The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey TV Spot 9 (And More To Come, I’ll Bet)…

 

Funny that some people flew all the way around the world to see this flick, but hey – I guess obsession makes one do some strange things. I couldn’t put my mind to doing that at all even if I could afford it, as hell, there’s not a damn thing wrong with the local cinema here. Well, except for it used to be swarming with stray cats (!), but that problem was taken care of years ago. You’d think a film so huge and anticipated wouldn’t need so many ads, but hey, this sort of thing is quite common and has been for a while. Still, I’m waiting for the day when an entire movie is split into a bunch of commercials and all one would need to do is record or download them all and piece the film together like some sort of digital jigsaw puzzle. Oh, it’ll happen eventually – I’m just ahead of the curve again.

Random Film of the Week: Fiend Without A Face

fiend_face_MPIf you’re old enough and recall camping out in front of the TV on Friday or Saturday nights long after the sun went to sleep (Chiller Theater or Creature Features, anyone?), you probably saw a ton of horror and sci-fi flicks from the 50’s and 60’s. For some reason, Hollywood’s “B” movie makers were brain-obsessed during this period, churning out films good to terrible with titles such as Donovan’s Brain, The Brain From Planet Arous, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die and so forth and so on.

All those brains on screen and yet, in my opinion the best one wasn’t even made in the USA. For years I always thought Fiend Without A Face was a US-made “B” flick, but I just found out recently that it’s British. Oops. Granted, that doesn’t make it any “classier” at all – it’s just yet another reason you should check out this classic 1958 sci-fi/horror gem.

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World War Z Trailer: Zombie Apocalypse, Now?

OK, so I never read the acclaimed 2006 Max Brooks novel nor his 2003 Zombie Survival Guide, as hell, I’m too busy these days and know there are no such things as roving packs of undead (science is good for proving this). Also, I really think zombies are getting way too much exposure as the “go-to” thing for instant mass media interest (that said, The Walking Dead will always have my undivided attention).

Of course, given that the upcoming film deviates greatly form the book (according to an irate friend who recommended I read it and NOT see the film), I’m betting the film still does well at the box office because the masses who will line up like slow-moving zombies will be made up of those who haven’t read the source material. Anyway, Here’s the trailer for WWZ, which has Brad Pitt stepping into the suspense/horror genre once again after a bit too long away from it. Then again, he’s an actor you can’t typecast at all at this point in his career – you just show up and know you’ll get a solid performance from the guy.

Now, will I get off my lazy ass and go track down the book? Probably not (well, not yet). I still have too many games to play and plenty of other zombie-loaded entertainment here. But I may just go see the film and if I like it, well… maybe that book will get a read one day after all…

Random Film of the Week: Sunrise: A Tale of Two Souls

 

Even though it’s well over eighty years old, F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise: A Tale of Two Souls is still one of the most amazing films ever made. For a silent film with a surprising amount of visual effects and innovative camera work for what’s basically a dramatic romance mixed with a morality play. The story manages to resonate on a few levels thanks to stellar acting by the leads, phenomenal sets and cinematography and of course, Murnau’s highly expressionistic direction. A simple tale of a nameless farmer who plans to ditch his wife permanently for the charms of a gal from the city, the film shifts into gear right from the opening sequence, pulling you in to the grand final moments. Continue reading

The Hobbit TV Spot 1: It’s No Time For Comedy Central, I Say…

Someone told me the other day that Stephen Colbert (a super huge Tolkein fan) is supposed to be in this new flick in some sort of cameo and if it’s true, I’ll wince a bit now and hope it’s as minimal a part as possible that doesn’t take anything away from Peter Jackson’s hard work. Look, I like Colbert and his show a lot (well, most of the time), but this sort of placement is troublesome, annoying and frustrating (like the product promos he does on his show). I don’t need to see the man EVERYWHERE in the media and the fact that a number of key crazed conservatives in the US have been doing his act for real for a few years (unfortunately, they take the crap they say too seriously) makes him almost obsolete at times. Hell, he’s got a treadmill or whatever on the International Space Station, is probably sinking an image of his face to the bottom of the sea to be discovered by future travelers and I’m surprised someone hasn’t stuck him in a popular iOS game or something yet. Meh, maybe I’m getting old and cranky, but I just think that the last person who needs a Colbert Bump (TM) is Stephen Colbert…

Random Film of the Week: Race With the Devil

 

race with the devilAmazingly enough, other than an announcement back in 2005 that seems to have never happened, no one has thought of remaking this rather cool 1975 horror flick that had some really interesting casting and a few genuinely scary bits.

Two couples on a road trip through Texas in their new RV accidentally come across a coven of devil worshipers performing a human sacrifice. They’re seen, but manage to escape with some effort, making their way to a small town where they let the local lawman in on what they’ve seen. Of course, the shady sheriff turns out to be one of the satanists (eek!), and the four end up high-tailing it away, but not before swiping some evidence to present to the police in a larger, more populated city.

This leads to a much longer and more action-packed chase (that camper sure takes a beating here) that may have influenced Mad Max series director George Miller to some extent (at least, to my pointy head). Anyway, I won’t spoil the ending at all here, but let’s just say it’s a nice jolt and in a way, fitting. At a brisk 88 minutes, the solid direction, tight editing and nicely realistic performances from the leads (Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit and Lara Parker) makes this a memorable popcorn flick, especially if teamed up with a similarly-themed flick such as Steven Speilberg’s influential TV movie, Duel (look for the longer European release for that one).

CARRIE: Hmmm… Well, It Better Be REALLY Good Is All I’ll Say…

The original Brian De Palma film is a true 70’s horror classic, but I guess everything gets a remake at some point. Hopefully this will be a LOT better than the truly terrible remake of De Palma’s SISTERS that keeps popping up on cable these days. That waste of time and talent made me want my almost two hours back plus tax. The good news for this one is the casting of the two leads. Julianne Moore is great in anything and young Chloe Grace Moretz is one of those stars who’s made a name for herself in a few cool flicks, so we shall see. That said, there’s something near perfect about the original that’s a grabber right from the start. OK, so the ending sequence is a bit lame (and like a bunch of De Palma’s horror films, the ending is a bit of a fake scare that works until you see too many of his films and know you’re getting suckered into one final fright), but overall, it still holds up for my money. Hopefully fear fans who’ve never seen it will do the right thing and track it down before this remake hits theaters in Spring 2013…

Cloud Atlas “A Multitude of Drops” Video: Hey, Look – Another DVD Bonus!

Well, you KNOW it’s going to be on the home video version, right? Anyway, my poor back still hurts, but it’s definitely better than earlier. As I predicted a while back, I’m thinking this will do fine in theaters, but much better on video, as it looks like one of those films where repeated viewing will reveal tons of hidden meanings to those who look closely.

007 Legends Opening Credits Cinematic: More Bond-age Makes Me Smile…

Four games into the license and Activision has done this long-running franchise right by shaking and stirring things up with solid results. Eurocom’s new Bond game could very well be the best one to date this console cycle thanks to its story-based structure that puts today’s 007 (Daniel Craig) through his paces in re-imagined missions from five of the best Bond films (plus a DLC mission based on the upcoming SKYFALL). The dev team is clearly at the top of their game here, so expect all the action, gadgets and mayhem of a James Bod adventure, but a lot more interactive, as you’re not sitting on the couch rooting for James to not get bumped off by Goldfinger below or any of the other villains classic to current coming your way October 16 for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Now, someone tell me Eurocom has a PS Vita dev kit humming away somewhere in their offices, as I’d really LOVE to see what they can do with Mr. Bond on that HD handheld…

The Lone Ranger Trailer: Hi Yo, Silver! Let’s Go Rake In Some Gold!

OK, nice trailer and all, but I probably won’t catch this in theaters because I’m old and remember the reruns of the TV western too much to muss up my nostalgia with big explosions and sweeping CG vistas galore. But hey, if this is your thing, go on ahead. Still, Johnny Depp in anything is worth viewing because he’s guaranteed NOT to be dull and definitely has the chops to make whomever he’s playing the most interesting thing about a movie.  Oh, by the way, who the hell is that guy wearing the Lone Ranger mask? I saw that name I didn’t recognize at all and IMMEDIATELY thought of Klinton Spilsbury reincarnated. Yeah, I’m that old. Back in 1981, I paid to see that klunker and yeesh, was that a waste of time. This new guy better knock it out of the park (or whatever it is you can do up against Depp’s performance and a ton of special effects)…

Hmmm… maybe being the Lone Ranger is the Madden Curse of movie roles or something?  Let’s hope not for Bruckheimer’s sake…