Tag Archives: Trailer
The Dictator’s Interview & Scorsese in Pajamas ?
Here’s Admiral General Aladeen the opinionated dictator of Wadiyah in his first late night interview for American public, has a surprise for you. Watch and learn, and be very scared.
Martin Scorsese in pajamas. This one takes the cake !!!
& for the ones who have’nt seen the REDBAND trailer yet, here it is. It as expected is one of the politically most incorrect movies to be ever made. This trailer does total justice to this claim with references to serious issues like girl foetus killings, child abuse, 9/11 tragedy, Avatar, sex (what were you thinking?), small boobs, :
“The Dictator” will be reviewed once I illegally download it after its release (waiting for the banning news in Malaysia 
). Hold on to your horses until then. Looks like a winner to me 
A production still from the sets 
BULLY : The most relevant documentary of our times ?
Although I am yet to watch it, the premise through whatever it is I have seen or read, cuts straight to the core of a social evil that has long been, either dismissed as trivial or ignorantly garbed under frivolity. The characters in the story are largely American but I am certain to a large degree that these ill-fated habits are prevalent everywhere in the society. Considering kids are everywhere. Sadly it took one such kid with a gun and several innocent deaths to trigger the minds of the learned. If anything, the fact that the documentary was initially rated R only stresses on the issue at hand, that respected society of the 21st century has a long way to go before the act of bullying someone, is legally accepted to be an offense. This piece of work is a noticeable stride towards that destination. Bravo and my support to everyone involved with the project
Synopsis
Directed by Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker, Lee Hirsch, The Bully Project is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of Americas bullying crisis. The Bully Project follows five kids and families over the course of a school year. Stories include two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals offices, the film offers insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children. As teachers, administrators, kids and parents struggle to find answers, The Bully Project examines the dire consequences of bullying through the testimony of strong and courageous youth. Through the power of their stories, the film aims to be a catalyst for change in the way we deal with bullying as parents, teachers, children and society as a whole.
I am talking about War Horse : Visually stunning & unabashedly emotional
Continuing my trend of the Oscar mania, I review Stephen Spielberg’s “War Horse”. First of all for the one’s who are not aware, the movie is based on a children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo, published in 1982. And as some reports suggest, the film also uses elements of the critically acclaimed, award-winning stage adaptation that opened in London in 2007.
WHAT WORKS : Beautiful, absolutely ravishing imagery of country sides, with lush green wide spreads punctuated with abundant dosage of emotional overdrive. A war ravaged gloom dawns upon, better part of the second half but not as much to elaborate on the gore of such acts, but as a tool to tell a story that constitutes the plight of animals of such times. And obviously a beautiful beast, the thoroughbred, the horse, who as the name suggests is the protagonist of the show. The movie works on many levels, with special mention to the look of it. Every frame is a carefully manicured garden, both posh in colour and rich in content. The camera work, much like any Spielberg production is compelling and shouts out loud that a lot of work has gone into achieving what they have. More so, when You consider an animal carrying the narrative through to the end. Not the first time and wont be the last. But as I have always believed, its the manner that determines the outcome. & in this instance, the journey of one Joey (the horse), is a story well told. Some of the negative reviews to a certain degree is justified but one should understand that a movie based on a celebrated children’s book means its aimed at such viewers or by and large – the family. And as such, does a wonderful job with its straight forward linear, easy to comprehend story line. Pretty much sums up the reasons why A.I. did not fare as much as half of what E.T. did. On that front alone Spielberg’s work should be given its due, for as many great thinkers and directors there maybe in contemporary cinema, his clarity of objective and the means to achieve them, is second to none.
Albert & Joey
WHAT DOESN’T : As I must have mentioned above, War Horse has all the ingredients to be a critic’s delight specially for the naysayers. As it has everything that can be debated when looked through a cynic’s eyes. It is the beautifully grilled turkey on Your table at “thanks giving”, the one that in all fairness cannot be enjoyed without using a knife and a fork on it. But it should be remembered for what it stands for : an epitome of the occasion. Nevertheless, I always try to treat a movie as someone who loves the art for what it is before anything else, and I say there are a few points that could be reviewed under a darker light. The beginning could have been more compelling with sometime spent on Albert’s fascination for the horse. & the ending could have done without a fairy tale conclusion. No I am not saying a positive end is debatable, its the string that connects the culmination with the climax that I have a problem with. You ought to watch it to understand what I am referring to. But having said all that, these are extremely minor glitches.
FINAL WORD : It is without a shred of doubt one of the year’s best. The 3rd act before the climax will have You tears so be prepared for it. Steven Spielberg should be lauded for his efforts for staying away from the blood and the gore in his quest at achieving parallel acceptance. But then considering that was not his aim and the reason why this movie will not win the Best Picture is what makes this a fantastic palpable experience. Watch it for the breath taking frames of a stark disposition it offers through an abundant harvest that is “life”, on one side and what we make of it through mistakes like “war”, on the other.
RECOMMENDED. 4/5
Nominated for 6 oscars ( Best Sound Editing / Best Cinematography / Best Art Direction / Best Music / Best Sound Mixing / Best Picture)
The trailer :
Ayn Rand & the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand & the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged is a feature length documentary film that examines the resurging interest in Ayn Rands epic and controversial 1957 novel and the validity of its dire prediction for America.
Set in what novelist and philosopher Rand called the day after tomorrow, Atlas depicts an America in crisis, brought to her knees by a corrupt establishment of government regulators and businessmen with political pull the looters and the moochers who prey on individual achievement.
Here’s the trailer to the documentary that looks into Rands background for the ideas and philosophy that inspired and shaped her novel and seeks to determine whether America is indeed headed for the disastrous outcome she predicted. Read More
It starts with an interviewer asking a very frail looking Ayn Rand : “Do You have any comment about the prophecy that was made in Atlas Shrugged?” She replies very calmly “Only that it’s coming true”
Original Story Courtesy : corry41, IMDB
The Viral Factor : Trailer & Plot
Bodies leaping from tall buildings, choppers, guns, blasts, broken bones, cars hitting drains before crashing upside down, rocket launchers perfectly blended with an overdrive of emotion. No its not a war, I am talking about the trailer of Dante Lam’s next big release “The Viral Factor”. & by the looks of things, most likely his biggest yet. He has a reputation for the genre of which I have watched and enjoyed “The Stool Pigeon” and “The Beast Stalker”. Starring Jay Chou and his permanent lead Nicholas Tse with support cast in Andy On, Lin Peng, and Bai Bing.
A new look for Jay (Clip from the feature)
The fact that some scenes were shot right in my backyard (Kuala Lumpur CBD) is a definite impetus to the curiosity quotient. Infact the scene at 00:53 was being shot while I was on my way back from work. The crew must have just left when I reached there but still managed to see the car lying in the drain. Anyways, going by what is being let out in the smartly edited less than 2 minutes trailer, it is nothing less than absolutely mouth watering. With all the brilliantly and sometimes seriously written movies stacking up the theater scene come February owing to the Oscar fever, Viral Factor could be a fantastic respite. I just hope it lives upto the high expectations set up. The Chinese New Year release will definitely aid its intentions and could well turn out to be the next Ip-Man
For the ones interested in the plot line up. Here is a gist,
“IDC Agent Jon (Jay Chou) sustains grave injuries on a mission and decides to spend his final days with his mother. She tells him a long-held secret. To fulfill her wishes, Jon goes to Southeast Asia. He befriends medical specialist Rachel (Lin Peng). When she is forced into the schemes of a criminal organization, Jon attempts rescue and becomes the target of the organization that includes his estranged brother Yang (Nicholas Tse)! When the organization betrays Yang and kidnaps his daughter Sheng, the brothers join forces to rescue Rachel and Sheng.”
You can read more about their shoot in KL, here and here.
Ok its time to put Your feet up and enjoy the ride
Detachment : Adrien Brody : Trailer
This trailer although aimed at the European audience is more powerful than the US Official one which You can watch here. Atleast in my opinion that is.
"His finest performance since The Pianist " : The Hollywood Reporter
Adrien Brody one of the gifted actors around who does not bank on loud histrionics to capture the attention of its viewers, is back as the protagonist in this rather hard hitting uncomforting drama. I still am as dumbfounded as You are at his decision to act as a lead in the remake of The Predator. Its even more astounding if You consider what he had established a few years back through The Pianist. Nevertheless, moving on, the Producer of Hurt Locker and the Director of American History X are behind this, which only means the bar is already set quite high. The rest of the stellar cast is comprised of Christina Hendricks, James Caan and the under rated Marcia Gay Harden (her work in Mystic River still gives me the chills) among many more.
Here’s the trailer :
The 84th Annual Academy Awards : Trailer Out
I mean what can I say. Its the beginning of the New Year and there’s this one event we movie freaks look upto. Yes the Big one. The OSCARS. Watch this space for the nominees list and my predictions.
But before that, enjoy the trailer of the mega event touted to release on the 26th of February 2012 (worldwide).
Cast :
Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, Vinnie Jones and yes THE HOST “Billy Crystal” ENJOY
Biggest Oscar hopeful, Meryl Streep : Iron Lady (Teaser Trailer Out)
Interesting poster with the Palace of Westminster and The Big Ben. The words "Never Compromise" have a ring to it too
Actresses in Hollywood who were secretly nurturing their desire to stake a claim at the “Best Actress” title at the Oscars, come Feb – March 2012 have some bad news. Multiple Academy Award Winner Meryl Streep (nominated a whopping 16 times and won in twice) is at it again. This time bringing to screen, the life of one Margaret Hilda Thatcher, the first woman Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Seeing how the shift has titled Eastwards (especially UK) when it comes to characters that have bagged home the gold statuette for top honours, the expectation is justified. “The Queen” – Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) and “The King’s Speech” – King George VI (Colin Firth) are a couple of cases in points from recent memory. Director Phyllida Lloyd of “Mamma Mia” fame who in the UK is famous for her work in the opera, has directed it.
Here’s the first teaser. Slated to release 16.12.2011 Tell me what You think
Tower Heist : Immensely Enjoyable
November, especially the beginning, the way I see it for the movies, is a tricky time. Its almost the holidays but well; just not yet. Its also the phase that You witness the better movies of the year being lined up and all the post production teams working extra hours to have that first teaser, the first trailer ready. It may not be a norm but for all I have noticed, in the past few years, the Oscar hopefuls make the most of these times. But between such times sneaks the ones “You dont know what to expect from”. The latest ensemble cast, Brett Ratner directed “Tower Heist” belongs to that category.
Ratner whose last 35mm outing was the immensely forgettable “Rush Hour 3″, has Ben Stiller playing the lead, who has hit a rather long purple patch in his acting career through “Little Fockers” & “Greenberg” both 2010. HT as the name suggests is a heist movie involving a group of employees who plan to rob their most important client due to a few very believable but unfortunate turn of events. What leads to such dire possibilities, the planning, the execution and finally the climax forms the crux of “Tower Heist”. It has an able support cast in the likes of Casey Affleck (known more for his serious roles), Michael Pena (who can pull off absolutely anything), Tea Leoni, Gabourey Sidiby (Precious – 2009) & a couple of veterans in Eddie Murphy & Matthew Broderick making a comeback with Alan Alda playing the antagonist.
His "Comic Timing" had people in splits
The Good : It is entertaining and there is no two ways about that. Especially the first 2 very fast paced acts, garnished with witty dialogues and a few really hysterical scenes thrown in. I also like how Hollywood always sets a certain level of high standards with character introduction. I mean don’t expect an “Ocean’s 11″ here after reading this. Retner is no Soderbergh but what works for the movie is, no where in its runtime would You feel that he is trying hard to be. Except for Casey who is in both the enterprises. Michael Pena I thought was gut wrenching funny, better than the weird cop of “Observe & Report” and the poorly written character he plays in the otherwise hilarious “Eastbound & Down” – season 2. Most of his other notable roles are either serious or of a different level and hence does not deserve a mention.
The Bad : The ending of the 3rd act before the climax. The half baked romantic sub-plot that should have never existed in the first place. Eddie Murphy whose character I believe had the potential to bring the proverbial “house down” but well the writers had other ideas that obviously didn’t work. Broderick’s character could have been played by almost anyone, or perhaps someone with a better attitude would have added a little vigour, to a lifeless role. He went through the motions. Last but not the least, the ending; well lets put it this way. It could have made up for all the minute glitches in the screenplay but all it did was bring the final score down.
Irrespective of the above, “Tower Heist” make no mistake is one of the better comedies of the year. The situational humour works almost every time the protagonists get together. Michael Pena was superb. The neither here nor there ending aside, I enjoyed it immensely.
I’d recommend it. 3/5
Here’s the trailer. Enjoy
