The Showtime show Dexter starts it's second season tonight and I couldn't be more excited. I've been reading on some interesting promotional tactics today for the film involving fountains in many U.S. cities being dyed to look like blood. Look here for one such fountain, and go here to read more about it.
Eastern Promises is the new drama from director David Cronenberg, who last brought us A History of Violence. This film follows Anna (Naomi Watts), after she encounters a dying pregnant girl in the hospital she works. The girl leaves behind her newly-orphaned baby and a diary, to which Anna claims in order to gain some insight to her life and death. The diary is in a foreign language to her and she begins to have it translated. This curiosity gets her entangled in the seedy world of the Russian Mob, when she crosses paths with Nikolai played by Viggo Mortensen. Her live becomes increasingly endangered as she looks to uncover the truth of what's written in the diary.
Cronenberg did a great job of bringing brutal depictions of violence in a real world setting with his last film, and does so again here. I'm going to bet that David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen, who starred in A History Of Violence, will have a working relationship like that of Scorsese and Deniro. I can see here why he would choose to do so, as Mortensen gives one of his best performances as the mysterious gangster. His character is so layered, that you have no idea from one moment to the next what his real motivations are. Mortensen also does very well with his Russian accent, which could have proved distracting. 
The supporting cast is great as well, especially in the case of Vincent Cassel (Derailed), who gives a great performance as the psychotic Kirill. Of all of the characters, his was hardest to figure out where they were going to go. It seemed at any moment he could go on a murderous rampage, and it's that energy in the film itself that makes it so interesting. The tense fight scene in a sauna between Viggo Mortensen and some mobsters is worth the price of admission. It shows a realism rarely shown in today's overblown movie fight scenes, without any kung-fu wires or corny dialog.
I'd highly recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of good, tense dramas, or a fan of Cronenberg's work. I'm excited to see where he takes us next. And I'm sure he'll bring Viggo with him.
When you think about what movies have the best CGI, typically you'd never think of a drama like David Fincher's Zodiac. But after watching this short video on the film's CGI effects, I may have to consider it. The beauty lies in how subtle it all is, you never even notice that half of what you're watching is computer generated. The sheer amount of work that apparently went into this film makes me want to watch it all over again. It also makes me wonder what other films use this much subtle CGI. So take a look for yourself...
When The Fountain was released on DVD a few months back, I was disappointed that there were very few special features. If any movie warranted some deep explaining, it was this one. I thought The Fountain was quite incredible when I saw it, and I considered it one of the best films from last year. I still find it confusing though, and would have loved to have a director's commentary included to show some insight. Thankfully, we now have a free download from director Darren Aronofsky's website consisting of a complete commentary. You can go to the site here, or download it directly here, if you're interested. I highly suggest you rent The Fountain if you haven't seen it already.
Roger Ebert just recently reviewed it (I suppose he just got around to seeing it), and for the most part I agree with his take on it. He also mentions, this person's rational of the whole movie, which I found interesting. Don't bother reading if you haven't already seen the movie, as it will only confuse and frustrate you.
This week's featured band is Spoon, an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. They recently released the album "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga", which debuted at #10 on the Billboard charts back in July. The band has been recording for well over a decade, slowly building a loyal following. Spoon was signed then dumped from Elektra Records around 1998, only to pull through with more and more successful albums. I had the opportunity to hear their latest release and I've enjoyed it quite a bit.
Here is a quote on their new album from Rolling Stone:
"spiky, painstakingly detailed songs that deliver indie-pop payloads in less than four minutes, with minor frills like Motown bass lines, barrelhouse piano and streamlined dance grooves. Britt Daniel employs his soulful, sandpaper-rough croon and jagged little hooks like a man on a mission, and you'll be glad to have killer cuts like sweet, funk-pumped "Finer Feelings" or the horn-laden sing-along "The Underdog" bouncing around your head."
And here is the video for their single "The Underdog"
Do you ever actually read the MPAA ratings on movies? Sometimes they're absolutely ridiculous, or downright odd. There is a funny article I found that lists some of the most bizzar and hilarious ones. It's interesting how specific they get in the descriptions when referring to drugs or sex. Take a look over here to see the list. 
Plenty of Ninja Violence!
Every once and a while, you just want to see a movie that doesn't bullshit around and just entertains you for an hour and a half. You want the kind of movie you can start from almost anywhere, and still manage to find enjoyment from it. The creators of "Shoot Em' Up" know what you want, shove it down your throat until you've had enough, and then decide to throw in some more for good measure. That's this movie in a nutshell. It knows it's audience from the get-go, and doesn't make any apologies for what it delivers. Best of all, it wastes absolutely no time in starting off the story. Our "hero" jumps into the action from the very beginning and it never really lets up from there. No backstory, no real introductions, no monologue, just action from square one. "Mr. Smith" (Clive Owen), as he's known, rescues a pregnant woman who's about to have a baby, and then has to protect the baby from an endlessly large group of bad guys led by Paul Giamatti. Think of it like a remake of "Children of Men", minus the futuristic angle and meaningful dialogue.
Let's get one thing straight: this movie is going for over-the-top ridiculous action and violence, and not much more. It's just short of parody. If this doesn't sound appealing to you, and you enjoy your action with melodrama and/or Nicolas Cage spouting off crappy one-liners, then this movie isn't for you.
Let's just say that watching this, it's now my belief that when Clive Owen was born, he must've strangled the doctor with his own umbilical cord and knocked-up any nearby nurses instantly. That's how bad-ass he is. He showed it somewhat in Sin City, and his character here is essentially the same times twenty.
Paul Giamatti is also fantastic as the maniac assassin who's after Mr. Smith. It's an interesting turn for Giamatti, who normally plays the character who wets themselves at the sight of a gun.
There's plenty of creative gunfights and comedic elements to keep you satisfied. If you enjoyed the A.D.D. inducing spectacle that was last years "Crank", then you'll have a mighty fine time with "Shoot Em' Up".
3 new posters for the horror flick "30 Days of Night" were released and I thought I'd show them here. I like the simplistic splatter and the use of the movie's logo, what I don't like is the watermark from the shocktilyoudrop website, that's just distracting. It's always cool to see movie posters that can be somewhat different than the usual though. Too bad it doesn't always make for a quality film. Anyways, "30 Days of Night" is based on a Graphic Novel about a bloodthirsty group of vampires in Alaska during a time in which the sun doesn't shine for 30 days and I think you can figure out what that means. It's directed by David Slade (Hard Candy) and stars Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, and Ben Foster. If you're interested, it opens in October and you can catch the trailer here.
Just caught the new Iron Man trailer, and it looks pretty awesome really. I am liking the idea more and more of the casting of Robert Downey Jr. the more I see of this. Hopefully next Summer, I'm not wrong and this movie winds up kicking ass. Go here for a direct link to the trailer in 480p. Or here for 720p. Or here in 1080p if you wanna be a showoff.
I've never been a huge fan of Westerns as a whole. Maybe it's because I can't relate well to the lifestyle all that much. I've never had to work on a ranch, I can't say I've ridden many horses, and I've never fired a gun in my life. So typically, watching people do these things makes me want to choke myself to sleep. On the other hand, maybe it's because in so many of the Westerns I have seen, the characters and the actors playing them have nothing interesting to offer. This isn't the case with this film thankfully.
In "3:10 To Yuma", Christian Bale plays Dan Evans, a hard working ranch owner doing everything he can to provide for his wife and two sons. He lost part of his leg in the war, and has also lost the respect of his family when they're in danger of losing the ranch. When he crosses paths with outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), an opportunity arises for him to save his land and redeem himself in the eyes of his son.
After Wade is arrested for robbing an armed carriage with his gang, Evans offers to help bring him to justice in exchange for money. This involves escorting Wade in one piece to the train station on its way to Yuma, all the while Wades's group of fellow criminals are looking to spring him loose. It's quite a ways away, and you can bet it isn't going to be easy.
The main reason why this movie works so well has everything to do with the great casting. Christian Bale proves again that he is one of the best actors of his generation. He is able to breathe life into a character you believe you've seen a million times before, but watching him it all seems new.
Russell Crowe delivers another great performance, playing the suave, dangerous role that fits him so perfectly. I suppose my only complaint is that the movie kept implying how heinous a person he was, but there wasn't a moment where you didn't like him.
Wade's right hand man, played by Ben Foster (X-Men 3), does an exceptional job playing the psychopathic Charlie Prince. When he's not on screen you're wondering where he is at all times, and what he'll do next. His unpredictability is a great counterweight to Crowe's sure-handed approach.
The movie has some pretty decent gunfights and some really great exchanges between Bale and Crowe. The main plot is fairly simple, but it isn't what carries this film. It's the journey you're taking with these characters and seeing how their motivations intertwine with their fates. I highly recommend seeing this film, even if you, like myself, aren't normally inclined to do so.
I'm excited for this weekend, there are actually some movies I care to see being released. I've done stories on both 3:10 to Yuma, and Shoot Em' Up recently, so you can read those if you haven't already to see more on them. I'm looking forward to seeing both of those movies this wekend hopefully. Also being released is some horror movie called Hatchet and a comedy called The Brothers Solomon, starring Will Arnett (Arrested Development) and Will Forte (SNL) in limited release. 
If you've yet to see trailers for this week's releases, here they are:
3:10 To Yuma
Shoot Em' Up
And Just for the hell of it:
Hatchet
The Brothers Solomon
I decided instead of doing a Song of the Week like before, I'll periodically do a spotlight on a musician or band. I'll post bios, songs and or videos from music I think you might enjoy.
This week's spotlight is the band The Editors, whose new CD "An End Has A Start" was recently released. I had heard their last record and wasn't that impressed, but I like the new album much more. The only initial downside to their sound is the singer's voice, which can get annoying at times. If you're able to get past that, you'll come to enjoy the music all the better.
Here is the video for the title track,
AN END HAS A START
Here is The Editors' bio from their official site, it gives some nice descriptions and explanations of the band's lyrics.
Editors return in June 2007 with their second album An End Has A Start, on Kitchenware Records. Following on from the phenomenal success of debut platinum album The Back Room the new recordings see the band deliver on the promise so many identified on that record.
Recorded in Ireland at Grouse Lodge with Garret Lee and mixed at Olympic Studios by Cenzo Townshend, the album sees the team behind the re-recorded version of Bullets set to work on an entire collection of Editors work with stunning results.
To seasoned Editors watchers, a handful of tracks on the album will already be familiar. The heart stopping Weight Of The World and Bones were both regulars in the band's set from the summer of 2006 and their recorded versions are as sure as their live relations.
Whilst The Back Room seethed with claustrophobic menace and icy grandeur, An End Has A Start sees Tom Smith more focused on the power of redemption and the human necessity for friendship and family in the face of death.
The album's lyrics are closely linked to events over the last year or so as Tom explains: "There is a lot of death on the record, that sounds pretty morbid but it's the truth. Death has touched me and my friends in the last year in several ways. Realising everything comes to an end is important and I think we've done our best to make it something glorious and uplifting as well as scary".
However, Tom is keen to stress that not all is dark in Editors world. Alongside the inevitable, the record also reflects the hectic touring of the last two years that saw Editors play everywhere from Istanbul to Osaka: "Living in an over-populated but exciting world, the buzz of the city, electricity, neon, lights, skyscrapers, planes, billions of people all run through the lyrics of songs on the record".
Amongst an album that reinforces the visceral power of Editors music, the album closes on the simple piano and guitar of Well Worn Hand. Recorded in one take with Tom and Chris playing live in the studio, the track emphasises Editors desire to stretch themselves on this album. Such willingness to experiment saw them rope in friends alongside band members to create the choir that is heard at the close of Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors, the single that will precede the album on June 18th.
Visit The Editors Official Site
or Myspace Page
A new site went up recently as a marketing ploy for the new action movie "Shoot Em' Up", starring Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti. The site called bulletproofbaby.net, is apparently a mock site for baby riot gear. It's interesting, though I'm not yet sure what it really has to do with the movie itself, I'll have to see the movie first I guess. Maybe they're trying to jump on the viral marketing bandwagon, similar to recent sites created for the new Batman movie and the Showtime series Dexter.
If that doesn't interest you though, the official "Shoot Em' Up" site should. Do take a look there at the restricted trailer that shows much more violence than a normal trailer can. I'm quite excited to check out this new flick which opens this Friday.
