I remember it like it was yesterday hearing about director Bryan Singer and how he had announced he would be taking on X-MEN: FIRST CLASS just as soon as he finished work on JACK THE GIANT KILLER.  Well, it appears another giant Jack might be slaying is that dream of another Singer-directed X-MEN movie, as Hitfix is reporting they have it on authority from multiple sources Singer might be off the FIRST CLASS project.

With Singer working on getting JACK THE GIANT KILLER done for Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox isn’t waiting around, and is “actively searching” for a director to step in and take over the next X-MEN film.  Judging from the Hitfix article and a recent interview that ran in the LA Times featuring Singer and Lauren Shuler Donner, it would appear Singer stepping aside as director of FIRST CLASS is an amicable decision.  He could be on board as the film’s producer, or even as producer of the planned WOLVERINE 2.

However, the idea of Singer acting as director of FIRST CLASS seems to be diminishing hope.  That isn’t to say we will never see Singer step behind the camera on another X-MEN movie.  There are always plans to do a fourth film chronologically in the series, something the Hitfix article touches on.  We should know by sometime this Summer what Singer’s next directorial project really is.

I love Geoffrey Rush as the villainous Barbossa in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films.  I remember getting downright giddy when he appeared out of nowhere at the end of DEAD MAN’S CHEST with a promise of chewing on apples and running fellow pirates through with this rapier in AT WORLD’S END.  So it pleases me to hear producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirming to MTV that Rush will be returning for the fourth installment in the series, ON STRANGER TIDES.

The article is more about Penelope Cruz’s character and how she will be playing Blackbeard’s daughter.  Blackbeard is to be played by Ian McShane.  But buried deep in the article is Bruckheimer’s confirmation that Rush will be returning, and that’s more newsworthy, in my humble opinion.

ON STRANGER TIDES is set to begin shooting in June.  It is planned to be released on May 20th, 2011.

Damn the Gods!  Of course, if you are wanting to do that a little earlier than the rest of America, we got your hookup.  We are giving away passes to see the CLASH OF THE TITANS three days before its April 2nd release.  The screening is to be held on Tuesday, March 30th at Great Escape Gravois Bluffs

First and foremost,  this is a St. Louis screening.  If you will not be in St. Louis on March 30th, please do not enter this contest.

All you have to do is leave us a comment below telling us who or what is your favorite creature from the 1981 original CLASH OF THE TITANS.  We will select the winners at random and reach out via email, so be sure to use a valid email address when posting your comment.

And, if you aren’t one of the lucky winners, be sure to check out CLASH OF THE TITANS when it hits theaters on April 2nd.

THE FOURTH KIND scared audiences out of their seats when it hit theaters back in early November.  Now, a few lucky ones (or unlucky, perhaps?) will be able to take this scarefest home with you.  We have copies to give away on DVD which includes deleted scenes.  Even more creepy shots of alien abduction to keep you up at night.

Here’s all you have to do:

1. Send me an email (kirk@wearemoviegeeks.com) telling me the four kinds of alien encounters.

That is it.  Simple enough.  I will be picking random winners from the correct answers and notifying via email.  And, if you’re not one of the lucky winners, you can pick up THE FOURTH KIND on DVD or Blu-Ray over at DVDEmpire or on Amazon.com.

Good luck!

WINTER’S BONE, quite possibly, is one of the top five best films to see in 2010. Based on the novel by Daniel Woodrell, the film is co-written and directed by Debra Granik, a New Yorker who has taken great care in meticulously ensuring an authentic and honest portrayal of the Ozarks region of Missouri, the people and culture and the struggle beset upon the impoverished families.

Jennifer Lawrence (THE BURNING PLAIN) plays Ree Dolly, a resourceful and determined 17-year old girl living in the rural Ozarks, caring for her sick mother and two younger siblings. The Dolly family has a history with the law, a reputation Ree wants no part of as she takes care of her family in the absence of her father. The dilemma for Ree is that her father placed their small house and land up as collateral for bail and if he doesn’t show up for court Ree and her family will lose what little they have.

Debra Granik (DOWN TO THE BONE) sticks surprisingly close to Woodrell’s book, capturing the details of life in the Ozarks with amazing accuracy. The language, the relationships, the traditions… its all there to illustrate for audiences the fully encompassing picture of what life can be like in the region. Granik maintains an emotional and suspenseful razor’s edge throughout the film as we follow Ree through her desperately fearless quest to find her father before its too late. On this journey, we’re introduced to hardship, the scope of family ties and the devastating yet unfortunate necessity that homemade meth labs have grown to play in the lives of some Ozark families.

Filmed using a RED One Camera, WINTER”S BONE is an indie film that features HD quality cinematography from Michael McDonough (DIGGERS, QUID PRO QUO) while also maintaining a brilliantly cinematic feel. The images appear as though shot on film, allowing the texture of the wooded setting and the earthy tones of the otherwise gray and brown land and sky to pop with depth and detail.

Lawrence delivers an outstanding performance as Ree, a young woman driven by her moral compass and sense of duty to her family. Ree persists in her efforts to find her father, despite warnings from family and neighbors not to pursue this dangerous inquiry. WINTER’S BONE presents a conundrum for Ree, relying cautiously on the same family ties as are putting her in danger. The existence of meth labs and trade as income is no secret, but to pursue her father is synonymous with Ree exposing their secrets in an unwelcome way.

The intensity given on screen by Jennifer Lawrence is matched only by the frightening performance from John Hawkes (DEADWOOD, AMERICAN GANGSTER) as Teardrop, Ree’s uncle and brother to her father. Teardrop is a strong and intimidating character, one that few of the locals dare scrap with, but Hawkes manages to also fully envelope the softer side of Teardrop buried deep within himself, a connection to his family responsibility that slowly forces its way up to the surface.

While WINTER’S BONE is an entirely different movie from O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, traditional music from the region plays a crucial role in the film in much the same way, setting the place and tone of the story. The incredibly beautiful folk and bluegrass music in WINTER’S BONE digs deep into the soul of the audience. The film features original music by Dickon Hinchliffe (COLD SOULS) and a mesmerizing onscreen performance by Marideth Sisco as a participant in a group pickin’ session that Ree encounters.

Overall, WINTER’S BONE is a powerfully dramatic story that plays in a subtle enough fashion to maintain its realism. The story evokes mystery, placing Ree in the role of the meddling detective, while Teardrop takes on the veil of the anti-hero. There’s a clear parallel to classic film noir structure without becoming cliché. The dynamics of the characters throughout the film are well played, admirable considering many of the characters onscreen are non-actor locals. WINTER’S BONE is a film that can be enjoyed and appreciated by all, a sincere telling account of real life ordeals.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

MONSTERS is a film that shoots itself in the foot, undeservedly, with a misleading title. Intentional or not, the title would give the average moviegoer the impression of scary creatures of some sort, wreaking havoc upon unsuspecting citizens within the confines of the horror of science-fiction genre. This turns out to be only partially true, but merely as a vehicle for the primary story.

Written and directed by Garreth Edwards, MONSTERS is primarily a love story, lightly flavored with a socio-political sci-fi glaze that adds a hint of excitement to otherwise slow, but curiously interesting story. The director deserves his props, considering the entire movie was created from his laptop. Impressive, no matter how audiences view the finished product.

The story follows Andrew, played by Scoot McNairy, a struggling photojournalist working south of the border with hopes of catching tragically graphic copy to earn his a decent wage. As the character explains, photographs depicting children killed by the foreign creatures pay well, while images of safe and happy children pay nothing. It’s an unfortunate, but blistering reality of the demand within the journalism market. Andrew meets Samantha in Mexico, played by Whitney Able, daughter of a wealthy media mogul and Andrew’s employer. He is tasked with safely returning Samantha to the United States, but the pair will find this proves more easily said than done.

Simply speaking, the “monsters” within the film are large, exotically designed alien creatures that have overrun the border region between the USA and Mexico as the result of a meteor crash. Their existence, origin and purpose are left for the audience to glean from their own imaginations, while the film’s focus is firmly geared towards the developing relationship between Andrew and Samantha.

With the “infected zone” quarantined and closed off to the general public and the last ferry to the States out of their grasp, the pair is forced to venture illegally into the dangerous infected zone to cross the border into the States illegally. Their journey is filled with real and implied risks, but what fills the screen time is the unlikely and rocky path on which this pair reluctantly develops an interest for each other. In essence, sharing this rough and risky journey brings the two together, with an aggressive alien infestation as a backdrop.

Conceptually, MONSTERS is a tremendously ambitious and promising story. The filmmaker’s execution bares some flaws in tone and pacing, but otherwise holds up well enough to secure a predictably modest following, especially over time. The special effects are impressive, considering the limited resources and path by which they came to be, but in the later portion of the film feel a bit unwelcome, stealing more than their share of screen time without any immediately recognizable purpose.

Overall, MONSTERS is a moderately successful experiment in genre crossbreeding. The film vaguely mimics some popular contemporary films as stylistic influence, including CLOVERFIELD and THE MIST, but maintains its own footprint. Despite the flaws, MONSTERS is worth checking out, recently made more accessible by its distribution deal with Magnet.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

PUTTY HILL is a film that thrives on its authenticity, portraying a clutch of realistic characters in an impoverished area of Baltimore, all connected and affected by the death of a young man, taken by his addiction to heroine. The film, directed by Matthew Porterfield, explores these relationships and character interactions, all revolving around the recently deceased Cory, whom we never meet outside of impressions we glean from the characters in the film.

Constructed almost entirely in the moment, PUTTY HILL was filmed from a basic outline and premise and is cast entirely with local, non-actor residents of the area. This risky method pays off, creating an atmosphere rich with chemistry, conflict and a mixed urban culture. The filmmaker takes his camera around the neighborhood, casually interviewing family, friends and acquaintances of Cory, occasionally breaking the fourth wall. The audience never sees or is introduced to the filmmaker asking questions, but the sporadic inclusion of the off camera encouragements and inquiries adds to the realistic and spontaneous feel.

PUTTY HILL takes this hypothetical scenario and runs with the concept, giving the on screen participants fairly free reign over the material, allowing them to make their characters their own, perhaps even mirroring their own lives in ways that allow the audience an intimate, inside look at the heart of the people, unaffected by the filter of experienced actors. In many ways, the film is more of a social role-playing experiment than it is a traditional narrative film.

While the initial 15-20 minutes of PUTTY HILL can take some patience, once accustomed to the filmmaker’s underlying idea behind the movie the experience sinks in and takes hold over the viewer’s attention. The conversations that take place do not feel forced or staged, further giving evidence to the likelihood of these stories and characters are originated in these peoples’ real lives.

PUTTY HILL contains conflicts as well as reflections on the past. Family dynamics play a major role, much of it dysfunctional. Equally present and perhaps even more intriguing are the more touching and poignant moments. This is especially true of a lengthy scene depicting Cory’s wake, with many family and friends having turned out. The scene paints a lovely picture of people putting aside their differences and coming together to celebrate a loved one’s tragically short life. The occasion is celebrated with karaoke, surprisingly doing justice to the mood of the scene.

Overall, PUTTY HILL is a satisfying cinematic experience, a study of human nature, turning the tables on the topic of death. Instead of focusing on the deceased, the film focuses on those close to the deceased and how their lives are affected by their loss. PUTTY HILL is appropriately slow in pace, but not boring. It’s a film that doesn’t preach or judge, but does stick around long after the film ends and grows on the viewer in a positive way.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Based on the 1st of four successful illustrated books, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID follows around clever Greg Heffley and his adventures in middle school. He’s a bit of a smart-alec who logs everything into his “its not a diary, its a journal,” complete with the horrors of cooties, bullies, icky girls, and the dreaded “cheese touch,” all of which make a grown-up want to get as far away from middle school as possible. Greg figures that if he can rise above all “the morons” to become popular, it’ll be smooth sailing right through to high school.

After an extensive nine-month search, the producers found the perfect Greg in Zachary Gordon. If you’re a fan of DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, you’ll see that his wisecracks are exactly as portrayed in the book. Wary of his big brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick) who plays a prank of waking him up in the middle of the night, weeks before school begins, yelling that he’s late for the first day of school, patient with his little brother Manny (Connor and Owen Fielding), and best pals with the socially unconscious Rowley (Robert Capron), Greg does everything possible to live through his first week in middle school. Rowley means well and has a heart of gold, but when he blurts out in front of everyone on the first day of school, “Hey Greg, you wanna come over and play?”, you have that sinking feeling how the rest of the school year might go for these two. None of this compares to that one kid in class that everyone knew was a bit “off”, and in Greg and Rowley’s case, its Fregley, convincingly played by Grayson Russell. He gives the film its gack factor by constantly wanting to share and display everything with his classmates.

Steve Zahn takes on the role of one my favorite characters in the books, Greg’s dad, Frank Heffley. From the start, Frank is always trying to help his son to do more manly things like lift weights. Rachael Harris is Greg’s mom, Susan Heffley, who’s insistent on embarrassing her son every chance she gets. The screenwriters added some characters to fill out the rest of the book. Wise beyond her years, Angie, (Chloe Moretz of 500 DAYS OF SUMMER), becomes friends with misfits Greg and Rowley and tries to share with them her philosophy of how to fit in. Fans of the book will also notice that wrestling teacher Mr. Underwood becomes Coach Malone (Andrew McNee), the Gym teacher who “lives and breathes physical education.”

The film’s smart screenplay comes from a pair of tv writers Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs (FREAKS AND GEEKS & LIFE AS WE KNOW IT,) and the husband and wife team of Jackie Filgo and Jeff Filgo (THAT 70′S SHOW). Their script is never patronizing to kids and is filled with amusing, yet embarrassing moments from almost everyone’s childhood. Thor Freudenthal (HOTEL FOR DOGS) successfully translates Jeff Kinney’s popular book into a funny kids movie and he doesn’t miss any of DIARY’s quirky diary entries, even down to the amusing cartoons so prevalent in the novel. Even with its excited, built-in audience, it looks likes Fox has another hit franchise on their hands.

From 20th Century Fox, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID opens in theaters Friday, March 19th.

PG: For some rude humor and language. Running Time: 92 Mins.

Sometimes, I wonder what movie characters wanted to be when they grew up.  I wonder what character like Jude Law’s Remy in the new action film, REPO MEN, wanted to be before he was hired by a futuristic organ-shilling corporation as a repo man once those who take those synthetic organs can’t make their monthly payments.  Judging by the finesse with which Remy slices open stomachs and cuts through sinew, surgery wasn’t on his maturing curriculum.

I also wonder what REPO MEN, as a whole, wanted to be.  Did it have aspirations of being a grand old actioner full of high-speed chases, massive explosions, and fast fight scenes?  Did it have dreams of being a satirical comedy that made broad statements about the health care industry without really delving into too much minutia?  Did really want to be a film that seems to be a Frankenstein monster of so many other, and much better, films?  Well, if REPO MEN had any of those lifelong dreams, it can pat itself on its stitched up back, because it succeeds.  It succeeds in trying to be all of these things without much clear direction and absolutely no finesse whatsoever.  Kind of like Remy slicing away at victims borrowers.

The real trouble with REPO MEN rears its ugly head early on, when it is clear that structure, under the directorial tutelage of first timer, Miguel Sapochnik, is not something the film even wishes to attain.  We understand the future world we are thrust into.  A mega corporation loans out internal organs.  Once someone hits a certain point of being “past due,” a repo man is sent out to collect said internal organ, whether that means slaughtering someone in broad public or behind grimy, poverty-stricken walls.  We understand what Remy, as well as his best friend, Jake, played with intense affability (yes, that is possible) by Forest Whitaker, does for a living.

Unfortunately, the real gist of the film, the moment where Remy has an artificial heart thrust upon him and can’t make his own payments, doesn’t come until we should be well immersed into this world.  We never really are, though.  Throughout much of the film, the setting feels present, and no amount of CGed cityscapes with BLADE RUNNER-esque, video billboards can convince us otherwise.  The acts the main characters go about as their daily routine never feel sincere, almost like two actors pretending to be repo men who collect body parts.  Wonder why that is.

In fact, nothing about REPO MEN ever feels genuine.  Not the relationship Remy builds with a woman, played by Alice Braga, who is hiding underground with dozens of her own implants.  Not the relationship and inevitable face-off between Remy and Jake.  Likable as Law and Whitaker are in their own right, there is no, real connection between these two, and when that face-off finally takes place, there is zero emotional weight carried with it.  As impressive as said fight scene is, and, make no bones about it, there is some impressive fighting action in REPO MEN, particularly from Law and Whitaker, you can’t help but think how much deeper it could have played out with a little more meaningful connection built up.

REPO MEN doesn’t seem too concerned with these connections, though, connections that could have and should have elicit a more meaningful snap once they are severed.  Instead, we are subjected to various scenes thrown about here and there each of which seem to be lifted directly from other films.  Besides the obvious ripoffs (and let’s just go ahead and call these ripoffs, shall we?  If you consider what REPO MEN is doing half the time as homage, you are either not paying close enough attention, or you’re giving Sapochnik and crew far too much credit.), there are countless little moments here and there that might have worked were they original in any way, shape, or form.  By the time Remy decides to take on a dozen guys while working his way down a long hallway, (and, yes, he does pull out a hammer at one point) you’ve given up trying to count the acts of thievery and just enjoy.  That scene, by the way, is quite enjoyable if you are able to work your way past the fact that it’s never as cool as it was in OLDBOY.

It doesn’t do absolutely nothing right.  It almost makes the aspects it gets wrong even harder to take.  There was a nugget of an original idea in REPO MEN, and there were hundreds of different directions the people behind could have gone.  There is, also, some very interesting to outright good trimmings here and there.  The idea of a 9-year-old surgeon is fresh and executed thoroughly well here.  The film has a rather surprising ending, both in terms of story and in the final thoughts the film makers wanted to leave the audience with.  Some of the more visceral, surgical scenes could play as genuine homages to certain works of Cronenberg.  Jude Law, sleep walking, as he appears to be, through this performance, is still just as charismatic as ever.  These are the things REPO MEN does absolutely right.  It’s just a shame all of this fancy window dressing couldn’t have been used to pull us further into a more compelling store.

To call REPO MEN a mess might be putting it a bit harshly.  It’s not an outright train wreck of a film.  It simply doesn’t know what it wants to be, and every turn it takes, every style of film making or genre it believes it may want to pursue, seems to be cut off at the knees long before any story can be established in that direction.  The heart of the film, much like that of its lead character, is patently artificial and no one involved can keep it from being messily cut out.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

If two beautiful people were all a movie needed to be good, this movie would be top notch. Unfortunately, this movie also had a story line, talking, and a soundtrack that will delight the average fourteen year old girl.

Nicole (Jennifer Aniston) is a reporter on a mission to the top. While on her way to a court date, she gets a hot tip on a suicide story that she is covering, and ends up skipping out on her trial. The judge then revokes her bail and has put out a warrant for her arrest, which is assigned to a bounty hunter… but not just any bounty hunter, her ex husband Milo (Gerard Butler). Milo and Nicole were once madly in love, but ended up driving each other mad, like most couples. Milo must now take his ex to jail, but she is more worried about chasing her suicide story. Needless to say, she gets herself, as well as Milo in trouble, making for a mediocre story.

There is nothing new about this story. Aniston and Butler have great chemistry, but it is not enough to make this a box office smash. The story is not very believable, and everything, from the two of them falling back in love, to them being chased by bad guys, yet somehow coming out of the mess safe and sound, is completely predictable. This movie is suppose to be a comedy, but it is just not funny. There are maybe, and I mean maybe, three or four parts that are slightly amusing, but nothing to write home about. Oh, and I hope you like hearing people bicker about how in the world they could have ever married each other, because you will have to sit through a lot of it.

Now, I normally don’t comment on how bad a soundtrack is, but this one was horrible. I take that back… it is horrible unless you are a teenage girl. They play tracks from Kesha, for example, which does not fit into a grown up romantic comedy. I would expect it in a movie directed towards teens, but not one that is more for adults. It reminded me of someones mom trying to appear younger and more hip than what they really are, and just made the movie even more awkward than it already is.

Needless to say, the only bounty that you can count on for watching this movie is mediocrity. I could have written more about it, but there is just nothing exciting to tell… or make fun of.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5

COLD WEATHER manages to take two underlying story ideas and combine them into a conceptually intriguing film, one that is partially successful and partially missing its full potential. Aaron Katz (DANCE PARTY, USA) wrote and directed COLD WEATHER, beginning with a story about an estranged brother and sister and wraps it up loosely with a film noir jacket, vaguely reminiscent of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

Doug (Cris Lankenau) is an intelligent young man having studied criminal justice and forensic science, but who has taken time from school to find work and save some money. His passion lies with becoming a detective, romanticized by the literary notion of Sherlock Holmes as his ideal role model. Initially mocked by others for his source of inspiration, Doug is quick to dispel their misguided notions of Holmes as depicted in early films as a caricature of the true literary figure.

Doug gets a job at an ice factory, where he meets Carlos (Raúl Castillo) and they quickly become friends. When Carlos’ girlfriend goes missing, Carlos enlists the reluctant help of Doug to solve the mystery of his girlfriend’s disappearance. Once Doug finally discovers compelling evidence that something is amiss about the circumstances surrounding Carlos’ girlfriend, he begins to put his knowledge into play, seeking her out and revealing the truth of her behavior.

What begins as a solitary pursuit, eventually evolves into a mutual effort between Doug and his sister Gail (Trieste Kelly Dunn) who end up working together to solve the mystery. The estranged siblings begin with a troubled relationship, distant and at odds over Doug’s path in life, but becomes a may for them to reconnect with each other and presents the most intriguing element in COLD WEATHER, merely enhanced by the mystery flavoring.

Generally speaking, COLD WEATHER is a successful film that explores some untested water in terms of family relations. The pacing is a bit slow at times, with the high moments rising above the more abundant low moments. The story itself is intriguing, if not a bit slow moving, but I would have liked to a little more of the relationship develop between Doug and Gail a little sooner in the story arc and not put quite so much focus on the mystery of Carlos’ girlfriend.

Visually, COLD WEATHER is impressive, featuring a palette of grays that brings the setting of Portland, Oregon to life through the use of the RED digital camera technology. The film features some incredible shots, including one of Doug and Gail standing on a bridge in front of a waterfall which utilized an expensive and powerful hi-tech lens, giving the film some additional visual appeal. For this, additional praise goes out to Andrew Reed (QUIET CITY) for his cinematography, accompanied by solid editing, also from Aaron Katz.

Overall, I consider COLD WEATHER to have a compelling story with untapped potential. The film deserves a second viewing and, dare I say, could prove an intriguing source material for an ongoing dramatic TV series based on the relationship and cooperative mystery-solving efforts of the sibling team.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Few actors are as universally recognized and appreciated… and still working as long and hard as Michael Caine. For this reason alone, HARRY BROWN is worth seeing. Written by (THE TOURNAMENT) and directed by first-timer Daniel Barber, HARRY BROWN tells the story of the title character played by Michael Caine with pleasing success.

HARRY BROWN is a dramatic thriller about Harry Brown, newly a widower and living on his own in a dangerous slum in the UK. After seeing his only friend and fellow frightened senior citizen unsuccessfully lobby the police for assistance in quelling the out of control teens who torment and terrorize the neighborhood killed by those very delinquents, he decides to take matters into his own hands.

Despite Harry’s age, he relies heavily on his training and combat experience as a Marine to outsmart his much younger enemies. Harry is a smart man, with a good heart, but is forced to take action as a last resort only because he sees nothing being done by the authorities in power. Caine does an amazing job getting the audience to truly care about his character. His emotional transition from neutral observer to a heroic man taking action despite the odds and repercussions is what truly makes HARRY BROWN worth seeing.

The primary drawback, and a relatively insignificant one at that, is the relative lack of originality in the story. In the simplest terms, HARRY BROWN is a fairly stock and standard revenge story, a tale of one citizen taking back the neighborhood, a movie about one guy who chooses to make a positive difference when no one else will. This isn’t a scathing criticism, but merely an observation that the otherwise very good film could have been great if only it had a bit more of a unique take on a fairly common and standard in storytelling.

Aside from the underused opportunity, Barber proves to be an accomplished director, taking the material he had and deriving a entertaining a solid visual approach and commanding performance from Michael Caine. The grittiness of the neighborhood’s situation hearkens back to the films of Charles Bronson. One of the most compelling scenes of the film takes place when Harry confronts a couple of local drug dealers in their filthy headquarters, reminiscent of Bronson’s performances.

While it may be a stretch to be calling Michael Caine a “badass” at the ripe age of 77, he delivers the goods with unflinching confidence. When Harry Brown finally goes on the rampage against the unsavory neighborhood influences, the audience fully believes in Caine’s performance and vocally cheers and applauds his character’s bravado.

HARRY BROWN also features a bit of mystery, as the lead character must seek out and uncover the head of the local criminal beast that terrorizes his neighborhood, all while avoiding suspicion from Detective Investigator Alice Frampton, played by Emily Mortimer (REDBELT). What Harry Brown uncovers is surprising both to himself and the audience, revealing that evil lurks even in the least suspecting places and that the line between friends and enemies can be blurred in small, close-knit communities.

Overall, Michael Caine steals the show and turns the otherwise common story into a crowd pleasing crime thriller for all adult ages. Daniel Barber has crafted a film that visually depicts the moods and tone that compliment Caine’s performance and serves as a successful first venture into what will hopefully be a long and fruitful career in filmmaking.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

CENTURION is an epic story told on an intimate scale. It’s a war movie focused on the character-driven story, but doesn’t sacrifice the expectation of action. Written and directed by Neil Marshall, CENTURION delivers on multiple fronts, supplying moviegoers with a variety of weapons in its arsenal, intended to ensure a wider appeal than simply the violence-seeking male market.

Neil Marshall (DOG SOLDIERS, THE DESCENT) is known as a fan favorite filmmaker, delivering excellent action, thrills and solid stories. He’s taken us deep into the dark and terrifying depths of the cavernous unknown and now he takes us on a journey back in time, back into the Roman era. CENTURION is the story of a small group of Roman soldiers caught behind enemy lines, the only survivors of a vast legion of unstoppable Roman forces obliterated by a devastating ambush in the hills of Scotland.

Michael Fassbender (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS) plays Quintus Dias, a second in command Roman officer who inherits control of the handful of survivors as they struggle to survive in harsh, unfamiliar terrain, ruled by the unpredictable combat nature of the Picts of Scotland. When the Pict King Gorlacon (Ulrich Thomsen) captures the Roman General Virilius (Dominic West) Quintus Dias leads his men on a suicide rescue mission into the heart of Pict territory.

Marshall clearly did his homework on this picture, delving into the details of the ancient time and place, rewarding his more demanding audiences with detail and texture. His Roman characters are allowed to speak with subtly varied accents, properly representing the fact that the Roman legions consisted of soldiers from all across the vast empire. On the other hand, his actors portraying the Picts speak a more appropriately strong and common accent as well as Gaelic when necessary for mood.

Initially, CENTURION delves into the intricacies of the Roman legionary forces, giving the audience a sense of its structure, a sense of its inner workings and hierarchy. The Roman army fought confidently with a traditional battle strategy. The Romans fought with honor, or so they believed. Unfortunately for them, the Picts saw fighting a war to defend their land and culture as less a question of honor, resulting in the guerilla tactics they employed. These unconventional tactics are what allowed the Picts to repeatedly fend off the Roman invaders.

One of the most epic scenes in CENTURION is the ambush of the Roman legion, perpetrated with the assistance of a Pict scout called Etain, played by Olga Kurylenko, who tricked the Romans into believing she was willing to lead them into victory over the Picts because her people had betrayed her. This scene depicts the utter terror and confusion these guerilla forces could inflict on the unprepared Roman soldiers. With little struggle and time, the entire legion is wiped out on a grand scale, leaving only the handful of soldiers who survived by mistake. Marshall’s story is inspired by the legend of General Virilus’ Ninth Legion, ordered to march into the Pict land and wipe them from the land, but the entire legion mysteriously vanished.

Michael Fassbender apparently can do no wrong, as his performance in CENTURION becomes yet another positive notch in his belt of acting achievements. Fassbender gives Quintus Dias a level of silent moral conflict that balances the character with his heroic status, able to kick some serious ass in combat. Meanwhile, Olga Kurylenko’s silent performance of the Pict tracker Etain, minus a tongue forcibly removed, screams badass female warrior with a vengeance. Convincing fight sequences that could make any guy watch in lustful awe and terror enhance Kurylennko’s performance.

CENTURION is a film that celebrates the strong female character as much as the Roman legend, featuring Axelle Carolyn as the equally formidable female Pict warrior Aeron. Equal to these performances is the gallant portrayal on General Virilus by Dominic West (300, PUNISHER: WAR ZONE). Quintus Dias meets Drusilla (Rachael Stirling) at one point, a Pict outcast who becomes a love interest for him during his efforts to survive.

The finely tuned editing of CENTURION is accompanied by intriguing costume work and cinematography that captures the rugged and beautiful bleakness of the snow-covered Scottish hills. The action itself is an effective combination of choppy closely shot edits, giving just enough chaos and claustrophobia to be convincing but not enough to induce motion sickness or a sense of displacement amidst the action. Audiences will be pleased with the mix of realism and style, while the sensationalist-seeking audiences should appreciate the acceptably ramped up level of blood and graphic violence.

Overall, CENTURION is a satisfying piece of historical cinema that offers action, drama and even a bit of controlled romance, even though its use is primarily a vehicle for the film’s ending. Fans of historical cinema should be pleased with the care taken in the story telling, while those seeking mere entertainment should find themselves satisfied with a well-made period war film.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

THE HAPPY PORT is an indie comedy written and directed by Paul Gordon, who also stars in the film as the title character. OK, actually… the title character is called Bill, but he’s affectionately refered to as The Happy Poet in relation to his small upstart business that he reluctantly dubs The Happy Poet.

Bill is an aspiring, yet to succeed poet of questionable talent. After leaving his job for reasons of personal dissatisfaction, Bill ventures out to start his own business. Bill believes he has the corner on the market for healthy food stands in the city park. Surrounded by food stands selling traditional hot dogs full of nitrates, Bill wants to offer people a healthier alternative with his organic, mostly vegetarian food stand.

After enduring an onslaught of rejection and negative feedback on the idea, including an otherwise directly insulting and unprofessional mercy offer from a banker to his request for a business loan, Bill finally barely scraped together enough money to makea down payment on a hot dog cart. He throws together some of his own favorite healthy foods to sell and goes out into the park to start his business.

Needless to say, business is slow at first, but Bill’s idea begins to pick up with the help of a quirky unnamed character (Chris Doubek) that helps spread the word after tasting Bill’s hummus pita. Shortly after, Donnie enters the story and offers his assistance by making deliveries and spreading the word.

As soon as Bill’s business seems to be taking off, he realizes he’s run out of cash and struggles with having to fold the business and his dream. He’s perplexed. He even toys with the idea of switching to the dark side and simply selling hot dogs like the other carts, but does a little investigating on his own and finds out he’s been taken advantage of by someone he hadn’t expected.

Essentially, Bill is the typical example of someone with a passion for something and thinks he can easily turn that passion into a thriving business. Unfortunately, like so many in real life, Bill has absolutely no business experience or realistic sense of how to properly market his product or protect his interests. Despite Bill’s awkward personality, people tend to like him and give him the benefit of the doubt. This includes an attractive young business woman who finds herself strangely attracted to Bill after trying his food, but Bill is about as successful with women as he is with running a business.

THE HAPPY POET isn’t a terrible movie. In fact, the story itself is rather good and carries a nice message to the audience in an enjoyable comedic vehicle. The general idea behind the film is that of someone pursuing their dreams with confidence, regardless of what others say or believe. Essentially, its a story of overcoming the odds.

The audience, myself included, derived many moment sof laughter from THE HAPPY POET. The jokes are mostly solid and fresh, but the key element that holds the film back is not Paul Gordon’s writing or directing… its his acting. Bill is so monotone and emotionless, he’s like a robot. In fact, one could make a comparison to Marv from HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, however Marv’s apathy and depression is even a bit too well defined for Bill. He’s just simply a character that the audience is unable to empathize with and care about, regardless of how nice he seems.

Preferably, Bill needed a bit more range in his performance. Whether or not Paul Gordon portrayed the character isn’t truly the issue on hand, however it probably wouldn’t have hurt to cast someone else to star while Gordon focused on making the film. THE HAPPY POET looks good for an indie film, shot fairly straight-forward, but having used the new RED camera technology means the film looks amazing.

Overall, THE HAPPY POET is worthy of attention as an indie film, but suffers unnecessarily from a main character without any real depth of texture. The idea behind the film is good and the execution is comically commendable, but enjoying the film does take a bit of extra work as Bill the boring poet takes up much of the screen time.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Check out one of the two versions of the PREDATORS trailer I saw at SXSW 2010…

There was a time when Australia was a blossoming new haven for great films. Fortunately, that time has not passed. In fact, Australia is continuing to produce great filmmakers making great films and THE LOVED ONES is yet another in-your-face fantastic example of the kind of edgy, boundary-pushing cinema devoted movie geeks can expect from the land down under.

Written and directed by Sean Byrne, THE LOVED ONES is a horror movie for true fans of the genre. This movie simply fucking rocks! Sorry for my “French” but, if you love excellent genre movies that provide the perfect mix of fright and fun, no apologies and just enough innovation to be fresh without being pretentious… you’ll love THE LOVED ONES.

The film stars Brent Mitchell (soon to be immortalized by teeny-boppers in THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE) as Xavier, a troubled teenager haunted by the memory of a family tragedy he feels guilty for. With the high school dance approaching, boys and girls are pairing up for the big night. When Lola (Robin McLeavy) approaches Xavier about the dance, he refuses her shy invitation in favor of attending the dance with his casual girlfriend Holly (Victoria Thaine).

The day of the dance proves an emotionally difficult day for Xavier, leading him to go blow off some steam at a nearby cliff. What Xavier didn’t expect was that this solitary reflection would result in his abduction and gruesome torture. THE LOVED ONES is a tense tale of teenaged relationships, all wrapped around a psychotic serial killer story.

I’ll refrain from spelling the details out too clearly for fear of spoiling the film, but you could conceivably describe THE LOVED ONES as a sick and humorous science fair experiment, combining high school horror films such as PROM NIGHT with the crazed obsession factor of MISERY. This is not your average Hollywood high school slasher flick. It is so much more.

Xavier finds himself the doomed object of a murderous admirers bloody affection, kidnapped and help prisoner in the killer’s home and forced to endure the killer’s sick ritual of true love. Meanwhile, the dance goes on and Xavier’s chubby friend Sac (Richard Wilson) unexpectedly scores with the attractive but morbidly dressed-in-black Goth girl Mia (Jessica McNamee).

As the night groans along with drunken teens, Xavier’s girlfriend Holly becomes concerned and sets out to get help finding Xavier. Her search will reveal a startling trend of killings that have been repeated throughout her teenaged life and her boyfriend could become the newest victim.

The tone of THE LOVED ONES is one of utter shock, darkly funny and often extremely intense. The suspense is masterful leading up to and during the relentless agony inflicted upon Xavier. THE LOVED ONES features a killer(s) benefitting from a slight TEXAS CHAINSAW/PSYCHO sort of family element. The violence is graphic and bloody, but more importantly its intense.

Byrne builds layers of renewed hope within the audience’s minds as they experience his torture over and over, each time expecting his escape or rescue, only to be rewarded with more brutal torture. Oddly enough, as extreme as these scenes can be, the audience ends up laughing throughout the scenes. This is where the dark humor plays its most crucial role, balancing the horror on screen with the slightly off key absurdity of the killers’ personality and the performance given from that terrifying thespian.

Few horror films of late have had such a strong and lasting impression on my viewing experience, but THE LOVED ONES is easily one of the best horror films I’ve seen in the last decade. Every element of the film is carefully crafted to please the often hard-to-please genre fan, but is not so far removed from the mainstream standards that general audiences won’t enjoy the film. Perhaps the only complaint I can muster for the film is that the relationship between Sac and Mia is either not defined well enough or perhaps not entirely necessary, but it doesn’t truly remove anything from the overall experience.

THE LOVED ONES is suspenseful, funny, creative and relatively scary (based on your tolerance level). The film ends with a crowd-pleasing bang; features fine performances and directing, editing and even some fairly impressive cinematography. If nothing else, the audience will leave the theatre with their eyes and ears assaulted and their cinematic radars finely-tuned to Robin McLeavy’s future performances… and maybe her image in their nightmares.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Favored French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet (DELICATESSEN, AMELIE) returns to delight audiences once again with MICMACS, his sixth feature film. Astounding visuals are abundant, washing the screen an alluring aura of cinematography. What sets MICMACS apart is its unabashedly comical nature, drawing influence from the silent masters. A love of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin is clearly present, making MICMACS a whimsically wild ride.

Danny Boon (THE VALET) plays Bazil, an unlucky man. As a boy, Bazil’s father was killed when a landmine exploded. His father was attempting to dispose of the explosive device. Now a grown man, Bazil works a simple job in a little video rental shop. On one otherwise normal and eventless day, a stray bullet ricochet’s into Bazil’s shop and plunks him in the head. Fortunate to survive, the doctors flip a coin to decide he’s better off having the bullet left lodged in is head, rather than risking the dangerous surgery. Such is the luck of Bazil.

In the following period, Bazil finds himself homeless. He’s resourceful and manipulates others efforts to get by, but adapts to his new life. Bazil’s misfortune on the streets is short-lived when he’s taken in by a ragtag posse of oddball misfits, all of whom share one thing in common… they’re not normal. Bazil shacks up with his newfound friends in their hideout, conveniently constructed beneath the grounds of a junkyard.

With his life altered by the bullet in his brain, the resilient Bazil concocts a complex plan to ruin the two rival weapons manufacturing companies that made the landmine responsible for his father’s death and the bullet that dealt his own disability. Enlisting the help of his awkwardly talented friends, and the junkyard from which they tinker their tools, the adventure begins and the antics take on a bit of a Rube Goldberg supplied by Acme hilarity.

MICMACS is beyond enjoyable, almost cute and adorable, yet slightly neurotic. Calculette (Marie-Julie Baup) is a young woman with an uncanny ability to calculate anything on sight, be it weight, distance or measurement of any kind. Jeunet regular Dominique Pinon plays Fracasse, driven and obsessed by his once-held World Record as a human cannonball. Petit Pierre (Michel Crémadès) is an ingenious inventor, utilizing the inexhaustible resources of the junkyard and “the rubber woman” La Môme Caoutchouc (Julie Ferrier) is a contortionist, capable of squeezing her body into nearly any position or tiny space.

What results is a sort of absurd and unlikely team with a common mission, a poor man’s dream squad a la Ocean’s Eleven, if you will? In some ways, the story is like a circus of clowns acting out a criminal heist story. In Jeunet’s own words, MICMACS is “like a cartoon” and this describes the live-action film very well. There is also a deeper layer to MICMACS, delving into the human experience.

The common theme throughout the film is that of less socially desirable characters, one could say characters cursed by their abnormalities, finding one another and making a place for themselves. Likewise, Bazil and “the rubber woman” develop a friendly romance as they carry out their plans against the weapons companies. There is a bit of political satire in MICMACS, poking at the arms industry, but it takes a welcome backseat to the character development and the charm of the interaction within this makeshift family.

Danny Boon is a new casting choice for Jeunet, but pulls off the role quite well, embracing the playfulness of the main character. The physical characteristics of Bazil’s personality and humor come off strong, producing laughter when necessary and evoking the correct emotional responses elsewhere.

MICMACS is colorful and vibrant, but still allows the somewhat rustic and cinematically aged feel of Jeunet’s palette to shine through, giving the film his familiar frame of reference. Each of these frames of film used as canvases onto which Jeunet pours his endless imagination. To some, Jeunet’s style is overwhelming, but if taken out of context and viewed only for the stylistic endeavor the film’s essence is lost. Jeunet is able to blend all elements of the filmmaking process to tell his story, generating an unforgettable experience.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Okay, maybe no crossbows, but, if you look carefully, I’m pretty sure you’ll find just about every, other damn type of killing tool mixed in to this poster.  Courtesy of the friendly folks over at IGN, the new poster for THE EXPENDABLES passes on Photoshopped heads of its cast in favor of pretty cool imagery and the single surnames that make up the glorious cast.

Check it out:

If for nothing else, it’s great to see the name “Lundgren” on a poster for a movie you know is getting a theatrical release.

Epic.

THE EXPENDABLES hits theaters on August 13th.

One of the most fascinating things about how a child experiences the world is that everything is new, amazing and curious. Children live in the world with a sense of wonder about everything, great and small. Children have no limits to their imagination and inhibitions about their interests and pleasures. Unfortunately, this is the most valuable part of childhood we lose as adults.

Imagine if, as an adult, you found yourself thrown back into this state of mind. Now, realize that you still maintain an adult’s mind, an adult’s sense of maturity and sense of responsibility. How does an adult cope with having relearned everything after a tragic event leaves you on the cusp of death?

Jeff Malmberg has made a fascinating and powerful documentary in MARWENCOL. The movie introduces the audience to a man named Mark Hogancamp, tragically attacked by five teenagers as he left a bar, beaten to within inches of his life and left for dead. Mark survived, but suffered severe brain damage, forcing him to relearn everything needed to live unassisted.

As truly compelling as this sounds, it is merely the back-story. MARWENCOL delves into Mark’s life having already redeveloped his ability to speak, write and perform all the basic daily tasks that allow him to live almost fully independent. The film details Mark’s experience through his own words, recounting his journey to recovery.

MARWENCOL refers directly to the name Mark has given the 1/6 scale miniature town he has created as a tool to help himself reconnect with his imagination and better understand the world around him. Mark uses old school GI Joe and similar action figure toys as well as Barbie dolls to invent his character inhabiting the town on Marwencol, all of them based upon and named after people he holds dear in his own life.

The physical manifestation of Marwencol exists in Mark’s backyard, but the story evolves from Mark’s imagination. Set during WWII, Mark’s creates heroes and heroines, love interests and lives out his passions and fantasies through his make-believe world. His real-life aggressors are represented by the German SS, seeking out the mysterious town of Marwencol.

The film vividly captures the heart and mind of Mark Hogancamp, a man who is no longer himself, neither better nor worse, but different. As tragic as Mark’s story is, MARWENCOL is also an extremely captivating and inspiring story of a soul rising from the ashes of violence and accomplishing something wonderful. While Mark creates and maintains the town of Marwencol for himself, his work becomes the attention of interested people in the art world and gains notoriety.

The intricacy and detail Mark puts into Marwencol is astounding. The stories he creates are directly derived from his past and the present in which he translates into his world. Women in Mark’s life play an integral role in Marwencol, especially his three loves. Through his imaginary town, and through this documentary, Mark opens up to the audience and reveals aspects of his personality and psyche that most of us would be reluctant to share.

Heart-warming, funny and often delightfully bizarre, MARWENCOL is the rare documentary that feels like a narrative film, telling a story almost stranger than fiction. Mark’s story is unbelievably unique. The audience is permitted to see all sides of Mark, a man no longer held back by the social restraints the rest of us cling to so willingly. MARWENCOL won Jeff Malmberg the Best Documentary prize at SXSW 2010, where the film premiered.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Director Ivan Reitman, you’ve been gone too long. Acting as producer for your son, Jason Reitman, and other director’s films doesn’t cut it for me. While you may now be an Oscar-nominated producer for UP IN THE AIR, the last time we saw you in the driver’s seat was for, yikes, 2006’s MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND. This coming from the man who in his heyday brought us such hit comedies as MEATBALLS, STRIPES, and GHOSTBUSTERS thus making Bill Murray a movie star and then you showed us that Arnold Schwarzenegger could be funny in TWINS and JUNIOR. Ok, I thought so.

Needless to say I was happy to hear that Reitman had confirmed he would once again climb into the director’s chair by helming GHOSTBUSTERS 3, until I read in NY Mag’s Vulture blog that Sony/Columbia Pictures reboot pretty much excludes Reitman:

The studio’s strategy is to revitalize the franchise for next year by having the original ‘busters train a dramatically younger crew in Ghostbusters III, while a correspondingly younger director handles things behind the camera. However, Reitman’s old contract, made at the height of his and Ovitz’s powers, still gives him exceptional creative control over the series, including director approval.

As recently as last night, Variety reported that Reitman had plans to direct FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS for Paramount Pictures. Filming is scheduled to begin in May, thus making it very convenient for Columbia what with Reitman being busy with the WHEN HARRY MET SALLY Natalie Portman/Ashton Kutcher comedy. According to Vulture’s exclusive article, “a source close to the project laughed and said, “It’s pretty much what you’d expect from a spec script that was originally entitled FUCKBUDDIES.” Can’t you see that title up on the marquee in movie theaters?

Boy this would work out nicely for Sony if Reitman was busy with the FRIENDS film. However,

Insiders familiar with Reitman’s plans say he thinks the two comedies are not mutually exclusive, and still plans to direct both, raising serious questions about whether Sony will want to proceed with GHOSTBUSTERS III at all.

So while GHOSTBUSTERS 3 is being prepped, Reitman’s FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS is looking at a Jan. 7, 2011 release date.

Courtesy: Vulture. Photo-illustration: Mary-Louise Price. Photos: Kevin Winter/Getty Images, Columbia Pictures