Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino received acclaim from critics immediately after its release in January 2009. Its well-intentioned depiction of the Hmong immigration experience was revelatory to several Americans, and Eastwood’s directing was lauded by several viewers, including the Asian-American demographic. However, the film ultimately fails in portraying the Hmong people as individuals, adhering to familiar stereotypes to heavyhandedly employ its point.

The story follows Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski, a misanthropic, severely racist curmudgeon. His scathing characteristics give him a heightened sense of masculinity, and with that, he alienates himself from those around him.

Much to Walt’s disdain, his neighborhood has become more heterogeneous. By chance and annoyance, he begins protecting his Hmong neighbors after they suffer a great deal of harassment from a group of teenage Hmong gangsters. Walt establishes a relationship with his seemingly feeble neighbors, juxtaposing his image of masculinity and redeeming himself of cynicism.

Although Walt is written with great depth, none of the Hmong characters are multilayered. All of Walt’s neighbors are weak and passive, capturing the essence of the Model Minority. Specifically, the character that Walt comes closest to is a quiet, nerdy, frail boy-the quintessential Model Minority. Meanwhile, the gangsters, who are carelessly characterized by their urban vernacular, are uneducated and highly dangerous, exemplifying the Yellow Peril that frightens other White Americans in Walt’s neighborhood. Both of these representations are discriminatory primarily because of the extremeness with which they’re displayed. All Asians in this film fall under the two aforementioned stereotypes, and it’s surprising that not too many critics cited this as an issue. The lack of range that comes with all of the Hmong characters in this film is a testament to the poor penmanship of screenwriter, Nick Schenk.

In February of 2009, director Danny Boyle’s film, Slumdog Millionaire, received the honor of highest degree-the Academy Award for Best Picture. His rags-to-riches fairy tale was instrumental in introducing westerners to the world of Bollywood cinema, a Hindi-language based genre of the Indian film industry. Slumdog Millionaire, which is technically an homage to Bollywood rather than an actual addition to the brand, certainly brought several worlds together, and its great reception on the Western hemisphere proved that American moviegoing has become more panoramic.

The film revolves around Jamal Malik, a boy raised in the slums of Mumbia, India who, despite having a severe upbringing, surpasses his country’s expectations when he flourishes on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Although the story occurs in a foreign environment, it’s very representative of the lives of many Indian-Americans here. Just like Jamal, several Indian-Americans have drifted through numerous adversities before finding fortune and success. Unfortunately, immigration for all Asian ethnicities has always been incredibly taxing, and not every newcomer has found success.

The balance of harshness and opportunity is evident in Slumdog Millionaire’s visceral style of filmmaking, and it was highly success in drawing attention to the experiences of several minorities. The film’s generous response in the West has strengthened the identities of Indian-Americans. For example, the skilled all-Indian cast exhibited talents of Asian-Americans that not many white Americans may have ever noticed, and the movies’s featured song, “Jai Ho” (literally translated to “Be victorious!”) became a renowned expression of hope, determination, and unity. The hit song, which has been inspiration for several minorities, has been another 2009 spectacle of America’s progressive shift towards the acceptance of other cultures.

Two of Summer’s best films, Up and Drag Me To Hell, featured Asian-American characters without highlighting their race as a hindrance or an aid. Sam Raimi’s horror comedy, Drag Me To Hell,  has an Asian-American character, Stu, antagonize the main character, Christine, at her work place. Both are competitors for the same promotion, and although the film has a handful of opportunities to exploit Stu’s race for humor or further hostility, he is impartially utilized as a simple villain without regard for skin color. Stu could have been constructed as a model minority, but with sharp writing and impressive acting, he’s just a conniving person who could belong to any ethnic group.

Pixar’s most recent effort, Up, is also antithetical to the Hollywood image of Asian-Americans. One of the film’s principle roles, Russell, is racially ambiguous,  but many have inferred that he is of Asian descent.

Russell is an overachieving but clumsy Wilderness Explorer. However, his ambition doesn’t stem from his race, an easy conclusion one could jump to; rather, he is neglected by his father, and each wilderness badge he obtains partially satiates that void in his life. The experts at Pixar could’ve gone with a much simpler route, promoting his Asian heritage as a basis for his high achievements. However, they crafted an emotional and believable dimension to complement his character without accentuating his physical appearance in the process.

In addition to Pixar’s thoughtful character design, Russell was voiced by Jordan Nagai, an Asian-American voice actor. This surpisingly significant choice by Pixar opposed Hollywood’s old penchant for casting white actors to voice or even portray Asian-American characters.

In contrast to Drag Me to Hell and Up, another successful Summer comedy, The Hangover, capitalizes on Asian stereotypes for effective yet shallow humor.

The plot follows three thirty-somethings around Las Vegas as they recover from a hangover with intentions of unscrambling the previous night’s events. The inherent simplicity of the film is a means to introduce bizaare situations and outlandish peripheral characters. One particular scenario is when the main trio discovers a naked Asian man, fittingly named Leslie Chow, in the trunk of their car. What ensues is undoubtedly hilarious (like the rest of the movie), but the humor comes at the cost of Leslie Chow’s physical appearance and overall demeanor.

Leslie is extremely effeminate, and his flamboyant characteristics directly allude to the stereotype that Asian men are feminine and even childlike. His scenes are definitely funny, but the inspiration for this humor begs for interrogation. Why is it that Asian men are seen as womanly? Furthermore, why is it hilarious when we witness this stereotype?

And thus abruptly ends my examination of the roles of Asian-Americans in some of 2009’s films. The importance of my identity and how it relates to one of my biggest passions-cinema-helps me understand not only myself but also the world at large. If you read this entire post, I thank you. Any comments on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

Please join hands and bow your heads for the blessing.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank you for this day, a day when we can all be together to marvel at your works and the bounty you’ve set before us.  We are humbled by this feast and we ask that it be a blessing to our bodies as we partake of it together.

But above all, oh Lord, we, like so many other families gather together around dinner tables this Thanksgiving Day, thank you for Mr. Sam Raimi; a man who, in this world of imitators, hacks and fast-food cinema, is a true auteur, whose influence can be felt in whatever project he touches, whether directing, writing or producing.

We thank you for his roots, working in shared editing rooms with the Coen Brothers, while taking his homemade horror flick “Evil Dead” from theatre to theatre by hand all the while earning the cult classic status it still enjoys today.

We give thanks for the genius that is “Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn” and “Army of Darkness”, films that taught us that a chainsaw, a shotgun and a high school physics textbook are all the tools one needs to defeat the denizens of the damned.  We especially give thanks for the “Medieval Dead” director’s cut which gives us a glimpse at Ash’s fate as the last man on earth.  We love the extra drop of sleep potion gag, oh Lord, as it remains a classic to this day.

We are grateful for his succulent side dishes, “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Warrior Princess.”  And we are even grateful for the vegetarian lasagna-like offerings of “Jack of All Trades”, “M.A.N.T.I.S.” and “Cleopatra 2020.”  We realize that although no one seems to enjoys those dishes, they were still made with love.

We thank thee for appetizers “Darkman” and the genre-bending western “The Quick and the Dead.”

And finally, Lord, we thank you for “Spider-Man,” my all-time favorite super hero brought to life on the big screen in a way that not only honors the source material, but improves upon it – we’re lookin’ at you, organic web shooters.  We also thank you for “Spider-Man 2″, one of the undisputed greatest comic book movies of all time.

To hell with “Spider-Man 3.”

Heavenly Father, I could go on and on about all the wonder, style, laughs, scares and iconography Mr. Raimi has brought into our lives, but people are hungry and I’m starting to get the stink-eye from my nephew Darrion as well as my pregnant wife who is impatiently waiting to eat for two.  So I’ll just wrap this up by paraphrasing a line of dialogue written by the man himself, which I think, summarizes nicely how this quirky, Hollywood outsider became one of the most beloved creative minds of a generation:

“Sure, I coulda been king.  But in my own way, I AM king.  Hail to the king, baby.”

Amen.

Oh, and please bless his weird brother Ted.

Amen.

Su nueva pelicula, en la que comparte creditos con Tobey Maguire (Peter Parker en Spide-man) y con Jake Gyllenhaal, sin duda alguna Natalie lucia hermosa, perfecta en todo, desde el color del vestido, los zapatos y el maquillaje,  A+ para la actriz, Tobey Maguire asistio con su esposa luciendo mejor que en otros eventos, la cereza en el pastel se la llevo Jake quien no asistio a tan importante evento, tal vez Resee no le dio permiso!

click en las pics para agrandar

AKA: JÁ NÃO SE FAZ, PICTURES ASSIM, TÃO PURAS, TÃO MÁS, TÃO CÓMICAS

Estamos no glorioso ano do senhor de 1966 e Portugal esmaga a Coreia no Mundial desse mesmo ano. Também um dos criadores da famosa Pulp Doc Savage, Lester Dent, tenta levar a grande tela as aventuras do seu famoso herói. Tendo como figura principal essa fera das telas que é Chuck Connors (The Rifleman, meu deus, que saudades). Mas Hollywood, como tantas vezes não se interessa pela ideia. Mas quando Hollywood se apercebe do filão, já Lester é pasto dos vermes e os direitos da Pulp, bem como do argumento encontram-se envoltos num emaranhado de processos jurídicos. George Pal, outra fera atrás das câmaras, compra os direitos da Pulp e tenta levar a tela Doc, na forma de franchise, como James Bond. Baseado na primeira obra e indo buscar pequenos pedaços a outras obras seguintes, Pal tenta criar um argumento que pensava conquistar as plateias. Mas falhou redodamente, muito em virtude de não mostrar a nostalgia dos anos 30 como outras obras o fizeram, bem como por culpa desse objecto de culto chamado Jaws. A sequela prometida no final da fita nunca passou do argumento. Sam Raimi anunciou há 3 anos atrás que entre o Shadow e o Avenger, também vai tentar relançar Doc Savage. De Michael Anderson com Ron Ely, Paul Gleason, William Lucking, Michael Miller, Eldon Quick, Darrell Zwerling, Paul Wexler, Janice Heiden, Robyn Hilton, Pamela Hensley, Bob Corso, Carlos Rivas, Chuy Franco, Alberto Morin  Victor Milla.

Reunião da equipa Eléctrico Girabola das Taliscas antes do confronto com o Desportivo Afiambrado dos Boxinos.

Vale a pena deixar de ver a bola e a caneca da cerveja a aquecer para ver isto

Um dos Melhores Filmes de Terror dos Últimos Tempos!

Gênero: Terror, Suspense

Censura: 13 anos

Duração: 99 min

Direção: Sam Raimi

Com: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer

Local de Filmagem: 20th Century Fox Studios – 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA; California State University Northridge – 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA; Tarzana, Los Angeles, California, USA e Union Station – 800 N. Alameda Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Produção: Ghost House Pictures e Sam Raimi

Roteiro: Ivan Raimi e Sam Raimi

Distribuidora: Universal Picture

…

QUEM É QUEM

Christine Brown é interpretada por Alison Lohman - Gamer (2009), Beowulf (2007) e Big Fish (2003).

Clay Dalton é interpretado por Justin Long – He’s Just Not That Into You (2009), Jeepers Creepers (2001), Jeepers Creepers II (2003), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), Funny People (2009) e After.Life (2010).

Jim Jacks é interpretado por David Paymer – Ocean’s Thirteen (2007), Resurrecting the Champ (2007) e In Good Company (2004).

Rham Jas é interpretado por Dileep Rao – Avatar (2009) e Inception (2010).

Sylvia Ganush é interpretada por Lorna Raver – O último trabalho dela, antes desse terror foi Walkout (2006), o restante são séries de TV, interpretando personagens coadjuvantes, nada que marcasse sua participação.

SINOPSE

Christine Brown é uma ambiciosa agente de crédito de um banco em Los Angeles, ela tem um super namorado e um futuro brilhante. Mas em três dias, ela vai para o inferno. Um dia chega ao banco a misteriosa Sra. Ganush implorando pela extensão do financiamento de sua casa própria. Christine nega o pedido para impressionar seu chefe, Sr. Jacks, e acaba sendo amaldiçoada pela velhota. Perseguida por um espírito do mal, ela busca ajuda do médium Rham Jas. Christine fará de tudo para sobreviver, desde sacrifícios até feitiços, mas nada poderá deter essa força maligna, resta esperar e ir para o inferno.

CRÍTICA

Do mesmo produtor de 30 Days of Night (2007), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (ano indefinido), The Grudge (2004), The Evil Dead (1981 e 2010), Spider-Man 4 (2011), entre outros, DRAG ME TO HELL ou ARRASTA-ME PARA O INFERNO é um dos últimos trabalhos de Sam Raime, que dirigiu, produziu e escreveu esse longa de terror, um dos melhores filmes do gênero dos últimos tempos.

Frequentemente as pessoas são atraídas por imagens, figuras, formas, fotos, cores, etc. Quando se coloca tudo isso em um pôster, peça promocional usada em diversos segmentos comerciais, inclusive o cinematográfico, cria-se uma identidade visual, cuja qual atrai milhares, até mesmo, milhões de pessoas por todo o mundo. No caso da industria cinematográfica, confeccionar pôsteres é uma das inúmeras ações que devem ser feitas para a estréia de um longa metragem, no entanto um pôster mal feito ou mal idealizado pode prejudicar o lançamento de um filme, bem como a conexão do público para com o mesmo.

“Arrasta-me Para o Inferno” chamou a atenção quando lançou o pôster oficial, deixando os aficionados por filmes e terror de cabelos em pé. Realmente o pôster, como mostrado abaixo, é fantástico e ao contrário da maioria dos pôsteres de filmes de qualquer gênero, esse faz jus ao filme.

Não é de hoje que saímos do cinema sussurrando a velha e famosa expressão – “achei que fosse melhor” – tudo porque julgamos o filme pelo pôster, assim como julgamos o livro pela capa, as pessoas pela aparência, etc. Mas no caso desse filme, se você acha ou achou que filme era bom por causa do pôster, acertou!

Na verdade não é bom e sim excelente, faziam anos que eu não assistia a um bom filme de terror, desses que realmente mete um “puta medo do inferno”, com perdão das palavras e que prende agente do começo ao final. Com roteiro convencional e ainda assim atraente, efeitos especiais horripilantes e direção impecável, o filme é imperdível.

A personagem que mais chama atenção e nos deixa apavorados, além de enojados – depois que você assistir vai entender – é uma senhora chamada Sylvia Ganush que é interpretada pela atriz Lorna Raver. Qualquer das inúmeras feições que a atriz faz, nos deixa apavorados, seu personagem mete mais medo do que o personagem fictício ao qual a história é focada.

Ainda em alguns cinemas, ARRASTA-ME PARA O INFERNO é uma ótima opção para os fãs do gênero, além dos sustos garantidos. Vale comentar que a atriz do cartaz não condiz com a atriz do filme, o que uma boa foto não faz! São as mesmas, porém no cartaz ela é selvagem e sexy, ao contrário da imagem passada no filme, de uma mulher frágil e confusa.

bom filme e bom sustos!
roberta vieira

http://www.dragmetohell.co.uk

http://www.dragmetohellmovie.com.au

http://www.dragmetohell.net

ASSISTA AO TRAILER

¨

ASSISTA A OUTROS VÍDEOS

I don’t consider myself to be a huge horror movie fan, but I like getting creeped-out as much as anyone. In addition to reading a great review for the movie from my favorite critic, I also heard from family members that Drag Me to Hell was genuinely scary and had the bonus of being funny. So I’d been excited to see it for some time.

It was made by the Raimi brothers, who were also responsible for Army of Darkness and the Evil Dead movies, both well-known for being over-the-top, funny “horror” movies– if you could even call them that. Sam Raimi directed, and is perhaps better known now as the director of the Spiderman movies, all of which I think are mediocre.

Given that background, there’s as much to laugh at in Drag Me to Hell as there are things to get scared about. But what I really consider special about the movie is it’s opening. Paced perfectly, it sets up the scares and laughs through the vehicle of a morality tale. This might sound lamer than it is, but it’s rather impressive how universal the Raimi brothers make the heroine’s initial fall from grace seem. We all feel like we could be equally cursed for our own past trangressions.

If you are feeling lost, this is what happens: a woman works in a bank, sees her life going nowhere, and decides that to get a promotion she needs to immediately show her boss that she can be a tight-ass for the bank. Unfortunate for her, she must prove her mettle by denying an old woman further loan assistance on her mortgage, even after the woman gets down on her knees and begs for the loan. Without the loan she says she will lose her home. Our banking heroine denies the loan extension anyway, and the old woman angrily places a curse of death upon her. The curse allows a demon spirit to torment the film’s heroine for three days and then potentially kill her.

All of this happens in the first 15-20 minutes or so of the movie, and is executed masterfully. For this reason I guess the rest of the movie was somewhat of a letdown. Our heroine must try to rather inevitably get rid of the curse as the demon progressively does more and more scary stuff. Sure, there were some great scenes and funny moments, but ultimately I felt like the film never lived up to its promise.

So what were the Raimi brothers trying to say about our personal choices when we choose selfishness over compassion for others? That we are all damned to hell? It’s an intriguing philosophical question, and if anything the movie should make you think about it.

You can watch the preview for Drag Me to Hell by clicking here.

Después de varios días especulando con varias actrices que podrían interpretar a la Gata Negra en el nuevo film de Spider-man, ahora, nos lanzan otra perla.

En Deadline Hollywood proponen a Anne Hahtaway como la citada villana. Nos cuentan que no sería seguro que su papel fuera el de la gata, pero si aseguran que Sony Pictures se ha puesto en contacto con ella para ofrecerle un papel en el film.

Viendo todos los rumores que han salido a la luz en una semana respecto a este tema, que no os sorprenda, si la semana que viene dedicamos varios post más a esclarecer quién será la Gata Negra.

Por alguna razon que desconozco la revista Allure eligio a Kirsten Drinks Dunst para aparecer en la portada de diciembre, lo cual es extraño porque ella no tiene nada que promocionar o de que hablar, salvo de las borracheras que se pone y de porque viste como vagabunda, afortunadamente sale muy linda en la portada y en las fotos de interiores, lo que hace la ropa limpia, una buena ducha y el photoshop.

click en las pics para agrandar

Forleden aften så jeg en film, der er stort set umulig at anmelde på normal vis. Det var nemlig ikke så meget en film, som det var en begivenhed. Der er tale om lavbudget-gyseren Paranormal Activity, årets sensation i filmverdenen; ikke på grund af dens kunstneriske kvaliteter, men fordi den på rekordtid har skudt sig ind som filmhistoriens måske mest indbringende produktion.

Paranormal Activity kommer først ud i de danske biografer 4. december, men jeg var så “heldig” (tvivlsomt!) at se filmen ved en snigpremiere i Grand tirsdag aften arrangeret af det anbefalelsesværdige filmmagasin Ekko. Til at introducere fænomenet havde Ekko inviteret selveste Jacob Stegelmann, dette fyrtårn af viden ud i populærkulturens afkroge, hvilket han gjorde på særdeles veloplagt og inspirerende vis med masser af syrlige glimt i øjet. “I er blevet snydt og bedraget!” som han provokerende lagde ud med at fortælle os, hvorpå han berettede om exploitation-filmens spraglede historie. Paranormal Activity udspringer nemlig af en lang og herligt lurvet tradition, hvor spekulation og købmandskab går forud for alt andet. Det handler om at tjene flest mulig penge ved at holde produktionsomkostningerne på et absolut minimum og dernæst på opfindsom vis vække publikums opsigt. En form for markedsgøgl, som Stegelmann kaldte det.

Det anslås, at Paranormal Activity er lavet for det latterligt lave beløb af 15.000 $ (eller “4 kroner”, som Stegelmann formulerede det), men til dato har den skrabet omkring 100 mio. $ ind i de amerikanske biografer, hvilket enhver kan sige sig selv er en bragende god forretning. Til sammenligning har Sam Raimis særdeles fremragende og fornøjelige Drag Me to Hell kostet 30 mio. $ at producere og indtjent 42 mio. $ på samme marked. Hvilket blot understreger, at der sjældent er retfærdighed til i denne verden, men lad os nu ikke blive hellige. I profitmæssig henseende må Paranormal Activity kaldes en ualmindeligt fed fidus, ingen tvivl om det!

Filmen er lavet af den ukendte Oren Peli, som har filmet historien med to af sine venner i de altdominerende hovedroller i sit eget hus ved brug af ét eneste håndholdt kamera. Handlingen er simpel og skåret over en klassisk læst; det er kendetegnende for exploitation, at der netop appelleres til publikum med velprøvede genreklichéer. Kvinden Katie påstår, at hun har været (for)fulgt af overnaturlige hændelser, siden hun var 8 år, men selvom deres hus plages af uforklarlige lyde, stiller hendes kæreste Micah sig noget skeptisk. Han går dog med til at forsøge at dokumentere ’spøgeriet’ ved hjælp af et filmkamera, som bliver vores (publikums) eneste holdepunkt igennem hele filmen. Filmens claim to fame har været, at folkene bag via sociale netværk – nutidens mund-til-mund-metode – har ladet sive, at den er en af alle tiders uhyggeligste film. I lighed med den 10 år gamle Blair Witch Project har det været hævdet, at filmens materiale og historie var ægte. Det har desuden forlydt, at selveste Steven Spielberg (som har hjulpet filmen frem) efter at have set Paranormal Activity fragtede sin kopi rundt i en plasticpose, fordi han mente, at filmen var så uhyggelig, at den måtte være forbandet. Ja, da! Sammenholdt med en særdeles effektiv markedsføringskampagne, hvor en trailer bl.a. har vist et angiveligt biografpublikums rædselsslagne reaktion på en visning af filmen, har det skabt den overvældende succés.

Men hvor Paranormal Activity scorer topkarakter, når det kommer til promovering, kan dens filmiske værdi ligge på et meget lille sted. Handlingen er temmelig dum og bravt kedsommelig og i mine øjne kun lettere uhyggelig henimod slutningen, hvilket på ingen måde er nok til at retfærdiggøre den megen hype. Som Jacob Stegelmann føler jeg også en forpligtelse til at modsige de røster, der har sammenlignet filmen med mesteren Alfred Hitchcock, blot fordi den baserer sin uhygge på suspense. Det er komplet misforstået – på samme måde som Stegelmann påpegede det absurde i, at dette stykke markedsgøgl ved tirsdagens snigpremiere blev vist i filmkunstens højborg, Grand, når tvivlsomt repertoire som Paranormal Activity retteligen hører hjemme i snuskede små sidegadebiografer.

Oren Pelis fupnummer er talk of the town lige nu, men jeg spår, at hvor føromtalte Drag Me to Hell vil få et langt og rigt liv i filmsamlinger verden over, vil Paranormal Activity som den dårlige vittighed, den er, være lykkelig glemt om et par måneder. Jeg vil blive meget forbløffet, hvis filmen kommer til at få et salg af betydning på dvd og blu-ray, da vi har at gøre med et fænomæn, hvis eneste raison d’être består i, at den via snedig markedsføring har formået at blive giraffen, som alle vil se i øjeblikket. Men i virkeligheden har giraffen slet ikke noget tøj på. Verden vil bedrages. Jeg lod mig bedrage, men fortryder ikke, da jeg holder min faglige nysgerrighed ansvarlig.

Så meget klogere kan jeg nu fundere over filmens danske motto: ‘Se den ikke alene’. Det kan snildt ændres til: SE DEN IKKE! Den har tjent mere end nok allerede uden din hjælp…

Surge mais um boato sobre Homem Aranha 4, dessa vez a gata e excelente atriz  Anne Hathaway é nova candidata ao papel de Gata Negra no filme.

Ontem a Sony desmentiu a participação da Gata Negra no longa, mesmo assim é mais provável é que a personagem realmente seja a vilã do filme. Se isso acontecer mesmo,  Anne Hathaway seria uma excelente escolha para o papel. A ideia não seria tão absurda, já que está na moda triângulos amorosos e o plano dos produtores seria de que a Gata Negra mexeria com a relação de Peter Parker e Mary Jane.

As filmagens de Homem Aranha 4 começam em março do ano que vem e a estreia acontece em 6 de maio de 2011.

หลังจากที่ได้รับคำกล่าว อย่างแท้จริงของ ราเชล แม็คอดัมส์ ที่ว่าด้วยการปฏิเสธข่าวลือของ Spider-Man 4 และไม่ได้เป็น Black Cat จึงทำให้เรากระจ่างแล้ว ว่าเธอจะไม่อยู่ในหนัง แต่แค่นี้ ก็ไม่ได้หมายความว่า จะจบเรื่องราว…!!!

ทาง UGO ได้ข้อมูลของ จูเลีย สไตล์ส ซึ่งเธอได้เจรจากับ แซม ไรมี่ เกี่ยวกับการเข้ามามีบทบาทใน Spider-Man 4 ซึ่งผมก็มั่นใจในความสมจริงของหน้าตาเธอ ที่ดูเข้ากันได้ดีอยู่ ในการเป็น นางแมว เที่ยวเป็นชู้ของคนอื่น และ หน้าตาที่ดูดึงดูดคนให้เข้าหาได้เป็นอย่างดี ซึ่งแบบนี้แหละ ทำให้พี่สไปดี้ของเรา ต้องแอบมีแมวดำตัวนี้ แบบหลบๆ ซ่อนๆ

สัปดาห์ที่ผ่านมา ทางผมได้พบว่า ค่ายโซนี่นั้น ได้วิ่งเต้นหานักแสดงหญิงคนใหม่ๆ เพื่อให้มามีบทบาทในหนังภาคต่อที่สี่ ของ Spider-Man นี้ นั่นรวมถึง โรโมล่า กาไร ที่มีข่าวลือกันว่า เธอได้เข้ามาทดสอบบท เพื่อมามีบทบาทในหนังเรื่องนี้ โดย กาไร, แม็คอดัมส์ และ สไตล์ส อายุต่างก็ใกล้เคียงกัน (เกือบ จะ 30 กันทั้งสามคน) เพราะงั้น ไม่ว่า ใครจะมาเล่นเป็น เหมียวโหด ก็ดูจะคล้ายคลึงกันไป

สไปดี้ของเรา อาจจะเป็นผู้ถ่ายรูปนางแมวนี้ ไปให้สำนักพิมพ์ เดลี่ บูเกิ้ล และอาจถ่ายรูปนางแมว ในส่วนต่างๆ เก็บไว้ ทั้งรูป xXx รูปทำงาน รูปดูเ่ล่น ก็เป็นได้… แต่ระวังเจอ เอ็มเจ จับได้ละกันนะ เหอๆ

Spider-Man 4 กำหนดฉาย (สหรัฐ) 5 พฤษภาคม 2011 ครับ

Não durou uma semana o boato de que atriz Rachel McAdams intepretaria a Gata Negra em Homem Aranha 4.

A própria atriz disse ao site Hollywood Insider que não fez nenhum teste para o papel.”Eu estava andando por Toronto outro dia e alguém falou que tinha ouvido que eu faria Homem-Aranha 4. Eu respondi ’sério? eu nem estava sabendo!’”, disse a atriz.

Para desmentir completamente vez a notícia, a Sony divulgou um comunicado, dizendo que que todos os rumores sobre novos personagens na história são falsos e acrescentou que as notícias surgiram da imaginação dos fãs do Homem Aranha.

Era muito mais fácil o diretor Sam Raimi anunciar de uma vez a trama e o vilão do filme, mas até que isso aconteça vão surgir milhares de boatos.

As filmagens de Homem Aranha 4 começam em março de 2010 e a estreia acontece em 6 de maio de 2011.

Ya que todavía no había tocado el tema y ha surgido mucho material sobre ello, vamos hacer un remix de las noticias salidas hasta la fecha sobre el futuro de la saga arácnida. Sabemos que Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire, Kristen Dunst, J.K. Simons y  Dylan Baker están de vuelta para reinterpretar sus respectivos roles. Se sabe también que el mítico Bruce Campbell, que ya protagonizo diversos cameos en las tres películas anteriores, tendrá un papel con mayor protagonismo en esta nueva película sobre Spider-man. Sabemos también, por las recientes declaraciones de Raimi, primero que esperan comenzar con el rodaje en Marzo del 2010, y segundo, que el personaje volverá a los orígenes de las primeras entregas en las que solo había un villano.

Hasta aquí todo oficial. Ahora bien, un tema que siempre da mucho juego en este tipo de películas es especular sobre el/los villano/s que hará/n frente al protagonista. Con las declaraciones de Bruce Campbell hablando sobre un rol más importante en “Spider-man 4″, la gente comenta que podría encarnar a Mysterio, puesto que ya se generó una gran rumorología con este tema cuando “Spider-man 3” se encontraba en pleno desarrollo.

Otro villano que toma fuerza es el Lagarto. Personalmente creo que esta seria la opción mas lógica tras habernos presentado al Dr. Curt Connors en los dos últimos títulos y dejándonos pistas sobre sus investigaciones y conociendo todos como terminará el manco Doctor.

Pero ahora nos llegan nuevos rumores sobre un posible cast para interpretar a Felicia Hardy, es decir, a la Gata Negra. Dos actrices han saltado a la palestra como posibles candidatas para encarnar al personaje, Rachel McAdams y Romola Garai. La primera ya ha desmentido la noticia, y de la segunda no sabemos nada.

Y para cerrar el post, un anuncio oficial sobre un casting para el que se requieren gemelos exactos, de 2 o 3 años para interpretar a un niño de 2, y que sean pelirrojos. Muchos ya oyen los gritos del Carnage de Cletus Kasady en un posible flashbacks del personaje y otros se echan las manos a la cabeza al haber posibilidades de que Peter Parker tenga un hijo en la cuarta, que no ultima, entrega de El Hombre Araña.

O Spoiler TV teve acesso a uma lista de convocação de personagens para o elenco de Homem Aranha 4. O que chamou atenção nessa lista, é que Sam Raimi está procurando por um bebê na faixa de 2 anos, caucasiano, personalidade cativante e ruivo!

Claro que com essa novidade a primeira e mais óbvia conclusão é que Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) e Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) terão um filho no filme. Agora como a criança vai ser colocada na trama já é alvo de muitas especulações.

O mais provável e que teria mais sentido, é que a criança aparecesse talvez em uma visão do futuro com o casal tendo o tal filho ruivo. Realmente não teria lógica nenhuma colocar uma criança no meio da história nesse momento. Depois do fraco terceiro filme, Sam Raimi tem que se preocupar em fazer um filme atrativo e que consiga atrair o público, não em tornar a franquia em um filme para família.

Homem Aranha 4 começa a ser filmado em março do ano que vem e chega aos cinemas em 6 de maio de 2011.

I missed Drag Me to Hell when it made the theatre circuit and having now finally sat down to watch it I have to say I regret not seeing it on the big screen.

An angry gypsy curses a bank’s young loan officer (played by Alison Lohman) after she refuses to give an additional extension on the old woman’s mortgage. The young woman is then plagued by horrific visions, violent physical assaults and a barrage of fluids and grue.

I’ve read a lot of reviews shredding Sam Raimi’s return to the genre that made him famous. I find it funny that the reasons they give for hating the movie are often the ones that made me love it. I couldn’t help but feel that it was a return to form for Raimi, a return to the inventive camera work, over the top gore and love of bodily fluids that made him a household name…well at least in broken homes.

These opposing reviews generally start with “I’m a Sam Raimi fan but…” or “I loved Evil Dead but…” and then go on to condemn the movie on aspects like the comedic aspect and use of slapstick (watch for the anvil). This point voids their opening sentence since Raimi’s balance of comedy and terror ESPECIALLY in his early films is what created so many loyal fans.

They hated the over the top gore which is laughable when you think about a pencil in the heel back in 1981 and the amount of blood shed by these teens at a cabin in the woods. Melting demons and lusty trees. Raimi was a master of gore, what exactly were these “Raimi fans” expecting.

I like the fact that Raimi has stayed true to his habit of putting his leads through as much hell as possible. Lohman was exposed to gypsy puke, some sort of post death gypsy fluid, a vicious gumming and even ended up consumed by thick brown grave water which reminded me of Bruce Campbell doing take after take in muddy puddles in Evil Dead 2.

The only personal issue I had with this film were a couple of instances of bad CGI when I feel a practical effect could have been used (again, anvil, you’ll see). Other than that, it entertained me in a lot of the same ways that Raimi’s horror flicks always have right down to the throwback to floating, dancing, hovering demons. Creepy people puppetry always works for me.

I would say to anyone who hated this movie, especially for any of the features that really make it a Raimi film, your taste is suspect.

This movie is at least a must rent but definitely a must buy if you truly loved the Evil Dead trilogy or if you’ve had a craving to see someone stapled in the face.

With your usual host in New York it falls to Tom and Producer John to take over the show. With Sam out of the picture for an episode we decided to run a feature on video games, perhaps to rekindle the fleeting romance that was our ill-fated other podcast, the Games Overdose.

So join us for a discussion of the absurdity of The Men Who Stare At Goats, a discussion of the absurdity of Monopoly as a movie and the absurdity of Avatar’s budget of circa $500,000,000. Just writing $500m doesn’t seem to do it justice, you need to put all the zeroes in there to convey that it is half a billion dollars.

We also have a chat about some Will Smith casting news, the merits of Babylon 5 and reminisce about the good old days where Roland Emmerich was content in just blowing up small cities and monuments in Independence Day, as a precursor to his disaster porn epic 2012.

Then we get on to our main feature and discuss the dearth of video game adaptations. Where have all the good ones gone? Could Prince of Persia and the red carpet treatment of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 act as the catalysts for a new generation of video game and movie crossovers?

Download The Movie Overdose Episode 41

Welcome once again kids to our weekly recap of our myriad journeys through the internet.

This has become a highlight for all of us and we’re hoping you’re enjoying the links as much as we’re enjoying compiling them for you.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this week’s cheesecake.  The lucky lady this week is Julie Bowen currently starring on ABC’s breakout hit, Modern Family.  This is far and away the funniest new show on television and you’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re not watching it.  You may also recognize Julie from Boston Legal, Happy Gilmore or, most of the GonzoGeek staff’s favorite, Ed.

Stephe and I originally had Julie slated for cheesecake duty a couple of weeks ago, but had a hard time finding the appropriate picture.  We’re sure glad we waited.  I bet you are too.

Quick piece of Modern Family trivia.  According to Wikipedia, Ed O’Neill, who plays the family patriarch, Jay Pritchett, is  a black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.  You don’t mess with Al Bundy kids.

On to the links.

1. Rock beats scissors.  Pelican beats Bugatti.
2. Dokken Radio.  Rhymes with Rokken Daddio.
3. All you gotta do…
4. Copying Risky Business is risky business.
5. In honor of the Sam Kinison concert DVD I found at Big Lots today for $6.
6. America (sadly) asked for it:  More Seth McFarlane than you can handle.
7. Super Dave Osborne on The Tonight Show – dick jokes and nut shots.
8. The trailer for Kick-Ass kicks…well…ass.
9. Will the Inglorious Basterds ride again?  Will they learn to spell?
10. Yo Sherlock!  Esquire interviews Robert Downey, Jr.
11. Evil Dead heading back to theaters in 2010.
12. And you know Ash will come armed…or handed.
13. Murderdeathkill!
14. Carrie Prejean threatens to walk out on Larry King.  Yeah, like she’s the first 20ish blonde to do that.
15. And she wasn’t having sex in that video.  Wow!  Even she can’t stand to be in the same room as her.
16. This one if for John.
17. Only if the swirls make a trio of 6’s.
18. Colts.  Patriots.  Sunday Night Football.
19. I want mine to be adorned with Hourman.
20. Take not girls.  Not all vampries are sparkly and sweet like in Twilight.
21. I blame Justin Long.  Wait!  Was that two Ed references this week?
22. Even Fox News is fact checking Sarah Palin now.
23. ED HAT TRICK!
24. Sean Hannity admits Jon Stewart was right.  In a related story, Hell freezes over!
25. He wasn’t extorting.  He was pitching.
26. Spider-Man 4 villain rumorsssss.
27. The Mayans weren’t the only ones to prophesy the end of the world.
28. David’s Iraq deployment blog.
29. And finally, something for all you golfers out there to put on your Christmas lists.

On the eve of “Spider-Man 3”, I was literally excited beyond expectations.

The first two films had lived up to the hype and proved that this was the strongest superhero franchise around.

When I saw the first two films, I felt in heart that they emulated what was so great about the Superman movies back in the late 70s and early 80s.

The first one was the typical origin story where we follow the would-be hero as he emerges into the hero we all know. The second film then showcased what if the hero lost his powers and he wasn’t there to save the world and the ones he loves.

Just like “Superman 3”, “Spider-Man 3” carries on the tradition of that franchise by focusing on the darker side of the hero. The best part of “Superman 3” was the battle in the junkyard between good and bad Clark.

Sadly there is no scene like that in “Spider-Man 3”. But the upside to “Spider-Man 3” is that it doesn’t have Richard Pryor or that sadly conceived super computer as the villain.

The plot of the third film involves Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) finding out that a new person killed his beloved Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) just as he is about to propose to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). That new killer is Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) aka The Sandman. Just in time for Spider-Man to hunt Marko down, an alien parasite attaches itself to the Spider-Man suit and Peter starts to have new found confidence and a new brash look. Another thorn in Peter’s side is a new Daily Bugle photographer named Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) who is after Peter’s staff job at the Bugle.

Meanwhile after a confrontation with Peter, Harry Osborn (James Franco) loses his memory and tries to learn what his life was like before the accident. Who are his friends and who are his enemies?

“Spider-Man 3” has a lot of upsides actually. The visual effects on The Sandman are dynamic and nearly flawless. We don’t get a lot of Venom but what we do see is like the comic book come to life. Then there are the thrilling swinging sequences that just seem to get more and more amazing. (pardon the pun!)

I really liked Harry’s story more in this film than in previous but I am really getting tired of the love triangle between Harry, Mary Jane and Peter. I think for them to really evolve the series, they will have to get rid of Mary Jane and return the focus back onto Peter.

Maybe have her finally make it big as an actress and have her move away. Then either continue the Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) story started in this film or introduce a new love interest like maybe Felicia Hardy aka The Black Cat.

Probably my favourite character in the film is Sandman only because Church brings so much depth and dynamic to this struggling misunderstood man. The scene with his distant wife, played by Theresa Russell, is utterly heart-breaking. As for Topher Grace, I could take him or leave him. He really never made an impression on me.

The film itself is weirdly paced, off kilter and some characters do things out of character. But for me the third film really came completely unravelled in the film’s third act after Brock becomes Venom.

That act just feels like it was tacked on at the last minute. There are portions you kind of scratch your head and go “what?”. It felt a lot like the ending of a Joel Schumacher Batman film. You know rushed, lazy and unappealing. It is such a disappointment.

Now that Sony has said they are going to make at least three more Spider-Man movies, I just hope the fourth film isn’t directed by Brett Ratner and doesn’t have Nuclear Man in it.

3 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer.

Back in 2002, director Sam Raimi pushed the envelope with what a superhero film could be when he unleashed his mega-blockbuster “Spider-Man”. After the smoke cleared and I had a chance to see the film again another successful superhero franchise comparison emerged. And after seeing “Spider-Man 2” it is quite evident that this mega-franchise does emulate another hero’s adventures on the big screen.

“Spider-Man 2” opens with a montage to the first film and eventually drops the audience back into the life of struggling 20-something Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) who is having a rough time trying to balance work and his night patrols as Spider-Man.

Desperate to not fail one of his pivotal university courses, Peter takes up his old friend Harry Osborn’s (James Franco) offer to meet brilliant scientist Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) who is on the verge of a breakthrough in harnessing the power of fusion.

Octavius is charismatic, a loyal husband to his beautiful wife Rosalie (Donna Murphy) and devoted to his craft. Parker is envious in some respects as he has dinner with the Dr. Octavius and his wife.

After Peter suffers a glitch in his “spider-powers”, he has a second encounter with Octavius as he finally witnesses Octavius and the full-power of his experiment. The experiment is controlled by 4 metallic arms which help Octavius control the many calculations.

Like all superhero films, the scientist’s experiment goes horribly wrong and Octavius watches as his whole world comes apart thus giving birth to the sinister Doctor Octopus.

With his glitchy powers, his relationship with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) all but over and the rest of his life coming apart at the seams, does Peter want to maintain his superhero identity and eventually stop the evil Doc Ock?

As I watched Sam Raimi’s continuation of his superhero epic I couldn’t help but see that Raimi seems to be throwing back to the “Superman” franchise of the early 1980s. There are so many obvious comparisons but it was never fully fleshed out until I saw star Tobey Maguire wore a pair of glasses after one his “power-glitches”.

In both the sequels to “Superman” and “Spider-Man”, the hero relinquishes his responsibility of being a superhero for the woman he loves. Both have problems getting their powers back when they decide they were foolish. Both heroes also have troubles stopping a train. Then there is the obvious homage to the “Superman” films when Parker drops his glasses on the pavement and we see one of the lens break from the frames.

Even though Raimi has framed his franchise in the same way as “Superman” he still seems to have improved on the concept.

Raimi has injected a lot of humor, zaniness in Parker’s life and a wonderful dynamic between him and the people around him. Raimi knows how to get us involved in these people’s lives. The humor is done with such delicacy that it doesn’t poke fun at the character but instead enhances our relationship with this struggling hero. It is the brilliant aspect of this sequel.

I loved how the film didn’t forget the man behind the mask as we are introduced to yet another villain. The filmmakers remember that the film is called “Spider-Man” and not “Dr. Octopus”.

The performance from Tobey Maguire was utterly brilliant especially during the forever classic train-stopping sequence. Raimi allowed Tobey to be just a young man with extraordinary abilities and with that it became pure magic.

Probably the most noticeable improvement from this film to the last was that Raimi was able to maintain his tone throughout. That alone makes “Spider-Man 2” superior to its predecessor.

The flaw in this sequel is that the middle does tend to drag some as Raimi focuses more on the relationships between the characters than the action of being a superhero. The relationships are heartwarming, deep and interesting but dwelling so much on them takes away from the flow of the film. We are here to see the hero not the drama between.

“Spider-Man 2” is a giant leap forward for the franchise and the evolution of “Spider-Man” but I have to say I still think “X2: X-Men United” is still the best modern superhero film thus far. The reason being is that it maintained the humanity, passion, action and flow that makes superheroes and their world so much fun.

4 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer.

With the flick of the web and the pounce of a hero, Sony Pictures unleashes Marvel Comics prime creation, Spiderman into a multiplex near you.

“Spider-Man” debuted in August 1962 in Amazing Fantasy #15 and launched a new kind of superhero. This new kind of superhero was a teenager who had typical human problems and was always influenced by the world around him. This hero was a more realistic version than heroes before him.

Spider-Man was the brainchild of Stan Lee and famed comic artist Steve Ditko. Amazing Fantasy #15 eventually went on to become one of the greatest comics of all time.

In its comic book infancy, Spider-Man was never a sure thing a lot like the new feature film that is about to hit theatres around the globe. It has taken over a decade to bring the Marvel’s prime creation to the silver screen. It wasn’t until the character rights surfaced from legal battles that the film was finally green-lit.

The new feature film that stars Tobey Maguire (Cider House Rules) as Spider-Man’s alter ego Peter Parker is accidentally bitten by a “genetically-altered” spider while on a class field trip. This small insect bite revolutionizes Peter’s life.

Peter finds himself invigorated by the bite as he is able to make a mark in his world. But no matter how hard he struggles with his new identity, Peter can never quite get up enough nerve to ask out the girl of his dreams, Mary-Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst).

Years go by and Peter eventually moves to the “City” and moves in with his friend and millionaire offspring Harry Osborn (James Franco).

Meanwhile Harry and Peter start to see significant changes in Harry’s father, Norman (Willem Dafoe) as a sinister armored man, dubbed the Green Goblin, starts terrorizing New York. Spider-Man is forced to confront this fiend when he targets people Peter cares about.

“Spider-Man” has all the elements of a great superhero film and a summer blockbuster. Just while I was watching it I couldn’t help but feel there was something missing within this new version of our favorite “webhead”.

The beginning and first half of Spider-Man is literally ripped right from that infamous Amazing Fantasy #15 and it made my adrenaline surge. I loved watching Tobey Maguire’s looks and eye movements during the scenes where he explores his new powers.

It was a great performance and encompassed the character to perfection. I could see what director Sam Raimi saw in Tobey. The wrestling match and the field trip were all great scenes. They were always what I imagined when reading the origins of Spider-Man.

I loved that they maintained to the classic look of Spider-Man’s costume but why make the Green Goblin look like a “Transformers” robot. I found it hard to relate to the villain because of that armored look. I would have liked to have seen him have prosthetics on his face as he goes insane (ala the Joker in the 1989’s Batman).

And have them maintain the green and purple style costume so loved in the comics. Since we can’t see either hero or villain’s mouth or eyes when they fight it kind of reminded me of those old Japanese monster films. You know the ones with the rubber suits. Maybe that was just me.

My problems and feelings of something that is missing occur when the film brings the characters to New York. I felt something was missing as they try to bring the worlds of Peter, Mary-Jane and the Osborn’s. I really liked how they portrayed Peter and how he eventually got a job at the Daily Bugle. The whole portrayal and handling of J. Jonah Jameson was brilliant. But the other stories really never did much for me except for Dafoe’s performance as the stressed out, secret hiding Norman Osborn.

As I thought more and more about what was wrong with the whole film I came to the conclusion was that the film doesn’t have a constant cohesion as it evolves.

The textures and tone of the film as it follows Peter’s life seem to be slightly off key. The feel of the second half of the film is much darker and grittier than the first half except when Spider-Man is swinging.

The final fight scene and eventual film ending is very dark and cryptic which made me wonder why leave a film on a down note even if it is a set-up for a sequel.

I enjoyed Spider-Man to a point but I guess I was disappointed because they stuck so realistically and loyal to the comic until the second half. I wish this adaptation would have maintained what it set out to do in the first half.

4 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer.

With your usual host in New York it falls to Tom and Producer John to take over the show. With Sam out of the picture for an episode we decided to run a feature on video games, perhaps to rekindle the fleeting romance that was our ill-fated other podcast, the Games Overdose.

So join us for a discussion of the absurdity of The Men Who Stare At Goats, a discussion of the absurdity of Monopoly as a movie and the absurdity of Avatar’s budget of circa $500,000,000. Just writing $500m doesn’t seem to do it justice, you need to put all the zeroes in there to convey that it is half a billion dollars.

We also have a chat about some Will Smith casting news, the merits of Babylon 5 and reminisce  about the good old days where Roland Emmerich was content in just blowing up small cities and monuments in Independence Day, as a precursor to his disaster porn epic 2012.

Then we get on to our main feature and discuss the dearth of video game adaptations. Where have all the good ones gone? Could Prince of Persia and the red carpet treatment of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 act as the catalysts for a new generation of video game and movie crossovers?

Download The Movie Overdose Episode 41