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September 30th 2008 10:33
Directed by Robert B. Weide
Written By Peter Straughan
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Kirsten Dunst, Simon Pegg, Megan Fox, Danny Huston, Gillian Anderson
British journalist Toby Young’s memoir How to Lose friends and Alienate People chronicled his tumultuous run as a writer for the New York based magazine Vanity Fair. It’s a fairly caustic look at the mind of a celebrity wannabe whose ego and obnoxious humour offends most of his peers and leaves him a pariah at the magazine he intended to ‘take by storm’.
The film version begins with Sidney Young (Shaun of the Dead’s Simon Pegg) editing a UK based satirical magazine Post Modern Review. One day he receives a job offer from Clayton Harding (Jeff Bridges), editor of the prestigious New York based magazine Sharps. Young travels to New York with the intent of ‘taking Manhattan’ but instead discovers a rigid hierarchy. As a result, Young soon offends just about everyone including the effete Lawrence Maddox (Danny Huston) and the film’s designated love interest Alison Olsen (Kirsten Dunst). Young then becomes irrationally infatuated with starlet Sophie Maes (Transformers’ Megan Fox) and discovers that caustic put-downs and toppling tall poppies isn’t what cuts it in the highbrow magazine culture of Manhattan and selling his soul may well be the price of the fame he so desperately seeks.
Curb Your Enthusiasm director Robert B. Weide’s expert comic direction combined with Pegg’s affable delivery sees the end product feeling akin to Richard Curtis’s rom-com’s Notting Hill and Love Actually. No bad thing really, but a fair distance from the barbed humour of Young’s book. Regardless it’s wittily written and there’s some very funny sequences, notably Young’s calamitous babysitting of a Chihuahua and Megan Fox’s film-within-a–film where she stars as an uncomfortably eroticised Mother Teresa. Funny stuff.
September 24th 2008 04:10
Directed by Eric Brevig
Written by Michael D Weiss, Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin
Stars: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem
The 3D gimmick has been kicking around for the better part of 50 years and what was calculated marketing seems to be developing into something of a viable creative tool for many filmmakers. Anticipating the 2010 release of James Cameron’s Titanic follow-up, the 3D science fiction epic Avatar, studios are priming cinemagoers in what will no doubt evolve into a box office free-for-all as they push the technology further to take advantage of it’s one major selling point: 3D can’t be pirated (yet). So while we wait for this apparent shift in ‘event movie’ film going, we are presented with middle-of-the-road fare like Journey to the Center of the Earth, in which Professor Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) goes in search of his missing brother and discovers an underground realm that proves that Jules Verne’s classic novel was actually based on fact. Fraser takes his young nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and beautiful scientist Hannah Åsgierson (Anita Briem) along for the ride and in the process we get various 3D CGI set pieces (including a rather dubious rip off of Temple of Doom’s underground mine rail chase) and assorted scenes where things are flung, poked and prodded into the camera lens. So the film does exactly what it says on the tin, whilst being firmly family-friendly in its non-offensiveness. Still it’s all curiously uninvolving and it’s only Fraser’s goofy grin and slapstick physicality that holds any character interest whatsoever and eventually it all starts to feel like a 3D theme park ride in the way it lacks anything resembling a gripping narrative. However all that aside, the effects are great, the 3D is pretty damn cool and anything with a 3D T-Rex knocking about the place means the kids are bound to love it.
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Written By Mike Mignola & Guillermo Del Toro
Stars: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor & Seth MacFarlane
The previous Hellboy was an oddball mix of smart-arse wit, Harryhausen-style creatures and Lovecraftian horror sensibilities. Artist/writer Mike Mignola’s devil-with-a-heart-of-gold is not a comic property that screams to the mainstream sensibilities of cash aroused studio execs but Guillermo Del Toro makes it work. This second stab at ‘Big Red’ sees the Mexican wunderkind flexing a little more of his monster penchant with the same creative crew in front of and behind the camera.
As the film begins we find the titular son of Satan (Ron Perlman) still working for the ‘Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense’, residing in a bunker with highly flammable girlfriend, Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) hot on the trail of Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) ruler of the mythical realm, who has declared war on all humanity. Aided by psychic man-fish Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and ‘ectoplasmic entity’ Johann Krauss (voiced by Family guy creator Seth MacFarlane) the crew attempt to stop an onslaught of nasties from destroying the planet, fighting to save all humanity despite feeling excluded from it.
Del Toro’s eye for fantasy design and action is on par with Peter Jackson’s, so it’s fitting then that the two should pair on the upcoming Hobbit films. Here, Del Toro is in his geek-boy element, he’s satisfying his blockbuster sensibilities and giving birth to every creature design concept he’s ever stored away in the dark recesses of his brain. At times the creaky dialogue can be clichéd but it can’t change the fact that Hellboy II is a hoot, aided considerably by star Ron Perlman’s wisecracks and laconic surliness and Del Toro’s imaginative storytelling and intricate Faberge-egg visuals.
1. Batman Begins: There have been other adaptations that have delighted the fan-boys (Spiderman 1 & 2, X-Men 1 & 2) however Batman Begins was a breakthrough for several reasons. Firstly, it shed the fetid detritus of the previous four films and redefined the caped crusader through honest characterisation and sleek, classical story construction. Secondly, it showed what a visionary filmmaker (who was labelled ‘art house’) could do if given the chance to place his own cinematic stamp on a comic property, this is a lesson that has been well observed by the next crop of comic-to-screen cross-overs. Thirdly, and most importantly, it’s a damn good film. Notably accessible to a wide array of fans and non-fans alike and it showcases the extraordinary screen presence of Christian Bale who not only created a fascinating character in Bruce Wayne but ably holds the screen for almost an entire hour before we see Batman. The slightly flawed third act wobbles slightly but Batman Begins triumph is the benchmark it has set and the considerable lesson it has taught studios: effects, explosions, rubber suits and guns do not a great film make, in the end it’s story, story, story.
2. A History of Violence: Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen plays Tom Stall, proprietor of a small midwestern town diner and all round nice guy, husband and father. When violent thugs pull into town and attempt to hold up the diner, Tom swiftly dispatches them in a way only director David Cronenberg knows how to depict, through an act of grotesquely violent heroism. Local media descend on the town in an effort to interview the local hero, which only serves to attract more trouble when scarred mobster Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) turns up with heavies in tow, seeking recompense against Tom for attempting to kill him in the past. The beauty of this comic adaptation (authored by John Wagner, co-creator of UK comic character Judge Dredd) is not only Cronenberg’s hyper-violent stylistics but also the subtle, stunningly nuanced performance delivered by Mortensen, it’s an Oscar worthy turn
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After raking in a fortune with the Spiderman and X Men franchises, the newly launched Marvel Studios seeks to establish a Marvel cinematic universe that mimics its comics, with character cross-over’s and superhero team-up’s.
Marvel Comics CEO Kevin Feige announced recently that with the highly profitable release of Iron Man, a slew of Marvel comic based releases are set for production. We will soon see the reboot of The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton in the lead, after Ang Lee’s tackling of the green giant’s escapades in 2003’s Hulk ‘failed to connect’ with audiences. Duly following Warner Bros. lead and that studio’s newly rejigged Batman franchise, Marvel studios has recognised the need for visionary filmmakers helming their adaptations and were open to taking a risk on actor-turned-filmmaker Jon Favreau to direct the previously uninsurable Robert Downey Jnr in Iron Man, even going so far as to allow Downey Jnr input on the script, something which has clearly paid off given the critical and commercial reaction to the film. Similarly, in order to entice an actor of Ed Norton’s caliber to play the lead in their latest incarnation of the Hulk, Marvel also granted Norton script control. Downey Jnr will also cameo in The Incredible Hulk, as his Iron Man alter-ego Tony Stark and if audiences can tolerate sitting through the end credits of Iron Man, they’ll find a short scene featuring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, another Marvel comic character, setting up his possible inclusion in their slate of film adventures. Next year will also see the release of Wolverine, a spin-off from the X Men franchise, helmed by the director of the Oscar winning Tsotsi, Gavin Wood. In 2010 we’ll see the clamor for more cash with the release of Iron Man 2 and then Thor, possibly being brought to the screen by Layer Cake director Matthew Vaughn, Brad Pitt is reportedly being considered as the titular hammer-wielding Norseman. Then in 2011, we’ll see Captain America, expected to be a World War 2 period piece presumably to accommodate the jingoistic sentiments that will no doubt abound, all culminating in the 2011 release of The Avengers, combining, as in the Marvel comic book realm, all previously established franchises into one super ‘team-up’. The uninitiated filmgoer may sneer with indifference but if the box office reception to Iron Man is anything to go by, Marvel’s immense universe of characters may prove profitable indeed, god forbid, they‘ll make geeks of us all.
Directed By Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg
Written By Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg
Stars: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Rob Corddry, Paula Garces
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Directed by Roger Donaldson Written By Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais Stars: Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, David Suchet
Since his incendiary debut with 1977’s Sleeping Dogs (at the time, the first film to be made in New Zealand for 15 years) Australian filmmaker Roger Donaldson has helmed the gamut of genre filmmaking: studio thrillers (No Way Out, The Recruit), schlocky science fiction (Species), studio ‘event’ pictures (Dante’s Peak) and also the odd period epic (The Bounty). Since his last effort, the low budget passion piece The Worlds Fastest Indian, Donaldson seems to have felt the need to bank a few quid as a gun-for-hire directing the fact based crime caper, The Bank Job
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Directed by Masayuki Ochiai
Stars: Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor, David Denman & James Kyson Lee
Duration: 85 Minutes
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The stars were hardly being beaten away with a stick for the premiere of War of the Worlds in Leicester Square on June 19th. The only celebrity of any import to roll up the carpet was z list celeb Nell McAndrew, who was pounced on by mob of press eager to feed on celebrity flesh. But the fans care not one bit about the lack of celebrity sizzle as they await the arrival of the man of the night: Tom Cruise. Steven Spielberg was absent from the event; ‘The Beard’ was unable to attend because of filming commitments in Malta. In his absence, Cruise shoulders the event, assisted by his 11 year old War of the Worlds co-star Dakota Fanning. Anticipating the Cruiser’s now famous flesh pressing and autograph-signing marathon, the crowds fill up the square. Eventually, Tom and co-star Dakota Fanning arrive, the Cruiser’s all smiles and with girlfriend du jour, Katie Holmes in tow he wanders out onto the Odeon’s balcony to wave at his fans. A bland TV presenter hurls one leaden question after another at him, finishing by asking Cruise if he can relate to his ‘dead beat dad’ character Ray Ferrier in War of the Worlds. My hopes that Tom will put up his hand and admit to freebasing coke while torturing his children with cigarette burns are dashed as he answers: “No, I love being a dad!” The crowd roars its approval. They love Tom. They love Tom loving being a dad.
Venturing out to commune with the masses, Cruise, Holmes and Fanning do the meet & greet with press. Fanning eventually has time to stop and talk. I ask her about the experience of working with Spielberg, a renowned director of child stars: “It was a blast; it was such a great experience!” - the frighteningly articulate eleven year old drops sound bites like an old pro; “Steven’s such a great guy and it was so much fun working with him and Tom”. I ask her about the mooted Alice in Wonderland project that Spielberg is rumoured to be working on as an intended vehicle for her and she grins: “it’s still being written but the script so far is great! But nothing’s confirmed yet so we’ll have to see what happens, so fingers crossed
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Comments (1)
Comment by Jarrod Walker
on Neill Marshall Interview
Cheers mate.
I too am a fan of Dog Soldiers and I enjoyed The Descent a lot - I am yet to see Doomsday but it looks a little too derivative for my taste. Still, Marshall is a fairly competent filmmaker and he's just been signed to direct a studio action flick with Hugh Jackman as a stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver....as for the medieval heist flick, who knows?