Wes Anderson films aren’t for everyone as he’s definitley an acquired taste. However, those that get his films, kind of like David Cronenberg (only way more accessible), really dig his work. Regardless of whether you are a fan of Bottle Rocket, Rushmore or The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Anderson, with help from co-writer Roman Coppola, crafts an adorable and endearing film about young lovers who cast off the rules and opinions of others. This story is almost an on-screen representation of just who Anderson is. As a film maker, he does what he wants, how he wants it and most times the stories are better for it. So too are the young characters who are ultimately the…
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“The CineMagic 8-Ball” – In Theaters 5/25/12
When so many movies are released each weekend and trailers often seem better than the movie itself, what should one do? In this precarious situation, we consult the The CineMagic 8-Ball (TM) to help us see through the nebulous marketing haze. Doing so just might save us all a disheartening trip to the cinema and spare us unnecessarily springing for $7 popcorn. See what the 8-Ball says about this week’s releases… ——————————————————————————————————————————————- CHERNOBYL DIARIES A group of six young tourists who, looking to go off the beaten path, hire an “extreme tour” guide. After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, however, the group soon finds themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone.…
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Sweet 2nd Trailer…The Expendables 2
While we were sorely let down by Sly’s original opus The Expendables the entertainment and America is all about underdogs and second chances right? Case in point. Going for a bigger and badder but still deliciously 80’s era outing, Sly gets the band of bad-asses back together for Lionsgate’s The Expendables 2. This time Sly has given the helm to Simon West (Con Air, The Mechanic) to spend more time in front of the camera which, we hope, this time is a good thing. Anyway, lock and load, The Expendables 2 is going in hot… Sly (as Barney Ross) is again joined by Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy…
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Sweet 2nd Trailer…'G.I. Joe: Retaliation'
Last December we got to see just what Jon M. Chu has in store for us in his follow-up to 2009’s G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra. That first trailer looked pretty slick and probably had even the most avid naysayer going Yo Joe!. Now we get a simply awesome second trailer that looks even better. As one of the few people who really dug the ridiculousness of Stephen Sommers’ Rise of Cobra, I have to tell you that this gives me chills. Not only are they expanding on the very clever storyline from the first film but now they’re bringing in the big guns to make this look oh so…
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Sweet Trailer…'The Cold Light of Day'
A year and some months before we are set to see Henry Cavill soar up up and away we’ll be seeing him play a young American who uncovers a conspiracy during his attempt to save his family, who were kidnapped while on vacation in Spain. It sounds like your run of the mill early-to-mid-year actioner but there’s enough bravado to make it entertaining. I’m game, have a look for yourselves… There’s not a lot that Bruce can do wrong and it’s great to see him still running and gunning with Hollywood’s new blood. Cavill playing Kal-El aside I think he’s got a long future in film and I can’t wait to…
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Ohhh, Look…The Time Machine From Rian Johnson's 'Looper'
Happy Belated New Year to you all!! After the whirlwind of 2011 we are confidently moving into the 2012 line up. FYI, for a good batch of what to look forward to this year, have a gander at our own Andrew Crump’s well crafted 15 films he’s excited to see in 2012. One of the more high profile items on that list and the G-S-T “Must See” list is Rian Johnson’s mysterious and enigmatic time-travel romp Looper. Until now very little has been released, or should I say aside from his Tumbler blog, very little that give us any idea what it will be about has been released. Now we…
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Sweet Trailer…'G.I. JOE: Retaliation'
From director Jon M. Chu comes this somewhat related sequel to Stephen Sommers’ G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra. Picking up with the brilliant plot-line that (spoiler!!) covertly put Cobra in the White House, Zartan in now acting as The President of the United States. Under his orders, the G.I. Joes have been hunted down and eliminated…or so we think. The few who survived the massacre are now going head-to-head with the Zartan, and the world leaders he has under his influence, to clear their names. Yo Joe! Tell me that wasn’t the least bit awesome! I seriously geeked out at the Cobra banners on The White House. Doesn’t that just seem like something right out of the cartoon? It…
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Off the Shelf…'Planet Terror'
The write-up of this film comes, in part, because of this weeks release of the Machete trailer. Machete was one of the fake trailers created for this and the Quentin Tarantino Grindhouse “Double Feature”. As fans of Robert Rodriguez know, Double R is a filmmaker in his own category. He’s one part Roger Corman, one part John McTiernan, one part Steven Spielberg, and the rest of the equation is balls out, bad ass filmmaking. Robert Rodriguez is successfully able to combine elements of different genres in a way that, had it been anyone else, the result would result would probably be an utter failure. RR,in the way Tanarntino make his films, goes for…
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Off the Shelf…’Lucky Number Slevin’
Certain films out there have twist endings that really make your jaw drop. However to be a successful “twist ending” usually the film will be able to perform and amaze on repeat viewings. Lucky Number Slevin isn’t one of them. However it still has quite a lot going for it and a fairly impressive “twist ending” despite being directed by virtually unknown Paul McGuigan and scripted by multiple cancelled show script-writer Jason Smilovic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30EeGDiI7MA
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Off the Netflix Queue…’Assassination of a High School President’
Assassination of a High School President, though morbid sounding, is nothing like what you’d imagine. This movie is like Brick “lite” for those who have trouble keeping up with the noir style of film. While Brick is a absolutely fantastic film, this was a superbly crafted imitator, but features it’s own brand of humor and wit to make it an admirably comparative stand alone. I thoroughly enjoyed every element in this film. It’s a fun quirky detective flick bordering on Chinatown, but with enough off-the-wall humor to entertain people who aren’t film buffs or who don’t particularly like film-noir. I can’t put my finger on why this is, but the…