For many, the “superhero” genre is as worn out as an old sock, with so many comic book movies proving they are bigger on their budgets than their concepts. I am, of course speaking of the average movie-goer, not the clutch of comic book fans that frequent the film adaptations, for better or worse. On the other hand, there’s the rare film that takes the superhero genre and turns it upside-down, delivering a fresh new concept or unique spin on the oft over-blown orgies of CGI and miscast megastars we are accustomed to seeing.

On one hand, you have filmmakers like James Gunn who take the superhero genre into an extremist, even exploitative (these are compliments, folks) realm of parody and violence like with SUPER, and smaller comic books of higher quality adapted into quality films such as KICK-ASS. On the other hand, you have filmmakers who take the superhero genre and break it down into its essential parts, with only the core premise remaining, and build something new, something conceptual and less grandiose. One of the best examples is M. Night Shyamalan’s UNBREAKABLE, which gets at the core of what makes a superhero, and their super villains tick on a human level.

CHRONICLE is the newest example of such a film, written by Max Landis (the son of director John Landis) and is the feature film debut of director Josh Trank, who worked as an editor on BIG FAN, starring Patton Oswalt. The story follows three teenagers — Steve (Michael B. Jordan), Matt (Alex Russell), and Andrew (Dane DeHaan) — as they learn to adapt to life with newly acquired abilities as a result of a mysterious discovery during a late night barn rave.

The film presents itself as a found footage project, with the awkwardly anti-social Andrew choosing to record everything on a recently purchased camcorder. This approach works well enough for about the first half of the film, even though most of it is clearly of a higher production quality than would be expected from amateur found footage. This is fine, alleviating concerns that arose from THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and CLOVERFIELD regarding countless reports of motion sickness.

The problem, and really the only criticism I have of CHRONICLE, is that the film doesn’t fully commit to the found footage concept. The theme is inconsistent, primarily in the third act. In hindsight, this is understandable, as the third act contains most of the large scale action and special effects, which would have been more difficult to capture as found footage. There are attempts to convey and remind the audience of this notion, but there are also ways that this could have been done better, maintaining the perspective throughout the film.

I am purposefully being vague, as not to ruin anything about the ending of CHRONICLE. If you read between the lines, you’ll no doubt figure it out, but to explain how this could have been done better would not do the viewer justice prior to seeing it themselves.

As the three teenagers secretly learn and develop their abilities together, the group dynamics between them evolves and changes, which is where CHRONICLE shines. The characters are well developed, especially Andrew, who is clearly modeled along the lines of the DONNIE DARKO personality type. The film is told from Andrew’s point of view, not just because he is usually the one recording the found footage, but also because this is primarily his story. This in turn also presents another twist in the film’s approach, as Andrew becomes what you might call the film’s antagonist. Again, read into that what you will, but this is as far as I go with explaining Andrew’s involvement.

The special effects in CHRONICLE are achieved successfully, presenting the events on screen in a believable but frugal fashion, never overdoing the scale or flashiness of the effects. One of the most enjoyable scenes involved Steve helping Andrew make an impression during the school talent show, a scene where Andrew’s abilities are put to an impressively ingenious and playful use. The tone of CHRONICLE is very much in the high school “class struggle” vein, with elements of BREAKFAST CLUB and CARRIE mixed in with the previously mentioned DONNIE DARKO, and of course wrapped up in what is essentially a superhero origin story without all the pretentious back story and excess explanations of why and how. Instead, CHRONICLE focuses on how this development affects the three teenagers in their daily lives, and in whom they become.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Studying and researching movies over the years I’ve come across an expression, ” A monster movie is only as good as its monster”. Well, I’d add that the fear level you have while watching said flick really depends on how fearsome the monster is. Well the beasties in THE DARKEST HOUR rank right up there with the walking carpet of the Grade- Z classic THE CREEPING TERROR. And I do mean rank. They’re floating balls of yellow light. Yup. Hence the darkness in the title ( they’re easier to see at night ). These energy balls may be pretty, but they’re deadly. Get too close and they’ll shoot out a neon-like lasso, pull you close, and smash your atoms ( disintegrate you into a clod of powder ). They’re relentless all right, just not that visually interesting ( they’re certainly no competition for the Predator, and H.R. Gieger’s Alien ). And 3D doesn’t make them any more frightening than a really aggressive swarm of lightning bugs.

The film at least has an interesting background for all the mayhem : Moscow. Things start out with two hotshot internet dudes ( Emile Hirsch and Max Minghella ) flying in to meet the investors in their great ” social network/hook-up while globetrotting ” website. But, man, their Russian connection dude has totally ripped them off. At least they meet up with two vacationing babes ( American Olivia Thirlby and Brit Rachael Taylor ) at a swinging nite spot. Then the power shuts down and the sky lights up in waves of yellow and orange. Then the yellow glowing orbs ( thousands of them! ) float to the ground and turn everybody to chalky dust. Except our heroes and their new gal pals. Oh, and that dude that stole the website!. After leaving the safety of the bar’s storage room ( ran out of food ) they try to hide during the day and scurry around the deserted streets at night in search of supplies, other survivors, and information.

And that pretty much sums it up. Lots of hiding, arguing, and running about. Very much like SKYLINE and CLOVERFIELD. It’s attractive young actors scurrying about ( and having to wear lightbulbs as necklaces to warn them of the aliens ). I’ve enjoyed the work of Hirsch, Minghella, and Thirlby, but here they’re fighting a script that renders the male characters mostly obnoxious and the women shrill. The Moscow settings are interesting as are the local actors ( could’ve used the subtitles for some of their lines in English ) and at least it was shot in 3D. The main problem ( besides the space glow balls ) is that we’ve seen so much of it done better ( the deserted city in I AM LEGEND for example ). Perhaps this is why it was released on Christmas Day ( it’s not Oscar-bait like the other flicks opening that day ). If you’re looking for a good Russian travelogue the opening scenes of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE : GHOST PROTOCOL are a much better time at the cinema. Okay you three stars, hope you movie on from this tiresome, uninspired effort and treat us to much better works.

Overall Rating : One Out of Five Stars

MELANCHOLIA originally reviewed during Fantastic Fest 2011.

Writer and director Lars von Trier has shared his own personal experience with depression with the public, so its not surprising that his newest film, MELANCHOLIA, is such a strong representation of what that experience could be like. The auteur filmmaker revealed in an interview accompanying the screening of the film that MELANCHOLIA is not a story of his own account with the condition, but rather that his experience clearly helped him in telling an honest, accurate story two sisters, dealing with two distinctly different types of depression.

One thing MELANCHOLIA certainly succeeds at is dividing its audience, but Lars von Trier has a history of making films that do just this. Generally speaking, his films are either hailed as visionary masterpieces or criticized as pretentious, boring and self-indulgent. My experience lies very much in the center for virtually each of his films, and this one is no exception. I found myself compelled by the intensely accurate portrayal of a character living with depression, and the extraordinary cast as a whole, but also felt the film runs a bit long, which will lessen the impact the film can have on many viewers. Structurally, MELANCHOLIA is split into two parts, each chapter titled with character’s name whose point-of-view drives that chapter.

Part One – Justine (Kirsten Dunst) is an attractive, successful advertising copywriter who is about to get married to Michael (Alexander Skarsgard), the man of most womens’ dreams, but despite her best efforts, her crippling fight with depression overwhelms her. Partially triggered by he mean-spirited mother Gaby (Charlotte Rampling), her emotionally unavailable and playfully immature father Dexter (John Hurt) and her asshole boss Jack (Stellan Skarsgard), Justine has a sever breakdown that leads to a soul-shattering lever of personal disaster that would send anyone into a deep abyss of self-loathing. The difference, however, is that Justine’s depression is clinical and beyond her control, an experience so many people suffer daily. Much like those in real life, Justine’s family is less that supportive, even down right dismissive, except for her sister Claire.

Kirsten Dunst has rarely impressed me as an actress, but she shocks the hell out of me with her stellar portrayal in MELANCHOLIA. I am saying it now, with no regrets, that Dunst deserves an Oscar nomination — at least — for this role. Her ability to capture the range of emotions, the unpredictable change in moods and the paralytic effects of depression on both the mind and body are astounding. Without going into detail, I am speaking from a point of personal experience, from which I draw a great amount of my comparison. This is why, ideally, this film needs to be seen by everyone, but I am fully aware this will not happen. This is unfortunate.

Part Two – Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is Justine’s sister, her best friend and at times her worst enemy. Claire is as supportive as she can be, at times emotionally and physically drained by the amount of energy she must commit to helping her sister, which is intensified by also having a child, Leo, and a wealthy but selfish husband John (Kiefer Sutherland) who is the richest, whiniest money-pincher I’ve seen on film in years, but Sutherland does a great job in one of the first widely seen roles since his time on the TV series 24.

Claire is a women who deals with a much more manageable, yet unbearably brutal form of situational depression. Her primary catalyst for her breakdown is the result of MELANCHOLIA’s sub-plot that spells the end to everything, period. Charlotte Gainsbourg is every bit of fascinating on screen as her counterpart Dunst, which is what makes focusing on Dunst so difficult. Her performance, as is her character, is drastically different from Dunst’s and for good reason. It’s a reactionary role, whereas Dunst’s character is simply being, in the moment, for better or for worse.

Regarding that “sub-plot” I mentioned… MELANCHOLIA is on a very minimal level a science-fiction film, but don’t allow this to sway your preliminary outlook on the film, which begins with a tremendously uncharacteristic use of CGI from Lars von Trier. MELANCHOLIA opens with a superbly rendered depiction of a cosmic disaster, involving the planet Earth and a previously unknown planet that has been hiding behind the sun. Set to a beautiful, orchestral score, the scene sets the mood for the remainder of the film, and is the only bit of CGI in the film until the very last scene. MELANCHOLIA uses this setup as an experiment for how we may react to the knowledge that everything we know and are will inevitably end while we, as a species, are collectively conscious of that end as it occurs. On this level alone, I love what Lars von Trier is doing.

MELANCHOLIA is an astounding work of cinema, even with its flaws which include the need for a more streamlined storytelling structure, a slightly shortened running time and a final CGI ending that would have played better with a simple dissolve to white. Aside from Dunst’s and Gainsbourg’s performances, the star of the film is the cinematography from Manuel Alberto Claro, combining gloriously picturesque landscape composition with intimately personal shots capturing mood and moments of heaviness, but also showcasing some truly phenomenal slow-motion cinematography that makes Zack Snyder’s slo-mo style look like it’s in a hurry. I could watch MELANCHOLIA repeatedly, just for the visual masterpiece it is, especially when combined with the fittingly moody classical score that accompanies this cinematic interpretation of depression unlike any other.

MELANCHOLIA is currently playing in St. Louis at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre.

“Pig” can be defined in many ways. A common farm animal, a person inclined to eat too much, a derogatory slang toward law enforcement, or a fitting short hand for a selfish, sexist man who hates every bone in a woman’s body. None of these truly fit within the confines of the film PIG, which can lead an audience astray. The title is most likely derived from the ramblings of the main character in reflection on his own past behavior, but this plays only a supplementary role in this complex science-fiction story of one man’s odyssey to regain his own mind.

Written and directed by Henry Barrial, PIG is as much a psychological thriller as it is science-fiction. This surely has its roots in Barrial’s education in psychology, which comes through in the script. Rudolph Martin plays the nameless main character, who wakes up in the middle of the desert with his hands bound behind his back and a black hood on his head. It’s not looking like a good day ahead. On the brink of death by dehydration, or worse, he passes out.

Flash forward a bit and our mystery man awakes in the home of a woman living alone in the desert. This woman found the man and has cared for him while unconscious. It is at this moment the man realizes he is suffering from a terrible case of amnesia, unaware of who he is or how he has come to be in this bizarre situation. What’s abundantly clear to the audience, however, is that some is not right and bad things are sure to come. The Man, whose only lead in a slip of scrap paper reading “Manny Elder,” begins an arduous struggle to regain some sense of self, to recover his memory, but leads him deeper into the rabbit hole (so to speak) than he ever imagined.

Rudolph Martin is not just convincing as the amnesiac man, but displays a range of tools in his acting utility belt that make the character that much more engaging. PIG can be classified as fitting the same general category science-fiction film as TOTAL RECALL or MINORITY REPORT, but without the action. On his journey, The Man encounters Manny Elder, played by Keith Diamond, a familiar face from several popular television series, and others who lead The Man to slowly piece the puzzle together.

PIG is a film that too easily can be spoiled, but what I can tell you is that nothing is what it seems, including The Man himself. PIG is not a traditionally structured film, presenting the story in a non-linear fashion that dissects time and shuffles the pieces into a complex puzzle, different but in a similar manner as Christopher Nolan’s MEMENTO. PIG not only stands up to multiple viewings, but actually demands a second viewing to capture the story in it’s entirety. I’m not suggesting its an impossibly complicated story to comprehend, but simply that PIG tells a story in such a fresh and entertaining fashion that you’ll want to see it a second time.

Showtimes
Sunday, November 13th at 1:30pm – Tivoli Theatre

The number of films that can be legitimately classified as an experience are few. More than merely a movie, those that do surface from the traditional fray are usually unforgettable. BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW is one of these experiences, having embedded itself deeply in my mind. One of the reasons I chose to wait a few days before writing this review is that the film is continues to be absorbed into my memory. This is a film that does require some time to digest. To fully appreciate the film, patience and an open mind are required. Suggesting the film needs time to be fully understood, however, is a flawed approach to its viewing, which is at least partially a subjective endeavor.

BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW is written and directed by Panos Cosmatos, his first feature film that ultimately earned the filmmaker the “Boldness of Vision” award at Fantastic Fest 2011. There is good reason for this, as bold is definitely the appropriate way of describing the director’s vision, which is clearly his own creation, made exactly as he intended the film to be seen. With that said, this is not a film for everyone. Much like the experience of viewing Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, or more recently with Terrence Malick’s THE TREE OF LIFE, this is a film that will spread slowly over time, gradually infecting the hearts and minds of a certain niche of cinephiles. Generally speaking, audiences will either love or hate this film, but no one with any sense cinematic fluency can say its not a brilliantly made film. This sounds like an extremely polarizing statement, but I tread lightly in fear of making the film sound pretentious… but its anything but the dreaded “P-word.”

Taking its time to establish its characters and plot, BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW dodged the bullet of being a bring film. Slowness does not equate to boring, but be sure you’re not watching the film on a lack of sleep or while drunk. Fair warning. The story follows a young woman named Elena (Eva Allen) being held within a sterile room, housed within a massive, futuristic institute. The other central character of the very small cast is a strange authoritarian figure named Barry (Michael Rogers). Barry has an eerie, vaguely transparent obsession with Elena, a fixation that grows in intensity as his character’s own state of mind deteriorates.

This facility becomes a character of its own, a seemingly new age center for wellness. Central to this institute is a sort of minimally designed crystal contraption, which is only one of the many ingredients in Cosmatos’ visual concept that can be traced to influential films such as LOGAN’S RUN. Thinking along this same train of thought, the film also has within its experimental husk an array of broader genre influences. Lovingly placed just beneath the surface is the director’s love for ’80s era cinema, particularly the slasher genre, but in a far less traditional embodiment. The film also draws from a more visually identifiable genre classics, such as BLADE RUNNER.

The cinematography (Norm Li) of BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW is gorgeous, saturated with basic colors, but softened in focus and in its use of filters and diffused light. Truly, the film is an incredible achievement of indie filmmaking by a first-time filmmaker. If nothing else, this should be respected as a work of motion picture art, accompanied by a hypnotic synthesized score (Jeremy Schmidt) that perfectly compliments the visuals, worthy of being a stand alone experience for the ears, a audio treat that the filmmaker himself has hopes of being released on vinyl with an accompanying download. Fingers crossed.

An attempt to comprehensively explain the story of BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW would be as exhausting as it would be doing the viewer a great injustice. Much the the Grand Canyon, et al great wonders of the world, BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW is a film that simply must be experienced first hand. The film has been picked up by Magnet for distribution, so keep your eyes peeled for an official release date, not yet announced.

UPDATE: Josh MacDonald was awarded Best Screenplay in the AMD & Dell “Next Wave” Spotlight Competition at the Fantastic Fest 2011 Awards for THE CORRIDOR.

My favorite science-fiction stories are often the subtle ones, films and literature that delve deeper into the philosophical of the genre pool, more than simply wading in the shallow end with fantastic technology and the sensationalism of aliens. THE CORRIDOR, written by Josh MacDonald and directed by Evan Kelly, does this well, while also mingling nicely with the psychological thriller genre.

THE CORRIDOR begins with a jolt to the viewer’s attention, firing a bullet of essential back story at point blank range, leaving a residue of smoldering mystery to ignite the slowly burning story that follows. Stephen Chambers stars as Tyler, returning from a stint of recovery after having a breakdown triggered by his mother’s death. In a show of support and to celebrate Tyler’s return, his four best friends decide to reunite with him for a weekend at his mother’s small house out in the Canadian wilderness.

David Fleming plays Chris, Tyler’s closest friend and probably the most level-headed of the five. James Gilbert plays Everett, the wilder of the friends and a musician with a borderline drinking problem. Matthew Amyotte plays “Bobcat,” the big, burly ex-football star turned family man. Finally, Glen Matthews plays Jim, or “Huggs” as he’s called by the rest of the crew, the smart and somewhat nerdy friend. Together, they’re an unlikely group of characters with a natural chemistry.

In the beginning, the friendly get together seems harmless enough, despite an underlying thread of mutual reluctance and trepidation amongst the friends. It’s difficult for them to feel at ease around Tyler, and the opening scene of THE CORRIDOR offers a more than reasonable explanation for this uneasiness. Over the course of their time together, Tyler’s four friends become more relaxed, but after Tyler takes a late night walk on his own into the woods, he begins to fear the worst about his condition.

Tyler’s mother Pauline (Mary-Colin Chisholm) has a very small role on screen, but the character has a much more significant role in the story as her and her son Tyler share a unique connection, but may not be what it appears on the surface. THE CORRIDOR refers to something Tyler’s discovers on his solitary walk into the woods, leading him to gather his friends to witness for themselves, but Tyler’s actions will ultimately lead to events that change their lives forever.

THE CORRIDOR showcases a cast of relative unknowns, young talent that collectively delivers a high caliber performance. This plays directly into the success of the director’s vision, as this is a dialogue driven story with strong, well developed characters. The viewer is given ample time to empathize with each of the characters and their motives, but the pacing of the film is also crucial, maintaining a comfortably controlled release of clues enhanced with properly placed brow-raising twists.

As THE CORRIDOR rises to a boiling point it morphs gently into a horror story wrapped around a science-fiction puzzle. What exactly is the Corridor? What does it mean? Where does it lead? These are the questions the filmmaker sews within our minds and leaves to germinate and take root. Evan Kelly tells a strong, engaging story that raises curious ideas, but he stands back and allows the viewer to come to their own conclusions about the Corridor.

Evan Kelly makes some bold but effective choices in his use of CGI. The special effects are minimal and simple, but not cheesy or distracting. THE CORRIDOR is a precise description of the anomaly presented in the film, while maintaining an nearly indescribable nature. The makeup effects are brutal and graphic, but do not exceed necessity. THE CORRIDOR seamlessly blends human drama with science fiction, psychological and visceral horror, and even a touch of metaphysical philosophy for one of the more mesmerizing but accessibly cerebral films I’ve seen in years. Enter THE CORRIDOR with your thinking cap on, but there’s no need to turn it up to eleven on the dial.

We all know what happens when aliens show up in the rural backwoods of the Midwest, but why have aliens only been interested in probing Americans? Writer and director Joe Cornish decided that needs to change. ATTACK THE BLOCK presents one idea of what it would be like if aliens arrived in an urban, inner city setting in London, but it’s not the typical fare you might expect.

Cornish, who has recently made his mark as a screenwriter of upcoming films THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN and ANT-MAN, now makes a substantial mark on the science-fiction genre with this little alien film that could… could possibly make you laugh and cheer, that is. ATTACK THE BLOCK has the makings of a cult sensation, a nostalgic good time film to be revisited year after year, like that of THE MONSTER SQUAD or GOONIES.

The story follows a small gang of teenagers in South London as they discover an alien. Quick to react with youthful curiosity and recklessness, the teens beat the floppy-limbed, big-headed alien creature – oddly resembling a disproportionately skewed Muppet – to its inevitable death, dragging it back to their building to show it off. This ultimately proves to be a big mistake.

ATTACK THE BLOCK is a film with multiple layers. The obvious layer, we’ll call this the frosting, is the alien invasion layer, whereas extraterrestrial creatures on Earth terrorize the inhabitants of one apartment building in South London. From this, we get the beginnings of a science-fiction story and the underpinnings of a fun-filled scary movie with plenty of jumps and startles, chases and man versus creature violence. But, just beneath the frosting is the cake, a richly flavored social commentary that is light and palatable.

While the premise of a film tackling the plight of inner city teens, gang culture and race relations may sound too dense to swallow, Cornish manages to construct this in a way that keeps ATTACK THE BLOCK fluffy and refreshing, while still satisfyingly spicy with a combination of terror and humor. The moral message remains hidden in the shadows, lurking around the corners, overshadowed by the intensely black, shadowy alien beasts that are hunting down anyone who came in contact with the less intimidating alien the teens pummeled to death.

The biggest name in the cast of ATTACK THE BLOCK is Nick Frost (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, PAUL) who has a relatively small but enjoyable supporting role as Ron, a somewhat out of place co-inhabitant of the local drug dealer Hi-Hatz’ crib, whom the main character of the film are friendly with. Hi-Hatz, on the other hand, serves primarily as another obstacle in the road for Moses (John Boyega) and his teen gang as they struggle to survive and find a way to defeat the alien creatures. Having two antagonists in the film gives the story more depth.

ATTACK THE BLOCK is unique, but draws on familiarity. For me, the film takes all that made THE MONSTER SQUAD and GOONIES fun and exciting, then combined it with the dark, frightening charm of Jim Henson, a la LABYRINTH. The alien beasts hunting the teens are pitch black, covered in long spiky quill-like hairs and intimidate the viewer with luminescent eyes and massive sharp teeth that glow in the dark. Sounds creepy, right? Add to this the fascination I had with the fact that these creatures were not computer generated, but rather old school guys in monster suits, and you have one very happy genre fan!

Cornish enlists the well-respected movement coach Terry Notary (PLANET OF THE APES, AVATAR) as the creature, making the effects come to life on screen. Its refreshing to see a well-made creature feature, notably influenced by John Carpenter’s THE THING and the ALIEN films, that intentionally avoids CGI. The effect is an entirely more intimate and spine-chilling atmosphere, a better sense of actually being there, in the moment, and a textural void that is filled that the excessive detail of most CGI creature design rarely manages to properly fill.

The language of ATTACK THE BLOCK may seem intimidating on the surface, not from an overuse of profanity, but from the incorporation of actual dialect and slang used in South London, giving the film a bit of authenticity and added cultural relevance. If you find yourself experiencing this difficulty early in the film, stick with it and allow yourself to be fully immersed in the story. Surprisingly, this will pass. Much like watching A CLOCKWORK ORANGE for the first time, while in English, the foreign dialect and slang can be confusing if you try and read too much into it, but ultimately all makes sense. Remember that movies are primarily a visual medium, so when a film is well-made, the dialogue is supported by what we see on screen. Cornish proves that he is clearly aware of this.

ATTACK THE BLOCK has thrills, great old school creature effects and humor, but the character development is possibly the most accomplished aspect of the film. Cornish allows his cast of teen characters to evolve from immature, typical teenagers into responsible, heroic figures. This is not just a genre film for fans of science-fiction and horror, but also a reasonably accessible family film, in the sense that the entire span of the teenage spectrum can relate to and appreciate the story while having a good time in the process.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Art house cinemas seem to get a flood of low-budget indie dramas about drifting twenty-somethings every year. Well, here’s one with an interesting twist. ANOTHER EARTH, as it’s title suggests, is indeed about another, parallel, earth. It’s like our planet’s looking into a mirror. This film focuses not on that twin, but on how it’s sudden appearance effects the residents of this earth. And you guessed it- how this effects a woman in her twenties who seem to be adrift.

Said woman is Rhoda Williams, played by the film’s co-writer Brit Marling. We first see her celebrating at a party. Seems the young genius has been accepted by MIT. Driving home she hears on the radio the news of the discovered twin earth. Craning her head out the car window, she causes a horrific accident. We next see Rhoda being released from prison after serving four years. Her Mom, Dad and younger brother pick her up and take her back to the family home. She makes almost no effort to re-connect with them. At her request a job  agency gets her work as a janitor at a high school. Returning home one evening she stops by the scene of that accident fours years ago. She sees a man leaving flowers at the site. She follows him back to his home and decides to clean the run down house of  this composer, John Burroughs (William Mapother). In the time she’s been incarcerated, the twin planet has drifting much closer. A Richard Branson-type is mounting an expedition to this planet. He announces an essay contest that will offer a seat on the spaceship as first place. Will Rhoda enter the contest? Will she reveal the truth to John?

When I learned of the film’s premise I looked forward to an interesting speculation on the arrival of a twin earth. Unfortunately this film stays fairly grounded. We get to see the family watching an attempt at interplanetary communication on live TV and that’s it, aside from people staring up at the approaching planet. Co-writer and director Mike Cahill is very creative with these shots considering his very low budget. I just wished the scenes had some energy. This dreary-looking  film moves at a snail’s pace. The addition of a older Native-American janitor that Rhoda befriends seems a tad pretentious. There’s not much life to Rhoda’s character. She spends most of the film silently trudging through the snow, staring up, cleaning, and gazing at John. I admire that Ms. Marling worked on the script, but wish she would’ve made her character more compelling. I enjoyed seeing Mapother break away from the evil characters he’s played in films (IN THE BEDROOM) and TV (Lost), but this composer often behaves illogically. ANOTHER EARTH has a tantalizing idea, but it’s never very involving.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Paramount Pictures has released these latest stills from the upcoming sci-fi SUPER 8 in theaters June 10. Who else is looking forward to the second weekend of June?

I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of this trailer!

Synopsis:

In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth – something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

Directed by J.J. Abrams from his original script, the Amblin Entertainment and Bad Robot Production film is produced by Steven Spielberg, Abrams and Bryan Burk.

The film stars Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Noah Emmerich, Gabriel Basson, Joel Courtney, Ryan Lee, Zach Mills and Amanda Michalka.

Follow the film on Twitter HERE and “Like” it on Facebook HERE. The film’s official website is http://www.super8-movie.com/ & the ultra-secret site here: http://www.super8-movie.com/editingroom.html

Even Good Has a Dark Side in this new trailer for PRIEST in 3D - In Theaters May 13th.

Synopsis:

PRIEST, a post-apocalyptic action thriller, is set in an alternate world — one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece (Lily Collins) is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on an obsessive quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.

From Screen Gems, PRIEST will hit theaters in 3D on May 13, 2011. Visit the film’s official website here, on Twitter (@PriestMovie) and on Facebook.

The concept of fate in cinema is one that’s been around for ages, even longer if you consider it’s prevalence in literature and longer yet when you consider that storytelling itself is nearly as old as the conscious man himself. So, this raises the question of how one makes a film about fate that’s not been done before, or more precisely… how to do it well?

Writer and first-time director George Nolfi had his head in the right place with THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, given that it all began with Philip K. Dick. The film is adapted from Dick’s short story called “Adjustment Team” and carries the trademark science-fiction fingerprint of the late, beloved genre author. The film toys playfully with the idea of there being a creator, or more accurately a controller in this case, and a special breed of beings tasked with enforcing that creator’s plans.

Matt Damon (HEREAFTER, INVICTUS) stars as David Norris, a young up-and-coming politician with a penchant for being a loose cannon, but powers beyond his perception have special plans for him. The Adjustment Bureau is determined to see these plans come to fruition. Enter the girl… Elise Sellas — played by Emily Blunt (THE WOLFMAN, SUNSHINE CLEANING) — is a talented ballerina with a predetermined future of her own, but what neither of them know upon meeting and falling in love, is that fate will work to keep them apart at any cost.

Nolfi had previously written screenplays for TIMELINE, OCEAN’S TWELVE and THE SENTINEL, but his best-known work is likely THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. Intentionally or not, BOURNE has it’s influences seeping through into THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, and I don’t just mean with it’s shared star. The SteadiCam action and feel of controlled chaos in the film make it impossible not to recall Damon’s super-soldier-on-the-run trilogy, but this also isn’t detrimental to the story. This essence of following Norris in real-time in his mad dash to prove he is in control of his own life, collides successfully with the breaks in reality as The Adjustment Bureau defies the laws of physics as we know them, giving the sense of something surreal in the real world.

While the premise may sound cheesy or sappy on it’s surface, Nolfi managed to do a great job keeping the pretentious nature of such a story at a minimum, never taking itself too seriously, but also staying firmly rooted in reality. Special effects are used sparingly, only as absolutely necessary. To make up for the lack of high-dollar visual extravagance, the film employs some subtle visual queues and a well-planned color palette to help lead the audience through the shifting emotions and conscious progression of David Norris. Likewise, the original music from Thomas Newman plays a significant role in carrying the proper tone thought out the film; high-tempo pace with low-key undertones.

Damon and Blunt played off each other well. Damon upheld his more typical Bourne-esque persona, but it works here. Anthony Mackie (THE HURT LOCKER), who plays a troubled Bureau Agent named Harry, gives yet another understated performance that hits a nerve. John Slattery (MAD MEN) plays Richardson, the Bureau Field Agent in charge of Norris’ case, and serves as both a friendly conflict to Norris and a pitch-perfect source of comic relief.

In addition to a handful of well-placed and enjoyable celebrity cameos, Terence Stamp (THE LIMEY, GET SMART) appears in an extremely fitting surprise role that fans of his career should greatly appreciate. Overall, THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU feels awkwardly familiar, but coincidentally this adds to the effect of a story about accidentally stumbling upon the truth behind fate and free will.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Here’s the trailer premiere for The Weinstein Company’s APOLLO 18 along with some beautiful shots of the Saturn V rocket. Discover the spine-tingling reason we never went back.

Synopsis

Officially, Apollo 17, launched December 17th, 1972, was the last manned mission to the moon. But a year later, in December of 1973, two American astronauts were sent on a secret mission to the moon funded by the US Department of Defense. What you are about to see is the actual footage which the astronauts captured on that mission. While NASA denies its authenticity, others say it’s the real reason we’ve never gone back to the moon.

From director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego and producer Timur Bekmambetov, APOLLO 18 will launch into theaters on April 22, 2011.

Check out APOLLO 18′s official site HERE, on Facebook HERE, on Twitter HERE and on YouTube HERE.

Prepare to be SUCKER PUNCHed in this new featurette along with the cast of Zack Snyder’s upcoming epic action fantasy.

Synopsis:

Close your eyes. Open your mind. You will be unprepared. “Sucker Punch” is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what’s real and what is imaginary. She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll (Emily Browning) has not lost her will to survive. Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls–the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung) and the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish)–to band together and try to escape their terrible fate at the hands of their captors, Blue (Oscar Isaac), Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino) and the High Roller (Jon Hamm). Led by Babydoll, the girls engage in fantastical warfare against everything from samurais to serpents, with a virtual arsenal at their disposal. Together, they must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive. But with the help of a Wise Man (Scott Glenn), their unbelievable journey–if they succeed–will set them free

From Warner Bros. Pictures and Zack Snyder (300 and WATCHMEN), SUCKER PUNCH stars Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm, Oscar Isaac, and Scott Glenn. The film will be in theaters next year on March 25, 2011.

Visit the film’s official site here, like the film on Facebook here and on Twitter here.

From Terrence Malick, the acclaimed director of such classic films as BADLANDS, DAYS OF HEAVEN and THE THIN RED LINE, comes the first trailer for THE TREE OF LIFE, the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950′s.

What’s everyone think? Another beautiful film from a genius or just more pretentious Malick garbage?

Synopsis:

The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. Through Malick’s signature imagery, we see how both brute nature and spiritual grace shape not only our lives as individuals and families, but all life.

From Fox Searchlight Pictures, THE TREE OF LIFE will be in theaters on May 27th, 2011.

Check out this new trailer from Columbia Pictures BATTLE: LOS ANGELES. You may have seen this over weekend in attached to prints of SKYLINE.

Looks to be a very exciting sci-fi film. Michelle Rodriguez looks well suited for this type of actioner. BATTLE: LOS ANGELES has a very WAR OF THE WORLDS feel to it. What’s everyone think? Are you looking forward to it?

Synopsis:

For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world’s great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It’s up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before.

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES will be in theaters on March 11th, 2011. Check out the film’s official site here and on Facebook here.

Source: Trailer Addict

As TRON Tuesday continues, here’s the worldwide debut of the 3rd trailer for TRON: LEGACY from Walt Disney Pictures. Only 6 weeks left!!

“TRON Tuesdays”— every Tuesday, exclusive new video and film content, including behind-the-scenes exclusives, trailers and artwork, will be released around the world online and through select broadcast outlets. To get the latest on “TRON Tuesdays” and more, visit Disney.com and Facebook.com/TRON.

In case you missed it, have another look at this clip from the film.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

TRON: LEGACY is a 3D action-packed adventure set in a digital world unlike anything captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar® and Golden Globe® winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the abandoned Flynn’s Arcade—that could have only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a visually stunning universe—created by Kevin Himself—which has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons and landscapes, and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape. 

TRON: LEGACY is directed by Joseph Kosinski, from a screenplay written by Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, based on characters created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. Presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and scored by Grammy Award®–winning electronic music duo Daft Punk, TRON: Legacy hits theaters on December 17, 2010.

Visit the official website at: http://Disney.com/TRON. Like TRON: LEGACY on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/TRON or on Twitter here.

Enter the TRON Sweepstakes HERE to win 25 prize packs that include the “Art of TRON” book, the graphic novel, and much more!

The TRON: LEGACY Facebook page has made good on their promise. Once they reached 200,000 global fans, they wrote on their wall that they would reveal the third and final panel of the TRON: LEGACY triptych. See all the individual panels at the bottom. Disney also released this new picture of Jeff Bridges who plays two different roles in TRON: LEGACY – Kevin Flynn and his archenemy CLU.

Check out this newly released film clip, “Long Time”, from TRON: LEGACY.

In this video, the stars of TRON: LEGACY sat down to answer 10 questions about the film in a minute.

Enter the TRON Sweepstakes HERE to win 25 prize packs that include the “Art of TRON” book, the graphic novel, and much more!

ABOUT THE MOVIE

TRON: LEGACY is a 3D action-packed adventure set in a digital world unlike anything captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar® and Golden Globe® winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the abandoned Flynn’s Arcade – that could have only come from his father – he finds himself pulled into a world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a visually stunning universe “created by Kevin Himself”which has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons and landscapes, and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape.

TRON: LEGACY hits theaters everywhere in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D on December 17th, 2010.

Visit the official website at: http://Disney.com/TRON. Like TRON: LEGACY on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/TRON or on Twitter here.

End of line.

A ton of recent TRON: LEGACY news on this TRON Tuesday. The first of three TRON: LEGACY panels launches today on MySpace.

That’s Jeff Bridges in TRON LEGACY in a role that dials back the clock 27 years to create the character Clu 2.0, an avatar of Bridges’ Kevin Flynn as he appeared in his mid thirties.

The second panel will launch tomorrow and the third will be unveiled exclusively on Facebook when it reaches 200,000 fans. So get your friends on the grid to complete the image with all three panels!

Check out this new photo Daft Punk who make a cameo in the End Of Line Club in TRON: LEGACY. Have another look at Daft Punk’s “Derezzed” from the TRON: LEGACY Soundtrack.

Here’s a scene that was cut from TRON: Evolution – The Video Game. The high-octane game will be available on December 7, 2010

Watch this clip from the footage fans saw last week at TRON Night where Quorra rescues Sam from the Light Cycle Grid.

“TRON Tuesdays” every Tuesday, leading up to the film’s release, exclusive new video and film content, including behind-the-scenes exclusives, trailers and artwork, will be released around the world online and through select broadcast outlets. To get the latest on “TRON Tuesdays” and more, visit Disney.com and Facebook.com/TRON.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

TRON: LEGACY is a 3D action-packed adventure set in a digital world unlike anything captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar® and Golden Globe® winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the abandoned Flynn’s Arcade – that could have only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a visually stunning universe “created by Kevin Himself”which has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons and landscapes, and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape.

TRON: LEGACY hits theaters everywhere in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D on December 17th, 2010.

Visit the official website at: http://Disney.com/TRON. Like TRON: LEGACY on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/TRON or on Twitter here.

End of line.

The survivors of an alien invasion literally watch their chance at rescue go down in flames in this SKYLINE exclusive clip from Yahoo! Movies.

Damn if that helicopter wasn’t taken right outta the sky mid-air. Sweet! And finally we catch a better glimpse of the alien invaders. I so can’t wait for November 12th.

Synopsis:

After a late night party, a group of friends are awoken in the dead of the night by an eerie light beaming through the window. Like moths to a flame, the light source is drawing people outside before they suddenly vanish into the air. They soon discover an otherwordly force is swallowing the entire human population off the face of the earth. Now our band of survivors must fight for their lives as the world unravels around them.

SKYLINE is directed and produced by the Brothers Strause (ALIEN vs. PREDATOR: REQUIEM), whose company Hydraulx has provided visual effects for AVATAR, IRON MAN 2, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON and 300. From Rogue Pictures and Universal Pictures, SKYLINE will be in theaters on November 12th, 2010.

Like SKYLINE on Facebook and follow it on Twitter.

With only 9 weeks left to go, and as part of the on-going TRON Tuesdays, Walt Disney Pictures has released a new poster for TRON: LEGACY via Yahoo! Movies.

“TRON Tuesdays”— every Tuesday for the next 10 weeks, exclusive new video and film content, including behind-the-scenes exclusives, trailers and artwork, will be released around the world online and through select broadcast outlets. To get the latest on “TRON Tuesdays” and more, visit Disney.com and Facebook.com/TRON.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

TRON: LEGACY is a 3D action-packed adventure set in a digital world unlike anything captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar® and Golden Globe® winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the abandoned Flynn’s Arcade—that could have only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a visually stunning universe—created by Kevin Himself—which has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons and landscapes, and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape. 

TRON: LEGACY is directed by Joseph Kosinski, from a screenplay written by Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, based on characters created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. Presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and scored by Grammy Award®–winning electronic music duo Daft Punk, TRON: Legacy hits theaters on December 17, 2010.