Posts Tagged ‘morgan freeman’

  • 25 Apr

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    Cinecast Episode 306 – Shameless Ridiculousness

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    Are we an effective team? We are arguably more effective than the mediocrity of the Kosinski/Cruise assembly squad insofar as we seem to be in agreement on Oblivion. (SPOILERS!) The popcorn science fiction takes a lot of leaps, but it never really lands on particularly solid (or fertile) ground due to similarities to so many other things. We recap yet another compelling episode of “Game of Thrones” (SPOILERS!) where we praise just about every element of the show, even the Dragon Lady. The Watch List segment hits the highs and lows of our respective local film festivals: HotDocs and Mpls Int’l Festival. After recording an entire commentary track on Twilight, Matt enlightens us with his true feelings on Catherine Hardwicke’s first kick at the can in the the sparkly vampire saga. Early David Mamet comes under question with the last 20 minutes of House of Games. And we have a look at a web reality-series that bucks the trend of meanness and goes for generosity. Nice.

    As always, please join the conversation by leaving your own thoughts in the comment section below and again, thanks for listening!


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    Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!


    DOWNLOAD mp3 | 116 MB
    if player is not working, try alternate player at bottom of this post

     

     
     
    Full show notes are under the seats…
    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 22 Jan

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    Gerard Butler saves the president in Olympus Has Fallen trailer

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    Olympus Has Fallen Trailer Still

    The white house is under attack. Again. Except this time it isn’t aliens but rather a terrorist group with access to some big ass planes (is that a C-130?!).

    Directed by Antoine Fuqua, a man better known for action movies that don’t feature big explosions, though Shooter did have at least one, Olympus Has Fallen seems full of big action sequences, including the blowing up of the White House, code name: Olympus.

    Gerard Butler stars as a disgraced secret service agent who finds himself inside the White House when a terrorist takes over and kidnaps the president (Aaron Eckhart). Morgan Freeman stars as the guy who takes over the rescue effort (since the president is MIA), Rick Yune is tasked with playing the terrorist mastermind and the movie also stars Melissa Leo, Ashley Judd, Angela Bassett and Dylan McDermott.

    The trailer suggests lots of low budget explosions, lots of shooting and more than a handful of one liners. This feels more like a Die Hard movie than the last and upcoming actual Die Hard movies and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Could go either way but judging from some of these scenes, particularly the burned up American flag falling from the White House, it’s likely to take itself far too seriously to be much fun. And yet, I can’t help but think there could be *something* here.

    We’ll find out when the movie opens on March 22nd.

  • 17 Nov

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    Now You See Me [trailer]

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    Flashy, exotic, big-budget. These are Louis Leterrier’s movies in a nutshell. I wasn’t a fan of The Incredible Hulk, but I do think the Transporter movies are fun for what they are and Clash of the Titans was unfairly railed upon. All of it high art? No of course not. But now maybe Mr. Leterrier is attempting to turn over a new leaf with Now You See Me. Kinda. It still looks flashy and ridiculous but at least it’s something new:

    A high caliber cast who robs a bank. With magic. On the other side of the world. In front of a live audience. I’m sold. Nothing else to say other than that making Jesse Eiesenberg look like somewhat of a badass is a magic feat all in teslef. Check out this flashy trailer starring the following. Ready?
    Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Michael Caine, Mélanie Laurent and Elias Koteas.

  • 21 Oct

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    Cinecast Episode 187 – Stop Putting Wings on Paul Bettany!

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    Are we silly enough to talk about the use of 3D in Jackass 3D whilst watching it in 2D? Yes we are. Indulge us, as we do not spend that much time on it, but hey, this franchise gets crapped on more than it deserves and the boys are creative and energetically subversive enough in their stunt-ery to be worthy of some consideration. And despite what the haters think, it is still funny. We rehash some of the finer details of Knoxville and company over the past decade before switching gears to a second opinion on the seniors-on-a-mission mayhem from Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis and John Malkovich in Red. This leads to a bit of a tangent on all the ‘on-a-mission’ movies released this summer. Meanwhile, Andrew has been managing to keep up with his one-a-day DVD viewings and this week plugs another hole in the Polanski oeuvre with a quite violent take on a Shakespearean classic. Furthermore, the question of why are there not more caveman movies is uttered aloud after we look back at 1981′s Quest for Fire and also the pretty darn swell filmography of Frenchman Jean-Jacques Annaud. Another round of Nolan’s Batman pictures vs. Ang Lee’s Hulk, and the joy of surround sound screenings are all tossed into the conversational mixer. It is a good week for classic and contemporary DVDs and Blurays too. They are considered. If the title (or the truncated runtime of this episode makes little sense to you, that is because some seasonal gremlins ate a discussion on some of the remaining films to be released. Suffice it to say that the segment was out-of-this-world awesome now that it has been sacrificed to the binary demons and no one can hear it, but we are both surprisingly anticipating the Angelina Jolie / Johnny Depp ‘Charade-esque‘ thriller The Tourist amongst other things. Enjoy this exceedingly rare ‘short version’ of the RowThree cinecast!

    As always, please join the conversation by leaving your own thoughts in the comment section below and again, thanks for listening!

     
     

    Cinecast Episode 187 [ 1:53:31 | 77.95 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup

     
     

    To download the ALTERNATIVE (no music track) version of this episode,
    paste the following URL into your favorite downloader:
    http://rowthree.com/audio/cinecast_10/episode_187-alt.mp3

     

     
    Full show notes are under the seats…
    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 25 Jun

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    “Red.” The Film in Which Dame Helen Mirren Destroys a Car with a Gatling Gun

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     This one is riding 100% on the coat tails of its A-list casting. The writing (though hopefully not) seems pretty safe and the action looks a little typical and uninteresting… that is until Ms. Mirren steps out of her A-Team like weapons van with a Gatling gun and turns an oncoming car into Swiss cheese.

    Thanks to our buddy Mack over at Twitch for the heads up and for digging up this synopsis:

    Frank, Joe, Marvin, and Victoria used to be the CIA’s top agents — but the secrets they know just made them the Agency’s top targets. Now framed for assassination, they must use all of their collective cunning, experience and teamwork to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers and stay alive. To stop the operation, the team embarks on an impossible, cross-country mission to break into the top-secret CIA headquarters, where they will uncover one of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups in government history.

    Seemingly along the lines of films like the newly opened Knight and Day or the Pitt/Jolie action comedy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (or any number of the thousands of similar pictures already in the books), this could end up being either gutless tripe or a guilt-ridden pleasure ride. Or maybe both. Either way, I’m in just for the star power (including Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker (hubba hubba) and Morgan Freeman) and to see Mirren wield her mighty sword.

    Check out the trailer under the seats…
    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 11 Dec

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    Empire’s 20th Birthday Photo Shoot

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    From South Africa (Clint Eastwood) to Santa Monica (Governor Schwarzenegger) to Jack Nicholson’s house (um, Jack Nicholson), Empire trotted the globe to deliver you 27 of the planet’s biggest stars, recreating iconic performances from two decades in film, for a unique 20th birthday celebration…

     

    I stuck a few more favorites beneath the seats, but for the full list, head over to Empire online.

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 03 Dec

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    NBR Winners

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    Jason Reitman kicks all sorts of ass as this year’s National Board of Review of Motion Pictures handed out its honors for top films of the year. Up in the Air (our review) winds up with four wins. Up in the Air opens wide this weekend, so I can’t wait to check it out tomorrow night.

    Full list of winners and their top ten lists are listed below.

    Best Film: Up In The Air
    Best Director: Clint Eastwood, Invictus
    Best Actor: Morgan Freeman, Invictus and George Clooney, Up In The Air (tie
    Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, An Education
    Best Supporting Actor: Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
    Best Supporting Actress: Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air
    Best Foreign Film: A Prophet
    Best Documentary: The Cove
    Best Animated Feature: Up
    Best Ensemble Cast: It’s Complicated
    Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
    Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
    Spotlight Award for Best Directorial Debut: Duncan Jones, Moon, Oren Moverman, The Messenger and Marc Webb, 500 Days of Summer (tie)
    Best Original Screenplay: Joel & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
    Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air
    Special Filmmaking Achievement Award: Wes Anderson, The Fantastic Mr. Fox
    William K. Everson Film History Award: Jean Picker Firstenberg

    top ten lists are below the seats…
    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 28 Oct

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    Oscar Alert! Trailer for Eastwood’s Invictus

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    Want a first look at Clint Eastwood’s latest run at Oscar? Look no further than Invictus (Latin for unconquered) . Just look at this pedigree: Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela, Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, the captain of South Africa’s rugby team, in a true story of Mandela joining forces with Pienaar to help unite South Africa. Yup, I smell Oscar.

    The trailer doesn’t really do much for me but I must admit that the star power is intoxicating.

    Invictus hits theatres December 11th.

    An HD version of the trailer is available at Apple.

  • 30 Sep

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    VIFF 09 Review: Prom Night in Mississippi

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    PromNightInMississippi

    Racism is an ugly thing and something largely associated with a time long past. Once in a while, a film (The Order of Myths) or event (Katrina) happens which showcases just how little society has advanced over the decades. When we see racism, it’s easy enough to chalk it up to a “small group of people” but that’s never been a good response and it’s certainly not one that comes to mind after seeing a film like this one; especially when the issues at hand involve children.

    Paul Saltzman’s documentary Prom Night in Mississippi raises a lot of questions, perhaps more than it answers but the questions are big ones (are there any small questions when we’re talking about racism?). Saltzman’s film follows a group of students who attend school in Charleston, Mississippi. On the outside it appears to be a typical high school. The school population is predominantly African American but students attend classes, eat lunch and play sports together but when it comes to prom, segregation is the order of business.

    When Morgan Freeman caught wind of this, he saw the opportunity to usher in change. In 1997 he offered to pay for a mixed prom. At the time, he was turned away but not one to give up, he made a similar offer to the class of 2008 and overwhelmingly, the teens agreed (really, who would say no to Morgan Freeman?). That’s the set-up for Saltzman’s documentary which follows a number of the graduating teens through preparations for their first mixed prom. But all is not smiles and happiness in Charleston. Tough the majority of the teens are excited at the changing tide, parents aren’t as keen on the idea of a mixed prom and a few decide to follow “tradition” and organize an all white prom.

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 25 Aug

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    Racism: Alive and Well

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    The Order of Myths Movie Still

    When I saw The Order of Myths earlier this year, I was surprised to find that such a public display of race division was still alive and accepted in the US. It’s not to say that I live in an ideal world where racism doesn’t exist but it’s usually a topic that hides behind closed doors, which people discuss in hushed whispers and (mostly) deny in public.

    Margaret Brown’s documentary about Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama was an eye opener. A celebration that predates the much more popular one in New Orleans’, things in Mobile are done a little differently with not one but two Mardi Gras parades and celebrations: one for the whites and one for African Americans. Though the individuals live, work and play together when it comes to celebrating Fat Tuesday, celebrations are segregated. There are two parades, two dances and two sets of Kings and Queens of Mardi Gras.

    Brown’s documentary is a fascinating watch and though she is given access to the various groups involved in with the floats and organizing of events on both sides, no one really has an answer to why the celebration is still separate. The common answer is always “tradition” or “that’s how it’s always been done” but it makes you wonder why few people ask “When is enough enough? When do you fore go tradition?” And though Brown attempts to get some answers, she leaves the film open ended and rarely does racism rear its head although it’s always in the back of the mind and in full display on screen.

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 23 Jul

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    Cinecast Episode 93 – Apples and Oranges

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    cinecast_promo.jpg

    Sorry for the delay here kids. Had some MAJOR technical difficulties over the past week or so (including after we recorded the show). It’s been some dark nights. But we’re back now. Well sort of. Our little audio widget is proving to be very uncooperative. I told Kurt not to feed it after midnight, but he responded, “fuck Joe Dante and his little superstitions” and did it anyway. The show can be streamed from this site only at the moment. Please use the little Audio button below, click the central Podcast display in the masthead (in between Featured Article and Reviews images).

    This Episode: The Dark Knight (a bit SPOILERIFIC) and a little bit of Hellboy II.

    Click the little Audio Icon until we get our Widget back in order:

    Cinecast Episode 93 [ 1:05:17 | 44.83 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup

    To download the show directly, paste the following URL into your favorite downloader:
    http://www.rowthree.com/audio/episode93.mp3

    Unwrap the complete Show Notes…
    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 15 Jul

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    DeVito to Direct Ronan, Brosnan and Freeman

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    Saoirse RonanIt’s been a decade since Danny DeVito directed his last film for children. Matilda had a charming lead in Mara Wilson (a child actress whose career seems to have dried up) but the film wasn’t particularly good or memorable. DeVito seems to have improved over the last few years and it looks like he’s figured the time is at hand to return to children’s fare; this time hitting up tween market.

    DeVito has adapted and signed on to direct Charlotte Doyle, based on a Newbery Honor book written by acclaimed American author Edward Irving Wortis (also known by his pen name of Avi). The novel is about Charlotte, a thirteen year old girl who makes a trans-Atlantic crossing from England to America in the 1832 and finds herself caught between a charismatic but ruthless captain and a mutinous crew. The project has attracted Oscar nominated Saoirse Ronan to the title role (this girl’s on fire! She has Death Defying Acts and the great looking City of Ember coming out this year), Pierce Brosnan as the captain and Morgan Freeman as the ship’s cook.

    I’m not quite sure what to make of this. On the one hand, it’s a great cast but I’m not sure a film set on a ship in the 1830′s is going to manage enough material for a film. I haven’t read the novel so I could be way off but at the moment, I don’t see it. To make matters worse, I’m also not sure this is what tweens want to watch. Heck, “it” girl of the moment Abigail Breslin couldn’t sell a movie set in the 30′s how do these guys expect to sell this one set on a ship among a group of men? This may be dead before it even hits the water.

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