Okay, so we don’t really get into internet meme’s here at fernbyfilms.com, but this one has me hooked. Dan over at Top 10 Films, a site I sometimes scribe articles for, nominated me for this meme, and, by golly, I’m going to take him up on it. The basic premise is that you have to list 10 things that make you happy: and it can be anything!! I’ve decided to go with the top 10 films I can watch anytime, anywhere. These aren’t necessarily the best films ever made, but they’re my favourite “desert island” choices. List your own in the comments!!
Images below link to our own reviews of the mentioned films, where applicable.
Director : Phillip Noyce Year Of Release : 2010 Principal Cast : Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, August Diehl, Daniel Olbrychski. Awards : Nil. Approx Running Time : 1hr 50 minutes. Aspect Ratio : 2.40:1 Synopsis: CIA Agent Evelyn Salt is accused of being a Russian spy. She takes off, ostensibly to stop an assassination on the life of the visiting Russian President. Her persuers must try to determine whether she’s actually a deep cover spy, or one of the good guys, before events spiral out of control and threaten to reignite the Cold War and nuclear apocalypse. What we think : Female-slanted Bourne clone, with Jolie doing her riff on Lara Croft/Mrs Smith, as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent on the run after being labelled as a deep-cover Russian spy. Director Philip Noyce brings his A-game to the screenplay, directing the action with a breathless rapid-fire editorial panache, although he still can’t overcome wooden characters and been-there, done-that plot devices. Good, but not great, entertainment. Our Rating : 6/10
**********************
Having enjoyed the film career of Angelina Jolie since discovering her in the TV miniseries Gia (thanks a lot for that one, Ms Jolie!), I was naturally keen to see her once again don the action-girl suit and lock-and-load. Salt, her latest action venture, was originally written for a male lead character, although when Jolie decided to get involved, this was swapped for a female one. I think this decision proved wise, considering just how similar in tone Salt is to the Bourne films starring Matt Damon. It’s this similarity that works both for and against the Jolie actioner, as it struggles to escape the shadow of the Ludlum character but feels like a warm blanket of familiarity. Jolie’s winning looks, her ability to pull off the role of action heroine, and director Noyce’s history with fast paced films of this nature, all click together here; Salt is a film lacking subtlety and charm, instead holding firm to its fast-paced narrative to hold your attention. Is it a good film? It’s okay, but there are enough flaws to prevent it achieving the franchise potential the Bourne films currently enjoy.
Somebody with way too much time on their hands has created a mash-up of the audio from the Scott Pilgrim Vs The World trailer, and put it to a bunch of footage from the Matrix films. To say this is hilarious is to call Robin Williams a boring old fart. Appreciate!!
And for those who don’t know what the Scott Pilgrim film is all about (you fools!) then check this out.
Just a quick note to our regular readers that we’ve gone ahead and updated out Transformers 3 page, in the sidebar to the right (or on the logo above). We’ve scabbed some videos from Michael Bay’s official site showing some of the shooting in Chicago a while back, some gob-smackingly awesome practical effects and epic, oh so epic explosions done for real in the middle of a major US city. Only Michael Bay could have pulled this off. Check out those videos, and we’ve also updated the cast list a little. For those of you keeping score on TF3, there’s less than a year to go!!
I’d never heard of this. Not even a hint of it circulated the net. After watching this trailer, this looks pretty damned awesome! A family trapped in a house, along with a man-eating Bengal Tiger. Looks like somebody got drunk, came up with a premise and regardless of logic and credibility, decided to make a film of it. And, if this trailer is anything to go by, it could be a tight little thriller.
Trailer starts at the 25sec mark. (Yeah, takes a while to warm up!)
Director : Matthew Vaughn Year Of Release : 2010 Principal Cast : Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Choë Grace Mortez, Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong, Lyndsy Fonesca, Jason Flemyng Awards : Nil. Approx Running Time : 117 Minutes Aspect Ratio : 2.40:1 Synopsis: A young high-school kid takes on the criminal underworld by dressing as a costumed hero – Kick-Ass. Trouble is, with no powers or financial backing, he’s seriously up against it. So when he’s caught up in a war between a criminal kingpin and an ex-cop (and his daughter) who seek to bring him down, things are going to get very, very messy. What we think : Spot-on caricature of super-hero films, almost a parody bordering on homage, Kick-Ass is a seriously violent and very un-PC film that will smack you fair in the mouth and ask you if you liked it. Terrifically entertaining, although a slight sag in the middle third pulls it away from a perfect score, this film will have you screaming with laughter, ducking for cover and punching the air with delight, all in equal amounts. A must see. Our Rating : 9/10
**********************
I was always told by my parents that “violence never solves anything.”
My parents never saw Kick-Ass. Nor are they ever likely to. Which is probably a good thing, because the violence and anarchistic behaviour displayed by Matthew (Layer Cake, Stardust) Vaughn’s latest flick is so bloody and graphic that at times you’re wondering if it’s right to be laughing at what you’re watching. Of specific point: Chloë Mortez’s character of Hit Girl, a deadly assassin-type character who despatches with bad guys like a girly-version of Rambo, blood and all. There’s plenty about Kick-Ass that people will be turned off by, and then there’s plenty to enjoy and laugh at: the trouble is, the people who think this is a detrimental film to Hollywood’s eroding standards will point the finger at Vaughn and comic-book creator Mark Millar for their glorification of the included violence. Bodies are dismembered, shot, burned and obliterated in a variety of gory, graphic and completely realistic methods by both Hit Girl, and her on-screen father Big Daddy (Nic Cage), surrounding the lead character of Kick-Ass with bodies and blood. It’s all supposed to be tongue in cheek, right? It’s a fantasy, an escapist concoction of justified rage against an insipid system of law that allows criminals to run rampant through our social landscape… isn’t it?
Director Doug Liman has a pretty decent track record, with Mr & Mrs Smith and The Bourne Identity to his credit. This new trailer for Fair Game, starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, doesn’t look as action packed as his previous films, but certainly looks more emotionally involving…. although the misnomer “Based on true events” scares me a little….
Director : Wolfgang Petersen Year Of Release : 1997 Principal Cast : Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Wendy Crewson, Awards : Nominated: Academy Awards - Best Film Editing & Best Sound. Approx Running Time : 124 Minutes Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1 Synopsis: When the US President’s plane is hijacked by terrorists, the President himself must fight to save not only the lives of those on board, but also stop an evil military general from being released from prison to commit acts of atrocity. What we think : Heart pounding action/thriller, possibly Ford’s last successful foray into the action genre as leading man, Air Force One is a great example of the genre. Tense and exciting, the chemistry between Ford and Oldman as they duel verbally is palpable. Our Rating : 8/10
**********************
There was a time, you may recall, when Harrison Ford was a genuine box-office draw. Before films like Six Days, Seven Nights, K19: The Widowmaker, Hollywood Homicide and Firewall dented his A-list status to the point where he’s now something akin to box-office poison. His career in free-fall, especially in light of the less-than-stellar result for the most recent Indiana Jones film, now might be an opportune time to go back to his last truly great action film, Air Force One. Directed by German born film-maker Wolfgang Petersen, whose resumé included classics like Das Boot, The Neverending Story and.. er, The Perfect Storm, Air Force One is a popcorn thriller of the highest order. It puts its leading man in the middle of the action and never lets up for a second: the ultimate Pres-vs-Terrorism plot that had audiences gasping around the world.
Okay, the other day we posted the trailer for unheard-of sci-fi flick Skyline… and it looked pretty amazing considering it used a sound sample from Transformers and what looked to be off-cuts from Independence Day. Now, we present the glorious theatrical poster…. which is all manner of awesome!!! Now, I am really jazzed to see this film!!!
This article has been re-published from the original version appearing over at friend site Top10Films.co.uk. You can find the original (quite controversial!) version here. Many thanks to Dan over at Top10Films for allowing me the opportunity to write for his website, and to republish my article here.
Top 10 Best Sequels Ever
Do you recall that scene in Scream 2, where Jamie Kennedy’s character imparts his words of wisdom to a class of students (and so, to us) as to the rule of film sequels? About what must be done to achieve a perfect sequel? Admittedly, the Scream formula itself began to run out of puff after the first film, but it laid the groundwork for this Top 10 list, namely the 10 best sequels ever made. Thankfully, this list automatically excludes the Police Academy and Look Who’s Talking films, so you can rest easy. The art of a sequel is a formula that’s pretty rare in Hollywood circles. Of the multitude of sequels and remakes released each year by major studios, they usually follow the faithful Law of Diminishing Returns, that is, the film never makes as much money as the original, especially if the sequel is no good. However, sometimes, a sequel comes along that is actually an improvement on the original film. These rare instances are to be treasured, for while a good film is something to behold, a film that actually improves upon the original is akin to lightning striking twice in the same place. So, without further ado, let’s see what we can come up with as we list our Top 10 Best Sequels Ever. Where possible, we’ve linked the listing to our own review of said film, for further reading!
Harry Potter looking annoyed in The Deathly Hallows...
I can’t say I’m super jazzed to see the next Harry Potter instalment, Parts 1 & 2 of The Deathly Hallows, but these pics will hopefully whet the appetite of the die-hards who’re struggling to come to terms with the fact the series is about to wrap up. I scabbed these images from Aintitcoolnews, and am reprinting them here. Click on an image to transform into supersized version!!!
Harry Potter looking annoyed in The Deathly Hallows…
In what will no doubt become internet discussion for the next 12 months, George Lucas came out recently and officially announced the release of the Star Wars saga on high definition BluRay next year. All six films, as well as various behind-the-scenes footage and a previously unseen scene (from Return of The Jedi) are due to be released in the US in October of 2011, and we can only assume a same day release schedule will occur here in Australia.
Confirmed details:
The versions of the Original Trilogy (A New Hope, Empire and Jedi) will be the Special Editions from 1997/2006, not the original theatrically released versions.
It seems a resolution to the ongoing MGM Studio buyout problem, and the consequent troubles getting the Hobbit movies off the ground, is soon to be announced. Spyglass Studios, who produced recent films such as Star Trek, GI Joe, Seabiscuit and others, is currently trying to do a deal which would see it purchase the ailing studio. Whilst not set in concrete at the time we go to print, it seems the deal is all but done according to numerous online sources.
This is great news, if it comes to pass. For one, it’ll salvage the fortunes of MGM, one of the original Big Five studios that dominated Hollywood for decades in the early days of the industry. Secondly, it’ll stop the Hobbit films, as well as the James Bond franchise, from disappearing into development hell. There’s plenty of money being bandied about at the moment with this deal, but no doubt they’ll recoup plenty from both Hobbit films and put themselves back into the black.
Director : Tim Burton Year Of Release : 2009 Principal Cast : Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Voices of Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry. Awards : Nil. Approx Running Time : 108 Minutes Aspect Ratio : 1.85:1 Synopsis: Alice returns to Wonderland, on a quest to defeat the Jabberwocky and save the land from the evil clutches of the Red Queen. Along the way she reunites with the Cheshire Cat, The Mad Hatter, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and the pot-smoking caterpillar. What we think : Visually stunning, yet emotionally vacuous, Alice In Wonderland again seems a better idea in theory than in actuality. Tim Burton remains one of cinemas most unique visualists, but his ability to convey true emotion on the screen remains patchy at best. Our Rating : 5/10
**********************
I’m not sure which is better, the idea of Tim Burton directing something, or the realisation of that idea. Personally, I’d go with the former, rather than the latter. It seems to me that while Burton is capable of delivering some truly awe-inspiring visual ideas, when it comes to characters and actually getting them to emote, he’s a little bereft of success. Films such as Sleepy Hollow, Big Fish, Planet Of The Apes, Sweeney Todd and most recently Charlie & The Chocolate Factory have all been astonishing projects for their complex visuals, but have nominally left us wanting on an emotional level. The ideas and concepts in his film are often unsupported by character development beyond the cartoonish, and his inability to direct truly straight material may stem out of this. In any case, I was, like the majority of the Western world, keen to see how he did with a right-up-his-alley-weird Alice In Wonderland remake.
Just scouted this fresh trailer for a movie called Skyline, directed by The Brothers Strause (the duo behind such gargantuan success Alien V Predator: Requiem) and featuring a cast of almost nobody. Nobody that I could recognise, anyway. The trailer, a teaser, looks pretty damn sweet, though. But for some reason I am reminded of various moments of the classic sci-fi destructo film, Independence Day. Anyone else feel the same??
