DYLAN BAKER

[Dylan] Baker confirmed that he is on board for Sam Raimi’s forthcoming Spider-Man 4. Baker appeared in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 as Dr. Curt Connors, a professor at Empire State University.

Read more HERE.

SPIDER-MAN vs. THE LIZARD in 'SPIDER-MAN 4'??

In the comic-book Dr. Curt Connors becomes the Spider Man villian, The Lizard, and it’s possible director Sam Raimi could go in that direction for one of the films villians.

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Nick Naylor é o maior porta voz das grandes empresas de cigaro,Niki é constantemente desafiado por agentes de saúde e pelo oportunista senador Ornolan K.Finistirre,que deseja rotular maços de cigarro com imagens com dizendo veneno.

Nick chama atenção do poderoso agente Jeff Megall que diz promover o cigarro em seus filmes e da repórter Heather Holloway que deseja investigá-lo.

Obrigado por fumar é um filme movimentado,que tem um ritmo bastante pra cima, e esse fato do filme ser movimentado podia ser algo muito mal aproveitado caso os roteiristas fossem incopetentes mas muito pelo contrário, pela competência incrível dos roteiristas,eu acho Obrigado por Fumar um dos melhores filmes de 2005.

Um filme movimentado como esse não podia errar em aspecto algum e se eles erraram foi em alguns aspectos técnicos,porque Roteiro,Direção e Edição (característica positiva pro filme) trabalham em incrível sintonia e o mais legal é que em todo esse ritmo acelerado,o filme é absurdamente claro,sem enrolação e facilmente vem ao que mostra,e parece fácil o modo em que o roteiro equilibra drama e comédia sem ser meloso ou pastelão.

O filme levantas questões interessantíssimas como claro os danos que o cigarro pode causar e a questão mais bacana de todo filme,até onde a mídia pode influenciar a vida das pessoas?

Já os atores são competentíssimos,só acho que devem parar um pouco de dar personagens gritões a JK Simmons,ele é ótimo de qualquer jeito e não precisa gritar pra provar,pra ter noção do quão bom achei o trabalho de atores achei até Katie Holmes ótima,coisa rara.

Já Aaron Eckhart dá uma aula de atuação,Aaron entra no espírito de Outdoor das indústrias de cigarros perfeitamente,utiliza o cinismo e a coerência de formas perfeitas e a coisa mais impressionante da atuação de Aaron é que Nick é tão bom argumentador que nos faz acreditar e apoiar suas teorias sobre o cigarro (Heath Ledger Feelings),e tudo graças ao charme e competência de Eckhart.

Por fim Obrigado por fumar é um filme essencial,um filme que mesmo com tamanha descontração é um tipo de filme que se precisa se aprofundar e se entregar total a ele.E viva a liberdade de escolha!

Nota:9/10

Obrigado por Fumar (Thank You For Smoking,2005)

Diretor:Jason Reitman

Roteiro:Jason Reitman

Elenco : Aaron Eckhart,Maria Bello,David Koechner,JK Simmons,William H.Macy,Cameron Bright,Katie Holmes,Rob Lowe,Adam Brody,Sam Elliot,Robert Duvall

It would be nothing without Megan’s body.

Starring Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons and J.K. Simmons. Directed by Karyn Kusama

Okay. I thought this movie was going to be crap-tacular. It wasn’t. I really wanted to hate this movie. I couldn’t. Then again, the movie wasn’t all that great.

The films begins with a teenage girl named Anita nicknamed “Needy” by her friends. Needy is in a mental hospital where she has been labeled “The Kicker” because she has a habit of not taking her medication and kicking the orderlies an appreciable distance. Upon being sent to solitary confinement, we learn that she wasn’t always like this…

Needy was your average, overlooked high school geek with a boyfriend named Chip (Johnny Simmons). Her best friend since sandbox days has been Jennifer (Fox), the popular, beautiful, attractive, head cheerleader. They live in the small town of Devil’s Kettle so named because of a waterfall that flows into a vortex where whatever goes is never seen or heard from again. Scientists have proved it using small, red GPS balls.

On one particular night Jennifer takes Needy out to Melody Lane, the epitome of small town dive bars, where up-and-coming indie band Low Shoulder are having a show. Jennifer has been a big fan ever since running across their MySpace page (amazingly they’ve never friend requested me) and they plan to “make it big in a Maroon 5 way” (the running gag of the movie). Before their first song is over Melody Lane catches on fire. Needy, Jennifer, and the band make it out alive. Transfixed with the band the lead singer takes Jennifer into his conversion van and bolts down the road.

Needy is upset with the band taking her best friend, more upset when Jennifer shows up covered in blood, and even more upset when Jennifer spews black liquid onto the floor before smiling and leaving. The next day Jennifer seems perfectly fine and happy, disregarding the fact that a bunch of her high school friends were among those trapped and burnt up in the Melody Lane blaze. Out on the football field she seduces the lead football player and takes him into the woods where we see Jennifer for who she is now: a demon possessing the body of Megan Fox (or a high school teenage girl, take yer pick).

Jennifer’s callous attitude strikes Needy as odd, as well as the “psychic” connection she has with Jennifer before a new victim is claimed. Turning to the occult section of the high school library (check your local school for yours, kids) she finds out about “demon transference:” if a sacrifice is not a virgin then she does not die. Instead she becomes possessed by a demon which will feed on human flesh. It can only be killed when the demon is hungry by piercing through its heart.

Jennifer is now Countess Elisabeth Bathory-come-demon from hell. When she’s “full” she’s nice, attractive, and feels great; when she’s hungry she’s grumpy, has blemishes, and feels like crap. During one scene Jennifer shows off her newfound abilities which include ripping into her skin and having it self-repair, explains how the band sacrificed her to make it big like Maroon 5, and passionately kisses Needy. Jennifer then disappears and sets her sights on the upcoming dance/benefit for the families of the victims of the Melody Lane mishap in which Low Shoulder will not only be performing but giving 3% of the proceeds of the sale of their single, “Through the Trees,” to the benefit. Low Shoulder isn’t the only reason Jennifer plans to attend; she wants Needy’s boyfriend Chip.

As I said before I really wanted to dislike this movie. In a sea of retarded 70’s and 80’s horror remakes (“Friday the 13th,” “The Last House on the Left,” “Sorority Row,” and that’s just this year) it’s good to have a horror film that tries to be as original as possible. The problem with this movie wasn’t so much the storyline as it was the direction. The movie starts off with what everyone expected: Diablo Cody’s signature “Juno” pop culture slang and vernacular. Jennifer and Needy speak some of it in the beginning but after the 1/3 mark, it almost ceases to exist. Not that it’s a bad thing because while it worked for “Juno,” the idea feels misplaced in the horror world.

The second problem with this film would be in the question “what kind of movie do you want to be?” It was tense but not scary. It had moments of satire but wasn’t a satire. Only one high school couple had sex and at least one of them lived to the end. Uneven overall would best be describing it. A few laughs, satire that barked instead of bit, and the wonder if it was supposed to be the movie it was trying to be or making fun of that kind of movie. Smarter than your standard slasher but more complacent than your standard studio horror remake.

I’ll let you decide whether this one is worth your time. My best suggestion is to save this as a Halloween Rental along with the Midnite Movie “Countess Dracula.” Megan Fox, Ingrid Pitt, some friends, and alcohol. How can you lose?

Watch for J.K. Simmons as Mr. Wroblewski, a science teacher with a claw hand.

My grade: B-

Like any self-respecting/self-deprecating entertainment sit, we’re all about lists. Here’s Bill Bodkin’s Top Fall Film List.

***Due to the tardy nature of the post, I will be eliminating two of my top picks- The Invention of Lying and Zombieland, they’ve been out two weeks so I while they are high on my list, I can’t put them in a “preview post.”***

1. Sherlock Holmes
Release Date: December 25
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong
Bill Says: I’ve been a Guy Ritchie fan from the first time I saw the opening credits of Snatch. He’s had some missteps- Swept Away, Revolver- both terrible. However after the mild success of the superfun yet flawed RocknRolla, I feel Sherlock will be Ritchie’s masterpiece- a brilliant story with a brilliant cast and Ritchie’s trademark intriguing camera work. The cast is tremendous as I feel Downey and Mark Strong will own this pic. I feel Russell Crowe would’ve been better than Law as Dr. Watson, but the trailers have won me over. A must-see in my opinion.

2. The Men Who Stare at Goats
Release Date: November 6
Director: Grant Heslov
Starring: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey
Bill Says: This looks absolutely brilliant…and based on a true story? To me Clooney is at his best in quirky Coen Brothers films (O, Brother Where Art Thou or Burn After Reading), and here as a “Jedi warrior” he looks in top form. The ridiculously madcap plot really intrigues me and Jeff Bridges playing a “dude” like character is like a warm cinematic blanket.

3. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Release Date: November 25
Director: Wes Anderson
Voices of: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, Williem Dafoe, Anjelica Huston, Brian Cox, Michael Gambon
Bill Says: If you know, you know I am a Wes Anderson superfan. I’ve seen all his films and the Royal Tennenbaums ranks amongst my favorites of all-time. This movie’s stop motion animation, whimsical tone and a vocal cast of some of the best actors ever to be in his films (Huston, Murray, Schwartzmen, Brody, Dafoe, Wilson) I believe will make for a classic film that both children and adults will love.

4. Where the Wild Things Are
Release Date: December 25
Director: Spike Jonze
Starring: Max Records, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, Forrest Whitaker, Chris Cooper
Bill Says: This movie has a lot going for it. A beautifully illustrated and written children’s book as a starting point, a script co-written by a brilliant writer (Dave Eggers), a tremendously talented director (Spike Jonze) seemingly throwing his entire being into the film and puppets done by the Henson company. I think this movie will be tremendous and touching.

5. Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day
Release Date: October 30
Director: Troy Duffy
Starring: Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly, Clifton Collins, Peter Fonda
Bill Says: I am a bit cautious about being excited for this film as it has been rumored to be released since 2005. However due to legal issues the film was held up. With that said, the sequel is going to be awesome. If you’ve never seen the bloody cult hit Boondock Saints- see it ASAP. It’s a classic action film, and if you love all things Irish (like I do) you’ll love the original. The sequel should be bloody fun.

6. Up in the Air
Release Date: December 25
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Jason Bateman, Anna Kendrick, JK Simmons, Zach Galifianakis, Danny McBride
Bill Says: This is the season of Clooney. I think this could nab him the Oscar, although the presence of Daniel Day-Lewis has robbed him before. I think this will be at the same time genuinely funny and genuinely sad. The cast is great and seeing Clooney interact with Zach Galifianakis will be a kick for me.

7. Ninja Assassin
Release Date: November 25
Director: James McTiegue
Starring: Rain, Naomie Harris
Bill Says: Check the trailer for this movie out, its unreal. Normally this would be a “get it on Netflix” movie, but with James McTiegue, the director of V for Vendetta, at the helm, it makes me really interested.

8. Pirate Radio
Release Date: November 13
Director: Richard Curtis
Starring: Rhys Ifans, Bill Nighy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh
Bill Says: Formerly known as The Boat that Rocked, this movie should be a lot of wanky British fun. Directed by the guy who did Love Actually and starring two of my favorite Brits- Frost and Nighy, this is one you shouldn’t let go under the radar.

9. Law Abiding Citizen
Release Date: October 16
Director: F. Gary Gray
Starring: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill
Bill Says: The appeal for this movie is solely based on Gerard Butler’s Hannibal Lecter-style character. I think it’ll be his best performance to date. And any movie with Colm Meany and Bruce McGill in it, has got to be enjoyable!

10. Black Dynamite
Release Date: October 16
Director: Scott Sanders
Starring: Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson, Arsenio Hall, Brian McKnight, Mykelti Williamson, Bookeem Woodbine
Bill Says: I saw the trailer earlier in the year and it looks pretty good! This is a dead serious spoof of the classic blaxploitation flick, definitely worth a view.

JENNIFER’S BODY (Estados Unidos 2.009, 102 Minutos, Comedia – Terror)
Dirección: Karyn Kusama.
Guión: Diablo Cody.
Reparto: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris.
Fotografía: M. David Mullen.
Música: Theodore Shapiro, Stephen Barton.

Valoración: 6/10

Sinopsis: Jennifer es la chica más atractiva y popular del instituto. A pesar de su status su inseparable mejor amiga es Needy, una joven responsable e inteligente con la que mantiene una amistad desde la infancia. Una noche Jennifer desaparece y a su regreso algo ha cambiado en ella. Un demonio se ha adueñado de su cuerpo y ahora usa sus encantos para atraer a los chicos del instituto y devorarlos. La única que parece darse cuenta de lo que ocurre es Needy, pero tal vez no pueda hacer frente a su mejor amiga para acabar con el demonio que la posée.

Crítica: Hoy en día el mundo es meganfoxcéntrico (sobre todo tal vez la propia Megan Fox) de modo que hablemos de ella. Fox es aquella chica que posó en Transformers por obra y gracia de Michael Bay, que supo aprovechar la innegable belleza y espectacular físico de la chica para convertirla de la noche a la mañana en un fenómeno mundial. La atención mediática que acapara el cuerpo de Megan cada semana es sencillamente espectacular. Fox es una hipérbole de datos y fotografías, por lo que no es sorprendente que a pesar de su inexperiencia pronto recibiera su primer papel protagonista con Jennifer’s Body. Fox fue el arma de promoción masiva que el filme usó para colocarse en primer plano. Todo giraba alrededor del cuerpo de Megan y funcionaba. Hasta que esta, asesorada por no se sabe muy bien quien, empezó a hablar poniendo de moda ese dicho machistorro que afirma que la Fox está para ser vista, no oída. Fox demostraba ser, además de la portadora de un cuerpo del demonio, una chica un tanto confusa que mostraba sin rubor cuestionables opiniones sobre sus compañeros, así como ciertos indicios de una personalidad nada atractiva. Fox ya no mola. O ya no mola tanto. Y Jennifer’s Body se ha resentido. De no haber conocido tanto a Fox como ya todos la conocemos, se podría decir que su trabajo como la engreída, sexy, ególatra, desinhibida, chula, pasota y cargante Jennifer convence, pero uno se pregunta ya si este no es un papel escrito a la medida de la starlet. ¿Hace Megan Fox de sí misma en Jennifer’s Body, bicha aparte? En cualquier caso no se puede culpar a Fox del resultado de la película. Ella es tan sólo un vértice más en la geometría femenina que forma junto a Amanda Seyfried, Karyn Kusama y Diablo Cody. Las cuatro, juntas, diseñan este filme, a medio camino entre la comedia irreverente y el terror de casquería. Entre una Juno calentona y salidorra y la trilogía Evil Dead si todo ocurriera en el insitituto de un Twin Peaks contemporáneo. A pesar de que es Fox la que acapara carteles y promociones, es Seyfried la que carga con solvencia con el peso de la película, retratando con acierto a su empollona autorreivindicativa. Kusama se apunta a este delirio con una narración correcta y haciendo uso de todos los truquillos típicos del género. Cody, caso aparte, va por su cuenta. Todo un personaje, Cody se gusta en su diseño del texto a pesar de no saber muy bien cual es su objetivo, si demostrar su habilidad a la hora de confeccionar diálogos groseros, si desmontar el tópico del género convirtiendo a la animadora en carroñero y arpía o si crear una metáfora sobre los miedos y batallas del género femenino. Tal vez Fox sea esa amiga zorra que se tira a todo lo que se mueve y que amenaza con sus actos el honor del género femenino. Tal vez todo sea una broma tremenda de Cody-y-amigas cuyo significado aún no hemos captado (estúpidos, sucios, insensibles, malos machos, en plan Adam Brody). O tal vez Jennifer’s Body sea tan sólo una película entetenida, destinada al público adolescente que busca carne y chicha, que divierte pero no mata.

Amanda Seyfried weathers flesh-eating demons, whiny indie bands and poof sleeves in "Jennifer's Body."

I knew it. I knew it. I knew that if I hoped and prayed and wished and waited a long, long time that the Bizarro Alternate World would take over and the unthinkable would happen. And in “Jennifer’s Body,” the unthinkable has become reality: The brunette’s dicing up male hearts like room-temperature butter, and her mousy blonde friend — who wears tortoise-shell glasses! – is nothing but a mopey, fraidy-cat sidekick.

(Sigh.)

It turns out this is not Bizzaro Alternate World so much as just the warped plot of the Diablo Cody-penned wittier-than-thou “Jennifer’s Body,” a pointless but way fun horror comedy that lampoons teen movie cliches with wicked glee. And since this is, you know, Diablo Cody, all the fun is wrapped up in dialogue so sharp and self-conciously urbane that you have shredded murder victims described as “lasagna with teeth” and an indie band frontman (Adam Brody) who yearns to ”reach out to fans in the shitty areas, too.”  

Yep, “Jennifer’s Body” is that kind of movie, another hip reinvention of the teen horror movie that ends up completely farfetched but also completely enjoyable. Part of that trashy fun stems from Megan Fox’s rather impressive performance as Jennifer Check, the resident hottie at Devil’s Kettle High School who spends her post-cheer practice time consuming male flesh. (She’s not killing people, you understand; she’s “killing boys.” There’s a difference.) There’s Brilliant Subversion No. 2 — a girl who’s not the victim, who is, in fact, making mincemeat out of boys? Love it. Standing petrified on the sidelines is Anita “Needy” Lesnicky (the insanely talented Amanda Seyfried), who suspects her more socially desirable B.F.F. — “sandbox love never dies” Needy offers up as reasoning for their unlikely friendship — is a killer. Too bad Needy can’t get her sensitive, Strokes haircut-sporting boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons) to believe her. But she has to try real hard because if not The Big Dance will become (he he) an “all-you-can-eat buffet.”

That’s what I love most about “Jennifer’s Body,” lines like that. These words bear no resemblance to the way people actually talk, though if they do it’s probably because everybody saw “Juno,” figured it was the new “Clueless” and started a flip pad of jargon. (Come to think of it, that isn’t a half-bad idea, starting a log of Diablo Cody-isms. She’s so hot these days.) There are other killers so funny it’s nearly impossible to laugh at them. Needy and Jennifer’s pet names for each other? Monastat and Vagisil. Jennifer is “actually evil, not high-school evil.” When Chip’s mom begs him to carry pepper spray to the dance, he responds: “I can take care of myself. I’ve been using the Bowflex.” And there’s a bit about Thai food and sex that might cause public consumption of pad Thai to go up or down depending.

This whimsical absurdism bleeds (pardon the pun) into much of “Jennifer’s Body,” which means there’s not much substance — unless you count the characters. Fox does more than what’s expected of her — she proved she had comedic chops in “How to Lose Friends and Alienate People,” but, really, who saw this coming? — and has a lot of fun with Jennifer. Her delivery’s just right, though it’s doubtful any man in attendance will notice. With the way Fox fills out her teeny heart hoodies, ushers should have buckets handy to catch the drool. But enough about Fox. Why use too many words for her when there’s a better, meatier part played by a better actress with more range? Given her own fair looks, it’s shocking to see Amanda Seyfried plain-Jane it up as Needy, but she looks every inch the meek friend. There’s a sadness to Needy that Seyfried’s not afraid to explore, and later a looming darkness that’s unnerving, not the least bit cutsey. This is why Seyfried will become a household name — she’s got such talent you can’t help but like her in anything.

Jennifer may be the body, see, but Needy’s the soul. And hey, someone’s got to do the real heavy lifting while Megan Fox makes sexy.

Grade: B-

Will 'SPIDER-MAN 4' Be TOBEY MAGUIRE's PETER PARKER Finale?

Read more HERE.

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Tras presentarse con Gracias por Fumar y confirmarse con la exitosa Juno, Jason Reitman regresa este año con Up in the Air, cinta que algunos ya apuntan como una de las candidatas a los premios más importantes de la temporada. Con el siempre atractivo George Clooney en una de sus, dicen, mejores actuaciones, Up in the Air relata los interminables viajes de un ejecutivo experto en reducción de personal a lo largo de todo el país, en una profesión en la que está, como los tiburones, en perpetuo movimiento, rodeado de desconocidos, en lugares nuevos y sin poder permitirse los lujos de una vida sedentaria. Esos mismos que empieza a echar de menos cuando conoce a una colega de la que se enamora. Esta es Vera Farmiga, a la que acompañan los interesantes Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Tamala Jones, J.K. Simmons, Danny McBride, Chris Lowell y Zach Galifianakis. Atentos al trailer porque es sencillamente brillante.

In two minutes, this trailer delivers sentiments of sorrow, joy, astonishment, and isolation. It reveals almost nothing about the movie, but it provokes so many thoughts. Its quick, sweeping cuts placed me in a mentality that life is as fleeting as the preview is. It’s over just like that.

The best way to get a promotion from the boss (Jason Bateman)? Become, ahem, half a man (Clifton Collins Jr.) due to a horrendous plant accident.

In another life, Mike Judge must have been a reporter. Every one of his movies has an angle designed to sway our sympathies in the exact direction he wants. In “Office Space,” we felt for put-upon cubicle drone Peter Gibbons, with his eight nagging bosses. With “Idiocracy,” it was Joe and Rita, average people submerged in a sea of grunting buffoons, who won our hearts (sort of). How, we wondered, would we react to a world where Starbucks sells handjobs, not venti chai lattes?

Judge’s latest comedy, the warmer, gentler “Extract,” spurs us to feel sympathy for Joel (Jason Bateman), who built his flavor extract company from the ground up and believes in treating his employees with kindness. He’s the kind of boss who knows not only his employees’ names but what their purses look like. He cares enough to pay attention when other people don’t.

In this case, those ”other people” are Suzie (Kristen Wiig), Joel’s bored wife who uses sweatpants to fend off his increasingly desperate sexual advances; Brian (J.K. Simmons), Joel’s sarcastic second-in-command who calls everyone “Dinkus”; and Nathan (David Koechner), Joel’s Bob Wiley-styled neighbor who materializes daily at his car window like the pop-up book from hell. The only people who seem halfway interested in Joel are Dean (a nicely low-key Ben Affleck), an old bartender buddy who pops Xanax for head colds, and Cindy (Mila Kunis), a flirty temp a little too interested in extract to be totally genuine.

Since this is a Mike Judge movie, there are elements of the fantastic — in the form of crazy twists and ideas — lurking in all this banality, little schemes that Everyman uses to distract himself from the disappointment that fills his life. (These are Judge trademarks. Learn to love them.) Cindy’s “job” at the factory is a direct result of a freak accident that leaves Shep (the ever-subtle Clifton Collins Jr.) minus one testicle. A dumb-as-a-stump gigolo (Dustin Milligan) becomes part of a trap to entice Suzie to cheat. And there’s a bohemoth bong and a horse tranquilizer thrown in for good measure.

All this tomfoolery, however, doesn’t disguise the flaws inherent in Judge’s design. The endless plots start piling up on each other and strain the bounds of credibility. (Viewers can suspend disbelief only so far, really.) After awhile, they start to feel scattered and haphazard and a little too out-there. Maybe the reason for that is that there is no clear villain in “Extract,” no Bill Lumbergh, to focus our distaste on. Instead we’re given people like Brian, whose worst quality is disdain for his underlings, and Cindy, who knows her way around long and short cons but truly likes Joel. Judge seems careful not to demonize anyone, and he makes sure we laugh with, not at, them. Where’s the spirited satire, the biting, savage wit that made Judge a household name?

Still, that’s not to say “Extract” is a complete letdown. Far from it. There’s care in the performances, and the key players are anything but one-sided. Kunis continues to prove that she’s too good an actress for television, giving Cindy a shrewd ability to find and exploit people’s weaknesses as well as a measure of unexpected kindness. That Simmons, he has a way with withering one-liners. He’s become the go-to guy for snark. Affleck continues his recent career upswing, underacting wonderfully in a way we haven’t seen since his “Chasing Amy” days. Collins gives Shep more depth and sad pride than he ought to — what a fine actor, too fine for all these teensy parts.

At the center of all this is Bateman, who couldn’t play mean if his life depended on it. Too vulnerable and empathetic, that one. He’s so earnest a guy it’s impossible not to like him, though he may make you wonder if Judge’s gone all smooshy. I know I did. But then I looked closer, and I realized Judge’s always had a soft spot for the common man. Couldn’t villainize him if he tried. And in that light, “Extract” is the kind of humane, softer-edged comedy this average guy director has been waiting to make.

Grade: B-

 The Soothsayer is back once again at a look at the films coming out between October 16 and the end of year. There are alot interesting films coming out during that time and many more potential blockbusters than in previous years. What makes this time of year different than other years is that it still seems to be an open race for the Oscars in March. The Academy has kind of crippled the studio campaigning for a Best Picture win when they announced that there would be 10 Best Picture nominees this year. Personally I think they are out their minds and have just devalued what it means to win Best Picture.

You dont see any films really jockeying for position in the last week of the year just so they can be counted as an Oscar hopeful. You also don’t see alot of films that could even be counted as a Best Picture nominee. Of my selections of “films not to be missed” I kind of went across the board, Oscar hopefuls and well films to fight the winter blues. It looks to be a fun Fall and hopefully I can bring you my reviews of each one as they roll out. Here is 10-6, look for the top 5 tomorrow!

10. 2012

Who’s in it? John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Amanda Peet, Danny Glover.
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Why see it? Basically this film is a summer blockbuster shoe-horned into a winter release. If this film opened would have opened in any other May but this year. It would have made a killing. May was very crowded this year so the studio went on the defensive and claimed the special effects weren’t completed and shift it to November. Well it will probably be quite a spectacle as the film is about what happens if the Mayan calendar’s prediction that the end of the world will come in 2012. Emmerich is also no stranger to disaster flicks, you could say they are what he makes best, since he is responsible for The Day After Tomorrow and Independence Day. He has lined up and all-star cast that kind of reminds me of that movie Earthquake with Chuck Heston. The cast is also headlined by John Cusack who is always interesting in everything he does. I als have to admit this is on my list because I am a sucker for giant disaster flicks.
Release Date: NOVEMBER 13th
Trailer link: HERE

9. Armored

Who’s in it? Matt Dillon, Laurence Fishburne, Jean Reno, Skeet Ulrich, Milo Ventimiglia.
Directed by: Nimród Antal
Why see it? This kind of reminds me of Point Break with Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves except they are armored truck drivers. You do have to wonder if someone is an undercover police officer. I really like the cast assembled and the plot looks like a fun, stable action thriller. We all know Matt Dillon can be great as an unstable, charismatic leader, heck, he has been doing that since The Outsiders. Then as his backup you got great character actors like Fishburne, Reno and Fred Ward. This movie just looks fun from all angles. It does make you wonder why it has shifted release dates twice, though. Nimrod Antal (is that his real name?) directs this movie and he was brilliant with the 2003 Hungarian Kontroll but kind of missed a step with his first Hollywood feature in Vacancy. Also the screenwriter of the film is a first-timer. So from the back-end this film is quite weak but with a killer cast and trailer it still makes my list to see.
Release Date: DECEMBER 4th
Trailer link: HERE

8. Men Who Stare at Goats

Who’s in it? Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, JK Simmons.
Directed by: Grant Heslov
Why see it? Okay, first off with a name like that who in their right mind is going to run out and see the movie. Then when you hear Clooney, McGregor and Spacey are attached you might be curious. But that is the hardest title to talk about since The Shawshank Redemption (or was it the Skimshank Rejection, just kidding) The trailer is awesome and it is sort of a comedic-adventure through the black ops side of the CIA. I don’t know alot about the book in which the movie is based but the screenwriter also adapted How to Lose Friends & Alienate People which had some pretty serious laughs but another film with a real awful title. This is the director’s first major outing but he has been connected to Clooney since Good Night and Good Luck and is partners with Clooney at his production company Smoke House. Heslov has also  been an actor since the early 80s.
Release Date: NOVEMBER 6th
Trailer link: HERE

7. The Road

Who’s in it? Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Garret Dillahunt, Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Directed by: John Hillcoat
Why see it? Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, Viggo Mortensen tries to get his son to the coast after the a nuclear war has ravaged the US. He fights off vagrands, bandits, and anyone who gets in his way so he can make a better life for his boy. The film version has been adapted from probably McCarthy’s darkest book to date. The role of Viggo’s wife, played by Charlize, has been expanded at the request of the studio. Other shifts in tone and numerous recuts have plagued the production since it was delayed almost a year.  Basically the production sounds as cold and cryptic as the story itself. Director John Hillcoat hasnt released a film in almost five years. His last film was the very dirty western, The Proposition with Guy Pearce. There are many signs here of a film in distress but for me anything with Charlize and Viggo in it is worth watching. Plus you would hope since Hillcoat is so familar with this kind of subject matter then it should be a film worth seeing.
Release Date: OCTOBER 16th
Trailer link: HERE

6. Avatar

Who’s in it? Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang.
Directed by: James Cameron
Why see it? Okay, there has been alot of talk on the web about how bad the trailer looks, how the aliens in the film look like rip-offs of everything from Ferngully to Delgo. But 95% of those haters didnt see the 20 minutes of footage I saw during Avatar Day in 3-D. This film will deliver! The reason it isnt higher on my list is because I think it will be more amusement park ride than a substantial movie. I think this film will also bore alot of people who aren’t hard-core sci-fi or videogame lovers. So with that I know the film will not have mass market appeal. But I am very sure it will be the film to see in 3-D this fall! Go 3-D or Go Home! Should be the motto when it comes to this film.
Release Date: DECEMBER 18th
Trailer link: HERE
My Avatar Day Story: HERE

FANTASTIC FOUR #1 circa 1961

THRALL WORLD observes that the only remaining problem is that FOX is still involved…

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WALT DISNEY CO.

MARVEL Entertainment

Read more HERE.

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Extract is the new film from writer/director, Mike Judge. This stars Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig and J.K. Simmons. This will open on September 4, 2009 in the US.

If there were a mantra for Juno, it would come from an unlikely source, Bowling for Columbine.  Michael Moore summed up teenage life in a sentence when he said “What adults always seem to forget, is how much it sucks to be a teen.”  Whether it was American Graffiti,  Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, or American Pie filmmakers have constantly, sometimes classically found comedy in just how truly terrifying and dreadful teenage life is.  In time Juno will take its place among those classics.

Much like the films mentioned above, Juno but both the film and its central character refuse to be pegged. 16-year-old Juno McGuff (Academy Award Nominee Ellen Page) is a sarcastic brat, who despite her 5 foot 2 frame can’t help but stand out as she walks the halls of her high school. She’s almost too smart and self aware and more importantly the character feels cut from decade and plopped into this  decade.

Her inner circle defies stereotypes and is populated with Leah (Olivia Thirlby , United 93) her best friend/schools cheerleaders. Leah and Juno serve and volley a slang all there own, a blend of Ebonics meets cute cultural references through the lens of a white bread suburb. They use terms like “Silencio,” “Yo Yo Yiggady Yo,” and “Honest to blog.” No one seems to mind that the two logically would exist outside of each other’s cliques.

Her only other “friend” her age is a clever character uniquely cut out of high school. Arrested Development alum Michael Cera (Superbad) plays Bleaker a frail dork-jock pseudo-boyfriend. Bleaker is an awkward soft spoken champion runner in starched gold short shorts, stolen from the 1980’s NBA. Bleaker and Juno are dating without saying they’re dating and its that relationship which launches the movie.

A domineering Juno sleeps with a nervous yet very willing Bleaker, and finds out she’s pregnant. Juno tells Bleaker and Leah  decides to abort the child.  Until in strangely hilarious turn of events around the abortion clinic she learns that unborn babies have fingernails. Juno’s decision to have the baby and give it up for adoption  is when the film hits its stride. Diving into Juno’s best element, its meaty well drawn supporting characters and its outstanding cast.

Its easy to get lost in all the accolades laid at the feet of Page who deservedly been given the next Hollywood it girl tag. But the film’s best performance came from an it-girl who didn’t pan out ex- Alias star Jennifer Garner. Juno handpicks The Lorings, Vanessa (Garner) and her husband Mark, a brilliant Jason Bateman (Golden Globe winning Arrested Development Alum ) from the penny saver to be the perfect family for her child. Every time Garner is on screen you could feel an emptiness that she’s yearning to fill. And that that all she is that she believes that being a mother solves all. This is especially evident when Juno meets the Lorings and  inadvertently hurts Vanessa. In a moment without tears or dramatic speech  she said it all.

Ex-West Wing star and multiple Emmy winner Allison Janney steps in as another magnificently misshapen surprise of a character, Juno’s stepmom Bren a nail salon owner who has married Juno’s father Mac (J.K. Simmons of Law & Order, Spiderman Trilogy)  a decade earlier. Both resentful and motherly at the same time she steps up to fill in for Juno’s mom who for the entire film is off in parts unknown. While Simmons character scolds, supports, Juno. His manner and mannerisms also help explain how Juno became Juno.

With all this, the film hinges on Ellen Page’s pitch perfect performance.  Her mix of naiveté, strength, and even more impressive
using her sharp tongue  to get through moments of weakness is awe-inspiring and terrific on many levels. A teen that walks and talk like Juno isn’t easily believable until you see Ellen Page do it.

The films few flaws come from its script and its score. Academy Award nominated First time Screenwriter Diablo Cody’s screenplay is very funny but almost too self reverential. Too often the movie feels like it exists in a Generation X fantasy land.  Juno not only listens to but deifies 70s and 80s punk,  which isn’t as far fetched with the onslaught of file sharing makes it more plausible for this generation to connect musically with the past then say Ferris Bueller jump on parade float and sing Danke Schoen.

But Juno doesn’t stop there, she uses phrases like “THUNDERCATS ARE GO!” from the 80’s cartoon and references Etch-sketches and Diana Ross. While that may seem knit picky and its possible that today’s outsider 16-year-old would know those references its highly unlikely. And the fact that those references are slathered on the film while under-representing how electronic and internet driven Americans under 30 are is a major mistake. There are few if any cellphones, no Myspace, Facebook, or reality television, in the film. Sans Juno’s I-pod I could easily believe this film was set in 1997.

The film’s soundtrack is over praised, overused yet beautiful. The Moldy Peaches fit both the film and the character. If used sparingly instead of slamming the viewer over the head with  film’s hipness it would be more effective. Instead the film’s score is another causality post-Garden State. Music can be a character, but it can also easily be a distraction. Often during the film it was.

Juno is at times awkward, sweet, abrasive, laugh out loud funny, and to be honest  it has all the pros and cons of a teenage girl. When a film achieves all that its quite the feat. And I say bravo.