Mini Review - Control

Directed by acclaimed photographer Anton Corbijn, “Control” stars newcomer Sam Riley as Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis, who sadly committed suicide in 1980 at the age of 23.
Based on the book by Ian's wife, Deborah, the film covers the last seven years of Curtis' life, from when he first meets and marries Debbie (Samantha Morton) as a Macclesfield teenager, through the formation of the band and their rise to fame.

But this is more than a rags to riches to coffin film. The film spends a lot of time detailing Curtis’ struggle with epilepsy, and more tragically his attempts to juggle his loving wife and child with his more glamorous mistress Annik Honore.
The film is shot in gorgeous black and white, recalling the rock documentaries of the 1960’s. All of this helps make a stunning directorial debut for Corbijn, even more impressive is that he was closely involved with photographing Curtis and Joy Division in the 1980s.

Riley is awards worthy as Curtis, he beautifully captures his stage presence and the musical performances are even more impressive since Riley does his won singing. But where he really shines is in the quieter yet agonising private conflicts. Perhaps in a less crowded Best Actor race, he would be a shoo-in for an Oscar nom.

Some people have said that Samantha Morton is under written and comes across as weak. This is just pure ignorance of reviewers. Debbie is typical of most young girls in the UK at this time. She married a man out of love and has had to adapt to his ever-changing life style. Never complaining out of fear of rocking the boat, she becomes almost invisible (there are heartbreaking scenes when she calls for him and is ignored, and you see the hurt and sorrow in her eyes).
She has had his baby and looks forward to every moment her husband can be bothered to spend with them. She does not nag or push him at first because she does not want to loose the man she loves so she becomes a ghost wife.


Morton beautifully captures Debbie from giggling teenager to frustrated and lonely all-too-soon-housewife and mother. This is another fantastic performance from Morton, and another performance that will go unnoticed. At the end, when a frantic and stunned Debbie cries for help, we cry with her because this is far from the life she wanted when she said “I do”.
The script is possibly the weakest link. Although it packs a lot into it’s running time, and avoids a lot of music biopic clichés, it does suffer from some rather flat dialogue, which the actors desperately try to cover up but the cracks still show.

In saying that, “Control” is one of the best musical bio-pics to come out in a long time. This makes larger budget films like “Ray” and “Walk The Line” look like the shallow and polished films they are. Then again British film has never been afraid of showing the grit and dirt of life.

However this film is received, it boast impeccable timing for mirroring current situations. Being young is hard enough, you are dealing with rampant emotions, insecurities and hormones. Throw fame into this mix can be a self destroying, even deadly combination. It is no wonder so many young entertainers are unable to cope especially today with our celebrity obsessed media and the internet.
While watching “Control” I couldn’t help but have the very grim thought of how the life stories of Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse will play out. Which one would be dead first?

Rating: B-

Mini Review - Michael Clayton

So, I am doing my movie catch up.
On Friday night I dragged myself and the BF to see “Michael Clayton”. I have never been a fan of a talky legal thriller, or so I thought going in. They all seem to come across as overly self important and righteous in their David vs Goliath stories.
Why should this be the same?
Well knock my socks off and colour me a legal thriller fan. It just turns out that the previous films of this genre just were not very good. “Michael Clayton” is.

As you all know the premise of this film is that Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house "fixer" at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor, Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen's dirtiest work at the behest of the firm's co-founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack).
Though burned out and hardly content with his job as a fixer he has run into mounting debt. His recent divorce and a failed business venture with his looser brother is costing him and has left Clayton inextricably tied to the firm.
At U/North, meanwhile, the career of litigator Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) rests on the multi-million dollar settlement of a class action suit that Clayton's firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion.
But when Kenner Bach's brilliant and guilt-ridden attorney Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) seemingly looses his mind and sabotages the U/North case, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of his career and his life.

I will not give away too much, but I will say this. Tony Gilroy has crafted a taught, gripping and (most importantly) intelligent film. The dialogue is real, especially with the legal jargon not being dumbed down just to appease the movie goer with a lower than average IQ.
George Clooney is convincing and does a grand job at showing the exhaustion of his character. He has always been a charming actor, and one of the most beloved Hollywood stars which means he will always be George Clooney to the eyes of many. He just cannot escape his own enigma.
Sydney Pollack give great supporting work as the Claytons boss and father figure. Tom Wilkinson once again give amazing supporting work. His Arthur is noble, intelligent, funny and going crazy. Wilkinson never lets him slip away into caricature, which could have been easy in the hands of a not so gifted actor. You see him as unbalanced, but you always have his sympathy and he never once lets you forget that he is also brilliant.

Great as all of these men are in this film, it belongs to Tilda Swinton as Karen Crowder. This is one of the most powerful and engaging performances by a woman this year in film, and also one of the most subtle and intelligent.
Where many other actresses would have played her as some sort of bitch ice queen, Swinton reaches for your sympathy by privately showing her as very insecure. She rehearses speeches and facial movements, as thought she is in the constant fear that people will realize she is an imposter. She makes bad choices and fears them. Karen is in a position to give orders, and make decisions that can have a huge impact, but she is never sure of these decisions. She is getting lost in the dark, and is scrabbling to stay in the light.
The costume designer deserves props for dressing Swinton in clothing that just does not seem to fit right, like some ill-fitting costume worn by an amateur to an audition.

If you like your movies to make you think, and not pander to the unintelligent, seek this one out. I am not saying it will be part of my DVD collection, but I totally enjoyed seeing such a sturdily plotted and executed film. It gave me hope that at least some people in Hollywood are trying to seek out some truth. All characters are shaded in grey, there is no simple black and white. “Michael Clayton” is a prime example of the world we live in. Lies can be covered and the truth can be adjusted. A -

Love in the Time of Cholera trailer

Ok. Any trailer that begins with “This holiday season, comes the greatest love story ever told” makes me cringe”. In fact the whole voice over completely seems to ruin any impact the trailer may have.

However, if you take a little gander over here, Latino Review has 10 film clips up that are a much better read and definitely give you the impression of the film as a soaring romance.
Even the line “I will marry you, if you promise not to make me eat eggplant” comes across as sweet (I would have used aubergine mind you).

I am actually hoping this is as good as I hope it will be. It would be very good to have a epic romance with an entirely latino cast get great box office and awards recognition. I will do a post on Oscar and actors of Latin descent soon.

In the mean time enjoy Catalina Sandino Moreno in a hot tub or flirting with Benjamin Bratt in a carriage, and Javier Bardem and Giovanna Mezzogirno doing some major yearning.
Here is hoping this leads to some shake ups in the acting fields and some flavour is added to the very white washed looking candidates this year.

GO JAVIER!!!

Love In The Time Of Cholera - Trailer - Bande d'annonce
Uploaded by shakira-belgique

"Youth Without Youth" Trailer

I have no idea how this is going to impact the Oscr race, if at all, but it does look pretty captivating.
the return of Francis Ford Coppola is something to get excited about, and the film will have it's rabid fan base.



What do you think?

"The Jury" and the bully

Hunk of burning love Marc Forster (pictured) is to assume directing duties on “The Jury”, a remake of a 2002 British TV mini-series about the trial of a Sikh student charged with killing a classmate who tormented him.

The film will explore the lives of those deciding the fate of the defendent, as well as the defendent himself.

The original series was written by Peter Morgan, but Forster's version will be written by Beau Willimon (why mess with a good thing one may ask…the answer is…dunno)

As a bullied kid, I always love these types of stories. I rooted for “Carrie” to burn them all and I will route for this kid. Bully is one of the rights of passage for some kids, but there are times when it just takes a nasty and ugly turn.

His upcoming film “The Kite Runner” centers around an act of extreme bullying and how it tears the lives apart of two best friends. I am currently reading the book, and if it is only half as wrenching as it is in the book, Forster has succeeded.

While these films should be commended, things will never change.

I still remember being tormented by school bullies after the death of my sister. “Your sister kicked the bucket, why didn’t you follow” was the school-yard chant (aren’t kid just lov-er-ly), and how I wish I had telekinesis back then. What a whirl wind of horror that would have caused. Limbs would have been ripped off, humiliation and torture would have followed, then heartache (am I wrong for getting a little giddy with excitement at the thought? Perhaps I should hone this in to a screenplay..and pronto!).

It is funny when you are older and you think back on your school days. My partner was not a victim of bullying and that was never more apparent when we watched “Dogville” during the last ten minutes my reaction was to applaud Grace and her act of vengeance, as he looked horrified (that movie cannot be talked about…we argued for days!)

We will see how this film turns out, all I know now is I have to add “The Jury” to my LoveFilm list. Will this list ever end?

Should have been HUGE!!

If you have not listened to their music, I URGE you to just click and listen. These are two of Lambs most commercial songs, but they convey love in a way few songs can.

Lamb - Gabriel



Lamd - Goreki (all you Moulin Rogue fans will know this)



That guy in the band, Andy Barlow, is beauty on a stick!

mmmmm

Good Grief

How do you deal with grief? Most of us have experienced this at some point in our lives. A pet dying, a relationship ending, the death of a loved one or family member can all cause immense grief. But how is it shown?

I ask this because I recently watched a movie that dealt with this subject in a very refreshing and honest way. This film has been sitting on my TV for ages, and I have not been able to bring myself to watch it. Finally, last night my bf said we had to watch it as it had been up there almost 2 weeks, so I gave in and we put in Lynne Ramsay’s “Morvern Callar”.

Morvern wakes up on Christmas morning to find her lover dead on the floor in the door way to the kitchen. He has killed himself. He has only left her his ATM card and a note on his computer that begins "Sorry Morvern. Don't ask why. It just felt like the right thing to do."

As a pathetic Christmas tree blinks gloomily in the back-ground, the trauma-detached Morvern runs her hands over the cold body trying to connect with her emotions as the truth of what has happened sinks into her. She lays in the bath submerging herself fully, perhaps to cry privately so he can’t see.
She then gets ready to go on a night on the town with her friends, leaving the body in the flat. She gets drunk, does drugs and has sex yet tells no one and ends up home again in time for her job at the supermarket. She leaves the body there for about three days telling people he has left her. Then she checks his bank balance of over £3,000 and reads the rest of his note. There are funeral instructions and a manuscript for the book he is working on and a list of publishers for her to send it to.

She deletes his name and adds hers, sending it off to a publisher in London.

She decides to dispose of the body and withdraws the money from his account and takes off with a friend to Spain.

To the viewer this may seem like crazy behaviour, and it almost does as Ramsey and Morton never let you into Morvens’ mind. She is not explained to the viewer, we have to make her own mind up.
Is she crazy, or is she angry at the egotism and selfishness of her lovers act? For him to do such a thing showed how unimportant she was to him, leaving her in a dead end job at a supermarket on an island off Scotland. Leaving her to clean up his mess. Leaving her.

Was she a cold person? Was she completely selfish or did she see this as perhaps an opportunity at a new life, a better life? Perhaps fueled by anger she decided not to clean up his mess and continue his life for him, but rather give herself a new one.

For much of the film Morvern is alone. We get the sense that she is alone with her feelings, but not her thoughts. She is in a state that is not quite present, she is disengaged from what is going on around her. She cannot even relate to her best friend in the same way, she is stuck in neutral, the operator has put her on hold.

Had another actress played this role the film would have failed. Samantha Morton has a face that conveys so much with nary a movement. Her eyes tell a story. This is something not many actresses have the ability to do. Her most accomplished roles “Sweet and Lowdown”, “Minority Report”, “In America” have relied, not on her speaking lines of dialogue, but by her eyes painting the unspoken pain, joy, love and hurt across her face.
We watch her so carefully in this film because she is capable of embodying an entire whirlwind of emotional privacy.

Ramsey also deserves much credit for not taking the easy route. She stays true to the disconnect of the character, making the film feel like a disconnect. Only once you are alone with the film can you slowly start to understand the way two talented women have decided to portray grief.

Unsurprisingly the film did not play well. Audiences today seem to need wailing and tears to understand pain and heartache. We are not all made that way, and thankfully Ramsey and Morton know this too.

The Future looks golden for Javier

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria aka El Patrón or El Doctor gained world infamy as a Colombian drug dealer.
Escobar became so wealthy from the drug trade that in 1989 Forbes magazine listed him as the seventh richest man in the world.
He was widely considered to be one of the most brutally ruthless, ambitious, and powerful drug dealers in history.

While seen as an enemy of the United States and Colombian governments, Escobar was a hero to many in Medellín (especially people from the slums); he was a natural at public relations and he worked to create goodwill among Colombia's poor.

A lifelong sports fan, he was credited with building football fields and multi-sports courts, sponsoring also little league football teams as well as Atletico Nacional. Pablo Escobar was also responsible for the construction of many churches in Medellín, which gained him popularity inside the local Roman Catholic Church.

He worked hard to cultivate his Robin Hood image and frequently distributed money to the poor. He would also build houses for the poor, gaining followers on his way. The population of Medellín often helped Escobar by serving as lookouts, hiding information from the authorities, or doing whatever else they could do to protect him.

Though it has been in development limbo for around five years, it looks like this story is finally getting made.
Killing Pablo is finally going into production, with an electrifying cast and Joe Carnahan directing.

Man of the year, Javier Bardem, is set to play the man himself which is not only exciting because he is a wonderful actor, but also because he will one of the few actors of latin heritage to be nominated more than twice.
Bardem is the kind of actor that will not just creat a 'monster' villian, but add the humanity he has, and be able to convey why he was loved by the people of Medellín.

In 1991, Escobar turned himself in to the Colombian authorities, fearing murder by a rival cartel or extradition to the States, and was allowed to build his own luxury prison (seriously) in return. But he soon escaped, so in 1992 a coalition of Colombian police and military teamed with the US Drug Enforcement Agency and CIA to bring him down, sending Delta Force soldiers after him.

Christian Bale is in talks to play Major Steve Jacoby, the leader of those troops, and also looks to get snubbed yet again by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The screenplay is based on Mark Bowden's book "Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw". (we are assuming ‘Greatest’ as in big and not ‘we love drug lords’)
The director had better bring his game on because this is a strange story, and one that will need a lot of attention to be made well. Strange and weird true life stories run the risk of coming off silly if treated just a little sloppy. The screenplay needs to be TIGHT!
The film should start shooting in June of next year if the threatened actors' strike is called off; otherwise it will go into production as soon as work resumes.

Where are the ladies?

Every year it is the same ole story, and every year there is a collective hope that the next year will be better.
I am talking about the lack of really juicy roles for women in the movies. At least English speaking roles.
It seem Cate Blanchett has gotten them both this year.

Both the lead and supporting candidates are weak with a capital ‘W’ and I have no idea why. Well that is not an honest statement, I do. Hollywood does not seem to put as much effort into female-centric movies as it does for the male-centric ones. I mean look at this year’s Best Actor category, it is filled with powerful performances that have been raved about up and down, left and right, even Best Supporting Actor is over crowded.

This year the women are represented very poorly. Best Actress is a category no one can agree on. There are about fifteen possibilities, but none of them are locks. None of them look sturdy enough for anyone to say “she is getting a nomination without fail”. Even the most universally praised of the bunch, Julie Christie, is looking doubtful. Was her performance that gripping, or are we all just relieved to see a good female performance in a good film that we bestow hosannas left right and centre because there is no other performance to attach our love and praise to with conviction? Is this the year that we reward the goods, because there are no greats?

This year the lead actress category saw a whole bunch of women march through and get buzz, but not the kind of buzz we saw from Helen Mirren last year for “The Queen”. Instead it was more like a warm murmur for Actresses like Keri Russell and Angelina Jolie. In England Keira Knightly was raved, and even though I loved what she did, I have to wonder if the praise was more to do with critics being relieved that she didn’t suck. I personally feel she is a strong contender, but her biggest battle is she has no big emotional scene. She is all mannerisms and subtleties and that does not a good Oscar clip make.

Jodie Foster, Cate Blanchett and Marion Cotillard both gave very good performances (the latter practically universally loved) but in movies that divided the critics (in the case of Blanchett her film is universally panned). If judging by performance alone and the Academy’s taste, Cotillard would most likely be the only one I can see as the lock.
Ellen Page just does not make sense, no matter how wonderful she is in “Juno”. She is so young and this is not usually the type of BIG role they go for (I do, however, think it would be totally cool to see it).
Then we have Halle Berry doing good, but no where near great things in “Things We Lost in the Fire”.

What is up ladies?

Could the report of what was apparently said by Jeff Robinov (Warner Bros. President of Production) true? Could movies with female leads be on the out with the major studios because they do not draw in big box office?
Looking at the box office figures for this year, they could have a point. The only ‘female’ centered movie in the top 20 is “Hairspray” at number 17 and that wil probably not get an acting nom. Jodie’s “The Brave One” is the highest earner thus far at a crappy (by Hollywood standards) 36 million. Last year was an unexpectedly strong year for women, both role wise and in box office receipts (all ten female nominees helped bring in $462.5 million) but they could still not beat the men ($601 mil).
This year is not last year. The roles for women this year have been poor poor poor. What is most shocking is the one category when women usually shine, best supporting actress, is a desert. Cate Blanchett pops up as the only real lock for “I’m Not There” and who can ignore that gimmick? “A woman..playing a man…my God that hasn’t happened for 15 years. (adopt robotic voice of Academy) MUST…NOMINATE…MUST…NOMINATE”

Some people seem to think Jennifer Jason Leigh is over due. Who exactly thinks this aside from fans and a few critics. Is she really overdue for a nomination? If so when should she have been nominated? “Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle”? “Georgia”? “Miami blues”? Help me out, my filmography on her is short!
Aside from her being good in the movie, the movie itself is dividing critics which can really hurt.
The three “Atonement” women will have to duke it out. Saoirse Ronan is the safest bet as the Academy is kinder to children in this category, and she plays a manipulative bitch (they loved it from Anna Paquin). Romola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave will have to fight it out as well, but they are all from the same movie, which kind of shows how shallow the pool is this year.

Where is that performance that knocks your socks off, or gives you the ‘WOW’ factor or was at least adorable enough for you to really wanna root for?
Isn’t this the category that women truly shone because there more so many more supporting roles for women than lead ones? Are we really going to see Jennifer Garner nominated because we have nothing else that fits?

Such a pity. Perhaps the Academy should look to foreign language performances to find something worthy of excitement. Do-yeon Jeon (pictured) has gotten great reviews for “Milyang” (“Secret Sunshine” is the English language title) and it would be wonderful to finally have an Asian Best Actress nominee…
…one can dream.
Anamaria Marinca has also gotten raves for the abortion drama “4 Weeks, 3 Weeks and 2 days” but can the Academy embrace a Romanian film in such a major category? It seems highly doubtful for either lady. The foreign slot would be filled by Cotillard.

Basically this year sucks for women. As of this moment there does not even seem like there is something wonderful coming on the horizon to shake things up and give me reason for celebration. Where is Effie White, Susan Orlean, Olive Hoover, Ashley Johnsten, Vera Drake, Clementine Kruczynski and Cathy Whitaker?,
Come on ladies…give me something to sing about!

He is back...maybe this time he will be rewarded.

Remember last year, when many of us thought that that quiet little man who portrayed Tony Blair in the Oscar nominated “The Queen” should have really been included in the best supporting actor category? Well is seems that Michael Sheen could be about to pull on Tony Blair's red tie for a third time, since screenwriter Peter Morgan is currently developing a follow-up to that very same movie..

The third project in the series – following “The Deal”, which dealt with Blair's relationship with Gordon Brown, and the Oscar-winning “The Queen” – will depict Blair's dealings with American Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush.
The focus will be Blair's reaction to the transfer of power from his natural liberal ally Clinton to the far more conservative Bush.
The film is unlikely to feature Helen Mirren again, although Michael Sheen is very likely to return.

This could not only be very interesting, but since Blair is now out of power, it could also be very insightful and controversial. There are many conspiracy theorists who believe that Blair/England was threatened into joining the war…I am looking forward to this one.

Who should be cast as George Bush? I was thinking one of the actors (in make up) from that wonder (snigger) ful new TV sitcom “Caveman” but they seem far too intelligent. Casting Bush is near impossible, especially if you are going for a drama. The man is made for low brow, slap stick comedy.
I say cast a chimp in a suit, a dumb chimp at that. And a baboon for Condi.

Box - Love my box

So here is some new music I am listening to. If you give my box a listen to (over to the RIGHT on the side bar) you will basically experience what I do every morning on my walk into work.

Secret Sunday Lover and Tourist are some of those songs that you find almost by accident. Free London gay mag BOYZ had an article on artists to look out for and these two caught my eye. I bought the tracks and it has been love love love.

Athlete is an indie rock band formed in Deptford, London. Their second album, Tourist, reached Number One in the UK Album Charts in its first week, following the huge success of single "Wires", the song was brought around when the lead singer's newborn baby was rushed to intensive care after a premature birth, which in 2006, won them the Ivor Novello Award for "Best Contemporary Song". In the UK charts, the band has frequently been frustrated by singles just missing out on top 40 placings, due to inconsistent support by music television channels and radio stations. For instance, certain songs, such as "Wires" was played up to 10 times a day on larger UK radio stations, yet other singles such as "Tourist" received little to no radio play whatsoever, fueling talk of radio stations deciding who becomes a major player in the pop music franchise something that has happened to many many artists before and since.

Ali Love is one of London’s best kept secrets. Everyone has that major club experience the first time it really made your blood pump. For Ali Love this came relatively late: he was 23. He'd flirted before of course, with drum'n'bass nights in his mid-teens. But the first club he really loved was Secret Sundaze, a summer party that ran from noon to midnight in various venues in London's East End.
You all may know Ali as he was invited to collaborate with the Chemical Brothers first single from their new album, the wilfully mischievous “Do It Again”.

Next up we have Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. Oh yes we do! These guys are the funk/soul band. They are signed to Daptone Records, where the Dap-Kings are the house band.
Sharon Jones used to make her living with a combination of sporadic session work as a mostly anonymous voice on various dance records (sometimes credited as Lafaye Jones). She joined with the Dap Kings in 2000 and started small, but now watch out! They are widely thought to be spearheads of a revivalist movement that aims to capture the essence of funk/soul music as it was at its height in the mid nineteen sixties to mid nineteen seventies. Part of the way this is achieved is to shun modern digital recording methods in favour of using traditional analogue recording equipment. The type of instruments used by the band may also be considered limited to those that would have been available up until the mid seventies.
You Tube has loads of live performances of these guys. Check ‘em out to see how a Diva is born.

Feist is a Canadian singer-songwriter.and is some one I stumbled on in a way I never thought possible. She is climbing the U.S. charts with her wonderful song “1234”. Someone like this on the U.S. charts….perhaps it isn’t all Timberland, Timberlake and Fergie afterall!
Feist's single "Mushaboom" (video is at the bottom) is featured in advertisements for Lacoste perfume. Before this, McDonald's had offered one million dollars for the rights to use "Mushaboom" in their commercials which Feist flatly refused. Love her even more! Not sure if I would have been that strong. Anyway here is another of her songs called “I Fell it All” which I love love love.

Feist’s “Mushaboom”

This could be huge.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Trailer

This is one of those trailers that brings a tear to my eye. The advance word is great on this, and it could be a huge contender in the Oscars (Foreign Film, Screenplay, a few technicles and quiet likely Best Supporting Actor - Max Von Sydow).
Lets hope so as it would be kind of nice to have something a little different shake things up.

Here is the trailer.

Should have been HUGE!!

Maktub - Just Like Murder

Don't know if I should continue these much longer. I kind of like to introduce music to people, but not sure if I should concentrate on movies. Thoughts in the comments!

The Eye trailer

I own the original on DVD. Loved it, and it did scare the crap out of me (the corridor and the elevator scene). Of course you all knew it would be remade by Hollywood.
Hollywood does not think Americans are intelligent enough to sit through a foreign film with subtitles, so they decide to remake it, big budget it and dumb it down.

A new trailer for the Jessica Alba starring remake of Japanese horror The Eye has goen up all over the interweb.

One has to ask what the trailer makers were thn=inking by having not dialogue or voice over in the trailer. Did they really think we would be able to get that this is a horror film by relying on Jessica Alba’s face to convey such emotions as fear, confusion, terror?

This is what we get instead:

WAnna see my Renee Zellweger impersonation?



Oh Sh*t.....I left my hair tongs plugged in.



"They call this war a cloud over the land. But they made the weather and then they stand in the rain and say 'Shit, it's raining!' "



I need my hair tongs!!



Anyway…watch the trailer here

Will Pixar ever really fail?

We all love Pixar. As the big Hollywood studios go Pixar is one of the very very few who stays true to the magic of movie going.

They have a few movies coming up in the next few years that will cause excitement.
“Up” is a "coming-of-old-age story" about a seventy-something guy who lives in a house that "looks like your grandparents' house smelled." He befriends a clueless young Wilderness Ranger and gets into lots of altercations.

They we have the hotly anticipated “Toy Story 3” which will hopefully fall victim to the threequel slump of 2007.

And I know we are all excited about WALL-E (I am giddy like a schoolgirl in love…very very Angela Chase post Jordan Catalano kiss) so any news of up coming Pixar is greeted with open arms.

Since the animation studio constantly kick the arse of every other studios animation department the news that they will be trying their hand at live action may ‘cause a collective gasp.

The studio has now announced that it plans to make a trilogy of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars.

The creative team of Andrew Stanton (Director), Mark Andrews (Screenwriter) and Jim Morris (Producer) made the announcement while on a research trip to Burroughs' archive. They didn't confirm what shape the trilogy might take, but said the first would likely appear before 2012.

Various people have been trying to bring John Carter to the screen. The John Carter saga was first published in 1917, with Princess of Mars, and told of a Civil War veteran who travelled to the red planet and found a race of huge barbaric green creatures, who know Mars as Barsoom.

Ray Harryhausen once wanted to adapt it but didn’t and recently Robert Rodriguez had a bash. Then Jon Favreau came very close to realising it at Paramount, until it proved very expensive and the option expired.
Now Pixar will give it a whirl and who better I say? I know nothing of the story, but in their illustrious history, they have only one(ish) dud.
When you look at their eight feature length films. Only one (“Cars”) scored a low R.T. meter reading (76% good reviews – not too shabby). Five scored over 90% while the two “Toy Story” films scored a rare 100%.
That is an amazing track record and one that does warrant no doubt.

Charlie Wilson's War - Trailer

I am having a huge whinge now. I was foolishly dismissing this film, and doing so for a very long time. Now I am caving in and thinking it could be a good contender. This now means I am going to have to update all the categories in my predictions.

Whinge whinge whinge.

The trailer not only makes this look rather entertaining, but also a SCATHING critique. Something Hollywood would eat up in this political climate.
Tom Hanks actually looks like a lot of fun, as does Phillip Seymour Hoffman and they could easily be upsets in this very crowded race.

Looking like a cross between Lady Penelope (pictured) and a drag queen, Julia on the other hand does seem to stick out a little like a sore thumb.
Recycling her "Steel Magnolias" accent with turdo blonde hair piled up on her head, she does look a little...shall we say...strange.
My actual first impression was that she looked a little uncomfortable in front of the camera....but then again I am judging a movie by it's trailer......something I made a huge mistake with before.
This could all just be because it has been so long since we have seen her on screen, but I am not convinced, although early word says she is terrific.
I never really trust early word...I need to see the proof damn it!

Any ways....here is the trailer for you all to judge!

Charlie Wilson's War Bande Annonce
Uploaded by lesfilms

Should have been HUGE!!

Luscious Jackson - Naked Eye