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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Alex Florez
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2009/10/20 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

10.20.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, language, some crude and sexual material, and brief drug material.
Release Date: 2009-06-26
Starring: Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.transformersmovie.com/

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‘Revenge of the Fallen’ falls somewhere between ‘American Pie’ and ‘Terminator’.  Yes, I know that covers the gamut of movie genres, but that’s exactly the situation at hand.  Director Michael Bay’s follow up to the blockbuster film based on Hasbro’s action figures, is clearly targeting the graduating class of 2009.  School is out, summer is in and screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman turn the first half of the movie into a teen-sex comedy, something most fans of the original cartoon series from the 80s won’t really care for.  But somewhere beneath all the sophomoric double entendres, lies a story-line with the potential of whipping fanboys into a frenzy by shedding light onto the ancient origins of the Transformers.

Optimus Prime, leader of the ‘Autobots’ (the good ones), is the ultimate hero to rally around but it is Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBoeuf) the boy responsible for discovering the alien race, who will hold the fate of the world in his hands.  Together with the help of the humans, the ‘Autobots’ engage in a battle of biblical proportions against the evil ‘Decepticons’.  The action here is certainly impressive and the special effects out of this world but it is difficult to enjoy when you can’t quite tell what’s going on – also my biggest concern with the first film. With the exception of Optimus Prime, the hot-rod semi-truck and Bumblebee, the golden Camaro, telling some of these robots apart is a mounting challenge especially during combat scenes.   

At the end of the day, there’s a lot of fat that can be cut out of the film to make it a leaner action-packed extravaganza. I’d start by eliminating a series of extraneous characters that add very little.  John Turturro as Agent Simmons, for instance, feels as out of place as the late Richard Pryor in ‘Superman III’.  And we all know how that franchise turned out.

Shalim Ortiz Opens ‘Touched’ at Dominican Film Festival
Jack Rico
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2009/10/20 at 12:00am

Movies

Shalim Ortiz Opens ‘Touched’ at Dominican Film Festival

10.20.2009 | By |

‘Touched,’ the movie starred and produced by Shalim Ortiz, best known for his role as Alejandro in NBC’s Heroes, has been chosen to lead the Dominican Republic Film Festival taking place in Santo Domingo from November 18th to the 22nd. Read More

Monday Box Office: ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ is #1
Pau Brunet
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2009/10/18 at 12:00am

Movies

Monday Box Office: ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ is #1

10.18.2009 | By |

Monday Box Office: 'Where the Wild Things Are' is #1

After a long and troubled production, Warner Bros.’ Where the Wild Things Are found its supper waiting, and it was hot to the tune of $32.5 million, according to early estimates by Hollywood.com Box Office. The movie was easily the best debut for acclaimed director Spike Jonze, whose two previous films, Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, ended their domestic runs at $22.9 million and $22.5 million, respectively. All eyes will be watching to see how much Wild Things, with its reported $80 million budget, drops next weekend. The film earned a relatively solid “B+” grade from CinemaScore moviegoers, but some families may be staying away as the movie jumped only 2 percent from Friday to Saturday.

The violent thriller Law Abiding Citizen, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler, attracted an adult audience and captured second place with $21.3 million. Right behind it was the box-office phenomenon of the season, Paranormal Activity, which scared up $20.2 million from a mere 760 theaters. The cult horror film, which Paramount brilliantly marketed by asking internet users to “demand” the movie to come to their town, grossed a spooky $26,530 per screen. That’s all the more impressive considering Paranormal Activity was produced on a budget of $11,000. The movie is expected to reach 1,800 theaters next weekend.

Fourth place went to the Vince Vaughn comedy Couples Retreat, which dropped a respectable 48 percent for a $17.9 million weekend. The thriller The Stepfather, a remake of the 1987 original, debuted in fifth place with $12.3 million. In limited release, Joel and Ethan Coen’s A Serious Man expanded to 82 theaters and grossed $860,257 for a hearty $10,491 per-screen average. And New York, I Love You, a collection of short films dedicated to the city, debuted with a decent $372,000 from 119 theaters. One wonders how many Gotham-loving moviegoers skipped the film to watch the Yankees play postseason baseball instead.

Overall, the weekend was up 41 percent from the same frame last year, when Max Payne opened to $17.6 million.

The Maid
Alex Florez
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2009/10/15 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Maid

10.15.2009 | By |

The Maid

‘La Nana’ llega a tierras estadounidenses como un mensaje dentro de una botella. Silenciosamente remitido por el cineasta chileno Sebastián Silva, el mensaje es sencillo y sincero.  Es un relato de mucha idiosincrasia y a la vez, un estudio de la condición humana para compartir dondequiera que la corriente lo lleve.

Silva nos cuenta de Raquel (Catalina Saavedra), una mujer agria e introvertida, que lleva 23 años trabajando de nana para una familia de un estrato social alto. Un día, Pilar (Claudia Celedón), su patrona, contrata a otra nana para ayudarla. Raquel, sintiendo peligrar su lugar en la familia, marca su territorio espantando a la recién llegada con crueles e infantiles maltratos psicológicos. A partir de entonces la película toma un tono jocoso y por momentos pierde el norte haciéndonos esperar más de la cuenta para saber como termina todo. No obstante, sale uno del teatro sintiéndose parte de la familia.  

La película se inspira mucho en el ‘cine de realidad’ o ‘cinéma vérité’, el estilo de cine que comenzó a mediados del siglo XX como una reacción europea hacia el sistema clásico de hacer películas. Un estilo que utiliza muchas técnicas naturalistas que muchas veces resultan en una fotografía temblorosa.  Piensen en esos vídeos caseros que tenemos todos guardados de alguna fiesta de cumpleaños donde la cámara no deja de moverse. Les advierto: si fácilmente se marea con los movimientos, ¡aléjense de esta película!  

Realmente es una lástima porque cine latinoamericano como este es raro y no debería arriesgarse a dar pretextos para no verla.

Where the Wild Things Are
Alex Florez
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By

2009/10/15 at 12:00am

Reviews

Where the Wild Things Are

10.15.2009 | By |

Where the Wild Things Are

The night that ‘Max put on a wolf suit and started doing one shenanigan after another’ marked the moment in my childhood when I let my imagination run wild. I’m referring to the boy in that fantasy book written by Maurice Sendak, who later finds himself in a forest ‘Where The Wild Things Are.’
 
When I found out that the filmmaker Spike Jonze (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) had the intention of adapting a classic of children’s literature to the big screen, I was easily excited. However, the great expectations that came along with the making of the film were enough to worry me. How loyal would the film be to the book? And most importantly, how would they stretch out a story of just a few pages so that it would work as a movie?
 
For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, the book is about a boy named Max who gets sent to bed early for his bad behavior. But he ends up escaping to a forest where he is accompanied by a family of wild creatures. As is traditional in children’s books, ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ has a moral to its story, but I remember it mostly for it’s surrealist world. Something Jonze’s film also succeeds at, but regrettably as a movie ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ falls short.
 
Here’s the problem: the film doesn’t have enough plot to push the story forward. Since the book is short, Jonze has no choice but to come up with something to further develop the movie. However, the filmmaker doesn’t risk quite enough to make things interesting. Instead he opts to show us filler – like extended sequences of Max playing with his monsters. And that’s just not filmmaking. Although the costuming, the special effects and the wonderful soundtrack do an amazing job of bringing the book to life, the captivating moments are rare. Simply put, the book would have been better served as an exceptional short-film.
 
‘Where The Wild Things Are’ is one of the all time classic bedtime stories, but when it also puts you to sleep in the movie theater, that’s not a good sign.

 

Lionsgate to do Mexican film ‘From Prada to Nada’
Jack Rico
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2009/10/15 at 12:00am

Movies

Lionsgate to do Mexican film ‘From Prada to Nada’

10.15.2009 | By |

Lionsgate to do Mexican film 'From Prada to Nada'

Odd Lot Entertainment, Lionsgate and Videocine announced today the start of pre-production on an English-language Mexican-US co-production film, entitled From Prada to Nada.

Cannes Golden Camera-winner and Alma-nominated director Fina Torres (Woman on Top, Oriana) will helm a contemporary, Latina version of Jane Austen’s classic novel “Sense and Sensibility.” Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated actress Adriana Barraza (Babel, Drag Me to Hell, Amores Perros), Camilla Belle (When A Stranger Calls), Alexa Vega (“Spy Kids” films), Wilmer Valderrama (“That 70’s Show”) and Kuno Becker (“Goal!” trilogy) are set to star in this ensemble romantic comedy.

A whimsical spin on Austen’s original, From Prada to Nada follows two spoiled sisters when they are left penniless after the sudden death of their father. Forced to move in with their estranged aunt in East Los Angeles, this is a fish-out-of-water story where the girls ultimately find romance, as well as a love for their culture. Torres co-wrote the script with Chicano dramatist Luis Alfaro (Electricidad).

Odd Lot, Lionsgate and Videocine are production, financing and distribution partners on the film. Odd Lot’s Gigi Pritzker and Linda McDonough will produce, along with Rossana Arau and Gary Gilbert.

“Fina’s decadent filmic style, combined with a socially relevant and hip story, drew together our exceptional and fresh cast,” says McDonough. Continued Prizker, “I believe in telling stories with a cultural basis, and of course I also believe in smart deals – From Prada to Nada does both.”

Law Abiding Citizen
Jack Rico
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2009/10/14 at 12:00am

Reviews

Law Abiding Citizen

10.14.2009 | By |

Law Abiding Citizen
Drag Me to Hell
Jack Rico
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By

2009/10/13 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Drag Me to Hell

10.13.2009 | By |

Rating: 3.0

Rated: PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images and language.
Release Date: 2009-05-29
Starring: Ivan Raimi, Sam Raimi
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.dragmetohell.net/

 Go to our film page

Sam Raimi’s ‘Drag Me to Hell’ is a deliberately funny, horror film, which is neither too funny nor too scary. It’s definitely not a classic, but a refreshing return to a format that has seen many successes in the decade of the 80’s. This film is not meant to be taken seriously at all; you’re supposed to laugh at the funny parts, and as a nice surprise, you’ll occasionally be on the edge of your seat with suspense. What you should expect is to be grossed out by a myriad of scenes. Raimi is obviously looking to make you feel uncomfortable.

The plot is simple and straightforward – a loan officer is cursed by a gypsy for not helping her keep her home and now she needs to try and stop evil spirits from dragging her to hell.

I must admit, I was caught off guard with the intentional hilarity of the film. I’m so conditioned to laugh at today’s horror films because of how bad they are that this one almost tricked me. Cinematically, this movie is not good. The acting is bad, the dialogue is comical and the pacing is off. Fortunately for me, I understood what the Raimi was trying to do here and it made me enjoy the rest of the film. Sam Raimi, known for his three Spider-Man films, is no neophyte to the horror/comedy genre, actually he’s known in many circles as the guy who created it with his series of 80’s cult movies – Evil Dead.

It’s funny to me though, how much the Spanish language and Hispanics (Mexican’s really) have integrated themselves within Hollywood storylines. The opening 5-8 minutes of the movie are spoken completely in Spanish with a Mexican couple trying to save their son from the clutches of the devil. The Oscar nominated Mexican actress Adriana Barraza (Babel) plays an enchantress who wants revenge on the devil. She goes on this Spanish spell monologue without subtitles which makes it difficult for non Spanish speakers to understand, but advantageous for us bilinguals to appreciate.

Overall, ‘Drag Me to Hell’ serves as a senseless night out with friends looking to laugh and be grossed out. I particularly wouldn’t pay New York City prices for it ($12.50 a ticket), but a good $5-7 ticket buy wouldn’t be out of the question for a fun time at the flicks.

The Proposal
Jack Rico
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2009/10/13 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

The Proposal

10.13.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: PG-13 for sexual content, nudity and language.
Release Date: 2009-06-19
Starring: Pete Chiarelli
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://touchstone.movies.go.com/theproposal/

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The Proposal is a formulaic romantic comedy that offers nothing remotely fresh or new while following a very predictable outcome. For some people, that’s enough. Some will think its enough, but  the film is mediocre at best and hoping its anything else are just false expectations. 

 

Not much in the sense of a plotline – A pushy boss (Sandra Bullock) forces her young assistant (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her in order to keep her Visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation to Canada.

 

It should not be considered a spoiler to reveal that the two actually fall in love. After all, that’s the point of the movie, and the only reason any percentage of the population will see it. (Also, once you’ve watched the three-minute trailer, there is no point in seeing the 108-minute film – not only does the trailer tell the whole story, but it includes all the best comedic material.)

 

The problem, which I alluded to earlier, is that the romance falls flat. It has nothing to do with chemistry. Bullock and Reynolds don’t burn up the screen, but they’re nice enough together. The movie doesn’t give us enough to go on to believe that these two have fallen in love. Those who buy it will do so because the formula demands it, not because the movie has succeeded in closing the sale.

 

There are some funny moments, chief of which is the overhyped “nude” scene in which Margaret, fresh from the shower and wearing nothing (but with arms and hands strategically positioned so the rating can remain PG-13) collides with an equally in-the-buff Andrew. It’s more amusing than laugh-aloud funny, and it’s about as naughty as things can get without crossing the line into R territory. Most of The Proposal‘s jokes are like that in that they provoke smiles and chuckles but fail to generate any really good laughs.

 

The cast isn’t populated by heavyweights. It has been a while since Sandra Bullock has been in the fast lane, and it’s been about a decade since she was a prime romantic comedy actress. Ryan Reynolds, who showed flashes of genuine talent in Adventureland, is back to phoning it in. (Although, to be fair, his flummoxed expression when Andrew “learns” he’s engaged to Margaret – which carries through more than one scene – is possibly the film’s funniest element.) 

 

The Proposal will give you a bland taste of romance this weekend. We rather you cozy up to one of the classic Tom Hank romantic comedies on DVD this weekend than endure the regurgitated, cardboard taste of The Proposal.

Land of the Lost
Jack Rico
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2009/10/13 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Land of the Lost

10.13.2009 | By |

Rating: 2.0

Rated: PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and for language including a drug reference.
Release Date: 2009-06-05
Starring: Chris Henchy & Dennis McNicholas
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.landofthelost.net/

 Go to our film page

‘Land of the Lost’ only has two funny scenes worth enjoying. The rest is ancillary and periphery entertainment that distracts you long enough from zonking out. I must admit though, Will Ferrell and Danny McBride are funny guys and they can make boring look funny, as was the case here. Without them, this film could have been much worse. Simply put, the story just wasn’t very interesting. In order to compensate for the deficiencies in the script, special effects teams had to work over-time to force audiences to re-route their attention to it.

Based on the television series with the same name, Dr. Rick Marshall (Ferrell) is sucked into a space-time vortex alongside his research assistant (Anna Friel) and a redneck survivalist (McBride). In this alternate universe, the trio make friends with a primate named Chaka (Taccone), their only ally in a world full of dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures. Can they all make it back to our world alive, and if so: will Dr. Marshall go from zero to hero with his discoveries? These are the questions that are not worth sticking around for.

But I’m not going to go into bashing this film frame to frame. The bottom line is that Ferrell and McBride are great at what they do and they really are funny. They’re worth every penny, but not here. The reason is the story, an incongruous story and plotline at that.

The CGI was inconsistent, sometimes it was on, other times it didn’t fulfill expectations. Overall, this movie doesn’t fulfill my expectations nor will it yours.

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