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It was a movie based on a book by a first time novelist, and brought to life by an untested director with one film under his belt. It went over-schedule and over-budget and was forced into production without a script and a cast in order to beat the clock on a pending writers strike. Then, the principle prop of the picture, the thing upon whose functioning rested the entire plot of the film, just didn?t seem to want to work. By any stretch of the imagination, this film was destined to float out on the tide with the rest of the trash.
But then something miraculous happened: Jaws became the biggest movie to hit the industry in its entire history to that point.
June 20, 2010 was the 35th anniversary of Jaws? release. Of course, a lot of seminal films have important anniversaries but few movies are the game changer that Jaws was. It created the summer blockbuster, put dollar signs in the eyes of studio executives and launched the career of a guy named Spielberg. In the summer of ?75, Jaws was the word, and never again did you need an excuse to stay out of the water.
Whether the stars were aligned for Jaws,or it broke through despite them, the film?s indelible mark on the culture remains despite the fact that most people today have probably experienced it on home video as opposed to the theatre screen. But does that diminish the film?s effectiveness? What?s the best way to experience Jaws: in a crowded theatre or in the intimacy of one?s home?
What isn?t in doubt though is the immediate effect the film had. Attendance at nation beaches went way down in the summer of ?75, echoing the effect that Alfred Hitchcock had on showering nearly 15 years earlier in Psycho. In fact, Jaws' author Robert Benchley later in his life began feeling that his book ? and the subsequent movie ? had done irreparable harm to the image of sharks. He worked till the end of his days on shark conservation.
It was a noble effort, but people reading the Benchley novel after years of familiarity with the Spielberg film may find it difficult to recognize them as similar material. When brought on to the film by producers David Brown and Richard D. Zanuck, Spielberg tossed out many of the novel?s intricate side plots, including Mayor Vaughn?s mob involvement and a brief affair between Ellen Brody and Matt Hooper. Also out was the novel?s original ending where the shark simply bled to death and leaving Chief Brody as the sole survivor of the Orca expedition.
The effort of the film?s various screenwriters, including a supposed rare draft by the director himself, yielded a straightforward adventure story. But writing the script was a unique challenge only in that it went far smoother than shooting the actual film did. Going significantly over-budget and taking twice as long as scheduled to shoot, getting a Jaws film into post-production proved as elusive as the titular fish. Annals have been written about the effort with entire chapters dedicated to the stubborn main prop, a mechanical shark that spent more time on dry land than most of the cast and crew combined.
But despite the near-borderline state of failure of the production, Jaws immediately captured the imagination of audiences. Attempts at replication through sequels (Jaws 2 through Jaws: The Revenge), copycats (Arachnophobia: ?Jaws with spiders?) or spin-offs (ask a gamer about Jaws Unleashed) have been mostly subpar. Jaws is unique in that it can stand alone above the noise as its own work, and what a work it is.
Despite the pox of the shark dysfunction, the effect is startling in the film?s favour. The opening scene of young Chrissie Watkins taking an evening swim only to find herself dragged under the water to her death by an unseen powerful force.
It's strange that seeing the movie again one forgets for a moment the rather ordinary beach party dissolves into a scene of terror. You sort of smirk at the 70s-ness of the scene, you laugh at the drunk guy being unable to get is clothes off, but when Chrissie starts to feel a tug from underwater, you get that feeling.
The effect doesn?t go away, and a shadow is cast over any scene where someone goes near the water. John Williams? effective use of music and the P.O.V. camera work pioneered by Spielberg in this film has a tensing effect, especially when you?re surveying the action from the point of view of the monster. On a bright sunny day at the beach, you know someone?s going to die. Perhaps we take it for granted now, but there must have been something startling when it was first released when the shark eats both a dog (off screen) and a little boy (on screen).
The film is more than half over when we get our first ?real? look at the shark. The audience is made self aware after numerous uses of the ?dum-dum? music to signal the shark?s presence, the sudden appearance of the Great White as Chief Brody chums the water is a sudden shock and spawned one of the most quotable movie lines of all time: ?We?re gonna need a bigger boat.? Of course, this was one of the rare occasions where the shark was functioning, which is why much of the rest of the film follows Brody, Hooper and Quint as they pursue three yellow barrels that are harpooned to the shark.
Onto the finale where the shark leaps out of the water and devours Quint, before Chief Brody?s heroic declaration in telling the shark to smile before blowing up the oxygen tank in its mouth. (And yes, we know Mythbusters disproved the whole oxygen tank thing, so thank you for pointing that out.)
Spielberg was right when studio execs told him that no one would buy the ending, he had the people for two hours and he would have them till the end. The shark blows up and sinks to the bottom of the ocean a bloody mess while a slight roar is heard as deliberate homage to the director?s breakthrough effort Duel, a TV movie about a man facing a different unstoppable force: a menacing semi.
The key to Jaws is simplicity. It?s a human drama about an island town being menaced by a natural threat both elusive and powerful. It?s not a shark movie, because that implies the shark is the focus. Like slasher film sequels of the 80s, the Jaws movies, as they went, became more and more concerned with high body counts and bloody and elaborate kills. And while the sight of Ellen Brody harpooning the shark with a boat in Jaws: The Revenge might have looked awesome, the moment wasn?t believable because the rest of the film, with psychic connections to sharks and a Great White out for personal revenge, skirted the original?s realism, it?s trueness of spirit.
There was an interesting article recently posted online that postulated the scenario What if Jaws was made today? This rather humorous piece on CHUD.com recited possible scenarios including the casting of Sam Worthington as Chief Brody, a CG shark, a conversion to 3-D IMAX post-production and a new title: Jaws: Rise of the Great White. It?s not hard to imagine, which is why Jaws remains an example of the system working in spite of itself. A happy accident of filmmaking the succeeded despite the odds, and remains a high-watermark for aspiring movie-makers everywhere.
It is December 31, 2011. The clock is ticking down to the midnight hour where we all welcome the year 2012. With smiles on our faces, laughter rings through the air and spirits are high. Little do we know that somewhere out there, forces that are beyond our control will claim us. The clock strikes twelve. Flashes of light not made by man are streaking through the sky, dark figures race by, too fast for our eyes to see. 2012, the apocalypse?the end of mankind?NOT! It is indeed the year of the geek! The year where the U.S.S. Enterprise lands on earth again, wizards and hobbits travel to the screen from Middle Earth, the amazing Spiderman, Superman, Avengers, and of course the Dark Knight returns again to make 2012 a memorable year. If rumours are true and we all die that year, then it would be a good year to die with all the long awaited movies lined up just for us. A nice farewell present if you ask me.
Now that we know all these epic films will be released in (apparently) the last year of our lives, when do we expect it to hit the big screen? We can sure expect to see a Marvel movie kick off the summer only to be followed by a DC movie. Ah, the ongoing battle until the end of time. But enough of that.
You must be asking which Marvel movie will be released in May. Let?s start by doing the math here: We have two Ironman movies out already, with Nick Fury being introduced, Thor will be on the big screen next June, Fantastic Four made it in theatres twice, Captain America will soon to be released, Spiderman swung onto the big screen thrice and of course the ruthless Wolverine, so if you add all those up, what do you get? The Avengers! I really hope you got that?
With Avengers lined up for May, another geek movie would be the alien butt-kicking duo dressed in nicely pressed black suits and really big guns ? The third Men in Black will be capping the month off!
With May over, what?s in store for June? Sorry, but I just had to put this in here even though my head screams at me to not put it in, but to those Twihards or whatever you are, Breaking Dawn Part II will be opening for the month of June?this better be the last of it. Anyways, back to the real article, the Star Trek sequel will be released. With the USS Enterprise flying onto the big screen, Trekkies from all over will not want to miss this, and maybe the town of Vulcan will get to flown to the movie premiere again too. Live long and prosper my friends.
In July, the real summer begins, though I?m not entirely sure how this fourth Spiderman will do. Yes, you heard right, a fourth Spiderman, called Spiderman Reboot! Nerdy school boy, Peter Parker, won?t be portrayed by Tobey McGuire though, tons of rumours flying around that Zac Efron will play him, that doesn?t work in my books, but after all it?s a rumour and other actors are in line to see who?s best fit to be our friendly neighbourhood or nuisance Spiderman. Sam Raimi will not be returning as the director but Marc Webb will be directing this fourth instalment.
And what better way to end off the month than with the long-awaited Batman? Christopher Nolan returns to bring Gotham?s Dark Knight to the screen and this time the whole entire film will be filmed in IMAX! The whole cast will be returning, though we still don?t know who the villain is. Nonetheless, I am hyped ? for lack of a better word ? to see this, being a huge Batman fan. You can expect me to be there when the bat signal goes on, or at first light.
So let?s skip half the year and fast forward to the month of December, the last month of our lives, or so they say...if it?s true let?s hope both of these movies will show before the 21st of December then shall we? Let?s do some more math. What epic trilogy was released in consecutive Decembers every year?
For an A, I sure hope you said Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson will be returning and bringing the hobbits from Middle Earth to the big screen, though he will not be directing this time, he will in fact be producer, along with the same producers from the LOTR trilogy. I should mention that should the world end, we?ll only be seeing half of this, as this is only part one of the film. Part two will be released in the following year, if we make it that far? But for now, let?s enjoy with what we have, and like Gandalf would say, ?All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.? So let?s be wise and enjoy this.
Let?s end off the year, not with a bang, but with a sonic boom! Yes, another DC movie is in place this year, and what best to end the year but with Superman: Man of Steel. That brings the count to two Marvel and two DC movies to go head to head with each other this year. But yes, besides knowing that there will be a Superman movie, I don?t know who will be playing the almost indestructible Kal-El, or who will be directing this, though it might be David S. Goyer who will since according to IMDB he is doing the screenplay and wrote the story.
Also, there are other movies lined up for the year with no release date. We can look for a third Iron Man movie, Deadpool, The Dark Tower, and the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean. If so, Marvel has the edge in 2012 for having four films out. If these films are indeed lined up, we?ll be seeing Ironman twice in 2012, more of Jack Sparrow, Steven King?s novel being brought to life and a spinoff for Deadpool. For those who want a bit of background on Deadpool, he was in Wolverine: Origins, was badly misinterpreted, had his mouth shut and died. Let?s hope Hollywood doesn?t ruin the Merc with a Mouth the second time around.
2012, it may be the end for everyone, but for us geeks, it is only the beginning. Live long and prosper.
"Letters to Juliet" stars Amanda Seyfried, Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero talk about the real life love story between Nero and Redgrave. In a parallel to the film, Redgrave and Nero fell in love when they were young and have since rekindled their romance. Working on "Letters To Juliet" was a romantic reconnection for these two love birds. Watch the film stars talking about the romance and you can see "Letters To Juliet" when it hits theatres this Friday on May 14th.
Batman: a masked vigilante who takes the law into his hands, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies, saving his city from the hands of psychopaths?he is the dark knight of Gotham City. Warner Bros. has announced that on July 20, 2012, the third Batman movie will take us to new heights as he crashes onto the big screen.
Let us take a look back at the first two Batman films, which were both directed by the talented Christopher Nolan who brought back Batman?s real image as he was supposed to be in the comics. Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale as the billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne, gave us a rundown of how he came to be the legendary Batman. The film kicks off with the death of his parents, the training he goes through with his mentor Henri Ducard, who is later revealed as Ra?s Al Ghul, and him coming back to his home, conjuring up the idea of becoming a symbol of fear. With the help of his trustworthy butler, Alfred (Michael Caine), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and Lieutenant Jim Gordan (Gary Oldman), Batman takes down Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) and his mentor, Ra?s Al Ghul, in order to save the people of Gotham from tearing each other to pieces.
The second installment was The Dark Knight where Batman takes on all-time favourite villain, The Joker. Heath Ledger took on the role as The Joker and raised it to new heights. As The Joker terrorizes Gotham, Batman (Christian Bale) has to take him down, but how ?does an unstoppable force move an immovable object?? Not only does Batman have to go up against Joker, but also against his long time friend, Harvey Dent (turned Two-Faced after an accident). Again, Christopher Nolan made a Batman movie that puts the "dark" back in The Dark Knight. It was put together cleverly and stays true to the comics to a certain point, unlike the older Batman movies directed by Joel Schumaucher.
Now that you?ve been filled in on the last two Batman movies, assuming you missed them, let?s see what has been said about the third Batman movie.
Will Batman be filmed on IMAX or will it take the 3D route like every other movie? According to the Wall Street Journal, it will be filmed on IMAX along with 20 other films by Warner Bros. after finalizing an agreement. The entire film will be in IMAX, unlike The Dark Knight which only had selected scenes that were filmed in IMAX. Just imagine, Batman being filmed entirely in IMAX (and not just a regular movie that is put onto an IMAX screen) - this is going to be awesome! So why is Batman 3 not in 3D, one might ask - it?s the biggest fad right now isn?t it? According to an interview on Cinematical.com, Nolan showed disinterest in making the movie 3D and ruled out the possibility of shooting it using the format. This was quoted by the interviewer during the interview, "What Chris and I have talked about is doing something cool and something interesting," Pfister said. "[Director] Brad Bird was [saying,] 'You've got to shoot the whole thing in IMAX!' I was like, yeah, I've talked to Chris about that."
With the IMAX technology, the audience will feel like they are going through the screen with the characters, as opposed to in 3D where the image pops out at you; IMAX brings you into the screen, almost like a first-person experience. To have the entire movie filmed in IMAX, I sure cannot wait to fly through the streets of Gotham City alongside my favourite superhero of all time!
So what other rumours have we heard that might or might not be true?
How ?riddle-some??according to MTV?s splash page, composer Hans Zimmer says that he wants the Riddler to be in B3. Quoted from the site, Hans said, "He?s a character that gives you ideas. Maybe I should talk to Chris about that." I'm still of the belief that The Riddler won't even be in B3, but you never know.After the release of The Dark Knight, sources indicated that Johnny Depp would play The Riddler (that would be absolutely amazing), but in the end, it was just a rumour that caught on. According to IMDb, there is no one cast as The Riddler, nor has Nolan decided whether to include him to the cast of villains. It would make sense to introduce The Riddler, Christopher Nolan style though; after all, he?s one of Batman?s long time enemies who likes to mess with the dark knight?s mind.
Telegraph.co.uk also picked up on the rumour about Philip Seymour Hoffman playing the penguin, and Angelina Jolie as the tough, seductive, sexy Catwoman. Another popular choice from fans on who to play Catwoman, would be Marion Cotillard - of course, these are fan suggestions and not facts. None of these actors has been confirmed, and we don?t even know who the villains in B3 will be! Christopher Nolan is always secretive when it comes to a new project. Unless something is said and comes from his own mouth, we shouldn?t believe it.
According to IMDb, the following actors will be reprising their roles: Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Jim Gordan, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox and of course Michael Caine as the loving, kickbutt butler. Though nothing has been said on the Warner Bros. website, it is still unclear who will be in the movie; all we know now is the release date of B3.
The following is a list of villains who I would like to see in the third Batman. I wonder who I will guess correctly; it?s like the jackpot, though the odds are higher of hitting the right villain, and no money is involved (unfortunately). Being a long time Batman fan, seeing Hush being brought onto the big screen would be awesome for lack of a better word. He is the one villain that knows Batman inside out, and knows how to strike at the heart of the dark knight. Introducing the Black Mask onto the big screen would be another wise choice too, though the only problem with these two villains is that they?re not well known to the general public. When you say, "List a Batman villain," the majority of the people will end up listing The Joker, The Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, or the Penguin. They?re the more common ones; you won?t hear Clayface, Mothman, Man-bat, Ra?s Al Ghul, Harley Quinn, Hush, Black Mask, Plain Jane, Falcone or even Scarecrow. I?m glad Nolan introduced Falcone, Scarecrow and Ra?s since the past Batman movies never had him in them. So who will we see in B3?
The task of trying to find out who will be in the movie is like being Batman: always playing the detective and trying to figure things out...now we know what he feels like, eh? (Minus the fact we don?t have to fight bad guys.)
Now that we know who will be directing the movie and when the release date is, what can we expect from B3? Well, another mystery waiting to be solved is what the title of the movie is going to be. From the past Batman films that we saw directed by Christopher Nolan, we know that they are dark, action packed, clever, and well put together. The humour is witty and not cheesy like Schumaucher?s Batman. Also, if Christian Bale, assuming IMDb is telling the truth, is Batman again, we can for sure expect his over the top voice as well. Nolan also does his best to stay true to the comics, compared to the past Batman movies; he combines some of the best comics together and adds his own magic to make it the franchise breathtaking and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
So all we can do right now is sit back and wait or play the detective and put on the cowl, go gather some information and see what is said, what is confirmed about movie, otherwise, all we have to work with right now is the release date and the fact that it will be on IMAX. Batman may be a patient man, but I sure can?t bloody wait for the third installment!
E1 Entertainment has released three new photos from Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
In Eclipse, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob ? knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.
Sure, the weather is getting nicer outside, but why let that stop you from going to the movies? Below, you?ll find a list of releases coming soon to a theatre near you over the next couple of months.
Wednesday March 31st
The Last Song ? Just in time for tweens on their Easter Long Weekend break is the screen adaptation of Nicolas Sparks? latest ode to teenage romance. This time it?s Miley Cyrus taking the Sparks? teen actor rite of passage by playing a girl that reconnects with her estranged dad (played by Greg Kennear) over their shared love of music.
Friday April 2nd
Clash of the Titans ? Sam Worthington leaves Pandora behind to play Ancient Greek warrior Perseus in this hightech remake of the 1981 film. Perseus fights through every creature in Greek mythology to prevent Hades (played by a typecast Ralph Fiennes) from unleashing Hell on Earth.
Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? (limited) ? Complications ensue for four couples during their annual retreat to the Bahamas. Sounds like the previously released Vince Vaughn comedy Couples Retreat as brought to us by the highly prolific Tyler Perry.
Max Manus (limited) ? The story of one of Norway?s greatest heroes is recounted in this docudrama. Max Manus was part of the infamous ?Oslo Gang?, who sabotaged the Nazi war effort in Norway?s capital despite bloody reprisals from the Gestapo commander, Siegfred Fehmer. The film follows Manus? exploits from 1939 to 1945.
Friday April 9th
Date Night ? Steve Carell and Tina Fey finally combine their talents to play a married couple caught up in a bad case of mistaken identity as their night on the town turns into a Bruckheimer-esque action extravaganza.
The Wild Hunt ? From Quebec comes a story that combines the emotion of Shakespearian tragedy and the action of medieval battles by setting it in the word of LARP (or Live-Action Role Playing). Erik follows his girlfriend to a medieval re-enactment after she falls for one of the players, and things get a little too real.
The Eclipse (limited) ? Not remotely related to the Twilight book of the same name, this Irish ghost tale features Ciarán Hinds (?Rome?, There Will Be Blood) as a widower who thinks he?s being haunted after striking up a friendship with a horror novelist (Iben Hjejle, High Fidelity).
A Shine of Rainbows (limited) ? An eight-year-old named Tomás gets to leave his dreary life in an orphanage behind when he?s adopted by the light-hearted Marie. But Tomás discovers that things aren?t completely perfect in the world outside the orphanage either.
Friday April 16th
Kick-Ass ? Based on Mark Millar and John Romita Jr?s Marvel Comic of the same name, Kick-Ass follows teenage Dave Lizewski who decides to put on green spandex and become a superhero. The self-proclaimed hero named, you guessed it, Kick Ass, ends up inspiring others and violent antics ensue. This one?s generated some controversy because of its graphic violence and for featuring a 13-year-old girl with the colourful language of a seasoned sailor, but for fanboys and girls it stands as one of the season?s most anticipated.
Death at a Funeral (2010) ? Frank Oz?s 2007 English farce gets an unnecessary American remake as Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes and Alan Tudyk are replaced by Chris Rock, Regina Hall and James Marsden. Peter Dinklage, however, reprises his role as the deceased father?s lover.
Alpha and Omega ? Two young wolves (voiced by Hayden Panettiere and Justin Long) bond despite their differences after being captured by park rangers in this animated film.
LondonRiver (limited) ? The 2005 London subway attacks are re-created for this drama about two people looking for their loved ones amidst the chaos after the bombing.
The Square (limited) ? A couple looking to escape their own separate monotonous marriages engage in a heist scheme to get running away money. Naturally, things go horrible wrong.
Thursday April 22nd
Oceans ? Disney?s new documentary wing brings its second look at life on our planet just in time for Earth Day. This time, the cameras follow the diverse wildlife that fills the seven seas.
Friday April 23rd
The Losers ? Like Kick-Ass, The Losers is based on a comic book, but this is a story about a group of Special Forces soldiers looking to payback on the man that betrayed them in the Bolivian jungle. The Losers was originally printed under DC Comics? Vertigo line, which also published V For Vendetta, Hellblazer (turned into the film Constantine), and Jonah Hex.
The Back-up Plan ? Jennifer Lopez makes what?s sure to be a triumphant return to film playing a frustrated single woman that decides go through the process of in-vitro fertilization only to meet her dream man after she gets pregnant. Insert Gigli joke of your choice here.
Friday April 30th
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) ? Freddy Krueger gets the remake treatment with Watchmen?s Jackie Earle Haley donning the hat, striped shirt and bladed glove of the character originated by Robert Englund. Interestingly, Haley auditioned for the role of Glen in the original Nightmare, but he lost to none other than Johnny Depp.
Harry Brown ? Michael Caine proves that even two-time Oscar-winning septuagenarians can be a force to be reckoned with by playing the film?s titular character, a man seeking revenge on the street thugs that killed his friend.
Gunless ? Canada?s favourite go-to actor Paul Gross plays a Wild West gunslinger that comes to a small Canadian town looking for a fight, and ends up being hard pressed to find one. Expect lots of riffing on our American cousins and their unending obsession with firearms.
Furry Vengeance ? Brendan Fraser plays a real estate developer that?s forced to fight a group of woodland creatures when his new subdivision encroaches on their habitat. Somebody make another Mummy movie for this man, stat!
Friday May 7th
Iron Man 2 ? Robert Downey Jr. returns as billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, who in this outing gets caught between the U.S. Government who want to get their hands on the Iron Man armour, and the villainous Whiplash, who?s out for revenge. Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson join the cast.
Exit Through the Gift Shop ? If iron men don?t interest you, then you can follow a real life adventure as a French shopkeeper and a documentary filmmaker head off in search of elusive British graffiti artist Banksy.
Babies (limited) ? A documentary crew follows four babies in four different parts of the world as the beginnings of life are examined from different cultural standpoints.
Friday May 14th
Robin Hood ? The Prince of Thieves gets a Gladiator makeover as Ridley Scott directs Russell Crowe as the legendary robber from Sherwood Forest. Cate Blanchett plays Crowe?s Maid Marian.
Letters to Juliet ? In fair Verona, an American student played by Amanda Seyfried helps a woman played by Vanessa Redgrave find the long-lost love she hasn?t seen since 1951.
The Trotsky ? Jay Baruchel takes a break from his burgeoning Hollywood career for this Canadian-made comedy about a Montreal High School student that believes he is the reincarnation of Soviet revolutionary, Leon Trotsky.
Just Wright (limited) ? Queen Latifah plays a physical therapist that gets a job working with the one of the NBA?s biggest stars, played by Common. Naturally, romantic sparks ensue.
Mao?s Last Dancer (limited) ? Based on the true story of Li Cunxin, Mao?s Last Dancer follows a young peasant boy whose raw skill as a dancer allowed him to journey to Madame Mao's ballet academy in Beijing and later to the Houston Ballet in America as an exchange student. The film also tells of Li?s struggles after he refuses to return to China.
Mother and Child (limited) ? An all-star cast including Annette Bening, Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Jimmy Smits bring to life a story about three women and the various facets of the mother/child relationship that they face.
Friday May 21st
Micmacs (limited) - Jean-Pierre Jeunet, director of Amélie and A Very Long Engagement, takes themes from both these previous art house hits for this tale of love, longing and sweet revenge set against the backdrop of a magical junkyard.
Shrek Forever After ? Everybody?s favourite green ogre has a midlife crisis as Shrek begins to wonder if he?s lost his roar. In a twisted tale that takes Shrek into a bizarre world where he never became the heroic ogre that won Fiona?s heart, there?s going to be even more fairy tale fun to be had than ever before as this Shrek is going 3-D.
MacGruber ? Action gets a new name with this film based on Will Forte?s recurring character from Saturday Night Live. It?s the first big screen transfer of an SNL character in some time, and a nation of people is left to wonder, how long till the Tim Calhoun movie is made?
Leslie, My Name is Evil (limited) ? Canadian filmmaker Reginald Harkema takes a subversive look at the Charles Manson court case as Manson jury member Perry (Gregory Smith) starts to find himself enamoured with Manson family member Leslie. Premiering last September at the Toronto Film Festival, this is definitely not Helter Skelter as you remember it.
I Love You Phillip Morris (limited) ? It?s a case of love, life, criminality and latent homosexuality as Jim Carrey plays a man who realizes he?s gay after getting into a severe car accident. More than that, the straight-laced businessman decides he?s going to become a criminal in order to get everything he wanted in life, only to end up in jail where he meets his true love, Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). And that?s just the beginning of the story.
The 82nd Academy Awards went off without any major glitches this year. Hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin with various presenters from newcomers Kristen Stewart and Zac Efron to veterans such as Kate Winslet and Tom Hanks giving speeches that ranged from confusing and choppy to almost perfection. It was nothing out of the ordinary, but it had its memorable moments.
Neil Patrick Harris opened the 82nd Academy Awards with a song and dance which was rather thrilling for all people who thought that he may have been the best choice as the host of the event and Martin and Baldwin went on to address each person that was nominated for an award in the evening. It was smooth sailing from there as one by one each of the awards were presented and the winners gave their speeches.
It was a battle coming into this night between two fantastic films: The Hurt Locker and Avatar. One directed by James Cameron and the other by his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow. The ex- husband and wife just added to the tension and the excitement of who would walk away with the most awards. Both came into the night with nine nominations including Best Director and Best Picture.
Avatar walked away with three statues including Art Direction, Cinematography, and Visual Effects and The Hurt Locker took home 6 including the coveted Best Picture along with Directing, Film Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Original Screenplay. I wouldn?t call it a knock out fight, but when so many thought that Avatar was going to sweep the awards they must have felt the sting a little.
Not at the awards this evening was Nicholas Chartier a producer of The Hurt Locker who was banned from attending the awards after he sent out an email to the voting members urging them to vote for The Hurt Locker and not the ?$500 million dollar movie? which clearly is in reference to Avatar. The sweep of The Hurt Locker makes one think that maybe this tactic worked. I would have been shocked if Avatar did not take home the statue for Visual Effects as would most of the world, but I was not so sure on all the other fronts. It was a nail biter, but in the end the underdog rose to the challenge.
Jeremy Renner got the only acting nomination for either movie for his role in The Hurt Locker, but he lost the Leading Actor Oscar to a well deserving Jeff Bridges for his role in Crazy Heart. This was not a surprise to individuals who follow the awards circuit as he previously won the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild for the same role. Mo?Nique won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Precious: Based on the Novel ?Push? by Sapphire which was no surprise to the viewers either and Christoph Waltz won Supporting Actor for his role in Inglourious Basterds.
The most touching and humble moment of the night went to Sandra Bullock for her Best Leading Actress win over sixteen-time-nominee Meryl Streep. Not only did Bullock acknowledge her fellow nominees, but she said wonderful things about all of them. Calling Gabourey Sidibe exquisite, Carey Mulligan graceful beautiful and elegant, Helen Mirren family, and Meryl Streep ?such a good kisser. ? As her role in The BlindSide was about being a mother she spoke about her own mother and there could not have been a dry eye in the house when she was done. She thanked her for teaching her ?that there was no race, no religion, no class system, no colour, nothing. No sexual orientation that makes us better than anyone else we are all deserving of love.?
There were a few changes this year in the live show which included not having the Original Song nominees perform on the night. Instead they had a dance piece constructed around each of the nominees for Original Score. This was probably to make room for the 10 nominees for Best Picture that were highlighted throughout the night by different presenters.
The tribute to John Hughes who passed away last year may have been a highlight for anyone who grew up watching 80?s classics like The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller?s Day Off. Molly Ringwald, Matthew Broderick, Jon Cryer, Macaulay Culkin among others all came on stage and spoke after the tribute to Hughes had played. It was a wonderful reunion of the stars of the past and a great tribute to a man and his family who had such a big impact on a genre of film.
The annual ?In Memoriam? that the producers of the show put together of all the stars that had passed away in the last year left out two very loved actresses : Farrah Fawcett who passed away after a long battle with cancer last year and Bea Arthur who was on the long time running show Golden Girls. It is common for the producers to miss someone in this tribute, but stars as big as Fawcett and Arthur being excluded shocked many of the viewers. This may end up being the most talked about blemish on an otherwise well executed program.
Not ending on a sour note however, all the females in the film industry, particularly in the directing area of film, pumped their fists tonight when Kathryn Bigelow won her Best Director award becoming the very first female to take home that trophy. Whenever there is a first at the Academy Awards it feels like history is being made.
After wrapping up a smooth night with one last joke from Martin and Baldwin the show was over. People all over the continent turned off their televisions and most likely chatted about whether or not The Hurt Locker was deserving of the final award and half an hour later it was probably out of their minds completely. So until next year and another movie battle, this has been an Oscars review ? over and out.
Best Picture The Hurt Locker
Director Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
Leading Actor Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
Leading Actress Sandra Bullock - The Blindside
Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds
Supporting Actress Mo'Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Original Screenplay The Hurt Locker
Adapted Screenplay Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
2010 marks the first year where 3D movies are not just a once in awhile treat, but a technology that will be married to many of our favourite movies to bring us closer to stories and characters from the silver screen.
This year there will be no less than 14 movies in 3D. Here is a short list of highly anticipated 3D movies coming to a theatre near you:
Alice in Wonderland
Tim Burton?s latest masterpiece features a more grown up Alice returning to a Wonderland that is both different and familiar from what she remembers. The Red Queen has taken over and it is up to Alice to put Wonderland back together with help from Wonderland denizens such as the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). Release date March 5.
How To Train Your Dragon
Vikings and Dragons are always fighting, until a young Viking named Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) unknowingly becomes the owner of a young dragon himself. Release date March 26.
Shrek 4: Forever After
Shrek (Mike Myers) has become a domesticated family ogre and has settled down with his wife Fiona (Cameron Diaz), however Shrek longs for his glory days of scaring villagers and going on adventures with his friends Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) until his wish is granted by Rumpelstiltskin and everything is turned upside down. Release date May 21.
In Toy Story 3, our loveable toys Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) always knew that the day their owner, Andy would grow up and as he prepares to leave for college the toys are uncertain of their future. Release date June 18.
Super villains have it tough and Gru (Steve Carell) is planning the world?s biggest heist from his hideout in a picturesque surburban neighbourhood. Everything is going well until he meets three little girls that are about to change his world. Release date July 9.
Besides 3D movies, there will be plenty of action and laughs to be had at the movies this year with familiar, but highly anticipated sequels and new titles alike. Here is another short list of highly anticipated 2010 movie releases:
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), billionaire inventor and superhero is adored by the general public, but is pressured by the government to share his technology and must forge new alliances to confront new foes. Release date May 7.
In a world where men are pitted against kings and kings against gods, Perseus (Sam Worthington), a man born of the gods and raised as a man champions the causes of man in stopping the world?s destruction from the war of the gods. Release date April 2.
Starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke as a group of friends that discover that their hot tub is a time machine launching them back in time to 1986, where they have another chance to change their lives. Release date March 19.
Kirk (Jay Baruchel) works at the airport as a security guard and lucks out when Molly (Alice Eve), an outrageously gorgeous and successful babe falls for him. Nobody can believe it, not even Kirk. Release date March 12th.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The third instalment to Stephanie Meyer?s highly successful literary series, Bella (Kristen Stewart) is reunited with Edward (Robert Pattinson) and tries to make Edward and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) see eye to eye, however beyond that is Seattle?s mysterious chain of mass murders. Who is behind this and what connection does it have to Bella?
Director Ridley Scott returns with another medieval epic starring Russell Crowe as Robin Hood, an expert archer who is released from the army upon the death of Richard the Lion Heart. He travels to the town of Nottingham, which is suffering from a corrupt sheriff and a crippling tax. Release date May 14.
After a group of Special Forces soldiers are set up for a crime which they did not commit, they go rogue as guns for hire. Once the A-Team (Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton ?Rampage? Jackson, Sharlto Copley) land a job they always get it done. Release date June 11.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (Emma Watson) return to do battle against Voldemort whose power is increasing and his influence snakes through everything including the Ministry of Magic. Harry and his friends need to rush against time to find the Horcruxes which contain shards of Voldemort?s soul and ultimately lead to his defeat. Release date November 19.
After the dust has settled and the lights come back on, 2010 will mark another successful year for movies and movie goers alike.
Alice in Wonderland, written by English author Lewis Carroll in 1865, became an instant hit with readers, so it isn't surprising how many film versions have been made of it. The first film that came out was silent back in 1903. Two more silent films were made following this. In 1931, the first film with speech was made patched together by a cast of amateur actors.
Most notably, Disney came out with an animated version of its own and caught the hearts of many viewers in 1951. Over the years, numerous film and television adaptations have been created, so it?s about time that an Alice In Wonderland, possibly closest to the Lewis Carroll vision, came out and who best to make this effort but enigmatic Tim Burton! Evidently, Marilyn Manson is currently creating a horror version of the film as well. Hmmm....
Alice in Wonderland can be viewed as a family friendly classic, but there are many aspects in the story that can be easily interpreted as a dark tale which targets an older audience, hence this films PG rating. For those who are not familiar with this classic tale, Alice follows the white rabbit through a hole and ends up in a mysterious world that is full of dangers and adventures.
Alice experiences potions that can shrink her to the size of a mouse or make her tall enough to put a T-rex to shame. There are animals that talk and a cat that appears out of thin air. It features the evil Queen of Hearts who likes to decapitate anyone, making people suffer for her pleasure, and plays croquet with live flamingos. The material is prime for a director such as Burton to tackle, who has previously brought Sweeney Todd, Beetlejuice, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory and Sleepy Hollow to the big screen. In this sequel, 19 year old Alice will be returning to Wonderland to folllow her destiny. Hopefully.
Over time, many films have adapted the symbols presented in Alice in Wonderland and cleverly snuke into our own psyche.The Matrix quoted, ?follow the white rabbit?, taking Neo (Keanu Reeves) into a completely different world from his own. The book's interpretation, with its many mind-bending and illogical moments, and so many iconic images, can be played around with to the delight of creative Directors like Burton and Actors like Johnny Depp.
So who is this Tim Burton? Burton is known to make movies that have a gothic atmosphere, dark sense of humour and likes to focus on characters that can be easily misunderstood by the realm of "normalacy". Burton likes to change our definition of what the outsider is and clearly many feel like outsiders as most of his films have been excessively successful.
Another trademark of Burton's films is his frequent collaborations with Johnny Depp. Their relationship started with the filming of Edward Scissorhands. Since then, Depp has teamed up with Burton to make Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, the remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the 3D animated Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd and now, Alice in Wonderland.
When Depp was approached by Burton to take on this role as the Mad Hatter, Depp jumped right on board the film project. Depp told the Vancouver Sun, ?To be honest, he [Burton] could have said Alice and I would have done it. I would have done whatever character Tim wanted. But yes, certainly the fact that it was the Mad Hatter was a bonus ? because of the great challenge.?
In Burton?s past films, Johnny Depp has always played characters that are misunderstood, as mentioned, is one of Burton's primary themes. In Edward Scissorhands, he was an outsider because he was clearly not a normal human being. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, he was the anti-social Willy Wonka who drifted from his father because of his love for candy. Finally, in Sweeney Todd, he was a vengeful serial killer who fed human remains to customers with the help of Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter).
In all those films, Depp had outrageous hair and very pale makeup that would make Marilyn Manson proud. In Alice in Wonderland, the same can be expected, weird hair and pale makeup with a bizarre personality. So does Depp mind putting on these bizarre costumes? In the Vancouver Sun he said, ?I don?t care, I?ll put anything on, it doesn?t matter to me obviously, look at me!?
Who else can we expect to see in Burton?s Alice in Wonderland? For sure, we will see his fiancée Helena Bonham Carter, who has shown up in every single one of his movies since they met on the set of Planet of the Apes back in 2001. In this film, she will portray the Queen of Hearts. And what has been done to her head? Not decapitated of course, but it is huge! Almost heart-shaped in fact!
More familiar faces who have a tendency to show up in Burton?s movies make appearances in Alice. This includes Timothy Spall who plays Bayard, Alan Rickman as the blue caterpillar, Michael Gough as the Dodo Bird, and Christopher Lee as the Jabberwocky. New faces to this movie will be Anne Hathaway who will be the White Queen, the opposite of Helena?s role and Mia Wasikowska will be the one to don the blue dress of Alice.
We can look to see some other Burton trademarks, like the vibrant colourful scenery, similar to what we saw in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Will the film start with a winter scene? After all, in all of Burton?s films, it starts off with a quiet snowy scene. Again, Danny Elfman will team up with Burton for the captivating soundtrack.
Will Alice feature dead or dismembered dogs? With the big-headed Queen of Hearts who wants to behead everything, there probably will be a dismembered something lying around somewhere, as morbid as it sounds.
Depp also commented that he will provide a deeper version of the Mad Hatter, so perhaps Burton will slip in a series of flashback scenes of when the Hatter was a child or maybe some father-son problems. After all, his films tend to feature sequences and characters of this sort. We cannot expect to see all these trademarks, but they are ones to definitely keep an eye out for.
With only the trailer and movie posters to look at, it is still clear that Tim Burton continues to wear the crown for creativity and uniqueness. With a star-studded cast, mesmerizing movie sets and the magical touch of Burton himself, we can expect another imaginative, captivating, edge of your seat, amazing film. Burton fans will sure to be adding this to their list of favourites.
Alice in Wonderland will be hitting theatres on March 5th, so if you want to break away from the real world and fall down the rabbit hole, make sure you check out Burton?s latest!
Every year a DC superhero and Marvel superhero crashes into the box office and see who can beat out each by winning the hearts and money of the viewers. Whether the hero is known or unknown to the audience, it all comes down to one thing, DC versus Marvel. The war has been raging on in comic books and now on the big screen. This year, the long awaited Ironman 2 will be flying into theatres on May 7 and the Green Hornet fights his way onto the big screen for the first time on December 22.
Robert Downey Jr. again joins forces with director Jon Favreau for long waited Ironman 2. Downey Jr. portrays the one and only Tony Stark. Continuing where Ironman ended off, Tony is enjoying his celebrity status after revealing his identity, and runs into Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He finds out he is just a small part of another world, the world of superheroes. This time, he faces the threat of a new super villain, the Whiplash, played by Oscar-winner Mickey Rourke, who uses Stark?s reactor technology to create himself a pair of powerful electric whips. Stark is joined again by James ?Rhodey? Rhodes who this time is portrayed by Don Cheadle, not Terrance Howard. Rhodey even gets his chance to fight alongside Ironman this time around. The beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow will be returning as Stark?s love interest and the new CEO of Stark Industries. New faces to look for are Scarlett Johansson who plays Black Widow, S.H.I.E.L.D?s undercover spy and Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer.
Green Hornet, is surprisingly portrayed by the funnyman Seth Rogen. Do not expect this to be a comedy, it is indeed another fictional masked crime fighting movie. For those who are not familiar with the comic side of things, you must be asking yourself who the Green Hornet is. He is in fact a newspaper publisher by day and goes by the name of Britt Reid. By night, he is the Green Hornet and fights alongside with Kato (Jay Chou), his asian sidekick who drives ?Black Beauty?, a car that can rival James Bond?s Aston Martin or Batman?s Tumbler. The Green Hornet has no superpowers, but he possesses hand-to-hand combat skills and carries an awesome gun that sprays a gas to knock anyone out. Let?s see how Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) takes this! Cameron Diaz will star alongside with Rogen and will be his love interest in this crime fighting flick.
Who will rack up the numbers at the box office this year, will it be contestant number one, the iron clad Tony Stark in Ironman 2 or contestant number two, the crime fighting Green Hornet?
With two new superhero flicks in 2010, let?s take a look back at some of the best and worst and comic-based movies ever made in the last decade.
The Winners
Batman Begins ? Batman suffered a horrible image after the Batman & Robin movie, but Christopher Nolan brought the dark back in the dark knight. Batman, (aka Bruce Wayne) is portrayed as Christian Bale, who played the character extremely well. Michael Caine as the butler Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as the young Lieutenant Gordan and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox add to the quality ensemble. Liam Neeson plays Henri Ducard/Ras Al Ghul who trained Bruce Wayne to become a fearless crime fighter.
The Dark Knight ? Christopher Nolan does it again, and even better! Included in the equation this time is Heath Ledger who put on a memorable act. And to think that so many of us thought he was a bad choice to play the Joker! He made Joker even more psychotic and darker to match Bale?s portrayal of Batman. The legendary Caine, Oldman (with a promotion) and Freeman again return in this movie to aid our favourite dark knight.
X-men & X2: X-men United ? Too bad Bryan Singer didn?t direct the third X-men film as well, instead he decided to turn his back on Marvel and go with a DC movie only to disappoint viewers with Superman Returns. The first two X-men movies were very well made and good choices were made to introduce some of the supporting mutants, and we all know how many mutants there are! That?s like half the population of this world if you?re looking through Professor X?s eyes. The storyline was well thought out, though Rogue?s character seemed weak when in the comic she is stronger and has a mind of her own. The movies had a huge cast too, with Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Patrick Steward as Professor X, Ian McKellan as Magneto, Anna Paquin as Rogue, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique and many more.
Spiderman 1 & 2 ? Being Spiderman, you ought to have a shipload of enemies waiting to destroy your web, so to decide on which enemy to introduce is quite a task the director has to take on. A wise choice made with Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) in the first instalment and Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) in the second. Tobey McGuire put on a good act playing a nerdy schoolboy Peter Parker and your ?friendly neightbourhood Spiderman? (or even nuisance) as quoted by Spiderman himself.
Ironman ? How can the sequel create so much hype if the first one wasn?t good? The first one was awesome! Robert Downey Jr. battled his addictions and made a come back as a superhero that is not only rich, but smart and made a fighting suit that puts all of James Bonds gadgets to shame. Can?t wait for the sequel!
Hellboy II: The Golden Army ? The first movie was not great, but the sequel was surprisingly good. Though unrecognizable, Ron Perlman plays Hellboy and the sexy Selma Blair played Liz who is his love interest. Doug Jones plays the CG looking character Abe Sapien. You won?t know what he looks like but he was also the Silver Surfer in the second Fantastic 4 movie. The acting was above average and the movie was well made.
The Losers
Spiderman 3 ? With the first two movies being so good, expectations for the third one soared only for it to be dropped from the Burj (tallest building in the world) and splatter on the concrete. Well, not that bad, but it was a huge disappointment. Tobey McGuire is again Peter Parker and this time he?s up against himself, his best friend, Venom and Sandman. Venom is a favourite villain but the movie itself just didn?t flow and there was too many unnecessary touches.
Fantastic 4 & Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer ? The only thing that sells these films is Jessica Alba playing the Invisible Woman. The humour was childish and it looks like the movie was made just for the sake of putting Fantastic 4 out there in the market. With the sequel, the Silver Surfer was the only good thing about the movie; in fact they should have made a Silver Surfer movie against world-eater Galactus, but decided to introduce the Surfer into the Fantastic 4 movie. Was it because they were afraid that Silver Surfer wouldn?t sell as much as Fantastic 4? After all, the Surfer is less known, but if it was well made, he would have been a hit. He?s already a hit with comic readers and he looks cool enough to sell to everyone else.
Superman Returns ? As stated above, Bryan Singer should have stuck with directing the third X-men rather than ditching the team of mutants. Though you have to admit Brandon Routh does look an awful lot like Christopher Reeve, but besides that, the movie was a big let down. Superman left earth for a reason.
Elektra ? Can I say boring?! Okay, so besides Jennifer Garner in a tight leather outfit with a pair of sai, what else is good about that movie? The plot was horrible, the acting was below average and it was just a waste of time.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine ? As much I love Wolverine and action, I thought the movie wasn?t very well thought-out. The action and acting was good but they got so many facts wrong and that just completely ruined the story of Wolverine. It had an excellent cast though; Hugh Jackman returning as Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Dominic Monaghan as Bolt and Live Schreiber as Sabretooth (who is not supposed to be Wolverine?s blood brother).
Comic-based movies have become a hit, and to see your favourite superhero come onto the big screen is exciting, but sometimes it may not be worth the hype. Some superheroes should just stay on the pages rather than coming to life on the big screen. With the never-ending battle between Marvel and DC comics, when a Marvel movie is made, it can expect to go up against a DC movie. Have you also noticed that a superhero always paves way for a strong line up of films starting in the spring? It seems that the dawn of the superhero trend is catching on.
Some comic-based movies to look forward to in the future would be Marvel?s own Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth), a God sent to Earth as punishment. It will be directed by Kenneth Branagh, who has starred in Hamlet and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents from the Ironman movies will be returning in this ?godly? movie like Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson. Anthony Hopkins will be joining the all star cast as Odin, the ruler of Asgard and Natalie Portman will be Thor?s love interest. Look for this in a theatre near you on May 6, 2011!
Following Thor, in June 2011, DC?s own Green Lantern will be flying onto the big screen to battle out Thor. Ryan Reynolds, who was also Deadpool will be Hal Jordan aka Green Lantern. The one problem about this is that Reynolds played a Marvel character and now he is also a DC character. With the on-going battle, how well will this work out for him? Usually, if one were to play a Marvel universe character, they will stay away from the DC universe. Let?s just see how well Reynolds uses his ring of power in this DC flick. Yes, the Green Lantern possesses a ring that grants him godlike powers. Check it out and see who is better, the Green Lantern or Thor.
Hints of hero movies that would be coming are the third Batman (with the whole cast returning), Captain America, Deadpool: Origin, Wonder Woman and Justice League.
Whether the stars were aligned for Jaws,or it broke through despite them, the film?s indelible mark on the culture remains despite the fact that most people today have probably experienced it on home video as opposed to the theatre screen. But does that diminish the film?s effectiveness? What?s the best way to experience Jaws: in a crowded theatre or in the intimacy of one?s home?
Despite the pox of the shark dysfunction, the effect is startling in the film?s favour. The opening scene of young Chrissie Watkins taking an evening swim only to find herself dragged under the water to her death by an unseen powerful force.
Onto the finale where the shark leaps out of the water and devours Quint, before Chief Brody?s heroic declaration in telling the shark to smile before blowing up the oxygen tank in its mouth. (And yes, we know Mythbusters disproved the whole oxygen tank thing, so thank you for pointing that out.)
Batman: a masked vigilante who takes the law into his hands, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies, saving his city from the hands of psychopaths?he is the dark knight of Gotham City. Warner Bros. has announced that on July 20, 2012, the third Batman movie will take us to new heights as he crashes onto the big screen.
Telegraph.co.uk also picked up on the rumour about Philip Seymour Hoffman playing the penguin, and Angelina Jolie as the tough, seductive, sexy Catwoman. Another popular choice from fans on who to play Catwoman, would be Marion Cotillard - of course, these are fan suggestions and not facts. None of these actors has been confirmed, and we don?t even know who the villains in B3 will be! Christopher Nolan is always secretive when it comes to a new project. Unless something is said and comes from his own mouth, we shouldn?t believe it.
Now that we know who will be directing the movie and when the release date is, what can we expect from B3? Well, another mystery waiting to be solved is what the title of the movie is going to be. From the past Batman films that we saw directed by Christopher Nolan, we know that they are dark, action packed, clever, and well put together. The humour is witty and not cheesy like Schumaucher?s Batman. Also, if Christian Bale, assuming IMDb is telling the truth, is Batman again, we can for sure expect his over the top voice as well. Nolan also does his best to stay true to the comics, compared to the past Batman movies; he combines some of the best comics together and adds his own magic to make it the franchise breathtaking and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
E1 Entertainment has released three new photos from Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
2010 marks the first year where 3D movies are not just a once in awhile treat, but a technology that will be married to many of our favourite movies to bring us closer to stories and characters from the silver screen.
A-Team
Alice in Wonderland, written by English author Lewis Carroll in 1865, became an instant hit with readers, so it isn't surprising how many film versions have been made of it. The first film that came out was silent back in 1903. Two more silent films were made following this. In 1931, the first film with speech was made patched together by a cast of amateur actors. 
likes to decapitate anyone, making people suffer for her pleasure, and plays croquet with live flamingos. The material is prime for a director such as Burton to tackle, who has previously brought Sweeney Todd, Beetlejuice, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory and Sleepy Hollow to the big screen. In this sequel, 19 year old Alice will be returning to Wonderland to folllow her destiny. Hopefully. 
Every year a DC superhero and Marvel superhero crashes into the box office and see who can beat out each by winning the hearts and money of the viewers. Whether the hero is known or unknown to the audience, it all comes down to one thing, DC versus Marvel. The war has been raging on in comic books and now on the big screen. This year, the long awaited Ironman 2 will be flying into theatres on May 7 and the Green Hornet fights his way onto the big screen for the first time on December 22.
Batman Begins ? Batman suffered a horrible image after the Batman & Robin movie, but Christopher Nolan brought the dark back in the dark knight. Batman, (aka Bruce Wayne) is portrayed as Christian Bale, who played the character extremely well. Michael Caine as the butler Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as the young Lieutenant Gordan and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox add to the quality ensemble. Liam Neeson plays Henri Ducard/Ras Al Ghul who trained Bruce Wayne to become a fearless crime fighter.
Fantastic 4 & Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer ? The only thing that sells these films is Jessica Alba playing the Invisible Woman. The humour was childish and it looks like the movie was made just for the sake of putting Fantastic 4 out there in the market. With the sequel, the Silver Surfer was the only good thing about the movie; in fact they should have made a Silver Surfer movie against world-eater Galactus, but decided to introduce the Surfer into the Fantastic 4 movie. Was it because they were afraid that Silver Surfer wouldn?t sell as much as Fantastic 4? After all, the Surfer is less known, but if it was well made, he would have been a hit. He?s already a hit with comic readers and he looks cool enough to sell to everyone else. 
be Marvel?s own Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth), a God sent to Earth as punishment. It will be directed by Kenneth Branagh, who has starred in Hamlet and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents from the Ironman movies will be returning in this ?godly? movie like Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson. Anthony Hopkins will be joining the all star cast as Odin, the ruler of Asgard and Natalie Portman will be Thor?s love interest. Look for this in a theatre near you on May 6, 2011!
