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Movie Reviews and Ratings

The Switch
Jack Rico
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2011/03/18 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

The Switch

03.18.2011 | By |

Rating: 3.0

Rated: PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexual material including dialogue, some nudity, drug use and language.
Release Date: 2010-08-20
Starring: Allan Loeb
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.theswitch-movie.com/

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‘The Switch’ could have been very good but ends up being just okay. Jennifer Aniston has more of a supporting role here while Jason Bateman is clearly the star of the film. The chemistry between them is non existent and the story, although intriguing, fails to compel because of an over-extension of plot. This is a clichéd trick screenwriters use to fill gaps of time in the middle of a movie to build ‘momentum’ for the final scenes. Case in point, writer Allan Loeb over-extends the inevitable confrontation scenes between Bateman and Aniston so much that when it arrives, you’re annoyed and ultimately uninterested.

The premise is a good one though… A single 40-year-old woman (Aniston) turns to artificial insemination in order to become pregnant. Seven years later, she reunites with her best friend (Bateman), who has been living with a secret: he replaced her preferred donor’s sperm sample with his own.

At its best, The Switch is reminiscent of About a Boy starring Hugh Grant but it never goes deep enough to illicit a tear. If something could be praised about the film is the acting by the supporting cast. Jeff Goldblum who plays Bateman’s cynical and wise cracking friend still can deliver a funny line. I don’t know why he’s not working more frequently but he is a delight on screen. And we can’t forget young actor Thomas Robinson who plays Bateman’s 6 year old son Sebastian. The kid has the goods and delivers some true acting as a melancholic pessimist who thinks he has hypochondria.

The Switch generates some occasional cheap laughs, but it doesn’t come together. It feels generic. There are two directors on the film, Josh Gordon and Will Speck, and if two people couldn’t get this right, then its probably not worth the theatrical viewing. This film might play better on a Saturday night at home on DVD.

The Lincoln Lawyer
Jack Rico
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2011/03/18 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Lincoln Lawyer

03.18.2011 | By |

The Lincoln Lawyer
Danny Trejo to star in a movie called ‘Pendejo’
Mack Chico
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2011/03/16 at 12:00am

Movies

Danny Trejo to star in a movie called ‘Pendejo’

03.16.2011 | By |

Danny Trejo to star in a movie called 'Pendejo'

Danny Trejo has joined the cast of “Pendejo,” a romantic comedy by writer/director Jairaj Walia, of Gr8 Dane Films.

Trejo (“Grindhouse,” “Machete,” “xXx”) plays the role of Pedro, the gangster father of the main character’s love interest, Jenny.

“Pendejo” which the filmmakers translate as “idiot,” but is far more vulgar, is about a spoiled party boy whose wealthy father orders to either take a low-level position at the family company or lose his inheritance.

Walia said that the movie addresses both the Indian and Latin cultures.

The cast includes Raja Fenske (Nickelodeon’s “Unfabulous”), Fernanda Romero (“The Eye”), Laksh Singh (“Little Fockers”), Marissa Caprielian (“Entourage”), Darlene Vazquetelles (“Kings of South Beach”) and Sevier Crespo (“Fast Lane”).

Bob Walia and Kim Walia are producing through Gr8 Dane. Crespo is producing through New Slant Productions.

Brody, Cruz get ‘A Matador’s Mistress’ June release
Jack Rico
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2011/03/14 at 12:00am

Movies

Brody, Cruz get ‘A Matador’s Mistress’ June release

03.14.2011 | By |

Brody, Cruz get 'A Matador’s Mistress' June release

Austin, TX (March 14, 2011)- Nolan A. Gallagher, Founder and CEO of Gravitas Ventures, announced  today the acquisition of Video On Demand (VOD) and digital rights to A Matador’s Mistress, formally known as Manolete, starring Academy Award winning actors Adrien Brody and Penelope Cruz. Gravitas Ventures is licensing the film from Viva Pictures and it will be available On Demand through cable, satellite, telco and online providers in June 2011.
 
“We are thrilled that A Matador’s Mistress will be available nation-wide this summer so that film lovers will have the opportunity to appreciate the fine performances of Adrien Brody and Penelope Cruz” remarked Nolan Gallagher Founder and CEO of Gravitas Ventures.  “Video on Demand is increasingly allowing larger audiences the opportunity to enjoy wider access to well regarded independent films.”
 
A Matador’s Mistress tells the story of Manuel Rodriguez Sanchez (Adrien Brody) – famously known as “Manolete” – the most celebrated matador in Spain. Finding himself always on the road, Manolete spends his life between solitary hotel rooms and the arena. Despite his fame, Manolete is a quiet and reserved man – all of which changes when he meets Lupe Sino (Penelope Cruz), a beautiful and mysterious woman. Directed by Academy Award nominee Menno Meyjes (The Color Purple), the film tells the tale of a tragic romance between a man who flirts with death and a woman in love with life.

“We are confident that no one is better positioned to exploit this epic high-value production on a digital platform.  We look forward to not only this film getting released through Gravitas, but many more star driven films later this year.” Said Victor Elizalde, President Viva Pictures LLC.

Arnold to do remakes of ‘Terminator,’ ‘Predator’?
Jack Rico
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2011/03/07 at 12:00am

Movies

Arnold to do remakes of ‘Terminator,’ ‘Predator’?

03.7.2011 | By |

Arnold to do remakes of ‘Terminator,’ ‘Predator’?

Since leaving his post as governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has said publicly that he is interested in returning to the profession he loves – no, not bodybuilding – movies. Hollywood has heard the call of the ex Mr. Olympia and he is already considering one of three scripts. During his competitive bodybuilding he organizes every year, the Arnold Classic, Schwarzenegger was asked to give an update on the projects he is viewing.

“Well, first of all it’s more like 15 films, obvious ones from ‘The Terminator’ to remakes of ‘Predator’ and ‘The Running Man’ and all of those things,” he said.

Schwarzenegger added that there’s “also a lot of original stuff too. But I am also packaging a comic book character right now. I’m going to announce that sometime by the end of March or the beginning of April.”

Surprisingly, McG won’t be involved in any other Terminator films after his big flop with ‘Terminator: Salvation’. Justin Lin and screenwriter Chris Morgan, who are currently working on ‘Fast Five’ are now in talks for a fifth ‘Terminator ‘ with or without A-R-N-O-L-D!

‘Rango’ is #1 at the box office
Mack Chico
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2011/03/07 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Rango’ is #1 at the box office

03.7.2011 | By |

'Rango' is #1 at the box office

Paramount Pictures’ Rango easily commanded the North American box office this weekend as the Johnny Depp-voiced feature easily beat out three other newcomers: the Matt Damon and Emily Blunt romantic fantasy The Adjustment Bureau, the Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens Beauty and the Beast reimagining Beastly, and the Topher Grace ’80s laffer Take Me Home Tonight.

 

The nowadays rare 2D computer-animated feature was directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) and also features the voice talents of Ilsa Fisher, Bill Nighy, Ned Beatty and Abigail Breslin. The wild, at times just plain weird PG-rated comedy was a hit with critics.

Here are the top 10 films of the week according to ticket sales:

1. ‘Rango‘, 38.0 million dollars.
2. ‘The Adjustment Bureau‘, $ 20.9 million.
3. ‘Beastly‘, $ 10.1 million.
4. ‘Hall Pass‘, $ 9.0 million.
5. ‘Gnomeo and Juliet‘, $ 6.9 million.
6. ‘Unknown‘, $ 6.6 million.
7. ‘The King‘s Speech‘, $ 6.5 million.
8. ‘Just Go With It‘, $ 6.5 million.
9. ‘I Am Number Four, $ 5.7 million.
10. ‘Justin Bieber: Never Say Never‘, $ 4.3 million.

Rango
Jack Rico
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By

2011/03/05 at 12:00am

Reviews

Rango

03.5.2011 | By |

Rango

‘Rango’ has got to be one of the most original, innovative and sophisticated animated comedies I have ever seen. With that said, it does possess some moments in the middle that drag. Though on the surface it might look like a film for kids, don’t kid yourself, it is mainly for adults. The dialogue is way too advanced for children to follow as well as the profound existential themes it kicks around from the very beginning. This spells ‘boring’ for kids who have expectations to laugh and have fun.

 

Gore Verbinski (The Pirates of the Caribbean series) directs and Johnny Depp lends his voice to this animated ‘Chinatown’ meets the Old West. The story follows Rango (Depp), a sheltered chameleon living as an ordinary family pet, while facing a major identity crisis. After all, how high can you aim when your whole purpose in life is to blend in? When Rango accidentally winds up in the gritty, gun-slinging town of Dirt — a lawless outpost populated by the desert’s most wily and whimsical creatures — the less-than-courageous lizard suddenly finds he stands out. Welcomed as the last hope the town has been waiting for, new Sheriff Rango is forced to play his new role to the hilt… until, in a blaze of action-packed situations and encounters with outrageous characters, Rango starts to become the hero he once only pretended to be.

The opening sequence is as memorable as anything you’re going to see this year. The pristine visual animation and Depp’s thespian abilities bring to life a mesmerizing set of sequences that establish the artistic and high concept tone for the rest of the movie.

Pixar has they’re job cut out for them. With animated films like ‘Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole,’ ‘The Illusionist,’ ‘How To Train Your Dragon,’ and now ‘Rango,’ we are starting to see that Pixar is no longer the only source of quality movies for families, children and adults. Rango is a work of art in many ways, not just a visual masterpiece. It’s script has a great message, the voice acting is captivating and the characters are interesting and amusing, such as the Mexican mariachi birds voiced by Latino George Del Hoyo, amongst others and Roadkill by Alfred Molina. There was defintely a Latino flavor in the film that was palpable, in particular, at the beginning.

Regarding the voice acting, the cast is one of the many stupendous aspects of ‘Rango’. It’s something to indulge in and enjoy. The cast consists of Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Ray Winstone, Ned Beatty, and Bill Nighy.

If you are a parent and are wondering if ‘Rango’ has fun elements for your child, the answer is yes. There’s enough gags, action and fast paced scenes to entertain a child, just not enough to captivate them for the whole duration of the movie. Adults… looks like this one’s for you more than it is for them.

Complete list of the Oscars 2011 winners
Jack Rico
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By

2011/02/28 at 12:00am

Movies

Complete list of the Oscars 2011 winners

02.28.2011 | By |

Complete list of the Oscars 2011 winners

The big night for cinema, The 83rd edition of the Oscars, was a big bore with even more boring hosts – James Franco and Anne Hathaway. The show was very predictable and perhaps Tom Hooper’s win was as shocking as it got. The jokes were bad and Billy Crysrtal‘s appearance made it the more drastic because one could compare how disastrous this Oscar telecast was.

Nevertheless, here are the complete winners of the night wit the winners in bold:

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

DIRECTING:
* The King’s Speech (Tom Hooper)
* Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)
* The Fighter (David O. Russell)
* The Social Network (David Fincher)
* True Grit (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
* Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)
* Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
* Jeff Bridges (True Grit)
* Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
* James Franco (127 Hours)

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
* Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
* Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)
* Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
* Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)
* Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
* Christian Bale (The Fighter)
* John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone)
* Jeremy Renner (The Town)
* Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)
* Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
* Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
* Amy Adams (The Fighter)
* Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)
* Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
* Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
* The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin)
* 127 Hours (Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy)
* Toy Story 3 (Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich)
* True Grit (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)
* Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
* The King’s Speech (David Seidler)
* Another Year (Mike Leigh)
* The Fighter (Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Keith Dorrington, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson)
* Inception (Christopher Nolan)
* The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
* In a Better World (Denmark)
* Biutiful (Mexico)
* Dogtooth (Greece)
* Incendies (Canada)
* Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) (Algeria)

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
* Toy Story 3
* How to Train Your Dragon
* The Illusionist

ART DIRECTION:
* Alice in Wonderland
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
* Inception
* The King’s Speech
* True Grit

CINEMATOGRAPHY:
* Inception (Wally Pfister)
* Black Swan (Matthew Libatique)
* The King’s Speech (Danny Cohen)
* The Social Network (Jeff Cronenweth)
* True Grit (Roger Deakins)

COSTUME DESIGN:
* Alice in Wonderland
* I Am Love
* The King’s Speech
* The Tempest
* True Grit

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
* Inside Job
* Exit Through the Gift Shop
* Gasland
* Restrepo
* Waste Land

FILM EDITING:
* The Social Network
* Black Swan
* The Fighter
* The King’s Speech
* 127 Hours

MAKEUP:
* The Wolfman
* Barney’s Version
* The Way Back

ORIGINAL SCORE:
* The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)
* How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell)
* Inception (Hans Zimmer)
* The King’s Speech (Alexandre Desplat)
* 127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)

ORIGINAL SONG:
* We Belong Together (Toy Story 3)
* Coming Home (Country Strong)
* I See the Light (Tangled)
* If I Rise (127 Hours)

SOUND MIXING:
* Inception
* The King’s Speech
* Salt
* The Social Network
* True Grit

SOUND EDITING:
* Inception
* Toy Story 3
* Tron: Legacy
* True Grit
* Unstoppable

VISUAL EFFECTS:
* Inception
* Alice in Wonderland
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
* Hereafter
* Iron Man 2

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT:
* Strangers No More
* Killing in the Name
* Poster Girl
* Sun Come Up
* The Warriors of Qiugang

ANIMATED SHORT FILM:
* The Lost Thing
* Day and Night
* The Gruffalo
* Let’s Pollute
* Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM:
* God of Love
* The Confession
* The Crush
* Na Wewe
* Wish 143

Viggo Mortensen could be Zod in Superman Reboot
Mack Chico
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2011/02/25 at 12:00am

Movies

Viggo Mortensen could be Zod in Superman Reboot

02.25.2011 | By |

Viggo Mortensen could be Zod in Superman Reboot

How cool that Argentina raised Viggo Mortensen could be in the new Superman Reboot? The Spanish speaking actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter is being pursued by producer Christopher Nolan and director Zack Snyder to play the main villain, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Viggo Mortensen, known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy and who is in discussions for Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman, is said to be at the top of the list to play General Zod, the evil and super-powered scientist first introduced in Superman II from 1980 played by Terrence Stamp. The question is now which role will Mortensen want to do more?

The actor who made the  Spanish speaking film ‘Alatriste’ is said to be just a “person of interest,” much like Kevin Costner is for the role of Jonathan Kent. The shot of both of them getting their respective gigs is pretty solid.

Director Zack Snyder is in the midst of meeting various actors for the Zod and Kent roles and three female parts well. There is no secret that whoever lands these sough after roles will be having a very nice life for the next ten years as Superman is looking to become a WB franchise for the ages.

Check out our interview we did with Viggo for his movie ‘Good’ a few years ago: click here.

Below is the character of Zod that Mortensen might play soon. Terrence Stamp originated the role in 1980 for Superman II.

‘Unknown’ is #1 at the box office
Mack Chico
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By

2011/02/21 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Unknown’ is #1 at the box office

02.21.2011 | By |

'Unknown' is #1 at the box office

Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra’s new movie “Unknown,” an action thriller starring Liam Neeson conquered the box office this weekend. The film with Diane Kruger and January Jones, debuted in first place with $21.8 million.

In the film, Neeson plays a doctor on a trip to Berlin who wakes up from a taxi crash to discover that another man is living his life and his wife (January Jones) doesn’t recognize him. The police think he’s crazy and assassins are on his tail. His only ally in unraveling the mystery is a taxi driver (Diane Kruger).

In the movie, Neeson believes he is fighting for his identity, an issue that has become very real with the advent of computers. The actor said he fears the computer after having his information stolen in the past.

“I Am Number Four” came in second place at the box office with $19.5 million.

In a close third is the animated feature “Gnomeo & Juliet” with a $19.4 million haul for three days. 

Meanwhile, the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy “Just Go With It,” comes in fourth place. The film made $18.2 million in its second week in release, raising its domestic sum to $60.8 million.

Rounding out the top five is the weekend’s other new wide release is the Martin Lawrence’s comedy “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son” with $17 million.

The following are three-day studio estimates:

1. Unknown — $21.8 mil
2. I Am Number Four — $19.5 mil
3. Gnomeo & Juliet — $19.4 mil
4. Just Go With It — $18.2 mil
5. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son — $17.0 mil

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