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  • 16 Nov

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    Review: Unstoppable

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    Unstoppable Movie Poster

    Director: Tony Scott (Domino, Man on Fire, True Romance, The Fan, Top Gun)
    Screenplay: Mark Bomback
    Producers: Eric McLeod, Mimi Rogers, Tony Scott, Julie Yorn, Alex Young
    Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Ethan Suplee, Kevin Dunn, Kevin Corrigan
    MPAA Rating: PG-13
    Running time: 98 min.

    It doesn’t happen nearly as much as I’d like but every once in a while, we get a movie that isn’t exactly brilliant but still manages to make your movie ticket worthwhile. This past weekend, we were lucky enough to get not one but two of these movies. The first is Skyline (review) which, despite its flaws, was a whole lot of fun to watch. The second, and slightly better of the two, is Tony Scott’s re-team with Denzel Washington and new hottie up-and-comer Chris Pine, a runaway train story simply titled Unstoppable which, by the way, is a totally misleading title because they soooooooo stop the train. This is Hollywood we’re talking about here.

    Unstoppable Movie StillThe story’s pretty simple. Dewey (no comment), has to move a train off the track. As he’s moving it, he notices that the line has yet to be switched so he puts the engine in cruise and against his partner’s warning, jumps off to turn the switch. The controls dislodge and all of a sudden, the train is going 40 mph down the mainline with no conductor and picking up speed. Coming the other way, also on the mainline, are Frank (Washington), a veteran of the railway, and Will (Pine), a freshie four months out of training with a last name that raises eyebrows in the yard. They nearly miss a head-on collision with the out of control train when Frank decides that the company’s way of dealing with the problem isn’t going to work. They take chase. The plan: to hook onto the back of the runaway and basically slow it down enough so that someone can jump on and shut the thing off.

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  • 15 Nov

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    Review: Skyline

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    Director: Colin Strause, Greg Strause (AvP: Requiem)
    Writers: Joshua Cordes, Liam O’Donnell
    Producers: Liam O’Donnell, Colin Strause, Greg Strause, Kristian James Andresen
    Starring: Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Crystal Reed, Neil Hopkins
    MPAA Rating: PG-13
    Running time: 92 min.

    (3.5/5)

    While the jury is still out on Jonathan Liebesman’s World Invasion: Battle LA, this little movie came out of nowhere to generate lots of buzz at the San Diego Comic Con (and which was, later, at the centre of a lawsuit between Sony and Universal) beat the big budget extravaganza out the gate by a few months and the results are mixed.

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  • 12 Nov

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    First poster and synopsis for Steve McQueen’s “Shame”

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    Not so long ago it was announced that for his follow-up to the excellent Hunger (review) English director Steve McQueen would be re-teaming with Michael Fassbender for a relationship drama titled Shame.

    There was little more to go on when the project was first announced but Collider has uncovered a few more details about the plot which doesn’t really give us much more than what we already knew, and a beautiful one sheet.

    The official synopsis, still vague, reads:

    Brandon is a 30-something man living in New York who is unable to manage his sex life. After his wayward younger sister moves into his apartment, Brandon’s world spirals out of control.

    From director Steve McQueen (Hunger), Shame is a compelling and timely examination of the nature of need, how we live our lives and the experiences that shape us.

    I’m much more intrigued by this one-sheet which is a little mysterious and a touch creepy. I can’t wait to see some video from the film – Shame is high on my list of titles to see in 2011.

    Shame One Sheet

  • 09 Nov

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    It’s here! Trailer for Cary Fukunaga’s “Jane Eyre”

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    Jane Eyre OnesheetIs it spring yet? Can it be spring already? Please? Pretty please?

    Yes, I’m begging for spring for good reason. I promise. That reason? Cary Fukunaga’s follow up to Sin Nombre (review). A take on the famous Charlotte Brontë romance. Jane Eyre stars Mia Wasikowska as Jane, the “mousy” governess, and Michael Fassbender as her beloved Rochester along with Judi Dench, Jamie Bell and Sally Hawkins in an assortment of supporting roles.

    I was already keen on seeing the film and the release of the gorgeous poster, seen to the right, yesterday peaked my interested and now, quick on the heels of the poster release, we get a trailer for the production which features everything I could have wanted and more. Lots of grey, a little melodrama, a bit of mystery and enough Fassbender in period drab to make me smile from ear to ear.

    You’d better believe that Michael O’Connor, who won an Oscar for his costume design in The Duchess (review), will be a front runner yet again in 2011. As for the use of the Goblins’ Suspiria theme at the beginning…an odd but effective touch.

    Jane Eyre opens March 11, 2011. Not soon enough.

    Trailer tucked under the seat!

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  • 09 Nov

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    Review: Let Me In

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    Met Me In One Sheet

    Director: Matt Reeves (Cloverfield)
    Screenplay: Matt Reeves, John Ajvide Lindqvist (novel)
    Producers: Alexander Yves Brunner, Guy East, Donna Gigliotti, Carl Molinder, John Nordling, Simon Oakes, Nigel Sinclair
    Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas
    MPAA Rating: R
    Running time: 116 min.

    It’s not too surprising that a movie shrouded in so much drama nearly came and went in the blink of an eye. Mind you, the subject matter is such that even without the subtitles, Let Me In was bound to have limited appeal. But the question remains: how does Cloverfield director Matt Reeve’s take on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel and Tomas Alfredson’s film stack up with the universally loved (in these parts particularly) Let the Right One In (review)?

    Let Me In Movie StillIt’s an unfair question, one that won’t do justice to either film and for that reason, the comparisons end right here. Reeves’ film stands superbly on its own as one of the great unseen gems of 2010 and is definitely a contender for one of the better films of the year if not one of the best looking ones. Bringing Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser (Spider, Bright Star) was definitely a good decision and Fraser manages to capture Let Me In in the cold winter of New Mexico so that it looks both frigidly cold and still warm and inviting. Soft lighting (for the most part – except when Abby’s in “vamp mode” which is a nice touch) welcomes us into the little community where things go seriously wrong for Abby before they go right.

    The setting and mood is effectively accented by Oscar winner Michael Giacchino’s score which is beautiful, haunting and sometimes downright terrifying. He’s taken a few queues from Elliot Goldenthal’s Interview with a Vampire score and makes it work for this modern vampire tale.

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  • 04 Nov

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    After the Credits Episode 91 – November Preview

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    Dale (Digital Doodles), Colleen (Mary Ostler Wood Butchery & Other Stuff) and I talk about the movie opening in November.

    After the Credits Episode 91 – November Preview [ 1:21:23 | 74.5 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup

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  • 04 Nov

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    How bad is it really? Trailer for Ondi Timoner’s “Cool It”

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    Bjorn Lomborg

    Hot on the heels of Mike’s recent “5 Hidden Treasures of 2010″ post in which he highlighted this film, the time seems ripe to highlight the trailer for what certainly looks like one of the must watch documentaries of the year.

    The global environmental crisis has, of late, been overshadowed by the financial crisis but that doesn’t mean that docs (and movies) aren’t still being made with an environmental message. What’s sad is that the message is one of doom, gloom and the coming apocalypse. Yes, things are bad, but how bad are they really? Director Ondi Timoner presents another side to the argument by focusing her documentary Cool It on Bjorn Lomborg, an academic and environmental writer who authored the controversial book “The Skeptical Environmentalist.”

    Timoner follows Lomborg as he travels the world exploring the real facts and true science of global warming and its impact and the result may not be what we might expect, especially if we buy into the An Inconvenient Truth‘s the sky is falling, end-of-the-world scenario. I can see how some might think that Lomborg is doing a disservice to the push for change but we’re entitled to the truth – or at least both sides of the story.

    Mike sings its praises and I love Ondi so this is a no brainer. Cool It opens November 12th.

    The Trailer is tucked under the seat.

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  • 02 Nov

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    Terry Gilliam’s “The Legend of Hallowdega”

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    The Legend of Hallowdega

    So what do Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Amp Energy Juice, NASCAR and Terry Gilliam have in common? A short film.

    Say it with me: WTF?

    So we all need to pay the bills and it looks like Gilliam’s way to do so is by filling his days with batshit crazy projects like this one. The Legend of Hallowdega stars David Arquette as Kiyash Monsef, a ghost hunter living under the track at Talladega 500, trying to prove the mysteries of the apparently cursed grounds.

    Admittedly, this isn’t that crazy, it’s actually kind of cool in a very middle America sort of way, it’s just completely unexpected for Gilliam.

    The trailer for the film is tucked under the seats but for the entire 18 minutes of goodness, you’ll have to visit the official website.

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  • 29 Oct

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    Tony Kaye + Sienna Miller = “See the Light”

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    The Hours Video

    The last thing of Tony Kaye’s that I’ve seen is the spectacular documentary Lake of Fire – until today. The director has been making films (or trying to) with the release of two films since Lake of Fire including the 2009 crime drama Black Water Transit (how did I miss that?).

    While we wait for his next project, the Adrien Brody and Christina Hendricks (Saffron!) starring drama Detachment, we can also take in this new short. A music video for UK band The Hours, “See the Light” stars Sienna Miller (one of the few times she doesn’t rub me the wrong way – probably because she doesn’t talk) and features the striking visuals we’ve come to love and expect from Kaye’s projects.

    Video is tucked under the seats.
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  • 28 Oct

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    Starts today! Vancouver Short Film Festival

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    VFSSVancouver’s winter festival run continues with the Vancouver Short Film Festival which kicks off this afternoon and wraps up its programming tomorrow night. The festival, in its fifth year and featuring many up-and-coming local filmmakers, keeps growing as this year’s program includes 45 short films, a panel, an international screening and a retrospective of the best short films from the festival’s history.

    The festival kicks off at 2:45PM with a free screening being co-presented by the NFB and their “Get Animated” program (check out our previous announcement) and is followed up tonight at 7PM by the “Emerging Filmmakers” screening which showcases some of the best short films from BC’s post-secondary students.

    Of the festival’s festivities, I’m most excited to check out the “Professional Filmmakers” event tomorrow night which includes 2009 Hot Shot Shorts Contest winner Everything’s Coming Up Rosie and Mark Sawers’ photographic comedy Exposed which stars two of my favourite local actors Gabrielle Rose and Michael Ecklund.

    Lots more details on the festival including screening schedule, venue and ticket information, is available at the official website.

  • 27 Oct

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    After the Credits Episode 90 – VIFF 2010 Wrap-Up

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    Colleen (Mary Ostler Wood Butchery & Other Stuff), Khaled (@khaled_ca) and I look back at the 2010 edition of the Vancouver International Film Festival, reminisce about a couple of movies and count down our top 5.

    Also big shout outs to Rich (@seattlefilmblog) of A Random Walk Through Film and Bill, our Victoria buddy, for pitching in with lists of their favourite festival selections.

    After the Credits Episode 90 – VIFF 2010 Wrap-Up [ 51:07 | 46.8 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup

    Row Three:
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    Show Notes:

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 26 Oct

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    The Ugly Truth about Canadian Film Festivals

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    I’ve been lagging on my “Family Guy” viewing the last few years because I find the show mostly annoying rather than mostly funny but once in a while, they hit something that really makes me laugh – thankfully, I have good friends that bring those tidbits to my attention.

    Take, for example, the clip below which appeared in an episode of the show earlier in the year. Now, considering that most of the contributors around these parts are Canadian and to boot film festival fans, I’m sure we all share a shake of the head and disagreement that this isn’t fact but it did still make me laugh.

    And as funny as this is, how behind the ball are the writers falling? Isn’t TIFF widely known as the festival that kicks off Oscar season? And if Kurt is right (probably) and I missed the joke and writers were referring to a festival of Canadian film, they obviously haven’t seen any Canadian films recently. Did no one else see Uncle Brian? Apparently not.

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