Starring: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover, Lizzy Caplan

Synopsis

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE follows a group of best friends who’ve become bored with their adult lives: Adam (John Cusack) has been dumped by his girlfriend; Lou (Rob Corddry) is a party guy who can’t find the party; Nick’s (Craig Robinson) wife controls his every move; and video game-obsessed Jacob (Clark Duke) won’t leave his basement.  After a crazy night of drinking in a ski resort hot tub, the men wake up, heads pounding, in the year 1986.  This is their chance to kick some past and change their futures – one will find a new love life, one will learn to stand up for himself with the ladies, one will find his mojo, and one will make sure he still exists!

Red Band Trailer

Players take on this true to life baseball hitting game by actively swinging at pitches with their Wii Remote™ from a pitching machine that spits out various pitches such as sliders, 12-6 curves and fast balls, all simulated from real life pitchers. The Cages Pro-Style Batting Practice is also compatible with Wii Motion Plus™ giving players an even more realistic experience! Customize your experience by editing your batters and pitchers to give them real-world physics including left vs. right hand, stance, height, weight and more. A natural learning curve allows players to develop their skills and take on up to four other players for an in-game homerun challenge! Behind all of this fun is a fitness element that tracks your cardiovascular progress by reporting on calories burned while players are obtaining their hitting goals. In addition, the use of the Wii’s motion controller helps players develop their hand/eye coordination skills.

The Cages Pro-Style Batting Practice will be available on Wii in the first quarter of 2010.  For more information, please visit www.konami.com/thecages

The connected social features allow players to link to their social network through Facebook Connect, see friends who are also playing the game, suggest the game to others and share achievements as they are earned in-game. Players can take advantage of these features in City Sights: Hello Seattle and Paradise Quest, both published by I-play, Oberon Media’s publishing division.

Following this initial release, Oberon will optimize a platform experience that will be rolled out to our Game Center partners and allow for creation of “premium social” games. Oberon is also working with developer partners to test our new Social SDK that further leverages this new functionality and will continue to introduce these capabilities to global developer partners in the next quarter.

“As games’ connectivity to social graphs expands through APIs like Facebook Connect it becomes evident how powerful this functionality is to enhance the gaming experience.” said Tony Leamer, VP of Marketing for I-play.”We believe games on all platforms and for all audiences will eventually leverage social components.”

Oberon Media is at the forefront of companies deeply integrating social media and players’ social graphs into game experiences on multiple platforms. I-play has previously launched several social-connected Smartphone games such as Paradise Quest and Artist Colony in addition the successful Facebook game Bubble Town: Party Planet.

“Oberon’s massive footprint of users, games and platform presence represents a tremendous opportunity to leverage social graphs integration on a large scale.” Ofer Leidner, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Oberon Media, commented, “This can be done through  enabling a large number of existing games to become more social across many platforms or through creating games designed around the social graph from the start, but optimized for platforms outside of Facebook.com.”

Look for my coverage and review soon!

Miley Cyrus stars as a teenager who reconnects with her father years after her parents go through a nasty divorce in this adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel. The novelist also provides the screenplay for the production, which is directed by Julie Ann Robinson. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

And then tomorrow is Press day. Look for my coverage and review soon.

In Mother, Kim Hye-ja plays the title role of a single-mother, raising her adult son Do-Joon (Won Bin) who happens be a little slow mentally. Walking home drunk one night, Do-Joon has a run-in with a local school girl and then goes home to sleep off the alcohol. The next morning, the school girl is found dead and all of the evidence points to Do-Joon. Only his mother believes in his innocence and she summons every ounce of her willpower and conviction to prove it. Her journey takes her into dark memories and even darker territories that force her to confront realities she isn’t prepared to accept.

Mother is very Korean, which may distress some Western audiences. It’s also hard to separate the character traits from the culture. So while it’s common practice for Korean sons and daughters to live with their parents until their 30’s, it’s not commonplace to see an adult child sharing a bed with his mother and touching her intimately in Korea. Western audiences may inadvertently assume that all Koreans sleep that way. Unfortunately, these nuances will only be obvious to viewers familiar with the culture, since no concessions were made to explain these details to outsiders.

Nevertheless, what audiences will appreciate most is the indomitable spirit of the Mother. She is eternally hopeful and driven in her single-mindedness, using every parlor trick and manipulation tactic she knows to save the one thing she cherishes most in the world. She’s a wonderfully sympathetic character. Hye-ja’s Mother is everything that every viewer sees in their own mother. She’s sometimes flighty, somewhat overbearing and fiercely protective of her child. Hye-ja turns in a stellar performance throughout the film and easily carries the production in every scene.

The supporting cast helps add a certain reality to the film with their excellently crafted roles. Every character feels like he or she exists in the real world and don’t simply follow a script. Won Bin’s dimwitted Do-Joon especially stands out with moments of inspired acting. One particularly poignant scene has him paralyzed with indecision after realizing he’s done something wrong. His confusion and frustration with his inability to reason through his thoughts is heartbreakingly palpable.

The pace of Mother is deliberate and slow – maybe too slow. A good portion of the film is spent simply living with the characters, watching them eat or work or have trivial conversations. Western audiences may feel that the movie only comes alive once the Mother begins her investigation in earnest. There also seems to be an overabundance of unnecessary characters in this film. They have just enough to say and do to make audiences invest in them emotionally only to discover that these characters aren’t integral to the story and simply add texture.

Mother is beautiful to watch and is definitely styled. Director Bong Joon-ho’s touch is obvious throughout the film, like in the stoic title shot and the flashback/present day blend in real-time. The cinematography also does a wonderful job at illustrating characters’ state of mind without being heavy-handed.

Overall, Mother is solid entertainment with a lot of undeniable heart. The subject matter is very dark and complex, but the story is satisfying and the acting is superb. If audiences can get through some of the slower moments, they’ll find a rare gem of a foreign film that will appeal to more than just their basic emotions.

“This past year has seen a substantial growth in Indian companies in Hollywood. Indian entertainment is no longer a niche industry, but a burgeoning global business that has expanded into the mainstream,” said Bill Simon, senior client partner and managing director of Korn/Ferry International’s Global Media & Entertainment Sector. “These remarkable women have each contributed much to bridge east and west and their continuing efforts will benefit all in the entertainment and media for years to come.”

To honor these women, a reception and dinner will be held on their behalf at the 8th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) that is back at ArcLight Hollywood on April 20-25.

The Honorees Include:

We don’t start immediately and I pass a few moments making small talk about how long he’s staying in California and what he thinks of the weather. He replies in deliberate, but near-perfect English that he’s just come in from the east coast where it’s really gloomy and that he’ll be leaving soon to go back to Seoul, Korea. Then I turn on my recorder and we get to the issue at hand – Bong Joon-ho’s latest film Mother.

In this Korean film, a single-mother struggles with raising her beautiful, yet mentally slow adult son, Do-Joon. Both of their lives become much more complicated when a local girl is murdered and Do-Joon becomes the number one suspect. With all of the evidence stacked against him and with expensive defense lawyers looking for a plea bargain that includes years of jail time, Do-Joon’s only hope is his mother who must face dark realities to prove her son’s innocence. Along the way she demonstrates the unshakable bond all mothers have with their children.

As the screenwriter that created the story, it’s interesting to know why Bong Joon-ho chose this subject matter. “It was for the actress Kim Hye-ja – the Mother character. It was for her actually,” he says. “I really wanted to work with her. She started acting before I was born, but I remember seeing her on TV as this mother figure. Whenever I turned on the TV she was always there and she played…a great mother.” On creating the character, Joon-ho says, “I wanted to take a different approach with her…sort of give her a crazy, obsessive mother character. No one really agreed with me, but whenever I saw her I saw someone that was a bit crazy, like the character she played on TV. I wanted to make this story and luckily [Kim Hye-ja] wanted to take on this character that was different from what she’s used to being.” He adds that this story is a different look at the mother figure.

This new take explains why the mother-child relationship is told against the backdrop of a murder-mystery. Joon-ho readily admits that the two concepts don’t typically go together, but he wanted a new approach to the genre and put the mother figure in a perilous situation. He also adds, “I always love murder-mystery and crime-drama – my favorites.”

Kim Hye-ja, who has over 50 years of acting experience in Korean film and television, plays the Mother in the film. She confessed that the very first scene they shot took 18 takes and she feared that she was ruining the movie. Joon-ho laughs at the thought. The scene in question was technically difficult and required a lot of camera movement. “There’s a very long tracking shot. Track around and then pan and track. The scene was just very chaotic. It wasn’t that I was pestered or that there was any tension between us. [The scene] was just a complicated shot. I explained to [Hye-ja] ‘it’s not your fault.’ A small extra key, a mistake, you know, camerawork. I explained many things, but she [was convinced] ‘no, the director hates me.’”

“She was quite nervous,” he adds. “She’s been acting on TV for over 40 years, but this is only her third film.” Despite her decades of experience, Mother represents the very first time Kim Hye-ja was slapped. Joon-ho relates that, unfortunately, the slap had to be real considering the shot. Since Hye-ja commands an impressive amount of gravitas in Korea there weren’t many actresses who were willing to slap her, so Joon-ho cast a theater actress with experience in physical acting.

Regarding his directing style, Bong Joon-ho confesses that in his previous films Memories of Murder and The Host he allowed room for actor improvisation. This time around, his direction is heavier handed in particular scenes, simply because there was something specific he was trying to get from the actors. That’s not to say that the actors didn’t have any input. “In the case of Kim Hye-ja, her understanding from just reading the script itself was very intuitive. Obviously, she has a lot of ability, so some of the comments she said gave me more of an understanding of the [character] too – her take on it.” One of Hye-ja’s insights is how much the son means to the mother. Do-Joon is not only her child, but also fills the role as her husband and father. “I wanted to have an almost [romantic] relationship between the mother and son and the fact that [Hye-ja] saw that in the bigger picture was very interesting.”

Mother is very Korean and some American audiences may not understand why certain things happen in the film. For example, it’s not uncommon for children to live with their parents until closer to their 30’s whereas Americans are happy to oust their offspring as soon as possible. While Bong Joon-ho understands these cultural differences, he’s not interested in cutting together a Western version of his films. “There’s really only one way to edit a film and, for me, that’s hard enough. To do a director’s cut or an extended version would be so much harder for me. [A Western version] isn’t something that anyone’s asked me to do, but really there’s just an edit for me, whether it’s for Korean audiences or Western.” He notes that The Host is being remade for American audiences without his involvement.

Fortunately, the parent-child relationship is universal and every audience will be able to appreciate the themes in Mother. Look for the film in theaters on March 12.

Check back at Working Author for my full review.

From TMZ:

Sources say Haim got out of bed just before 1 AM and collapsed in front of his mother. She called 911 at 12:53 AM and Corey was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 AM.

Read the entire article here.

Rest in peace, brother.

Pick a side.

BG-386 is a remote planet where the Weyland-Yutani Corporation has been conducting experiments on Xenomorphs. One of the subjects is the uniquely intelligent and independent “6” whose initial goals are to free the Matriarch and escape the labs. The opportunity presents itself when Weyland-Yutani discovers ancient alien structures that belong to the Predator race. The Company tries to breach the doors, causing an energy surge that knocks out the power to the base, allowing the Xenomorphs to run amok. As a security measure, Space Marines are called down to control the situation. One of those Marines is a Rookie who’s forced to land on the planet after the military vessel he’s assigned to is obliterated by an unknown alien craft. The Rookie becomes separated from his squad early on and must fight to survive against overwhelming numbers and better technology. Unfortunately for both Aliens and Humans, BG-386 is also a prime hunting ground for Predators who do not want Human interference or an Alien infestation.

The plot is pretty standard, but does its job to get players into the game. Once the player actually takes control, however, Aliens vs. Predator does a fantastic job in immersing players into each respective story. As the Marine, players will have access to all of the weapons and abilities made famous by the film Aliens, like the Pulse Rifle, Smartgun and flamethrower. Best of all, each weapon sounds identical to its film counterpart. The Marine can throw flares and thankfully never runs out of juice for his flashlight. Finally, he has a handy motion detector to alert him of any movement in the vicinity. Players will feel comforted by its steady rhythm and alarmed when it starts whining as enemies approach in the darkness.

The Alien is the ultimate stealth assassin. It can cling to most surfaces, including walls and ceilings, and can hide in vents to attack victims as they pass. The Alien can see in the dark as well as detect pheromones that virtually allow it to see victims through walls. The Alien also features a unique head-bite ability, which switches the camera position into the Alien’s mouth for cinematic kills. The best part about the Alien is its ability to finish off victims in brutal and disgusting ways, like impaling them or ripping off their head while their faces freeze in a horrified expression.

For pure brutality, nothing beats the Predator. Not only does he wield dual wristblades, but he also uses the more ubiquitous weapons in the Predator arsenal, like the Plasma Caster, Combi Stick and Smart Disc. He can also leap great distances and heights and cloak himself for stealth kills. He can even mimic the sounds of his prey to lure them away from their groups and then eviscerate them with one of his many trophy finishers.

In each case, the player will really feel like he or she is playing the respective species. The Marine is the standard FPS experience, but the Alien is smooth and agile. As a nice touch, the game developers left the player model visible to the player, so when he or she turns around as the Alien they’ll see the Alien’s tail arcing back. The Predator also offers a genuine experience and players will love bounding from tree to tree and standing toe-to-toe with Xenomorphs.

While Aliens vs. Predator is immersive, it does suffer from a few drawbacks. For one, the gameplay feels thin, which is to be expected when it’s split up over three different styles of play. After a while, however, the levels begin to feel like one long corridor that players will travel just to press a button so they can travel down another corridor. There are also a few punishing moments where death is a one-hit affair, resulting in monotonous trial and error, like when the player is almost dead with no health packs and he or she crosses a checkpoint before a major battle. Some players will also be frustrated by the controls, especially with the Alien. The creature is sometimes a little too sticky and climbs onto unintended surfaces or catches onto a beam instead of falling on top of an intended victim. Finally, there are a few irritating screen-tearing moments during the in-game cinematics.

Marines are easy targets in multiplayer.

For online gamers, there are several multiplayer modes to choose from, including various deathmatch modes, a point control game and a survivor mode that pits cooperative players against waves of progressively stronger Aliens. There are also two modes that pit one player as either the Predator or Alien against the rest for those that want to test their stealth abilities.

The online experience is entertaining, but a little lackluster. Marines also appear to be seriously underpowered since they’re the only species that’s clearly visible and has to aim precisely to score a hit. The other species, while mostly limited to melee attacks, have a charge ability that allows them to close the distance quickly simply by aiming in the target’s general direction. Furthermore, the Marine doesn’t have any one-hit-kill finisher moves, but he can certainly die to them which Alien and Predator players will use with impunity. There are 40 ranks to climb through and several skins to unlock, but it’s hard to imagine most players sticking with multiplayer for that long.

While it isn’t perfect, Aliens vs. Predator is one of the best presentations of this hybrid franchise that has been made in recent history. Fans and newcomers alike will definitely have a good time playing it.