnapped by art thief Vincent Cassel. He is then hypnotized by therapist Rosario Dawson into revealing where a priceless work of art is hidden. This movie debates heavily on what is real and what isn’t. The script could have used some work and the performances feel stale in some sections. For the first 35 minutes, you might doubt yourself that this is even a movie worth finishing. But if you don’t you will miss some really astonishingly clever reveals. (3.5 out of 5)
Based on the true story, “The Impossible” tells the story of a tourist family in Thailand caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor play the parents and give some of the most astonishing performances of the year. Watts is almost unrecognizable in some scenes and it no wonder she was nominated for an Oscar. She is a force of nature in this survival film. Also not to be forgotten is the debut performance from young actor Tom Holland. What a great actor in the making there. The pure chaos and destruction is done with such power by director Juan Antonio Bayona that it reminded me of just how raw 1993′s “Alive” felt back then. This is a truly remarkable film and worth seeking out! (4.5 out of 5)
The first GIJOE film left us with a cliffhanger as Cobra infiltrator Zartan invaded the White House assuming the identity of the President (Jonathan Pryce). Now a short time later, Zartan turns the military on the Joes and sends them on the run. Led by Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), the Joes have to find a way to break into the White House and stop Zartan. I found the sequel to be marginally better than the original but cartoonish all the same. The action and pacing of this film was superior even if the plot was weak. But what can you expect from a pure popcorn flick. (3 out of 5)
Based on the young adult novel, a small town’s long hidden secret is put in jeopardy when young lovers Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) and Lena (Alice Englert) fall in love. Against all odds, they have to figure out Lena’s true destiny and convince Lena’s rather magical and unstable family to accept their union. Beautiful Creatures starts off as a visual feast for the eyes and you have really good performances from Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons and Emmy Rossum. But the movie weighs thin and quickly. Alden’s humor and Alice’s tenderness can’t save just how unstable the film is. At one minute it is magical and the next it feels like Roger Corman made it. This split-personality disorder within the film isn’t going to get any fans. (2.5 out of 5)
Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg lead an all-star cast in 2 Guns, an explosive action film that tracks two operatives from competing bureaus who are forced on the run together. But there is a big problem with their unique alliance: Neither knows that the other is an undercover federal agent.
For the past 12 months, DEA agent Bobby Trench (Washington) and U.S. naval intelligence officer Marcus Stigman (Wahlberg) have been reluctantly attached at the hip. Working undercover as members of a narcotics syndicate, each man distrusts his partner as much as the criminals they have both been tasked to take down.
When their attempt to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel and recover millions goes haywire, Trench and Stigman are suddenly disavowed by their superiors. Now that everyone wants them in jail or in the ground, the only person they can count on is the other. Unfortunately for their pursuers, when good guys spend years pretending to be bad, they pick up a few tricks along the way.
The film also stars Bill Paxton, Paula Patton, James Marsden, and Edward James Olmos. 2 Guns opens August 2nd.
Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.
“World War Z” revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.
World War Z to lumber into theaters June 2013.
“We are born, not made.” – Francis, “The Hamiltons”
There is a quiet indie series of horror films, directed by the infamous Butcher Brothers, that has really gotten the tension of cinephiles. I gotta chance to check out these after midnight gems.
Back in 2006, “The Hamiltons” was released quietly at the After Dark Horrorfest and then on home video.
After Dark Horrorfest has become infamous is releasing all sorts of twisted horror films.
The “8 Films to Die For” film series became a hit on home video which featured the best from the After Dark Horrorfest.
“The Hamiltons” and “Wicked Little Things” were the best two films to come out of the first set of ”8 Films to Die For”. ”The Hamiltons” established an eclectic fanbase and was featured in Fangoria Magazine.
The movie is about an outsider named Francis (Cory Knauf), who has never understood what makes his family tick. Ever since of the death of his parents, Francis and his siblings have moved around a lot trying to figure out where they fit into society.
The problem is they don’t. His siblings are ruthless serial killers. For 80% of the film, we follow Francis and his struggle against his crude family.
As the film unfolds and Francis escapes with one of his family’s would-be victims, a twist turns the movie in another completely unexpected direction. They aren’t killers but vampires!
I won’t get into details what happens to Francis and his situation but for a low budget indie this twist is kind of interesting.
The family dynamic kind of reminded me of “Party of Five” but the dark sinister side reminded me of the underrated “Near Dark“. But there is also remnants of other low budget serial killer films.
I also liked that the film showed gore but never apologized or went overboard. I really enjoyed the performance from lead actor Cory Knauf and just how clever the movie actually became after a extremely sluggish beginning. This is a really cool movie for people who like horror after 10 pm.
2.5 out of 5
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“The Hamiltons” became so successful that it spawned a sequel in 2010; ”The Thompsons” has a larger budget and bigger scope. The movie finds the vampire brood on the run and in search of where their kind originated.
Francis is the the back country of England trying to find one of their long-lost relatives. He stumbles upon Riley Stuart (Elizabeth Henstridge), a beautiful barmaid who may hold the key to his family’s legacy if he can just get past Riley’s own twisted family.
The sequel really is a solid film and allows what was built in the first film come to fruition. With the larger budget, the filmmakers were allowed to really enhance the vampire experience.
In the first film, you never see fangs for over 80% of the film. I also liked how they turned the movie into a road film. And the narration and flashbacks as told by the Francis character are just bang on.
Cory Knauf really holds these two films together and here he proves he could be a really great leading man. Henstridge is sweet, yet dangerous and it will be interesting if they will allow some of this duplicity next fall when we see her in Joss Whedon‘s SHIELD TV series.
It was also nice to see all the siblings come back for the sequel. Most them were also able to shed their stiff performances from the previous film.
I’d like to see a third entry in this series but no word on if it will happen.
3.5 out of 5
So Says the Soothsayer
-Movie Madness #182 & 183-
Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man 3″ pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his 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 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
Iron Man 3 opens May 3, 2013.
Next week The Doctor is back with a new companion and a whole new mission. Doctor Who “The Bells of St. John” premieres on BBC America on Saturday, March 30th at 8/7c
Synopsis: Left for dead on a sun-scorched planet, Riddick (Vin Diesel) finds himself up against an alien race of predators. Activating an emergency beacon alerts two ships: one carrying a new breed of mercenary, the other captained by a man from Riddick’s past. OPENS SEPTEMBER 6
It’s been a while since I have seen a movie oozing with such raw originality than Stoker. It is literally unlike any movie I have ever seen before.
Directed by Hong Kong genius Chan-wook Park, who gave us Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, the film has a captivating look that is striking from the opening scene. The scene depicts a young girl standing in meadow of long grass but Park is able to bring a sense of darkness and mystery. This is all established just from the chosen angles or blocking of the shot.
Blocking is something that is astonishing when watching Stoker. The seamless blending of weird blocked scenes evoking hidden emotion reminded me some the brilliance of the French New Wave especially Jean Luc Goddard.
The film’s story supports my theory the movie was tapping into French New Wave. India (Mia Wasikowska) has just lost her father and her mother (Nicole Kidman) has become a wreck. To help with the pain, her uncle (Matthew Goode) comes to stay with them. He takes a shine to India and they develop a real unhealthy relationship. But the more India learns about her uncle and her long dead father (Dermot Mulroney), a deep dark family secret unravels.
Mixed with gothic undertones and a film noir style, Wentworth Miller‘s script really was the perfect project to revisit French New Wave and bring Chan-wook Park to Western audiences. (Yes that is not a typo, Wentworth Miller, star of Fox’s Prison Break series)
Matthew Goode gives a tour de force performance which is very reminscent of the classic vampire mixed with smarmy used car salesman. Kidman adds extra bite to what could have been a throwaway character.
But really it is the visual style that steals the movie.
The movie won’t have the masses flocking to cineplexes but if you wanna get a little freaked out and challenged then this flick is for you!
4.5 out of 5
So Says the Soothsayer
-Movie Madness #181-
“They’re the modern stone age family. They’re a page right out of history.” They’re the Flin… I mean Croods.
This family knows that the world is a big, scary place. So for all their lives they have been playing it safe. Dad, Grug (Nicolas Cage) has developed rules to keep his family safe. Hide, stay alive.
But his teenage daughter, Eep (Emma Stone) isn’t buying it. Like many strong animated female protagonists before her, Eep wants to explore the large, dangerous world.
One night, Eep sees strange light fill the family cave. She looks in amazement as a darts around and casts shadows. The only light source that Eep knows is that of the Sun. So she follows it and it leads to a very forward thinking caveman named Guy (Ryan Reynolds). Guy is on a journey to find “tomorrow” and escape the Pandemic continental shift that is tearing apart the caveman world. Guy’s new way of approach threatens to breakup Eep’s family much to the dismay of patriarch Grug. But if they are gonna survive they will have to push aside their differences and come together.
GOGS
When I first heard about “The Croods“, I was reminded of a series of shorts done for British television called “The Gogs“. It was about a family of cavemen, who get into trouble and go on zany adventures. The only thing about “The Gogs” was it was all slapstick and they never spoke just grunted.
Croods also reminded me that it’s basically “Ice Age” without the snow, the animals are humans and the baby thinks she’s a dog. But it is amazing how you forget these close associations when you are watching the film.
Croods is a delightful film with lush, bold and original animation that just jumps off the screen. The design of the family and the world they live in is astounding. There is so much to love here. There is a strong message here for kids about the power of family.
My only small quibble is the speed-bump the movie has in the last twenty minutes. It bounces back before the finale but the gap where Grug is on his own just doesn’t flow.
There were a couple subplots left unexplored and with the family expansion where will they live now?
I am really hoping that this is a huge hit. The originality and breathtaking design really makes me yearn for more adventures with this prehistoric family. And possibly a sequel could answer some of these nagging questions.
4 out of 5
-Movie Madness #180-
Actor-director Glenn Berggoetz is bringing his new film to Los Angeles on March 23, and this time, he says, he's going to make more than $11. As Movieline gleefully reported in 2011, Berggoetz's microbudget picture The Worst Movie EVER! earned the dubious distinction of selling a single $11 ticket during its opening weekend at a single theater in Los Angeles. But his follow-up, …
“It ain’t easy being green!” – Kermit the Frog
Before the Siege on Waco in 1993 and the Oklahoma Bombing of 1995, domestic terrorism was a close kept secret. But since 1978, The UnaBomber had been terrorizing America, practically in secret.
Basic Instinct screenwriter Joe Eszterhas‘s 1988 thriller “Betrayed” was a head of it’s time. Critics of the time Leonard Maltin and Roger Ebert ripped the film apart complaining how unfeasible and realistic the plot was. They never met Timothy McVeigh.
The film finds farmhand Katie (Debra Winger) falling for patriarch/cowboy Gary (Tom Berenger). For the first 30 minutes this looks like a heartland love story.
That is until the first twist is dropped. Katie is an FBI agent and Gary is a terrorist and the leader of a Ku Klux Klan sect.
The film is an examination of dual personalities and how the person we think we know the most can actually be a monster.
The emotions, loyalty, confusion and ‘betrayal’ that sets in after the reveal.
“Betrayed” for me is a little seen gem of 1988 mainly because it commented on something before we even saw it coming in real life.
The scenes involving the children reciting trained ‘hate’ rhetoric are shocking and also revealing.
Unlike lots of portrayals of racism on film, “Betrayed” rips off the band aid and then shows us how that world can be so cleverly concealed in the minds of the people in the heartland. The scene with the grain truck is the perfect example.
What other secrets are nestled within the heartland?
The movie has a grounded slow-burn base from director Costa-Gravas and an intense performance from Tom Berenger. It is up to Berenger to not only deliver the hatred but also the flawed humanity beneath. His betrayal has to be just as traumatic as hers.
Debra Winger holds her own even if in a couple scenes she seems to be treading water. She delivers the goods when it comes time to be heartbreaking. But her constant whining can get tiresome, did we ever hear Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling whine about an assignment?
4 out of 5
So Says the Soothsayer
-Movie Madness #179-
When celebrated director Paul Thomas Anderson was developing “The Master” we all thought he was finally going to unravel and shed some light in to the madness that is Scientology. But what Anderson in fact developed was a character study of the two men on two sides of the same coin.
Joaquin Phoenix stars as Freddy, a WW2 navy vet and drunk that develops his own form of moonshine with really anything alcoholic he can gets his hands on. One batch of Freddy’s moonshine poisons a man to death. While on the run, Freddy encounters Lancaster Dodds (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) after during a drunken stupor stows away aboard Lancaster’s luxury yacht.
Lancaster is a visionary who through suggested hypnosis and thought projection claims to heal his ‘patients’. After he tastes Freddy’s latest concoction, Lancaster thinks Freddy may aid him in expanding his mind.
These two men are basically the same man except opposite. Lancaster is an intellectual, Freddy isn’t. Lancaster is in control, Freddy is not. Lancaster isn’t aggressive, Freddy is. Etc, etc. If you will, they complete each other.
Aside from the deep, deafening character study and engaging performances from Hoffman and Phoenix, “The Master” has nothing left to offer. The meandering direction, silly wide shots, umpteen lulls make this a movie you can take a nap in without any problem.
PTA tries to shock and awe us with the third act twist. But by then it is just way, way too late. This is the weakest of PTA’s work and a real letdown.
2 out of 5
So Says the Soothsayer
-Movie Madness #178-
It seems like 150 years since we last had the opportunity to watch a new episode of Doctor Who -- and in a sense that's how long it has been given the most recent show to feature Matt Smith's Time Lord was the Victorian-era set special Christmas episode, "The Snowmen."
But on March 30 at 8 p.m. ET, Doctor Who…
Movies featured in this update in CHASING MAVERICKS, GAMBIT, THIS IS 40, RISE OF THE GUARDIANS and FRANKENWEENIE.
Movies featured in this update in SNITCH, A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD, GANGSTER SQUAD and WHY STOP NOW?
Now with more macho!
Back in 1986, there was this underrated crime-comedy called “Tough Guys” which starred Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster as two gangsters who are released from prison and have a hard time relating to the new world. It is underrated because it was a clever take on gangsters and really paved the way for the “Grumpy Old Men” movies.
When I heard about “Stand Up Guys”, I recalled my fond memories of “Tough Guys” and was hoping that with a cast like Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin this could be a gem. It is great watching Walken and Pacino play off each other but the script gives them no morsels to chew on.
Written by newbie screenwriter Noah Haidle, the script never really fleshes out the characters, gives us hardly any memorable dialogue and hardly any chuckles. The best line in the film “Are we gonna kick ass or chew gum? I am all out of gum.” isn’t even original to movie. Haidle took it from the cult classic “They Live” starring Roddy Piper. It really is a pet peeve when a movie recycles a catch-phrase or a one-liner unless it is the original actor playing homage to a previous character.
This is a disappointment just like Pacino’s last geezer team-up film “Righteous Kill”.
2.5 out of 5
