The Latest in ShowBiz News

2009/05/01 at 12:00am

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

05.1.2009 | By Jack Rico |

Rated: PG-13
Release Date: 2009-05-01
Starring: David Benioff
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Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.xmenorigins.com/

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Is the bootleg online version of ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ better than the cinematic experience? If you already saw the illegal downloaded version, should you spend your money to watch it in a real movie theater? I personally haven’t seen the unauthorized edition, but from the feedback I’ve received from those who have and with my take from the theatrical version – yes, you should see it in theaters only if you enjoyed what you saw. It would enhance the experience that director Gavin Hood intended to originally put forth, but, if you didn’t like the story to begin with, odds are you won’t like it after you see in the big screen.

‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ is set prior to the events of the original X-Men films, sometime in the 1970s. It begins principally with Wolverine and partially with a few other legends of the X-Men universe. Some highlights include characters and story lines that have been long anticipated. The movie also explores Logan’s romance with Kayla Silverfox. Kayla’s fate triggers Logan’s involvement with the ominous Weapon X program, a top secret, billion-dollar military experiment, in which Wolverine obtains his indestructible metal skeleton.

The film had several problems ranging from blatant gaps in the story, underwhelming performances by new characters, to the unacceptable, second-rate CGI effects throughout the film (in particular a cameo done by a CGI Patrick Stewart). Unfortunately, these critical factors in particular, were too distracting for me to overcome. In its defense, there were many laudable moments such as Hugh Jackman’s performance of Wolverine (I can’t see anyone else ever playing him) and Liev Schrieber as his archenemy brethren, Sabretooth. Ryan Reynolds, who has been bashed by some bloggers for being casted as Deadpool, was likable in playing the wise cracking sword killer.

Overall, you have the good and the bad making ‘Wolverine’ an average film. Brett Ratner’s “X-Men: The Last Stand” turned out to be a better films on all levels. On a separate note, watch out for two clips after the credits, one scene immediately after the credits begin and the other at the very end of all the credits. These will reveal some of what may come in the next sequel.

By Juan Ensuncho Bárcena

2009/04/30 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Wind Journeys

04.30.2009 | By Juan Ensuncho Bárcena |

Rated: Not available.
Release Date: 2009-05-01
Starring: Ciro Guerra
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Country: Colombia
Official Website: http://www.losviajesdelviento.net/

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By Jack Rico

2009/04/30 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Limits of Control

04.30.2009 | By Jack Rico |

Rated: R for graphic nudity and some language.
Release Date: 2009-05-01
Starring: Jim Jarmusch
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Country: Spain
Official Website: http://www.thelimitsofcontrol.com/

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The quirky Ohio film director, Jim Jarmusch, known for his abstract, philosophical and excessively drawn out scenes, uses Spain as a beautiful backdrop in his new crime thriller â€˜The Limits of Controlâ€™. The movie could be summed up as a deliberate banal and phlegmatic effort. There is barely any dialogue to push the story and the ending offers very little interest or excitement.

The minimal storyline concerns an unnamed assassin (Issach De BankolÃ©) who spends most of the film moving from location to location throughout Spain, collecting the information and equipment he requires to complete his latest assignment, the assassination of an American corporate bigwig (Bill Murray). He meets most of his contacts in cafes, although one woman (Paz de la Huerta) spends a few days nude with him in various hotel rooms. The film is based on a William S. Burroughs essay, a Rimbaud poem and vintage crime films, particularly John Boorman’s 1967 classic “Point Blank.”

Itâ€™s obvious after the first half of the film that Jarmusch intends to create a parable between the clashing of bohemianism and capitalism meant to be viewed as how corporate america has suppressed the highly intellectual culturati. The scant dialogue supports this theme by touching upon subjects as art, music, literature, cinema, science, sex, and hallucinations. Regrettably, the words are vapid and random as is the essence of the film. The resulting riddle won’t do anything to broaden the filmmaker’s loyal fan base as his many followers will be left feeling as alienated as his central character.

Noteworthy is Jarmuschâ€™s new exploration of the Spanish and Hispanic culture. The first words uttered in the film are â€œUsted no habla espaÃ±ol, verdad?â€ (You donâ€™t speak Spanish, correct?) which is a phrase that is consistently used by the several diverse and bizarre characters as an introductory code when they all initially meet our protagonist.Â There are also some droll scenes that are mostly spoken in Spanish, as well as a long Flamenco sequence where a Spanish song is highlighted. The Hispanic theme also permeates into the casting choices with the hiring of acclaimed Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal and Spanish American actress Paz de la Huerta. Bernalâ€™s performance is not a stretch of his acting abilities, but his showing is merely a decision to work with one of his favorite directors.

â€˜The Limits of Controlâ€™ is tedious, excessively sober and vastly abstract for the common moviegoer. An offense that needs to stopped and that perhaps never will.

By Jack Rico

2009/04/30 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

04.30.2009 | By Jack Rico |

Rated: PG-13 for sexual content throughout, some language and a drug reference.
Release Date: 2009-05-01
Starring: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
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Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.ghostsofgirlfriendspastmovie.com/

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â€˜Ghosts of Girlfriends Pastâ€™ isnâ€™t as bad as I thought it would be. Screenwriters Jon Lucas and Scott Moore somehow manage to salvage the film by developing two well written romantic moments into the overdone cornball premise. The film doesnâ€™t work as a comedy, but it gets the job done in the romance department.

Celebrity photographer Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) is a free loving bachelorÂ who is the ultimate â€˜playaâ€™. Unfortunately, his childhood friend Jenny (Jennifer Garner) is the one woman in his life who has always seemed immune to his considerable charm. It all comes to a climax when three ghosts, yes a la Dickens, take him on a revealing odyssey through a lifetime of failed relationships. The purpose of this exam is to get him to redeem himself in front of his one true love – Jenny.

There is no doubts about this film being targeted to female viewers, Unfortunately, they’ll have to deal with some negatives. Most of the damage of the film exists in its overused storyline – Charles Dickensâ€™ â€˜The Christmas Carolâ€™. That on its own should scare most moviegoers away. Adding to the barrage of detriments is the myriad of lame and unamusing gags that never go over. I donâ€™t really remember laughing once. But halfway through the film, when Michael Douglas appears as Uncle Wayne, is when we finally experience the first engaging moment. Douglasâ€™s detailed in-depth tutorial on picking up women to a young Connor possesses a real candor absent from similar movies of the genre. Iâ€™m sure female viewers will find it amusing if not absurd. We once again are treated to another memorable moment at the filmâ€™s climax when McConaughey himself dishes out some love wisdom of his own. These scenes mixed in with a gooey score and sufficient teary close ups will debilitate even some of the most stoic of men.

Apart from those likable sequences, the supporting cast is simply irrelevant and insipid. Their charms and levels of interest are nonexistent. Futhermore, McConaugheyâ€™s performance matches those of his previous uninspired works (Fools Gold, Failure to Launch, The Wedding Planner). Nevertheless, if you can get past the Dickens homage, â€˜Ghosts of Girlfriends Pastâ€™ is better than most romantic fare out in theaters right now. Female viewers will enjoy a good insight into the male psyche and have a chance to see a man go from player to prince. Isnâ€™t that what all women want?

Oliver Stone to direct ‘Wall Street’ sequel

By Mack Chico

2009/04/30 at 12:00am

Movies

Oliver Stone to direct ‘Wall Street’ sequel

04.30.2009 | By Mack Chico |

Greed is good, once again.

After weeks of rumors, 20th Century Fox has set Oliver Stone to return as helmer of the sequel to his 1987 hit “Wall Street.” Shia LaBeouf is also in the mix for “Wall Street 2.”

LaBeouf is negotiating to join Michael Douglas, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Gordon Gekko in the original pic. The sequel will once again involve a young Wall Street trader, and the recent economic meltdown spurred by rampant greed and corruption will fit prominently into the plot.

Allan Loeb will write the script. Edward R. Pressman is back as producer.

Free tickets to see ‘Next Day Air’ in NYC

By Mack Chico

2009/04/30 at 12:00am

Movies

Free tickets to see ‘Next Day Air’ in NYC

04.30.2009 | By Mack Chico |

ShowBizCafe.com invites you to see an advanced screening of the comedy ‘Next Day Air’ starring Mos Def, Mike Epps and Donald Faison on May 6th at 7pm at an undisclosed theater in Manhattan, NY. 50 winners with an ADMIT ONE ticket will be picked.

Synopsis:

When two bumbling criminals accidentally receive a package of grade-A cocaine, they think they’ve hit the jackpot. But when they try to cash in on their luck, it triggers a series of events that forever changes the lives of ten people. Smalltime hoods Brody and Guch have seen better days. But when a wacked-out courier accidentally brings them a box containing 10 kilos of high-quality cocaine meant for their next-door neighbors, it sets in motion a chain of events that could cost all of them their lives. Brody and Guch immediately arrange to sell the coke to Brody’s drug dealer cousin and his tightlipped bodyguard. But when the intended recipients of the package, wannabe gangster Jesus and his feisty girlfriend, realize the box hasn’t arrived, they set out on a desperate search to find it before ruthless drug kingpin Bodega Diablo notices it’s missing. But they’re too late. Furious over the loss of his shipment, mob boss Bodega will stop at nothing to get the drugs back. With Brody and Guch’s drug deal about to go down, all parties are on a collision course that’s almost certain to end in heavy gunfire. And whoever’s still standing when the smoke clears could walk away with nearly a million dollars in cash and drugs.

Opens nationwide in theatres on May 8, 2009. All winners will be notified by e-mail.

Send us your name and email to our COMMENTS section below and we will then proceed to send you the electronic ticket to attend the screening.

Good luck!

Tickets are limited and are allocated to a random sampling of respondents. Limit one (Admit-One) pass per person. Seating is first come, first served. No purchase necessary. While supplies last.

Rated R for Pervasive Language, Drug Content, Some Violence and Brief Nudity.

No one under 17 will be admitted.

The theatrical release will be May 8th.

http://www.nextdayair-themovie.com/

Passes are not for sale.

By Jack Rico

2009/04/29 at 12:00am

DVD Reviews Reviews

The Uninvited

04.29.2009 | By Jack Rico |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: PG-13 for violent and disturbing images, thematic material, sexual content, language and teen drinking.
Release Date: 2009-01-30
Starring: Craig Rosenberg, Doug Miro
Director(s):
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Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.uninvitedmovie.com/

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â€˜The Uninvitedâ€™ is not your prototypical horror, suspense film. It actually makes an attempt at telling a good dramatic murder story, unfortunately it falls short due to its dreadful dialogue and laughable climactic scenes… until the very end when the twist hits you like a ton of bricks. You never see it coming.

To be brief, the story, based on the 2003 Korean motion picture called “Janghwa, Hongryeon “, is about a family who lost their matriarch in an action-movie-like explosion only to have their youngest daughter (Emily Browning) be committed to an asylum due to the mental and emotional scars of the occurrence. After a period of time, our young protagonist returns home to learn that her father (David Strathairn) has moved on with his life and intends to marry his dead wifeâ€™s nurse (Elizabeth Banks). Bad blood brews between the two females and the journey to unmask the true objective of the nurse begins.

The pacing of this film is rather slow, mixed in with average acting and a banal dialogue that only exists to move the story along. The films true virtue lies in its ending and it really is the only worthy element of â€˜The Uninvitedâ€™. Question is can you wait until the very end?

By Jack Rico

2009/04/29 at 12:00am

DVD Reviews Reviews

Bride Wars

04.29.2009 | By Jack Rico |

Rating: 3.0

Rated: PG for suggestive content, language and some rude behavior.
Release Date: 2009-01-09
Starring: Greg DePaul, Casey Wilson
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Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.foxinternational.com/bridewars/

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‘Mr. Big’ will return in ‘Sex and the City 2’

By Mack Chico

2009/04/29 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Mr. Big’ will return in ‘Sex and the City 2’

04.29.2009 | By Mack Chico |

In a seven-figure deal, Chris Noth, aka Mr. Big, has committed to “Sex and the City 2,” the sequel to be directed by Michael Patrick King for New Line Cinema.

The pic shoots in early September, and Warner Bros. has set a May 28, 2010, release date. The original grossed $412.6 million worldwide.

Noth will next be seen onscreen in “My One and Only” and will reprise his Off Broadway role in the play “Farragut North,” which opens at L.A.’s Geffen Playhouse in June and also stars Chris Pine.

By Mack Chico

2009/04/29 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Star Trek’ postpones Mexico launch

04.29.2009 | By Mack Chico |

What the hell is happening in Mexico?! This swine flu is killing financial opportunities for many companies in the entertainment industry.

Paramount is calling off the May 8 launch of “Star Trek” in Mexico because of the swine flu epidemic, while Sony is debating whether to do the same with sequel “Angels and Demons.”

J.J. Abrams‘ “Star Trek” will open day and date in other major territories May 8.

“Angels,” the follow-up to “The Da Vinci Code,” is opening around the world May 15.

Twentieth Century Fox was the studio most immediately impacted by the outbreak of the flu in Mexico, since “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is opening day and date Friday. Studio’s international team made the decision over the weekend to cancel the opening of “Wolverine” in Mexico, along with the premiere.

The tricky part now will be deciding when to open the films without inviting too much competition.

And no one’s sure when the situation will improve. Mexico City has virtually shut down, including cinemas. Circuits also are closing theaters in other Mexican cities.

Mexico saw good results for the “X-Men” franchise and also drove plenty of business for “Da Vinci Code.”

Fox’s “X-Men: The Last Stand,” the previous installment, saw its third-best territory gross — $16.5 million — in Mexico. Pic cumed $225 million internationally and $234.4 million domestically.

Mexico also made the top 10 list of highest-grossing territories for “Da Vinci Code,” at $19.3 million. Film grossed a boffo $540.7 million internationally and $217.5 million in North America.

If the situation improves in Mexico, Fox could open “Wolverine” in two weeks. At the same time, the studio might be loathe to go up against “Angels and Demons” if Sony sticks to the May 15 date.

Like Fox and Sony, Paramount is continuing to monitor the situation, and has not yet set another date for the debut of “Star Trek.”

One reason for delaying the launches is that studios don’t want to make huge media spends in the final days before a film’s release and then have to cancel on the eve of the opening.

Fox could even decide to push back the May 22 release of “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” in Mexico when coming up with a new plan for “Wolverine.”

So far, studios don’t believe the flu epidemic will affect moviegoing in other territories, including the U.S. and Canada. There have been no deaths outside Mexico.

“Wolverine” is expected to do big business in its debut. The winter and spring have seen record-breaking grosses at the domestic box office, with admissions up both domestically and internationally.

Universal‘s “Fast and Furious” won at the international box office for the April 24-26 weekend, grossing $15.9 million in its fourth sesh for a foreign cume of $170.9 million and a worldwide total of $316.7 million (domestic cume is $145.8 million). Film far outperformed expectations.

DreamWorks Animation/Paramount’s 3-D toon “Monsters vs. Aliens” likewise continued its strong overseas run, grossing $10.7 million for the weekend for a foreign cume of $142.9 million and a world total of $318.2 million (domestic total is $175.3 million).

“Fast” and “Monsters” are the two top foreign earners of 2009.