The first theatrical teaser trailer for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises has debuted online. Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception) has a great track record with very non-descript but thoroughly engaging teasers for each one of his films, usually accompanied by an equally gripping poster to build anticipation.
For fans, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two has been a moment we’ve been both waiting for and dreading simultaneously. To see the end of something that, for those of my age group and level of dedication, has lasted for over a decade is obviously bittersweet. That’s a long time to have really loved and been invested in something.
Horrible Bosses does a great job at being good, despite an underwhelming premise. It is one of those films that succeeds by virtue of its casting. Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, and Jason Bateman have made a living playing funny straight men: people who want to be normal but their environment won’t let them. They play three middle aged guys who have a typical complaint: they hate their bosses. These bosses, however, are not just annoying kind, but the life destroying kind.
Having never been to London, what I know of it comes from television and film: fish and chips, strawberries and cream; a love for tennis and football. They have funny accents and use weird words like 'bobby' instead of 'policeman', 'boot' for 'trunk', and 'shag' for 'sex'. And now, after watching Attack the Block, I know not to fuck with their inner city youth - especially if you're from another planet.
It's the end of an era for the historic Bloor Cinema, and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Annex rep theatre. Earlier today, Hot Docs announced that it has entered into a joint venture with Blue Ice Film to manage and program the theatre beginning this Fall. The group also plans to revitalize the space by making much needed upgrades to the Bloor's technical equipment; that means new projectors, a new sound system, new seating and more. A major overhaul of the lobby and the façade are also in the works.
I will keep it brief since Transformers: Dark of the Moon director Michael Bay can't seem to do it himself. Do you just want to see some shit blow up? If you answered in the affirmative, then you will probably greatly enjoy this film a whole lot more than the second entry in the franchise since you will actually be able to SEE what is happening for a change. Everyone else looking for anything more than that can look elsewhere because that is all you are going to get from this astoundingly pretty, but astoundingly empty, incoherent, nonsensical and excessive film.
It was a big rush when the X-Men films finally hit the screen, all my most beloved characters expanding from the page to the screen. Then X-Men: The Last Stand came along and not only did the shit hit the fan, but it was set to high, and it splattered back in our faces many times over. X-Men: First Class is a chance for redemption, and is aimed at the diehards, while also attempting to attract some new viewers.
It’s safe to say that many filmgoers will always measure newcomer sci-fi epics by the standards of the classics that came before them. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. and the now thirty-to-forty year old peers that reserve warm fuzzy spots in hearts around the globe. So it was both interesting and completely logical that Steven Spielberg, creator of these titan classics, would use the talents of J. J. Abrams, undeniably a contemporary lord of genre, to, in essence, create a new film that makes tribute to his own triumphs.
We're invited into the lives of Michael and Joanna, inside their exceptional apartment. Michael is a commercial real estate agent, while Joanna is a author. These two are married. We know this because they're arguing (heh). Having recently been hitched, I've come to learn that marital spats happen for two reasons, and two reasons only: money and women. For this couple it's the latter.
With the passing of Memorial Day here in the States, the unofficial start to summer is upon us. We're getting into the meat and potatoes of the big budget special effects laden flicks. Sprinkled throughout are a few indie gems to keep you honest.
While mugging a young woman on her way home, a gang of South Londoners are ferociously interrupted by what they think is a meteorite striking a nearby car. Seeing the youths distracted, the woman makes a run for the nearest building which happens to be her home: nicknamed The Block. Upon closer investigation, the gang discovers the object that struck the car was not a space rock at all: it’s an alien.
Although Disney seems to have a financial lock on the characters and their escapades, the fact that original muppeteers such as Frank Oz, and Jim Henson's son Brian, are still at the helm means that the new film should be keeping in the original spirit of the brilliant series and early films. The script is written by Jason Segel, a solid actor and singer despite some questionable film choices, and also stars Amy Adams, who I maintain is an amazing talent.
I cannot give a film a pass simply because it is fun to watch. There are plenty of really bad films that are fun to watch, but that doesn't make them good films. Which is why to some degree it pains me to give the latest entry in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise a modestly negative review. It almost gets everything I like about the series right, but once you leave the theatre it will dawn on you that what you just saw wasn't all that great.
Tintin is not just a comic series; for many, it's a religion. The Adventures of Tintin has been in works for a while, and finally we have a trailer. With Steven Spielberg directing, Peter Jackson producing, Edgar Wright, Steven Moffat & Joe Cornish writing, and Jamie Bell, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg (among others) acting, I have high hopes for this film.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Toronto Underground Cinema is celebrating our one year anniversary on May 15th. We've survived our first year, it's taken a lot of blood sweat and beers, but we made it. So we're going to celebrate the only way we know how... by showing movies! Not just any movies, but two of our favourites, films that are near and dear to our hearts: Clue & Jurassic Park!
