Wednesday 22 July 2009

Moon

Cast
Sam Rockwell
Kevin Spacey
Kaya Scodelario
Benedict Wong
Matt Berry
Malcolm Stewart
Dominique McElligott
Screenwriters
Duncan Jones
Nathan Parker
Director
Duncan Jones
Running Time
97 minutes

It is the near future. Astronaut Sam Bell is living on the far side of the moon, completing a three-year contract with Lunar Industries to mine Earth’s primary source of energy, Helium-3. It is a lonely job, made harder by a broken satellite that allows no live communications home. Taped messages are all Sam can send and receive. Thankfully, his time on the moon is nearly over, and Sam will be reunited with his wife, Tess, and their three-year-old daughter, Eve, in only a few short weeks. [Spoiler] But, Sam’s health starts to deteriorate. Painful headaches, hallucinations and a lack of focus lead to an almost fatal accident on a routine drive on the moon in a lunar rover. While recuperating back at the base (with no memory of how he got there), Sam meets a younger, angrier version of himself, who claims to be there to fulfill the same three year contract Sam started all those years ago. Confined with what appears to be a clone of his earlier self, and with a “support crew” on its way to help put the base back into productive order, Sam is fighting the clock to discover what’s going on and where he fits into company plans. (Sony Pictures Classics)

I've blanked out some of the summary as it gives a lot away, that I didn't know going in and you might want to avoid.
The low budget shows a little with some of the effects plus I don't know why there would be earth gravity inside the base but moon gravity outside and opening hatches wouldn't make noise in a vacuum. I enjoyed it but was a little underwhelmed overall.

Tuesday 21 July 2009

October Comics

Newsarama has the new Marvel and DC solicitations for October.

This is the stuff I'm thinking about in addition to my regular pull list.


WAR MACHINE #11
Written by GREG PAK
Penciled by WELLINTON ALVES
Cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
Marvel's Trial of the Century begins in “War Crimes” Part 1! After ten issues of taking on madmen and monsters around the globe, War Machine's quest for justice has finally forced the world to take action. But it's not the genocidists of Santo Marco or the murderous leaders of Eaglestar International in chains in the courtroom -- it's War Machine himself! Find out where the biggest heroes in the Marvel Universe stand when the whole planet calls James Rhodes a criminal in the series that Wizard calls “the book to beat when it comes to badass action and international espionage.”
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

I need one Greg Pak title for my pull list.

Wednesday 15 July 2009

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

Cast
Daniel Radcliffe
Emma Watson
Jim Broadbent
Rupert Grint
Tom Felton
Helen McCrory
Alan Rickman
Maggie Smith
Michael Gambon
David Thewlis
Helena Bonham Carter
Julie Walters
Evanna Lynch
Screenwriter
Steve Kloves
Director
David Yates
Running Time
153 minutes

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again. (Warner Bros.)

The Harry Potter almost yearly event is on us again which I find an oddly comforting experience but they're not amazing or anything just good. This one has a lot less action than others. It will be interesting to see them all again, they've been on tv but I haven't really bothered about them, to watch the evolution of the supporting characters.

Wednesday 1 July 2009

Public Enemies

Cast
Johnny Depp
Marion Cotillard
Christian Bale
Channing Tatum
Billy Crudup
Giovanni Ribisi
Screenwriters
Ronan Bennett
Michael Mann
Ann Biderman
Director
Michael Mann
Running Time
130 minutes

No one could stop Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone—from his girlfriend Billie Frechette to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression. But while the adventures of Dillinger's gang thrilled many, Hoover made Dillinger America's first Public Enemy Number One. (Universal Pictures)

A good story well told but seems totally unnecessary given how many times it must have been done before.