5 movies to look forward to in the next couple of months....

We're away from the silly Blockbuster season, and the next few months tend to see movies released with one eye on an Oscar nomination.  And while I can't say that those movies are not enjoyable in their own way, I thought it would be better to compile an alternative list that may garner nominations, but I'm thinking MTV rather than Oscar.....

1) A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas 3D

Let's be honest.  You already know if you're going to catch this movie or not.  If you enjoyed the first two movies (which I sure as hell did), then you'll be there on opening night.  Any movie that has Barney Stinson himself, playing a coked up, exaggerated version of NPH, is a movie you know is going to be good.

I also like that a comedy is going to take the piss out of 3D.  Watch the trailer below, you'll see what I mean.....



2) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I usually don't go for remakes.  Let me In?  No thanks.  The Ring?  Please.  But every so often, Hollywood treat the originals with respect and hire some of the most talented people working today.  They did it with Scorsese and The Departed (though I still think Infernal Affairs is the better movie), and now they've got David Finch to tackle Steig Larsson's worldwide bestseller.

I just finished off watching the original trilogy the other day (Hornet's nest was pretty weak I have to admit), so I'm curious to see what Fincher does differently.  I'm loving this trailer too.  Sells the atmosphere, gives very little plot away.



3) 50/50

Cancer movies are always tough sells.  Cancer comedies are even tougher.  And a cancer comedy with usual laugh vacuum Seth Rogen in it?  No thanks.  But the presence of Joseph Gordon Levitt in any movie will always peak my interest.  From Brick to The Lookout to 500 Days of Summer and then Inception, I think he has one of the most enviable and varied careers in Hollywood right now.

Won't surprise me to see some Oscar love thrown this movies way if the early previews are anything to go by.  Looking forward to this.



4) Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Live action debut of the director of The Incredibles.  Need I say more?  Anyone who's read my blog up until know will know I'm a fan of Tom Cruise.  Judging from the trailer, age is not slowing him down.  Is that The Kremlin blowing up?  Yes it is. Is that Tom Cruise climbing the tallest building in the world?  Hell yeah.  In IMAX, this is going to look amazing.  Glad I live close to London now.....

Oh and if the rumours are true, there will be a Dark Knight Rises 6 minute prologue shown before this.  Opening night? Going to London.



5) Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows

What was I saying about Blockbuster season being over?  With Mission Impossible and now this?  Starring Robert Downey Jr, this is a movie series that was a huge risk for Warner Brothers.  Guy Ritchie was coming off the flops of Rock'n'Rolla, Swept Away and Revolver.  Making Holmes a bare knuckle brawler?  Huge risk.  But it worked.  It managed to appeal to a wide range of people and everyone left satisfied.

The only problem I had with it was the fact that the whole whodunnit was a bit convulted.  Now I get that's sort of the point, that no-one is as smart as Holmes, but the fun of these movies is analysing the details yourself and seeing if you can figure out the who and how.

That being said, I'm prepared to switch my brain off and enjoy this.  Plus, there are other rumours that there may be a Dark Knight Rises trailer before this as well.....



There are others of course, but this is just a quick list.

What do you guys think?  Any movies you're looking forward to that I've left out?  Leave your comments below.

Until next time........

Bond 23 becomes real......

Short and snappy.  None of this Quantum of Solace nonsense.  This sounds like a Bond movie.  Daniel Craig is returning for his third stint as Bond and he is joined by a top notch cast including Dame Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney.  Plot details are thin on the ground, but Eon did release this short logline -

In SKYFALL, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.


Best of all, this Bond movie comes from a great director, Sam Mendes.  Anyone who has seen Road to Perdition will know how well he can balance character with action.  The scene alone where Tom Hanks confronts Paul Newman and his men is one of the great action sequences of modern cinema (and a great showcase for Blu Ray).


Next year is looking hotter and hotter with The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers and The Hobbit all set to come out.  It's a great time to be a movie goer.


Until; next time.......

The Social Network - an unbelievably late review for one of the best movies of last year......

It's 11.00am, and I was looking for a movie to watch when I came across The Social Network on Sky Movies.  Having seen it once previously, I settled in.

Go back a few years and the idea of a movie based on Facebook would invoke a lot of negativity.  A movie based on a social networking site?  That sounds as silly as an idea based on a boardgame such as Battleships.  Hold on, they aren't, are they.....?

Then David Fincher came on board.  The Aaron Sorkin was brought on board to write.  Kevin Spacey came on as an executive producer.  Suddenly everyone started taking notice. 

For those who don't know, the movie is based on the book 'The Accidental Billionaires', which details the rise of Mark Zuckerberg, how Facebook was formed and ultimately how it became an integral part of everyday modern life.  Zuckerberg himself has seen the movie, and has said it is a pretty accurate account.  This is surprising given how much of a jerk the character is.  As his girlfriend in the opening scene says, 'You're going to think girls don't want to get with you because you're a computer nerd.  But it's because you're an asshole.'

Zuckerberg is one of thise characters that is immensely unlikable from a personality point of view.  He's selfish, unthoughtful, has no social skills (how ironic) and for lack of a better term, is a total fucking know it all.  However, with Aaron Sorkin's words coming out of his mouth, he is driven, charastmatic, sharp and witty.  He's the kind of asshole you can root for, one that you enjoy watching when he's tearing the priviliged Harvard boys a new one.

A lot of this comes down to Jesse Eissenberg's performance.  If you've ever seen Zombieland, you know he has the whole awkward, intelligent beyond his years character down pat.  He was deservedly nominated for an Oscar, and is definitely one to watch for the future.  I think he'll have a career along the lines of Dustin Hoffman, interesting movies, fast talking, intelligent characters who are a bit quirky.

But this is not a one man show.  Everyone from Andrew Garfield to Justin Timberlake to Arnie Hammer turns in an awesome perfomance.

Aaron Sorkin's script pops, as anyone who has seen The West Wing would expect.  Along with Christian Bale taking home the Best Supporting Actor award, Sorkin winning Best Adapted Screenplay was the most deserved award of the most recent Oscars.

David Fincher continues to knock them out of the park.  Seven, Fight Club, The Social Network and the upcoming Girl with the Dragon Tattoo adaptaion show Fincher to be one of the most consistently interesting and diverse directors working in Hollywood today.

A final mention goes to the score, performed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.  Unsettling, disturbing, but hopeful, it encompasses the movie perfectly.

Suffice to say, I'm a fan.  It perfectly captures on one the defining cultural phenomenon of our times, while at the same time being a well structured, sharp, funny and entertaining movie.

9/10

A few quick reviews......

Right, have to get back into the swing of this whole blog! It's been a bit of a hectic time of late, and I'm getting ready to up sticks and move to Cambridge. So I thought it would be good to get the updates going again and try and get a bit of consistency. The buying of an iPad certainly won't harm the regularity of my posts.....

The Adjustment Bureau

This was a movie I'd really wanted to catch at the cinema but for whatever reason could not make it to. Finally caught it on blu ray the other night and was pleasantly surprised. It's a bit of a slow burner, and anyone expecting another adventure along the lines of the Bourne movies will be sorely disappointed. There are a few chase scenes, and a bit of action, but at it's heart, it is a movie about love and the choices we make. Are we all in control of our destiny? Does the notion of free will exist? Or is it all planned out?

This is a cut above your average summer fare. I read a review somewhere that said this was a romantic Inception, and while it's not quite in that class, it's a definitely recommended.

8/10

Before Sunset

A bit of an oldie but a goodie. Anyone who saw Before Sunrise would be salivating at the thought of a sequel. Taking place 9 years later, this picks up on the story of Jesse and Celine, as Jesse launches a new book in Paris. They meet again, and spend the duration of the film catching up and discussing the pitfalls and the possibilities of modern life.

It's the kind of movie that has a love it or hate vibe to it. The two characters are endlessly likeable and if you get on board with them you'll have a great time. But it's definitely a marmite kind of movie. I loved it and hope they'll do another, possibly 9 years later again.....

8/10

That'll have to do for now, but updates will definitely follow soon........

Final Harry Potter trailer.......

I have to say, there really isn't much more Warner Bros. could have done right with this trailer.  It reminds us of the legacy of Harry Potter, as well as hinting that the best is yet to come.  Finally caught the Deathly Hallows Part 1 the other day and dug the hell out of it.  This is definitely high on the summer wish list.  Enjoy!


Until next time..........

Who's stepping into Marlon Barndo's shoes for the upcoming Man of Steel?

Casting continues apace for Zack Synder's Superman reboot.  With key positions of Clark Kent and Lois Lane already filled, as well as those of Jonathon and Martha Kent, one question remained.  Who would play Jor-El, Superman's father?  That question has apparently been answered and it falls to........

No, not the guy on the left.  Apparently he's busy with some other movie at the moment......

So Russell Crowe is the man with the none too envious responsibilty of filling in for one of the greatest actors of all time.  Personally, I think it's a good sign to see an actor of this calibre step into the world of Superman.  However, with Crowe, I can take him or leave him.  LA Confidential and Gladiator aside, I have never been a fan of his work, and would certainly not go to a movie solely on the pull of him an actor.  But I guess it will probably be a small, but important role, so I won't have to put up with him too much!

Until next time.........

An update on Back to the Future 4.........

Anyone who has read my blog up until now will know that Back to the Future is one of my favourite movies.  It's such a classic mix of comedy, adventure and eccentric scientists.  The question of a sequel comes up frequently, and I really hope it never happens.  It's perfect as a trilogy and should be left well alone.  It's not just Michael J.Fox and Christopher Lloyd who get questioned on the series continuing, but also Thomas F.Wilson, who played Biff, one of the screens great bad guys.  Well, he has this to say.  Enjoy!