RATING:

CHILD FRIENDLY: NO
PARENTAL WARNING: This is a film for adults. It has graphic gore, violence, same-sex sexual situations, full frontal nudity . This is ot a film you’d want to watch with any of your family members in the room – let alone children.

This film is not for the faint of heart – or the easily offended. It is full of gore, violence, seedy graphic sex (both heterosexual and homosexual) and language that would make a sailor blush.

But if that kind of stuff doesn’t bother you, Scab offers an original take on the vampire mythos.

Throughout the literary and filmed history of movies, the line between vampirism and sexuality has been blurred – at best. In Scab, the debut film by writer-director Thomas Jason Davis, who explains his own film’s matter-of-fact take on sexuality:

In my twisted little geek-boy fantasy, the lusted-for slut-boy Ajay finally admits that he loves the geek. It’s like Sixteen Candles with cockrings. Say Anything with fangs and lube and a touch more self-loathing.

- Thomas Jason Davis, Director

The Plot

The movie starts with a rather graphic and violent gay one-night stand where Ajay learns “not” doesn’t always mean know at the hangs of a vampire.

We have our initial assessment confirmed in the following scene through his two friends, Teague and Floor, talk – unknowing what happened to Ajay – discussing how their good friend Ajay is a slut who is living an empty life. We also learn that nerdy Teague has an unrequited crush on Ajay and the hunky and straight Floor is a heterosexual version of Ajay who is not above flirting with anyone – men or women – to get advantage of a situation.

Needless to say, the next time we see Ajay, he’s woken up undead and is dealing with his new hunger for neck tartar and loses touch with Teague and Floor, who come over to check in on their friend.

This leads to a road trip to Las Vegas for the three, where their journey brings about some much-needed self discovery – with a body count. This is a vampire movie, after all.

The film crates yet another mythos of what vampirism is and how it spreads. In doing so, it eliminated the already blurred line between vampires and sex.

WATCH THE TRAILER

WARNING: Course language

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9KETJHoKm0]

This past summer, film archivists discovered Fritz Lange’s director’s cut of the 1927 film that has been thought lost for 80 years.

The version known to most audiences is the 1929 114-minute theatrical release version by U.S. studio,Paramount.

The director’s original cut, on the other hand is three and a half hours, or a whopping 210 minutes.

According to the discoverers, the previously deleted scenes – once restored – flesh out entire subplots and give new meaning to secondary characters in the film.

Because of scratches and degraded condition of the long-lost film, restorers say it could be years before the full 3.5 hour epic director’s cut is ready to be shown in theatres or available for sale on DVD.

Sources/Additional reading:

• AFP: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jvdX-dyfyMFmNKJeUMeMGPwNfvCQ
• NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/05/movies/05arts-LOSTANDFOUND_BRF.html?em&ex=1215403200&en=1222edeba861a31c&ei=5087%0A
• CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/07/04/metropolis-original-lang.html
• BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7489278.stm
• Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSL0344303820080704
• Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/missing-reels-from-langs-metropolis-discovered-860006.html
• Duetsche Welle: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3460612,00.html

Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire – following the exploits of a neurotic hero, a free loving pagan warrior woman, a conman/sorcerer, a pig-troll-man, and a fiercely proud queen as they quest to fight evil while battling to overcome their own foibles.

NETWORK: Comedy Central
DAY: Thursdays 10 p.m. (9 Central)
STARTS: April 9, 2009

GENRE: Raunchy Action-Adventure, Anachronistic Period Comedy, Fantasy, One-Camera Sitcom (no laugh track)
RUN: 6 episodes (Premiere: 1-hour; other eps: 30 min.)

CHILD FRIENDLY: No
PARENT WARNING: Although semi-adult language may be a concern to some, the overriding theme of this show is its sexuality with the open mocking of heterosexual and homosexual foibles. This is refreshing for an adult audience – but may not be appropriate for children.

EYE CANDY: Lots of well-toned male and female body parts are shown. But rest assured, the only nipples on display are male.

(NO SPOILERS)

I have to be honest that when I heard that Comedy Central was planning a spoof series lampooning the sword and sorcery genre, with the name of Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, my reaction was more about skepticism than excitement.

Let’s face it, Comedy Central is much more frat boy than fanboy.

Added to that, the title character is played by British actor Sean Maguire – best known to American audiences as “Leonidas” in the groaningly un-funny and not-good 300 spoof, Meet the Spartans.

So, when I sat down to watch the reviewer’s screening pilot episode, I was dreading the worst. Boy, was I wrong.

This show is brilliant. Seriously. Despite some cheap shot broad comedy and fleshy gratuity, I was laughing out loud and wishing out loud that the episode was longer than a mere hour.

HERE’S WHY THIS SHOW IS GOOD: The WRITING

The studios that created this series are MTV Networks and the BBC, believe it or not. How can this be any good?

It’s quite simple: the creative energy behind this show is BBC Television – not Comedy Central parent, MTV Networks. That means the writing is witty, subversive and written for folks with IQs in the three-digit range. But the MTV influence really helps this show be more accessible to a broader audience. Somehow it works.

The creative force is series creator Peter A. Knight, creator of turn of the century cult favorite, Big Wolf on Campus.

HERE’S WHY THE SHOW IS GREAT: The VILLAIN

The old saw in fannish circles is that a heroic adventure series is only as good as its villain. If that is true, Krod Mandoon is destined for greatness.

Here, the personification of petty blithe evilness is Chancellor Dongalor, played by the glorious Matt Lucas, from Little Britain . He brings his talent for being unabashedly unselfconscious and somehow brings a sense of wit and dignity to what otherwise would be a series of cheap gross-out scenes in less able hands.

The character Dongalor is self-centered and so ignorantly blissed out in a stream of consciousness manner, he is a joy to watch. It’s like he embodies all that is shockingly hilarious about the best of Monty Python and Saturday Night Live skits.

OH YEAH – THE STORY

This show follows the all-too-familiar formula of an unwitting but able hero who discovers and accepts his destiny to save the world from an evil overlord. And as you can tell by the title, it has a flaming sword in it.

I’d tell you more, but I promised no spoilers.

THE CAST
The obligatory “Scooby Gang”:

• Sean Maguire (Eastenders, Meet the Spartans) as Krod Mangoon, the “golden one”
• India de Beaufot (Run, Fatboy, Run) as Aneka, the pagan warrior
• Steve Speirs (PotC: Dead Man’s Chest) as Loquatso, the half ogre
• Kevin Hart (Superhero Movie) as Zezelryck, the sorcerer
• Marques Ray as Bruce, the widow queen

Other Noteworthy cast members and future guest stars:

• Matt Lucas (Little Britain) as Chancellor Dongalor
• John Rhys Davies (Lord of the Rings trilogy) as Grimshank
• James Murray (Primeval) as Longshaft
• Roger Allum (V for Vendetta) as Gen. Arcadius

Opens:

What do you get when you re-make a classic landmark of science fiction film history like the 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still?

Better yet, throw in box-office favorite Keanu Reeves as the alien with the warning to humanity and replace the cold war message with one dealing with today’s obsession about environmental catastrophe.

Sound like a good idea?

Well, according to most of the mainstream critics, the result is an unqualified mess that may not appeal to anyone with a mental age over 12. And critics make a special note to point out to fans of the original film to skip this version altogether.

Of the few good comments on this update, critics point to a winning performance by Kathy Bates in a supporting role as a tough-as-nails politician. Also, the use of special effects and computer-generated imagery also got high marks.

But the lowest marks went to the story and script. More than one critic called the dialogue unintentionally laughable.

So, for those in fandom, this version it either destined for cult comedy status – or is headed to the dustbin alongside atrocities such as the remake of Planet of the Apes and the film version of Battlefield Earth.

WATCH THE TRAILER

{for=”San Jose Mercury News” value=”1″}

“… will probably resonate best with the preteens in the crowd, who might not necessarily care about the sluggish direction or the considerable gaps in logic. Everyone else would be much better off staying home and revisiting Armageddon or Deep Impact, which — compared to this movie — are models of intelligence, wit and complexity.” – Christopher Kelly

{/for}
{for=”MSNBC” value=”1″}

“… Klaatu barada stinko. Pointless remake of the sci-fi classic is loaded with unintentional laughs.” – Alonso Duralde

{/for}

{for=”CNN” value=”3″}

“… The original movie is beginning to show its age, but at least it holds up as a story. That’s more than you can say for a preachy, draggy blockbuster that espouses a radical message of Luddite technophobia at the same time as it conspicuously plugs Honda and LG Electronics, and dresses up its half-baked thinking in blinding (but not that brilliant) CGI wizardry.” – Tom Charity

{/for}

{for=”Hollywood Reporter” value=”4″}

“… the best science fiction has always been about innovative ideas and challenging issues. In this regard, the updated The Day the Earth Stood Still falls far short of the original.” – Tom Charity

{/for}

{/rw_score} –>

Opens

“He sees dead people … and they annoy him,” or so goes the tag line to the new light fantasy romantic comedy, Ghost Town, starring British comedic sensation Ricky Gervais and American actors Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni.

By and large the critics either like or love this film – which treads on all-too-familiar terrain of romantic fantasy comedies about the living communicating with the dead.

There is near unanimous praise for Gervais – in his ability to breathe a new life and energy into a concept as familiar in Hollywood as the action movie chase scene.

Also praised are the comedic skills for Leoni, once called the next Lucille Ball, with the ability to elicit a laugh or a grimace in the audience with a tilt of the head – or less.

IN the era of gross-out comedies where subtlety describes the differences in the color of various bodily functions, critics were quick to praise Ghost Town for always choosing the more witty and intelligent option rather than the easy laugh of a gross out shot below the belt.

Of the negative concepts, critics were no impressed with the plot of the film – which is so familiar as to have become a cliche. But, most of them say Gervais’ original take on a familiar theme saved the movies from mediocrity and raised the film to near greatness.

WATCH THE TRAILER

<!– {rw_good}

• Talented cast
• Star-making American role for Ricky Gervais
• Gorgeous cinematography of urban landscapes

{/rw_good} –>

<!– {rw_bad}

• Not an original concept
• Choppy plot development

{/rw_bad} –>

<!– {rw_score}

{for="Salt Lake Tribune" value="9"}

"Gervais is lethally funny.” – Kyle Smith

{/for}

{for=”New York Post” value=”9″}

“… a bubbly and delightful comedy.” – Sean P. Means

{/for}

{for=”Vancouver Sun” value=”7″}

“Ghost Town nails some forgotten truisms with a lightness of spirit and a generosity of heart that’s downright moving without being sloppy.” - Katherine Monk

{/for}

{for=”CNN” value=”7″}

“Ghost Town doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does goose the formula romantic comedy clichés.” – Tom Charity

{/for}

{for=”San Jose Mercury News” value=”7″}

“Striking just the right balance between sarcastic and sweet, Ghost Town breathes new life into supernatural comedy..” – Bob Strauss

{/for}

{for=”Washington Post” value=”8″}

“… heart and intelligence that too often are missing at the multiplex.” – Ann Hornaday

{/for}

{for=”Washington Post” value=”8″}

“…  is both very funny and a bit of a tearjerker….” – Walter Addiego

{/for}

{/rw_score} –>

The Weinstein Company releases its latest entry in animated film with Igor, a French import featuring a top-notch American cast.

A spoof of American horror movie stereotypes, the film follows the exploits of a hunchback who isn’t willing to settle for being a mindless servant to an evil genius.

According to critical reviews, Igor gets points for a winning premise, but most negative criticism is aimed at a script that is supposedly a little too unpolished for what today’s audiences expect in computer animation.

Other critics pointed out that this film seemed a little schizophrenic in that a plot tailor made for an adult audience is awkwardly shoehorned into a kiddie flick movie with mixed results.

Of the positive notes, all t=of the critics point out that the cast is talented – perhaps to the point of being better than the material they are reading.

WATCH THE TRAILER

<!– {rw_good}

• Script has sharp dialogue
• Top-notch cast

{/rw_good} –>

<!– {rw_bad}

• Scary Imagery and Violence unsuitable for young children
• Humor too complicated for children

{/rw_bad} –>

<!– {rw_score}

{for="Toronto Globe and Mail" value="1"}

“Are kids actually supposed to laugh at this? And if they do, should you get them into therapy?” – Liam Lacey

{/for}

{for=”San Francisco Chronicle” value=”5″}

“While much of the banter between the characters is inventive, the plot turns are predictable – complete with a romantic misunderstanding straight out of “The Karate Kid” (and 20 other films). The movie ends with a big-action sequence that highlights the shortcomings of the animation and seems to go on forever.” – Peter Heartlaub

{/for}

{for=”San Jose Mercury News” value=”4″}

“Chatty and dull, a bit too reliant on innuendo for a kids’ film. And the voice actors (Jay Leno rules Malaria) are funnier than their material.” – Roger Moore

{/for}

{for=”Seattle Post Intelligencer” value=”4″}

“Igor trudges through its story without a single surprise or unanticipated turn while marginally clever sight gags fill in the dead spaces between the flat jokes. Despite a familiar moral, this is no “Iron Giant,” just a haphazard collection of spare movie parts cobbled together in a pale imitation of better-animated comedies.” – Sean Axmaker

{/for}

{for=”The Hollywood Reporter” value=”5″}

“ The visual style grows a bit monotonous, but a more serious problem is that the story is undernourished, and the wit erupts only in flashes.” – Stephen Farber

{/for}

{for=”New York Newsday” value=”7″}

“Not all the jokes work, but most do, and the overall tenor of Igor is goofily funny – probably a bit sophisticated for kids but certainly good-natured.” – John Anderson

{/for}

{/rw_score} –>

]]> http://www.fandominion.com/2008/09/19/review-of-reviews-igors-appeal-may-be-limited/feed/ 0 http://www.fandominion.com/2008/09/14/review-fringe/ http://www.fandominion.com/2008/09/14/review-fringe/#comments Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:12:07 +0000 Davodd http://www.fandominion.com/?p=971 The newest high-profile science fiction TV series debuted this past week. Created by J.J. Abrams (LOST), it follows the live of a government agent who stumbles upon one the biggest secrets in the world – and she finds out there is no going back. Following is a review of the pilot episode of this new series, Fringe.

Airs: Tuesdays, 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Network: FOX
Rating: TV-14 (Graphic Violence, Language, Adult Situations)

First of all, let’s settle one dispute: Fringe is not a true “science fiction” series. The physics used in the show do not add up. The “science” behind the wonders depicted in this series is just too unbelievable to be taken seriously. So don’t. If you can get past that, you will probably enjoy this series.

If you must label the show with a specific subset of genre fiction, Fringe would fall under “science fantasy” – which is just like any other fantasy story, except the traditional trappings such as magic potions, spells, and crystal balls are replaced by the trappings of science. Potions become drugs; spells become computer code and mathematical algorithms, and crystal balls become the Internet. The list goes on, but you get the point.

According to interviews in the mainstream press, J.J. Abrams wanted to recreate the allegorical qualities of classic science fiction, fantasy and horror TV such as that written by Rod Serling. His goal is to comment on today’s society while using a fantastic world of fiction to depict harsh realities without turning off network censors or the viewing public who just wants to be entertained.

That’s a tall order – but judging from the pilot episode, it just may work.

Fringe is a smart, thrilling, funny and scary series. It holds the potential to be as good as X-Files or Supernatural. That is – if FOX doesn’t cancel the show before audiences find it – as the network has done countless other times.

CAST

• Olivia Dunham, played by Anna Torv
• Peter Bishop, played by Joshua Jackson (Dawson’s Creek)
• Dr. Walter Bishop, played by John Noble (Lord of the Rings)
• Phillip Broyles, played by Lance Reddick (The Wire)
• Charlie Francis, played by Kirk Acevedo (Oz)
• Nina Sharp, played by Blair Brown

ABOUT THE STORY
(SPOILER WARNING)

Fringe follows the lives of a mid-level government security agent named Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and the people around her.

But before we get to her, the pilot episode starts out on an airplane during an international flight – when something horrible goes wrong. (So far, this looks and feels like the first episode of LOST – which is odd since that’s the show that J.J. Abrams is famous for creating).

The something wrong here appeared to be some sort of ultra-fast flesh-eating virus that literally causes the flesh to melt off the bones of the plane’s passengers and crew during mid-flight.

It turns out the plane landed safely because of auto pilot landing available at Boston’s airport. That’s when the Feds arrive: CIA. FBI, the CDC and Homeland Security. It turns out that the hero of the story, Olivia Dunham is some sort of inter-agency liaison set up after 9/11.

As agents from the different agencies gather, a man named Phillip Broyles (Lance Reddick) from Homeland Security takes charge – giving assignments to everyone except Dunham. As it happens, sometime in the past, she was an investigator that uncovered that some of Broyles friends were crooked – which led to their arrest. Broyels doesn’t like Dunham and mocks her and her job – but eventually relents and allows her to take part in the investigation – doing grunt work.

As it turns out, Dunham is having an affair with a co-worker – a fellow agent – which is forbidden by their employer. That man also is on the same case.

While checking out a warehouse, Dunham and her boyfriend are caught in an explosion. She had minor injuries – he got – “infected” by some mysterious fatal condition or disease … or something … that made his flesh turn translucent. But the fatality was slowed by inducing an artificial coma and putting him on ice – literally.

That’s the set up for this story. Dunham fights against time and a boss that hates her to save the life of her boyfriend. In doing so, she tracks down a man – Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) – who was working on similar technology for the U.S. government in the 1970s. Of course he went nuts and now lives in a loony bin – with no visitors except for immediate family. Her boss will not let her use federal authority to get the guy out of the asylum.

Now we have a woman fighting against time, a boss that hates her and her only hope to save her boyfriend is a man trapped in a loony bin. Getting interesting – if not plausible.

It turns out that all of Dr. Bishop’s immediate family is dead – except for a son – Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) who is running from the mob and trying to scam Iraqi government contractors into getting a job in Baghdad. Naturally, Peter Bishop has an IQ of 190 and is a genius like his father. He’s also running from the mob because of gambling debts incurred while trying to get rich off casinos.

Dunham uses some arm twisting and bluffing (the guy is obviously bad at gambling) to get Peter out of Iraq and on a plane to Boston to visit the elder Dr. Bishop – who Peter hates, naturally.

As it turns out, in saving her boyfriend’s life, Dunham uncovers a “pattern” and some secrets that the world governments are keeping from the general population. In this case, those “governments” also include a huge corporation called Massive Dynamic, which is kind of like a cross between Microsoft and GE. The owner of the company is Dr. Bishop’s former lab partner. We don’t met the big boss of Massive Dynamic, but we to meet Nina Sharp (Blair Brown), his left-hand woman (her right hand is bionic).

By the end of the pilot, Dunham has assembled a Scooby gang of sorts which includes the Bishops and her assistant Astrid Farnsworth (Jasika Nicole). Oh, and she also saves the life of her boyfriend, is betrayed and ultimately gains the acceptance and respect of her boss.

He likes her so much, he offers her a new job fighting “the pattern” and unlimited resources to get it done… Hence a series begins.




]]> http://www.fandominion.com/2008/09/14/review-fringe/feed/ 2 http://www.fandominion.com/2008/08/29/review-of-reviews-critics-find-babylon-ad-incomprehensible/ http://www.fandominion.com/2008/08/29/review-of-reviews-critics-find-babylon-ad-incomprehensible/#comments Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:50:39 +0000 Davodd http://www.fandominion.com/?p=945

OPENS: August 29, 2008
Rating: PG-13 (Intense violence, Language)
Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Starring: Vin Diesel, Gerard Depardieu

“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



<!– {rw_good}

• Great well-known and loved cast.

{/rw_good} –>

<!– {rw_bad}

• The movie’s director has trashed the film, saying the studio hacked the heart out of it.
• Disjointed characters and plot.

{/rw_bad} –>

<!– {rw_score}

{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

{/for}

{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

{/for}

{/for}

{for=”Variety” value=”3″}

“Fans of Pitch Black, hoping Diesel would reprise the stone-faced Richard Riddick role here will be disappointed.” – Jordan Mintzer

{/for}

{/rw_score} –>

]]> http://www.fandominion.com/2008/08/29/review-of-reviews-critics-find-babylon-ad-incomprehensible/feed/ 0 http://www.fandominion.com/2008/08/22/review-of-reviews-most-critics-praise-death-race/ http://www.fandominion.com/2008/08/22/review-of-reviews-most-critics-praise-death-race/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:48:01 +0000 Davodd http://www.fandominion.com/?p=931 <!– {rw_text}

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.

{/rw_text} –>

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



<!– {rw_good}

• Great action scenes
• Quality cast

{/rw_good} –>

<!– {rw_bad}

• Nature of film’s sexist remarks and acts may offend some
• R-rated for a reason;  bloody gore is a staple of this film

{/rw_bad} –>

<!– {rw_score}

{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

{/for}

{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

{/for}

{for=”Newsday” value=”6″}

“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


{/for}

{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

{/for}

{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

{/for}

{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

{/for}

{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

{/for}

{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

{/for}

{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

{/for}

{/rw_score} –>

]]> http://www.fandominion.com/2008/08/22/review-of-reviews-most-critics-praise-death-race/feed/ 0 http://www.fandominion.com/2008/08/17/review-of-reviews-henry-poole-is-here-a-modern-christian-fantasy/ http://www.fandominion.com/2008/08/17/review-of-reviews-henry-poole-is-here-a-modern-christian-fantasy/#comments Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:13:56 +0000 Davodd http://www.fandominion.com/?p=919 <!– {rw_text}

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



<!– {rw_good}

• Good acting
• Touching philosophical message

{/rw_good} –>

<!– {rw_bad}

• Script may be a little “too earnest” for some
• Some may be put off by its religious overtones

{/rw_bad} –>

<!– {rw_score}

{for="Newsday" value="6"}

"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

{/for}

{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

{/for}

{for=”San Diego Union-Tribune” value=”7″}

“An act of faith, a story about religion that neither pontificates nor proselytizes. ” – Lee Grant

{/for}

{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

{/for}

{for=”New York Times” value=”4″}

“Insufferable hokum that takes itself very, very seriously.” – Stephen Holden

{/for}

{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

{/for}

{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


{/for}

{/rw_score} –>

]]> http://www.fandominion.com/2008/08/17/review-of-reviews-henry-poole-is-here-a-modern-christian-fantasy/feed/ 0