In his latest movie, The Woman In Black, Dan traded his Hogwarts uniform for a totally new role as a Dad.
Natalia brings you the latest news on Adele’s interview with Anderson Cooper, Kristen Bell’s interview on Ellen is auto tuned, Ladyhawke’s latest music video and much more!
Natalia discusses what’s new with Pharrell Williams and her thoughts on Karl Lagerfeld’s mean comments towards Adele’s weight. She also shows a roster of animals behaving like humans and, wait until you see the new size of coffee available at Starbucks!
Natalia dishes the latest news on the Juno Awards nominees, the upcoming Spiderman 3D film starring Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield and is Katy Perry hooking up with Tim Tebow? Watch today’s episode to find out.
When The Kooks are in the studio they’re focused and most importantly, sober. Watch Hugh and Luke explain their reasoning below.
The Kooks released a new album called “Junk of the Heart,” and you would think Hugh and Luke would be very excited about it. Well, they seemed rather indifferent to be honest. We spoke about that and why they don’t care about critics.
Natalia dishes the latest in entertainment news on Joan Rivers, Lana Del Rey and a brand new trailer for the movie Hunger Games.
Natalia talks about how Snooki might be pregnant, Nicolas Cage’s Cage Rage, Elisabetta Canalis is dating Steve-O and more for Feb 1, 2012.
Natalia dishes the news on Miley Cyrus breaking her tailbone, a 100 year old woman who plays the Nintendo DS to stay young and Houston, Texas contemplating a statute of Beyonce.
David Beckham debuts a new line of underwear, the worst dressed celebrity – Shy’m and Matthew Broderick is back as Ferris Bueller with a brand new commercial airing during the Super Bowl on Feb 5th 2012.
Daniel Radcliffe is back with his new movie The Woman In Black. It’s a bone chilling remake of a film from the ’80s. Ironically, Daniel actually scares very easily but he’s not afraid of ghosts. In this interview he tells us what really gives him the creeps.
Next time you’re struggling to make conversation, try asking this question: “If you could invite anyone (living or dead) to the perfect house party, who would it be?”
Graffiti6 is starting to make their North American invasion, and they are hitting up the Tonight Show. Does this sound familiar? Well the Beatles made the exact same journey over 40 years ago. Naturally, @jordans_life had to make some comparisons.
Nick plays World of Warcraft. Not only that, he’s the head of his guild, demonstrating that it IS possible to juggle being a hardcore gamer with being a top-selling recording artist.
During a LIVE interview on andPOP.com Nick Carter gave out a number and took phone calls from his fans. These were real phone calls from real fans who we gave exclusive access to one of the biggest recording artists of our generation.
There were great questions about music, fitness, the backstreet boys but the most popular question, however, was about his underwear. In this clip Nick talks about his his ‘Haynes’ and covering his fans with glow in the dark paint.
When releasing new music today, half the battle is online promotion. However, contests, signed merch and giveaways aren’t always the best solutions. When working on their latest album, Hedley came up with a brilliant idea, they decided to make trailers.
It’s hard to prepare for an interview with Hedley. So in this interview, we threw caution to the wind, got a 24 of beer and broadcast the interview live on our USTREAM (andPOP.tv). Eventually Jacob, Dave and @jordans_life ended up talking about hairy legs, their newest music video and more.
Diamandis from Marina and The Diamonds talks to us about her very serious disease. It’s called synaesthetic. And we lied, it’s not a disease. More like a cool condition. Diamandis explains further.
Would you be embarrassed if someone scrolled through your iPod? We sit down with Spee and Brendan to talk about the diverse music on their playlist.
Burt Wonderstone is merging the comedic spectrum with Steve Carrell and Jim Carrey.
This shot surfaced among a series of photos from the Los Angeles shoot with Carrey playing the street magician who becomes the rival of an established magician played by Carell. But who is that bedazzling madam in the dominatrix get-up?
Well – it’s Olivia Wilde. The bizarre antics are well underway and the film is set to drop sometime in 2013.
Are you a Muppet of a man or a very manly Muppet?
It’s the question we all ask ourselves every morning and yesterday, Jason Segel – who starred, co-wrote, executive-produced and resurrected the new ‘Muppets’ franchise – and his Muppet brother Walter serenade us with the existential ballad of self-awareness. It follows the two coping with heartache on different levels. It’s the Flight of the Conchords-type deepness that is both equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious.
In fact, it was penned by FOTC’s beloved Bret McKenzie. He wrote a few more songs for the soundtrack – along with OK Go, The Fray, Weezer, Hayley Williams, Amy Lee and My Morning Jacket.
With cornball cameos in the film ranging from Jack Black, Neil Patrick Harris, Selena Gomez and Dave Grohl – this teaser doesn’t disappoint, with ‘Big Bang Theory’ star Jim Parsons dropping in. If you haven’t made it to theatres to see it yet… why not?
Last week we introduced you to a video that mashes all the hit songs from 2011 in 4 minutes.
Now, we’re back with more amazing mash-ups. This time around, the 166 best films of the year are scrambled together in a 7 minute video, as seen on Gossip Cop.
Titled “The 2011 Portofolio”, some of the films featured includes “Drive” with Ryan Gosling, “Harry Potter”, “Kung Fu Panda 2″, “Melancholia” with Kristen Dunst and “Like Crazy”.
In just 7:44 minutes, 166 films are shown, 6 songs are played and the whole thing took 30 some odd days to put together. The way the mash-up plays out makes me want to see each individual movie right now. Sorry Beliebers, but Justin’s “Never Say Never” flick was snubbed from this playlist.
It’s official: the 23rd film in the James Bond franchise will again star Daniel Craig in Skyfall. Production begins Monday and it will hit North American theatres on Nov. 9, 2012.
Sidebar: this announcement was made in London 50 years to the day that Sean Connery was announced as the original Bond for Dr. No.
At Thursday’s press conference for the film, director Sam Mendes confirmed the cast will include Javier Bardem (as the cliche foreign-villian), Dame Judi Dench and the Bond girls will be …drumroll please… Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe! All were in attendance for the presser at London’s Corinthia Hotel in Whitehall Place.
Additional cast members who weren’t present due to work commitments include Albert Finney, Ralph “Lord Voldemort” Fiennes and Ben Whishaw.
The budget sits at a mere $230 million, despite MGM’s recent economic turmoil, which is the same budget as the previous Bond film, Quantum of Solace. This keeps Craig well-nourished and enables the crew to shoot in London, China, Turkey and Scotland.
As usual, the plot is kept fittingly secretive, though MGM released a statement that states “Bond’s loyalty to M. is tested as her past comes back to haunt her.”
One more detail was revealed, prepare yourselves because there will be: “a lot of action.”
If you’re looking for another heartthrob-worthy performance from Ryan Gosling, you won’t be getting much of that in Drive.
But nevertheless, you won’t be able to keep your eyes off him.
In Drive, Gosling is mysterious and riveting and the only name available for his character is Driver.
A Hollywood stunt driver and mechanic by day, Driver serves as a wheelman for night time heists.
In early scenes of the movie, he’s helped by his boss and mentor Shannon (played by Malcolm in the Middle’s Bryan Cranston) who gives him a Chevy Impala to drive his clientele around to do their dirty deeds.
All goes well until he gets involved with his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son Benicio. When her husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison, Irene and Benicio’s safety is at risk.
Gosling’s ‘Driver’ tries to save the situation by helping Standard steal money from a pawn shop. But when the heist goes awry, it’s up to ‘Driver’ to take things in his own hands.
Fresh from Nicolas Winding Refn’s Best Director win at the Cannes Film Festival, Drive is an excellent action-drama thriller packed with violence and exciting car chases. Much like the style of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Pulp Fiction, the film is filled with blood and gore. Though the movie lacks dialogue, Refn somehow makes it work through the film’s characters’ actions and expressions.
While Gosling is supported by a talented cast that includes the likes of Christina Hendricks, Albert Brooks, Mulligan and Cranston, he holds his own playing the violent and badass Driver. And while there isn’t much that can be learned about the Driver, you’ll somehow still be swooning over him as he tries to save the day in order to protect the girl he’s fallen for.
Drive may not be for everyone due to its violence and gore, but it’s definitely a film worth watching. With a retro ’80s-inspired score and beautiful shots of the Los Angeles streets and skylines, it will keep the audience jumping in their seats from all the adrenaline and tension that arises from the film.
Moneyball hits a home run with the sentimental crowd, but if you’re looking for this years Social Network, you may be disappointed.
The film is based on the true story of Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the former general manager of the Oakland Athletic’s and his mathematical stratagem-sabermetrics- to choose strong players for his team while also being cost effective.
Beane is working with the lowest amount of funds to build a baseball team. Compared to the New York Yankees Beane is rather penniless. After a good season for the Athletics, but not a winning season, Beane is forced to rebuild his team, but this time he is using the mathematical prowess of Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) to help him.
The film’s crotchety circle of scouts for the Athletics proves to be funny at times and perhaps overly reluctant. Pitt works well as the semi-confident hair flipping manager. However, the film is far too centered on the emotions of Bean and the constant flashbacks of his failed pro baseball career. The flashbacks become superfluous and the film could have been at least a half hour shorter if just the flashbacks were cut.
Some will say that this is Hill’s film, that he delivered a strong acting performance and is very believable st the Yale economics nerd. On the other hand, Pitt’s screen time outshines Hill’s by ten, and while it is known that Brand is working with mathematical equations, the system becomes arbitrary when emotions rise. The system to choose players just doesn’t have the appeal that Facebook does.
Bean also has a young daughter and an estranged wife who we meet for a second in an awkward series of events. His daughter is very loving of him. It seems that his paternal nature on the field had to be supplemented by the kind father off the field to enable a full understanding of the honesty and dedication of his character. Again, the film is just too tender and the final scene is gaggable.
I almost forgot to mention that Phillip Seymour Hoffman is in the film probably because his performance is entirely forgettable. Hoffman stars as the coach of the Athletic’s, an overweight submissive underdog. The usual fortitude of Hoffman’s performance is seriously undermined and his character is difficult to even sympathize with.
Hill is worth a viewing, but the film is only decent at best. Unfortunately it is quite a bore for the crowd that doesn’t love sports or Brad Pitt.
The opening monologue of I Don’t Know How She Does It brings us straight back to the good old years of Sex and the City. However, the familiar Bradshaw-esque voiceover quickly moves into tedium as we realize it isn’t the lovable sex-obsessed journalist, but someone boring and unfamiliar, Kate Reddy, who just happens to be played by Sarah Jessica Parker.
Reddy is one of those career driven mothers who seems to have the ability to balance her professional life and her family. Although she is not a classic housewife home baking brownies from scratch, she makes due by imitating the same as she buys a pie from the grocery store and gives it that homemade imperfect touch by throwing flour on top. When she brings the pie to her daughter’s school for the dreaded bake sale, the “momsters”, as she calls them, proclaim “I don’t know how she does it.” After which they poke fun at Kate’s greasy hair and unkempt appearance.
Kate’s husband, Richard (Greg Kinnear), loves her deeply and manages to pick up her loose ends even when he is not getting any at home due to her busy schedule. The couple have two kids, a 2-year-old son and six-year-old daughter. Kinnear certainly plays charming father, a role he has embodied several times namely in the beloved Little Miss Sunshine. However, his character falls into the rudimentary abyss of his wife’s uniformity and is entirely forgettable.
Despite Kate’s chaotic life and anxious behavior she scores a deal with Jack Abelhammer (Pierce Brosnan) to be his financial analyst in a large deal. Abelhammer begins to fall for Kate and hints of infidelity are in the air. Again, SJP and Brosnan like SJP and Kinnear have no natural chemistry and the romance is never quite romantic in any sense of the word.
Ultimately the film seems like an attempt to reach out to working mothers and the difficulty they face against men in the workplace and women who view them as uncaring. The sexual politics are far from fully explored and the film remains at the level of fluff. I fear to even label it a romantic comedy because it wasn’t funny and certainly was not romantic. It falls into the category of the “nothing film”. Skip this one.
Nothing is too supple, I mean subtle, in Rod Lurie’s remake of the 1971 classic, Straw Dogs.
Lurie trades the gloomy fog of the English countryside for the humid, deep south Deliverance style eeriness in his remake. The effect of terror is the same. However, Lurie is going by the new rulebook of horror, the one that boasts a wealth of gore and a lack of character development.
Screenwriter, David Sumner (James Marsden) and his trophy actress wife Amy (Kate Bosworth) decide to leave the Hollywood Hills for a while to return to Amy’s hometown in Blackwater, Mississippi so that David can work on his new screenplay about the Battle of Stalingrad. The couple rolls into town in a vintage Jaguar convertible, blasting old folky tunes, and it becomes clear that these people really don’t know how to fit in.
The deep southern backdrop provides an easy route to conjure the monsters of the film, the uneducated hicks and hillbillies who never left Blackwater. Amy is the former head cheerleader of the town, one of its most prized possessions second to their winning football team. David and Amy hire Amy’s former boyfriend, Charlie (Alexander Skarsgard), an outgrown member of the football team, to work construction on her family’s old house. Charlie’s group of local derelict friends also help him with the construction job.
Automatically we know this is going to be an ultra-violent film. It starts out with a bar fight, basically the same one which occurs in the original but with a lot more blood. Coach (James Woods), the former coach of the football team and a local drunk, and possibly the most raucous and scary character of the film, will not leave the bar when he is refused a drink. After which he smashes a glass, throws a chair, and jumps behind the bar to take matters into his own hands. This is only the beginning of the local town folk taking justice as they see fit.
Meanwhile Amy, for the first half of the film dresses akin to Daisy Duke and prances around her estate nearly naked and after a short time Charlie and his gang’s voracious sexual appetites rise to the surface. Though Susan George, in the original, played the devious little nymph Amy in a role that can’t really be imitated, Bosworth does her best to attract the wrong attention and is subjected to a brutal raping, possibly more disturbing than the 1971 scene. The world’s fascination with torture porn must also be taken into account when comparing the two, but either way, it is difficult to watch.
The misogyny in the town is hard to handle as a viewer. Skarsgard and Woods play a terrific team of terror with their sinister looks and sarcastic winks as they refer to Amy by her old nickname, “Amy Cakes”. The final quarter of the film is startling and extremely visceral. The anticipation involved is evocative of that in Panic Room, and the demonization of Coach and Charlie is reminiscent of DeNiro’s character in Cape Fear, inflicting pain and horror on a fairly innocent family.
Though the acting is semi-decent and the setting is understandable, it is an arduous task to remake a film that has such clout as the 1971 version. Depending on tastes in psychological thriller films and their use of blood versus character development I would say jump for the original. However, not a bad effort by Lurie.
Though the film is not terribly gory, Warrior bleeds testosterone as three male characters brawl in a fight that rears two heads.
Tommy Conlon, a brooding drifter (played by a seriously bulked up Tom Hardy) returns to his hometown in the seedy streets of Pittsburgh to attend to the demons of his past, his formerly abusive alcoholic father Paddy (Nick Nolte). After a chance fight in the rings of a local gym, Tommy proves his strength and agility in mixed martial arts and decides to take it further and enter into a 5 million dollar tournament. Tommy is unwilling to forgive his father, but he seeks him out as a trainer for the tournament.
Meanwhile on the other side of the tracks, Tommy’s brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton), a retired UFC fighter, who is striving to provide for his family and live the American Dream, loses his job as a physics teacher and decides to enter the same tournament. However, the brothers are unaware that they are about to take the same path.
It’s the Shakespearean set-up of the century, two brothers going head to head though perhaps the outcome is less expected than usual. The recycled and predictable storyline often convolutes the action of the film, but the fight scene’s are dark, visceral, and mesmerizing.
Careful what you wish for, because if it’s a fairy-tale you seek, then a fairy-tale you get. And although it might not seem it on the outside, this week’s sure-to-be box-office hit, Friends with Benefits, is just that.
Having just been selected by head-hunter Jamie (Mila Kunis) as the new Art Director for GQ Magazine, Dylan (Justin Timberlake) leaves his hometown of Los Angeles and relocates to the bright lights and loud noise that is New York City. A handful of witty banter, a trip to a Manhattan rooftop, and one sappy romance film later, Jamie and Dylan find themselves swearing over an iPad Bible App to take their friendship to the next level – the one with benefits and no emotions. And it works, until both start questioning whether they unknowingly let emotions slip into the relationship after all.
With just the right balance between innocent and seductive, Kunis and Timberlake are extremely endearing as the pair of leads. It’s clear that Writer-Director Will Gluck tried hard to keep the nudity down to a bare minimum, giving the movie a tasteful air which is enjoyable for a vast audience. Although the rom-com does have that fairy-tale ambience to it, the clever writing and engaging, although somewhat predictable, plot can appeal to a male audience as well while filling the void of every girl’s prince charming fantasy.
Lions and Kevin James and bears – oh my!
A classic tale of a man seeking love, Zookeeper is the story of Griffin Keyes (Kevin James) on his quest to win back the love of his life, Stephanie (Leslie Bibb) with the help of his talking animal friends over at the Zoo. However, among the twists and turns along the way, Keyes realizes he might be running after the wrong girl and does everything he can to make things right. Keyes even finds a lifelong friend in Bernie the gorilla (voiced by Nick Nolte).
Going in with absolutely no expectations, Zookeeper was actually a quite enjoyable movie. While it is incredibly cheesy noticeably geared towards a younger audience, adults could enjoy it as well and could make for a fun family outing. There were many times when you will laugh, and many times when you will cry – I won’t tell if you don’t!
Personally, my favourite part of the movie was the guessing game you get to play, trying to figure out wich famous celebrity voices what animal. And with a cast like Cher, Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stalone, and Judd Apatow, just to name a few, I can assure you that it was extremely fun!
While it might not be winning an Oscar anytime soon, Zookeeper is not all that bad a movie, and I would definitely recommend it to parents who want to entertain their kids for a couple hours with a wholesome, cute, and enjoyable film. For everyone else, wait until it comes out on Netflix.
Zookeeper is out in theaters everywhere July 8.
From the producers of ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’ comes the film ‘Attack the Block,’ a film about a gang of tough city kids who must defend their block by fighting off savage aliens invading earth.
Set in a South London complex, the film is written and directed by Joe Cornish and produced by James Wilson and Nira Park, who is also the master producer behind indie favourite ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World.’
The film has a lot of british charm. The characters all seem to capture an offbeat british sense of humour, and the banter between gang members is what makes the film really enjoyable. Unlike other horror movies where you want the characters to die, you feel for these characters. You’re cheering them on.
As you gathered from the plot, the movie could easily turn cheesy but doesn’t for several reasons. As mentioned above, the clever dialogue and characters keeps the film dimensional. No stock characters here. Each gang member has a specific style and personality, causing you to connect and feel for each one of them.
The film is more comedy than horror, really. Sure, there are sharp-fanged aliens out to get them, but the film seems to knowingly use its genre to sort of make fun of itself. Let’s just say at one point there is two 9 year olds who defeat an alien with a water gun. Exaggerated, yes, but a funny little scene and duo.
My only complaint for the film is the un-scaryness of the aliens. I’m sure they made the monsters extra cheesy for a reason (they are ape-like, with fangs) but the movie would be that extra more compelling if the aliens were, say, terrifying. Maybe nothing scares me anymore, I don’t know. But there are a lot of fun jumpy scenes to make up for it.
Of course, it is also noteworthy to say that Nick Frost’s character makes the film. A comedic genius he is.
The film has no release date as of yet, but I give the film a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Don’t take it too seriously – just enjoy the ride, the humour, and the scares.
So I decided to check out “The Hangover II,’ the widely-anticipated sequel to the original box office smash.
As hilarious as the first movie was, I didn’t have high hopes for this film. Sequels are never as good as the originals, and in this case, I predicted that the film would be the exact same format and journey the ‘Wolfpack’ took in the first film. I was correct.
Let’s get the plot out of the way, though. This time around, right after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu’s wedding. Stu’s plan for a subdued bachelor party, however, goes seriously awry when they wake up the next morning. In a hotel. In Bangkok.
Of course, out-of-this-world revelations are discovered throughout the movie, such as face tattoos and missing body parts. Funny things happen. People die. But the film is almost exactly the same as the first; they wake up, someone is missing, they try to find him, then funny things happen. The end.
The film tends to push the envelope even further this time around (I won’t give anything away, but it’s definitely up there in shock-factor.) I will say the movie definitely delivers on that front, providing even more shocking and crazy situations. But aside the shocking moment or two, the film really is the same bag of tricks at the first one.
I know, I know, what did I expect from the flick? An oscar-worthy plot line? But they could have at least come up with some new material. Hey, it if it worked the first time, I guess they’ll keep milking it while they can.
Of course, Zach Galifianakis’ character Alan saves the film with his off-beat humour and very, very stupid comments. He is worth the price of admission alone.
So if you’re looking for a good laugh or to be entertained, by all means see the film. It’s a great movie to see with your friends. But don’t expect to be blown away or to laugh harder than the first film, because you won’t.
In fact, you’ll laugh less, unless you’re the kind of person who can watch something 80,000 times and laugh at it every time. I give the movie 3 out of 5 stars, just because it made me laugh a few times and delivered what I expected it to.
I know what you’re thinking.
‘Oh great, here’s another one of those bridal movies where the main character falls for some unrealistic knight-in-shining-armour, while her best friend gets married provoking hilarious wedding planning conflicts and mild laughter.’
Well you’re wrong, deeply wrong. This is no cliched fairytale wedding movie, no no no. It’s much more than that.
Let’s get the plot out of the way. The film follows Annie, played by the hilarious Kristen Wiig, who is picked as her best friend’s maid of honour, played by the equally funny Maya Rudolph. Completely broke and unprepared, Annie looks to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals of being a bridesmaid with an oddball group of other bridesmaids as well.
What saves this movie right off the bat from being a cliched comedy is the actors themselves. Each creating a unique, interesting character, all the bridesmaids and bride alike make the film interesting because of their line delivery or physical comedy. For example, a drunken Annie on the plane could be painfully unfunny, but Wiig’s dead-on physical comedy makes it that much more hysterical.
Another way the film saves itself from disaster is how it satires romantic comedy cliches instead of enforcing them. It touches on female competitiveness, dating, marriage and outlandish character types, but twists it so far that you know it’s really poking fun at itself. The bridal shower scene will literally have you peeing your pants – I did.
That’s what I loved about the film – it’s nature to never hold back. Think of it like the female version of ‘The Hangover,’ except not as risky and more subtle in its comedy. SNL veterans Rudolph and Wiig are perfect in achieving this, using their subtle comedy timing to make the film engaging throughout. But yes ladies, bring your guys, they will find it funny too – lots of farts and injuries to sustain them.
Now, I’m not saying the movie is perfect. Parts were dragged out a little too long, and cliches were still used (yes, sorry to break it to you, the main character does indeed find love in the end,) but they were all portrayed very realistically that it didn’t bother me.
So my final verdict is a 4 out of 5 stars. For what its worth, it’s a fun lighthearted comedy that shouldn’t be taken too seriously at all. With unique comedy and a packed, roaring audience, I’m pretty sure plenty will enjoy it as well.
After fifteen years, two sequels, and the Stab mise-en-abime franchise-within-a franchise, Ghostface has finally made his grand return to the screen, and there is no guessing what his favorite scary movie is.
Scream 4 is a half-shallow stab at a hyperrealist, postmodern slasher film. Though it’s clear that the film is just “too meta” for words, it is overly reliant on its genre clichés that were already too heavily ensconced throughout the franchise.
The naïve victim for eternity, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns to the small American town of Woodsboro on the 15th anniversary of the first murders to promote her new novel, which is ironically about overcoming victimization. Of course, once news hits the town of her arrival, so too does a new string of gruesome murders, which closely mimics the pattern of the initial killing spree. SO META right?
Retired journalist Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) is quick to jump on the story despite the stern warnings of her wimpy husband Dewey (David Arquette), who is now the sheriff of Woodsboro. Gale teams up with the young cinephiles of the local high school cinema club in an attempt to dismantle the “rules” of the new Ghostface. Gale and the cinema society still cannot outsmart Ghostface even when utilizing advanced technology such as personal headset cameras and video blogs. Undoubtedly the peeping Tom tactics are reversed and the camera is turned on Gale and the students. Yes, Gale, killers are also up to date with modern technology.
Like Scream 3, the backbone of the film is a set of complex rules, however in this case the rules are cleverly subverted as a way to return full cycle to the first set of murders. The murder scheme is familiar as victims run UP the stairs, into basements, empty parking garages, drunken parties, and basically straight into the killers knife.
The same assortment of precocious yet misinformed teenagers are played by the popular young Hollywood stars, Hayden Panettiere, Emma Roberts, and Rory Culkin, who are all surprisingly good. The teens are far more exciting to watch than the still idiotic survivors of the previous attacks, Dewey, Sidney, and Gale.
The tropes and ploys are mostly for comic effect, and you will laugh probably more than you will cringe. The gore is far from the torture porn variety save for a prompt glimpse of a bloody intestine, and a final scene that can only be described as excessive.
The film is fast paced and the ending will be surprising for some, yet predictable for others who are keen on deconstructing the rules of the slasher genre within the frame of the film. Don’t be fooled, the self-reflexivity is tiresome and overdone. Wes Craven’s mark is visible, but it seems he too is getting tired of trying to play the Derrida of horror films.
However, the film is saved by its cameos, featuring Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell, and the starring role of Roberts who outshines her days of starring on “Unfabulous” and replaces them with an unforgettable performance.
AC/DC Live at River Plate cranks the voltage to eleven and delivers everything that a fan would expect: heavy distortion, growly vocals, devil horns and yes, a wrinkled Angus Young prancing around in a school-boy uniform.
The live concert DVD documents AC/DC’s critically acclaimed world tour from December 2009. The Black Ice tour was in support of their most recent album that debuted at #1 in 31 countries and the tour itself earned the band a Pollstar Award for Major Tour of the Year in 2010.
Directed by David Mallet, the concert was shot entirely in HD by 32 cameras. The 110-minute distortion fiesta showcases the Australian band’s historical return to Buenos Aires after a 13-year absence from Argentina, where they attacked their four-decade catalogue in front of nearly 200,000 fans.
The set begins with a video montage of band avatar’s arriving on a “Rock’N'Roll Train” and drove through their signature gratifying crunch for several songs including the crowd pleaser: “Back in Black”. Close your eyes and you’ll find Brian Johnson’s shrieks and the Young brother’s riff-a-palooza are as flawless, if not executed with more conviction, as their earlier days.
“Big Jack” offers a refreshing break from the high-voltage monster rhythm section provided by Angus and Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd. The bluesy number reeks of Johnson’s now classic hormonal urges and Angus’ strip tease, ending in AC/DC boxers, a self-parody of his old trademark mooning. Not since Gene Simmons has a rockstar been so proud to shamelessly promote their own brand.
Popular classics like “Dirty Deeds” and “Thunderstruck” rip the sea of metal heads into a tidal-wave of shattered harmonies that was totally reminiscent of a soccer game, it goes to prove that these songs were made to be stadium rock anthems. The new tracks appear like nostalgic updated creations of their greatest hits collection, however they deliver the same signature stomp. Johnson continues to consistently whip out a seemingly endless arsenal of squeals to his macho lyrics of sex, booze and broads.
By the time Johnson chimes in “Hells Bells” by swinging himself on the pendulum, Angus’ admirable energy is maximized by the moshpit of a crowd. Ten songs into the concert and there is no sign of stopping the congregation of biker dudes and metal heads.
And no surprise, there are various long-haired youngsters grinning at high volumes and quite an array of MILFs reliving their eighties’ fantasies.
Angus channels his inner-Jimmy Page as the 56-year-old viciously machine guns through a 20-minute solo as he joyfully parades around the stage in his famous duckwalking. His brother, Malcolm, channels his inner Cruela DeVille and nails it.
“He has the devil in his fingers and blues in his soul!” proclaims Johnson as they strut together down the train-track cat walk.
Canons are set ablaze during “For Those About to Rock” and fireworks signal the end of a powerhouse evening.
The DVD will also feature an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the tour.
AC/DC Live at River Plate DVD and Blu-Ray will hit shelves on May 10th. A limited edition collector’s edition with an exclusive t-shirt will also be available. Go to www.ACDC.com or www.amazon.com to pre-order!
AC/DC Live At River Plate – Track Listing:
Soul Surfer is based on the gruesome story of young surfer Bethany Hamilton’s encounter with a 14-foot tiger shark during which she lost her arm to the beast, but continued through the odds to get into the water and surf.
Jaws, a fictional film about a menacing great white shark, caused many audiences to avoid the ocean, but Soul Surfer, a true story and inspirational film of human triumph serves to lessen those fears of the creatures that lurk in the depths and replace them with faith in the human capacity to overcome grave obstacles
The film opens with an aerial establishing shot of the beautiful pristine waters that encircle the Hawaiian Islands. We are soon introduced to Bethany (AnnaSophia Robb) through a nostalgic voice over reflecting on her love for surfing. She proclaims, “we spent more time wet than we did dry.” Clearly this is a young girl who was meant to be a mermaid. Bethany’s parents, played by Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid who have a natural chemistry, are very supportive of her dreams to be a pro-surfer as they cheer her on in competitions and help her train for the sport. Even when Bethany disobeys them and goes surfing at night, it is obvious that her family unit is one that embodies positivism and compassion. Bethany’s family values are underlined with a firm belief in Christianity exemplified by their churchgoing habits, and Bethany’s Sunday school education. Carrie Underwood makes her film debut as Bethany’s bible study leader.
Bethany is at the top of her game. She is placing in the top ranks of every competition and has just obtained sponsorship from Rip Curl, a popular surf brand. The sun shines and the tide is high as Bethany goes out to a deserted beach with her best friend and her friend’s father to practice for their next competition. In order to get out to the swells, the surfers have to avoid a reef. As they are swimming, the camera begins to dive below to show belly shots of the water, and suddenly an imminent sense of doom falls upon the film. Something is looming.
The shark attack happens so fast that it is hard to register. Due to the PG rating and family orientation of the film, a drawn out scene of gore and misery, as seen in 27 Hours, would have been inappropriate. However, the attack is still too rapid that even the Discovery Channel reenactments are more effective.
As the film unfolds it is obvious that this is not a story about a near death experience, but rather, an encouraging fable for conquering the unexpected grievous events that life throws at you.
After the accident Bethany has difficulty adjusting to her handicap and can’t understand why “God would want this for her”. Through the motivational speeches of her parents, her bible teacher, and an eye-opening trip to Thailand post-tsunami devastation in 2004, she gets back on her board and becomes a role model for those who are impaired.
The cinematography of the film boasts a wealth of stunning scenes of the immaculate land of Hawaii. The sun and surf provide a suitable backdrop for Bethany’s reemergence as a strong young woman. Though the film rests on it’s inspirational Christian themed clichés, it is hard to argue with the performances of AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, and Dennis Quaid. Overall, the adaptation of Bethany’s memoir is believable and uplifting.
The legendary Beastie Boys have a new album “Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2″ coming out May 3rd, a new single and now a preview for the short film Fight for Your Right Revisited has hit the interweb.
Don’t like the Beasties? Well, check out the casting call: Elijah Wood, Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, John C. Reilly, Seth Rogen, Jack Black, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, David Cross, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Jason Schwartzman, Adam Scott, Rainn Wilson, Steve Buscemi, Chloë Sevigny, Alicia Silverstone, Martin Starr, Ted Danson, Rashida Jones, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Ad-Rock, Mike D, and MCA.
The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival last month and received a mix of reviews. In the video, we find the Beastie Boys (Elijah Wood, Seth Rogan, Danny McBride) in 1986 the day after the legendary “Fight for Your Right (To Party)” video took place. It is rumoured to be a long-running Saturday Night Live skit from there on out.
Judging by the preview, it appears to be some battle royale between past and present versions of the Beastie Boys. At the same time, it is between comedy of today versus yesterday. Some fascinating double-entendre, I do say.
Ch-ch-check it out!
That Justin Bieber kid, that you may have heard of, has beat out the late King of Pop at the box-office.
Less than a year after Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ became the most successful concert-film in U.S. history, Justin Bieber’s ‘Never Say Never’ concert fan-tastic film has snatched the title.
On Monday, the Hollwood Reporter published figures that show ‘Never Say Never’ has raked in $72.2 million (U.S. dollar) at the box office since its January release, where as Jackson’s 2009 concert film ‘This Is It’ has $72.1 million. Although Bieber has taken in those impressive numbers, he has to work some magic before he tops the MJ global intake.
With a global total of $261.2 million, ‘This Is It’ has crippled Bieber’s doc that has a modest $83 million globally so far. However, Paramount executives predict the film cashing in at least $10 million more internationally.
The U.S. numbers for Bieber were clearly impacted by the film’s re-release with an additional 40 minutes of bonus footage from director Jon M. Chu.
Bieber will likely continue to duel Jackson’s milestones throughout the next few years, in fact he checked another off a few weeks ago when he posed with his new wax figure at London’s Madame Tussauds. He is also among the artists to be featured on a Universal Music digital-only album to raise funds for Japan’s earthquake and tsunami victims. Funding will go toward the Japanese Red Cross. Alongside Bieber for the project are U2, Rihanna, Bon Jovi and Nicki Minaj. What an eclectic group.
We all know the story: girl wears a red cape, is being followed by a wolf. She then visits her grandmother, her grandmother is the wolf. Or something like that. But all this goes out the window in Catherine Hardwicke’s adaptation of the classic “Red Riding Hood.”
Let’s start with the positive. Hardwicke, the director of the film who’s also directed for “Twilight,” delivers a visually stunning film. It captures great North American landscape, and the film’s forte definitely lies its cinematography and visual appeal. I absolutely commend her artistic decisions and direction she took within the story. I mean, contrasting Amanda Seyfried’s gentle blond hair and piercing blue eyes with that dramatic red cape. Heaven on screen. In fact, Seyfried is genuinely what saves the film from disaster itself – her understated acting is not only realistic but saves the movie from being cheesy.
But let’s move into what’s wrong with the film. Although the movie has its twists and turns that keep it interesting, the story itself suffers from an identity crisis. Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl (Seyfried) falls for an orphaned woodcutter (Shiloh Fernandez), much to her family’s displeasure. So is the movie a thriller? A love story? A dark comedy? It dabbles in a bit of all three. There is a certain melodramatic love tension that occurs between the two young hotties, then there are brutal wolf attacks on the village people, and then there are clever allusions to the original fairytale. But it’s all too much. Pick on one theme, and make it great.
I saw this movie with my friend, and we left feeling neutral. It wasn’t a bad movie, in fact, we both said it could have been a lot of worse so we respected the fact that they made it interesting. But then again, the movie wasn’t great. They could have been much more shocking with how they changed the story, they could have made way more clever connections to the original, and besides Seyfried, the acting could have been better.
But for what the movie is, a teenage love-action story, the movie achieves its goal and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. I give it a 2.5 out of 5, smack dab in the middle. Not great, not horrid.
