Shopping is America’s favorite activity.  In what other country do unemployed individuals careen through a department store hours before the first break of light trampling one another to get something for the bloated commercialism of holidays that are supposedly religious celebrations?  Confessions Of A Shopaholic exemplifies the excess in American culture and also dampens any serious writers plan of a career because the it demonstrates that the only way to land a coveted position at a major publication is to be an attractive woman with big breasts and tickle the fancy of a power that be and through calamity can become America’s Sweetheart.  It is a funny totally ridiculous premise that would not be a total waste of time when it is on the boob tube as you partake in that other great American activity, channel surfing.

This film was nominated for a Teen Choice Award.  So you get the picture of the highbrow caliber that this movie strives to be.  Isla Fisher is the lead and is the only redeeming element in this predictable comedy that uses that safety net Hollywood employs in comedy: drama that should compel and tear at the heart.

Isla is Rebecca Bloomwood, a young urban professional that has a roommate Suze (Krysten Ritter) who she is always behind in the rent to because of her out of control spending habit for a need of items of fashion such as scarves, shoes, Gucci, and things with names of Europeans.  Rebecca yearns for job writing at a fashion magazine rather than her current role as a journalist for a gardening magazine.  Rebecca finds out that the recently hired Alicia Billington (Leslie Bibb) holds the coveted position from information revealed by the receptionist at the mega-conglomerate publication and advises her to find employment at any magazine under this corporate giant and work her way to her dream.  It just so happens that a financial publication is interviewing that very moment and this effeminate gentleman is so kind as to admit the fashion savvy Rebecca through the glass doors.

A previous scene of hilarity reunites Rebecca and the man on the street that turns out to be the interviewer at the financial publication.  After a faux pas, the interview is over which is followed by the roommates concocting a letter writing session in which the notes are addressed to the wrong recipients.  One goes to the fashion magnate at Alette Magazine’s Alette Naylor (Kristin Scott Thomas) and the other to her interviewer Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy).  And as easy as pie, Rebecca lands a trial position at the financial magazine and is of course over her head but pulls off a terrific feat and is now butting heads with Alicia of the fashion magazine who finds her boss Luke simply delectable.  In Rebecca’s personal life, she has joined a shopaholic group, is attempting to manage her finances and tries desperately to evade the evil villainous debt collector Derek Smeath.  In the end, everything is nicely resolved and Rebecca’s parents, John Goodman and Joan Cusack, are so elated that their little girl made good.

All of this sounds like an elaborate bad screenplay from my screenwriting class in college.  But yes, it has made its way to 2,534 theaters.  With Isla Fisher in a relationship with maestro Sacha Baron Cohen, he should have been employed to rewrite this.  Isla’s comedic talents are well proven in this film and look forward to seeing her in truly well written films.

In 1999, there was a short-lived, underestimated, ahead-of-its-time TV show on The WB called Popular. If you aren’t familiar with it, I’ll give you a quick run down: it took place in a fictional high school  named after a president, there was a cool clique full of jocks and cheerleaders and an unpopular click full of outcasts, trying to find their foot hold. Stylistically, the show was notorious for its quirky, sometimes raunchy subplots, over-the-top characterizations (i.e. April Tuna or the science teacher), and a certain method of filming that could only be created by one man: Ryan Murphy. All make sense now? Yes, he is also the creator of the feel-good, harmonizing series Glee. And let me just say, as a former fan of Popular, the Ryan Murphy name can brand a solid piece of TV culture: equal parts startling, lively, tragic, and comically real.

In its first season, Popular aired their version of “A Christmas Carol.” Nicole (Tammy Lynn Michaels) is a bitch, and is the sidekick to the queen of the school, Brooke (Leslie Bibb). She’s demeaning, callous, blunt, and completely disillusioned. She refuses to get festive, and embodies the stationary role of Ebenezer Scrooge. In the night, she is visited by that infamous trio of ghosts, appearing from the foggy corners of her room to take her on a journey through her past, present and future.

The Ghost of Christmas Past shows us Nicole as a baby. Her mom is too busy drinking martinis to pick her up and care for her. Then, in elementary school, she is ridiculed for being fat, and the cool girls at the lunch table are busy discussing their future marriages to the New Kids On the Block. They trip her, she falls, face in mashed potatoes. Christmas Present shows her that her everyday taunting has taken a toll on Carmen (Sara Rue), who sits in the bathroom and tells herself she’s ugly for not getting the final spot on the cheerleading squad, aka the Glamazons (much like ‘Cheerios’ for you Glee fans.)

As in any version of “A Christmas Carol”, the Ghost of Christmas Future points his cold, menacing finger toward a bleak outcome. He shows that Carmen dies, and Nicole too. But, Carmen is the one who is missed, not Nicole. She died alone. So, when she wakes up the next morning — hugging the things she loves the most once she realizes she’s still alive, she makes a mad dash over to Brooke’s where the gang is celebrating over dinner, gifts in tote, and offers Carmen a spot on the Glamazons. Everyone is in millennium cashmere cardigans and turtlenecks, the Heathers-esque music swells, and even the most shallow people in the world turn their cold hearts warm, for just a day.

One of my anticipated movies of the year. And this was one hell of a movie.

Synopsis: When a mans family is brutally killed, the national court does not have sufficient proof to convict the culprits so Gerald Butlers character takes revenge into his own hands, after murdering the killers he goes to prison… and he threatens to kill everyone responsible of supporting the faulty system of law they swear to protect.

Director: F Gary Gray.

Cast: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb, Bruce McGill, Viola Davis.

Let’s start with Gerard Butler’s performance, this guy is slowly becoming one of my favorites. His performance here is just beyond awesome and his chemistry with Jamie Foxx is another awesome topic to talk about. People seem to complain about Lesli Bibb, well I thought she was good.

This is one of most unpredictable movies of the decade. You just don’t know what’s going to happen next, it’s not like your guess is wrong, you don’t find anything to guess about. At least, in my opinion.

The dialogues are great. And another good thing about the movie is that it doesn’t waste time on other things, it starts with a buisness and ends with a business.

I was not sure who’s side I’d choose, Nick’s(Fox) or Clyde’s(Butler). At first it was easy, obviously Butler’s but as the movie continues, it starts to fluctuate.

The ending was great for me, the baddy(I never got to decide if he was the baddy or not) was given a chance but shit happens. I would leave it at that.

Now, I had no problem with the movie but I’m not sure if it deserves a 100%. I judge a movie by how much I enjoyed it, so, I’ll give it 8/10.

So, your thoughts?

After the first pictures where released last July, the hype for Ironman 2 is being built up properly by the release of the first official trailer. And, if you ask me, things are still looking great. Director John Favreau has put together quite the cast for this movie. Besides Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, the movie also features Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Don Cheadle (Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes / War Machine) and not to forget the lovely Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts.

Anyway, check out the trailer and see for yourselves!

Hitting the screens from May 2010.

'IRON MAN 2' Movie Poster

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I’ve got university presentations today and tomorrow so I haven’t got anything other than a review to give you today. I’ve been working my socks to the bone to get all my work done, pretty sure that’s not a real saying but it darned well should be. Saying or no saying the point is I’ve been busy, personally I think you should bake me a hero cookie for even keeping to my blog schedule. No? Dam it. Anyway, you being a selfish bastard aside here’s my blog for today…

I saw Law Abiding Citizen on Friday night (if you hadn’t already figured that one out for yourself). We arrived late due to my friend Rosina being incompetent at following a time schedule, luckily they were still showing adverts when we got there. Unluckily however, we had to sit at the front because all of the other seats were taken. Our just spread out between groups of people with one chair between them because they are scarred of catching rabies or something, I hate it when people do that (spread out so you can’t sit down, not give you rabies I mean).

I liked this film, it’s entertaining and it even snuck in laughs despite it being billed as a ‘thriller’. I didn’t actually think it was a very good thriller. By that I mean, we knew who was doing everything and why. I was puzzled about who I was meant to be rooting for however. Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) had lost his family and seen the legal system let him down and the killer let off with a weak sentence, but I didn’t think Jamie Foxx’s character Nick Rice had done that much wrong. He was just following the way the system worked after all and he seemed like a pretty nice guy really. Sure he over worked and didn’t see his kid enough, but a nice guy really. It would have been easier if everybody involved with the legal system was a complete bastard so you could really root for Butler.

There’s a lot of negative reviews floating around about this film, but I think they’re being harsh. When you can sit there watching a film, pain in your neck due to the annoying angle you are sitting in, and still find the film enjoyable to watch. Then you’ve got a good film. Simple.

This year, the rather uneventful year of 2009 has held what could be described as several, rather futile attempts at creating true action movies. I mean the ones with more explosions than if Michael Bay directed Die Hard 4.0, or enough cunning to outwit the beautifully crafted stratagems of The Italian Job.

And you really don’t see enough of them these days, especially within the last few years, the action franchise is unfortunately going to the dogs. That is, before Law Abiding Citizen came along. There’s a line, just one line within the film, even in the trailer which sums up the extent of this film, “It’s going to be biblical.” That, is truly a line which will go down in the film industry. Why? Because of any great film that’s worthy of remembrance, there’s always a line or two that stands alongside it, sharing its glory.

Unsurprisingly, these quotes are often from some of the best Action films to date, whether it be ‘ The name’s Bond… James Bond,’ in the billion dollar franchise which is now entering it’s 23rd film. Or it may be ‘I’ll be back‘ or ‘Come with me if you want to live,‘ or more even more recently the somewhat humorous scene in T4, where Christian Bale merely shouts ‘CONNORRRR!‘ down the radio. Law Abiding Citizen is one of those sort of films. Unfortunately, my love for it, and it’s success is not something which is shared globally, raking in just over $80 million worldwide, on it’s $53 million budget. Sure, it’s a financial success, but hardly.

However, maybe the short-lived success was somewhat deserved, there were many instances where the film could have been considerably better, and with a slightly disappointing ending (by my standards), it’s not truly a surprise why the film didn’t hit the $100 million mark. Despite the film’s downsides, there is some fantastic acting by Gerard Butler (Phantom Of The Opera, 300, PS. I Love You), who portrays an emotional widower who has also lost his children at the hands of a murderer who has subsequently been freed due to a corrupt justice system. In many cases it’s an accurate representation of what happens today, in our society, and it really does. Jamie Foxx (Ray, Collateral, The Kingdom) on the other hand, demonstrates some less favourable acting as a corrupt prosecutor who is obsessed with his 96% conviction rate. To be frank, his character is a bit of an ass, but in these days, what can you do?

As I previously mentioned the explosions, I’d just like to point out that Michael Bay should give his job to the special effects guy/girl, because they are true action movie explosions, not manageable sparks, but full on, “Ah, if we’re caught in this, we’re -insert multiple cursings here-.” With an epic score to match, it’s no wonder why I was on the edge of my seat, and for all the right reasons. A great action thriller which certainly makes you think, worth a place in anyone’s DVD collection. If you like ‘The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3, you’ll love this. View the trailer here.

Quality: Video quality looks very watchable, wait for confirmation on audio quality.

Synopsis: Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is an upstanding family man whose wife and daughter are brutally murdered during a home invasion. When the killers are caught, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), a hotshot young Philadelphia prosecutor, is assigned to the case. Over his objections, Nick is forced by his boss to offer one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice. Fast forward ten years. The man who got away with murder is found dead and Clyde Shelton coolly admits his guilt. Then he issues a warning to Nick: Either fix the flawed justice system that failed his family, or key players in the trial will die.

Ratings: IMDB: 7.3/10.0 (6,806 votes) | RT: 25% | MC: 34/100
Genre: Crime | Drama | Thriller
Directed by: F. Gary Gray
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill, Leslie Bibb
Language: English
First Cinematic Release: 23 September 2009 (USA)

Google keyword Search : Law.Abiding.Citizen.LiNE.R5.XviD-DEViSE

After a little technical difficulties (blogger being a turd) we are back and just in time to deliver your Hump Day Hottie. This week we chose (head nod to Jack Potts) Leslie Bibb. You will probably recognize Leslie from her roll as Carlie Bobby in Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Bibb got her first big break when she was in the movie Private Parts. As much as I wished she was the lady who had an intimate moment with a subwoofer, she was not. You also might recognize her from Ironman as the Vanity Fair reporter and, according to IMDB she will reprise her roll in the upcoming Ironman 2. She has also been in a slew of television series including hits like ER and Crossing Jordan. So when your family asks you what your thankful for this Thanksgiving, go ahead and say “family”, “friends” and “health” because you can rest easy knowing we here at Thunder Treats know you mean “Thunder Treats, Leslie Bibb and every other Hump Day Hottie”. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy more of Leslie after the jump…

Martes 24 de noviembre del 2009.- Prepárate para enamorarte de la adorable Becky Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) en esta divertidísima comedia romántica. Viviendo en el sofisticado mundo de Nueva York, Becky busca desesperada un trabajo como reportera en una revista de modas y logra dar sus primeros pasos hacia su sueño con su nuevo par de zapatos, cuando consigue trabajo redactando artículos de finanzas personales en una publicación de la misma editorial. Para su sorpresa, su columna “La chica del pañuelo verde” no sólo se convierte en un gran éxito, sino que además se enamora por completo de su jefe (Hugh Dancy), tan atractivo como obsesionado con el trabajo. Pero Becky tiene un secreto que la llevará a vivir graciosos enredos que podrían echarlo todo a perder. Basada en la exitosa serie de novelas best-seller del New York Times escritas por Sophie Kinsella, y protagonizada por un elenco cómico perfecto (Kristen Ritter, Katherine Sigismund, Joan Cusack, Leslie Bibb, Kristin Scott Thomas.

Para que la puedas disfrutar una y otra vez, PINK CARPET MAGAZINE y DISNEY, te regalan 3 DVDs de esta pelí. Sólo tienes que enviar un mail con todos tus datos (nombre, mail y teléfono) a pinkmagazine@mail.com

Law Abiding Citizen, the new film by F. Gary Gray, is a far-fetched fantasy disguised as a gritty serial killer thriller. There are also hints of social commentary that get interesting for half a second before diving into the realm of the ludicrous. Gray mixes and matches genres and ideas so liberally that the whole thing turns out to be a somewhat garbled mess. The idea of a man who got screwed over by the justice system deciding to try to take it down, and the man who cut a deal with a known rapist/murderer and then having to pay for his actions, are the material of a ripe Greek tragedy. Instead, Hollywood gets in the way, and the tones clash due to several key missteps.

Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is an engineer whose house is invaded, and his wife and daughter are raped and murdered right before his eyes. Gray knows that the audience has zero chance of thinking of Clyde as anything but a brutal serial killer after the first half hour of the film, but wants us to sympathize with his plight until then, so he makes the unfortunate decision of showing us the viciousness of the home invasion. We see the knife enter the wife, we see her pants pulled down, we see the daughter walk in on the killer having mounted her mom, and we see the killer walk towards the girl, saying, “Little girls like me,” fully eliminating any trace of character dimension and replacing him with a murderous cartoon. Not surprisingly, later in the film, Clyde systematically tortures and kills the killers. It’s bloody and awful, but we still have traces of sympathy.

Then, the film starts to go from unpleasant to just plain bad. Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is the assistant district attorney who is more concerned with keeping a high conviction rate than serving justice, so he cuts a deal with the rapist, getting death penalty for the other home invader while the rapist goes free in eight to ten years. When Clyde starts exacting his revenge, however, it’s not just on the killers– it’s on anyone in the justice system involved with the events. He feels the system is broken, and he’s going to bring it all down. What follows are five ways in which the film messes up.

1. It doesn’t matter how badly the main character suffered– in a thoughtful film, brutal torture and slaughter of essentially innocent men and women will not be condonable. Ever. In The Transporter or some other Jason Statham film, this would be acceptable and in good fun, and starring Jason Statham, Law Abiding Citizen might have been a more successful (albeit different) movie. However, Gray tried to get us to sympathize with Clyde, and the way Gerard Butler is playing the part, it’s more like Hannibal Lecter than mournful parent/husband. It’s revealed that he used to be the brains for a spy organization, but that’s still not justification for what he does. The slimy people involved, who are self-centered and obnoxious? Of course, they need to die. But sweet, sympathetic supporting characters? And sending a video of vicious dismemberment to Rice’s 9-year-old daughter?

2. Be thoughtful or don’t– but if you don’t pick a side, it doesn’t work. There are moments of discussion about the flaws in the justice system, and how it can be easily manipulated so that murderers go free. The most interesting moment in the film is when Clyde acts as his own attorney and reveals that despite the very evident fact that he committed the murders, there’s no evidence that will stand up in a court of law. The judge agrees, and agrees to give him bail. Moments like this reveal the direction in which the film could have gone. Instead, it prefers to have outrageous twists and death scenes. One of the deaths is ludicrous, inventive, and shocking, and would fit perfectly into some B-film (my audience laughed out loud in delight). However, following the discussions of the justice system, it shifts the film from being thoughtful to thoughtless. It’s like a tug-of-war between those desirous of an intelligent film, and those desirous of turning their brain off before stepping into the theater. You can balance both, but this film doesn’t attempt to balance– it merely mashes one into the other.

3. If you set up a seemingly impossible scenario, and you don’t have an intelligent ending, your audience will rebel. I can forgive the tonal shifts. There is some good cinematography and a few cool deaths (though you can tell intelligence goes out the window in dealing with this film when the best compliment I can give it is some “cool deaths”). However, the ending has me scratching my head still, twelve hours later. Not only is the twist regarding how Clyde manages to kill all these people from the confines of his jail cell an enormously stupid cop out, the character who receives his just desserts (I won’t say if it’s Nick or Clyde) receives them in a way that is implausible at best and laughable at worst. I would be happy to hear an explanation in the comments section below, with spoilers and all. I simply don’t know how the ending was pulled off.

4. If your supporting actors are more interesting than your main ones, you have a serious problem. Bruce McGill and Leslie Bibb both do nice work battling with their moral dilemma, whether they did the right thing and if they earned the death that’s coming for them. Jamie Foxx is the stubborn one, who only contemplates his responsibility for what happened maybe once, before continuing to do the necessary police work to save the day (even though he’s a lawyer, not a cop… the line is blurry in Gray’s world between lawyers and cops). Finally, Gray should have seen the work Viola Davis was doing as the mayor of Philadelphia, noted how she was exerting more force and power on the screen than any other character by a long shot, and written more scenes for her. She outclasses Butler and Foxx by a country mile in this film.

5. Don’t let Hollywood dictate the path of your film. Somewhere, I have the feeling there was an interesting movie– in fact, I read that Jamie Foxx was originally set to play Clyde with Gerard Butler as Nick. This intrigues me… Foxx would have likely been a more pensive, less psychotic killer, and Butler would have been more emotional as the assistant D.A. (at least, I’m basing this on their strengths as performers). This might have lent itself to a more intriguing thriller, laced with moral dilemmas and not merely packed with killing for the sake of blood. But that’s not what’s “in” in Hollywood right now, is it? Why have thoughtful thrillers when people’s phones can blow their brains out and twist endings can ruin any semblance of logic? In the end, while Gray and company might have abided by the laws of the brainless Hollywood thriller, he is guilty of a first-degree waste of talent.

Law Abiding Citizen stars Jamie Foxx (who I am  now growing to love more and more) as a district attorney and Gerard Butler as something of an “everyman”, a man unfortunate enough to witness the murder of his wife and daughter and subsequently suffer through what he sees as a complete fumble of the case by the DAs office and/or justice system, where a deal is made with one of the killers and he is set free after only a short time in jail. Our friend Butler decides this is bullshit, takes matters into his own hands and begins to kill everyone he feels is responsible while standing up for a less awful justice system in the process.

Let this be said: I loved the court scene pretty early on. If only the film was made as a coutroom drama rather than throwing a lot of its brilliant justice system criticism out the window to become a thriller pretty early on it would probably have been great, because this scene is absolutely fantastic. That said, the thriller bits work pretty well as well, and Butler’s character has something of a Silence of the Lambsian charm about him, as well as him more or less having an excellent point meaning its hard to know who to root for most of the time.

I’ve come to a point where I really like Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. They both carry enough screen presence for one film on their own, so the fact that they are both present here is a huge point in its favor. It cops out a bit in the end, and again I wish it would have focused more on the justice system criticism which is at times in the beginning profound, but I was pretty happy with this nonetheless. Not a perfect film, but an acceptably good thriller with a point.

3,5/5

“Poison, Drowning, Claw, Or Knife. So Many Ways To Take A Life.”

Every year it’s the same, Halloween is my heroin. I literally come crashing down from the binge of October festivities. After Halloween night, if I’m not lying cold, pale and sweating in the fetal position, I’m lamenting in some way that it’s all over. I figured that I could use a little methadone treatment to ease the pain, so I am finally renting ‘Trick R Treat’. I fully intended on seeing this BEFORE Halloween, but just didn’t get to it. What a bloody tragedy too, because this would have been the perfect flick for my horror movie night.

It is said that Halloween is the night when the dead rise to walk among us and other unspeakable things roam free. The rituals of All Hallows Eve were devised to protect us from their evil mischief, and one small town is about to be taught a terrifying lesson that some traditions are best not forgotten. Nothing is what it seems when a suburban couple learns the dangers of blowing out a Jack-o-Lantern before midnight; four women cross paths with a costumed stalker at a local festival; a group of pranksters goes too far and discovers the horrifying truth buried in a local legend; and a cantankerous old hermit is visited by a strange trick-or-treater with a few bones to pick. Costumes and candy, ghouls and goblins, monsters and mayhem… the tricks and treats of Halloween turn deadly as strange creatures of every variety, human and otherwise-try to survive the scariest night of the year. (Written by Warner Bros. Pictures)

I’m mystified as to why this film didn’t get a theatrical release in October. What a waste! Considering the immense volume of horror films existing out there, very few are actually set during Halloween night. And fewer still have the quality and entertainment value of ‘Trick R Treat’. Visually the film is impressive. Well shot and stylish with a cornucopia of delightful Halloween props. This neighbourhood really knows how to do Halloween right!

‘Trick R Treat’ is an anthology of five tales that all interconnect. We begin with a Halloween hating wife with a holiday-obsessed husband. In an outstanding opening sequence we are relentlessly teased with possibilities. A group of sexy fairy-tale inspired costumed women on a mission to get the virgin among them laid, is not all it appears. How their story connects to another character is just too fun! A school principal with some nasty pastimes celebrates the season in the most dementedly unique way. A cranky housebound curmudgeon gets a visitor who over-stays his welcome. A group of kids use an urban legend to pull a nasty prank on a local girl. Helping to stitch it all together is Sam, an adorable little sack-headed rascal. Watching, waiting and protecting the sacred traditions of Halloween. Wait until you get a look at his beautiful mug! All the performances are great, particularly notable are veteran character actors Dylan Baker and Brian Cox who greatly enhance the films best moments.

There is a great deal of dark humour throughout the film. There are two schools of horror-comedy in my opinion. There are films that concentrate on the humour to the point of slapstick, making them comedy first and horror second. Then there are those that lace their intensity with a more subtle level of comedy, but can still manage to provide suspense and even scares. ‘Trick R Treat’ succeeds in finding a perfect balance between the two.

I was expecting something more “PG” but I was surprised at the volume of death in the film, including children! You got to love a film that’s not afraid to kill off kids! Although there is ample carnage, gore is generally low-key. There are so many wickedly effective scenes it wasn’t necessary to get gratuitous. Don’t be put off gorehounds! The red stuff is there, plus you’ll be treated to an impressive transformation, pumpkin gore, bodily fluid, and some very nifty props.

It was frighteningly close to getting a coveted perfect dungeon rating. There were two details that prevented that from happening. First, the quarry story was too predictable. Second, enough with the trouble-making, gluttonous “fat kid” stereotype. That said, I absolutely loved how the quarry story connected to one of the other characters. And stereotypes aside, the kid’s scene hits that horror-comedy nail on the head.

This is the sort of film you can watch again and again. Even though the twists would no longer be a surprise on a second viewing, the humour, energy and mood will get you psyched up for the bestest holiday season of the year. ‘Trick R Treat’ is immensely entertaining, well acted, original, funny, and even managed to surprise me. I said in the previous paragraph that this wasn’t going to get a coveted perfect Dungeon rating. But you know what? To hell with that! This film rocked! Highest of recommendations!

Dungeon Rating: 5/5

Directed By: Michael Dougherty

Starring: Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Quinn Lord, Lauren Lee Smith, Moneca Delain, Tahmoh Penikett, Brett Kelly, Britt McKillip, Isabelle Deluce, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Alberto Ghisi, Samm Todd, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Leslie Bibb

POR : Eduardo Maurício
“Tinha potencial para ser um filme muito melhor”

Law Abiding Citizen, (Cidadão cumpridor da Lei) e mais do mesmo. Começamos com um homem inconformado com o sistema judiciário apos ver o assassino de sua família escapar ileso sem sérias punições. Sabendo da corrupção escondida por de trás da lei, decide então armar uma vingança declarando guerra ao estado por sua negligência… Clyde assassina brutalmente o assassino de sua família e em seguida, é pego pela polícia e passa a ser investigado pelo mesmo advogado corrupto que cuidou do caso há 10 anos atrás, Nick (Jamie Foxx).

Conhecedor das leis, Clyde brinca com o sistema judiciário ao mesmo tempo que passa a te-los em mãos, os avisando do ’superplano’ que montou antes de ser preso, o plano que esta matando geral corruptos a fora e deixando em pânico os ainda vivos. Mas é quando Clyde decide levar tão a fundo sua vingança que os papeis se invertem, o herói (Butler) vira o vilão, e o ate então vilão (Foxx) se transforma no herói – é a partir dai também que o filme começa a desandar e em certos momentos se torna cansativo, chega ao ponto de se tornar ate improvável – (Se antes o telespectador admirava as primeiras e realistas cenas, logo passará a duvidar das que procedem o filme).

Desta vez pensei seriamente que não veria um Gerard Butler ‘ninja’ como de costume – do tipo que sai atirando e matando mil. Ingenuidade minha, parece ate que os roteiristas de Hollywood sentem tesão em fazer de Butler um ’superhomem’, a maioria de seus filmes, por mais bom que esteja, uma hora aparece um coadjuvante para revelar o passado de seu personagem – no caso deste, ‘Se clyde te quiser morto, você está morto’ diz um de seus colegas antigos, Porque Clyde era o cérebro e maior estrategista da marinha e – Blá, blá, blá. Ele não podia ser simplesmente um cara normal?

Algumas cenas são de tirar o chapéu, como Clyde se defendendo no tribunal e, apos conseguir a liberdade, voltar a atacar a juíza que o libertou com palavras verdadeiras. Ou a cena final, onde é revelado o truque que Clyde utiliza para matar mesmo estando preso. (Quando a verdade surgir, vamos nos sentir bobos de tão óbvio).

Apesar destes erros não tirarem por completo a graça do filme, Law Abiding Citizen tinha potencial para ser muito melhor, ‘Bíblico’, O lado bom e que Butler faz aqui o melhor papel desde Rocknrolla, pena que um meio termo não seja exatamente a melhor maneira de se recomendar um filme.

Para conferir vídeos, álbum de fotos, curiosidades, informações e mais sobre o filme : www.xcine.com.br/filme_codigodeconduta.html

Trick ‘r Treat 2008

Director: Michael Dougherty

Writer: Michael Dougherty

Starring Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin, Rochelle Aytes, Quinn Lord, Tahmoh Penikett, Leslie Bibb, Brian Cox, Lauren Lee Smith and Monica Delain

    This is a film I had been anticipating seeing ever since I first saw the trailer when I picked up the 300 DVD.  I was worried it would not hold up to all the hyperbole and anticipation that it has garnered.  I am happy to say that, this actually beats Drag Me To Hell as my favorite horror film of the year.  This is a film that just fires on all cylinders.  It is like a hybrid of Creepshow and Pulp fiction and it flows together flawlessly.  This is a film all about the traditions of Halloween and how they have been disregarded and abused over the years.  For fans of the holiday, this is a must see film and though it is a short film, clocking in at 82 minutes it is the perfect running time and I think any longer and it would have overstayed its welcome.  It has a great ensemble cast that really plays off of each other well.

    The plot basics are this, it is Halloween and a couple (Pinikett, Bibb) are returning from a party and the female decides to wrap up her holiday decorations.  However, her man tries to dissuade her saying that it is bad luck to remove it till after Halloween but she does it anyway.  Next we meet Steven (baker) a school principal who is a stickler for the traditions of Halloween and a dark secret.  We now flash to Laurie (Paquin) who is hunting for a costume and seeming to try and lose her virginity on Halloween.  Next we meet some teenagers, who are mesmerized by a horrible school bus accident and decide to go to the crash site and have some fun with a slow girl in the process.  Finally we meet a hermit of a old man, Mr. Kreeg (Cox), who has a disdain for Halloween and is soon besieged by a psychotic trick ‘r treater (Lord),  and is fighting for his life.  In the end all these characters and stories intersect.

    This is an amazing film.  Dougherty has a fine flair for visuals and what is scary.  The film has both a sense of dread and fun permeating throughout the entire film.. He stages everything well and half the time you are taken into a completely different direction than you thought you were headed.  The script is great as well, it is great how it bounces back and forth in time without seeming disjointed or confusing.  The twists in the film are surprising and feel completely organic to the story. All the characters are really well rounded and fully realized.  The cast is amazing, Baker as the somewhat crazed Halloween traditionalist is amazing.  Paquin is very good as the innocent heroine, or so you think.  Cox is great as the disgruntled Halloween Scrooge and you never expect his ending to turn out the way it does.  The SFX is very good, it is very gory and splattery and it never looks cheesy or gratuitous.  The werewolf transformations are in particular, amazing.  The score by Douglas Pipes is very atmospheric and really plays well within the parameters of a Halloween themed film.  This is a great appreciation and adoration of the Halloween holiday and any horror fan needs to see this film.

This one gets 5 out of 5

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Michael Dougherty’s anthology film is in love with Halloween and captures the fun, dark, and creepiness of the holiday to success while also providing a fast paced and engaging film.
The film is a quick tale over the events of one night of Halloween in a small Midwestern town that embraces the holiday with open arms. Loosely connected and tying into one another we follow the path of a killer school principal, a group of young girls looking to de-virgin their young companion, a group of young students investigating the towns oldest ghost story, and an old shut in that hides from the night of Halloween inside his run down house. When the film settles on one story it pretty much sticks with it till its run its course, but Dougherty does a pretty good job at blending them all together into a more cohesive film that runs together rather than breaking it up with title cards are what have you; think Traffic or Syriana.
I guess I should throw a little history on this picture while I am at it as well as this flick has been sitting on Warner’s shelf now for the last few years, outside a couple of festival appearances, and has been pushed back from being release theatrically time and time again for some unknown reason until finally finding it’s way this fall direct to video. I think Warner missed out on a real chance to make some good bank with this picture as fresh and fun Halloween material is nowhere to be seen in most films marketed this time of year.
The film never reaches terrifying levels but also doesn’t dip into a well of pop up scares to get its kicks. The film will tense you up and put you on edge a plenty and the legend the younger students investigate is executed in a haunting and eerie flashback that is the highlight of the film. But most importantly the film is a blast to watch and a lot of fun which is what makes this film so easy to enjoy. It’s not a send up or straight up horror film, it lies somewhere in between and is always respectful to the genre and never spoofy. In fact, its linking protagonist is quite the little creepy but likeable creation that you can’t help but enjoy.
Dougherty’s writing has plenty of good laughs and its comic book inspirations and pacing really help things move forward. Never a dull moment in the picture, it doesn’t hurt anything that it is a shade under 90 minutes, in fact it works wonderfully to not over stay its welcome. The film is a nice little Halloween treat you can enjoy when you need to get in the holiday’s spirit.
The actors in the film also have quite a bit of fun with Dylan Baker getting the best stuff to work with. His tale is by far the darkest and most f’d up of the film but it also had me laughing the hardest and having a lot of fun with a really faux pas subject matter, kids dying. Brian Cox gets to have the most fun with his climatic clash of the film and the fighting is both fun and surprising while Cox chews up the scenery as his haven becomes his hell. Anna Paquin shot this pre-Sookie Stackhouse and she is cute and harmless as our stories little red ridding hood virgin who might get into more than she can handle. The real accomplishments in this film though come from the number of solid turns by the multiple kids in the film that play bit parts to leads depending on the story. Everyone involved with the local legend does some solid work and do a convincing job at keeping us on guard and unsuspecting of their plots next turn. There are a bevy of other cameos and parts for some familiar faces as well with everyone doing a just fine job in their little bits here and there.
In the end, Trick ‘r Treat is a fun and entertaining horror movie that is perfect for a little Halloween spirit. Providing a variety of characters and stories and moving along at a whips pace there is very little to complain about in this picture. It might not be the scariest horror film, or the cleverest homage to the genre ala Shaun of the Dead, but it will suck you in for the course of its run time and have your revisiting it on the holiday for years to come.
Trick ‘r Treat is a B

Opening 27th of November at MAYO MOVIE WORLD CINEMA

Synopsis: In LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, a prisoner’s incredible reign over the city outside his cell is interrupted by an assistant district attorney. Gerard Butler (300) stars.

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Viola Davis, Bruce McGill, Leslie Bibb, Colm Meaney, Regina Hall

Director: F. Gary Gray

- John David

“Trick ‘r Treat”
a review by Darby O’Gill

It’s Halloween night, a night full of tricks and treats. Well, mostly tricks. But, the real treat is finally getting Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat released. I know it’s not the theatrical release we were all hoping for, but it is finally out on DVD. In the spirit of Creepshow, Trick ‘r Treat takes four tales from one Halloween night and intertwines them into one fantastic story. It’s like Robert Altman and Wes Craven had a baby, and named it Trick ‘r Treat. Take a high school principal moonlighting as serial killer, a young woman searching for the perfect date, a childish prank that ends with disastrous consequences, and an old man that learns the true meaning of trick-or –treat, and what you have is one hell of a ride. Trick ‘r Treat was made in 2007, and spent two years just trying to get into theatres. It was receiving rave reviews at all the horror festivals, but for some reason Warner Brothers just didn’t believe in it enough to put it in theatres. It’s sad really. Great movies like this have to fight to see the light of day, but pieces of shit like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, have no problem finding their way into theatres. You know, there was another little horror film that was made in 2007 that couldn’t seem to find distribution. It was a little movie called Paranormal Activity. Ever hear of it? Maybe this will finally make Hollywood wake up. Most likely not, but it would be nice if other little movies like these would finally be given the chance they deserve, and not have to fight for two years just to see the light of day. I know. I know. It’s never going to happen. But, let’s get back to subject at hand. Trick ‘r Treat is a must see. With an amazing story, some brilliant cinematography, and fantastic performances, Trick ‘r Treat is a guaranteed Halloween classic. Oh, I haven’t even mentioned little Sam, the trick-or-treater demon that oversees the night’s events. He is a greatly welcomed addition to the Freddy and Jason’s of the horror community. I really hope they make more of these. I can’t wait to see Trick ‘r Treat 2! I just hope next time it’ll be in theatres on Halloween night, and not just a straight to DVD blow-off. Warner Brothers is sitting on a goldmine. They could make a new Trick ‘r Treat movie every year like the Saw franchise, but I guess we’ll just have to wait for them to realize that on their own. Until then, we’ll just have to keep fighting the good fight.

Rating:

DVD Special Features:

• Original Animated Short: “Season’s Greetings” with Optional Commentary by Michael Dougherty

Sadly, that’s it. One bonus feature, if you can call it that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool to see the animation short that became this movie, but come on! This movie had an incredible journey for two years, and you’re not going to do a commentary track for the feature film?! How about some behind the scenes footage, or maybe some deleted scenes? Hell, I’d be happy with even a trailer at this point! My only guess is that Warner Brothers was really on the fence about putting it in theatres, but at the last minute pushed it to DVD, and wanted to get it out before Halloween. If that is the case, we’ll hopefully get a Special Edition DVD at some point, but until then it’ just sad.

DVD Special Features Rating:

I like Gerald Butler. I’m not afraid to admit that I bawled during “P.s. I love you” and set flight many a daydreams amongst the lush emerald green cinematography of that film, which lovely precipitated my own adventure in the Emerald Isle. Butler lighted up that film and others, accent and all, and seems like a genuine guy in interviews, and I was looking forward to him taking on edgier roles.

I like Jamie Fox. Who doesn’t like Jamie Fox? The man can sing, act, and is funny. “Ray” got to everyone, including me. I like him better in films than on CD, and I really enjoyed him in “Miami Vice” – he plays such a bad ass good guy.

So you see, I had high expectations for “Law Abiding Citizen“. A taut thriller! The advertising exclaims. Butler AND Fox! A mystery plot that will leave you spinning! Well, that plot should have been left spinning all the way to the end, through the credits and off the screen, until the theater is empty and everyone has left, and the cleaners have come in to sweep up for the next show. Yeah. That would be a good time to reveal the secret, because it’s such a bad secret that anyone paying for the film shouldn’t be subject to seeing it.

A little harsh, you say? Maybe. But only because I actually enjoyed the rest of the film, quite a lot too. Gary Gray winds us up pretty tight, tick-tock tick-tock, by the clock. The film begins with Butler’s character, Clyde, being brutally attacked in his home and watch while his wife and child is slaughtered by two assailants. No reason is given. It looks like one of those cruel coincidences in life. Wrong time, wrong place.

Clyde survives the incident physically but is broken to pieces inside. In comes Nick (Fox), the superstar District Attorney who has a 95%..oh wait, oops, sorry, 97% conviction rate. Nick is all about success, and doesn’t want to risk letting both assailants go free. He cuts a deal with one of them, we the audience, see that it’s with the wrong one, and that it screams human injustice. So does Clyde. There is a shot of Clyde watching Nick and the scumbag on the courthouse steps after the deal is announced. The look on his face set my gut in a wrench, and that’s when I completely sign up to the rest of the movie.

But then…things start to get funky. And I mean, ludicrously funky. People start dying left right and center. It’s revenge time. I get it. I was on the ride by this point, like I said, and I was enjoying it. It is a fun ride. Clyde is arrogantly demanding, and there is a tinge of sweetness in his methods, the way he so bluntly rights the wrong that we all know was done to him. We relish through him, because deep down we are not shedding tears, and some of us probably would have done the same.

Then…pieces start to drop into place and god, I was hoping, hoping, as the film reels determinately towards its purposed end, that it wouldn’t settle for such a simple and ludicrous solution. It did. I won’t spoil it for you, but it requires a future seeing ability that, frankly, if Clyde possessed, it’s ironic that he didn’t employ it to make a better home security system.

Anyway, that’s all that I can say about this film. Any more would be…well, too revealing. It is consolation that the reveal was kept to the last possible minute, I guess. But in a way, that made me feel more robbed than ever of my sympathy for Clyde by jolting me out of the ride I was happily on all the way up till then. Gerald Butler and Jamie Fox turn in fine performances here, it’s just too bad that the plot lifts them up through such a high arc in the air only for a steep drop at the end. Leslie Bibb was lovely, and was underused as the female sidekick. Viola Davis steals the scenes she’s in as Mayor. The whole movie just feels like a let down by the end, but then I guess I should have expected it from a Hollywood definition of a “taut thriller”.

Oh, one last thing, at the very end, look at the flames that engulf the room and tell me if that is not the worse CGI fire ever?

My suggestion: watch the film up to the last 10 minutes, then walk out. Let your imagination provide the better ending.

On second thought, this trailer gives away everything about the film – including the scenes mentioned above. Ugh, why do studios do that?? Is there no respect for the value of mystery any more?