OPENS: October 3, 2008 RATING: R (Violence, Sexual Assault, Language, Nudity) GENRE: Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction WEBSITE:http://www.blindness-themovie.com/
Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, Alice Braga, Gael García Bernal, Sandra Oh, Yusuke Iseya
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Writer: Don McKellarbased on Don McKellar’s novel.
Plot: From Nobel Prize-winning author Jose Saramago and acclaimed director Fernando Meirelles (“The Constant Gardener” and “City of God”) comes “Blindness.” It is described as “the compelling story of humanity in the grip of an epidemic of mysterious blindness. It is an unflinching exploration of human nature, both bad and good – people’s selfishness, opportunism, and indifference, but also their capacity for empathy, love, and sheer perseverance.”
It begins in a flash, as one man is instantaneously struck blind while driving home from work. His whole world is suddenly turned to an eerie, milky haze. One by one, each person he encounters – his wife, his doctor, even the seemingly Good Samaritan who gives him a lift home – will in due course suffer the same unsettling fate. As the contagion spreads, and panic and paranoia set in across the city, the newly blind victims of the “White Sickness” are rounded up and quarantined within a crumbling, abandoned mental asylum, where all semblance of ordinary life begins to break down.
But inside the quarantined hospital, there is one secret eyewitness: one woman (Moore) who has not been affected but has pretended she is blind in order to stay beside her beloved husband (Mark Ruffalo). Armed with increasing courage and the will to survive, she will lead a makeshift family of seven people on a journey, through horror and love, depravity and beauty, warfare and wonder, to break out of the hospital and into the devastated city where they may be the only hope left.
Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais), is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear) who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen (Téa Leoni). That puts Pincus squarely in the middle of a triangle with spirited results.
OPENS: September 19, 2008 RATING: PG (Some scary situations, Minor adult themes) GENRE: Fantasy, Animation
Starring: (voices of) John Cusak, John Cleese, Steve Buscemi, Sean Hayes, Eddie Izzard, Jennifer Coolidge, Jay Leno, Molly Shannon
Director: Anthony Leondis
Writer: Chris McKenna
Plot: In a land of mad scientists and diabolical inventions, what do you do when you’re born with a hunch on your back? You become an Igor. A hilarious twist on the classic monster movie, “Igor” tells the story of one Igor who’s sick of being a lowly lab assistant with a Yes Master’s degree and dreams of becoming a scientist. When his cruel master kicks the bucket a week before the annual Evil Science Fair, Igor finally gets his chance.
With the help of two of his experimental creations – Brain, a brain in a jar who’s a little light on brains, and Scamper, a cynical bunny brought back from being road kill, Igor embarks on building the most evil invention of all time, a huge, ferocious monster. Unfortunately, instead of turning out evil, the monster turns out as Eva, a giant aspiring actress who wouldn’t hurt a fly.
Just when the load on his back can’t get any heavier, Igor and his band of monstrous misfits uncover an evil plot that threatens their world. Now, they must fight to save it and prove that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
“Veteran-turned-mercenary Thoorop takes the high-risk job of escorting a woman from Russia to America. Little does he know that she is host to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah,” or so say the studio teasers.
“Ugh,” or so say the critics – well those who saw it. The studio refused to have advance screenings for film critics – usually a sign a film is a dud.
The movie’s director, Mathieu Kassovitz agrees. as reported by the Reelz Channel:
”I’m very unhappy with the film,” Kassovitz ranted to AMC. “I never had a chance to do one scene the way it was written or the way I wanted it to be. The script wasn’t respected. Bad producers, bad partners, it was a terrible experience.”
Kassovitz, who described parts of the movie as “like a bad episode of 24,” places the blame squarely on the shoulder of studio backer 20th Century Fox. Fox, ironically, also happens to produce TV’s 24.
Look on the bright side, sci-fi fans: Babylon A.D. may not be the second coming of Blade Runner, but it should provide for the best DVD director’s commentary ever.
Mainstream film critics agree.
WATCH THE TRAILER
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Great well-known and loved cast.
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The movie’s director has trashed the film, saying the studio hacked the heart out of it.
Disjointed characters and plot.
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{for="FilmCritics.com" value="2"}
"More inert than argon gas and given over to obvious directorial hissy fits, Babylon A.D. is like a bad dream a cyberpunk once had” – Bill Gibron
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{for=”IGN” value=”2″}
“French director Kassiovitz himself has decried the theatrical cut of Babylon A.D., and watching the film it’s easy to understand why: whole chunks of plot, much less their explanation, have clearly been excised.” – Todd Gilchrist
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{for=”Variety” value=”3″}
“Fans of Pitch Black, hoping Diesel would reprise the stone-faced Richard Riddick role here will be disappointed.” – Jordan Mintzer
What happens when Executive Producer Tom Cruise hires a cast and crew to re-make the schocky 1970s grindhouse drive-in film, Death Race 2000 for a modern audience? Why, 2008′s ultra-violent dytopic sci fi bloodbath, Death Race, of course. And the ciritcs are loving it, believe it or not.
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OPENS: August 22, 2008 RATING: R (Bloody deaths, Extreme profanity, Violence against women) GENRE: Grindhouse, Car racing, Action, Dystopia, Science Fiction
Sometimes movies are so bad, they are good. And according to mainstream critics – well most of them who are in on the joke – Death Race is one of those films.A loose remake of 1975′s Death Race 2000, in which motorists in a cross-country race get extra points for hitting pedestrians, the 2008 version is a sort of reality-show/Running Man hybrid tailor made to appeal to dystopic science fiction, NASCAR and Prison Break fans.
Among the negative comments from critics on the excessive violence and the way the film treats women – as sexy objects, cold-hearted bitches or other B-movie sexploitation clichés.
Other critics say, “hold on a minute … the film is a spoof of those types of films.” Here, the women are in on the joke and the dark commentary the film has on American society and the way women are still treated by men in general.
Furthermore, the action scenes are praised as outstanding. Death Race knows how to “blow things up real good,” so to speak.
WATCH THE TRAILER
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Great action scenes
Quality cast
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Nature of film’s sexist remarks and acts may offend some
R-rated for a reason; bloody gore is a staple of this film
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{for="Globe and Mail" value="7"}
"Yes, Death Race is as brutal as a punch in the face. If you have a hankering for B-movie grime and gore, it can also be a lot of fun.” – Stephen Cole
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{for=”Winnipeg Sun” value=”6″}
“There’s no pretense here — even the satire [Death Race] is as sophisticated as an Alabama bumper sticker — but if I’m forking over my gas money to see chases, crashes, booby-traps and body counts, I probably wasn’t in the mood for Pride and Prejudice anyway.” – Kevin Williamson
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“Filled with weaponized vehicles, pyrotechnics, exploding skulls and some mesmerizingly enormous female breasts – but no sex or love-stuff – “Death Race” seems almost scientifically designed to trigger every boy’s prepubescent pleasure-centers.” – Rafer Guzman
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{for=”Boston Globe” value=”6″}
“Thanks to its character interplay, the movie doesn’t drag despite taking a good 40 minutes to really rev its engines. And the racing that ensues is as loud, fast, hyper-edited, and pulverizingly destructive as the gladiatorially minded would hope.” – Tom Russo
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{for=”Kansas City Star” value=”8″}
“And while steel-plated cars bristling with firepower are guaranteed to get adolescent hearts stirring, the movie offers myriad pleasures for adults.” – Jason Heck
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{for=”San Francisco Chronicle” value=”3″}
“One more reason why Joan Allen is the most underrated actress of her generation: While Meryl Streep and Tilda Swinton are fine, multifaceted talents, neither one could pull off the line “Activate the Death Heads!” or “Release the Dreadnaught!” without looking completely ridiculous.” – Peter Hartlaub
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{for=”Chicago Tribune” value=”8″}
“It’s one of those vicious larks that just plain hit the spot. It hits the spot, throws ‘er into reverse and hits the spot again, before machine-gunning it and ramming it head-on for the fun of it.” – Michael Phillips
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{for=”Fresno Bee” value=”7″}
“Briskly paced and art-directed with the look of grim decay that you associate with an obsolete but still cranking oil refinery, the film knows when to pile on the clichés and when to include a few surprising twists.” – Donald Munro
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{for=”New York Post” value=”8″}
“The car chases and most of the characters are thrillingly executed, with 5,000-horse-power smash-’em-ups shredding the screen.” – Kyle Smith
Writer: Eric Besnard (based on the nevel by Maurice G. Dantec)
Plot: Veteran-turned-mercenary Thoorop (Diesel) takes the high-risk job of escorting a woman from Russia to China. Little does he know that she is host to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah.
Henry Poole abandons his fiancée and family business to spend what he believes are his remaining days alone. The discovery of a “miracle” by a nosy neighbor ruptures his solitude.
{/rw_text} –> OPENS: AUgust 15, 2008 RATING: PG (Adult themes, Language) GENRE: Christian Fantasy, Dark Comedy, Independent Film
Ever wonder about the lives of those who find an image of the Virgin Mary on a grilled cheese sandwich or Jesus in the wood grain of a door?
Henry Poole is Here is a film that delves into that phenomenon and along the way explores the concept faith and the possibility of miracles in modern suburbia.
Among mainstream critics, this little independent film is either hated or viewed as a Hollywood oddity.
Among negative reviews, are the script, which is seen as a little too saccharine for good taste and hamfisted in it approach to doubting Thomases of the world.
The positive reviews describe this as a touching film of faith and redemption starring an able and talented cast, noting that at least the faithful will likely flock to this modern suburban faith-based fantasy.
WATCH THE TRAILER
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Good acting
Touching philosophical message
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Script may be a little “too earnest” for some
Some may be put off by its religious overtones
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"For a mildly quirky comedy-drama, Henry Poole Is Here has some surprising philosophical heft. Between the conventional romance and the requisite subplot involving a Child Who Needs a Father (Morgan Lily, all dinner-plate eyes) come questions of faith, hope and hopelessness.” – Rafer Guzman
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{for=”San Francisco Chronicle” value=”7″}
“Perhaps salvation can be found on a cracked stucco wall in the middle of Southern California, perhaps not. But the film’s point – that we will all keep looking – is well taken.” – Mark Pellington
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{for=”San Diego Union-Tribune” value=”7″}
“An act of faith, a story about religion that neither pontificates nor proselytizes. ” – Lee Grant
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{for=”Boston Globe” value=”4″}
“Henry Poole Is Here is far from evangelical, though: It’s a gently spiritual inquiry aimed at doubters. Such things are not unwelcome, especially coming from Hollywood. They just need to be a lot better made than this one is.” – Ty Burr
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{for=”New York Times” value=”4″}
“Insufferable hokum that takes itself very, very seriously.” – Stephen Holden
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{for=”USA Today” value=”6″}
“Often affecting, occasionally vacuous. But it does tackle material that Hollywood has shied away from: the nature of faith and the existence of miracles.” – Claudia Puig
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{for=”Los Angeles Times” value=”5″}
“Achingly sincere faith tale — leavened somewhat by occasional quirks of humor early on — but the dearth of honest characterization in Albert Torres’ script lends the whole exercise a shallow impatience with the storm before the calm.” – Robert Abele
OPENS: August 15, 2008 RATING: G (Mild gross-out humor) GENRE: Space, Children’s Film, Animation, Fantasy, 3-D, Historical Fiction
Almost 40 years ago, the first human walked on the Moon. The new film, Fly Me to the Moon, memorializes this event with an animated 3-D children’s movie.
Reviews have been mixed and split rather evenly down the line with “serious” film critics panning the film for being a bore for grownups and for its less-than state of the art in animation techniques and slightly creepy human character design.
More “fannish”-type critics are noting the limited appeal of this film for children – not adults. Also, they point out the film is a technological breakthrough in its effective use of 3-D technology.
Additionally, the movie contains historically accurate (minus the flies) sounds and dialogue from the actual Apollo 11 mission. And the movie creators use the animated flies as a window to allow young children a window into history.
WATCH THE TRAILER
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Child-friendly film
Sunning 3-D effects
Educational in historic re-creation
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Story does not work on multiple levels for adults and children. It’s just a kiddie flick.
This ain’t Disney/Pixar and it shows – in the creepy-looking, slightly disturbing character designs.
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"That premise is the first of countless problems in this 3-D animated movie aimed at very young children." – Rafer Guzman
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{for=”Space.com” value=”6″}
“At its heart, the new film Fly Me to the Moon offers immersive 3-D effects that will likely entertain kids with visions of America’s first lunar landing of even if its story falls flat with parents.” – Tariq Malik
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{for=”San Diego Union-Tribune” value=”7″}
“Fly Me to the Moon is slow and really silly in parts, but it is a kids movie. And any letdowns are more than made up for by the best part of the film – the story of three men making it to the moon.” – Jane Clifford
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{for=”Toronto Star” value=”7″}
“The movie used NASA blueprints for the animation and capsule transcripts for the astronauts’ dialogue. Aldrin lends his own voice and there are real sound clips from the lunar landing, including Armstrong’s historic words upon standing on the moon’s surface.” – Linda Barnard
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{for=”Boston Globe” value=”6″}
“A crummy movie for kids, yet it still holds out the prospect of past wonders and future marvels. It’s one small step for a housefly, one giant leap for 3-D.” – Ty Burr
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{for=”San Francisco Chronicle” value=”6″}
“while the script, by Domonic Paris, will probably pass muster with very young viewers, their parents may grit their teeth at its saccharine quality. ” – Walter Addiego
From the director of The Hills Have Eyes. Kiefer Sutherland stars as an ex-cop turned night security guard at a long-closed department store ravaged by fire, discovers that the store’s mirrors harbor a horrific secret that threatens him and his family.
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OPENS: August 15, 2008 RATED: R (Bloody violence, Gore, Blood, Burn wounds) GENRE: Demons, Horror, Thriller, Asian Horror Remake
Based on the 2003 Korean horror flick, Into the Mirror, the American version, named Mirrors and starring Keifer Sutherland is a pill-popping, booze-swilling supernatural gore fest of the highest caliber. Fans of supernatural gore and slasher films will love this film, according to critics. Others? Not so much.
The 20th Century Fox film studio, in a sure-tell sign that it does not have faith in this movie, did not pre-screen it for critics. This usually means the studio thinks the film is a stinker and doesn’t want critical word-of-mouth to keep folks away from the theatres.
Among the biggest complaints by critics is that Mirrors relies more on shockingly bloody footage rather than suspenseful writing to create fear in the audience. There are scenes of bloody violence, bloody self mutilation and bloody death.
On the positive side. Other critics say this is exactly the type of film that fans of the Hellraiser and early Freddie Kruger movies have been craving – for a bloody good time.
WATCH THE TRAILER
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Gore fans get their 2008 summer big budget movie
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Bloody violence may be a big turn off for non-gore fans
Not very scary for a horror film
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{for="New York TImes" value="4"}
"Offers several cringe-worthy set pieces and a sneakily nasty ending." – Jeanette Catsoulis
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{for=”Boston Globe” value=”3″}
“The money scene in Mirrors – the one the gore morons will lap up while the rest of us cringe in appalled disbelief – involves the hero’s sister ripping her own jaw off until it flops obscenely beneath her face, spurting blood everywhere. But wait, there’s more!” – Ty Burr
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{for=”Orlando Sentinel” value=”3″}
“It’s not laughably bad. It’s just not scary, a generally pointless thriller with motiveless murders at its heart and a most unsatisfactory resolution.” – Roger Moore
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{for=”Chicago Sun-TImes” value=”3″}
“By the time the mirrors go after the watchman’s young family in the overwrought climax, the movie has gone from being harmlessly silly to inexcusably sadistic.” – Josh Larsen
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{for=”Buffalo News” value=”7″}
“It’s a hellish version of the British comedy “Are You Being Served?” set ravaged by fire and neglect, complete with charred mannequins but pristine mirrors.” – Joseph Popiolkowski
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{for=”IGN” value=”5″}
“Mirrors offers nothing new, but that’s not why it can’t be recommended since not every horror film can or should be expected to cover new ground. ” – Jim Vejvoda
OPENS: August 22, 2008 RATING: R GENRE: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Action, Thriller
Starring: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson, Natalie Martinez,
Max Ryan, Jason Clarke, Frederick Koehler, Jacob Vargas, Justin Mader, Robert LaSardo, and Robin Shou
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Writer: Paul W.S. Anderson (Loosely based on the 1975 film, “Death Race 2000″ story by Ib Melchior)
Plot: Ex-con Jensen Ames (Statham) is forced by the warden of a notorious prison (Allen) to compete in our post-industrial world’s most popular sport: a car race in which inmates must brutalize and kill one another on the road to victory.
