Collider have a great interview with man of the moment Mark Strong. He talks about his roles in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood and Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass.

However, he also spoke about Pixar’s John Carter of Mars. The adaption of Edgar Rice Burroughs work is directed by Andrew Stanton it stars Taylor Kitsch as John Carter, Lynn Collins and Willem Dafoe. Strong plays the villainous Matai Shang and it sounds as if this could be a mind blowing film.

“I play a character called Matai Shang and he is the ruler of a group of people called the Ferns who are like the old Olympian Gods. They exist….people aren’t really sure if they exist, but basically he’s a master of the Universe. They travel ’round keeping order in the Universe. So basically he exists over and above the Martians that exist on the planet. Like I say, he’s like an Olympian God. I mean getting to play Mati Shang Master of the Universe, it doesn’t get much better than that.

He is, over the course of the 3 movies that they’re envisioning making and I’ve seen the synopsis of the 2nd and 3rd, basically and in the novels, Princess of Mars that Rice Burroughs wrote, Matai Shang is basically John Carter’s nemesis. So he comes into his own during the 2nd half of the current movie and then just basically gets bigger and bigger in the 2nd and 3rd.

With the mix of live action and CGI it sounds like it could be along the lines of Avatar, but when asked about whether it was in 3D Strong said he had not been told if it was.

I don’t believe so. Not that I know of, no. I’ve certainly never heard that or been told that. No, I know it’s a combination of live action and motion capture. That’s all I know for right now.

I mean it looks phenomenal. I mean his conception of it is extraordinary. I mean it’s “Avatar” type territory and I think the point I was making before about these Pixar’s guys are always wanting to be in the vanguard. They want to be leading from the front. They’re giving the public stories that the public don’t even know they want. I mean a story about a fish? A story about an old guy keeping his house? On paper, these must seem like, you know, how on earth are you going to carry those things off. Talking toys? Come on. But they I think Andrew said they’re in the business of giving the public what they want before they know they want it. So I can totally imagine he’s gone to see “Avatar” and that’ll just set the cogs whirring in his brain and the twinkle in his eye because he’ll just want to surpass it, no question.

I think it’s something like a $200 million budget. It starts in January and I actually go through to May. I think some of it is also filming in Utah, so it’s a 5 month production based largely in London with some exterior scenes in the desert I assume in Utah. So it’s a massive production.

This is definitely shaping up to be something that could well be spectacular.

Willem Dafoe talked about the film a while back and went into the development of the Martian culture and language.

Well, you don’t have to wonder much longer. Al Pacino will be onstage this summer as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice at Central Park in New York City. He played the role on screen a couple years ago, in a version I personally greatly enjoyed (in particular the luminous Lynn Collins as Portia…gorgeous and regal). It will be interesting to see Mr. HOO-AH!!! on the stage in such a complex role!

Pacino has a great passion for Shakespeare. If you haven’t seen his documentary Looking For Richard, please do so immediately. It is fascinating and wonderful and really shows his non-insaneviolentdrugdoingscarymafiacharacters side.

I would love to make a field trip up to the city this summer to check out the production…anyone want to be my travel buddy?

Also: Jesse L. Martin is in it. Yum.

I'll give you a quarter if you can explain this movie to me...

R

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lynn Collins

Bobby: Will we be people with a kid…or parents?

Two separate stories, involving the same couple, Bobby (Gordon-Levitt) and Kate (Collins), unfold simultaneously on July 4th.  One involves the couple finding a cell phone in a taxi and quickly discovering that some dangerous people want to get their hands on the phone.  The other story is a more mundane one about Bobby and Kate visiting Kate’s family for a holiday dinner.

Strange movie, this one.  It begins with Bobby and Kate standing on the Brooklyn bridge, discussing a big decision they need to make.  Bobby pulls out a coin, flips it, they look at the result, then go running off in opposite directions.  Bobby arrives at a green van, being driven by Kate, and the word GREEN is displayed on screen.  This is the green storyline, where the couple finds a lost dog on their way to meet up with Kate’s family.  Meanwhile, Kate gets to the other end of the bridge and hops into a taxi with, you guessed it, Bobby as a passenger already.  This is the YELLOW storyline.  Once in the taxi, they soon discover the mysterious cell phone which will lead to a world of trouble for them.

The obvious movie to compare this one to is Sliding Doors, but actually they seem quite different.  In Sliding Doors, there was one little moment, one brief delay that changed Gwenyth Paltrow’s life forever and sent the movie down two separate paths.  In this movie, I’m not sure that’s the case.  The decision at the beginning is a little ambiguous, though their is some mention of whether or not they’re going to go to Brooklyn or Manhattan.  Why that’s such a monumental decision, I’m not sure.  The green storyline has them on an obviously scheduled trip to Kate’s family’s house for dinner, but the yellow storyline doesn’t mention this at all.  It doesn’t seem as though the decision was to go to dinner or not.  Yeah, I was confused a bit.

Either way, it wouldn’t matter if the stories were more compelling, but while neither is bad, neither is great either.  Yellow is more exciting because their lives are at stake, but I was also a little dumbfounded at how stupid some of their decisions were.  Once you know someone is after you, and that they’re willing to kill in broad daylight to get what they want…ditch the cell phone!  Instead, they try to make some money off the situation.  To say they’re in over their heads is an understatement.  Though, it’s fun to see them try.

Back in the green time line, their biggest decision seems to be whether or not to tell Kate’s family that she’s pregnant.  Oh, and what to do with the lost dog they’ve found.  Yeah, the green story isn’t quite as high stakes as the yellow.

Both the leads do a good job, though JGL doesn’t really get to display as much of a range as he’s capable of.  Bobby’s very calm, cool, collected and…well, a little dull.  That kind of describes the whole movie actually.  Well put together, with some interesting views of New York, but also with a pervading sense of “so what?”

Don’t mess with guys with foreign accents and names like Dmitri.

10 – 3.1 for an overall blah, boring feeling – .2 because maybe I’m easily confused, but the beginning was confusing – .5 because the characters could have been more interesting = 6.2

DVD Top 10.
Bestsellerliste der Woche
von Illuminati bis State of Play

Illuminati:
Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) entdeckt Beweise, dass die mächtigste Untergrundbewegung der Geschichte, ein uralter konspirativer Geheimbund, den man als ‘Die Illuminati’ kennt, wiederauferstanden ist. Kurz darauf wird er damit konfrontiert, dass die katholische Kirche, der zutiefst verhasste Erzfeind der Illuminaten, einer tödlichen, existenzvernichtenden Bedrohung ausgesetzt ist…

Nachts im Museum 2:
Seine Tage als Museumswärter sind passé: Larry Daley ist als Erfinder nutzloser Dinge erfolgreich, kehrt jedoch ins Museum zurück, als er erfährt, dass die seinerzeit zu Leben erwachten Ausstellungsstücke in den Keller des Smithsonian in New York verfrachtet werden sollen. Ruhe ist allerdings auch dort nicht angesagt, weil auch die mystische Tafel von Akhmenrah, die den Exponaten Leben einhaucht, versehentlich zum neuen Ausstellungsort transportiert wurde. Nun bricht dort das Chaos aus, und Larry muss für Ordnung sorgen…

Slumdog Millionär:
Glauben Sie an das Schicksal? Für Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) ist es der größte Tag seines bisherigen Lebens. Nur noch eine Frage trennt ihn vom 20 Millionen Rupien-Hauptgewinn in Indiens TV- Show ‘Wer wird Millionär?’

Der Womanizer:
Der Junggeselle Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) gehört zu den Typen, die drei Freundinnen den Laufpass geben. Gleichzeitig. Per Telefonkonferenz. Auf der Hochzeitsfeier seines Bruders hat er also nur ein Ziel: Er will die einzige Brautjungfer herumkriegen, die er bisher irgendwie übersehen hat. Doch der Geist seines verstorbenen Onkels Wayne (Michael Douglas) – der Connor beigebracht hat, die Frauen zu wechseln wie die Hemden – verfolgt ein ganz anderes Ziel…

Star Trek – Die Zukunft hat begonnen:
James T. Kirk ist ein rebellischer Hitzkopf im amerikanischen Niemandsland, der nie den Tod seines Vaters bei einem Angriff eines romulanischen Raumschiffs verkraftet hat. Nach einer seiner Prügeleien fordert ihn Captain Pike, einst ein Freund seines verstorbenen Vaters, auf, der Sternenflotte beizutreten. Dort macht sich Kirk zunächst keine Freunde, bis ihn eine Mission zwingt, endlich Verantwortung zu übernehmen: der Romulaner Nero bedroht Vulkan, den Heimatplaneten von Kirks späterem Weggefährten Spock…

Transformers 2:
Nachdem Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) die Welt mit Hilfe der gutmütigen Autobots vor den bösartigen Decepticons gerettet hat, freut er sich auf ein normales Leben. Als er aufs College geht, lässt er nicht nur Freundin Mikaela (Megan Fox) zurück…

X-Men Origins: Wolverine:
Hugh Jackman schlüpft wieder in die Rolle, die ihn zum Superstar machte: Wolverine – der Mann mit den unverkennbaren Stahlklingen, bemerkenswerten Selbstheilungskräften, ruppigem Charme und einer gehörigen Portion trockenem Humor. ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ erzählt die Vorgeschichte Logans mit Augenmerk auf seine mysteriöse Vergangenheit, seine komplexe Beziehung zu Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) und das ominöse Weapon X-Programm. Der Zuschauer erfährt, wer Wolverine wirklich ist…

Duplicity:
CIA-Offizier Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) und MI6-Agent Ray Koval (Clive Owen) standen früher im Geheimdienst ihrer Regierungen. Derzeit haben sie in die Privatwirtschaft gewechselt, um mit lukrativen Verträgen das meiste aus dem Kalten Krieg herauszuholen. Beide jagen jeweils für ihre Bosse Tully (Tom Wilkinson) und Garsik (Paul Giamatti) einem milliardenschweren Patent nach. Keiner ahnt, dass sie eine heimliche Affäre und eigene Pläne haben…

Männersache:
Tagsüber arbeitet Paul (Mario Barth) in einer Berliner Zoohandlung und abends an seiner Karriere als Komiker. Zugegeben, seine Auftritte laufen mies… bis Paul anfängt, Witze über seinen besten Freund Hotte (Dieter Tappert) und dessen Freundin Susi (Anja Kling) zu reißen. Auf einmal läuft es auf der Bühne: Pauls Gags über Hottes Beziehungsgeschichten, nicht enden wollende Shopping-Orgien von Susi und den Pärchen Kaffeeklatsch bei den Schwiegereltern sind ein Renner…

State of Play – Stand der Dinge:
Ein junger aufstrebender Politiker und ein Washingtoner Enthüllungsreporter finden sich mitten im Epizentrum einer Reihe von Morden wieder, die nur scheinbar nichts miteinander zu tun haben. Der Kongressabgeordnete Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) ist Hoffnung und Zukunft seiner Partei – ein aussichtsreicher und ehrenhafter Newcomer, unter anderem im Vorsitz des Komitees für Verteidigungsausgaben…

Weitere Informationen, auch Top 100 Liste, erhalten Sie hier

by The Great White Gypsy

The Box – Written and Directed by Richard Kelly
The premise of this film sounds like a bad teenage horror story. A strange man gives a box to a couple having money problems. They will get money every time they push the button, but every time, someone they don’t know will die. Though it’s riding on Cameron Diaz’s acting skills (um…), if anyone can make it cool, writer/director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) will have no problem.
Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn
November 6

Endgame – Directed by Pete Travis, Written by Paula Milne
Another slow, patient South African political film? Meh. I mean, I really like Hurt and Ejiofor, but Pete Travis directed Vantage Point, which sucked asshole. I really, really want it to be good, I’m just scared it’s going to be really, really bad.
William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Johnny Lee Miller, Mark Strong, Derek Jacobi
November 6

The Men Who Stare at Goats – Directed by Grant Heslov, Written by Peter Straughan
Actor Grant Heslov hasn’t done much directing. Same goes for Peter Straughan and writing. But if you look at this cast, you really can’t go wrong in a story about Telekenisis/Psychic programs in the army. Hell yes.
George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root
November 6

Precious – Directed by Lee Daniels, Written by Geoffrey Fletcher
I hate the fact that the full title of this film is “Precious: Based on a novel by Sapphire”. I also hate the fact that Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey are “presenting” this one. However, cliché and cheesy as it most likely is, I seriously almost cried watching the preview. This has the potential for two hours of raw emotion that leaves you speechless. Or two hours of horrible acting and bullshit storyline. I’ll wait for cable.
Gabourey Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz
November 6

The Fantastic Mr. Fox – Written and Directed by Wes Anderson
I hate, I hate, I hate Wes Anderson. However, there are always a couple elements of his films that impress me, and his attempts at stop motion animation intrigue me. Will I like it? Probably not. Will I see it? Of course.
George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Michael Gambon
November 13

Pirate Radio – Written and Directed by Richard Curtis
When I saw the preview for this, I thought, “Hey, that looks exactly like that movie advertised last year called “The Boat that Rocked”. Wait… I have no idea why this film took so long to release, or why they changed the title, but after waiting so long, I’ve built it up to possible “Almost Famous” level in my head. I really hope I’m not disappointed.  About a boatful of radio DJ’s who broadcast banned music over British airwaves in the ‘60’s. Curtis directed Love Actually.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Nick Frost
November 13

The Messenger – Written and Directed by Oren Moverman
Foster and Harrelson play a very overlooked part of the military in this new drama about the officers who deliver the horrible news to KIA soldiers’ families. Foster starts to care too much…you see where this is going. Moverman’s first film, looks good.
Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
November 13

2012 – Directed by Roland Emmerich, Written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser
When I want to see an action packed explosion film with weak story, I’ll catch the new Michael Bay flick. When I want to see a really entertaining film with great special effects that will leave me dumber for having watched it, I’ll go see a Roland Emmerich film (Independence Day, Stargate, Godzilla, 10,000 BC). If you don’t know what this film is about, you should probably look into it, cause we’re kinda running out of time, dude…
John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Oliver Platt
November 13

That Evening Sun – Written and Directed by Scot Teems
I think Clint Eastwood had a scheduling conflict playing a grumpy old man in Gran Turino, so Holbrook stepped in. This is a perfect example of a cookie-cutter Midwest drama starring a senior citizen afraid of change that might not be very good, but will definitely get nominated for at least 2 Oscars. Don’t get me wrong, Hal is great, but the story has the potential to be full of holes.
Hal Holbrook, Ray McKinnon, Mia Wasikowska, Carrie Preston
November 13

Uncertainty – Written and Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel
At the risk of sounding like a douchebag, I am very uncertain about this movie. Part romantic comedy, part drama, part action thriller? So confused. McGehee and Siegel have written and directed three other films together, and I’ve never heard of any of them. But Gordon-Levitt hasn’t let me down so far, and Thirlby and Collins are sexy. I’ll flip a coin.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lynn Collins, Olivia Thirlby
November 13

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – Directed by Werner Herzog, Written by William M. Finkelstein
Controverial old-school director Werner Herzog (Encounters at the End of the World, Grizzly Man) is remaking the 1992 drama (starring Harvey Keitel) about a gambling/drug addict cop, and he’s setting it in post-Katrina New Orleans. They say it’s Cage’s best performance since Leaving Las Vegas (not really hard), and Kilmer’s presence is reassuring. Looking forward to it.
Nicholas Cage, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes, Michael Shannon, Fairuza Balk, Xzibit, Shawn Hatosy
November 20

Chi Bi (Red Cliff) – Directed by John Woo, Written by John Woo and Khan Chan
This is an epic film in the style of Hero and House of Flying Daggers. John Woo started out with some good films (A Better Tomorrow, Killer, Hard Boiled), he even had some good American movies (Hard Target, Face/Off), though there were bullshit ones too (Windtalkers, Paycheck). However, his dramas, like Last Hurrah for Chivalry, have gone largerly unnoticed by American audiences. And, of course, it’s been out in China for two years, and we’re just getting it now. Tarantino needs to step his game up.
Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wei Zhao
November 20

Fix – Directed by Tao Ruspoli, Written by Charles Castaldi and Paul Duran
Documentary filmmaker Ruspoli blends styles in this fictional documentary about a convicted drug dealer and his friends, who are attempting to raise enough money to put him in rehab before 8pm so he can avoid jail time. I can already tell that Andrews’ over-the-top personality is going to steal the show, and Wilde is kinda cute. When’s it coming to Netflix?
Olivia Wilde, Tao Ruspoli, Dedee Pfeiffer, Shawn Andrews
November 20

The Missing Person – Written and Directed by Noah Buschel
Modern noir about a private detective (Shannon in a lead role…nice) searching for a missing person after 9/11. Elements of drama and comedy make it appear a little disjointed, but Shannon and Ryan are solid. Kinda surprised it didn’t go straight to DVD, but whatever.
Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan, Frank Wood
November 20

Me and Orson Welles – Directed by Richard Linklater, Written by Holly Gent Palmo
I can’t see Efron’s name on anything without thinking Highschool Musical, which makes me want to punch everyone under the age of 17 in the eye. However, this film is a little more dramatic, a lot less musical, and Christian McKay looks like the best Orson Welles since D’onofrio in Ed Wood. And if that still doesn’t convince you to see this period film about Welles directing stage plays, I have three words for you: Richard motherfucking Linklater (Scanner Darkly, Waking Life, Dazed and Confused). There you go.
Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay, Ben Chaplin
November 25

Ninja Assassin – Directed by James McTeigue, Written by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski
The directors of The Matrix are producing this balls-to-the-wall violence-fest about…are you ready? A Ninja Assassin. Crazy right? Just think blades, bullets, blood, and nonstop special effects. I can’t freaking wait.
Sung Kang
November 25

The Road – Directed by John Hillcoat, Written by Joe Penhall
I must admit, I didn’t care for Cormac McCarthy’s award winning novel. The fact that writer and director are inexperienced worries me. Whether the acting, cinematography and effects can save it or not, the story makes me think no one will like this no matter what.
Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Garret Dillahunt
November 25

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

Metropia – Directed by Tarik Saleh, Written by Fredrik Edin
Anything with Vincent Gallo attatched generally gets my attention (Buffalo 66 was fucking weird). In this animated social commentary, Gallo’s character goes nuts when he starts hearing voices in the expansive underground tunnels Europe was forced to build after gas prices went too high. The animation looks pretty damn cool, so we’ll see.
Vincent Gallo, Udo Kier, Juliette Lewis, Stellan Skarsgard, Alexander Skarsgard
November 6 (Sweden)

Harry Brown – Directed by Daniel Barber, Written by Gary Young
Michael Caine hasn’t really been a badass since Get Carter, but this one may change that. Granted, it’s another cranky old man pissed off at street hooligans, but they did kill his friend…and he is ex-military. Comes out in the UK this month, possible limited releases in US.
Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen
November 11 (UK)

Los abrazos rotos (Broken Embraces) – Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar
Almodovar is huge in Spain, and the last time he teamed with Cruz was Volver, which was damn good. This film is about a writer/director telling a young man the story of why he changed his name after an accident took the life of his true love 14 years prior. Limited release this month, but expect it to be everywhere in time for the Oscars.
Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar
November 20 (Limited)

Mammoth – Written and Directed by Lukas Moodysson
Husband and wife with a “perfect” life are put to the test when he takes a business trip to Thailand and decides to let loose a little. It looks very similar to parts of Babel, but more focused. Bernal and Williams have grown on me the last couple years, and Moodysson has done good work in Sweden.
Michelle Williams, Gael Garcia Bernal
November 20 (Limited)

‘Uncertainty,’ from directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel (‘The Deep End’), thrusts Bobby Thompson and Kate Montero (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lynn Collins) into two alternate realities on the same steamy summer day in New York City. With the flip of a coin, the couple are sent in opposite directions – a delicate drama set in Brooklyn examines familial love, self-discovery, loss and the ordinary choices we make everyday, while Manhattan offers a vastly different tale of intrigue, suspense and murder on the streets of Chinatown.

This one stars Lynn Collins (Wolverine, John Carter of Mars) and Joseph Gordon Levitt (Brick, G.I. Joe, 500 Days of Summer).

What if? A couple at a crossroads in their relationship, facing, one fateful July 4, the seemingly simple decision between a family barbecue or dim sum in Chinatown. Splitting the tale in two, exploring what happens as the couple follow both options and the consequences of making a choice–or not.

In my mind, Joseph Gordon-Levitt just may be the king of indie movies, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be losing his crown any time soon.

His newest release is titled “Uncertainty” and looks like it won’t disappoint.

It’s the 4th of July, and Bobby (Gordon-Levitt) and Kate (Lynn Collins) don’t know what to do.  In order to decide whether to attend a family barbecue or go off on their own for the day, they flip a coin on the Brooklyn Bridge.

After the coin toss, two stories develop simultaneously, and each is the result of what would happen if the coin had landed heads or tails.  The first is a family drama set in Brooklyn, the other a tale of action, suspense and intrigue in Chinatown.

The film is about being insecure, the consequences that stem from the choices we make every day and how that choice can define your destiny.

There are, in my opinion, two very interesting aspects about this movie…

First, the film’s script contained no dialogue, meaning the actors improvised everything during filming.  How awesome is that?

Second fun fact–the film is set to be released in theaters November 13, 2009. However, it is also being released via VOD the same day.  VOD stands for ‘video on demand,’ meaning you can watch it from the comfort of your own living room.

Check out the preview for “Uncertainty” here and let me know what you think!!

Matthew Perry (Vänner) spelar Hudson som lider av depersonalisations syndrom vilket gör honom avtrubbad och har svårigheter att fungera i olika sociala sammanhang. Han är djupt olycklig och inte förrän den spontana Sara (Lynn Collins; The Number 23, X-Men Origins: Wolverine mfl) dyker upp i hans liv fylls han med hopp om framtiden, men hans funktionshinder sätter hela tiden krokben för relationen och frågan är om de ska kunna hitta en balans som gör det möjligt för dem att vara tillsammans?

Detta skulle visst vara en komedi och visst finns där några dråpliga scener och viss underfundighet. Mestadels är det dock en tragisk skildring av en djupt olycklig man som inte är förmögen att leva som han önskar. Perry gör riktigt bra ifrån sig i denna återhållsamma rolltolkning och troligen är det också det bästa han presterat som skådespelare. En intressant lågbudget independentfilm som dock inte riktigt håller hela vägen till slutet.

Betyg: 2

Der Womanizer

Bitte Lächeln – und Knips! Machen Sie sich ein Bild von Mode-Fotograf Connor, der seine Freiheit liebt und seine Freundinnen nach Lust und Laune abserviert.

In der Nacht der Ex-Freundinnen führen ihm drei ganz besondere Geister alle seine gescheiterten Beziehungen vor: Der Womanizer.

Auch eine junge Bankangestellte bekommt es mit übernatürlichen Erscheinungen zu tun, als eine alte Zigeunerin sie mit einem mächtigen Fluch belegt. Ob Drag Me to Hell der Verbannung entkommen kann, flüstert Video Buster Ihnen in der Filmkritik.

Gespenstisch geht es dann weiter, denn dort werfen die Halloween-Collection und ein Star aus Trick’r Treat ihre Schatten voraus.

Top-Film: Der Womanizer
Der Junggeselle Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) gehört zu den Typen, die drei Freundinnen den Laufpass geben. Gleichzeitig. Per Telefonkonferenz. Auf der Hochzeitsfeier seines Bruders hat er also nur ein Ziel: Er will die einzige Brautjungfer herumkriegen, die er bisher irgendwie übersehen hat… Filmperlen Bewertung ***

Filmkritik: Drag Me to Hell
Verflucht! Sam Raimi kehrt zurück in unsere heimischen Player. Höllisch gut oder zum Gruseln schlecht?

TOP 10 bei Video Buster:
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Hugh Jackman schlüpft wieder in die Rolle, die ihn zum Superstar machte: Wolverine – der Mann mit den unverkennbaren Stahlklingen, bemerkenswerten Selbstheilungskräften, ruppigem Charme und einer gehörigen Portion trockenem Humor. ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ erzählt die Vorgeschichte Logans mit Augenmerk auf seine mysteriöse Vergangenheit, seine komplexe Beziehung zu Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) und das ominöse Weapon X-Programm. Der Zuschauer erfährt, wer Wolverine wirklich ist.

Slumdog Millionär
Für Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) ist es der größte Tag seines bisherigen Lebens. Nur noch eine Frage trennt ihn vom 20 Millionen Rupien-Hauptgewinn in Indiens TV- Show ‘Wer wird Millionär?’. Doch was in aller Welt hat ein mittelloser Youngster aus den Slums von Mumbai in dieser Sendung verloren? Und wie kommt es, dass er auf alle Fragen eine Antwort weiß…

Duplicity
CIA-Offizier Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) und MI6-Agent Ray Koval (Clive Owen) standen früher im Geheimdienst ihrer Regierungen. Derzeit haben sie in die Privatwirtschaft gewechselt, um mit lukrativen Verträgen das meiste aus dem Kalten Krieg herauszuholen. Beide jagen jeweils für ihre Bosse Tully (Tom Wilkinson) und Garsik (Paul Giamatti) einem milliardenschweren Patent nach. Keiner ahnt, dass sie eine heimliche Affäre und eigene Pläne haben…

Männersache
Tagsüber arbeitet Paul (Mario Barth) in einer Berliner Zoohandlung und abends an seiner Karriere als Komiker. Zugegeben, seine Auftritte laufen mies… bis Paul anfängt, Witze über seinen besten Freund Hotte (Dieter Tappert) und dessen Freundin Susi (Anja Kling) zu reißen. Auf einmal läuft es auf der Bühne: Pauls Gags über Hottes Beziehungsgeschichten, nicht enden wollende Shopping-Orgien von Susi und den Pärchen Kaffeeklatsch bei den Schwiegereltern sind ein Renner…

The International
Im Mittelpunkt steht die Entschlossenheit von Interpol-Agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) und der New Yorker Staatsanwältin Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), eine der mächtigsten Banken der Welt zu Fall zu bringen. Während sie eine Reihe illegaler Aktivitäten aufdecken, folgen Salinger und Whitman der Spur des Geldes von Berlin nach Mailand, New York und Istanbul. Bald schon befinden sie sich mitten in einer hochriskanten Hetzjagd rund um den Globus, bei der sie durch ihre kompromisslose Hartnäckigkeit auch ihr eigenes Leben aufs Spiel setzen…

Defiance – Unbeugsam
Kriegsjahr 1941: Zu Tausenden werden Juden in der Sowjetrepublik Weißrussland von den Nazis ermordet. Darunter auch die Eltern und weitere Familienangehörige der drei Bielski-Brüder. Um ihre nackte Haut zu retten, fliehen sie in die undurchdringlichen Wälder der Umgebung. Als sich die Kunde ihres Partisanenkampfes gegen die deutschen Besatzer verbreitet, stoßen immer mehr verzweifelte jüdische Landsleute zu ihnen. Unter der Leitung von Tuvia Bielski bereitet sich die Notgemeinschaft auf die unabsehbar lange Zeit im Versteck und den harten Winter vor…

Willkommen bei den Sch’tis
Der Postbeamte und Südfranzose Philippe Abrams (Kad Merad) wird unfreiwillig in den rauen Norden versetzt – zu den Sch’tis, wie die ‘Ureinwohner’ wegen ihres Dialekts genannt werden. Zwei Welten prallen aufeinander! Schnell merkt Philippe, dass er den Sch’ti-Dialekt zwar überhaupt nicht versteht, die Menschen aber unglaublich herzlich sind…

Der fremde Sohn
Los Angeles, 1928. Die alleinerziehende Mutter Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) verabschiedet sich morgens von ihrem Sohn Walter und geht zur Arbeit. Am Abend ist der Neunjährige spurlos verschwunden. Fünf verzweifelte Monate später bringt ihr die Polizei einen Jungen, doch Christine ist überzeugt: das ist nicht ihr Sohn! Die Behörden tun alles, um Christine zum Schweigen zu bringen, aber die kämpft unbeirrt weiter. Ihre Suche nach der Wahrheit bringt einen Sumpf aus Korruption und Lügen ans Licht, erschüttert die Öffentlichkeit und verändert L.A. für immer…

Appaloosa
Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) und Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) werden als Unterstüzung gegen die Herrschaft des Ranchers Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons) in einer kleinen Stadt angeheuert. Schnell bekommen sie die Situation in Griff. Als jedoch die junge attraktive Witwe Allison French (Renée Zellweger) anreist, ändern sich die Pläne für die beiden…

Hilde

Hilde
Hildegard Knef geht einen langen Weg, bis sie zu sich selbst findet: Aus bedrückenden familiären Verhältnissen gelingt ihr der Sprung in die Schauspielausbildung, doch in den letzten Kriegswirren zählt nur mehr das blanke Überleben. Nach Filmerfolgen und Fehlgriffen, falschen und richtigen Männern, lähmender Langeweile in Hollywood und einer turbulenten Hass-Liebe mit dem deutschen Publikum muss die Kämpfernatur Hilde lernen, dass manchmal andere Dinge zählen als der Ellenbogenkampf im Showbiz: In ihrer eigenen Geschichte und im Inneren ihrer Seele findet sie die Substanz für die ‘Hilde’, auf die sie selbst aber auch das deutsche Publikum immer gewartet hat… Einer der deutschen Lebenswege nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Hildegard Knef war die Sünderin, ein Kinotraum, ein Weltstar, eine Ikone. Und sehr, sehr cool. Dies ist ihr Leben.

Filmperlen-Tipps zu Halloween
Die lange (Film-) Nacht des Grauens…
Ob Sie nun einen privaten Halloween-Abend planen und zu Ihrer orange-schwarzen Dekoration neben einem ekeligen Büffet mit Kürbissuppe noch die richtig unheimliche Filmkost reichen möchten, oder sich ganz einfach mal wieder im Heimkino erschrecken lassen wollen: Video Buster hat viele höllisch gute Vertreter und einige ‘Geist-reiche’ Filmvorschläge versammelt. Grausige Gestalten, schauderhafte Schauplätze, mörderische Träume. Nebel zieht auf… das Böse stirbt nie. Oder doch?
Bloß nicht erschrecken lassen – buh!
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Willem Dafoe

by Rob Keyes – Screenrant.com

Not long after the announcement that Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins were cast in the lead roles in the upcoming adaptation of John Carter of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ series of novels, we found out the talented Willem Dafoe would be playing an important character in the film(s) as well.

At the time, we knew that Dafoe would be playing the role of Tars Tarkas, a big green Martian who eventually befriends the Kitsch’s John Carter, after an unfriendly beginning to their relationship. Tarkas is a warrior and leader of his people and a very unique one at that because he, against the laws and norms of his society, shows compassion and sympathy, and even had a child secretly with the woman he loved (child bearing is a major criminal offense of his people) – he actually believes war isn’t the answer for his kind.

Taylor Kitsch

Dafoe also confirmed that the movie will be a combination of live-action and heavy CGI, something that was already hinted at during the casting announcements.

The films are said to mesh live-action and computer-based animation together in a way similar to what James Cameron has done with his eagerly anticipated Avatar. With Disney and Pixar behind the project and the promise of a series of movies on the same scale of Pirates of the Caribbean, I have high hopes for John Carter of Mars and what it will eventually look like on screen.

Lynn Collins

Amazon Specials!

Filming is due to start in January on the adaption of John Carter of Mars. Willem Dafoe is set to play Tars Tarkas, a many-limbed green Martian warrior who befriends Carter (Taylor Kitsch) after he gets mysteriously transported from Civil War-era America to the Red Planet.

“I’ve seen renderings,” said Willem when talking about the look of his character. “This is Disney, anyway, but it’s Andrew Stanton. And, I’ve seen a lot of the designs and things, and I’ve just started to do prep work now. I’m doing a play in New York, so I’m kind of preoccupied by that, but I’m starting doing scans and things like that, but it’s going to be a real full-on… Well, I’m nine feet tall with four arms, but, just from the scheduling, I’m going to do the stuff.”

As Stanton himself told us earlier this year, “John Carter” will be the “perfect definition of a hybrid movie,” integrating live-action and computer-based animation. Co-star Lynn Collins (Wolverine), who will play humanoid Martian princess Dejah Thoris, has already started hair and makeup tests and told us her look will be akin to the “best-tan-you-can-ever-imagine.”

How will Dafoe and the CGI be integrated?

“Well, we hope. And, also, they’ll use my face, but they’ll enhance it in a way–both after and before–in a way that I may not be recognizable. But, I’m good with that. It’s particularly cool, because he’s a creature, but he’s got this huge range of character. And, he does cool things in the movies.”

He then went on to talk about the language and culture of the Martians.

“There’s a whole period where we’re going to work with the language and the movement, and find out how I’m going to be nine feet tall, and all that stuff…like, a long period of time where we’re going to go to Thark school, you know what I mean? We’re going to create our culture. So, it’s going to be very cool. These guys know how to do this, and they’ve got great people. And, the designs and things are just mind-blowing.”

“It’s got some stuff to it,” he said in deep contemplation. “It’s got a point of view.”

“I don’t want to say it’s political,” he hinted, “but in the same way that ‘Tarzan’ isn’t just about a man in a loincloth…”

Sounds like this could be quite a deep film with a very cool look.

Source: AICN & MTV

Der Film lief bisher nur auf bestimmten Festivals wie dem TIFF Festival 2008. Wann der Film in Deutschland läuft steht bisher noch in den Sternen.

Der Trailer macht aufjedenfall Lust auf mehr…

A young couple, in love and facing a life-changing decision, find one seemingly ordinary July 4th cleaved in two by the flip of a coin on the Brooklyn Bridge.

IMDb-Wertung: 6.9

I’m ashamed to say that I noticed this hottie when he was in Sky High as Warren Peace but, it was a certain kids favorite movie that I was forced to watch. Ok…it didn’t take that much forcing. There are so many things I love about this raven haired sex pot that I’ll just name a few. The eyes, the lips, the abs, the arms, the…screw it(literally) I love the whole package. I’m sure his bride of one year Lynn likes it also. She had the same idea going for this young hottie 7 years her junior. Umm…maybe it was growing up in Greenwich that gave him that suave mysterious mystic.

Enjoy your coffee!

James Purefoy (Solomon Kane), Thomas Haden Church (Spider-Man 3, Sideways) and Mark Strong (RocknRolla, Sherlock Holmes) have officially boarded John Carter of Mars, according to Heat Vision. Haden Church had mentioned he would be in it a while ago.

Andrew Stanton is directing Disney’s adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs books. Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins star in the film, alongside Willem Dafoe, Samantha Morton, Dominic West, Polly Walker.

The film centers on a Civil War veteran (Kitsch) who finds himself mysteriously transported to Mars, where he becomes embroiled with the planet’s warring people.

Church plays Tal Hajus, an ambitious and vicious Thark warrior who is biding his time to be a ruler.

Purefoy plays Kantos Kan, the captain of the Xavarian, the kingdom of Helium’s grand warship. Strong is Matai Shang, the ruler of the Thems with godlike status.

All in all it is shaping up to have one hell of a cast.

Source: MovieWeb

Mark Strong, James Purefoy y Thomas Haden Church -tal y como especuló este mismo verano el propio actor- se unen a John Carter of Mars, adaptación de la novela de aventuras que será el primer filme de acción real del director Andrew Stanton. Anteriormente la película ya contaba en su reparto con Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Samantha Morton, Dominic West y Polly Walker. El filme narrará las aventuras de un veterano de la guerra civil norteamericana que se encuentra a sí mismo misteriosamente transportado a Marte, donde participará en la propia guerra que asola el planeta rojo. Disney planea lanzar el esperado filme en el verano de 2.012.

Dreary, disappointing prequel arrives on DVD and Blu-Ray this week.

Since his introduction as an adversary for the Incredible Hulk thirty-five years ago, the Marvel Comics character Wolverine has come to symbolize a particular type of comics storytelling. Far from the gifted aliens, self-improving millionaires or brilliant scientists who traditionally make up the bulk of comics’ protagonists, the mutant known simply as “Logan” had powers thrust upon him, not once but twice. He was born a mutant and later subjected to military experiments that enhanced his natural abilities even further. His adventures are violent, uncomplicated, and thick on the spy/military tropes found in drugstore paperbacks and B-movie combat actioners. 

Wolverine as a superhero is not a genius, not a strategist and not even much of a thinker, really. He’s a brute force of nature with no end of machismo, a lowbrow hero for our ever-increasingly lowbrow culture. So if X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not an especially well-thought movie, if it places its expensive emphasis on action over clarity of plot and characterization, then in a shabby sense it’s true to its subject. Does that make it a good movie? No, though its vast array of flaws and mistakes makes it a bad one.

Directed by Gavin Hood (Rendition), the film opens with a visually and narratively murky prologue that shows Logan (Hugh Jackman) as a young boy escaping the murder of a man who may be his father. He’s abetted by his playmate Victor (Liev Shreiber), who also may or may not be his brother. Possessed of special healing powers that make them both more or less immortal, the two go on to serve in every major conflict of the next 130 years, depicted in the film as a thrilling opening credits sequence. In time they’re recruited into a special military unit composed of mutant soldiers whose leader, Colonel Stryker (Danny Huston), encourages their bloodlust. Logan quits the group when their – and Victor’s especially – savagery pushes him to his ethical threshold.

He finds solitude in a new life working in Canada’s logging industry, and romancing a local school teacher (Lynn Collins). But her apparent murder at Victor’s hands drives Logan back into Stryker’s influence. Offered the chance to have all memory of his dead love erased, he volunteers for an experiment to coat his bones with a special alien metal called “adamantium,” that will make him virtually indestructible. Once so empowred, the rest of the film is Logan seeking revenge against Victor and Stryker, and liberating Stryker’s gulag of mutant prisoners on Three Mile Island.

As their most popular character, Marvel has revised and re-imagined their hero’s origin story multiple times over the years, the better with which to entice audiences into buying “now it can be told…”  comic “events.” Possibly as a consequence, the script by David Benioff (Troy) and Skip Woods (Swordfish) has a lot of complicated and tangled back story to address while keeping the action moving. But like the recent Watchmen, their screenplay puts spectcle above narrative, so that fight scenes (or, more frequently, Victor’s cruel execution of his targets) are constant and prolonged. That’s at least true enough to the genre: the basics of the superhero story has always boiled down to “come for the action, stay for the pathos.” Comic books are by design a visual medium, and character depth is actually a fairly recent development in their history.

Still, for an action movie the special effects should be better – really, they have to be for the film to be worth the audience’s time and money. And for a film both prefacing and expanding on the already profitable X-Men movie franchise (composed so far of two good movies by Bryan Singer and one terrible one by Brett Ratner), they should be better still. Instead, the fight sequences – and there are many - are redundant and blurred, with CGI that’s convincing only about half the time. It’s hard not to think that with such an expansive cast, many of whom also have super powers, the money was spread too thin. A scene in which Logan toys with his new metal claws while at a bathroom counter is especially unconvincing. Likewise the effects showing many of Shreiber’s leaps and twists and the powers of Will.i.Am’s teleporting soldier John Wraith. Most unconvincing, given the carnage, is the lack of blood onscreen, obviously removed for the sake of that crucial PG-13 rating.

Jazz hands, with claws: Jackman

Making his fourth screen appearance as the hirsute Logan, Jackman is serviceable as always, but he’s seldom given anything to do except respond to events surrounding him. For an action hero he’s curiously passive until circumstances demand his attention. He’s also never entirely sympathetic as a character, as there’s no explanation for why he fought in so many wars or why he feels repulsed by his “brother’s” violence in the first place. After 150 or so years together, you’d think he’d know his constant companion better. Jackman is also given to striking dubious poses before running at his enemies, throwing his arms and legs into weird Tai Chi-like contortions that often look mannered.

Shreiber, playing the borderline feral Victor as a method exercise in animal snarl and pent-up menace, nevertheless shows again why he’s among the most underrated American actors working right now. Ryan Reynold’s (Definitely, Maybe) charm is underused as the wisecracking ninja Wade, while the normally wooden Kevin Durand (3:10 To Yuma) is effective buried beneath layers of fat suit padding as The Blob. Collins (True Blood) as Logan’s doomed love Kayla Silverfox does the best she can with a stock role that begs for further development. Despite an intermittent gumbo drawl, Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) overachieves as the fan favorite mutant Gambit, a character whose appearance in a Bourbon Street nightclub is one of the film’s few truly suspenseful moments.

It’s no coincidence the film appears on home video so quickly. It debuted at the top of the box office with a strong $87 million opening weekend but sank quickly thereafter as comics fans gave only lukewarm response. And no wonder.  Wolverine is not a good film, but perhaps more importantly it is not a good film even for the kind of movie it is. Logan may not be a genius, but his long-awaited solo feature shouldn’t be so dumb.

-Michael Kabel
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

(Note: A previous version of this review appeared for the film’s theatrical release.)

Vote ‘em! Yay or Nay to Lynn Collins’ dress by Tibi and strappy boots by Jeffrey Campbell?

Yay or Nay: Lynn Collins wears Tibi

I don’t know if I’m loving this geometric dress Lynn’s wearing. It could be the zebra backdrop that’s making it look crazy. 

By Josh Tyler – CinemaBlend.com

Disney’s John Carter of Mars adaptation is filling up. THR says Samantha Morton, Dominic West, and Polly Walker have been added to the cast. Already on board in starring role are Taylor Kitsch as John Carter, Lynn

Samantha Morton

Collins as the beautiful Deja Thoris, and Willem DaFoe as the hideous Martian monster sidekick Tars Tarkas.

Morton will play Sola, the daughter of Tars Tarkas. Walker plays Saroja, a character I don’t remember from the books at all but who is decribed as a “a merciless, tyrannical Thark.” Tharks are one of Barsoom’s (another name for Mars) two intelligent species. Dominic West, as usual, is the bad guy. In this case he’s a Zodangan (a tribe of Tharks) prince bent on setting himself up as the ruler of Mars.

Polly Walker

Don’t let all the strange names turn you off, it’ll all come out in the wash. The story is actually fairly simple. John Carter is a Civil War soldier magically transported to Mars. Mars, or Barsoom as its natives call it, is not a lifeless wasteland but a world populated with two species of creatures. One looks human and doesn’t like to wear clothes. The other is green, warlike, and occasionally troublesome. Adventure, romance, and all that stuff ensues.

Dominic West

Not heard anything on Andrew Stanton’s adaption of Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter of Mars for a while.

However, today The Hollywood Reporter has the news that actors Samantha Morton, Dominic West (The Wire, 300, Punisher War Zone) and Polly Walker (Rome, Clash of the Titans) are joining the cast on Mars.

Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins and Willem Dafoe are already part of this project. It follows a Civil War veteran (Kitsch) who gets transported to Mars. While there, he gets caught up in a war between the people of that planet. Collins plays Dejah Thoris, Princess of the Empire of Helium and the story’s love interest. Dafoe plays the Martian Tars Tarkas

Morton will play the role of Sola. She is the daughter of Dafoe’s Tars Tarkas.

West will play Sab Than. He is prince of the Zodangans and he believes he is entitled to rule Mars. Lastly, Walker plays the role of Sarkoja. She is domineering Thark.

The screenplay was written by Stanton and Mark Andrews. The plan is for John Carter of Mars to go into production in early 2010.

Still not sure how the effects are going to be done – will the actors playing the Martians be all motion capture or a mixture of prosthetics and CGI? I suppose the success of James Cameron’s Avatar may have a knock on effect for the look of this film.

HUGH JACKMAN

THRALL WORLD memo to FOX: Please put money into your SCRIPT this time!! X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE was such absolute shit and it’s a complete shame since here we have the rare occasion where the lead seems to have a genuine LOVE for his character…

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