Billy Bob Thornton wants to be an astronaut when he grows up.

(Warner Brothers) Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Tim Blake Nelson, J.K. Simmons, Bruce Dern, Max Theriot, Mark Polish, Jon Gries, Bruce Willis. Directed by Michael Polish

For as long as he could remember, Charlie Farmer (Thornton) wanted to be an astronaut. The son of a Texas rancher, he joined the Air Force and became a test pilot, the better to join the space program, which he did. After his dad’s suicide, however, Charlie left the program to take care of his family, a decision he regretted the rest of his life.

Now, Charlie Farmer is building a rocket in his barn. His kids – including son Shepherd (Theriot) are behind him, his beautiful wife Audie (Madsen) supports him, even as she works as a waitress in a diner to help make ends meet. Even his father-in-law (Dern) respects him. Most of the rest of the people in town think he’s a whacko.

Unfortunately, the feds get wind of his scheme when he tries to buy 10,000 square pounds of rocket fuel and decide to shut down this amateur Buck Rogers. The bank, to whom Charlie has already fallen terribly behind in mortgage payments, has initiated foreclosure proceedings. Charlie is this close to losing everything. Still, he has his family dreaming together – and that in itself is a very powerful thing.

There can be some extreme corniness at times, with emphasis on family unity and pursuing dreams nearly at the expense of all else. You can see why it didn’t resonate with a younger audience, a virtual kiss of death at the box office today. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a good movie. It has all the elements of a family movie, but the character exposition might be a bit too much for younger audiences, who could conceivably be bored.

There are some moments that will wake you up, like most of the launch sequence scenes. Some nice visuals too, as early on Billy Bob in full spacesuit regalia chases a stray calf while riding a horse. Talk about cowboys and aliens.

Thornton excels at these kinds of roles, the low-key salt of the earth family man, and he doesn’t get to play them too often. He carries himself with great dignity, but loses his cool just often enough to put you a little bit on edge around him. Madsen as his long-suffering wife continues to be impressive with almost every role she plays. Willis, in an uncredited turn, plays an old friend of Charlie’s who made it on into “the program” after Charlie dropped out, and went on to fly the space shuttle.

I liked the underlying current of the role of civilians in space. I believe that you will start to see more civilians playing larger roles in future space missions especially as the commercial possibilities of space become more lucrative.

All that aside, I found this to be a charming movie that I became engrossed with. Occasionally, the writers strained credulity a bit – they painted themselves into a few corners and used some shall we say, novel approaches of getting out of them. However, those moments are few and far between. I was completely taken with Charlie Farmer’s story, and I think a lot more people will be too, once they give it a chance. For the record, the DVD is a little difficult to find in stores, but it is available generally on premium cable and video-on-demand services.

WHY RENT THIS: Unexpectedly charming. Low-key without being sleep-inducing. Message is one we rarely hear these days outside of the occasional Disney movie.

WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: Paints itself into corners plot-wise and doesn’t resolve every challenge in a satisfying manner.

FAMILY MATTERS: A little salty language and some perilous situations but otherwise suitable for all audiences.

TRIVIAL PURSUITS: Just as Farmer is about to launc h, Shepard says “Cleared for launch at zero hour, 9am” in an homage to Elton John’s “Rocket Man.”

NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: None listed.

FINAL RATING: 6/10

TOMORROW: Australia

hey guys, I'm criminally underused in this movie, so I'll just be over here havin' a soda...

R

Jeff Bridges, Tim Blake Nelson, Joe Pantoliano, Ted Danson, William Fichtner, Patrick Fugit, Glenne Headley, Lauren Graham, Jeanne Tripplehorn

Andy: That was Moe and Ron…we called them Mo-ron.

After losing his job and his wife, Andy (Bridges) decides that, to make money, he and his friends should make an adult film.

This movie is filled with recognizable actors and actresses in almost every role that’s even semi-major, but in the end, it’s just a waste of a lot of talent.  The script just isn’t very funny or interesting.  There are a few good moments, but overall, it’s boring.  In fact, I may have fallen asleep at one point, but just for a minute or two.  Only the general likability of the cast saves it from certain doom.

Jeff Bridges is playing a slightly more driven (and slightly better dressed) version of Jeff Lebowski, but like the other performances in the movie, it’s just so lackluster that you can’t work up any enthusiasm for his story or his character.  Also, the narration supplied by Andy throughout the film is a nuisance.  As the character Robert McKee said in Adaptation:  “God help you if you use voice-over in your work, my friends.  God help you.  That’s flaccid, sloppy writing.  Any idiot can write a voice-over narration to explain the thoughts of a character.”

Still, I did enjoy this movie more than I enjoyed Zack and Miri Make a Porno, which is essentially the same story with a younger cast.  This is also a much tamer movie, with no nudity and few obscenities, though there is a lot of fairly explicit talk about what they need to shoot in their movie.

I can’t help but think that all the ingredients were here for a funny, entertaining movie, but the sub-par script and some poor direction mixed up those ingredients into a tepid concoction that only delivered a few laughs and tested my ability to stay awake for the entirety of its running time.

With money and success comes happiness…?

10 – 3.3 because the script and direction resulted in a mostly unfunny, lifeless film – 1 for the overuse of narration = 5.7

Saiu hoje, o 1° trailer do novo longa protagonizado por Edward Norton, Leave of Grass. Trata-se de uma comédia escrita, produzida e dirigida por Tim Blake Nelson, o médico que tentou ajudar Bruce Banner no final de O Incrível Hulk, também protagonizado por Norton.

Na história, Norton faz o papel de gêmeos. Um é professor de filosofia, aparentemente normal. Já o outro é um criminoso considerável, que acaba arrastando seu irmão professor para o mundo do crime quando se metem com alguns usuários de drogas. Susan Sarandom e Richard Dreyfuss são outros nomes do elenco.

A estréia acontece no Natal, dia 25, nos EUA. Infelizmente, aqui no Brasil ainda não há qualquer previsão.

Leia mais de E. Norton:

. Del Toro apresenta seus vampiros

. Edward fala sobre Hulk

. Hulk, de volta?

Guilherme Jr.

Dos hermanos gemelos, cada uno con un modo de vida diferente, vuelven a encontrarse, pero la vida criminal de uno de ellos llevará el caos a la tranquila existencia del otro, poniendo a prueba el alcance del amor filial. La cinta Leaves of Grass se había mantenido en la más completa discresión durante mucho tiempo, y sólo ahora, faltando un mes para su estreno, podemos ver su primer trailer. Si bien el tema es un viejo cliché de comedia, el verlo en una historia dramática puede ser una cuestión bastante refrescante, así que valdrá la pena darle una oportunidad.

Fido
Directed by Andrew Currie
Starring Billy Connolly, Carrie-Ann Moss, Dylan Baker, K’Sun Ray, Henry Czerny

Combining the nostalgia of Leave It to Beaver and the tender mercies of Dawn of the Dead, Fido is the story of a boy and his zombie.

In an alternative 1950’s era, the world is perfect in its innocence after recovering from the Zombie Wars (a time when the world was ravaged by space-dust reanimated dead). And, thanks to innovative technological advances, everyone can now even have their very own zombie servants!

Sure, every once in a while, a zombie goes bad and has to be taken care of, but folks are prepared. Children hone their shooting skills during the school day, and there is always ZomCom, the company that makes the control collars for the zombies, and their security division that keeps normal folks safe.

In the idyllic setting, we meet the Robinsons – Bill, Helen, and their son, Timmy. Bill is the responsible father, making sure that each member of his family have a funeral savings, ensuring that they will not revert to zombies after their deaths. Helen is a loving wife and mother, perhaps a little too concerned with keeping up with the Joneses. And Timmy? Timmy is the average boy, who’d just like to play catch with his dad.

Despite Bill being against it (for pretty good reasons when you see the movie), Helen orders a zombie after the head of ZomCom’s security division moves into the neighborhood. After a short period, Timmy becomes truly attached to the zombie and names him Fido.

Unfortunately, Fido’s control collar goes on the fritz, and he attacks and kills a neighbor. Despite the best efforts of Timmy to keep this under wraps, it is eventually found out, and Fido is recalled to ZomCom. Then, it is up to Timmy to rescue Fido.

I have to admit, when I decided to watch this film, I wasn’t expecting much. I had seen the preview, and thought, okay, I’ll give it a shot.

I’m very glad I did.

The look of this film is unbelievable. Despite the low budget, the feel is captured every bit as well, if not better, than in most movies that try the same. Everything from the costumes to the houses are era-perfect. It is a beautiful and lush setting, full of bright, synthetic colors that make for a great contrasting look with the zombies, clad in blues and grays to match their skin tones.

The acting throughout the film is pretty top notch. I wasn’t annoyed by the kid actor playing Timmy (which is a feat), and Carrie-Ann Moss as the mother was really fantastic, as, perhaps, the most dynamic character of the entire film.

Henry Czerny stole every seen he was in as spot-on casting for no-nonsense Head of Security Mr. Bottoms. The delightfully creepy Tim Blake Nelson as Mr. Theopolis, neighbor to the Robinsons, is worth the price of admission!

If there was any fault in the cast, I’d have to give that to Dylan Baker, who I usually really enjoy. In this movie, though, he seemed to be the only one playing a bit over the top, which was a contrast to the other actors that seemed to be playing the ridiculous as straight.

Still, overall, no major complaints.

Oh, and, let me just say that it blows me away that Fido:

Was played by this Billy Connolly:

Which was a fact I didn’t realize until very nearly the end of the film! I knew Billy Connolly was in the film, but I just didn’t connect it until late in the movie.

For better or worse (depending entirely on your tastes), the gore of this film was very understated overall (especially considering that it is a zombie movie). As a result, if you are looking for a bloody mess of a movie, you’ll probably be disappointed. On the other hand, if you are looking for a zombie movie that non-horror fans might enjoy, this is a heart-warming film (with a nice touch of satire and a bit of gore) that will probably fit the bill.

I’m giving Fido three and a half out of five Running Steves.

While this film isn’t quite up to the level of brilliance of the amazing Shaun of the Dead, it is certainly high up on the list of wonderful zombie comedies. Check it out if you have a chance!

John (Buscemi) has finally gotten his life back on track. The ex-gambler whose only luck is bad ran away from Las Vegas, ending up in Albuquerque with a dull but stable job in insurance. He even has a budding romance with a sexy co-worker. But fate leads him back towards temptation: When John gets a promotion to fraud investigating, he must return to Las Vegas for his first case. Paired with a savvy veteran who prides himself on preventing scams, his journey leads him down a precarious path checkered with a bizarre cast of characters. Will his luck change or is fate in his own hands after all?

Inspired by Dante’s Inferno the film features a gambler, a wheelchair-bound stripper, a human torch, an armed nudist colony and a pitch-perfect performance Steve Buscemi.

Directed by Hue Rhodes it also stars Sarah Silverman, Peter Dinklage, Romany Malco, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Tim Blake Nelson and John Cho.

Due out on 13th November.

Source: CineVegas

Javier Bardem, reprising his role as the mysterious and deadly Anton Chigurh in "No Country for Old Men," surprises Kelly MacDonald while she questions her fate in the draw of the cards.

JEFF BRIDGES, a k a the Dude from "The Big Lebowski," loses his way (again) as he tries to grasp the unfolding

Waiting for a sign, HOLLY HUNTER studies the landscape as she did in "Raising Arizona." The police might be on their way, or it might be her husband with their stolen baby. Either way, she's ready.

There's always a heavy, and JON POLITO, who plays some version of a tough guy in many Coen brothers films, is puzzled by the terrorizing nihilism of AIMEE MANN and DAVID THEWLIS in "The Big Lebowski." Like many of California's cultists, their philosophy has gone from dogma to vengeance.

Even bimbos need a place to hide, and TARA REID, better known as Bunny Lebowski, seeks refuge in TIM BLAKE NELSON'S roadside motel. True to her luck, she has picked an inopportune moment to check in.

The West is the land of outcasts, iconoclasts and lost souls, and JOHN TURTURRO as Barton Fink, the man-of-the-people playwright turned blocked screenwriter, is constantly looking for inspiration. Until meeting SAM ELLIOTT, swigging a white Russian as the Dude did in "The Big Lebowski," Fink had never considered writing a cowboy movie. He wonders: Is there any way to mix social realism with the West?

JULIANNE MOORE, the artistic Maude Lebowski, is restless. Like many a rebel, she finds the East Coast stultifying and is heading on the Greyhound west. In California, she hopes, they will comprehend her particular greatness. There, she will be championed!

Sadly, sometimes things just don't work out. STEVE BUSCEMI, who has died over and over in Coen brothers films, meets that bad end once again. Even in the West, dreams do not always come true. If you lie and cheat and steal, you may end up in the trunk of a car. Or you might get lucky. That's the chance you're looking for; it's a risk worth taking.

Nota: Ensaio que saiu no New York Times há uns dois anos atrás. O que me fez lembrar disso foi o título dessa notícia: The Dude Meets The Duke in Coens’ ‘True Grit’. Finalmente alguém dará um tapa-olho ao Sr Bridges, só para ficar ainda mais evidente o quão foda ele é.

Un film del 2009, regia di Tim Blake Nelson, con Edward Norton / Melanie Lynskey / Maggie Siff / Susan Sarandon. Prodotto da Eagle Pictures (105min)

Commedia / Drammatico / Thriller

Un professore della Ivy League viene richiamato nella città natale in Oklahoma, dove il fratello gemello, consumatore abituale di marjiuana, ha organizzato un piano per truffare il signore della droga locale.

Thirty-year-old Justine (Jennifer Aniston) is frustrated and bored with her mundane life and lazy pothead of a husband. Then she strikes up a friendship with fellow discount store employee (Jake Gyllenhaal) who thinks he’s Holden Caulfield. Soon, their relationship turns passionate and threatens Justine’s image of herself as a good girl.

Vuelve Edward Norton y lo hace por partida doble. Y no porque vaya a presentar dos películas a la vez, sino porque participa con dos papeles muy diferentes en Leaves of Grass. Lo hace como un profesor universitario que vuelve a su pueblo de origen para enterrar a su hermano gemelo que acaba de ser asesinado. Una vez allí comprueba que este está vivito y coleando y que su supuesta muerte era parte de un plan para atraerle a la localidad y meterle en una peculiar contienda contra un traficante de drogas local, su principal competidor en la venta de una marihuana cultivada por él mismo gracias a sus conocimientos en hidroponia. La comedia negra escrita y dirigida por el también actor Tim Blake Nelson cuenta con Susan Sarandon, Keri Russell, Melanie Lynskey, Maggie Siff y Richard Dreyfuss como compañeros de Norton. Hoy, además del primer cartel de la película, tenemos dos imágenes más de la misma.

Bethany Perryman – FilmSchoolRejects

Pass the bananas, because the 34th Toronto International Film Festival announced today that it will open with the world premiere of Jon Amiel’s Charles Dawin biopic Creation. Creation stars Paul Bettany as Darwin and Jennifer Connelly as his wife, and is based on the unintentionally-hilariously-titled biography Annie’s Box.

The festival, slated to begin on September 10th, is usually opened with a Canadian premiere. Lucky for us, Canada hasn’t made any movies worth watching this year. Piers Handling, Director and CEO of Toronto International Film Festival, said, “we are pleased to open the Festival with such an impassioned look at Charles Darwin, especially on the year marking the 200th anniversary of his birth.”

Unnamed heretic representatives for the festival described the film as “part ghost story, part psychological thriller, part heart-wrenching love story. Torn between his love for his deeply religious wife and his own growing belief in a world where God has no place,” they detail, “Darwin finds himself caught in a struggle between faith and reason, love and truth.”

Along with Creation, TIFF will also feature the world premiere of FSR Staff Pick The Invention of Lying, and resident pothead pick Leaves of Grass. Other highlights include Soderbergh’s The Informant!, and FSR Staffer Rob Hunter’s #1 turn-on of 2009, the Asian-filled feature film Mother.

Here’s the initial lineup of Gala premiere and special presentation selection, with a description of each film provided by TIFF:

Galas

Get Low                                      
Aaron Schneider, USA World Premiere
Inspired by the true story of Felix “Bush” Breazeale, this stately frontier drama stars Robert Duvall as a backwoods eccentric who stages his own funeral—while still alive. Ten thousand people arrive to hear him speak and to learn why this local legend exiled himself 40 years ago to the foothills of Eastern Tennessee. Set in the early 1930s, Get Low is a story of mystery and discovery that speaks of timeless things. Can we know who we are? Should we judge anyone? Is there redemption for those of us lost in the dark catacombs of our past? Also starring Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek and Lucas Black.

The Invention of Lying
Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson, USA World Premiere
From Ricky Gervais, the award-winning creator and star of the original BBC series The Office and HBO’s Extras, comes the new romantic comedy The Invention of Lying, which takes place in an alternate reality where lying—even the concept of a lie—does not even exist. Everyone—from politicians to advertisers to the man and woman on the street—speaks the truth and nothing but the truth with no thought of the consequences. But when a down-on-his-luck loser named Mark suddenly develops the ability to lie, he finds that dishonesty has its rewards. In a world where every word is assumed to be the absolute truth, Mark easily lies his way to fame and fortune. But lies have a way of spreading, and he begins to realize that things are getting out of control when some of his tallest tales are being taken as, well, gospel. With the entire world now hanging on his every word, there is only one thing Mark has not been able to lie his way into: the heart of the woman he loves.

Max Manus
Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, Norway/Denmark/Germany North American Premiere
The film is based on the true story of Norway’s most colourful resistance fighter Max Manus, and follows him from the outbreak of World War II until the summer of peace in 1945. After fighting against the Russians during the Winter War in Finland, Max returns to a German-occupied Norway. He joins the active resistance movement, and becomes one of the most important members of the so-called “Oslo Gang”, famous for their spectacular raids against German ships in Oslo harbour.

Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Lee Daniels, USA Canadian Premiere
Lee Daniels’s Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire is a vibrant, honest and resoundingly hopeful film about the human capacity to grow and overcome. Set in 1987 Harlem, it is the story of Claireece “Precious” Jones, an illiterate African-American teenager who is pregnant for the second time by her absent father and abused by a poisonously angry mother. Despite her experiences, Precious has a latent understanding that other possibilities exist for her, and jumps at the chance to enroll in an alternative school. There she encounters Ms. Rain, a teacher who will start her on a journey from pain and powerlessness to self-respect and determination. The film stars Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz and introduces Gabourey Sidibe.

Special Presentations

The Boys Are Back
Scott Hicks, Australia/United Kingdom World Premiere
Based on the memoir by Simon Carr, Scott Hicks (Shine) directs The Boys Are Back, inspired by the poignant, comic and uplifting true story of a man who must suddenly raise his two sons alone. After the untimely passing of his second wife, the ill-prepared Joe (Clive Owen), who is dealing with his own loss, is confronted with the daily challenges of parenthood while coping with his young son Artie’s expressions of grief. They are soon joined by Harry, Joe’s teenage son from his first marriage, who brings his own personal “baggage” into the mix. Also starring Laura Fraser and Emma Booth.

Bright Star
Jane Campion, United Kingdom/Australia North American Premiere
A drama based on the secret love affair between 23-year-old English poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and the girl next door, Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), an outspoken student of fashion. Intensely and helplessly absorbed in each other, they rode a wave of romantic obsession that deepened as their troubles mounted. Only Keats’s illness and untimely death proved insurmountable.

City of Life and Death
Lu Chuan, China International Premiere
From acclaimed director Lu Chuan comes a devastating and controversial epic film based on the most atrocious holocaust in Chinese history, the Nanjing Massacre. The story unfolds as the Japanese take over the city in 1937 and everyone is struggling to survive in a city where death is easier than life. Starring Liu Ye and Gao Yuanyuan.

Cracks
Jordan Scott, Ireland World Premiere
In an austere and remote girls’ boarding school, the most elite clique of girls are the illustrious members of the school’s diving team. As they compete for the attention of their glamorous teacher (Eva Green), the arrival of a beautiful Spanish girl disrupts the delicate social balance. In an attempt to put differences aside, a secret midnight party takes place that will change their lives forever.

Hadewijch
Bruno Dumont, France World Premiere
Hadewijch is a religious novice whose ecstatic, blind faith leads to her expulsion from a convent. Returning to her former life, Hadewijch reverts to being Celine, a Parisienne and daughter of a diplomat. However, her passion for God, rage and encounters with Khaled and Nassir soon lead her down a dangerous path.

The Informant!
Steven Soderbergh, USA North American Premiere
Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), a rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), suddenly turns whistleblower. Exposing his company’s multinational price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre imagines himself as a kind of de facto secret agent. Unfortunately for the FBI, their lead witness hasn’t been quite forthcoming about helping himself to the corporate coffers. Whitacre’s ever-changing account frustrates the agents and threatens the case against ADM as it becomes almost impossible to decipher what is real and what is the product of Whitacre’s rambling imagination. Based on the true story of the highest-ranking corporate whistleblower in U.S. history.

Leaves of Grass
Tim Blake Nelson, USA World Premiere
Bill Kincaid, an Ivy League classics professor, returns to rural Oklahoma to bury his dangerously brilliant identical twin brother who had remained in their native state to grow hydroponic pot. Leaves of Grass is a fast-paced comic film that contrasts two distinct approaches to life. Featuring Edward Norton in the role of each twin.

London River
Rachid Bouchareb, United Kingdom/France/Algeria North American Premiere
This intimate drama tells the story of two people, a Muslim man and a Christian woman, who are immediately affected by the July 2005 London bombings. Both of them are drawn to the British capital when their children go missing on the day of the attacks. Putting aside their cultural differences, they will give each other the strength to continue the search for their children and maintain their faith.

Mao’s Last Dancer
Bruce Beresford, Australia/USA/China World Premiere
Adapted from his internationally best-selling memoir, the film tells the true story of Li Cunxin, a Chinese-trained ballet dancer. Plucked from his childhood village, subjected to years of vigorous training and threatened during the Cultural Revolution, Cunxin decides to leave China at great risk to himself and those he loves, for an uncertain future.

Moloch Tropical
Raoul Peck, Haiti/France World Premiere
A democratically elected “President” and his closest collaborators are getting ready for a state celebration. But in the morning of the event, he wakes up to find the country inflamed and the streets in turmoil. Despite the situation, the President does not want to face reality and refuses to resign. Overwhelmed, he plunges into a deep mental confusion as the events unfold. Set in a castle in the clouds, Moloch Tropical is a Shakespearian, behind-the-scenes depiction of the end of power.

Mother
Bong Joon-ho, South Korea North American Premiere
A unique noir thriller that digs into the secrecy surrounding a terrible murder and the mystery of a mother’s primal love for her son. The films of director Bong Joon-ho regularly, and brilliantly, break with convention, thanks to an imagination that is not confined to the accepted parameters of humour, suspense or horror – Mother is no exception.

Ondine
Neil Jordan, Ireland/USA World Premiere
A lyrical, modern fairy tale that tells the story of Syracuse (Colin Farrell), an Irish fisherman whose life is transformed when he catches a beautiful and mysterious woman (Alicja Bachleda) in his nets. His daughter Annie (Alison Barry) comes to believe that the woman is a magical creature, while Syracuse falls helplessly in love. However, like all fairy tales, enchantment and darkness go hand in hand.

Partir
Catherine Corsini, France International Premiere
Suzanne (Kristin Scott Thomas) is a well-to-do married woman and mother in the south of France. Her idle bourgeois lifestyle gets her down and she decides to go back to work as a physiotherapist. Her husband agrees to fix-up a consulting room for her in their backyard. When Suzanne and the man (Sergi Lopez) hired to do the building meet, the mutual attraction is sudden and violent. Suzanne decides to give up everything and live this all-engulfing passion to the fullest.

Scheherazade Tell Me a Story
Yousry Nasrallah, Egypt North American Premiere
Hebba is the host of a successful political talk show in present-day Cairo. Karim, her husband, is deputy editor-in-chief of a government-owned newspaper. When Party big shots imply his wife is meddling with opposition politics, Karim convinces her to start a series of talk shows around issues involving women. Hebba knows, of course, that women’s issues are political. But she could not imagine to what extent, and the tension eventually leads to the break-up of her marriage.

Solitary Man
Brian Koppelman and David Levien, USA World Premiere
Ben Kalmen (Michael Douglas) is feeling his age, but you wouldn’t know it from the company he keeps. A former mogul with a chain of car dealerships, until legal troubles knocked him out of business, Ben now keeps a grip on the world through his relationships with women – many women. The cast also includes Susan Sarandon, Danny DeVito, Mary Louise Parker and Jenna Fischer.

Valhalla Rising
Nicolas Winding Refn, Denmark/United Kingdom World Premiere
It is 1000 AD. For years, One Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the Norse chieftain Barde. Aided by Are, a boy slave, One Eye slays his captor and together he and Are escape, beginning a journey into the heart of darkness. On their flight, One Eye and Are board a Viking vessel, but the ship is soon engulfed by an endless fog that clears only as the crew sights an unknown land. As the new world reveals its secrets and the Vikings confront their terrible and bloody fate, One Eye discovers his true self.

Vengeance
Johnnie To, Hong Kong/France North American Premiere
A father comes to Hong Kong to avenge his daughter, whose family was murdered. Officially, he’s a French chef. Twenty years ago, he was a killer. Vengeance is a moody, noir-ish tour-de-force, starring French pop icon Johnny Hallyday.

The Vintner’s Luck
Niki Caro, New Zealand/France World Premiere
Set in early 19th century France The Vintner’s Luck tells the compelling tale of Sobran Jodeau, an ambitious young peasant winemaker and the three loves of his life—his beautiful and passionate wife Celeste, the proudly intellectual baroness Aurora de Valday and Xas, an angel who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Sobran. A fantastical creature with wings that smell of snow, Xas turns out to be an unconventional mentor. Under his guidance Sobran is forced to fathom the nature of love and belief and in the process, grapples with the sensual, the sacred and the profane—all in pursuit of the perfect vintage.

Shau’ Dir das: Leaves of Grass der Film

Edward Norton hat die Hauptrolle im Film Leaves of Grass, ein kommender Komödien- Thriller, geschrieben und unter Regie von Tim Blake Nelson.

To me the first viewing of this film was a little better than the second one. The first time around I was so taken by the story and the details of the murder I really wasn’t noticing other things. This movie is really just the stories of the two sides of a murder mystery. I wish the movie would have included a third point of view. Would have liked to have seen more from the detectives point of view and maybe even a more scientific point of view using evidence and forensics. Not to mention it would have given a bit more screen time to the great character Ted Levine. (“It rubs the lotion on it’s skin or else it gets the hose again.” Silence of the Lambs)

Without giving too much away, this is the true story of porn star John Holmes after the x-rated film business and in the middle of his heavy drug days, he gets accused of murder. The director does a great job with the overall look and feel of this film, with muted colors and film grain, adding to the overall character of the film. Also, a great soundtrack fits the tone perfect with the blaring of Bad Reputation by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Val Kilmer (Tombstone, Batman Forever) is good playing John Holmes, but the real surprise of this film is Lisa Kudrow (Friends) who plays estranged with Sharon. Also Carrie Fisher (Star Wars) in a nice bit part in the beginning of the film. 

We always hear of Hollywood sensationalizing violence in films. If you have this DVD you will see that this isn’t the case. They have included the complete police walk through of the crime scene, blood still on the walls, bodies still on the ground. This film actually toned it down, and I am glad they did. The crime scene was haunting to see and really didn’t want to see the way it happened. If you are a fan of true crime movies, or just good film making, this one is worth catching. Just be aware this is about an ex-porn star into every drug imaginable.

Title: The Incredible Hulk
Year: 2008
Director: Louis Leterrier
Writer: Zak Penn
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson
Music: Craig Armstrong
Length: 112 minutes
Synopsis: super-soldier experiment gone wrong on the run
How I saw it: on video (rented from Netflix), February 2009
Subjective Rating: 5/10
Objective Rating: 2/10 (gets points for dialog and acting)

Bah. From what little I know about the Hulk, I’ve never understood how you could possibly make an interesting story with the character. The first fifteen or twenty minutes of this movie hint at some possibilities, but they’re quickly abandoned for the typical over-produced, CG-happy “action” I’ve come to expect from Marvel movies. I haven’t seen the earlier Ang Lee movie, and if it’s actually worse than this one, I guess that makes me very lucky.