Yawn...

When in the hands of a great director a comic book franchise can transcend it’s genre. Look no further than Christopher Nolan’s classic The Dark Knight for proof of such. Unfortunately, most of the time these properties don’t turn out the way fans hoped they would. The later X-Men films are good example of rushed productions, bad scripts, and studio interference. While Brett Ratner’s X-Men 3 was bad, the schlockiness really came to a head with the laughable X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The movie may be regarded as completely terrible by most sentient beings, but general love of the character Wolverine was enough to put butts in the seats. The film made $373,062,864 million worldwide, a sequel was greenlit, and the search for director to helm it has begun.
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When it comes to a movie like Avatar I’m a firm believer that it is a film that should only be seen in theaters. After seeing the re-release of the movie in IMAX 3D earlier today, I have only become more opinionated in this matter. This was the first time I have revisited the film since it’s original theatrical run and it was truly worth the wait. While the jury is still out whether or not Avatar is the Star Wars of it’s generation, the pure cinema of it is still just as impressive as it was the first time around.

One of the big selling points of this re-release was the nine or so minutes of extra footage added back into the picture. Do the scenes help or hurt the film? Why not just wait for the recently announced DVD of the film which will have even more footage? Well, the truth of the matter is that unlike Cameron’s other extended cuts of his films such as Aliens and Terminator 2, which added many controversial scenes (among fans) this is more of an enhancement to some minor plot threads. With some extra Pandora goodness thrown in the mix. Below are the highlights of the added bits, with commentary. (more…)

Roman Polanski is a master of thematic suspense. He knows exactly what to show you, and how to utilize tension that is barely there. Take for instance a scene where a character (who is in over his head) goes for a drive. The audience keeps looking around, waiting for the release that will never come. The Ghost Writer is the perfect example of the overused saying; it is not what we see that scares us, it is what we don’t. (more…)

I unabashedly love the work of writer/director/actor Woody Allen. I have seen 35 of his 44 films and though many of his works have problems, I can always find at least one thing to latch onto. As a filmmaker, Woody Allen is constantly challenging me to except characters that are (somewhat) morally reprehensible and look at his familiar story lines and motifs with different eyes. Many film fans could site a handful of his films that they are not a fan of, but I feel that he goes on creative streaks that are only matched by a few. Most recently with Melinda and Melinda, Match Point, Cassandra’s Dream, and Vicky Christina Barcelona. Whatever Works had its moments, but I can honestly say that it was an extremely uneven film. Luckily Mr. Allen puts out a film a year and is back once again with his European comedic romance You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. I have to admit that although I am excited for his new film, I find this trailer a little bit off. It neither has the big laughs of his earlier work, the somberness of films like Match Point and Interiors, the sexiness off Vicky Christina Barcelona, or the greatness of his masterpieces(Manhattan, Annie Hall, Crimes and Misdemeanors). It does however boast a fantastic cast and I will hold judgment until I see the film for myself. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger stars Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones, Freida Pinto, Lucy Punch, Naomi Watts and opens September 22, 2010. Check out the trailer below.

This is a column that will focus on little known films, directors, writers, and actors. The column does not exist to tell you what to watch, but to simply help raise interest in the great art and talent that goes unseen year by year. So let’s begin. In this edition I will be spotlighting the films of Merchant Ivory.

There is a large section of the film geek culture that is completely unfamiliar or completely rejects the films of Merchant Ivory. Producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory have together crafted some of the most prestigious and beautiful films to come out of British cinema in the past thirty years. Their films do however have the reputation of being extremely high brow and at times cold and alienating. Merchant Ivory Productions usually focus on British aristocrats in Edwardian times and their struggles with relationships, customs, and societies ever changing rules. My goal with this article is to hopefully persuade a few film fans to check out Ismail Merchant and James Ivory’s work, by recommending three of their most popular and critically acclaimed pictures.

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The famous Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is presenting the 2010 Rolling Roadshow Tour, in which they will be showing “free screening of famous movies in famous places.” To coincide, graphic designer Olly Moss has created nine fantastic posters for the films being shown. Continue on to check out the posters and to find out the movie showtimes and locations. (more…)

2002's "Irreversible" and this year's "Enter the Void."

When does filmmaking go to far? That is the question asked by many viewers of controversial Argentinean director Gaspar Noé’s filmography. His new film, the Tokyo based “ghost story” Enter the Void is being released soon, and it already has people taking, to say the least. Just watch the opening credits and you’ll see what I mean.

Epileptic’s beware. (more…)

Wes Craven recently tweeted a set photo from the currently shooting Scream 4, and the subject happens to be the star of the film. No… not Neve Campbell, but the infamous Ghostface. The picture is nothing new, but I must say there is something quite geeky about seeing the mask on set. Scream 4 opens on April 15, 2011. Check the photo out below.

Follow Wes Craven on Twitter

For those that still have the Inception itch and are starting to feel the pains of withdrawal, fear not! There have been a lot of Inception related goodies floating around the web lately, and I’m happy to share them with all who aren’t afraid to dream a little bigger. Plus, I’ve created a special Inception related present for all you iPhone owners out there.

First up, we have a few images or “infographics” that explain the various dream levels of the film’s climax. Whether or not you think they are needed to explain things doesn’t effect their coolness factor. Here’s the first image from Last exit to Nowhere.
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This is a column that will focus on little known films, directors, writers, and actors. The column does not exist to tell you what to watch, but to simply help raise interest in the great art and talent that goes unseen year by year. So let’s begin. In honor of the opening of Inception (my personal most anticipated film of the summer), I will be spotlighting Christopher Nolan’s directorial debut Following. (more…)