Review: The Cabin in the Woods

Plot: Five friends take a weekend vacation to a remote cabin for a couple days of booze, swimming, and sex. However, Dana (Kristen Connolly), Curt (Chris Hemsworth), Jules (Anna Hutchinson), Marty (Fran Kranz), and Holden (Jesse Williams) soon discover that unimaginable horrors await them in the secluded woods. But are the terrors they experience real or part of a much more elaborate plot?

Review: The Cabin in the Woods* is easily the most difficult film I've had to review since Inception. I say this because just like Inception it's almost impossible to describe any part of the movie without ruining the plot. Now I know some of you out there may have seen the commercials where it looks like the five unlucky vacationers are trapped in some elaborate game. You may think that's what the film is all about. Well you'd be wrong. Dead wrong.
The Cabin in the Woods is almost like a horror movie, wrapped in a conspiracy thriller, wrapped in a horror movie. Screen writers Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard (who also directs) have crafted a swift, sleek, and spellbinding story that flips the whole "cabin in the woods" paradigm on its head. I spent most of the movie on the edge of my seat and completely intrigued because I was trying to figure out what in the hell was going on. This film (pardon my french) is the biggest mindfuck since Saw. Think The Usual Suspects meets The Evil Dead and you'll kind of get an idea of what I'm talking about.
Fans of both horror films and thrillers will be extremely pleased with Goddard's work. The pacing is tight and effective. Goddard manages to blend just the right amount of humor, gore, and suspense, walking the delicate tight rope between horror and comedy. (The one scene where two people had this guy on speaker phone had me dying laughing.) To his credit Goddard succeeds for the most part.
Granted each of the five characters are very stock; there's a jock, a virgin (sort of), a slut, a brain, and a stoner. However, aside from Jesse Williams's** character of Holden who was completely bland, most of the actors are very strong. Hemsworth, who you may recognize from Thor, is excellent as the cocksure jock Curt and Anna Hutchinson's (Jules) scene where she makes out with a wolf's head is as bizarre as it is captivating. Kristen Connolly also succeeds as the terrified yet brave Dana.
The real scene stealer however is Fran Kranz. He carries this film as stoner slash philosopher Marv, dealing out one-liners and bong hits in equal measure. He acts as the center of the group and seems to be the only one that really knows what's going on. Plus he has a coffee mug that doubles as a gigantic bong...so there's that.
That's not to say that The Cabin in the Woods is a perfect horror movie. It's not. The production value isn't that great (it was made on the cheap for $12 million) and some of the dialogue was so cheesy you might have well stamped KRAFT on it. However, these things aren't enough to stop The Cabin in the Woods from succeeding as a smart, funny, and scary horror film.

My rating: 8/10

*Strangely enough this film actually finished shooting in May 2009. The only reason it took this long to release was because MGM filed for Chapter 11 in late 2010. It was definitely worth the wait though.
**Some people out there may recognize Jesse Williams from the television show Grey's Anatomy where he plays Dr. Jackson Avery.

Breaking news!!! Catching Fire has its director!!!

Like a Katniss arrow through an apple, Catching Fire has finally hit the bullseye on a new director to replace the departed Gary Ross. Director Francis Lawrence will helm the followup to the box office smash The Hunger Games. Francis, whose credits include Water for Elephants and Constantine, already has experience with dystopian/post apocalyptic films, having directed Wil Smith in 2007's I Am Legend.

It's good to know that Lionsgate has finally decided on a director. Pre-production is now full steam ahead with principal photography set to start in late August or early September. My only concern is that Francis was apparently the studio's third choice. Juan Antonio Bayona had to turn the film down due to scheduling conflicts and Moneyball director Bennett Miller wanted to direct the Steve Carrell film Foxcatcher first. However, as I've mentioned in previous posts, Lionsgate has to get the show on the road before Lawrence is contractually obligated to start filming the X-Men: First Class sequel in January.

Furthermore, the apparent push to get things started fast was what prompted director Gary Ross to leave in the first place. Well that and money. But the point still stands. I'd rather have a great Catching Fire movie rather than a merely good one. At the same time I don't think this is really that big of a deal. September is over four months away and aside from casting a few new characters and set designs I really don't see the problem. It's not like they are planning to deviate from the source material.

Now that I would have an issue with.

Catching Fire releases November 22, 2013

Dawson and Rourke back to sin again

As I reported last week, the longtime in coming sequel to Sin City is finally moving forward. Principal photography is set to start after Robert Rodriguez films Machete Kills and now actors from the first film are starting to jump on board.

According to MTV, Academy Award nominee (The Wrestler) Mickey Rourke will return as the hard drinking, hard living thug Marv. Additionally, Rosario Dawson will resume her role as bad-ass prostitute Gail. Rodriguez reports that both actors are "excited" and "pumped" to do the next film.

As for Clive Owen he's anxious to come back as Dwight but hasn't fully committed yet. While promoting his new film Intruder, Owen told MTV "....of course I would be interested in doing it--but I really don't know what the state of it is." Owen did however say he had a "fantastic" time doing the original Sin City which he also described as "groundbreaking."

My expectation is that Owen will eventually join the film. My only concern is what some of these actors will expect in terms of money. Both Rourke and Owen's stock have risen since 2005 and I'm wondering if their individual pay days may in fact affect the film's budget.

If all goes well Sin City: A Dame to Kill For will begin filming later this year.

More sci-fi for Charlize

In less than two months Academy Award winner Charlize Theron (Monster) will grace the cinema as a Company stooge in the highly anticipated Ridley Scott film Prometheus. Not only are my expectations through the roof for this film, my expectations are equally sky high for Theron's performance. My sincere wish is that she tops her acting performance in Aeon Flux, which if anyone has ever seen the film is not asking much.

Well it appears that Miss Theron is not done with sci-fi. "Variety" reports that Theron has signed to star in Agent 13, an action thriller whose plot...well no one knows what it's about yet. I know that's kind of disappointment but hey I never claimed to lunch with Steven Spielberg on a weekly basis. The screenplay comes from writer T.S. Nowlin who has several projects in the pipeline right now. Also Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt will be directing the film. That bodes well since Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a surprise hit for 2011 and an overall fantastic film.

What also bodes well is that Fox, Warner Bros., Universal, and Sony are all vying for the rights to do this movie. Other than that...well...at least we know Agent 13 will be hot.

Father of our country to get a biopic Clint Eastwood style

No I do not mean that Clint Eastwood will be playing George Washington.

According to "Variety" Darren Aronofsky may have his post-Noah project lined up and it concerns nothing less than our first President George Washington. Paramount Pictures is currently negotiating for Adam Cooper and Bill Collage's script The General. Keep in mind it is a first look deal, which means Aronofsky may not direct the film. However, the fact that it IS a first look deal means that there is a strong likelihood that it will get made. Although if you've ever read "Tales from Development Hell" like I have, you may disagree. But I digress.

The reason I mentioned Clint Eastwood is because sources say "the script is more of an 'Unforgiven'-like tale rather than a straight historical drama." So that means George Washington is going to go bounty hunting with Samuel Adams because the king of England cut up a whore's face? Ok maybe not that extreme. But I'm wondering what exactly this is supposed to mean for the film. My guess is that the film will focus more on the Revolutionary War aspects of GW's life rather than his Presidental terms in office.

Daniel-san crane kicks his way onto "The Making of Psycho"

I haven't probably given as much attention to this movie as maybe I should have, but with this announcement I just can't hold back anymore.
Hollywood has begun filming Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, a film which, as the title would suggest, delves into the sometimes complicated production of the mother of all psychological thrillers. Jessica Biel, Helen Mirren, James D'Arcy, Scarlett Johansson, and Anthony Hopkins (as Mr. Hitchcock himself*) are all part of the current cast. And now there is another.
"Deadline" reports that the Karate Kid himself, Mr Ralph Macchio, will be joining the cast as screenwriter Joseph Stefano. According to reports there was an extreme amount of bad blood between Stefano and Hitchcock so I guess that means we are going to have some high tension scenes between Hopkins and Macchio. Wow. I never thought I'd write that sentence.
It's nice to see Macchio get a meaty role. I've always thought he became a little type cast after The Karate Kid which is a shame because he's actually a good actor. (The Outsiders? Hello?) Just goes to show what being on "Dancing on the Stars" can lead to.

We know a new Bond film is coming, but what the heck does Skyfall mean?

With the financial collapse of MGM several years ago, it took what seemed like forever to get two highly anticipated franchises back on track. One of course is the upcoming The Hobbit the other being the 23rd (wow) James Bond film titled Skyfall.

Yet what does Skyfall actually mean? A recent set visit by "Slashfilm" may hold some answers.

Apparently, representatives for "Slashfilm" described a scene where Silva (Javier Bardem) chases Bond underneath London and causes an explosion. Consequently a train comes crashing through a catacomb and lands on Bond's head. (Presumably this is not literal.) Now to me this just means this is a scene that alludes/reinforces the title. I have to believe that the producers and writers behind Skyfall mean it to be something more than this. I'm thinking maybe a code for bringing down the world's satellites maybe?*

One cool thing "Slashfilm" also mentioned was that workers were building a three tiered casino set piece on the set of Skyfall. Now that gets me excited. I thought the coolest parts of Casino Royale involved Bond playing Texas Hold 'Em. Plus it's a Bond film! You have to have at least some gambling.

Skyfall releases November 9th of this year.

*I hope the criminal group Quantum will also be connected to Skyfall, as the last movie alluded to.

Terminator 5 on hold, Cameron thinks film should be more about Arnie

Personally, I have to say this is good news.
With director Justin Lin jumping ship to focus on the next two Fast and Furious movies, it appears that the fourth sequel to The Terminator is currently on hiatus. And since the studio believes that Mr. Schwarzenegger should return for real (not like the digital format in the last film) audiences could be waiting quite awhile to see Skynet back on the big screen. Currently, Arnie has a ton of projects on the horizon so I seriously doubt there is a fifth Terminator film coming anytime soon.
And seriously why should there be? Terminator Salvation was just abysmal due in large part to a flat script, poor acting, and a PG-13 rating. (Really Hollywood PG-13 for a Terminator movie?) Additionally, with AH-NOLD now in senior citizen status, how in the world are we supposed to believe him as the Terminator again?
James Cameron apparently disagrees with me. According to MTV, Cameron had a conversation about Arnold's possible participation in a fifth Terminator film last fall. Cameron advised Schwarzenegger that "it should be more about him" and "he should not do it unless it's focused on his character." The only way I see that suggestion working is if Arnie joins the resistance as an older man. Any references to the T-800 would need to be digitally done again to make Arnold younger looking. Have we learned nothing from Tron: Legacy? Ugghh.
It's my sincere wish that somebody remove the CPU chip from this franchise and smash it before it's too late.

Another Leo and Lehane combo?

Boston native and author Dennis Lehane's written some fantastic novels that have been converted into some strong films. Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone starred several world class actors like Sean Penn, Ed Harris, and Kevin Bacon. The most recent of his works to make it to film was 2010's Shutter Island, a fantastic and severely underrated film. It starred Leonardo DiCaprio in a role that I personally thought was one of the best of his career.

Well now it appears that Lehane's fiction may translate into another DiCaprio role. Lehane's next novel will be "Live by Night," set to be released this fall. The story involves several characters from a previous Lehane novel entitled "The Given Day" making their way through the Prohibition Era during the 1920s.

Warner Bros. just acquired the rights to the novel on DiCaprio's behalf. Now whether or not that means he'll actually star in the film is another story. Currently DiCaprio is filming Quentin Tarantino's latest movie Django Unchained, and is set to reteam with long time collaborator Martin Scorcese at the end of this summer for The Wolf of Wall Street.

No director is attached at this time but expect to hear more news after the book is released.

Tag-team! Timberlake and Affleck set to star in on-line gambling film

I've never been much of a gambler. Casinos and such have never exactly been my thing. However, when I was introduced to Texas Hold 'Em several years ago I was instantly hooked. Thankfully, my skills have improved from the days when I thought that a great hand was an ace and a two. One of the ways I improved was on-line poker. While I always played in the free games, plenty of my friends play cash games on-line.

My all time favorite gambling movie is Rounders, a severely underrated film in my opinion. However, that film actually explored physical in person games. According to "Variety" though the world of on-line gambling is about to hit the silver screen.

Well known Hollywood actors Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake are set to star in the film Runner Runner which delves into the world of illegal on-line gambling. Now whether that deals exclusively with poker isn't known because details on the script are scarce. Brian Koppelman and David Levien* have penned the script while director Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer) is set to direct.

The only thing I'm concerned about is how compelling a movie can be with people sitting behind a computer. My guess is the majority of the film won't focus on people behind the computer, otherwise it could make for a very boring film.

*David Levien actually penned the script for Rounders so that sets my mind at ease a little.

Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" sets sail in 2014

We've been hearing little snippets about director Darren Aronofsky's (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream) Noah project for months, but now that Academy Award winner Russell Crowe has signed on things are starting to move. According to "Coming Soon" Noah will hit theaters March 28th, 2014. While most people know the story of Noah from the Bible, this tale will actually be an epic re-imagining of the Noah tale that promises to be more action based.

Apparently Noah turns out to be somewhat of a passion project for Aronofsky who states that he's been inspired by the story since he was a child. Aronofsky calls it "an epic story of faith" and hopes "that I can present a window into Noah's passion and perseverance for the silver screen.

"The Tracking Board" and "Film Stage" is also reporting that Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly is in negotiations to play Naameh, Noah's wife. If Connelly joins Aronofsky's ship, it will reunite the Oscar winner with Russell Crowe. Both starred in the 2001 Oscar winner A Beautiful Mind.*

In my opinion Aronofsky** is one of the most innovative and passionate directors working today. There's no doubt in my mind that some day he's going to win the Academy Award for Best Director. Throw in two of the best actors in Hollywood and you've got a recipe for an epic film, assuming of course that the Mayans aren't wrong.

*Incidentally Connelly also played Crowe's wife in A Beautiful Mind.

**It's too bad Aronofsky had to leave The Wolverine film. I'm sure it would have kicked ass.

Darren Aronofsky'

DVD and Blu Ray releases for the week of April 16th

Hello! Here are the major releases on Blu ray and DVD this week:

Release Date Tuesday 4/17--Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Shame, The Divide, Treme (Season 2), American Dad (Season 7), Bob's Burgers (Season 1 DVD only), Late Spring (Blu Ray only), Buck Privates, Roger Corman's Cult Classics (DVD only)

Turn up the heat! Thriller "Out of the Furnace" starts shooting/adds more actors

Man the more I hear about director Scott Cooper's (Crazy Heart) upcoming thriller Out of the Furnace the more I want to see it. "Relativity Media" reports today that filming has commenced and furthermore that Out of the Furnace is the "current working title." Read into that what you will but to me that means a title change is coming soon.

With Oscar winner Christian Bale headlining this puppy and noted actors like Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, and Zoe Saldana already attached, you'd think this film would already have enough star power behind it.

You'd be wrong.

Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson, fresh off his turn as Haymitch in The Hunger Games, and Oscar winner Forest Whitaker have also joined the cast in undisclosed roles. Talk about adding a one-two punch.

Out of the Furnace follows the story of brothers Russell (Bale) and Rodney (Affleck) who live in an economically depressed area but dream of escaping. After Russell is suddenly sent to prison, Rodney joins a ruthless crime ring that costs Rodney nearly everything. Upon his release Russell must decide between personal freedom or justice for his brother. I think I know which one Bale is going to pick.

No release date yet on Out of the Furnace but stayed tuned for updates.

Mel Gibson and Michelle Williams to kill in "Machete" sequel??

Robert Rodriguez's 2010 film Machete was classic B-movie cheese. I mean how could you not love a guy who escapes a hospital by going out the window using a dude's intestine as a rope? I didn't take it too seriously and that's why I loved every freakin' minute of it. Hard to believe that a movie that originally started off as a fake trailer got so much hype that it turned into a real movie. A real movie that beside the main character Machete (Danny Trejo) featured Robert DeNiro, Stephen Segal, Don Johnson, and Jessica Alba.

Though made on the cheap (it only cost $10.5 million) Machete managed to rake in almost 4 1/2 times that amount worldwide. Translation? Sequel of course! Machete Kills starts filming in just a few weeks and "Deadline" reports that Rodriguez is pursuing both Mel Gibson and Michelle Williams for undisclosed roles. No word yet whether either one of those actors will agree to take part but I sincerely hope so. I could definitely see Gibson playing a villain (neo-Nazi? I kid, I kid) and Williams playing a bounty hunter with an attitude....who blows things up....with no top on.

While I'll see this film regardless, the addition of Gibson and Williams might be enough to get me to watch it in the first couple weeks rather than at the Dollar Theater.

No word yet on when Machete Kills will be released but my guess is probably early next year.

Who will direct Catching Fire??

With director Gary Ross officially off Catching Fire, Lionsgate is scrambling for a new director. Like I've reported previously, production needs to start in late August or early September so that Jennifer Lawrence can film the movie before she's obligated to do the sequel to X-Men: First Class. If that doesn't happen, audiences are not going to see The Hunger Games sequel until at least summer 2014.

Lionsgate has made it abundantly clear however that they want a quality director. In a recent "Los Angeles Times" story producers stated they want to "find a director with enough credits and accolades to appeal to Collins (the author) who is (wait for it) MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN QUALITY FILMMAKING THAN BOX-OFFICE PROWESS. Well halle-freakin'-lujah! Somebody in Hollywood who gets it.

With that sentiment in mind, Lionsgate has already compiled an all-star list of at least eight directors who they may want to helm the project. Of those eight only three are known right now and they are David Cronenberg, Alfonso Cuaron, and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Those are three pretty impressive names.

Cuaron directed the fantastic film Children of Men and moreover has experience with tentpole franchises, having directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. While Inarritu has directed some strong films such as Babel and 21 Grams, I'm not sure if he's right for Catching Fire.

The guy who really intrigues me is David Cronenberg. Films like The Fly, Scanners, A History of Violence, and Eastern Promises all have a gritty realism and darkness to them. I think Cronenberg's style and vision perfectly match Collins' world. Cronenberg only has to worry about making a PG-13 film though because most of his films are R. Other than that he's my first choice.

Either way lets hope Lionsgate gets this settled soon and starts the spark for Catching Fire.

Get ready to sin again soon!

Well this is some excellent news.

It's been seven years now since the release of Robert Rodriguez's epic black and white film Sin City. Despite multiple clamours for a sequel, movement has been slower than New Jersey governor Chris Christie running a 40 yard dash. However, fans of the original can now rejoice as Dimension Films finally released some information on the Sin City sequel.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is starting production. Producers will start casting next week with many of the original stars, such as Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, and Jessica Alba, set to return. The film will be based on Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name. Miller has also penned the script along with Academy Award winning writer William Monahan.

Filming is set to begin filming this summer in Austin, Texas at Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios. Incidentally this will be the 11th collaboration between Bob Weinstein and Rodriguez in the last 16 years.

The only question now is when will the sequel be released?

Mel Gibson's Maccabees Movie is going to hold for a bit....

Even if you're not a fan of the Bible the Book of Maccabees is one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible. I'm not going to ruin it for anybody but suffice it to say without the Judah Maccabee the Jewish religion and consequently Christianity would not exist today. It's not surprising then that the story would be good fodder for Hollywood.

What is surprising is that Mel Gibson has been spearheading a Maccabees film for almost a decade now. In case you haven't kept up on current events during the last decade, ole Mel has said some less than flattering comments about the Hebrew nation. Seems odd that he'd be championing this film. Guilt perhaps? Eh, that's a different post altogether.

In any case Gibson's hopes for a Maccabees movie will have to be put on hold for awhile. According to the "Toronto Sun" and "The Wrap," Warner Bros. has put a hold on the project with no further news on when it might return. Part of this is due to Joe Eszterhaus's script which was categorically rejected by Warner Bros. Seems odd that the man who wrote Basic Instinct (great) and Showgirls (horrendous) would take this gig, but then again Oliver Stone wrote the screenplay for Conan the Barbarian.

Mr Eszterhaus is understandably pretty upset about the situation and wrote a nine page letter calling Mel out for his anti-Semitic remarks. To me this seems like sour grapes although Eszterhaus "claims" he has Mel on tape making racist comments and threatening to have his wife killed. If Eszterhaus's claims are correct it's just another nail in the coffin on Gibson's career. If not then I would sue the pants off Joe and his mamma.

Gibson wrote a much more reserved and appropriate response letter, stating Warner Bros' and Gibson both want to make the movie just not with Eszterhaus's script. Gibson goes on to say that he was upset the script was so late and that he and Warner Bros. were extremely disappointed with the quality of the script. To quote Mel: "In 25 years of script development I have never seen a more substandard first draft or a more significant waste of time. The decision not to proceed with you was based on the quality of your script, not on any other factor." Take that Joe.

I feel like any great story, this film will eventually get made and although Mel's personal views are reprehensible, there's no doubting his talent as a director and his ability to make great movies.

Sweet Odin's Raven! Some news on the upcoming Anchorman sequel

I still have my reservations about Anchorman 2. The first one was lighting in a bottle and along with Caddyshack, may be one of the most quotable films of all time. That being said I hope Anchorman 2 doesn't become Caddyshack 2.

Since Wil Ferrell announced on "The Conan O'Brien Show" about the upcoming new adventures of the Channel 4 news team, we've heard nothing about the possible plot. Until now. Director Adam McKay tells "Salon" that the film will apparently involve a custody battle and bowling for dollars.

Ohhhh-kaay.

Now don't get me wrong, those two tidbits could make for very funny pieces. I just hope the whole film doesn't center around those two events. In any case I wonder who the custody battle will revolve around? Ron and Veronica I would presume. Also I wonder if McKay will still set this film in the 70s or will it be in the me decade of the 80s. One of the beauties of Anchorman was its time period, so I hope that if the producers decide to go with the decade that brought us power ballads, big hair, Coke II, and Ronald Regan, that it translates well.

No time frame yet on when the sequel will begin filming but I'm guessing later this year with an eye on a summer 2013 release.

"Edgy" Superman??

While I've always been a Batman guy, Superman is definitely my #2. I can watch the first two Superman films over and over again. I can't say the same for 2006's Superman Returns which was lamer than Jimmy Olson's tie. But when it comes to superhero franchises hope springs eternal, and it's my sincere wish that Zack Synder gets the Last Son of Krypton flying back on the right path.
If Dylan Sprayberry's recent comments to ClewerTV are any indication, audiences may get just that. Sprayberry, who plays the young Clark Kent, had this to say about how Synder wanted him to portray Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman:

"When Zack
[Snyder] and I were talking about it the first time, he was saying how Superman,
they want to give it a more edgy feel like 'The Dark Knight' but also make it
more realistic and emotional so it’s not just the all-American superhero that
saves everyone. He has dilemmas and love and struggles throughout the whole
movie, especially when he's a kid."

I like this idea immensely. Audiences for whatever reason seem to be much more in tune with the "edgy" comic book heroes lately. (See Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.*) And I'd be remiss if I didn't say that I want to see Superman as a reluctant hero, as an outsider coming to grips with who he is as a person. Now granted I don't want it to turn into an emo, brooding, douche fest either. It's a bold move by Synder to take the character of Superman in this direction however.
Now I know that some Superman purists will see this as heresy. Superman is after all the quintessential all-American, "truth, justice, and the American way" kind of guy. But my advice would be to give this movie a chance. Its already got some great actors attached, an intriguing plot-line, and a director who brought the "unfilmable" Watchmen to the big screen.
Man of Steel releases June 14, 2013

*Is there any doubt that there won't at least be a teaser trailer for Man of Steel before The Dark Knight Rises movie?

The Dark Knight Rises gets a rating and the director dishes on the movie

We're just about three months away from the premiere of the third, and final, installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy and I'm more keyed up than the Joker on a three day Red Bull bender. So keyed up in fact that I'm willing to report anything that even remotely resembles some Dark Knight news.

The MPAA not surprisingly, christened The Dark Knight Rises with a fresh PG-13 rating. I say not surprising because aside from The Punisher there's never been a comic book film rated R. In any event did anyone think for one moment that Warner Bros. was going to let Nolan cut a R rated Batman film? Not gonna happen.

Said director and various members of the cast sat down with "Entertainment Weekly" recently to discuss the upcoming film. Nolan describes Bane's character as possessing "formidable physical strength" and is the "absolute evil of intention." Sounds badass to me. The man portraying Bane on screen, actor Tom Hardy, did express some of his worries about "Bane Voice Gate"* which has rankled various Caped Crusader fans everywhere. "It's a risk because we could be laughed at--or it could be fresh and exciting." I'm hoping for the latter.

Christopher Nolan also commented on the depths of Catwoman's character. The director stated that she's a "shifty cipher, calloused survivor, and world class criminal." It sounds like Catwoman will be a more mentally astute pseudo-villain than the cat burglar/sex goddess we've seen in previous incarnations.** I'm sure Nolan also gives her a deep and layered back story. At least that's what I'm hoping.

Anne Hathaway, who portrays the feline femme fatale, says she had to physically transform. After initial discussions about the vision of Catwoman's physicality with Nolan, Hathaway says, "I basically left the his office and went to the gym and just came out about five minutes ago." It makes me wonder how many back flips we will be seeing in this edition.

The Dark Knight Rises releases July 20th.

*I don't really see what the fuss is all about regarding Bane's voice. I could hear it fine. Plus if the pre-screening a month ago is any indication I think things will be just fine. People liked it enough to give it a standing ovation.

**I'm sorry but I though Michelle Phieffer was so unattractive in Batman Returns. She looked like a pale white corpse wearing a dominatrix costume.

Ghandi will be the villain in Iron Man 3

Ok so not really...but the person who played Gandhi in the biopic will the villain in Iron Man 3. That's kind of close right?

Anyway "Variety" reports that Sir Ben Kingsley (Sexy Beast, Species, The House of Sand and Fog) will play the as yet unnamed villain in the third installment of the billionaire playboy.

Original reports stated that Mandarin would be the main villain however that was back when Jon Favreau was still director. Apparently Kingsley's character will be involved in a virus that spreads via nanobots. The story is based on a six issue Iron Man tale published back in 2005. The arc, titled "Extremis," was written by Warren Ellis.

Even though I wasn't as critical of Iron Man 2 as some writers (I thought Mickey Rourke was amazing) I do like the fact that the writers are moving away from the "robots fighting robots" theme. Tony Stark after all is a genius and it would be nice to see his mental powers tested.

Iron Man 3 starts shooting next month.

Review: The Grey

Plot: John Ottway (Liam Neeson) works for an Alaskan oil company keeping wolves at bay with his rifle. Suicidal and bereft of hope after losing his wife, Ottway finds a new sense of purpose when the plane carrying him and the oil workers back to civilization crash lands in the middle of nowhere. Freezing, starving, and harried by wolves, Ottway embarks on a journey to save a small group of men before time runs out.

Review: Once more into the fray

Into the last battle I'll ever know

Live and die this day

Live and die this day

This is the poem that mid-way through The Grey Ottway reveals to the men that his father had on his wall as a child. The poem is fitting a metaphor for The Grey, a powerful, gripping, and philosophical film that works on every level. I haven't been able to get this poem out of my head since I saw The Grey. Moreover, I haven't been able to get The Grey out of my head either.

Without question this is director Joe Carnahan's (Narc) finest work. In a brisk 117 minutes he provides a beautiful tapestry of existentialism that is riveting to behold. Carnahan balances brutal violence (the wolf attacks) with poignant philosophical discussions between the men (what does it mean that they survived the plane crash, what in their lives is worth fighting to stay alive for). Rarely have I seen an exposition that distills what it means to be alive portrayed on film.

Along with Ian Mackenzie Jeffers, Carnahan also co-wrote the screenplay which is based on the novel "Ghost Walker" by Jeffers. The dialogue rings true throughout The Grey and manages to capture the speech of regular working class joes. At it's base The Grey is a philosophical discussion about survival in a world where nature is merciless. Both screenwriters also manage to make nature into a very real character.

Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi is to be commended. The beautiful and epic scenery he captures in The Grey is picture perfect. Furthermore, it enhances the overall sense of cold that Carnahan wishes to convey in this film. Although Jeffers and Carnahan envision nature as a character, it is Takayanagi's camera work that brings that character to life. He also captures the scenes where wolves attack and personal camp fire discussions with equal aplomb. Marc Streitenfeld's harrowing and beautiful score complements Takayanagi's work nicely.

Carnahan has a perfect supporting cast in The Grey as well. Frank Grillo is strong as John Diaz, an oil worker who resents Ottway and contradicts him at every turn. Dermot Mulroney is equally good as Talget, another oil worker who believes that a cosmic reason is the explanation for why they all survived. Mulroney's character's attitude is a nice balance to Grillo's cynicism.

Neeson is the real star of The Grey. A true tour de force of acting, this is Neeson's best work since Kinsey, maybe even since Schindler's List. His performance is so nuanced and fascinating that I couldn't tear my eyes from the screen. Whether it was telling Diaz to put a wad of money back from off of a dead corpse, describing his drunken father, or angrily shouting at God, Neeson's Ottway doesn't disappoint. It's too bad this film wasn't released later in the year because I absolutely believe it is Oscar worthy.

The Grey rates as the best film I've seen so far this year. It's imagery, message, and acting performances are going to stay with me for quite some time.

My rating: 10/10

Review: We Bought A Zoo

Plot: Based on the real-life memoir by writer Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) We Bought A Zoo follows Benjamin's story as he tries to put his life back together after his wife dies. A single father to Dylan (Colin Ford) and Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones), Benjamin decides he and his family need a drastic change. Using his father's inheritance, Benjamin takes a leap of faith and purchases a new house. Only one problem. It comes with a fully functioning zoo that Mee must save. Along with head zookeeper Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson) and an eclectic bunch of caretakers, Mee must somehow find a way to save the zoo, his livelihood, and his family.

Review: It's been a few years since audiences have experienced a Cameron Crowe film, and while his return to cinema isn't perfect, it certainly possesses a charm all its own.

The events surrounding We Bought a Zoo at first glance seem a little cliche but sometimes in life cliches become reality. We've all seen the story of a single father struggling in the wake of his wife's death while dealing with grieving children, but somehow director Crowe manages to breathe life into an otherwise tired story. Crowe, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Aline Brosh McKenna, keeps the film light and happy with the focus on Benjamin. While the film drags in places and at 123 minutes is overly long, We Bought a Zoo captures that Cameron Crowe quality of his previous films like Almost Famous. (Actor Patrick Fugit, the main character from Almost Famous, even has a small part as monkey caretaker Robin Jones.)

We Bought a Zoo contains inconsistent acting performances however. Scarlett Johansson while decent as Kelly at times seems like she's trying too hard. The chemistry between her and Damon is strong, however it seems at times that the filmmakers tried to force the love story between the two. While I think Elle Fanning is an extremely talented young actress (I loved her in Super 8) her performance as Lily is abysmal. Perpetually perky and hung up on Dylan, her constant happiness becomes increasingly annoying and the final resolution between her and Dylan is expected.

Angus MacFadyen was hilarious as Peter MacCready the Scottish carpenter who drinks whiskey constantly and hates Walter Ferris (John Michael Higgins) the strict zoo inspector that serves as the main protagonist for the film. The scene where his co-workers try to keep him locked up while Ferris is at the zoo is particularly funny. Thomas Hayden Church unfortunately adds nothing to the film as Benjamin's brother Duncan. It seemed like Church just showed up for a paycheck in this one. And incidentally I'm getting tired of Higgins playing the heel in films. He needs to branch out.

What makes We Bought a Zoo a good film however is the strong performance of Matt Damon in the lead role. It's an everyman role that's light years removed from his performance as Jason Bourne. Damon exhibits a vulnerability and evokes an empathy I've rarely seen him do. I thought the inevitable blow up he has with his son 3/4 into the film was particularly powerful. His relationship to a dying tiger also rings true. Benjamin is someone we can all route for. Benjamin personifies the "20 seconds of embarrassing courage" many wish they could take but few do. Matt Damon holds this movie together throughout.

We Bought a Zoo contains its share of sappy moments. The ending I felt was incredibly cheesey and I felt several times that the sentimentality bordered on schmaltz. This however doesn't take away from the fact that We Bought a Zoo is an enjoyable if run of the mill family film.

My rating: 7/10

Review: The Muppets

Plot: Times are rough for Kermit (Steve Whitmire) and his gang. Despite years of former success most of the Muppets have gone their own way. Fozzie (Eric Jacobson) is doing a show in Reno, Gonzo (Dave Goelz) has become a plumbing magnate, and Miss Piggy (Eric Jacobson) runs her own magazine in Paris.

When new Muppet Walter (Peter Linz) visits the Muppet Studios in L.A. with his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary's girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), he discovers a plot by oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to tear down the old Muppet Studios and drill for oil. With Kermit, Gary, and Mary at his side, Walter sets out to round up the Muppets, put on a show, and save the Muppet Studios.

Review: As a child I absolutely adored the Muppets. The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan still stand the test of time for me. The Muppet Show was hands down my favorite show when I was five years old. The jokes still hold up as Jim Henson and pals possessed the unique ability to produce jokes that were accessible to kids and adults. It's also the first television show that I remember being canceled and being truly upset about the cancelation.

Going into this film I didn't have high expectations but I was at least expecting the music numbers to be entertaining and the jokes to be funny. Rotten Tomatoes rates it with a 96% approval rating so how bad could it be?

While The Muppets is certainly not a terrible movie, it's extremely disappointing and definitely not deserving of the high praise it's received. Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller's script is mediocre at best with a cliched plot and an even more contrived ending. Granted as a 33 year old man I'm not the target audience, however I still thought some of the jokes would be accessible. Instead the audience is subjected to Fozzie in "fart shoes" and a new Muppet named Walter that rather than being fresh and invigorating, comes across as merely annoying. (You're a Muppet in a man's world struggling with identity issues we get it already!) Oh and his big contribution to the show? Whistling. Oy vey.

I'll admit that director James Bobin, who co-created the television show "Flight of the Conchords," does an admirable job with The Muppets. The pacing is spot on and he strikes a decent, though sometimes inconsistent, balance between child and adult jokes. The music numbers are well choreographed and I can definitely see him doing future children's movies. In fact if the box office is any indication, there will be an inevitable sequel and Bobin will undoubtedly be asked to return.

While the directing is solid, the acting in The Muppets is simply horrid. Jason Segal and Amy Adams are bland and Pollyanna-ish as Gary and Mary (get it?) respectively. I'm no cynic but their over-zealous, perpetually perky attitudes almost induced me to vomit. Chris Cooper is no better as the character of Tex Richman (again with the names??) as he epitomizes the term "stock character." The only thing missing was him twirling a fake mustache.

What really killed The Muppets for me was the music selection. While the original songs "Man or Muppet" and "Life's a Happy Song" demonstrate excellent choreography and strong vocal performances, they were also overly long and tedious. And for the life of me I can't understand why they had Chris Cooper do a rap to explain the reason he's destroying The Muppet Studios. It wasn't funny, it was groan worthy and unnecessary. The producers might as well have had Pitbull sing opera. But the creme del a crap, the ultimate moment where The Muppets lost me was when they set their clean up of the Muppet Studios to the tune of "We Built this City" by Jefferson Starship. If someone had given me a loaded shotgun at that point you wouldn't be reading this review right now.

Unfortunately not even the funny scene where The Swedish Chef uses a flamethrower on a disgusting fridge and yells "SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!" could redeem this movie for me. The Muppet movie was a major disappointment. It possess none of the charm of the original films and despite the fact that I've already been told by one friend I "have no soul" for disliking this movie, I stick by this review.

My rating: 3/10

Director Ross will not have a second helping for Catching Fire

Well this news is disappointing.

Gary Ross, director of the box-office smash The Hunger Games, will not be returning for the sequel Catching Fire. According to "Indiewire" (big thanks to my friend Michael Pagano for the scoop) Ross was in talks with Lionsgate and Fox over the weekend, however negotiations fell apart and Ross is officially off of the project. The director of both Seabiscuit and Pleasantville will now presumably return to a previous project, Outback, a sci-fi film that Carey Mulligan is set to star in. Outback was a film that Ross had been attached to but backed out of because he thought he was going to be part of Catching Fire. Sadly it is not be.

Honestly, I cannot think of one director right now to replace Ross off of the top of my head. Like my favorite movie website joblo.com points out, The Hunger Games trilogy could be very much like Harry Potter or Twilight where directors are constantly being changed. I think as long as the producers stick to the source material and the director doesn't go rogue, Catching Fire will do just fine no matter who sits in the director's chair. One thing's for sure is that Fox and Lionsgate are scrambling for a director right now.

Filming for Catching Fire starts this fall with a Thanksgiving 2013 release date.

Retract the adamantium claws you nervous nellies! Sequel to X-Men First Class set to begin filming in January

Despite the fact that it underperformed at the box office (at least domestically) I thought X-Men: First Class was one of the best comic book movies every made. It's good to hear that Fox isn't letting poor returns dissuade them from doing a sequel. According to "Heat Vision" Fox plans on starting principal photography in January 2013 with an eye, presumably, on a summer 2014 release date.

No news on if Matthew Vaughn will return as director but I sincerely hope so. His directing and work on the screenplay may have single handedly saved the X-Men franchise. This film will also not work if they don't get all the original talent back i.e. Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy.

And before all you Hunger Games fans get nervous, Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique) will be able to do both films because Catching Fire starts shooting in the fall. There was some trepidation because Lawrence's contract with X-Men had a stipulation for sequels. Since she signed the contract before The Hunger Games this meant that if Fox wanted to they could have delayed Catching Fire and told Lawrence "you have to do this sequel first." Thank fully that did not happen. So hooray for Hollywood!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt unchains himself from Tarantino's latest

One of my most anticipated movies for 2012 is Quentin Tarantino's picture Django Unchained currently filming and due out this Christmas. Unfortunately, one of my favorite actors, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has dropped out of the project due to "scheduling conflicts" according to "Entertainment Weekly."
Gordon-Levitt instead plans to make his directorial debut, Don Jon's Addiction. The film is a comedy and stars Gordon-Levitt, Julianne Moore, and Scarlett Johansson. Hey if you're going to leave a Tarantino film it might as well be for your directorial debut. In any case his role was supposed to be minor one anyway.
Despite Gordon-Levitt's departure the cast still boasts of such talent as Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kurt Russell, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Gordon-Levitt can be seen later this year in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.

Sequel to Captain America gets a release date!

Well it may not have a director yet, but the followup to 2011's hit Captain America at least has a release date.
"Walt Disney Studios" just announced that Captain America 2 will be released in theaters April 4, 2014.* The press release states that the film will pick up directly after the events of The Avengers which opens up less than a month from now. Apparently Cap will still be affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. and director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson.)**
While I'm not a huge fan of Captain America it will be interesting to see how a 1940s superhero adapts to the 21st century. If they don't do this right the story could come off pretty hokey. So hokey in fact that Captain America's shield might not even be able to deflect the negative criticism. No other news right now on casting or a screenwriter but stay tuned.

*Incidentally Iron Man 3 will release next year May 3rd followed by Thor 2 on November 15th.
**Should the sub-title for the second Captain America movie be "I'm tired of these motherf***ing villains on this motherf***king plane!"?

Please knock me out! A Raging Bull sequel/prequel??? Really??

Director Martin Scorcese has the dubious distinction of directing two pictures that were robbed of the Best Picture Oscar and the Best Director Oscar. One was 1990's Goodfellas, the other was 1980's Raging Bull. Raging Bull is hands down one of the best boxing movies every made. The gripping emotional character study of boxer Jake Lamotta was the anti-Rocky and won Robert DeNiro the Academy Award for Best Actor.

And now this news.

According to "Moviehole" not only is a script for prequel/sequel Raging Bull II (based on Chris Anderson, Jake Lamotta, and Sharon McGehee's book "Raging Bull II: The Continuing Story of Jake Lamotta") ready to go but they are already casting people with principal photography to start this summer.

Veteran actor William Forsythe (Raising Arizona, The Rock, and HBO's "Boardwalk Empire) will play the aged Lamotta while Argentinian Martin Guigui will sit in the director's chair. Guigui is also looking for actors to fill the roles of the young Jake Lamotta, Guissepe Lamotta Jake's father, and Ricky Rosselli Jake's best friend as a kid, among others.

Now I'll be honest I haven't read the followup book and the idea of fleshing out some of the unknown areas of Jake Lamotta's past are intriguing. Having said that I think this a mistake of colossal proportions. This is the equivalent of doing a sequel to Citizen Kane or On the Waterfront. I just don't see this film working on any level.

Director Martin Scorcese and actor Robert DeNiro are currently not involved. Thank God for small favors I guess.