Wednesday 29 September 2010

The Hole

Cast
Chris Massoglia
Hayley Bennett
Nathan Gamble
Teri Polo
Screenwriter
Mark L. Smith
Director
Joe Dante
Running Time
92 minutes

Doctor Susan (Polo) uproots her two children, teen Dane (Massoglia) and younger brother Lucas (Gamble), to that old cinematic staple, the small American town. Soon the kids, joined by literal gal-next-door Julie (Bennett), discover a bolted-up trapdoor in the basement...[Empire]

I liked it but whether it was that the horror had been watered down for kids or the lead male performer was a little bland, something stops it from being great.

Thursday 23 September 2010

December Comics

CBR has the new DC, Dark Horse and Marvel solicitations for December.

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



HEROES FOR HIRE #1
Written by DAN ABNETT & ANDY LANNING
Penciled by BRAD WALKER
Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Variant Cover by BRAD WALKER
Variant Cover by HARVEY TOLIBAO
In the aftermath of Shadowland, Marvel’s greatest street heroes – Punisher, Moon Knight, Shroud, Elektra, Paladin, Silver Sable, Ghost Rider, Iron Fist, Falcon, Misty Knight and more – leap into one all-new series! Who has brought these dangerous loners into one fighting force? How is this network different from all other teams? Who is their first target, and what mysteries wait for them? Discover the answers and enter the action on Marvel’s mean streets, courtesy of fan-favorite writers Dan Abnett & Andly Lanning (THE THANOS IMPERATIVE, PUNISHER: YEAR ONE) and artist Brad Walker (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY)!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Only if it drops to $2.99 next time which is a long shot. I've missed Iron Fist and the writers I know from Guardians of the Galaxy.

Wednesday 22 September 2010

Avatar Special Edition 3D

Cast
Sam Worthington
Zoe Saldana
Sigourney Weaver
Stephen Lang
Michelle Rodriguez
Matt Gerald
Giovanni Ribisi
CCH Pounder
Wes Studi
Screenwriter
James Cameron
Director
James Cameron
Running Time
170m 26s

Jake Sully is a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. But despite his broken body, Jake is still a warrior at heart. He is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where a corporate consortium is mining a rare mineral that is the key to solving Earth's energy crisis. Because Pandora's atmosphere is toxic, they have created the Avatar Program, in which human "drivers" have their consciousness linked to an avatar, a remotely-controlled biological body that can survive in the lethal air. These avatars are genetically engineered hybrids of human DNA mixed with DNA from the natives of Pandora... the Na'vi. Reborn in his avatar form, Jake can walk again. He is given a mission to infiltrate the Na'vi, who have become a major obstacle to mining the precious ore. But a beautiful Na'vi female, Neytiri, saves Jake's life, and this changes everything. Jake is taken in by her clan, and learns to become one of them, which involves many tests and adventures. As Jake's relationship with his reluctant teacher Neytiri deepens, he learns to respect the Na'vi way and finally takes his place among them. Soon he will face the ultimate test as he leads them in an epic battle that will decide the fate of an entire world. (20th Century Fox)

This is the third time I've seen it, the second at the cinema [first review]. The new footage consists of little bits spread throughout the film most of which seemed pretty incidental.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

The Expendables

Cast
Sylvester Stallone
Mickey Rourke
Jason Statham
Forest Whitaker
Jet Li
Dolph Lundgren
Eric Roberts
Steve Austin
Screenwriter
Sylvester Stallone
Director
Sylvester Stallone
Running Time
108 minutes

The only life they’ve known is war. The only loyalty they have is to each other. They are the Expendables: leader and mastermind Barney Ross, former SAS blade expert Lee Christmas, hand-to-hand combat specialist Yin Yang, long barrel weapons specialist Hale Caesar, demolitions expert Toll Road, and precision sniper Gunnar Jensen. Living life in the fringes of the law, these hardened mercenaries take on what appears to be a routine assignment: a covert, CIA-funded operation to infiltrate the South American country of Vilena and overthrow its ruthless dictator General Garza. But when their job is revealed to be a suicide mission, the men are faced with a deadly choice, one that might redeem their souls…or destroy their brotherhood forever. (Lionsgate)

It was OK. It was let down by bad CGI, nondescript villains and a weak story.

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Cast
Michael Cera
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Chris Evans
Brandon Routh
Alison Pill
Mae Whitman
Ellen Wong
Anna Kendrick
Kieran Culkin
Screenwriters
Michael Bacall
Edgar Wright
Director
Edgar Wright
Running Time
112 minutes

Scott Pilgrim must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes in order to win her heart.

I knew it was stylised but I didn't think to this degree. The overall story is sleight so you need to enjoy the elements and I did, each ex was good and the fights were ingenious, funny and unexpected. I enjoyed it a lot but I have the feeling when I see it again I'll enjoy it either more or less than I did this time [5* or 3*] but I can't predict which.