Film Guide

Movie trailers can be a good way to promote a movie, but they can also be very misleading. Mongol is a prime example. The trailer makes it look like Mongol is going to be an action packed look at the life of Genghis Khan, as he grows to be the man who conquers most of the known world. Graphic battle scene after graphic battle scene in a tour de force to rival historic epics like Braveheart and Gladiator is what I was expecting.

Instead Mongol was a human drama, a love story and a look at nomadic tribal life in the 1100s. Now that you know the truth, don’t let it put you off, because even though Mongol wasn’t what I expected, it surpassed my expectations as a movie. It did have the graphic battle scenes that the trailer promised, but they were just elements in the story of a little boy, destined to become a fearless leader, his respect for tradition, family and god, along with his undying love and loyalty to his wife.

The bleak landscape is the canvas which director Sergei Bodrov paints an even bleaker fight for survival as tribal politics, revenge and jealousy all take aim at the little boy who would, and through many trials he learns perseverance, determination and faith, all the elements he will need to become a man who can united the nomadic tribes and take on the world.

Lusciously filmed and brilliantly acted, Mongol will not disappoint, and may even make people realise that a subtitled film can still be a great movie going experience.

Reviewed by: Jonathan Read.
Rating: R16 – contains violence.
Duration: 124 mins.
Genre: Drama, True Story.
Director: Sergei Bodrov.
Actors: Asano Tadanobu, Honglei Sun, Khulan Chuluun, Odnyam Odsuren, Amarbold Tuvshinbayar, Bayartsetseg Erdeneba.
Release Date: Now showing.

We finally have some news this week about Marvel’s upcoming Thor movie, which they had previously announced would be released in June 2010. This will be one of the key characters in The Avengers superhero team-up flick that they are also planning for the summer of 2011. According to Variety, Kenneth Branagh is in talks to direct the film… an odd (albeit interesting) choice indeed.

Branagh is probably known more for his acting than his directing (he will be seen in the upcoming Valkyrie, for example), however he has helmed a number of Shakespeare adaptations over the years including Henry V and Hamlet, and most recently directed Michael Caine and Jude Law in the remake of Sleuth. One thing that might worry some people is his adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein starring Robert DeNiro, which has its fair share of detractors. Branagh will certainly have his work cut out for him. Not only must he fill the shoes of Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust), who was previously lined up to direct, but he also has to find a way to incorporate a Norse god into the established universe of Marvel films. [filmjunk]

DreamWorks/Paramount’s terrorism-themed thriller “Eagle Eye” opened solidly atop the domestic boxoffice this weekend, fetching an estimated $29.2 million despite hot competition from some much-watched political theater on Friday.

Starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan as a couple of hapless victims of national-security mechanisms run riot, “Eagle” was aided by $1.7 million from 85 Imax giant-screen venues.

Literary adaptation “Nights in Rodanthe” — a Warner Bros.-Village Roadshow co-production starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane — bowed at No. 2 with a pleasing $13.6 million built on older-female support. Last weekend’s chart-topper — Sony’s Samuel L. Jackson thriller “Lakeview Terrace” — dropped a relatively modest 53% to $7 million in third place, shaping a 10-day cume of $25.7 million.

IDP/Goldwyn’s firefighting drama “Fireproof,” starring Kirk Cameron, used advance bookings by church groups to good effect, as the Christian-themed firefighting drama opened with $6.5 million in fourth place. But Spike Lee’s World War II drama “Miracle at St. Anna” debuted poorly for Disney, with just $3.5 million in ninth place.

Telecasts of Friday night’s presidential debate proved to be relatively little distraction for “Eagle,” which totes production costs of at least $80 million. The PG-13 film drew audiences even split among males and females, with 50% of moviegoers under age 25.

” ‘Eagle Eye’ just jump-started the fall boxoffice, and we couldn’t be happier,” DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan said.

Industrywide, the weekend’s $101 million marked an 11% improvement over the same frame a year earlier, according to data service Nielsen EDI.

Seasonal boxoffice is pacing 3% ahead of fall 2007 at $350.9 million, EDI said. But year to date, 2008 trails a similar portion of last year by 1% at $7.15 billion.

Limited bows during the weekend included “The Lucky Ones” from Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions, with the Iraq War-veterans drama ringing up a decidedly unfortunate $208,000 from 425 theaters, or just $489 per venue.

Fox Searchlight’s quirky Sam Rockwell starrer “Choke” produced $1.4 million from 462 opening locations, or a so-so $2,890 per site.

Among specialty expansions, Paramount Vantage’s Keira Knightley starrer “The Duchess” added 47 engagements for a total of 55 and grossed $574,691, or a solid $10,449 per playdate, with a cume of $841,623.

Warners’ western “Appaloosa” held in 14 locations to gross $145,000, or a promising $10,356 per site ahead of next weekend’s scheduled expansion to about 850 runs. The cume on the Ed Harris-Viggo Mortensen starrer hit $480,000.

Meantime, older moviegoers are much more likely to hit the multiplexes Saturday or even Sunday than Friday. But preoccupation with the debate telecasts probably peeled away some number of prospective patrons from all films Friday night, execs said.

“Rodanthe,” based on a novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks, drew audiences comprised 75% of women, with 78% of patrons over 30.

“The female demographic really does rock,” Warners distribution exec vp Jeff Goldstein said.

“Fireproof” followed the lead of earlier Christian-themed films with marketing targeting religious groups and bloc ticket sales. A key to a truly notable theatrical run will be its market hold over future sessions.

“Fireproof” built its big bow on just 839 playdates, yielding a $7,764 per-theater average that Goldwyn distribution head Michael Silberman hailed as “sensational.” The film played best in heartland markets and will likely expand to more than 1,000 runs over future sessions, Silberman said.

The story of an all-black U.S. Army troop in wartime Tuscany, “Miracle” attracted audiences comprised 86% of couples Saturday night, with 80% of patrons over age 25. The film played best in New York and Los Angeles — which together contributed more than 21% of its weekend coin — but “Miracle” will be looking to future frames to salvage any sort of decent theatrical run following its wobbly start.

“This is a story that could catch on by word-of-mouth,” Disney distribution president Chuck Viane said. “But it is going to be an extremely competitive marketplace.”

Friday’s wide openers include Disney’s family comedy “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” MGM’s comedy “How to Lose Friends and Alienate People,” Vivendi’s political spoof “An American Carol” and the comedy “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” and drama “Flash of Genius” from Sony and Universal, respectively. [thr]

Stylish and well paced, 21 tells the story of a group of MIT brainiacs and their tutor who took on Vegas with their card counting scheme and made rich. For a group of math nerds they all look a little too Hollywood perfect, but then 21 glosses over the details of the math and presents an enjoyable feel good morality tale.

Fortunately the good looking kids don’t look out of place in Vegas, and knowing it’s all loosely based on reality makes the fantasy pill easier to swallow.

As far as the film as a whole goes, it manages to keep a couple of aces up it’s proverbial sleeves, the first being Kevin Spacey, who always creates a fine role, no matter the movie. It was Spacey being in the movie that, in my mind, made it a must see movie. The other ace came from Jim Sturgess who played the lead role of Ben, a 21-year-old student who gets sucked into the tutors schemes. He was more than capable of holding his own against the seasoned Spacey and made the whole movie a pleasure to watch.

Now 21 isn’t going to blow you away with action – it’s a human drama, coming of age story – but it is going to leave you happy you invested the time to watch it. It manages to subtly show the hypocrisy of Vegas, the addictive lure of money and the value of human friendship, and as the Rolling Stones proclaim as the credits roll:

“You can’t always get what you want; but if you try sometimes, you might just find you get what you need.”

Reviewed by: Jonathan Read.
Rating: M – Contains Medium Level Violence.
Duration: 123 mins.
Genre: Drama.
Director: Robert Luketic.
Actors: Laurence Fishburne, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, Jacob Pitts, Aaron Yoo, Jim Sturgess, Liza Lapira.
Distributor: Sony.
Release Date: 22 October, 2008.

According to PlayStation Universe, the entire list of Call of Duty: World at War perks have leaked online. While this rumored list appears legit enough we haven’t been able to confirm it, yet. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare players will recognise such perks as Stopping Power, Extreme Conditioning and the dreaded Martyrdom.

The list also includes vehicle perks and such interesting perks as Bouncing Betty which is said to work the same as the Call of Duty 4 claymore perk and Toss Back which apparently resets the fuse when tossing an enemy grenade back. Call of Duty: World at War hits stores this November.
Perk 1:
- Special Grenades x3
- Satchel Charge x2
- M9A1 Bazooka x2
- Bomb Squad
- Bouncing Betty x2 (similar to claymores)
- Bandolier
- Primary Grenades x2
- M2 Flamethrower

Perk 2:
- Stopping Power
- Fireworks (explosives cause more damage)
- Flak Jacket (decreases damage taken by explosives)
- Gas Mask
- Juggernaut
- Camouflage
- Sleight of Hand
- Shades (decreases intensity of signal flares)
- Double Tap
- Overkill

Perk 3:
- Deep Impact
- Extreme Conditioning
- Steady Aim
- Toss Back (resets fuse on tossing back enemy grenade)
- Second Chance (ability to revive allies)
- Martyrdom
- Fireproof
- Dead Silence
- Iron Lungs
- Reconnaissance (shows artillery and tanks on map)

Vehicle Perk:
- Water Cooler
- Greased Bearings
- Ordnance Training
- Leadfoot
- Coaxial Machine Gun
[joystiq]

A few days ago Bungie released the Keep it Clean teaser trailer:

Nice video, but what does it mean? 8BitJoystick have a few ideas:

1. Remember that supposed new Bungie game trailer that was going to be shown at E3 2008 that you heard about that was cut at the last minute for political reasons inside Microsoft Game Studios? Well I betcha that this was it. I heard from pretty high levels inside Bungie that they had a one minute trailer ready for E3 and the time of this trailer matches. This was the trailer that Bungie hoped you would see at E3. Since Halo is owned by Microsoft and published by Microsoft Game Studios it has to be marketed and approved by Microsoft. Remember how I said they were going to make Halo 3 DLC until the Ice caps melted and the water from Lake Washington washes away the giant sling shot they are going to build at the Bungie Kirkland campus? This is a part of it.

2. It is probably going to be a new Halo 3 premium downloadable Expansion Pack based on the Orbital Shock Drop Troopers referenced in the book series. It is going to take place in The Covenant invasion of earth between Halo 2 and Halo 3. It will include an AI or robot called the Superintendent.

3. They are going to sell it on Xbox Live Marketplace.

4. It is not going to be about the Master Chief but it might be about other Spartans.

5. It is going to be published by Microsoft Game Studios and it will never be on any platform beside Xbox 360 and Games for Windows. The Windows Vista version of Halo 3 is not officially confirmed but it is probably in the works somewhere.

6. It is probably going to hit in January 2009.

7. It is probably going to be more than ten bucks or more than 800 MS Points.

8. I also bet that they are going to release it on a disc so they can sell it at retail stores.

9. Despite it being made by Bungie it is probably not the only game being made by the new independent Bungie LLC.

10. It is not going to be “Halo 4″ but it is going to use the Halo 3 engine and fit into the Halo story. This is not the Peter Jackson/Frankie Halo.

What do you think? Does the world really need more Halo content?

The Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification has refused to rate Silent Hill: Homecoming, effectively banning sale of the game within the continent.

An Atari spokesman — Atari handles distribution of Konami games in Australia — told Gamespot that the OFLC “found issue with the high impact of Silent Hill’s violence,” though unlike Fallout 3, where use of Morphine was cited as a reason for that game’s ban, no specifics instances are named.

The same spokesman said that Atari would like to resubmit the title to the ratings board early next year, assuming Konami agrees with altering the game’s content. [wired]

What does this mean for Kiwi gamers? Pretty much the same thing it does for Australian gamers, Atari Australia are unlikely to manufacture the game just for the New Zealand market.

Oscar-winning film legend Paul Newman has died of cancer at the age of 83. A statement from Newman’s family said: “His death was as private and discreet as the way he had lived his life.”

Newman’s filmography included: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Exodus, The Hustler, Torn Curtain, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Towering Inferno, Slap Shot, The Verdict, The Color of Money, The Hudsucker Proxy, Nobody’s Fool, Message in a Bottle, Road to Perdition, and Cars. Newman was set to reprise the role of Doc Hudson in Pixar’s Cars 2. [/film]

George Romero is about to begin filming a new Zombie film in Toronto, but thankfully, it isn’t the Diary of the Dead sequel that has been mentioned in interviews. Romero revealed the following to SchlockAroundTheClock:

“It’ll be about three weeks in [past the outbreak] and it doesn’t start with the people in the mansion [at the end of Diary]. It starts with the blonde who drove away and the national guardsmen who robbed the people. So those are the only characters that return. What it’s about is tribalism. How the internet creates a Hatfields and McCoys situation. It’s on an island, where people have been lured by someone on the net as a safe haven, but really what these guys are trying to do is hold them up at the boat docks.”

Movieset spoke with Nicolas Chartier, the president of Voltage Pictures, who joked that while the film is yet to be officially titled, it is being referred internally as “Something of the Dead“.

“We’re shooting underwater zombies,” Chartier revealed. “They’re swimming, grabbing people’s legs, pulling them down. It’s a lot of fun.”

So there you have it. A film which takes place three weeks after the outbreak, with a group of survivors fending off underwater zombies on a secluded island. Sounds good to me. Lets just hope its better than Diary of the Dead… [/film]

Seize the moment or never stop asking yourself “what if”.

Robert “Fish” Fishman sits in the best seat in the house as the drummer of up and coming band Vesuvius. Gaining popularity and appeal money talks and Fish takes a walk. Never bouncing back after twenty years of what ifs-he finds himself kicked out of his girlfriends place and living in the attic of his sister and her family’s house in Cleveland.

Matt, Fish’s nephew, is a nerdy high school student that is awkward in most situations. Matt is a member of ADD, a high school band landing the gig at this years prom. After losing their drummer due to stupidity and getting suspended from school-they are up creek without a paddle. Matt suggests they recruit Fish to make the band complete. Dynamics for the band are completely blown out of water with the suggestion, but considered.

After much deliberation-Fish is in on a probationary trial.

ADD is made up of Matt-the nerdy over weight shy guy, Curtis-the abandoned by his father dwelling in sorrow with a flair of coolness, Amelia-image sensitive school girl with a hard shell never willing to crack a smile, and now Fish-has been drummer with no sense of growing up…the perfect combination for a successful band?

Following a few bumps and bruises along the way parents intervene and put an end to the wackiness of ADD, rather protect their children from the influences of Fish! Matt finds a way they can still practice by interfacing a computer network that will allow them to practice in real time as a band. Little does Matt realize that this move would make ADD famous!

Everything was ready to roll until Fish steps into view of his camera wearing no clothes! Matt’s little sister happens to get the feed on her iMac and publishes straight to youtube. Instant fame awaits their doorsteps as the naked drummer appears on computer screens worldwide!

Signed and hitting the road awaits this young band and fame might be just around the corner!

Bringing more laughs than last weeks Tropic Thunder-I was well pleased! The Rocker is predictable, but worth the pure enjoyment. Rainn Wilson delivers with his drive to bring out laughs and the supporting cast meshed really well!

The Rocker also has some good lessons offered throughout. Look for themes of moving on, individuality, and relationships.

Reviewed by: Josh Bowlin.
Rating: M – Contains sexual references.
Duration: 102 mins.
Genre: Comedy.
Director: Peter Cattaneo.
Actors: Rainn Wilson, Josh Gad, Emma Stone, Christina Applegate, Jane Lynch, Jeff Garlin.
Distributor: Fox.
Release Date: Now showing.