Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Cane, Morgan Freeman
Director: Christopher Nolan
Release Date: July 18, 2008
Running Time: 152 min
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributor: Warner Bros

I have done my absolute best to keep my expectations in check for The Dark Knight. Considering the fact that the viral marketing for this film started 2 years ago, the very notion of the film succeeding on any level under the weight of its own designed expectation isn’t simply preposterous – it is unimaginable. The truth is, for as overdone as the marketing seemed to be, the greatest prank the campaign pulled was fooling us all into thinking we were prepared for what we were about to experience.

For those who haven’t seen it I will keep it spoiler free but for anyone reading this, you already know enough of the plot to get started – Batman and the Joker battle for supremacy in Gotham. The first thing I noticed about the film that it has a completely different feel to it than any other movie based on a super hero or comic book character. You almost immediately forget you are watching a superhero, or even a Batman movie, as it hits the ground running with a bank heist. Instantly it has the feel of Michael Mann’s Heat. As the movie tears on, you realize that you aren’t watching a comic book movie at all but rather a sophisticated crime drama that happens to be housed in the walls of the superhero genre. That is just one of the many surprises Christopher Nolan has in store.

As a general rule of thumb, comic book/superhero movies stick to a couple basic ground rules: good versus evil where the hero is matched against a villain attempting to inflict peril on an unsuspecting city or group of people. To simply say The Dark Knight is different may be the understatement of the year. Nolan digs so much deeper and gives us a movie that is far more complex than that simple premise. In Batman Begins, we saw the the transformation of Bruce Wayne into Batman. The Dark Knight asks, “What now?” That ‘what now’ is that Wayne has grown weary of his role as Gotham’s savoir after being unjustly labeled a vigilante killer by the very city he has been trying to protect. The timing of the Joker’s introduction only further compounds this dilemma. He is at first, hell-bent on destroying Batman by way of humiliation by repeatedly asking him to reveal his true identity. He continues his murderous rampages while laying the blame at Batman’s feet. And everyone buys into the Joker’s plan. In the meantime, Batman/Bruce Wayne and Gotham have put all their faith in the city’s new District Attorney, Harvey Dent to rid the town of crime once and for all. It’s quite a little love triangle as each man realizes they need one another to fulfill their own agenda. Wayne realizes he needs Dent to help leave the life of Batman behind, the Joker realizes he needs Batman to feed his own anarchistic tendencies, and at one point or another Dent needs them both. The line of morality gets further blurred as we go. What is right and wrong in the name of right and wrong becomes the greater question as we further decent into the darkness of the human soul. It is that exploration that gives this film its bite and sets it apart from anything else before it.

The creation and application of Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego, is contingent on spending his time developing new weapons and armor in an effort to make himself as indestructible as he can because as a superhero without super powers. Batman is merely human and he knows his limitations. Where the Joker succeeds as an adversary is not attacking him physically but in his awareness of what makes Batman the way he is, or has become. Any of his attempted physical attacks are manifested from his understanding of the darkness where Batman exists. His weapon is knowledge and it is with this that he inflicts the most damage to Batman.

For all of this movie’s haunting moral complexities, it would be nothing without the excellent performances from its cast, of which there are many. Where do you start? Heath Ledger gives the performance of a lifetime – his or anyone else’s – as the Joker. His performance will go down as one of the greatest movie villains of all time, right next to Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs, Darth Vader in Star Wars, and Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange. It should come as no surprise that he seemingly pulled inspiration from all three. His Joker is sadistic, nihilistic, shows no empathy and is completely devoid of any character arc. What’s more, Ledger disappears into the role not just in his over the top approach to the character, but in the subtleties; the way he carries himself, the way he licks his lips like a rabid dog in between lines of dialogue, even the Joker’s trademark maniacal laugh has a psychotic tinge to it. As sad as it is that Ledger is not around to see and promote the film, it only fuels the performance that much further. The same way we are not given any explanation as to the Joker’s origin in the movie, we are all left to wonder just how Ledger brought that character to life as he did. It is perfect in every sense of the word and the lack of clarification as to how it happened makes it that much more haunting. It is hard to overlook the impact his death has on the movie but if he wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, like he deserves, it will be because he gave us a brilliant performance, not because he can’t do it again.

As great as Ledger is, you can’t overlook the performances from the rest of the cast. Aaron Eckhart as the no-nonsense DA Harvey Dent and his eventual transformation into Two-Face is beautifully tragic and he plays both sides to the hilt. Dent balances out the film as he provides the character arc that the Joker could not. Maggie Gyllenhaal makes us all (happily) forget Katie Holmes ever had anything to do with these movies. Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox provide balance and wisdom in their respective roles. And Gary Oldman gives another understated performance as James Gordon. With a cast as strong as this, you start to gravitate away from the silly notion that seasoned and accomplished actors don’t belong in a genre movie like this.

At the end of it all, you have a swiftly paced 2 ½ hour movie that realizes every bit of ambition and scope that it set out to, and with respect, actually makes all previous Batman films worse by comparison. Nolan has created a masterpiece that will stay with you long after you finish watching it. Superman may have laid the foundation and Spider-Man may have made it a profitable business, but The Dark Knight transcends the genre by raising the bar and turning it into an art form.

And there’s the rub.

**** out of ****

aka Ratu ilmu hitam

Director: Liliek Sudjio

Cast: Suzzanna, W.D. Mochtar, Teddy Purba

DVD Specs:
Mondo Macabro / Indonesian / Unrated / NTSC R1 / 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen / English Language

DVD Extras:
Indonesian Light & Magic: Behind the scenes with FX guru El Badrun / Theatrical trailer / Extensive notes & text essays / Mondo Macabro preview trailer

During his wedding to the village leader's daughter, Kohar's wife-to-be starts to hallucinate that he is a corpse and that snakes are all around her. Kohar decides that this is the work of black magic and his ex, Murni, must be the culprit. He gathers a mob to hunt her down and kill her for practicing the dark art and for bringing demons to the village. They find her and throw her off of a cliff but unknown to them she is caught (in mid-air) by a witch doctor who is actually the one cursing the town. (READ MORE!)

“Mulholland Dr.”
Directed by David Lynch


David Lynch is, without a doubt, the most unique director to hit the street’s of Hollywood. You cannot go into his movies expecting something from the trailers. The trailers for his films are nothing but a big tease. I went into “Mulholland Dr.” with only thoughts of a trailer, and three hours later, I questioned what I just watched. What I realize is that David Lynch didn’t make a traditional picture, he made a classic. It is a film that only people with high IQs and 4.0 GPAs will understand. It is a film that will have a bunch of film scholars shaking their heads after five viewings, still not understanding the point of the film.

David Lynch is David Lynch. There is nothing else you can say. He’s made films that have ruled on every level. His first full-length film “Eraserhead” still has no meaning to anyone but Lynch himself. Many have questioned his true intentions with the film, and no one received an answer for it. By the time “Blue Velvet” came around, Lynch made a name for himself. Starting out slow, “Blue Velvet” became a crime mystery to a mind-fuck of a movie.

There came “Twin Peaks” and his other films. I haven’t seen every single film of David Lynch’s. I have “Lost Highway” roaming around my house somewhere, just waiting to be watched. The first film that really got me into David Lynch was 2006’s “Inland Empire.” The movie didn’t make much sense to me, and after countless rewatches, it still doesn’t. I have yet to see someone explain the movie without using the word, “Umm…’ Needless to say, “Inland Empire” is David Lynch at his most masterful, his most masochistic.

So I began surfing back into his movies, where I found myself viewing “Mulholland Dr.” Upon watching this film, I did a bit of research on the project. Staying far away from spoilers, the premise seemed like a simple one about two women investigating a car crash on Mulholland Dr. These ladies aren’t only going to be the ladies that we will spend our two and a half hours with, but we will be spending countless time with them after the film ends. And I assure you, the thoughts that you have about this movie after you leave are thoughts that you want to get out of your head as soon as possible.

Betty (Naomi Watts) arrives to Los Angeles in search of a role for a film. While staying in her aunt’s apartment while she is filming a movie in Canada, she discovers a lady in her aunt’s bed. This lady doesn’t know who she is, where she came from, or what is going on. Assuming the name Rita, (Laura Elena Harring) Betty and Rita try to discover how Rita ended up in her aunt’s house. All of this is going on while Betty is trying out for a part in the new Adam Kesher (Justin Theroux) film.

It sounds very simple, but be warned – so does all of David Lynch’s films. It is hard not to forget the fact that this is David Lynch, because like I said, this is David Lynch. You need to know beforehand that if you can come out of a film of his and say that you understood what has happened that you are very much the genius that you make yourself out to be. “Mulholland Dr.” is probably Lynch’s most intricate film. There are details on every corner that you must pay close attention to. If you lose your focus for a second you will miss an important piece to the story. Before the beginning credits, a bunch of couples are dancing to some catchy jig. To the viewer, this would seem unimportant and just trying to get the viewer into a cheery mood.

To Lynch, this is him trying to fuck with your senses.

It is hard to talk about this film without spoiling anything. I’ll admit that when I researched the film the least bit that steering clear from spoilers was difficult, possibly one of the more difficult things I’ve ever done. People throw all of their thoughts around for each of Lynch’s films and they all argue on who’s is right and who’s is wrong. If you have a different sight of what I saw in “Mulholland Dr.,” you’re wrong. There is only one definitive explanation for the film.

Many people have said that the film is all one dream. What Lynch does is try to scare the audience into believing that what they are seeing is really happening to the characters. One doesn’t know what it is like to be put up against into investigating a car accident, but one also doesn’t know what it is like to be in a car accident, unless if you have investigated or have been in one yourself. Lynch knows this well and uses it to his advantage. By trying to mind-fuck with you at the catchy jig, he wants you to believe that everything will be alright. And of course, it doesn’t. You become scared, paranoid, and equally worried of what is going on to these characters.

In many ways, a lot of the film can be made into a dream. Everyone will come up with their own interpretation of the film, but I feel that the one that the guys over Salon wrote a long time ago was probably the best and most accurate one that came to me. The first two thirds of the film is all a dream. We see this all from a crazy lady’s perspective. She feels guilty. Until the last third of the film, we do not know what for, but we know that while she is acting, while she is masturbating, while she is sleeping, we know that her character is guilty. We just have no idea why it is.

And I feel that is why “Mulholland Dr.” works so well. The audience never receives a clear reason as to why she is guilty until the end of the film. Many people are going to need to think about this film more. Some will have to watch it more than once in order to understand it. I only had to sit through it once to understand what was going on with it, but my original intention was to watch it once where I can just sit down and enjoy the show that was being brought onto me. The next time I would pay strict attention to the film, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I didn’t have to.

But while many people do understand a lot of the film, when it comes to her fears, her guilt, and her dreams, they ask – why the lesbian scenes? Yes, it is true – Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring have one of the greatest and most passionate love scenes together in this film. As much as I don’t want to make myself sound like a pervert, I feel that David Lynch did this to mock misogynistic attitudes in Hollywood.

One of the things I always found fascinating about David Lynch was that one of his favorite films of all-time is “Sunset Boulevard.” The film is about a lady’s way trying to make it big into Hollywood, but the bumps along the way. In that film’s case, it becomes very big bump that could change her life forever. There is a scene in “Mulholland Dr.” where Naomi Watts’s is doing an audition for a film. You can tell that she nailed the part, but something else draws her away from the film – another cast member, one that is much more beautiful, younger, and has a bigger name.

Naomi Watts’s character only wants fame and fortune. It’s what everyone wants really. David Lynch uses this film cliché and develops it into a problem. She becomes jealous that she is older and less-experienced than the younger and more beautiful actor. This sets her up for a problem that will come forth later on in the film, but her audition is so beautiful that if it wasn’t for the younger and hotter actress, she would have nailed the part.

That’s where the lesbian scene comes in. By developing the film into one big cliché, he has now developed the characters into a cliché. Naomi Watts is now attracted to more beautiful women, the same way that we are to them. He has turned the cliché around and made the joke on us instead of on himself. I’ve been noticing that more and more actresses are being casted by the way that they look, instead of being the way that they are looked AT. It doesn’t matter if you are a great and unslutty actress – as long as you have big boobs, nice eyes, wear too much makeup, and give out free blow-jobs, you are allowed to do anything that you want.

The scene where Naomi Watts is auditioning for the role in the film is beautiful. The woman that she loses the role to is pretty and untalented. Throughout the entire film, up to this point, Naomi Watts plays her role as a television actress, using too much intonation while speaking her lines. When this scene roles around, she gives the performance of her life. From this scene on, this is where she feels like she can accomplish anything. She knows that she gave the performance of her life, and if it means that she loses it out to some shitty actress who looks good, well so be it. For the rest of the film, she uses the right amount of intonation. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was to say that Naomi Watts is one of the best actresses, if not, the, in the world.

David Lynch originally intended “Mulholland Dr.” to be a TV show. The film’s first two-thirds are sections that would have been in the pilot, but since ABC gave up on the project, Lynch moved his funding to Studio Canal, and filmed an appropriate ending to this film. He explored more into the relationship of Watts and Laura Elena Harring and gives the film what he believes a satisfying ending. Like his old TV show “Twin Peaks,” he just went on with the story, continuing where he left off after every part. There are traces throughout the film that can even be told that they would have looked even better as a TV show, most notably featuring characters of the director of the film and a few minor but HUGE roles.

Lynch put all of his life through this film. After watching “Mulholland Dr.,” I have a feeling that David Lynch is not only one of the greatest directors in the world, but that he is the smartest and the most unique director. There are tons more that I do not know about, but until two nights ago, “Mulholland Dr.” was just a movie that I heard about from a friend, a movie that I had no interest of seeing unless if it meant me getting something out of it.

I got something.

I got a new film on my all-time favorite list.



Next time on UFC: A random film that I pick from the top of my head. I will review this at whenever the hell I feel like it o’clock.

Source: IMDb

“The Dark Knight” didn’t even come out yet, and already fanboys are praising it. Our very own Kelsey gave us an early review (thanks Kels!!!) and gives it a very positive review, which leaves me nothing but high hopes. I checked IMDb right after, hoping to get it on the external reviews link, and the “Batman” geeks voted, and now “The Dark Knight” is at number four on the IMDb Top 250. I’m sure it will drop later this weekend, but I’m not sure by how much. Do you think that “Batman” geeks can take away the number one spot from “The Godfather?”

Sources: /Film, Cinematical, and FirstShowing.net

Here are just a few news updates on the Zach Snyder adaptation of the graphic novel “Watchmen,” due on March 6, 2009. The ending for “Watchmen,” spoiled by Patrick Wilson, will be the exact same thing as the graphic novel, which from what I hear is a good thing. Also – “Watchmen” will be released in IMAX. I’m not surprised about this bit of news. Wasn’t “300” released in IMAX too? And below is the first trailer of the film, premiering before “The Dark Knight” later tonight. (As I post this, many of the trailers have been taken down by Warner Bros. Could someone send an email to TonyD@FilmArcade.net if it does so I can replace it with another one, or just comment below if it isn’t there? Thanks!)

Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Written By: Christopher Nolan, Jonathon Nolan
Released: 2008
Grade: A+

Batman Begins is perhaps the best superhero prequel. It brought justice and understanding back to the Batman films. There has been massive hype around The Dark Knight for the past year as the sequel and continuation of the previous success of Batman Begins. Luckily, this is a case where it didn’t hurt the film one bit and it actually exceeded my already very high expectations. The Dark Knight manages to reign supreme in the series and outdoes every other Batman movie to date with such strength and extremely memorable moments that piece the film together.

Batman (Bale) has teamed up with Lieutenant James Gordon (Oldman) and the new District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Eckhart) to get the rest of the criminals on the streets locked up. Soon things get much more difficult though. Massive amounts of money have been stolen from mobsters, who are already weakened from the power that Batman has shown against their kind. A vicious criminal mastermind known only as The Joker (Ledger) has decided to get involved, but only by threatening the mob in to letting him. His plan is to “kill the batman”. He announces to the entire city of Gotham, that if Batman takes his mask off his games don’t need to continue. However, as long as Batman keeps his mask on people will die under The Joker’s evil and sadistic methods of slow painful death to make a statement. A lot of people already see Batman as a villain of sorts, but with his refusal to follow The Joker’s commands, they attribute him with the numerous brutal murders that are happening to important figures and their loved ones.

Batman continues to try to save people, but lately is having little success against the sick intellect of The Joker. He desperately wants to beat him and is willing to do almost anything for defeat. During all of this craziness, Bruce Wayne (Bale) still longs for his closest friend and the love of his life, Rachel Dawes (Gyllenhaal). She had promised him that she could be with him if a time came where he was no longer Batman. Bruce looks at her current boyfriend, Harvey Dent, and realizes that he is the most pure and good person, really trying to make a difference and to create a Gotham where good can triumph over evil. The community hears his words and are given a bit of light amongst all of the darkness. Because of all of this Bruce believes that Harvey can and should be the next Batman. After all, Bruce doesn’t want to do this forever. He wants more of a life outside of Batman, a life where he can be with Rachel, and feels that Harvey is the one to give him this life and to give a protected and safe life to everyone in the city. The Joker has no intention of letting Harvey have any type of success through Batman or even by himself. He knows what Harvey is capable of doing as he has put over 500 mobsters in jail with only having to convict one. The Joker uses this as well as the two people that Batman cares for most: Rachel and Harvey. The two of them are at different address, set in a trap that will brutally kill them, giving them no hope of stopping it. Batman has the choice, he can only save one of them. He is forced to choose between the love of his life and the one person who could not only enable him to be with her, but could save Gotham, the one who is the strongest representation for good; the white knight. Meanwhile, The Joker is turning everyone against everyone, if they don’t follow his murderous lead, than they all die. He has proclaimed that anyone left in Gotham is under his power now, making no one remotely safe and will fall victim to his maliciously dirty deeds.

The ensemble cast in the film works so well together and makes it truly a sight to behold in every moment. Heath Ledger, already a very accomplished and gifted actor, gives the best performance of his life. When he was announced to portray The Joker there were doubts of whether he could fill the shoes of Jack Nicholson. Knowing the talent that Ledger possessed, I was very confident he would do well. He does so much more here than could ever be expected though, it simply amazes. Ledger gives us one of the best revitalized characters ever. He does great justice to Nicholson’s Joker, but still adds an overall much more disturbing portryal. One thing that makes this performance stand out so much more than anything else Ledger had done before is just how different it is for him. For the vast majority of the film, you can’t even really see Ledger. Yes, it is partially because of the massive make-up and heavy clothes he wears, but even more so because everything he created in the character. Ledger changed his posture, the way he carried himself, and especially his voice. There is one and only one moment in the film where we are able to reflect upon the fact that it is Heath Ledger behind this amazing performance. This is a shot where he is in jail and just the way that the camera is looking down on him, it is able to capture the man behind The Joker.

The comedy of The Joker is absolutely priceless. It is very Freddy Krueger-ish, using the same funny one liners in an alarmingly and unnatural subtle and casual way, riding the line of sarcastic fictionalized politeness and the true cruel and vicious intentions that are underneath it. This comedy makes him seem all the more crazy. As described in the movie, The Joker doesn’t want money like most criminals do and he can’t be reasoned with. All he wants is to simply act on his insanity through violent and sadistically intelligent methods that put him in control. He just wants to “watch the world burn”. This level of craziness mirrors that he may be indestructible since there doesn’t seem to be an ounce of humanity in him. He even claims that he isn’t a villain, that this is the future of humanity and he is just the first to act on it. The origins of The Joker aren’t revealed and because of this we are constantly toyed with, trying to make us believe a story, that just shows intensity and eagerness to pain others and confuse them by having the intellectual power. The character is more than complete and we don’t need a reason, the mystery does much more than any story ever could. After seeing this and just what Heath Ledger is capable of; virtually anything, it is sad to know that he will never get the chance to give truly magnificent performances like this again. On the other hand though, it hit perfection so well and created something so new that it was completely addictive and exerted overwhelming admiration that this performance is such a memorable one to go out on and will surely give respect to Ledger’s memory that will last.

Christian Bale continues the Batman legacy and gives equal dedication to both Batman and Bruce Wayne. He works wonderfully with everyone in the film. The interactions with him and Heath Ledger are truly beautiful as is the chemistry with him and Maggie Gyllenhaal, creating a great love triangle, which is rare. Gyllenhaal did a terrific job, taking over as Rachel Dowes. It is no question that she is a far superior actress to the one who previously played the character, Katie Holmes. There is truly no comparison. Still changing an actor of a character when the previous film was so well received is always risky. Gyllenhaal rose to this challenge and gave us a more pure, strong Rachel Dowes, that we respect and care for. These same type of characteristics were present through Aaron Eckhart in his portrayal of Harvey Dent. He was a good man who strived to spread light to fight the evil. He is able to make criminals pay, but unlike Batman he was able to do this to massive numbers and all through the legal system, rather than becoming a vigilante. I still think Eckhart’s performance as Nick Naylor in Thank You For Smoking is his best just because he truly became that character and did so with such charm, rebellion, and attitude. Eckhart still owns the role of Harvey and adds much more compassion, understanding, and determination than I initially expected from him. This even remains to be true when he is faced with the worst and his values are risked, still Eckhart shows these features and brings the most out of them. These three characters are some of the most noble and worthy of everything they want and wish to accomplish. I think the triangle especially remains to be interesting among everything else that is going on, because Harvey has such faith in Batman and Bruce feels that Harvey is the future that Gotham needs more than anything else and Rachel has such love for both of them. There is no bad guy in the triangle and we desperately want to see all of their happiness come alive.

Gary Oldman did a lot for the character of Lieutenant James Gordon, constantly keeping us on our feet. He was helping Batman and was clearly against The Joker, he was layered though. It was clear there is more to him than meets the eye, it is just a matter of figuring out which one of his layers defines him. Both Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine gave us insight and intelligence as their characters who were friends and helped Bruce/Batman to guide him as even his rough morals were being questioned.

The atmosphere of The Dark Knight is stimulating as well. It was filmed in Chicago and uses the beauty in the city in a dark manor. Still, it creates Gotham in this context and exerts the meaning that it holds. The visuals were a site to behold. 4 of the major fight/disaster scenes in the film were made for IMAX and this feature enhances them and really makes you part of the action. Theses scenes as well as the kills and just the horrifying situations are invigorating, exciting, and completely shocking.

The Dark Knight deals with so many important and powerful themes that really shape the film. Just like in any other superhero film, good vs. evil is dealt with. However, it goes beyond this and questions how evil can impact good. This is most clear with The Joker and Harvey and showing just what loss can do and how scary it is and can turn it in to a life or death situation for everyone. Another great questioning of the film is whether you can be a decent person in a world full of evil and immorality. Trying to can just lead to further destruction and damage of the world. If you can’t beat this than ultimately that means that there is no hope for good or any type of normalcy, making life and the world itself pointless. Could all this stealing, killing and turning your back, hurting others to save yourself be the only possible future for us? Perhaps, the more sick and twisted ways will be stricken upon us in the future for the behavior that many have exerted and established for the rest of us. If a lack of hope for something better leads to this, than this hope becomes more important than a literal truth and in the long run is the only way for sanity and decency to have a chance. The brilliantly written script and spot on direction deserves recognition to both of the Nolan brothers. It was a terrific story that was given complete life, using great action, a group of unbelievable characters, and powerful themes that were shown through very intelligent wording and logic that colored the film. The Dark Knight is by far the best Batman film, the best superhero movie, and one of the best films of the year.

Source: Variety

Quentin Tarantino is now looking at Leonardo DiCaprio to play a role in his film “Inglorious Bastards.” DiCaprio will be playing Aldo Raine, the guy who Brad Pitt’s character (if he accepts their offer) goes up against. Also, Tarantino and Harvey Weinstein will be shopping the film around to the five studios starting Friday to help financing. I’m really looking forward to this flick. I think this may be Quentin’s all-time best film.

Source: /Film

Warner Bros. has released two new “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” posters. I really don’t know what is going to go on with this film. I’m seeing it, but the lack of publicity for it is kind of worrying me as to whether or not families and “Star Wars” geeks will be seeing it. The film comes out August 15, 2008. You can find me at my local theater with a lightsabre in my hand. No seriously, I will have a lightsabre in my hand.

Source: Bloody Disgusting

This is some of the worst news I read all day. Rob Cohen, the mastermind who has brought us “XXX,” “Stealth,” and the upcoming “Mummy 3,” will be producing a remake for the cult-classic children’s horror flick “Monster Squad.” I only saw “Monster Squad” for the first time last November, but it is easily one of the most awesome kid’s flicks I would see. Little known fact is that Cohen was an executive producer on the original, but here is the worst news. During an interview, he says that he could be the director possibly. Oh joy.

Source: /Film

I thought that “Spider-Man” musical was only a joke, but holy shit, it really is happening. /Film has reported of a few casting calls for the musical. Originally, Julie Taymor and Bono wanted Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood to play Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, but presumably they have a busy schedule. You can click the link to read what the requirements are, but I don’t even know this is going to work anymore. I think that if Jim Sturgess and Evan Wood won’t do it, the stage production should die. Because, let’s face it, no one can do it better than those two. Watch “Across the Universe” if you don’t believe me. I’m dying for a sequel of that and I never die for them.

Source: Film School Rejects

While that news about “Scream 4” was funny yet so totally sad, this will make every single straight man praise the lord. It may even turn some gay guys straight. Anyway – Megan Fox, and I’m sure we all know who she is, said in an interview that she would love to do an entire movie NAKED! “It would be beautiful,” she says. “No one dares make that kind of film today. They did it in the 1930s in an arty way, so why not now?” Megan, if everyone in the world was like you, the world would be a better (and nude) place. She can be seen nude whenever “Jennifer’s Body” comes out.

Source: ComingSoon.net

In the single most hilarious bit of news that we have dug up for you on the interweb for you today, The Weinstein Company has now signed with Showtime on a seven year deal for showing their movies. How is that funny, you ask. Well I’ll tell you. According to the press release (click link to read all), “The output deal also includes releases from Dimension Films such as "Youth In Revolt," based on C.D. Payne's bestselling book and starring Michael Cera, "6 Billion Dollar Man," the remake of David Cronenberg's "Scanners," re-starting the "Scream" franchise with "Scream 4," and "Piranha 3D."” This is no joke. Did you read that? “Scream 4” will be made. I have no joke for this one. Is Jamie Kennedy coming back? Will Neve Campbell’s character have sex incest style with her cousin that really is the killer? This will be GREAT!

Source: ComingSoon.net

ComingSoon.net has two new release date changes for the following films. “Tropic Thunder,” the war comedy that was originally due on August 15, is now coming out two days earlier on the 13th. “The Rocker,” starring Rainn Wilson (read Kelsey’s Review), was pushed back a few weeks from July 30 to August 20. I don’t know what to make of both of these. I look forward to “Tropic Thunder” the more I hear about it but I have not a single idea of how that is going to do in the box office (“Pineapple Express” comes out five days before that). “The Rocker” had a perfect release date, a nice head start before “Pineapple Express,” “Tropic Thunder,” “Hamlet 2,” and “Disaster Movie” stole its thunder. (LOL just kidding about the “Disaster Movie” part.) Let’s just wait and see, I guess.

Starring: Robert W. Evans, Molly Ryman, Berenice Mosca, Marcel Torres, Ron Brice
Written & Directed By: David Spaltro
Grade: B

…Around is filmmaker, David Spaltro’s break out film after graduating from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. As his first film, it is a promising start particularly since it is clear that a lot of himself is reflected upon through the film. He took a lot of his life experiences while he was in college and put them in to his protagonist who is suffering trying to make it through film school and trying to figure out what home is and where his is.

Not a lot of things in Doyle’s (Evans) life has seemed clear. His parents split up when he was very young and even hinted that “the financial burden” his sister and him put on them was part of the reason that they did split up. His mother struggled after the divorce and Doyle tried to be there for her. He did the same for his sister. She was being picked on for being white in a very minority and color based community. Doyle did everything he could to get the heat off of her, even if that meant that he became the new target to get picked on growing up. Even though his family struggled, they seemed alright until Doyle went away to New York City to go to film school. His mother is furious with him for going and even wishes that he fails miserably, saying she won’t be there to catch him when he falls.

Doyle goes regardless, feeling that this is really what he was meant for. He meets some very different people there, but ultimately is there to learn about making films. Overall, it wasn’t quite what he expected and over the summer, he even considers not going back. He does though and things just become more complicated. His financial aid wasn’t filled out correctly or on time so he ends up having no money to live on. So he becomes a homeless film student. Doyle sleeps in Penn Station and scrounges up whatever food he can find. Soon enough, he manages to find a job at a café. The pay is low as are the tips and none of the cooks speak English. There is one advantage to this, a girl he has a crush on, Allyson (Ryman) works there too. Not to mention any cash in his situation is better than none. After quite a bit of resistance, Allyson ends up going out with Doyle. Doyle is able to get by, but his film is suffering more than anything. Despite everything he has been through to get to this point, as far as ideas for a film go, his mind is completely blank. Meanwhile, Doyle’s mother gets sick and even when he tries to help her, he only receives hate back. Everything seems to be piling up on him and Doyle risks losing any last chance at a decent family relationship, keeping Allyson, and graduating school and having a future in film.

Overall, the acting was decent. Robert W. Evans gave one of the weakest performances. As the protagonist, it would have been nice if we were given a bit more emotion and struggle from him. He was alright, but the film could have reached a higher level of quality, understanding, and raw feeling if Evans would have given us more. Since his character, Doyle, did narrate the film, we were given a general idea of what was going on with him and what he was thinking. This was Evans’ first lead role though and he did well enough. Molly Ryman as Allyson had great energy and had natural beauty that she displayed through her character, making her have class that made us care for her and in turn we were able to think of her in a similar way that Doyle did. As the film goes on, Allyson and Doyle become more and more believable as a couple mostly through the actors‘ strengthened chemistry. Ron Brice did wonders as Saul, one of the homeless men that became a friend of Doyle’s. He captured the character, yet uses intelligence to share a broader definition of a homeless man. The philosophies he shared and his outlook on life, made him more real to us, since we got to know him in a way that most likely most of us don’t know others like him that we simply pass up on the street.

Home is dealt with a lot in the film. It seems like even though Doyle’s family struggled, that when he was growing up it was a much healthier home life. It really seems like after Doyle left that is when everything came to be such a mess. It is normal for parents to be upset or even hurt when their child moves away for college and begins to start a life for themselves free of the parent. This is really taken to the extreme in this case though. Doyle’s mother spites him immensely and doesn’t even except him if he has a life away from her. You would think this would only go so far, but when she is sick she tells him that he deserves to be the one who is dying. This is where the lines blur a little. It is clear that Doyle cares for his mother when he is young and it seems his mother cares for him. That would explain her reaction to him moving away more. After all, if she didn’t really care for Doyle than she would be happy that he is gone. When the two of them begin to talk about that past, particularly questioning if there was one time where they were really happy, a completely different message is given. Neither of them seems to really think they ever had this happiness, but more so it is almost pictured that neither ever cared, which confuses the beginning of the film a bit. Regardless, on the aspect of home, the film accomplishes a broader more fitting meaning. It shows that home doesn’t have to be where your family is, where you grew up, or where you live. It is the place where you feel secure, and are given comfort. In many cases, you have to build this yourself, doing what you love and surrounding yourself with those that you love and give you this type of environment.

Particularly in the beginning, the way Doyle describes film and what it is to him is not only beautiful, but it gives us all a chance to relate with him right off the back. We see that film is his passion because it is a way for him to tell stories in a unique and interesting way with so many possibilities. This same outlook is present with many of us. If you are reading this it is because you care about film on some level or another. David Spaltro takes that feeling of passion for film and puts it in Doyle as well as using it to bring his vision alive in the film. The themes about life and essential love are the best part of …Around. There is some real insight put in to all of them and it is very reflective upon reality, making it very easy to relate to the movie, the characters, and what they are trying to do. One of the most universal aspects of the movie is how is deals with college and the unknown that is still present for the future. Doyle struggles and has so much to beat just to stay in college and have a chance. His future beyond college is not promised. This is the case for any major, but film or any of the arts really, are much less predictable. With so many people trying to get noticed in these fields, it can be hard to show originality, what you really want to say and what others want to see, and become a success doing these things. There are challenges thrown at Doyle at every aspect of his life. He is maxing out credit cards just to attempt to get through college that will give him massive debts for years and years to come after he graduates. There is questioning when you have to go through so much whether any of it will even make a difference. This is a powerful question that …Around explores and it really speaks to the youth of today. The successes of …Around were accomplished because of Spaltro. Sure there are points that could have been given a bit more depth, but over all Spaltro’s creative voice is captured in the film, making it exert a high level of relatable realism for film lovers and anyone who has struggled or strived for anything in life.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Year: 2008
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Stars: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Studio: Universal Pictures
Running Time: 110 Mins
Review Rating: 4 Stars

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army is the latest film from probably the best horror/fantasy director that’s working in Hollywood today, Guillermo Del Toro. This is the sequel in the 2004 original film Hellboy. In this film, the mythical world is out of control when a prince from the underworld sets out to declare war against all of humanity. That’s when Hellboy and his team over at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense set out to stop the prince. The prince has other plans, as he sets out to find the missing piece to a crown that would unleash an army that is so indestructible that no one can stop it. Now Hellboy is the only person who can stop this prince before he finds the missing piece to the crown that controls The Golden Army.

If anyone going to see this film and expecting Hellboy 2: The Golden Army to top or come close to Guillermo Del Toro last film “Pan’s Labyrinth,” you are insane and should be committed. I’m sorry but Pan’s Labyrinth is one of those films that comes along every five to ten years, where there everything in the movie is perfect. Great story, great acting, great visual, and great screenplay. The movie is in my top three films of all time and it’s one of those films that leaves an emotional impact after you leave the theater. So yours truly didn’t go in expecting that film all over again. I was expecting close to pretty much the same as the first Hellboy film. The film did a pretty good job meeting my expectations.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army proves that Guillermo Del Toro hasn’t missed a beat from his last epic Pan's Labyrinth. This was a very action packed film. Del Toro direction of the film was just great, as he still proves that he is the best horror/fantasy director out there. He does a great job creating this comic book atmosphere that is needed for this film to succeed. Del Toro manages to make the images in film feel like it came out of a comic book. If there is another thing that he also great at it is the direction of the actors. The acting, like the previous one, was also very good. Del Toro does a great job making the actors bring these comic book personalities to life. Ron Perlman was very good here again as Hellboy. He still manages to be perfect in this role. Perlman makes this character a very badass character while also being humorous at the same time. One of the most oddly scenes, in the film is when his character along with Abe Sapien were drunk and singing a duet together. I felt that was a good humorous scene by him and co-star Doug Jones (who also provided the voice for the character along with the movements, in this one), as it gave weird funny feeling at the same time. That’s also probably my favorite scene from the whole film. Anyway, the film also has a very good supporting cast that including Selma Blair (the upcoming TV series Kath and Kim), Jeffery Tambor (Arrested Development) (who both appeared in the first film) and Seth MacFarlane (TV’s Family Guy), who provided the voice for Johann Krauss.

Del Toro’s screenplay was also very good, as he brings this surreal noir-ish look to the screenplay. It something that not many people can do, in this genre. He also expands the development of the main characters from the first film. Del Toro does that by focusing on the characters and their personal life too. I liked how he goes into the Hellboy-Liz Sherman relationship more deeply in this film, as it helps move the mythology of Hellboy further. He also does a very good job with the Abe Sapien character here too, as he felt part of the main story, unlike in the first film. We get to know more about the character unlike in the first Hellboy film, where he felt like a minor character. There is also a lot of action in the film. Del Toro balances the story and the action in his screenplay. He does that so that so he can get the story across, while making the film entertaining and accessible to the average viewer.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army is a very good follow up to Guillermo Del Toro's classic Pan’s Labyrinth and I suggest you check it out amidst the clutter of superhero movie that are out there this summer.