Obsessed With Film

KICK-ASS test screens in London and the review is… erm…. KICK-ASS!!!!!

Matt Holmes — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:06:45 +0000

Two separate reviews have hit AICN from a test screening that took place in London earlier this week for Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass, and the word is it's amazing. Here's the reviews, inter-cut with new character one-sheets that Lionsgate have released over at IGN, which I believe to be the first official posters released for the film anywhere. Can we expect a trailer soon? DK Mode's glowing review first... I just got back from the Arclight Screening of "Kick-Ass." I'll make this pretty quick. I've seen a lot of screenings, but I've never felt compelled to write in with any reviews. Until now. This is by far the best comic book movie I have ever seen. Or maybe it's just the most entertaining comic-book movie I have ever seen. It feels like a mixture of Batman Begins (it's an origin story about a powerless hero in a realistic, super-hero free world), Superbad (a coming-of-age teen angst tale with hilarious nerd banter- and the McLovin guy), and The Professional (there's an off-beat, obsessive master-assassin teaching a foul-mouthed, smart-ass young girl how to "hit"). And maybe a little bit Zombieland (with the dry, irreverent voice-over narrative from the film's socially-awkward hero). And maybe let's throw in ... Related posts:

Matt watches JIMMY CARR: TELLING JOKES until he cries with laughter!

Matt Holmes — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:22:39 +0000

The P.R. people behind the annual Jimmy Carr stand-up concert DVD, send me a review copy every single year and if I'm being honest, out of all the great Blu-Ray movies that come through my door, I look forward to receiving this DVD almost more than anything else. Jimmy Carr: Telling Jokes is out now, priced at £11.94 at Amazon. I always have a good time with Carr. His jokes are quick-fire one-liners mostly, some of them a little too smart for their own good and delivered so precisely, which so much assuredness that you won't hear laughter until a few seconds later. I.E. - when the audience has actually processed what he has said. But he is an old-school comedian, a guy you feel comfortable with giving such a name-tag because this is what he does. He is a full time, real stand-up comic. With a brand new stand-up show once every year with no recycled material, he simply must be the hardest working comedian in the business today. And he knows it too, and makes a point of the fact during this set. His jokes per minute ratio comes up on the screen and it really does put his peers to shame. So ... Related posts:

Simon visits ZOMBIELAND!!

Simon Gallagher — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:30:07 +0000

The other night I went to a new bar in my home town- the concept behind it (I hate the fact that bars now require concepts) was a 1980s Berlin crackden. I kid you not. So we went, and it turned out to be exactly that- apart from the strewn, drug-addled usual suspects and actual drug paraphenalia I found myself drinking in a shit-hole that seemed to be celebrating the fact that it was clever enough to forget all design necessities. I got exactly what I expected, but I couldn't help but miss the point and feel completely let down. With Zombieland, I was expecting the reverse- my expectations of the film itself missed my hopes for it by a Berlin mile and I was ready to accept a near-miss zom-com that just didnt leave me feeling any particular connection. As a reviewer I see an inordinate amount of poorly made horror films,with zombie flicks rating a definite first in the shit stakes, and it seems harder to make a good back-from-the-dead yarn than a bad one, and far less appealing (I blame it on the so-bad-its-good mind-set that trends in those circles), and I felt a familiar niggling sense of doubt ... Related posts:

Cinetic’s FilmBuff UK Deal Brings The Digital Revolution One Step Closer

Simon Gallagher — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:28:47 +0000

Waiting in my inbox the other day, from gentleman and squire Matt Dentler was the following announcement; one I believe will be of interest to those of you who have already boarded the VOD Express Train... Cinetic Rights Management (CRM) has announced a series of deals with leading video portals for the distribution of content across platforms in the UK. The content will be presented under CRM’s video-on-demand channel FilmBuff. The UK portals include Blinkbox (http://www.blinkbox.com/), Joining the Docs (http://www.joiningthedocs.tv/), and LOVEFiLM (http://www.lovefilm.com/). CRM will begin releasing feature-length, short-form, and episodic content immediately. A number of the titles have already proven to be digital hits stateside through FilmBuff's North American distribution with iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and more. Titles to launch in the UK include: Captured – An acclaimed documentary about controversial New York videographer Clayton Patterson, who documented some of the more turbulent and political moments in recent downtown Manhattan. Google Me – Jim Killeen decides to “google” his own name, and embarks on a journey of self-discovery around the world as he meets other Jim Killeen’s, in this entertainment documentary. (Anyone think someone's been reading Dave Gorman's books? GoogleWhack Adventure and Are You Dave Gorman? combined would probably bear an uncanny resemblance ... Related posts:

Johnny Depp becomes THE TOURIST with Angelina Jolie?

Matt Holmes — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:38:51 +0000

Another switch-a-roo but this one would indicate that The Tourist, now surely an A-list project, won't have any problems finding a male and female audience come the time of it's release in 2011. In a way it's going to become the ultimate date movie. No guy is going to complain about seeing an Angelina Jolie action vehicle with his woman, and every girl of a certain age will flock to see Johnny Depp in a sexy thriller. Put them together and your box office will explode. It's set to the be the biggest on screen male/female pairing since Jolie and Brad Pitt's Mr. and Mrs. Smith earned nearly $500 million worldwide in 2005. Production is set to begin in February... extra security will be needed on sets to keep the hordes away, I'd say. The biggest female star on the planet to team with Hollywood's most popular actor amongst the female demographic. The Tourist is the Hollywood remake of the 2005 French thriller Anthony Zimmer and to say it's had a troubling year of pre-production would be kind, really. Angelina Jolie recently replaced Charlize Theron as the female interpol agent who uses an American tourist (now Depp), so that she can get rid of an ... Related posts:

Danny Boyle to spend 127 HOURS with a guy who cut off his own arm

Matt Holmes — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:42:42 +0000

The subject for Danny Boyle's first post-Oscar movie will be the extraordinary depths of the human spirit as Variety say he will next film climber Aron Ralston's story, a young guy who made the headlines in 2003 when he cut off his own arm to survive after six days of being trapped under an 800 pound boulder during a lone hike in Utah. His weapon of choice; a large swiss army knife!! Ralston, with one arm left and the other broken, after nearly a week without food, with barely any water or sleep... then had to rappel down a 65-foot sheer wall and hike out of the canyon in the hot midday sun to safety. Boyle teams with Fox Searchlight, and the movie will be titled 127 Hours. In what will surely be a great platform for a young actor to grab the opportunity of a lifetime to win an Oscar, Boyle is said to have challenged Ryan Gosling to take the part. Gosling is 28, Ralston was 27 during the ordeal. What an opportunity for Gosling, Oscar nominated for Half Nelson in 2007 and who has had a tough time in Hollywood since, a high profile firing on the set of ... Related posts:

Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin to co-host Oscars 2010

Matt Holmes — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:42:16 +0000

Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin will host next year's Oscar ceremony it's been announced. Not a pairing I imagine anyone could have come up with before today, but one that is kind of interesting/kind of exciting and not only that, it's kind of in the comfort zone of putting on an familiar and fitted pair of gloves (Martin) and kind of a new, rebellious sweater (Baldwin). The choice doesn't have the WOW surprise factor that Hugh Jackman's did last year, but I think it's still an experimental step in the right direction for the Academy. One would presume that Martin and Baldwin will play at hating each other, and trying to win the one up-manship all night long with dry, witty and to the bone insults. My only concern when people were pitching the name Steve Martin during the suggestions phase was a question a friend put to me a few years ago (sadly it's still relevant)... when was the last time he made you laugh? When was the last time Steve Martin was funny? Think about it for a second or two. It's kind of scary to think how far back it was. It's the first time more than one person has hosted the Oscars since ... Related posts:

Williamson gives a SCREAM 4 update

Matt Holmes — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:51:07 +0000

Things have changed quite significantly with Scream 4 over the past couple of months. The change of tactics came when Neve Campbell took a big U-Turn and decided her career could do with an exposure boost by agreeing to return, setting up a situation that is very reminiscent of the Ghostbusters 3 reunion, where the new film will act as a passing of the torch flick. The old gang from the movies past, and the new gang who will straddle up and push the franchise forward for the next five years. No longer will it just be small supporting cameos from David Arquette and Courtney Cox-Arquette, this has now become a movie where Arquette, Cox and Campbell have a much larger part in a bigger ensemble. Is the favourable money on all three of the Scream trilogy's main characters croaking in the new film? Williamson explained to MTV... "The fourth one is an ensemble. It'll take place right now, 10 years later, and it's going to take place in [Sidney Prescott's hometown of] Woodsboro. We'll have our three main characters, and we'll be introducing several more. We'll also be introducing a little group, a little ensemble of new castmembers. That'll take us through the next three." Williamson, the ... Related posts:

PRINCE OF PERSIA trailer online but it’s kinda hard to stomach

Matt Holmes — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:18:33 +0000

Oh dear Lord - this looks all kinds of terrible. The official trailer for next May's Disney tentpole Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the adaptation of the much loved video game franchise that we all hoped would end the rot of "games to film" translations is online and viewable below. Sadly, this one ain't going to be the game changer we hoped it would. First off... who the hell chose Gemma Arterton to be the narrator of this movie when you have such fine talkers as Alfred Molina and Ben Kingsley? Her annoying, "can't you tell I'm reading from a script" monotone voice is the most irritating I've heard for a feature film in some time. Her narration just goes on... and on.... and on... and on, like some kind of whiny eight year old. She is just like a video game narrator, telling you all the rules of the universe and giving you a GPS like navigation into all the things you have to do to move onto the next level. And Mike Newell, what's with your direction buddy? He has literally translated what the game feels like to play onto the big screen. The introduction shot of Jake Gyllenhaal ... Related posts:

TERMINATOR franchise is up for sale

Matt Holmes — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:23:44 +0000

It's times like this I wish I was a billionaire, seriously. With all the Blu-Ray DVDs I want to buy, the fact that my football team Newcastle United can be bought for £100 million, and now a much smaller figure would buy me the rights to make any kind of Terminator picture I wanted? Jeez, I need to gets me a sugar daddy! November 2009 will prove to be a significant month in the shaping of the future of one of the biggest franchises in cinema as the Halcyon Co. are to auction off the rights to the Terminator franchise to the highest bidder. Disappointed, disinterested and out of pocket by Terminator Salvation (a pathetic $120 million domestic for a Terminator movie starring Christian Bale) the Halcyon Co. have said enough is enough. They have lost faith in a franchise they had hoped when they purchased the rights in 2007 for $25 million would be the start of a successful reboot to the original series, kicking off a new profitable trilogy similar to the new Batman franchise at WB. But miss-hirings, (and I hate to say it... BUT WE TOLD YOU SO) and bad decisions meant that... well... they fucked up a golden opportunity. ... Related posts:

Who’s framing Roger Rabbit this time???

Matt Holmes — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:43:28 +0000

Somewhere, someplace and on some device... Peter Seaman and Jeffrey Price, the writers of the 1988 classic Disney live action/animated movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, are hard at work writing it's sequel. That's right folks, it's finally official after much teasing from director Robert Zemeckis. A script has been commissioned, and presumably once Zemeckis is done with this beatles movie , we shall see a return for Bob Hoskins' Eddie Valiant, Jessica Rabbit, Donald Duck and of course, Roger Rabbit. Janet Maslin of the New York Times wrote of the original... "although this isn't the first time that cartoon characters have shared the screen with live actors, it's the first time they've done it on their own terms and make it look real". Now I know what you're thinking. With Zemeckics' current love for 3-D motion capture, are we to see a Beowulf styled Roger Rabbit? One advantage for this would be the de-aging of Hoskins and he could look just like he did twenty years ago, meaning that it would feel like a true sequel to the original movie. So I would suggest the smart money's on a 3-D captured film but I could be wrong, and hopefully I am. It certainly would have ... Related posts:

John Rhys-Davies turns down THE HOBBIT

Matt Holmes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:02:21 +0000

John Rhys-Davies was always the obvious casting choice to play Gloin in Guillermo del Toro's The Hobbit, the father of the dwarf warrior Gimli whom he played in The Lord of the Rings trilogy but sadly, Rhys-Davies has told Empire that he has turned the offer to return. He has spurned the opportunity to play his famous character's father because of a mixture of repeating himself and the physical strain of having to go through those heavy make-up hours once again. John Rhys-Davies was a Dwarf in The Lord of The Rings trilogy, despite being taller than co-stars Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom. "I've already been asked and to be honest with you, I wouldn't," Rhys-Davies said. "I have already completely ruled it out. There's a sentimental part of me that would love to be involved again. Really I am not sure my face can take that sort of punishment any more." You can read the interview in full HERE and it's worth noting that he hasn't ruled out completely a return to Middle-Earth, he just doesn't want to play the same kind of part again. He would return for an Elf or any of the other characters in the movie, just not a dwarf. I'd ... Related posts:

The Dream Team should host the Oscars

Matt Holmes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:49:47 +0000

I'm not sad to hear that Hugh Jackman has turned down the offer to return for a second Oscar hosting gig. I know my opinion is not the one shared by the majority but I thought he was pretty woeful as the Oscar host this year. Clean cut, very rigid. Very boring. But I did praise the Academy for trying someone different and I really hope they are inclined to do the same here again. In fact, one idea that I first heard from Ricky Gervais in the lead up to the announcement of who would host last year's Oscars was for a multiple hosting team involving four of the best loved comedians on film and television today. Why not go for that? He name checked himself... obviously and his pals Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. The fab four. The Oscars were last hosted by a team in 1986 when Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan hosted the event. Isn't it about time to try multiple hosts again? Out of all the hosts this decade, Jon Stewart probably did the best job when he hosted the Oscars in 2005 and 2007 and we all heard this week that Gervais will host this year's Golden ... Related posts:

Zombie 101

Matt Holmes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:55:44 +0000

Thanks to Jeff Wells' Hollywood Elsewhere blog for pointing out a great Zombie 101 article written by Matt Zoller Seitz, which is one of the best I've ever read explaining why zombie movies are important and a genre to be taken extremely seriously... Ultimately zombie films aren’t about the zombies, which have no conscious mind and therefore no personality. They’re a collective menace—rotting emblems of plague, catastrophe, war, and other world-upending events. The films depict representative social types wandering amid the ruins of the civilization they once took for granted, trying to reconcile their pre-zombie moral code (do unto others as you would have them do unto you) with the harsh necessities of the present (“If you’ve got a gun, shoot ’em in the head,” a sheriff tells a TV reporter in Night of the Living Dead, adding, “If you don’t, get yourself a club or a torch. Beat ’em or burn ’em, they go down pretty easy”). If there’s no military, no police force, no law, no justice, and no hope, what’s the point of being decent as opposed to selfish? Might it be possible that, under such unimaginably awful circumstances, selfishness is decency? And if your mom is bitten by ... Related posts:

Wright is not FAIR! British tabloids get it wrong again

Matt Holmes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:14:19 +0000

Pride and Prejudice and Atonement director Joe Wright told Screen Rush during last night's premiere of Nowhere Boy that the British tabloids got it wrong this week and he won't be directing a remake of My Lair Lady. It is true he was sent the screenplay and was offered the job, but ultimately after mulling over it he decided to pass on it. Joe Wright talking through a scene with Keira Knightley, the expected star of the My Fair Lady remake, during 2005's Jane Austen adaptation Pride & Prejudice. Quite rightly, he probably thinks the task of living up to the Rex Harrison/Audrey Hepburn original is pretty much impossible or maybe the script from Emma Thompson is diabolical... who knows, he doesn't give much away in the interview. Neither does he give away star Keira Knightley's status with the picture, which I personally would assume is unaffected by the tabloid story. Even though she clearly feels comfortable with Wright, she is very capable of performing under the helm of other directors. Her 2008 performance in The Duchess, surely one of her better roles? I kind of hate posting this because it's a story grabbing video, where all the site were looking for is an exclusive scoop ... Related posts:

SIN CITY 2 shoots next year from an original Frank Miller script?

Matt Holmes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:27:36 +0000

Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller have teased us with a Sin City 2 start date once every six months or so for the past four years, so forgive me for holding my breath at the latest scoop that claims a sequel to the black-and-white 2005 ensemble noir favourite is close to becoming a reality, because with this series it's kind of the case that i'll believe it when I see it. Mania spoke exclusively with producer Stephen L'Heureux of Solipsist Films who claims Sin City 2 will begin production in the latter half of 2010 and interestingly it will be based on an original screenplay written by Frank Miller and won't be adapted from the currently unfilmed Sin City graphic novels such as A Dame To Kill For, which was long spoken of as the plan. Not using A Dame To Kill For seems crazy. With Miller's wacko creative mindset right now, can he afford to chuck away such great material? After the disastrous Miller written and directed movie The Spirit last year, and to be brutally honest, his less than stellar creative output in the last ten years in all mediums, maybe we should be worried by Miller writing this. He seems to have ... Related posts:

Etan Cohen hired to write MEN IN BLACK 3!

Matt Holmes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:41:41 +0000

God knows who's interested in sitting through a Men in Black 3 but Sony keep throwing money at the project so they obviously think someone must be. The Hollywood Reporter say that Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder) has been hired to scribe the next outing of Agents Jay and Kay and that series director Barry Sonnefeld is attached (but hasn't signed anything) for the project that was officially announced as a "Go" on 02.04.09. Cohen is a good hiring and his background writing with Mike Judge (he contributed to Beavis & Butthead, King of the Hill and Idiocracy) has left him with a smart creative comedic brain, and he could come up with a killer screenplay right here. He's hungry and has been waiting to be let out on a leash like this for some time. Men in Black series has grossed $1 billion for Sony, so a third movie is seen as easy money... but only if they can secure Will Smith to return. His job of course is the pressure one for the whole project as he has to come up with a smart enough story to entice Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to come back for a third outing, or his work ... Related posts:

Anthony Hopkins to play THOR’s daddy Odin!

Matt Holmes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:24:05 +0000

News coming out of The Hollywood Reporter tonight is that Sir. Anthony Hopkins is in talks to play Thor's father Odin, the Norse God of Asgard in the Marvel comics superhero production set to be released in May 2011. Director Kenneth Branagh has called on his fellow Shakespearean actor and good personal friend Hopkins for what is a pivotal role in the picture, as all the psycho-babble wisdom and big speeches will have to come from him. Hopkins is surely one of the greatest British actors of all time and the casting should pay of dividends for Marvel. On another note, it seems they have traded up greatly after it looked certain back in June that the part was going to end up with Brian Blessed. Odin is known for his great Wisdom, so the casting of a guy like Hopkins is a smart, smart move. The role of Odin will be a walk in the park for Hopkins, especially in this genre heavy phase of his career. He played a drunk, aging King in Beowulf, he plays the father of Lawrence Talbot in a chewing scenery kind of part in The Wolf Man and a few years ago appeared in Alexander. If the ... Related posts:

J.J. Abrams teases Klingons in STAR TREK deleted scene

Matt Holmes — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:16:37 +0000

J.J. Abrams continues to tease us with a glimpse into what the new version of The Klingons will look like once they inevitably become a frequent staple of the new Star Trek franchise. My guess is that we'll see the Klingons fully realised in the next Trek movie, probably as the main villains but for now all we can go on is this deleted scene from this summer's blockbuster hit. Under that make-up and mask is Alias actor Victor Garber, officially the first Klingon in the new Trek franchise. The scene is a re-tooling of many Trek integrations, probably most reminiscent of a famous scene from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, where a disgusting slug is promised to be placed in the skull of Eric Bana's Romulan Nero unless he spills everything. Hardcore Star Trek geeks might notice that the interrogation takes place on Rura Penthe, the prison that featured Kirk & McCoy in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Star Trek - DVD Bonus Footage | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com You can certainly see why the scene was cut from the finished movie as it's an easy removal for what needed to be a pretty tight blockbuster ... Related posts:

Tony Scott to direct the rise and fall of Chippendales founder Steve Banerjee

Matt Holmes — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:43:11 +0000

Denzel Washington may need to give his other great collaborator Spike Lee a call and get Inside Man 2 off the ground and moving to a production start, as Tony Scott may be looking for pastures new. Variety say that after four action blockbusters with Washington (Man on Fire, Deja Vu, Taking of Pelham 123 and the late 2010 released runaway train movie Unstoppable) in five years, Scott is getting set to venture off into the world of 80s male American strip clubs. Bizarre right? - The trades say he is to direct a film about the rise and fall of Chippendales founder Steve Banerjee (who was an Indian immigrant... so definitely no Washington here), whose life was consumed by excess, paranoia and fierce competition. Does that mean no gun fights, no frantic zooms and no flashy jump cuts this time? Can Scott really calm himself down, or will his focus with the camera be on oiled up, muscular men in bow ties and cuffs? What a thought, eh? The Chippendales were formed with "the intention to do more than just provide the performance of a striptease, but to bring women's fantasies to life". The plan is to make it in a True Romance style, which ... Related posts: