Doctor Popcorn

Official Full Length Tron Legacy Trailer

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:24:00 +0000

Disney are back with another, better trailer for Tron Legacy. Check it out. It features new Oscar winner Jeff Bridges, who was also in the original Tron.

Watch the trailer below. It is one of the better trailers I’ve seen recently.

Tron Legacy will hits cinemas at the end of the year.

Kick-Ass Character Posters

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:06:00 +0000

I don’t feel like writing today so I’m just gonna post up some cool posters from the upcoming superhero/comedy film, Kick-Ass, based on the graphic novel. Enjoy!

Kick-Ass gets an April 16 release here but I won’t be surprised if it gets pulled from distribution here in Malaysia. It is, after all, an R-rated movie. Even if it does get shown here, I doubt it would be worth ten bucks to go see in the theaters.

2010 Oscar Winners

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:51:00 +0000

Here is the full list of Oscar nominees and winners of each category:

Best Supporting Actor:

Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Best Animated Feature Film:

Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of the Kells
Up

Best Original Song:

“Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog
“Down in New Orleans” from The Princess and the Frog
“Loin de Paname” from Paris 36
“Take It All” from Nine
“The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart

Best Original Screenplay:

Mark Boal - The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds
Oren Moverman and - The Messenger
Joel and Ethan Coen - A Serious Man
Pete Docter and Bob Peterson - Up

Best Animated Short:

French Roast
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death

Best Documentary Short:

China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit à la Berlin

Best Live-Action Short:

The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants

Best Make-up:

Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Neill Blomkamp and - District 9
Nick Hornby - An Education
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche - In the Loop
Geoffrey Fletcher - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner - Up in the Air

Best Supporting Actress:

Penelope Cruz - Nine
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal - Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Mo’Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

Best Art Direction

Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

Best Costume Design:

Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria

Best Sound Editing:

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Pixar’s Up

Best Sound Mixing:

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Best Cinematography:

Maurio Fiore - Avatar
Bruno Delbonnel - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Barry Ackroyd - The Hurt Locker
Robert Richardson - Inglourious Basterds
Christian Berger - The White Ribbon

Best Original Score:

James Horner - Avatar
Alexandre Desplat - Fantastic Mr. Fox
Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders - The Hurt Locker
Hans Zimmer - Sherlock Holmes
Michael Giacchino - Pixar’s Up

Best Visual Effects:

Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

Best Documentary Feature:

Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America
Which Way Home

Best Film Editing:

Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron - Avatar
Julian Clarke - District 9
Bob Murawski and Chris Innis - The Hurt Locker
Sally Menke - Inglourious Basterds
Joe Klotz - Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Best Foreign Language Film:

Ajami - Israel
El Secreto de sus Ojos - Argentina
The Milk of Sorrow - Peru
Un Prophéte - France
The White Ribbon - Germany

Best Actor:

Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

Best Actress:

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

Best Director:

Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar
Lee Daniels - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

Best Picture:

Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

What I'm happy with:

Best Supporting Actor: Cristoph Waltz
I thought he thoroughly deserved the win for that excellent performance in Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'nique
Again, Mo'nique thoroughly deserves this Oscar. She will never play another role this well again in her life. You have to watch Precious just for her performance in the film.

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Although this movie may seem small and insignificant in comparison to Avatar, it takes nothing away from the quality of this movie, which ultimately gave it this win. I have always liked The Hurt Locker, ever since I saw it and reviewed it- here.

What I'm not happy with:

Best Original Screenplay: The Hurt Locker
Sure The Hurt Locker had an excellent screenplay and would deserve this win any other year. But it was in the same category as Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece Inglourious Basterds. I just think Basterds had a far more superior story than The Hurt Locker and I'm just a little disappointed it didn't win.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Precious
I just think Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell did a better job with District 9 and should have take this award home for their efforts.

Best Visual Effects: Avatar

Yeah, yeah. Stop gasping. I wasn't blown away by Avatar's visual effects. Not that I'm saying it wasn't anywhere near game-changing for cinema, because it was. I'm just saying I connected more and got more out of the effects in District 9. And when we talk about bang for buck, District 9 (budget: $30 million) blows Avatar (budget: $250-300 million) out of the water.

Well, congratulations to Kathryn Bigelow and The Hurt Locker people for racking up a total of six out of a possible six Academy Awards. I thought they really deserved each and every one of them. I am, after all, team Hurt Locker, no matter what people say about Avatar.

Source: /Film

Iron Man 2 Trailer #2

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:28:00 +0000

The first Iron Man 2 trailer premiered almost three months ago and it's about time the second one came out. Here it is on YouTube after it premiered on the Jimmy Kimmel show.

In this one, there a lot less humor but we see a lot more action with the suit. Whiplash gets more screen time in this trailer and we see Nick Fury once again. Also, we get to see more of James 'Rhodey' Rhodes/War Machine, played by Don Cheadle.

The end sequence of the trailer is the best part, so watch til the end! Enjoy!

Iron Man 2 hits our screens April 30, a whole week before the USA. Woohoo!

10 Movies That Made My 2009

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 10:36:00 +0000

In 2008, I talked about my favorite movies of the year. It's only apt that I continue in that vein this year and talk about the 10 movies that were my favorites of 2009. The following movies are ranked based on multiple factors like how much I enjoyed the movie and how good I thought the movie was.

Also, it's important to bear in mind that I'm making this list without having seen many movies that would make this list if I had seen them. If that even makes sense. For example, I have yet to see Up, Avatar, A Serious Man, Crazy Heart, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call- New Orleans, Precious, Up In The Air and (500) Days Of Summer. I will eventually watch those movies but until then, shall we get started on the movies I did watch last year? Let's go!

The following content contains spoilers.

#10. The Hangover

The Hangover has definitely got to be the comedy of the year. It may be a little bit stupid but it’s amazingly funny as hell thanks to a good plot and a great cast. If you have not seen this, you have to see it.

#9. Star Trek

What made Star Trek such a good movie was the fact that it not only was a film for the Trekkies but also for the general public. Also, I thought the performances by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto were top notch. Has this movie turned me into a Star Trek fan? No it has not. But it definitely makes me anxious to catch the next J.J. Abrams directed Star Trek. Check out my Star Trek review right here.

#8. Knowing

This film might not be on many people’s lists, but it’s on mine because I was too blind to see the twist at the end of the movie. In the end it really took my by surprised and gave me all the more reason to love this movie. This may not be a very good movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you want to check out my full review of this film, click here.

#7. Moon

2009 was a year for sci-fi lovers with movies like Star Trek, Avatar and District 9. Another sci-fi gem to come out of 2009 was Moon. This is a one man show and is carried on the shoulders of Sam Rockwell and his incredible performance. I really believe he deserves an Oscar nomination. Seriously, check this film out.

#6. Adventureland

Adventureland is really sweet and funny in parts. But the best thing about the movie is how it hit home with me and how it has the ability to connect with you on so many different levels. Unfortunately, Kristen Stewart’s performance was no where up to par with the rest of the cast, especially Jesse Eisenberg’s and Martin Starr’s. But that doesn’t take much away from an excellent movie.

#5. District 9

What Neill Blomkamp did with District 9 blew minds, mine included. The visual and sound effects in the movie were just incredible considering the budget for the film. Not only do the visuals hit you really hard but the story is so compelling it drags you in emotionally and you start to really feel for the main character Wikus van der Merwe along with the Prawns. Check out my review of District 9 here.

#4. The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker was, without a doubt, the most intense and riveting film I saw in 2009. Everything, right down to the nerves and danger, felt so real. Ultimately, in a war movie, that’s what you want. And The Hurt Locker definitely delivers in that regard. Also, great performance by Jeremy Renner. Check out my short review of the movie here.

#3. Watchmen

I’m not a comic book fan so I had never heard of Watchmen before the movie. So I had no expectations coming into the movie. I absolutely adored the movie and am glad I watched the movie without having read the graphic novel. If I had read the novel first, I would not have enjoyed and appreciated the movie for how good it was. I was also glad the movie was rated R because it would not have worked any other way. All in all, Watchmen had an awesome gritty and compelling look to it. I got so much satisfaction from watching it. Check out my review of the movie here.

#2. Zombieland

Producing so many laughs and also delivering satisfying zombie gore and violence makes Zombieland one hell of a zombie movie. That aside, the performances from Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin and Woody Harrelson only made this movie better. The cameo by Bill Murray was amazing. 2009 could have very well been Jesse Eisenberg’s break out year with his success with the two ‘land’ movies and landing the role of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. At the end of the day, Zombieland proved to be the most enjoyable and entertaining movie of 2009.

#1. Inglourious Basterds

I simply adored Inglourious Basterds. Everything about it was right. The opening sequence to the movie is just about the best opening to any movie out there. And I loved how the film had few action scenes but had plenty of controlled, intense one-on-one conversations scenes. Brad Pitt did an excellent job, as usual, but not as excellent as Christoph Waltz who made such a believable and epic villain in the film. This film, I think, is Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece and will last for a long time.

Special Mentions

The following are a few movies I liked but could not find space for in my top 10.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The 6th installment to the franchise was arguably the best of all 6 so far and one of the best movies of 2009. Tom Felton gives a stand out performance and the plot of the 6th book really gets transformed well for the silver screen. Read my review here.

Drag Me To Hell

Drag Me To Hell was not only scary and terrifying but also quite good fun. The sense of humor meshed in with the terror did great for the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a fun movie. Check out my review here.

Paranormal Activity

Paranormal Activity was probably the success story of the last year, if not the decade. It was so simplistic, yet genuinely scary. A well made movie considering it was made for only $11,000.

Let The Right One In

OK so this movie might not have been made or released in 2009 but I saw it in 2009, so sue me. I was so impressed with this Swedish movie about 12-year old kids, one of which is a vampire. If you’re looking for brilliant child acting, Let The Right One In is the movie for you. This movie takes you on an emotional ride among other things and I implore you to get your hands on this movie before Hollywood remakes it and releases Let Me In this year.

So that’s that. I hope all of you had a great 2009 and here’s to hoping 2010 will be even better, both in the movie world and otherwise.

Happy New Year!

Cinema 2009: A Year's Worth Of Movies In Just 7 Minutes

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:33:00 +0000

Almost a whole year ago, I shared with you guys an amazing video called 2008: A Tribute To The Movies, which was a compilation video of short clips from movies in 2008. This year, the same guy who did last year's video, Kees van Dijkhuizen, has made yet another compilation video for the movies in 2009. Amazing stuff with amazing music to back it up.

1 Year, 342 Movies, 12 Months of Production, 7 Minutes.
2009 proved that innovation is rewarded, and for that reason, I've decided no film should be left behind. I've nearly tripled the amount of footage used in 2008: A Tribute To The Movies.

Music:

'Malabar Front' by If These Trees Could Talk remains courtesy of If These Trees Could Talk, ® 2006.
'Death' by White Lies remains courtesy of Polydor Ltd. (UK), ® 2008.
'Crying Lightning' by Arctic Monkeys remains courtesy of Domino Records, ® 2009.
'1901' by Phoenix remains courtesy of Ghettoblaster under Exclusive Licence to V2 Records, ® 2009.
'Wake Up' by Arcade Fire remains courtesy of Rough Trade, ® 2005.

Source: /Film, keesvdijkhuizen

New Red Band Kick-Ass Trailer Featuring Hit-Girl Is Nothing But Kick-Ass!

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:20:00 +0000

One of my most anticipated movies of the next year, Kick-Ass has a new trailer featuring one of it’s characters, Hit-Girl, played by Chloe Moretz. If you want to check out the first trailer, here it is.

This is a red band trailer so be ready for a lot of violence and some profanity, all from a 12-year old girl. Check it out.

The Karate Kid Remake Trailer

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:33:00 +0000

Being a huge fan of the original The Karate Kid, the remake doesn't please me all that much. First off, the new Mr. Miyagi is Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is not even Japanese. Which brings us to where the movie is set- Beijing, China. And yet, the movie is still called The KARATE Kid. For a while, the title of the film was The Kung-Fu Kid, which would be more appropriate but it just wouldn't be right either. Also, the new Daniel Larusso is Dre Parker, played by Will Smith's son, Jaden Smith who's so small and scrawny he looks like he could barely kill a fly. At the end of the day, this film just should not be made.

It might be very evident I don't agree with the making of this film. But in any case, the first trailer is out. And I really don't like it. Check it out for yourself below.

The trailer begins with Smith’s character, Dre, reluctantly moving to China with his mother, played by Taraji P. Henson. Dre meets a girl, there’s a schoolyard tussle, and then Jackie Chan comes in to save the day. You pretty much know the rest of the plot already — Chan trains Dre in martial arts, who must eventually face his bully in a tournament.

The movie hits Malaysian theaters June 10, 2010.

Source: /Film

Opening This Week: Sherlock Muallaf The Squeakquel

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:17:00 +0000

This week we have a Guy Ritchie film, a Yasmin Ahmad film and movie about talking chipmunks. Yippee! Let's get into, shall we?

Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Director: Guy Ritchie
USA release: December 25
Malaysia release: December 24
Genre: Crime, Action, Mystery, Thriller
Runtime: 2 Hours 8 Minutes
Rated in USA: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material
Rated in Malaysia: PG-13
See what people on Twitter are saying about Sherlock Holmes

In a dynamic new portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous characters, Sherlock Holmes sends Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Jude Law) on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

I've always been a fan of Robert Downey Jr. and Guy Ritchie, so I can't be more excited to see this film. But I'm afraid Downey Jr.'s British accent is a little sketchy. If you're a big fan of Sherlock Holmes, you might find this iteration a little unfamiliar. Having said that, I hope Guy Ritchie did a good job. Watch this if you like Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) or Robert Downey Jr.

Muallaf (2008)
Cast: Ning Baizura, Sharifah Aleysha, Sharifah Amani, Brian Yap, Yeo Yann Yann
Director: Yasmin Ahmad
Malaysia release: December 24
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
Rated in Malaysia: 18PL
See what people on Twitter are saying about Muallaf

Two Malaysian sisters, Rohani and Rohana, run away from home to escape their wealthy father’s mistreatment. They find refuge in a small town where they get to know Brian Goh, a young Catholic schoolteacher. Brian is irresistibly attracted to the two girls. Impressed by their extraordinary courage in the face of adversity, their relationship forces him to confront the ghosts of his own childhood. Director Yasmin Ahmad explores the possibilities of emotional survival after being traumatised by loved ones. Through the wanderings of three lost souls who band together and console one another, Muallaf celebrates friendship, forgiveness, and the coming to terms with the past.

More than a year after this Malaysian-made film hit film festivals in Switzerland, Japan and South Korea, as well as getting released in our neighbors Singapore, Muallaf finally comes full circle and will be released here in Malaysia. Muallaf is the last film ever made by renowned Malaysian filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad before she tragically passed away earlier this year. Finally being granted permission to show here in Malaysia, Muallaf has been greeted with good reviews, so far, from the few people who have seen it. If you like Yasmin Ahmad's other films, Rabun, Sepet, Gubra, Mukhsin and Talentime, you'll most probably like Muallaf. And I would think that you would need to have a relatively open-minded approach when going into this movie.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)
Cast: Jason Lee, Jesse McCartney, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Anna Faris, Amy Poehler
Director: Betty Thomas
USA release: December 23
Malaysia release: December 24
Genre: Comedy, Family, Animation
Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
Rated in USA: PG for some mild rude humor
Rated in Malaysia: U
See what people on Twitter are saying about Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

In the Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakuel, pop sensations Alvin, Simon and Theodore end up in the care of Dave Seville's twenty-something nephew Toby (Zachary Levi). The boys must put aside music superstardom to return to school, and are tasked with saving the school's music program by winning the US$25,000 prize in a battle of the bands. But the Chipmunks unexpectedly meet their match in three singing chipmunks known as "The Chipettes" - Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette. Romantic and musical sparks are ignited when the Chipmunks and Chipettes square off.

Hmmm, I don't know why but I have absolutely no interest in seeing this movie whatsoever. Even for the chipettes. If you're a kid, at heart or otherwise, please disregard what I just said and watch the movie. =)

Sources: Cinema Online, IMDb

Iron Man 2 Trailer!

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:30:00 +0000

Yes, the trailer is out. But it's not on YouTube yet so we will have to make due with Trailer Addict for now. It loads slow but wait for it to load the whole way. It is so worth it. The trailer is epic. Check it out below.

UPDATE: I've got the YouTube trailer. In HD! Enjoy.

Whiplash Iron Man 2 Poster

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:04:00 +0000

You can check out the other two Iron Man 2 posters here and here. And as I wait for the trailer to load on Trailer Addict before I post it up on my blog, here is the third Iron Man 2 poster, featuring Mickey Rourke’s character, Whiplash.

Christopher Nolan’s Inception Gets A Poster

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:19:00 +0000

Right after The Dark Knight, rumors were rife about Chris Nolan’s plans for Batman 3 and bla bla bla. But then it was announced he would first work on an entirely different project featuring Michael Caine (Alfred in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) along with my favorite leading man, Leonardo DiCaprio, Academy Award-winner Marion Cotillard and genius actress Ellen Page of Juno. A few other names in the movie include Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy. All that, and you get Inception, a movie that is said to play with minds and dreams. In other words, my kind of movie. =)

Simply put, out of all the movies coming out next year- Iron Man 2, bla bla bla, I am most excited for Inception. For me, this is the movie to look out for. If the names I mentioned above aren’t enough, check out the teaser trailer for yourself right here. And now, we have a poster.

There’s something brilliant about this poster, other than the fact that it is awesome on its own. Does it look familiar? Does it look like another very famous poster? Does it look like this poster down here?

How amazing is that right? ~~The Dark Knight~~ Inception gets a July 15, 2010 release.

The film’s logline is “a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind.” The rumored plot claims “Inception is about entering peoples’ minds/dreams. A technology to do so has been developed and is done through an injection. DiCaprio and his team work to enter the minds of other characters in order to retrieve/plant information.”

Source: /Film

Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood Trailer Is Pretty Epic

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:41:00 +0000

So Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe have teamed up once more to bring the legendary tale of Robin Hood to the silver screen. They are joined by a stellar cast which includes the likes of Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett Mark Strong, William Hurt. Kevin Durand, Alan Doyle, and Scott Grimes.

Check out the trailer below.

Is it just me or does heavy metal music make trailers a lot more epic? Robin Hood hits Malaysian screens May 13, 2010.

In 13th century England, Robin Hood (Russell Crowe) and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power. And whether thief or hero, one man from humble beginnings will become an eternal symbol of freedom for his people.

Robin Hood chronicles the life of an expert archer, previously interested only in self-preservation, from his service in King Richard’s army against the French. Upon Richard’s death, Robin travels to Nottingham, a town suffering from the corruption of a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation, where he falls for the spirited widow Lady Marion (Cate Blanchett), a woman skeptical of the identity and motivations of this crusader from the forest. Hoping to earn the hand of Maid Marion and salvage the village, Robin assembles a gang whose lethal mercenary skills are matched only by its appetite for life. Together, they begin preying on the indulgent upper class to correct injustices under the sheriff.

With their country weakened from decades of war, embattled from the ineffective rule of the new king and vulnerable to insurgencies from within and threats from afar, Robin and his men heed a call to ever greater adventure. This unlikeliest of heroes and his allies set off to protect their country from slipping into bloody civil war and return glory to England once more.

Source: /Film

2010 Golden Globe Nominations Announced

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:42:00 +0000

So it’s that time of year once more where there will be plenty of talk of ‘award-worthy’ movies. We are of course, in the process of building up to the 2010 Awards season, culminating at the Academy Awards. The nominations for the Oscars’ little brother, the Golden Globes, as it were, have just been announced and you can check them out below.

Best Motion Picture — Drama

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama

Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sadibe, Precious

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
Julia Roberts, Duplicity

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Mo-Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Best Animated Feature Film

Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Up

Best Foreign Language Film

Barria
Broken Embraces
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
The Maid

Best Director — Motion Picture

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Best Screenplay — Motion Picture

Up in the Air
It’s Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds

Best Original Score — Motion Picture

Michael Giacchino, Up
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Original Song — Motion Picture

“I Will See You,” Avatar
“The Weary Kind,” The Crazy Heart
“Winter,” Brothers
“Cinema Italiano,” Nine
“I Want to Come Home,” Everybody’s Fine

Best Television Series – Drama

Big Love (HBO)
Dexter (Showtime)
House (FOX)
Mad Men (AMC)
True Blood (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Glenn Close, Damages
January Jones, Mad Men
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Anna Paquin, True Blood
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Simon Baker, The Mentalist
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Bill Paxton, Big Love

Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical

30 Rock (NBC)
Entourage (HBO)
Glee (FOX)
Modern Famiy (ABC)
The Office (NBC)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical

Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Courtney Cox, Cougar Town
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Lea Michele, Glee

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical

Alex Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
David Duchovny, Californication
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matthew Morrison, Glee

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Georgia O-Keeffe (Lifetime Television)
Grey Gardens (HBO)
Into The Storm (HBO)
Little Dorrit (PBS)
Taking Chance (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Joan Allen, Georgia O’Keeffe
Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
Anna Paquin, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Endgame
Brendan Gleeson, Into The Storm
Jeremy Irons, Georgia O’Keeffe

Best Peformance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Jane Adams, Hung
Rose Byrne, Damages
Jane Lynch, Glee
Janet McTeer, Into The Storm
Chloe Sevigny, Big Love

Best Peformance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Michael Emerson, Lost
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
William Hurt, Damages
John Lithgow, Dexter
Jeremy Piven, Entourage

As far as I know, movies that have a lot of critical buzz around it at the moment are The Hurt Locker, Brothers, Precious, Up in the Air and A Serious Man. I haven’t watched most of these movies. But I definitely will get around to it before the Awards season and try to give my opinions on them. Until then, mark your calendar for January 17th, 2010, which is when the Golden Globes will be airing.

Source: ScreenRant

Second Clash of the Titans Trailer is Awesome

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:27:00 +0000

Just about a month ago, I posted the first Clash of the Titans trailer. I thought that was epic enough. But the second trailer blows the first one completely out of the water. It's amazing. Check it out for yourself below.

Clash of the Titans follows Perseus and his quest to battle Medusa and the Kraken in order to save the Princess Andromeda.

The film hits American theaters March 26, 2010. No news on Malaysian distribution just yet.

Source: /Film

Opening This Week: Avatar

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:02:00 +0000

Yes, I am back and hopefully gonna get my movie blogging mojo back on track. Expect lots of updates coming soon. But I think I shall start things off with previewing one of the most talked about non-summer movie of the year- James Cameron's Avatar.

Avatar (2009)
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Director: James Cameron
USA release: December 18, 2009
Malaysia release: December 17,2009
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure, Thriller
Runtime: 2 Hours 43 Minutes
Rated in USA: PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking
Rated in Malaysia: PG-13
IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
See what the early buzz surrounding Avatar is like on Twitter

Avatar is an emotional journey of redemption and revolution. The story tells of a wounded ex-marine, who thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, and eventually crosses over to lead an indigenous race in a battle for survival. Thus, combining the elements of massive spectacle and intimate character that made James Cameron's Titanic the highest grossing film of all time.

So the hype around James Cameron's Avatar has been slowly growing from super secret Sci-Fi project to "biggest movie of the year" status. Despite the movie being released worldwide later this week, quite a few people have already seen Avatar and most of them are raving about it. To read some of the early Twitter reactions, check out this /Film article. When the first trailer was released I wasn't really excited for the movie but the early buzz has picked my enthusiasm for the film back up and I'm ready to be blown away by the 'revolutionary' 3-D and CG effects. Seriously cannot wait for the movie.

Sources: IMDb, Cinema Online, Rotten Tomatoes

New Iron Man 2 Poster!

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Only just two days ago, we got the first official poster for Iron Man 2, featuring War Machine. Now in the 2nd poster, we get an unmasked Tony Stark in the Iron Man suit. Awesome. Check it out below.

First Official Iron Man 2 Teaser Poster featuring War Machine

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:50:00 +0000

Omg, omg, omg, omg. Check out the first teaser poster for next summer’s Iron Man 2. I don’t think anyone saw this coming but the poster very clearly features War Machine, James Rhodes’ (Don Cheadle) metal suited alter-ego. Check out the EPIC poster in all its glory below.

Iron Man 2 hits theaters here April 30th, 2010 here in Malaysia, a whole week before America.

Iron Man 2 Cover of Empire Magazine

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:26:00 +0000

Just wanted to share this with you guys. Very cool!

Iron Man 2 hits theaters May 7, 2010.

Kick-Ass Trailer is…well…kick-ass.

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:49:00 +0000

I know this trailer is long overdue and nothing has been going up on this blog. But for people who haven’t seen this trailer, you need to see it. So here it is. Enjoy.

Star Trek Gag Reel

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:15:00 +0000

I know I haven't been posting anything of late but in my defense, I've been terribly busy with work and college. Actually no, I've just been lazy. But that aside, here is a hilarious video I saw on /Film which features bloopers from this summer's Star Trek. The video will be included in the Blu-Ray version of the movie. But you can check it out below.

Back with Clash of the Titans Teaser Trailer

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:43:00 +0000

So I’ve been missing lately and there have been a lack of posts and a lot of exciting stuff has happened in that time so I will try to post up as much as I can. Starting of with the teaser trailer for Clash of the Titans, starring Sam Worthington of Terminator Salvation and Avatar fame. The film also features other names like Gemma Arterton, who’s next film will be alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, as well as Liam Neeson who has just been cast in The A-Team remake and Ralph Fiennes, better known as Lord Voldemort.

Check out the teaser embedded below.

Clash of the Titans follows Perseus and his quest to battle Medusa and the Kraken in order to save the Princess Andromeda.

The film hits American theaters March 26, 2010. No news on Malaysian distribution just yet.

Trailer for The Fourth Kind is Incredibly CREEPY!

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:40:00 +0000

This trailer isn’t actually new but I decided to share it with you guys because I saw it for the first time when I was doing 8TV Nite Live last night and to be completely honest with you, I was so freaking creeped out of my mind and I was genuinely frightened. Not many trailers do this to me but this one did. Another one would be the Paranormal Activity trailer which you can see here.

Anyway, here it is. Be prepared to not sleep soundly tonight.

“A UFO sighting is referred to as an encounter of the first kind…When evidence is collected, it is known as an encounter of the second kind…Contact with extraterrestrials, is an encounter of the third kind… The next level, abduction, is the fourth kind. This encounter has been the most difficult to document… Until now.”

Starring Milla Jovovich and based on “actual case studies”, The Fourth Kind hits Malaysian theaters this Thursday.

First Trailer for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:23:00 +0000

The first time I saw Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan, I almost puked in my mouth. But now that I’ve seen the trailer, things are looking up. First off, I think he manages to pulls off the British accent and he does all the action-ey stuff with a lot of pazzaz. Actually, I didn't even know Persians spoke with British accents. =p

As for other parts of the trailer, I thought every thing was brilliant. If the movie is even remotely as good as the game it’s based off, we’ll be in for a great treat come the release of the film. With the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise looking very bleak, Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer are looking for another franchise to make serious box office for them. And they just might have made it with Prince of Persia. You’ve got to admit the trailer was very Pirates-esque. Just look at the similarities so far- tons of huge action sequences; hints of comedy here and there; charismatic lead actor/character that will have all the girl’s will go GAGA.

In any case, the trailer is a very good one. As for the movie, we’ll just have to wait and see. Here’s the trailer embedded below. Enjoy!

From the team that brought the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy to the big screen, Walt Disney Pictures, director of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Mike Newell and Jerry Bruckheimer Films present Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, an epic action-adventure set in the mystical lands of Persia. A rogue prince (Jake Gyllenhaal) reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess (Gemma Arterton) and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

Set in the mystical lands of Persia, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is an epic action-adventure about a rogue prince (Jake Gyllenhaal) and a mysterious princess (Gemma Arterton) who race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time hits theaters next summer.

Review of Michael Jackson’s This Is It

michael.campton@yahoo.com (Mike Campton) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:27:00 +0000

All thanks to Sony Pictures, Nigel and Kel Li, I managed to catch the premiere of Michael Jackson’s This Is It on Wednesday night and here is my brief review of the film.

There isn’t much to review with this movie, simply because it’s one huge music video with no plot and direction. I must say Kenny Ortega and Sony did a really good job in editing the film considering it all came from over 100 hours of raw footage. It must have been one of the most tedious post-productions of any movie ever.

Another thing Ortega did well was to keep the interviews to a minimum and letting the performance of MJ make the movie. However, the dialogue in between the performances were just as entertaining, intriguing and captivating as MJ’s dance moves. In was really wonderful to get a small glimpse into how MJ worked, being a perfectionist and all as well as to see how others worked with him.

At the end of the day, the movie does what it is supposed to- it entertains the inner MJ fan in all of us. I whole-heartedly enjoyed this film just for it’s content alone. I found myself bobbing my head and thumping my foot throughout the entire film. Having said that, I enjoyed the film thoroughly just because I enjoy Michael Jackson’s movie. I’m afraid to say that a person who doesn’t quite enjoy MJ’s work, will definitely not enjoy this movie.

So just like I Tweeted, I’m going to tell you to rush out to see this movie if you’ve ever enjoyed any of Michael Jackson’s music or dance moves. Make sure you stay until the end of the credits. There is a little sumthin’ sumthin’.

So, yeah. This Is It.

RIP MJ.