The Film Club Podcast

Episode 10: Drive Review

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:11:00 +0000

On this week's episode, friend/musician Phil Beskid (Estrella Negra) joins us to review Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive. We also find time to discuss Avatar and the Harry Potter Series. Enjoy!

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Estrella Negra (The Band)

Estrella Negra (The Restaurant)

Episode 9: Contagion Review

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:43:00 +0000

On this week's episode, we review Soderbergh's latest film Contagion. Jason also gives you his miniature-sized review of Warrior. We also share some funny tales. Enjoy!

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Episode 8: Red State Review

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:27:00 +0000

The FilmClubPodcast is back with a review of Kevin Smith's latest, Red State. Followed by the review, we go over What We Watched recently that is worth mentioning. The podcast is going through a rebuilding process so bear with us. We're going to be introducing segments but for the most part, we're going to keep things simple with one review per week and the what we watched segment.

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What We Watched:

Pontypool

Oldboy

Inception

Paradise Lost 1/2

Friends With Benefits

Hell’s Kitchen

Ramsey’s Best Restaurant

Final Destination 5

Shark Night 3-D

The Simpsons Season 6

Tosh.0

Episode 7: Reviews of Source Code/Insidious/Hanna/Scre4m

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 04:51:00 +0000

On this week's episode, we return with a vengeance and keep it simple with a plethora of reviews including Source Code, Hanna, Insidious and Scream 4. Enjoy and be sure to rate and review us on Itunes.
Listen or download this episode directly here!

NOTED TIMES AND TOPICS:

01:55 - Trivia Game

08:12 - Source Code Review

17:49 - Insidious Review

33:30 - Hanna Review

50:04 - Scre4m Review

1:35:38 - What We Watched
1:42:00 -Meaningless Conversation

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The Scream Retrospective: Bonus Episode

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:45:00 +0000

Rudy and I commemorate the opening of Scream 4 with a retrospective look at the first 3 Scream films from horror legend, Wes Craven. Our next full episode is coming this Friday (4/22/11) which includes reviews galore, including Scream 4. Stay tuned and enjoy this bonus episode.
Listen or download it directly from here.

EPISODE 6.5

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Episode 6: Sucker Punch & I Saw The Devil reviews/Top 5 Visual Feasts

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 06:28:00 +0000

EPISODE 6

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On our 6th episode we review Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch as well as Kim Jee-Woon's I Saw The Devil. We also discuss the Amy Adams/Lois Lane casting and we count down our Top 5 Visual Feasts of All-Time. Enjoy and thanks for listening.

NOTED TIMES:

1:05 - NEWS: Amy Adams as Lois Lane/Batman reboot after Dark Knight Rises/Tara Reid's Big Lebowski 2

10:43 - SUCKER PUNCH REVIEW

33:50 - I SAW THE DEVIL REVIEW

43:55 - TOP 5 VISUAL FEASTS

1:28:00 - WHAT WE WATCHED: The Resident, Bigger/Stronger/Faster, The Horde, Life As We Know It, The Switch, It's Kind Of A Funny Story, I Spit On Your Grave (remake), Stone, High Lane, Game of Death, Mesirine: Killer Instinct, Let Me In.

1:45:00 - LISTENER POLL: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BADASS MOVIE CHICK?

IN THEATRES TODAY: Insidious, Hop, Source Code, Rubber (Limited)

ON DVD/BLURAY: March 29th, 2011

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:57:00 +0000


Natalie Portman stars in her Academy Award winning role about a ballet dancer who's obsession with perfection drives her mad. A film by Darren Aronofsky. Starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel.

Who am I? Why am I? What is the purpose and meaning in life? These are the questions pondered in this latest documentary about the human condition. A film by Charles Kinnane.

Mad Men's latest season arrives today. Go get your Jon Hamm!

Naomi Watts and Sean Penn star in this latest political thriller. A Film by Doug Liman.

This latest space documentary centers around 7 astronauts whose mission it was to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. A Film by Toni Myers. Narrated by Leonardio DiCaprio.

Who's playing Lois Lane in Zack Snyder's Superman Film?

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 02:18:00 +0000

Amy Adams, that's who! Adams (Lois Lane) joins fellow cast members Diane Lane, Kevin Kostner (as Superman's foster parents, The Kents) and Henry Cavill, who is playing Superman. Zack Snyder's next fore to the big screen is set to begin shooting in August. A release date has not been set. Initially, the plan was to release the Man of Steel's next film sometime around Christmas 2012, but nothing has been set in stone. David S. Goyer is handling the screenplay duties and Christopher Nolan himself is helping produce the film. Hopefully, Nolan's involvement helps Snyder bounce back after his latest film, "Sucker Punch," which has failed critically and seemingly, commercially.

Episode 5: Paul Review/Top 5 Alien Films

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:10:00 +0000

On this week's episode, we review Paul and count down our Top 5 Alien Films. We also discuss Bale's new weight loss role, Aronofsky's Wolverine departure, as well as the new Captain America Trailer.
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EPISODE 5: PAUL REVIEW/TOP 5 ALIEN FILMS

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NOTED TIME AND TOPICS

1:30 - News: Aronofksy leaving Wolverine, Bale's new role, death of Elizabeth Taylor, Lizard confirmed as Spidey villain.

10:20 - Trailer Talk: Captain America, Kung Fu Panda 2

13:30 - Review of "Paul"

21:45: Top 5 Alien Films of All-Time

1:02:45 - Honorable Mentions: Aliens, Pandorum, Independence Day, The Thing, Fifth Element, Mac & Me, Cloverfield, District 9, Night of the Creeps, The Blob, They Live. Battle: LA???, Battlefield: Earth???

1:10:10 - What We Watched: Adventure Time, Best in Movies, Rango, I Am Number Four, Jackass 3D, Celebrity Apprentice.

1:26:48 - In Theatres Friday: Sucker Punch, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, I Saw The Devil.

If you live in Chicago, be sure to attend our film club meets next week.

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Sucker Punch /Tuesday, March 29th/6:45pm/City North 14

RSVP HERE!

I Saw the Devil/Thursday, March 31st/5:30pm/Music Box Theatre

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IN THEATRES: FRIDAY, MARCH 29TH, 2011

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:03:00 +0000

Sucker Punch

The summer season officially begins this Friday. Why, you ask? Because, Zack Snyder returns to the big screen with his latest, original film, "Sucker Punch." Emily Browning of "The Uninvited" and "Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events" fame stars as Babydoll, a young woman admitted to an institution which causes her to create a dream world, in order to escape her harsh reality. She calls on the aid of other fellow, female patients with the likes of Abbie Cornish (Sweet Pea), Vanessa Hudgens (Blondie), Jena Malone (Rocket) and Jamie Chung (Amber). Snyder's forte is clearly creating visually intriguing films on a massive scale, so expect something along the lines of what he did with "Watchmen" and "300" and less along the lines of his debut feature, "Dawn of the Dead." What has me concerned the most is the level of acting that might be going on here. But that's merely an educated assumption on my part, based clearly on Snyder's body of work. Here's hoping Snyder continues to grow as a Actor's Director because he clearly has the technical side down pat.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

The other major release of the week is the sequel to last year's sleeper hit, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." The movies are based on the popular kid's book series, of the same name. The sequel focuses on the sibling relationship between the main character, Greg and his older brother, Rodrick, as their parents try to get the two to bond better. The original film was lauded by the general public but for me, the humor and cleverness that film was going for, ala "The Adventures of Pete and Pete" didn't quite hit the mark. But I still am interested in the sequel, in hopes that the kinks are worked out this time around.

I Saw The Devil

Showing exclusively at the Music Box Theatre this week is Jee-woon Kim's (Tale of Two Sisters, The Good, The Bad and the Weird) gore-filled, revenge thriller, "I Saw The Devil." Much like other cult, revenge, Korean flicks (Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady/Mr. Vengeance), the film is hard to watch due to the graphic and overwhelming nature of violence on display. Min-sik Choi (Oldboy) plays a serial killer who takes the life of a detective's (Byung-hun Lee) pregnant fiancee. The cat and mouse games that follows is horrifying and even a tad comedic, albeit in a very dark sense of the word. Yet, another hit from South Korea, that is not to be missed. As long as you can handle it.

TO VIEW TRAILERS CLICK ON FILM IMAGE.

DVD/BLURAY RELEASES AND PICKS OF THE WEEK: March 22nd, 2011

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:37:00 +0000

These are the noted DVD and BLURAY releases of the week. All titles are available on both DVD/Bluray platforms, unless otherwise noted. Click on the movies poster to be taken to Amazon's website where you can purchase said title.

PICK OF THE WEEK: STAND BY ME (25th Anniversary Edition)

Episode 4: Films from our Childhood

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:58:00 +0000

On this week's episode, we discuss new trailers, movie news and our Top 10 Films from our childhood. We also talk the Oscars (better late than never) and we go over What We Watched recently.

This week's podcast features Rodolfo Vera, Jason Cartagena and Michael Hendrickson.

Noted Time for topics:

0:00 - Intro

1:25 - News: Post-Oscar Talk, Daredevil Reboot, Mars Needs Moms bombs, American Pie 4

14:08 - Trailer Talk: Super 8, Conan the Barbarian, Bad Teacher

20:45 - Top 10 Childhood Films

1:59:18 - Honorable Mentions

2:42:34 - What's your favorite childhood film?

2:44:00 - Show Wrap-up

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EVENTS: Saturday 3/19-Sci-Fi Spectacular 5 at the Music Box Theatre

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:56:00 +0000

Starting at noon on Saturday, April 19th is the Music Box's 5th annual "Sci-Fi Spectular 5." The slate of films is looking pretty good so be sure to check it out. Ticket prices are $22 in advance, or $25 at the door. The fest is going to feature the Midwest Premiere of Quentin Dupieux's, Rubber. That film has a start time of 8:30pm. Horror director, Mick Garris will also be there in person. His film, Critters 2 will be playing the fest.

LINEUP OF FILMS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING START TIMES:

11:30am – Trailer Trash (Vintage Sci-Fi/Horror/Crazy 35mm trailers)
Noon – Not of this Earth (Early Roger Corman Classic!)
1:45pm – Krull (80’s Awesomeness!)
4:15pm – Critters 2 (dir. Mick Garris in Person!)
6:15pm – Naked Lunch (David Cronenberg Craziness!)
8:30pm – Rubber (Midwest Theatrical Premiere!)
10pm – The Blob (‘88 Remake! dir. Chuck Russell in Person!)
Midnight – Event Horizon (Rare Screening!)

To purchase tickets in advance, go here:https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?t=tix&e=9339c88c841c2ef48387d7caa8ff7964

For more info on the event, go here: http://www.musicboxtheatre.com/collections/sci-fi-spectacular-5/

I can't make the full event but I'm considering going in the evening to catch Rubber, followed by the Blob and Event Horizon.

SUPER 8 TRAILER!

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 22:07:00 +0000

Writer/Director J.J. Abrams returns to the big screen for the first time since 2009's "Star Trek" reboot. With his latest film, Super 8, Abrams teams up with producer Steven Spielberg. The film follows a group of friends who while making their own Super 8 movie they witness a train crash. Following the crash, suspect things begin to happen around the town. With the film, Abrams is trying to go for a vibe that hearkens back to late 70's and 80's adventure movies like E.T. Get ready for some more signature J.J. Abrams lens flares!

Watch the trailer here:

Five Horror Films Not To Be Missed In 2011!

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:49:00 +0000

RUBBER

Rubber is the latest horror sensation from France. If any one's been paying attention to the French horror scene you'll know they've been adding a lot to the genre with films like "Martyrs" and "Inside." But where those films were dealing with serious material, Rubber is a bit more lighthearted with its subject matter. It's about a tire named Robert who discovers his psychic ability which turns him into a destructive force. As silly as the premise is, the trailer shows that the director, Quentin Dupieux, approaches the material in a serious manner. The film is available right now via VideoOnDemand but I'm waiting for it to hit local theatres.
SYNOPSIS: When Robert, an inanimate tire, discovers his destructive telepathic powers, he soon sets his sights on a desert town; in particular, a mysterious woman becomes his obsession.

RELEASE DATE: April 1st (Limited)

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INSIDIOUS
James Wan returns to the director's chair with his latest original horror film, "Insidious." The film is garnering great buzz out of the festival circuit and is touted for being very reminiscent of the horror classic "Poltergeist." James Wan, director of the original Saw, which is still one of the best horror films of recent memory despite its lackluster sequels, is one of the few mainstream directors actually doing "original" horror and for that reason alone it deserves your attention. All the good buzz is just icing on the cake. Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, Little Children) and Rose Byrne (Wicker Park, Sunshine) star in the horror film written by Leigh Whannell (Saw, Saw II, Dead Silence).
SYNOPSIS: A family that moves into an old house and begins to suspect they are under siege from otherworldly forces when their young son inexplicably falls into a deep coma.

RELEASE DATE: APRIL 1ST (NATIONWIDE)

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DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK

Another film getting good buzz is a remake of a 1973 made-for-tv movie which starred Kim Darby called "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark." The remake was supposed to be released back in January but was unfortunately delayed due to Walt Disney Studios' sale of Miramax. Guillermo Del Toro wrote and produced the film which stars Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, whom I adore, and Alan Dale, of Lost fame. I actually revisited the original film this past October, as part of my annual Horrorfest. It was clearly a made-for-tv film but it had its moments. The creatures were particularly creepy. Hopefully, the remake takes the material, which has a lot of potential, and runs away with it.
SYNOPSIS: A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.
RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 13TH (NATIONWIDE)

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PIRAHNA 3DD
Piranha returns with what is promised to be a bigger and gorier sequel. Not too much is known about the film but what is expected is tons of nudity, campyness, and blood. Who isn't returning, unfortunately, is French horror director, Alexandre Aja (High Tension, Hills Have Eyes remake). In his place is John Gulager, who's claim to fame came from the reality series "Project Greenlight." His filmography includes the Feast franchise. Tara Reid and Lil' Wayne are set to star, so count me cautiously optimistic.
SYNOPSIS: After the events of Piranha 3D Julie Foster has moved to a small town, with a large beachfront and views to die for, as Spring Break draws close Julie begins to experience anxiety thanks to the events at Lake Victoria. As Spring Break finally arrives, and with it a new batch of adult filmstars, the piranha return, this time evolved, more vicious, bigger and more creative.
RELEASE DATE: TO BE ANNOUNCED
NO TRAILER AVAILABLE

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THE THING

The Thing prequel, at first glance, appears to be just another cash-in on a known franchise. But I get the feeling that this isn't going to be the case. First off, they took the time to cast the thing well with the likes of Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Mr. Eko from "Lost"), Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Grindhouse). Secondly, I believe there's a very intriguing story to be told here and because of that, I hope this prequel works as a great companion piece to Carpenter's film.
SYNOPSIS: At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson. While Dr. Halvorson keeps to his research, Kate partners with Sam Carter, a helicopter pilot, to pursue the alien life form.
RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 14TH (NATIONWIDE)
NO TRAILER AVAILABLE

Episode 3: The Running Man/The Neverending Story and some Oscar talk

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:20:00 +0000

On this week's episode, we talk about the Oscars, Super Bowl trailers and we also reminisce cult classics, "The Running Man" and "The Neverending Story." Mike also brings us a new trivia game and give us his thoughts on "The Mechanic" and "The Rite."

LISTEN TO THIS WEEK'S EPISODE.
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Music and Video References made on this week's show:

Super Bowl Movie Trailers!

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:24:00 +0000

Episode 2: Green Hornet/Most Anticipated Films of 2011

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 07:18:00 +0000

On this week's episode Chris Palmer joins us to discuss movie news regarding the Golden Globes, new Matrix sequel rumors, X:Men First Class and Dark Knight Rises, Kevin Smith's film Red State and his new business model. We also review Green Hornet and Mike gives us a mini-review of The Dilemma starring Vince Vaughn. We also go over the movies we're most excited about in 2011 and we cover what we watched since we last recorded.

Episode 2: Listen here!

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The Film Club Podcast features the voice acting prowess of Jason Cartagena, Rodolfo Vera, Cody Johnson and Michael Hendrickson.

Oscar Nominations

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:59:00 +0000

The nominations for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards aka the Oscars were announced today at 7:30am. The list didn't offer too much as far as surprises go. The omission of Christopher Nolan as Best Director was yet another stub to the mainstream favorite. Taking his place is Joel and Ethan Coen with their latest film, "True Grit."Andrew Garfield also didn't receive the Best Supporting Actor nomination but I feel it was righteously given to John Hawkes for his great work in "Winter's Bone." It's also nice to see Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom) get nominated even though that was definitely expected. Gasland received a Best Documentary nod and I'm extremely happy for that film. So, hopefully this year's Oscars will bring some surprises. It'd be nice to see Colin Firth not win and maybe someone other than Natalie Portman will win. Highly doubtful, but a man can hope can't he? The Oscars air live on ABC, Sunday, February 27th. Red carpet begin at 5:30pm central time and the actual award ceremony begins at 7:00pm central time. Anne Hathaway and James Franco are handling hosting duties.

NOMINEES:

Best Picture

'Black Swan'
'The Fighter'
'Inception'
'The Kids Are All Right'
'The King’s Speech'
'127 Hours'
'The Social Network'
'Toy Story 3'
'True Grit'
'Winter’s Bone'

Best Director

Darren Aronofsky, 'Black Swan'
David O. Russell, 'The Fighter'
Tom Hooper, 'The King's Speech'
David Fincher, 'The Social Network'
Joel and Ethan Coen, 'True Grit'

Best Actor

Javier Bardem, 'Biutiful'
Jeff Bridges, 'True Grit'
Jesse Eisenberg, 'The Social Network'
Colin Firth, 'The King's Speech'
James Franco, '127 Hours'

Best Actress

Annette Bening, 'The Kids Are All Right'
Nicole Kidman, 'Rabbit Hole'
Jennifer Lawrence, 'Winter's Bone'
Natalie Portman, 'Black Swan'
Michelle Williams, 'Blue Valentine'

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale, 'The Fighter'
John Hawkes, 'Winter's Bone'
Jeremy Renner, 'The Town'
Mark Ruffalo, 'The Kids Are All Right'
Geoffrey Rush, 'The King's Speech'

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, 'The Fighter'
Helena Bonham Carter, 'The King's Speech'
Melissa Leo, 'The Fighter'
Hailee Steinfeld, 'True Grit'
Jacki Weaver, 'Animal Kingdom'

Best Animated Feature Film

'How to Train Your Dragon'
'Illusionist'
'Toy Story 3'

Best Foreign Film

Mexico - 'Biutiful'
Greece - 'Dogtooth'
Denmark - 'In a Better World'
Canada - 'Incendies'
Algeria - 'Outside the law'

Best Original Screenplay

'Another Year'
'The Fighter'
'Inception'
'The Kids Are All Right'
'The King's Speech'

Best Adapted Screenplay

'127 Hours'
'The Social Network'
'Toy Story 3'
'True Grit'
'Winter's Bone'

Best Documentary

'Exit Through the Gift Shop'
'Gasland'
'Inside Job'
'Restrepo'
'Waste Land'

Best Film Editing

'Black Swan'
'The Fighter'
'The Kings Speech'
'127 Hours'
'The Social Network'

Three films you need to see!

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 23:52:00 +0000

The year 2010 was not a good year for cinema if all you do is watch mainstream movies. That was the sad but true fact. The summer blockbusters were all disappointing minus "Toy Story 3" and "Inception" but if you knew where to look to find good cinema, independent and lesser known was definitely the way to go. Now, before you start calling me a snob, hear me out. I know not everyone is into independent cinema and I'm content with that fact. But, this year, more than ever before, had some astonishing films that I feel need to be pointing out and more importantly, need to be seen. These films beg to be experienced.

1. Animal Kingdom (Australia)

Directed by: David Michod

Starring: James Frecheville/Guy Pearce/Jackie Weaver/Joel Edgerton/Sam Mendelsohn/Luke Ford

Animal Kingdom is the most perfect piece of gritty family drama to be seen this year. Fuck “The Fighter,” this is where it’s at. David Michod’s feature film debut is the best debut I’ve seen since Brad Anderson’s “Session 9.” A perfect piece of filmmaking that tells the story of 17-year old, Joshua as he becomes involved with his criminal extended family. The main character, played by James Frecheville has a brilliant character growth as he starts the film as this passive, misguided young teenager and eventually learns how to stand on his own. The cast overall is brilliant, but Jackie Weaver’s character turn is something to behold as is Sam Mendelsohn’s menacing portrayal of Uncle Pope. A great film concerning the endless nature of revenge, the strong bonds of loyalty and the struggle in figuring out what's the right thing to do.

2. Dogtooth (Greece)

Directed by: Giorgos Lanthimos

Starring: Christos Stergioglou/Michele Valley/Aggeliki Papouila/Mary Tsoni/Hristo Passalis/Anna Kalaitzidou

If you were misguided to the true meanings of the “real” world, can it be held against you? In the film Dogtooth, we witness how three “children” are overly sheltered by their parents who keep them in the confines of the family home compound and the toll it eventually takes on their innocent and fragile minds. These “children” are not really children as they are in their late teens and early twenties and consist of two girls, who are taught that their private parts are called “keyboards”, and a boy who is allowed to release his sexual urges on a “family friend” without any concerns or obligations to her sexual needs. And yet these three siblings, who are never named, go about their days in a series of childlike play and competitions, often set up by their mother and father for rewards such as for the ownership of the toy planes that supposedly fall out of the sky or the right to choose the next activity for family night. The children are taught to fear the world beyond their high fences as they are told that it is a harsh world that is filled with dangers such as man-eating cats and wouldn’t be ready to face those dangers until their “dogtooth” falls out. The dogtooth or canine teeth are the two teeth on each side in the front that are bluntly sharp, though some people have more sharper, prominent dogteeth than others, a reminder of the savageness of our primitive ancestors.

Not recommended for casual viewing, Dogtooth is a series of serenely deranged portraits of a family who takes over-protective nurturing to the extremes. As bizarre and even flinching as the movie can be, it’s an honest reminder of the primal urges we all have and how the need for individualistic self-expression cannot be denied or contained and will find a way to break free.

3. Never Let Me Go

Directed by: Mark Romanek

Starring: Carey Mulligan/Andrew Garfield/Kiera Knightley/Sally Hawkins

Based on a Kazuo Ishiguro novel, Romanek’s latest film is his first since 2002’s “One Hour Photo.” The underlying story is something that I believe is best kept a secret but what can be said about the film is the amazing work given by Mulligan, Garfield and Knightley. The film perfectly uses the classic three-act structure as it covers three specific sections of the lives of this trio of childhood friends. The film has this timeless quality to it and everything about the movie is subdued and shows an incredible amount of restraint. Our three main characters are such clearly defined people, in the way they were written and especially in the way the actors portray those characters onscreen. Even, the "sci-fi elements" that the film has are presented in such a subtle and even-handed way. The film is a tragic and heartbreaking love story that says a lot about what makes us human and how important life is, that's it's a shame whenever it is wasted away.

It's Official! Hathaway playing Catwoman and Tom Hardy playing Bane!

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 01:40:00 +0000

In a press release today, Warner Bros' officially announced that Anne Hathaway has been cast to portray Catwoman in Christopher Nolan's third and final Batman film, "The Dark Knight Rises." Tom Hardy role's has also been confirmed and the up and coming actor will play Bane. I'm extremely excited to see Nolan's take on Catwoman but Tom Hardy's inclusion in the film is what I'm most giddy about. His character in "Inception" was my favorite part of that film and if you haven't seen him in "Bronson" then what are you waiting for? "The Dark Knight Rises" is set to hit theatres on July 20, 2012.

Golden Globe Award Winners

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 04:19:00 +0000

It was a night absent of any real surprises as far as winners are concerned but overall, it was a thoroughly entertaining telecast anchored by Ricky Gervais' great job as host. The show opened with a great monologue by Gervais and plenty of mean-spirited comments were sprinkled throughout the 3-hour award show. My favorite of which was his closing comment in which he said "I'd love to thank God for making me an atheist."

Here are the list of winners:

Best Picture - Drama:
"The Social Network"

Best Picture - Comedy/Musical:
"The Kids Are All Right"

Best Director:
David Fincher "The Social Network"

Best Screenplay:
Aaron Sorkin "The Social Network
Best Actor - Drama:
Colin Firth "The King's Speech"

Best Actress - Drama:
Natalie Portman "Black Swan"

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical:
Paul Giammati " Paul's Version"

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical:
Annette Bening "The Kids Are All Right"

Best Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale "The Fighter"

Best Supporting Actress:
Melissa Leo "The Fighter"

Best Animated Feature:
"Toy Story 3"

Best Foreign Film:
"In A Better World" from Denmark

For a full list of winners, go here:
http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/

First look at "Hangover 2"

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 22:05:00 +0000

Our first look at Todd Phillip's "The Hangover 2" was released today. The film takes places in Thailand and centers around Stu's wedding. The pic reveals Ed Helms sporting a Tyson-esque face tattoo, Zack Galifianakis with a killer crew cut and a monkey wearing a Rolling Stones jean vest. The films opens nationwide on May 26th. Hopefully, they'll be able to recapture the magic of the original.

Critic's Choice Awards' Winners

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 04:41:00 +0000

I was flipping the channels on the tele this evening and I was pleasantly surprised that the Critic's Choice Awards were being broadcast live on VH1. The telecast was very straight and to the point. It was a nice, tight 2-hour show that offered sparse thrills and minor frills but was nevertheless, enjoyable. Some of the better points of the show was the Music+Film Award that was given to Quentin Tarantino for his brilliant use of music throughout his filmography. Also, Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon ripping on each other was quite amusing. I also loved the fact that the nominations included the Best Young Actor/Actress category, as this was a highlight year for the youngsters.

Here are some of the key winners, which for the most part I agreed with:

Best Picture:

The Social Network

Best Actor:

Colin Firth for "The King's Speech"

Best Actress:

Natalie Portman for "The Black Swan"

Best Supporting Actor:

Christian Bale for "The Fighter"

Best Supporting Actress:

Melissa Leo for "The Fighter"

Best Acting Ensemble:

The cast of "The Fighter"

Best Young Actor/Actress:

Hailee Steinfield for "True Grit"

Best Director:

David Fincer for "The Social Network"

Best Original Screenplay:
David Seidler for "The King's Speech"

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Aaron Sorkin for "The Social Network"

For the full list of winners, go here:
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/01/critics-choice-awards-2011-winners-the-social-network-inception-the-fighter-win-big.html

Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man Revealed

thefilmclubpodcast@gmail.com (Jason Cartagena) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:42:00 +0000

Yesterday, a new image of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man was revealed. I think the costume looks super sweet and I'm up for a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. Although, it's something that Hollywood is doing far too often (rebooting franchises). I was never a Spider-Man fan and I feel like Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are a huge step up from Tobey Maquire and Kirsten Dunst. What do you all think of the new look?

Here's the new pic: