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Spielberg and Jackson reveal first stills from ‘Tintin’!
Jack Rico
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2010/11/01 at 12:00am

Movies

Spielberg and Jackson reveal first stills from ‘Tintin’!

11.1.2010 | By |

Spielberg and Jackson reveal first stills from 'Tintin'!

New York (USA), Nov. 1 (ShowBizCafe.com) – Tintin, on of the most famous and iconic European cartoon characters in history finally returns to silver screen. After having six films in his name, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson reveal the first movie stills, via England’s Empire Magazine, from the seventh chapter in The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.

The pair of photos shows Captain Haddock (voice of Andy Serkis) alone screaming at someone and the other with Tintin (voice of James Bell) and Haddock caught at sea seeking help.

The film was not made with traditional animation, but 3D motion capture in which the actors movements are captured digitally, and then in post, are converted to animation.

Steven Spielberg, the director of the film, talks about the plot: “The first part of the film, which is the most mysterious part, certainly owes much to not only film noir but the whole German Brechtian theatre — some of our night scenes and our action scenes are very contrasty. But at the same time the movie is a hell of an adventure.”

Master filmmaker and producer Peter Jackson, whose company Weta is in charge of special effects, says the visuals  “With live action you’re going to have actors pretending to be Captain Haddock and Tintin. You’d be casting people to look like them. It’s not really going to feel like the Tintin Hergé drew. It’s going to be somewhat different. With CGI we can bring Hergé’s world to life, keep the stylised caricatured faces, keep everything looking like Hergé’s artwork, but make it photo-real.”

The film also stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Thompson and Thomson, respectively, and Daniel Craig as Red Rackham. It also features Cary Elwes, Toby Jones, Mackenzie Crook and Daniel Mays.

For those unaware of the lore of Tintin, he is one of the most influential twentieth-century cartoons. He was created by the Belgian author Georges Remi (Hergé) in 1930.

Although it’ll take more than a year for the release of Tintin’s movie (the film comes out in theaters on December 28, 2011 in the USA) you can behold the first images of the film.

The New York City Horror Film Festival awards Krueger
Jack Rico
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2010/10/31 at 12:00am

Movies

The New York City Horror Film Festival awards Krueger

10.31.2010 | By |

The New York City Horror Film Festival awards Krueger

{New York, NY, October 31, 2010) – The New York City Horror Film Festival (www.nychorrorfest.com) today announced their full programming slate of short and feature films, featuring over 50 films submitted from the United States and some 15 countries from around the world. The 2010 NYCHFF takes place November 9 thru 14, 2010 at the Tribeca Cinemas, located at 54 Varick Street at Canal Street. The Festival’s Opening Night Gala will take place this year at Soirée (199 Bowery at Spring Street) on November 10 at 8:00pm. The gala is open to the public and will feature live performances, short films, complimentary cocktails, and more.
 
The 9th Annual NYCHFF Feature Presentations are:
 
DON’T GO IN THE WOODS (Noncompetition) Directed by Vincent D’Onofrio.
– An indie rock band of five young men heads into the woods for a weekend of creative inspiration away from modern distractions. New songs are sung and written but female groupies crash the creative jam session causing distraction. In traditional slasher movie style, characters begin disappearing and are violently killed by a crazed murderer. Unlike a traditional horror film, DON’T GO IN THE WOODS is a musical with scenes of characters singing while being murdered. The film oozes with thrills and a dark sense of humor complemented by a solid rock soundtrack. {US}
 
YELLOWBRICKROAD (Competition) Directed by Frank Holland
– In the Fall of 1940, the entire population of Friar, New Hampshire walked together up a winding mountain trail and into the wilderness. Without warning, they left behind everything: their homes, their clothes, and their money. The only clue where they went was a single word etched into stone near the forest’s edge: YELLOWBRICKROAD.  In 2009, the coordinates for the ‘YELLOWBRICKROAD’ trail head are declassified. An expedition begins in hope of answers. A few among them believe they will find something terrible in the forest. But it is the forest that will find something terrible in them. {US}
 
BEREAVEMENT (Competition) Directed by Stevan Mena
– The horrific account of 6 year old Martin Bristol, abducted from his backyard swing and forced to witness the brutal crimes of a deranged madman. {US}
 
THE PACK (Competition) Directed by Franck Richard
– In the middle of a snowy no man’s land, Charlotte picks up Max, a hitchhiker; they stop in a truck-stop restaurant, and when Max doesn’t come back from the bathroom, Charlotte starts looking for him in vain. She decides to return during the night but gets kidnapped by the bartender, La Spack, who turns out to be Max’s mother and needs to feed her kids, ‘The pack’, a bunch of blood lusting ghouls. Alone and in the middle of nowhere, she quickly realizes… she’s next on the menu! {France}
 
OUTCAST (Competition) Directed by Colm McCarthy    
– OUTCAST is the tale of Petronella, a Scottish/Romany girl, and Fergal, her mysterious Irish traveler boyfriend. As their doomed relationship plays out, a Beast stalks the estate, killing locals, working its way towards our protagonists. Meanwhile Cathal and Liam, two mysterious travelers from Ireland use ritual and magic on a blood hunt. Mary, Fergal’s mother performs ritual and magic of her own. In a vicious finale we know one thing: the Beast must die. {UK}
 
TICKED OFF TRANNIES WITH KNIVES (Competition) Directed by Israel Luna
– A group of trannies are violently bashed and left for dead. The surviving ladies regain consciousness, confidence, and courage ready to seek out revenge on the ones who attacked them. {US}
 
KISS THE ABYSS (Competition) Directed by Ken Winkler
– When a young woman is brutally killed by an intruder, her husband and estranged father conspire to bring her back from the dead with the help of a mysterious desert dweller. Soon after she awakens, she begins to realize that something is horribly wrong…  {US}
 
WON TON BABY (Noncompetition) Directed by James Morgart
Thirty years ago brothel owner Rachel “Madam” Won Ton found herself one drug-filled night involved with her wildest client. That encounter leaves the Madam pregnant. She decides to move on for “cleaner” life. Today, her brothel converted into a Chinese restaurant, the Madam’s past continues to haunt her. However, her continued social scorn is the least of her concerns when she learns her adult daughter, Lily, has a parasitic twin growing in her belly! When the fetus is removed, it is not only alive; it possesses a   mutated umbilical cord. The baby’s mass murdering and eating of the locals forces the Madam to confront a secret she’s hidden for years. Can the Madam solve things before it’s too late or has she sealed her family’s fate by the release of the child? {US}
 
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation to Actor/Director Robert Englund
– In the dreams of his victims, a spectral child murderer stalks the children of the members of the lynch mob that killed him. A print of this film will screen as part of the Lifetime achievement program dedicated to Actor /Director Robert Englund. {US}
 
Also part of the program this year’s program are the four audience choice award winners of the Killer Shorts Sudden Death Competitions that was held in conjunction with Wizard Conventions throughout the spring and summer of 2010. The winners are:

Wizard Anaheim –              WRITTEN BY, directed by Karni Baghdikian
Wizard Philadelphia –        NOW THAT YOU’RE DEAD, directed by Patrick Rea
Wizard Chicago –                GET OFF MY PORCH, directed by Patrick Rea
Wizard New York –              LET’S MAKE A TAPE, directed by Jorge Abreu
 
 
NYC HORROR FILM FESTIVAL (NYCHFF) was founded in 2001 by Film Producer and Director

Michael J. Hein. The festival is dedicated to the international genre film community and there are no restrictions on the films screened during the festivals. Programs include short and feature films screened both in and out of competition. The Festival jury presents awards to films in the categories of Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects, Best Actor / Actress, Best Screenplay for films showcased, and an Audience Choice Award. The NYCHFF also presents an annual Lifetime achievement award. Past recipients include director George A. Romero, Special Effects Artist and Director Tom Savini, Producer and Director Roger Corman, and Producer and Director Mick Garris. Over the last nine years the festival has grown into America’s largest and most recognized genre film festival focusing solely on Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Thrillers. Each year the NYCHFF celebrates both the horror classics we grew up with and new genre films & filmmakers who created them and fills the city with special screenings, parties, celebrity guests and free giveaways. For more information visit the festival’s website at www.nychorrorfest.com

Saw 3D
Ted Faraone
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2010/10/31 at 12:00am

Reviews

Saw 3D

10.31.2010 | By |

Saw 3D

James Frey, whose fictional autobiography, “A Million Little Pieces,” got him roasted on Oprah Winfey’s sofa for 48 minutes, got off easy compared to Bobby Dagen, ably played by Sean Patrick Flanery, who is tortured (along with the audience) for 90 minutes for concocting a fictional best seller about surviving the Jigsaw killer in “Saw 3D” or “Saw VII” — depending on one’s point of view.

 

Horror thriller’s plot is simple.  The late Jigsaw John (Tobin Bell) who appears in flashback, had an accomplice, which everyone who saw “Saw VI” knows is crooked Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) whose career has not exactly soared since his stint on David E. Kelly’s “Picket Fences”.  He may be best remembered by some as the fellow in HBO’s TV series, “Sex and the City,” with a male part too big even for Samantha (Kim Cattrall) to handle. 

 

Bobby Dagen is raking in cash on his book tour.  Hoffman gets upset about this (why is anyone’s guess) and sets out to right matters.  He also has a beef with Jigsaw John’s widow, Jill (Betsy Russell), who has fingered him to the cops as her late husband’s accomplice and tried to kill him.  At least that makes sense.

 

Like the rest of the Saw series, “Saw 3D” relies on about one dead body every ten minutes, cheesy special effects, and relentless villains to achieve suspense.  The vics are also not guilt free.  They mostly (with a few exceptions) did something bad…. In other words, they’re human. 

 

This alleged thriller relies on an extraordinary suspension of disbelief.  Hoffman’s traps depend on perfect timing, amazing mechanical perfection, and a puppet showing up on TV at exactly the right moment to move the plot along.  The money such a setup would cost would be far beyond the means of a policeman.  It would be the kind of cash that would make Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke apoplectic. 

 

By now everyone who knows anything about the Saw franchise knows that its central premise is that life is about choices.  Unfortunately for those caught in Jigsaw’s traps, said choices are Hobson’s on steroids.  Pic’s second scene is set in an urban storefront in which two guys, both dated by an attractive women held overhead in a sling which emphasizes her most excellent endowments, are chained to circular saws.  In order to save the girl, one of them must saw the other to death.  If they save each other, the girl gets sawed to death.  This is classic Saw.  It is also a tad unfortunate since the unaccredited actress is sort of righteous.

 

“Saw 3D” also plagiarizes other works.  Hoffman stitching his face after Jill’s alleged murder attempt is straight out of Spanish pic “Pan’s Labyrinth.”  A bit in which Bobby has to shove hooks into his pectoral muscles was used to much better effect by Arthur Kopit in “Indians,” both on stage and on screen.

 

3D is a gimmick that Hollywood tried about 50 years ago.  It coincided with the Hula Hoop.  There is nothing new under the sun gear, as “Road & Track” magazine founder John Bond said.  Hollywood is reviving the gimmick to get bodies to shell out money to see subpar films.  It will work for a while.  Thus far your critic has seen only one picture that benefitted from 3D:  It is “Despicable Me” (which is reviewed on this site).  Heck, even CBS Sports is toying with 3D to get folks to watch its depleted roster on television.  Note to programmers:  3D does not make up for crummy material.  A compelling work can be shown on a 13-inch black and white TV screen and hold one’s interest, if not one’s breath.

 

Helmer Kevin Greutert was an editor on many of the Saw pictures and directed
“Saw VI”.  Tech credits, save for the cheesy special effects, are adequate.  So is sound recording, although “Saw 3D” could be a silent picture and be none the worse for it.  Dialogue is at best banal.  Performances are almost universally awful.  Only Flanery rises above the material, which is not saying much.

 

“Saw 3D” is billed as the end of the Saw franchise. That would be a good thing.   With No. 7 it has jumped the shark.  But your critic fears otherwise.  Pic leaves a number of dangling participles on any of which can be hung “sequel.”  Auds do not know if Bobby dies or if Hoffman dies.  And it is revealed that Jigsaw John had a second accomplice, a blond haired physician (Cary Elwes) who cauterized his stump after amputating his own leg — pic’s opening scene.  Near pic’s end it is revealed that Jigsaw John made the guy his “executor” of sorts.  The future will depend on the box office that “Saw 3D” does.

 

Released just in time for Halloween, “Saw 3D” is rated R according to its press materials “for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, and language [sic].”  Take a pass.  Put the Jigsaw guys out of their misery.

‘Justin Bieber 3D’ makes its trailer debut
Jack Rico
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2010/10/26 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Justin Bieber 3D’ makes its trailer debut

10.26.2010 | By |

'Justin Bieber 3D' makes its trailer debut

New York (USA), Oct. 26 (ShowBizCafe.com) – With the shocking success of ‘Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert’ and ‘Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience,’ Paramount Pictures decided to take the story of the young Canadian singer Justin Bieber to the big screen in a biopic directed by Jon Chu entitled ‘Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3D’. The film, which premieres on February 11, 2011, Valentine’s Day, had its debut last night at his concert in Los Angeles and now you can see it in the video below.

The trailer begins with images of Justin as a child singing and playing musical instruments, all as part of his daily life. The focus then switches to his beginnings as a star and famous people who helped him along the road to fame. Finally we see testimonies of love from his fans and the songs they all obsessively sing as ‘Baby’ and ‘Somebody to Love’. The film ends with Bieber giving words of encouragement to his audience – “there will be times when people tell you you cannot live your dreams,” says Bieber. “This is what I say: Never say never”

The business of ‘Bieber’ continues to boom all around – I mean he has even signed a deal with publisher Harper Collins to create a memoir on his life and his path to the top of the music industry. This guy has become an economic attraction for film executives and publishers who see enormous potential to make money in a variety of properties.

Initially, the documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (It Might Get Loud, An Inconvenient Truth) was going to make the Bieber project, but looks his fans got on him. Guggenheim left the project after receiving a deluge of criticism via the web by his own fans. Scooter Braun, his manager and LA Reid, chairman of Island Def Jam, will produce the film.

Sex and the City 2
Karen Posada
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2010/10/25 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Sex and the City 2

10.25.2010 | By |

Rating: 3.0

Rated: R for some strong sexual content and language.
Release Date: 2010-05-27
Starring: Michael Patrick King
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website:

 Go to our film page

They weren’t kidding when they said SPARKLE. Sex and the City 2 was completely extravagant and exaggerated, which is what in a way made it fun. This movie does more justice to the series than the original movie did. It is not full of ‘Carrie’ drama, like the last one. Instead we get to go away on a fabulous trip with the girls. It is a Cinderella story, they have to live and enjoy their time quickly before the clock strikes midnight. We travel to a world of fantasy, it is predominantly what we go to the movies for anyway, to dream and live vicariously through others.

It all starts with Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) taking us back in time to when she met each one of her girlfriends; Charlotte York-Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall). The first main scene reunites them at a fabulous gay wedding. To describe it as a sparkly dream wedding is an understatement. We see how the girls lives have changed, Carrie living the Mr. & Mrs. Married life, which to her is getting boring and she wants to bring the sparkle back in the relationship. Charlotte has 2 little girls, that are driving her crazy and has a super hot nanny that makes her worry her husband might stray. Miranda is still the same workaholic she’s always been, but soon realizes what she’s missing out on. Samantha is fighting off menopause by taking 1.000 natural pills and keeping up with her sexcapades. The only man in the movie that doesn’t have a short appearance is Mr. Big (John James Preston) (Chris Noth); we see how he’s still trying to please Carrie even after they are married. The other men are barely showed in the film at all, it is after all about the girls. The best guest appearance was the one of Liza Minnelli; it was perfect; she does a fun dance performance. Penélope Cruz also does a cameo, she looks gorgeous and sexy more so than in her own movies. 

I think what this movie gives the true fans of the show is a chance to spend more time with the girls, get away with them without all the drama. They go on a trip to a foreign land – Abu Dhabi, where Carrie bumps into her old flame Aidan (John Corbett), Samantha has a new set of hot boys to go crazy after, Charlotte gets a chance to rest from stressful motherhood and Miranda finds her fun self again. This trip brings them closer together and strengthens not only their relationship but the ones with their loved ones as well.  One of the most interesting scenes of the film is when the girls are discussing how they perceive Muslim women as well as themselves. There’s a hint of feminism with a sprinkle of humor, which makes the subject light hearted.

There are several aspects that take away from the movie, there are a lot of ridiculous scenes, which might be meant as just fun, but it makes one laugh out loud sarcastically. The characters have become pretty predictable, which is the reason why there should have been no movies after the show ended; it takes away from the element of surprise. The women have become a parody of themselves, which takes any essence of reality left away from them. Lastly, although there is character growth the sole purpose of this movie is to make money; there was no need for a sequel, there’s nothing new that we learn from the characters.

If you were a fan of the show I recommend you watch it but you can certainly wait for it to come out on DVD, unless you have the time and the money to kill at a movie theater (it is pretty lengthy, maybe a little too lengthy). Samantha is definitely what makes this movie fun; if it wasn’t for her friends restraining her, the movie would be hilarious! Truth is that we all have girlfriends that are like any one of these women, which is what made the show so successful and it is what makes it so fun to watch. Just take the movie for what it is, a world similar to ours except that it is nearly perfect and beautiful but it was created for the sole purpose of entertaining. Ladies my only advice is not to torture your boyfriend with this film, go watch it with your girls.

‘Paranormal Activity 2’ is #1 at the box office
Mack Chico
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2010/10/24 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Paranormal Activity 2’ is #1 at the box office

10.24.2010 | By |

'Paranormal Activity 2' is #1 at the box office

A week away from Halloween, film goers chose to see a horror movie this weekend, in which “Paranormal Activity 2” topped the box office and moved up on last week’s, “Jackass 3D.”

The sequel to the successful 2009 horror film in which a family is haunted by strange presences, generated $41.5 million.

Meanwhile, “Jackass 3D”, the new film about the adventures of Johnny Konxville and his crazy team of stuntmen, had to settle this week for second place, to raise revenues by $ 21.6 million, published DPA.

“Red” by Robert Schwentke, was third. The action comedy about a retired FBI agent starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren generated $15 million. Since its debut last week, the film earned more than $43 million in total.

1. Paranormal Activity 2 — $41.5 mil
2. Jackass 3D — $21.6 mil
3. Red — $15 mil
4. Hereafter — $12 mil
5. The Social Network — $7.3 mil

Monsters
Ted Faraone
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By

2010/10/24 at 12:00am

Reviews

Monsters

10.24.2010 | By |

Monsters

It has been reported that “Monsters” was made for $15,000.  That would put it in company with the awful “Paranormal Activity.”  It’s also a lot of baloney.  Helmer Gareth Edwards feature debut is not a big budget effort.  The most credible press report your critic has seen pegs shooting at $100,000 and post-production, which is where pic was really made, at $450,000.  That should astonish no one who has looked at Edwards’ resume.  He made his name as a visual special effects man.  Edwards and backers got a lot of bang for their buck.  Heck, Edwards even worked three more jobs — as writer, cinematographer, and special effects guru.

 

Backstory is handled quickly.  Six years prior to pic’s action, a NASA probe carrying life forms from outer space, crashed over Central America on re-entry to the Earth.  The northern half of Mexico is now quarantined as an “Infected Zone.”  It turns out, about halfway through pic’s 94 minutes, that the Infected Zone is so named because that’s where the alien “creatures,” which look like giant squid (about 150 feet across), float through the air, and sound like elephants with sinus trouble, lay their eggs.  Said eggs are attached to trees and glow when touched.  US and Mexican military fight their advance mostly with air strikes and a giant border wall, the sight of which would probably put anti-immigration zealots into a state of ecstasy.

 

Enter Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) a news photographer with a touch of sleaze, who is ordered to rescue the daughter of his publisher, Samantha Wynden, a cute blonde played by Whitney Able.  This is the last thing a guy who gets $50k from Wynden’s dad for shots of blood and gore, wants to do, but do it he must.  His job is on the line.  Meanwhile, the “creatures” show menacing signs of branching out from the Infected Zone.  They also seem to be attracted to light at night, a tidbit auds should bear in mind.

 

A dangling participle requires almost total suspension of disbelief.  Why can’t Samantha simply get on a plane and fly back to the US — and what was she doing in Mexico in the first place given the nation’s chaotic state?  And what about going south, to an airport or ship terminal far from danger?  That would be too easy, and there wouldn’t be a movie.

 

No.  Kaulder and “Sam” have to take a train to the gulf coast and from there board a ferry to the US.  Neither cares much for the other.  Due to trouble ahead, the train stops and reverses course.  The pair set off on foot, hitchhiking to the coast, which they finally reach late at night; pay an exorbitant amount for ferry tickets, and crash at a local hotel — in separate rooms.

 

Herein lies pic’s turning point, where action finally achieves liftoff.  Perhaps it is a lesson of sorts.  Kaulder suggests that he and Sam bunk together.  Sam vetoes the idea.  He also suggests they go do tequila shots.  She’d rather sleep.  The ferry leaves at 7 am.  Sam closes door on Kaulder.  Kaulder hits the bar, does tequila shots, and picks up a prostitute.  She steals the pair’s passports and money while hungover Kaulder, in his underwear, chases a ticked off Sam who has walked away in disgust after paying him an urgent wakeup call.  Note to girls:  If your life depends on a guy, keep him in sight.  Note to guys:  1. Don’t be so obnoxious that the girl you are to protect refuses to let you do so, and 2. Don’t get drunk and pick up a whore on the eve of your escape.  The pair miss the ferry.  No refunds.

 

A price gouging ticket broker, who had charged the exorbitant sum of $5,000 for ferry tickets — It had better be the Queen Mary II at those prices — now wants an additional $5k per person to get them a river boat passage through the Infected Zone to the US.  Sam pays with her diamond engagement ring.

 

Despite a few close encounters with “creatures,” pic never really develops the suspense common to the genre as the pair claw their way to the US border.  Here, too, pic takes some liberties with geography.  Northern Mexico is not jungle terrain.  Riverboat scenes were shot further south, in Guatemala.  The genre issue is a tad complicated.  Edwards is a special effects man who set out to shoot a love story.  You send a special effects man to make a love story, and what you get is a love story pasted over a sci-fi thriller.   It’s not quite one or the other.  Sharp-eyed readers will note that your critic made no mention of Sam having to be persuaded to pay for the trip through the Infected Zone with her diamond engagement ring.  Perhaps hers is not a match made in Heaven. 

 

The ending, which comes almost unexpectedly — “Monsters” was edited crisply by Colin Goudie — is a tad loopy.  It involves a pair of “creatures” mating.  At least that’s what Edwards says they are doing, and one sort of gets the idea, but it is not entirely clear from the material.  There is a parallel to be drawn, however, and Edwards draws it.  But it also begs the question as to whether the “creatures” are pernicious, which is pic’s premise.

 

“Monsters” carries an “R” rating.  Your critic would give it PG.  There is little objectionable language, no drug use, and no sex between humans.

Paranormal Activity 2
Jack Rico
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By

2010/10/22 at 12:00am

Reviews

Paranormal Activity 2

10.22.2010 | By |

Paranormal Activity 2

Paranormal Activity 2, the sequel to the already labeled cult classic original of the same name, offers more scares than the original, yet, it lost some of the genuine feeling of originality and authenticity that the first so frightfully showcased. It did add a Latino element… more on that later.

The plot line, which was so carefully concealed from the perusing press, is a prequel that leads into the sequel, and eventually is left open for a second sequel, meaning part three. In order to understand this movie, you must have seen the first one in order to appreciate the dialogue, specific occurrences and the appearance of a couple of characters.

From the opening frame, we witness a home video of a suburban family moving into a new household with their new born baby, Hunter, three weeks before the grim events of the first film. Rather quickly, we are informed that the mother and wife just so happens to be the sister of the vanished and possessed female victim (Katie Featherston) who was the lead actress from the original movie. Many allusions are then referenced to the previous film more than once throughout movie, even until the very end. The family, unfortunately, begins experiencing what they think are a series of ‘break-ins,’ but even their security cameras around their home only serve to realize that the events unfolding before them are more sinister than they seem.

Before I continue, it must be said how much the original weighed over this sequel. The first one was as good as they come. It felt real, much like The Blair Witch Project did. The supernatural incidents were filled with the simplicity and freakish genuineness that one can believe as true. Even the cast was perfect. Ms. Katie Featherston, large chest and all, had the characteristics that typifies the genre. This sequel didn’t necessarily sell the physical attributes of its female cast.

Speaking of females, one actress that really stood out to me, not necessarily because of her acting, but because of the her heritage, was the Latina nanny (note: Paramount has not given press any production notes on the film so many of the actors are uncredited). She speaks only in Spanish, no subtitles, and she mostly talked about how she kept on feeling an uncomfortable, malign presence in the house. It’s funny, Latino actors, for better or worse, are now becoming Hollywood’s go-to authorities on everything paranormal. If you remember Drag Me To Hell, Adriana Barraza played the exorcist and most recently, Jacob Vargas in ‘Devil’, was the first to detect the devil’s presence in the film. I guess it’s a jump up from gangsters and thieves. It makes sense though, Latinos do come from a long line of spiritual traditions that make them more knowledgeable about the ethereal world.

The film is a mockumentary directed by Tod Williams, and written by the original scribe, Orin Peli and newby Michael Perry. The production budget soared close to 3 million dollars for this one but you can barely tell where it went compared to the $11,000 version of the original.

Overall, Paranormal Activity 2 delivers the thrills and chills one looks for in horror films. The IMAX version also is a welcoming option if you can afford it. Go see it, you won’t be disappointed.

Michael Peña joins ‘Tower Heist’ from Brett Ratner
Mack Chico
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2010/10/21 at 12:00am

Movies

Michael Peña joins ‘Tower Heist’ from Brett Ratner

10.21.2010 | By |

Michael Peña joins 'Tower Heist' from Brett Ratner

Director Brett Ratner has added two more cast members to his upcoming project Tower Heist, with Gabourey Sidibe and Michael Peña both joining the cast, according to Deadline New York.

Gabourey Sidibe and Michael Peña will play employees in a luxury apartment building who, lead by Ben Stiller‘s character, attempt to rob the scheming man in the penthouse. He is on house arrest for fraud, and he robbed these same employees of their pensions.

The two actors join a cast that already includes Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy. Alan Alda will play the white-collar criminal responsible for stealing the employees’ pensions.

Brett Ratner will direct from a script by Jeff Nathanson, who is rewriting Ted Griffin‘s original screenplay. It was said that production was set to start next month in New York.

Tower Heist comes to theaters in 2011 and stars Ben Stiller, Alan Alda, Eddie Murphy, Gabourey Sidibe, Michael Peña. The film is directed by Brett Ratner.

Hereafter
Karen Posada
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By

2010/10/21 at 12:00am

Reviews

Hereafter

10.21.2010 | By |

Hereafter

Hereafter is a dramatic film that has many elements that make it worth watching, its strongest being the storyline. Don’t’ be fooled by the trailer, if you are expecting an action flick it has been advertised wrong; it is about death and the possibility of an afterlife and trying to understand what happens after we die. The first scene does a nice job in taking you in and wanting to explore more, the fact that it is split into three stories carried out by completely different characters in various parts of the world makes it all the more interesting. The subject matter might make some skeptic and want to turn away; as well as the feeble romance which takes away from the film. The film does convey it’s message well which is to raise questions and curiosity no matter how you feel about the subject.

Hereafter deals with mortality and how three strangers who have completely different lives are affected by it. George (Matt Damon) has a gift or curse from which he’s desperately trying to get away from, Marie (Cécile de France) is completely happy with her perfect life until a near-death experience changes all of that and Marcus (George Mclaren & Frankie McLaren) has to face death as well as separation at a young age. We get a very in-depth look at each one of these characters lives and we get to comprehend each one of their stories which have death, mortality and loneliness as underlying themes that connect them. They each toy with the idea of an afterlife and each one is on a path that they have to travel alone and despite of having some family members or friends it is on this lonely journey that they find their answers or closure and are matured by the process.

The screenwriter Peter Morgan told us a funny story on how after a long process his script, which was inspired by a book he read and the loss of a friend, ended up on the hands of one of the executive producers Steven Spielberg; he then went on to give it to Clint Eastwood who decided to direct it. Eastwood’s name is all over the film, everything is so well thought out and organized that we can see it was done by a top notch director. Here he tried to work with special effects on a well developed sequence which runs through smoothly, but I would not say is the best CGI work I’ve ever seen; it could have been much better, throughout most of it you could pick out the CGI elements easily which took away from it. Also, the final scene has some of the corniest music i’ve ever heard; not only is it cheesy but it changes the storyline as well; I found the romance unnecessary and desperate for a happy ending. The twin brothers in this movie were amazing, knowing that they are non actors made me appreciate their scenes even more. Their story is so touching that it was hard to keep my eyes from watering, close enough to tearing. De France’s strong character shows us that after a storm the sun always comes out with some perseverance and she portrayed that beautifully. It was interesting to see Damon in such a ‘push-over’ role, most of the time he’s kind of being told what to do and he follows along; it shows the quality of his acting and how diverse it can be.

Besides posing questions the film teaches us one thing about death no matter what our beliefs are about it: we need to learn to let go and move on. I appreciated the film for kind of poking fun at one of the themes it promotes, but also because it shows us how deep human relationships go, how easily we are tied to one another and how hard it is to move on from that to be our own individual selves. It deals with the ‘hereafter’ not the idea of heaven or hell, so there’s more of a spiritual tie to it than religious which makes it easier to swallow.

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