Film Junk » Movies

Let the Bullets Fly Trailer Starring Chow Yun Fat

Sean — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:09:56 +0000

China's highest grossing movie of all-time is finally coming to North America, but as this trailer clearly states, it "ain't no Avatar." The movie is called Let the Bullets Fly and it is a period action movie set in the 1920s. There's no wuxia to be found here; instead it's filled with bloody fist fights and violent shootouts. It looks to be a Western of sorts, perhaps in the vein of Kim Ji-woon's The Good, The Bad, The Weird. Indeed, I was pretty surprised by how gruesome and off-the-wall the first domestic red band trailer is. The movie stars Chow Yun Fat as a local mobster in a remote provincial town who butts heads with a bandit (Jiang Wen) masquerading as the town's mayor. The two engage in a deadly mind game that ends up leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. The movie debuted in North America at the Tribeca Film Festival last year and will be released by Well Go USA next month. Let the Bullets Fly hits select theatres on March 2nd; check out the trailer after the jump and see what you think.

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Philip Seymour Hoffman to Star in John Le Carré’s A Most Wanted Man

Sean — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:53:45 +0000

Although Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy didn't exactly light up the box office, it did make its $21 million budget back and also earned Gary Oldman his first ever Oscar nomination, which is certainly a worthwhile accomplishment if ever there was one. The other indirect result of the film's critical acclaim is that it has brought the works of veteran spy novelist John Le Carré back into the spotlight. An adaptation of one of his more recent books is slowly taking shape over at FilmNation Entertainment with Anton Corbijn (Control, The American) in the director's chair. Now this week they've announced that Philip Seymour Hoffman is in final negotiations to play the lead role of Gunther Bachmann, the head of a German spy unit. Sounds pretty awesome if you ask me! Producer Gail Egan had this to say about the announcement:

"We are completely thrilled at the prospect of Philip Seymour Hoffman playing Bachmann in Andrew Bovell's brilliant adaptation of this very modern thriller by John le Carré. We will start shooting in Hamburg in September and are delighted to be working with Anton Corbijn on this film. His unique vision for le Carré's complex and stylish story is very contemporary, very real, very human."

Unlike Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, this will not be a period piece, and the plot revolves around a half-Chechen, half-Russian ex-prisoner who turns up in Hamburg looking to recover his father's fortune from a private bank. Something about him doesn't add up, however, and spies from three different countries watch over him, suspecting him of being a terrorist. The script was written by Andrew Bovell (Edge of Darkness). Although I wasn't a big fan of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy personally, I am always interested in spy movies and I'm very interested to see Philip Seymour Hoffman take on a potentially George Smiley-esque role. I also thoroughly enjoyed Anton Corbijn's The American, so this is definitely a project that I will be keeping a close eye on. Are you looking forward to A Most Wanted Man? Check out a promotional trailer for the book embedded below.

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Brian De Palma to Direct Heat Remake Starring Jason Statham

Sean — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:42:39 +0000

Alright, alright... don't get your panties in a bunch. It's not Michael Mann's Heat that's about to get the remake treatment, but rather the 1986 Burt Reynolds vehicle of the same name (apparently there are quite a few movies called Heat). Directed by Dick Richards (Farewell, My Lovely), the original film starred Reynolds as a former gambling addict who now makes a living as a Las Vegas bodyguard. When a female friend gets savagely beaten, he helps her exact revenge on the mobsters who are responsible. The movie was based on a book by William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Princess Bride), who also wrote the script. Now Brian De Palma has signed on to helm a new version with Jason Statham in the lead role. A remake like this should be an ideal fit for Jason Statham, and will probably be fairly similar to The Mechanic remake that he starred in last year. However, it's a bit more surprising for Brian De Palma, who hasn't really done anything of note in quite some time. It's not that he hasn't directed remakes before (Blow Out is a loose remake of Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow-Up) but he isn't really known for straight up action flicks. Still, technically it also qualifies as a crime thriller, which tends to be his specialty. What do you think? Are you looking forward to seeing Brian De Palma team up with Jason Statham and is this version of Heat worth remaking?

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The Artist Review

Shannon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:29:52 +0000

The Artist Written and Directed by: Michel Hazanavicius Starring: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Uggie I’ve been frantically trying to catch up on every movie that I should see before Oscar night, but for some reason, I have continuously shoved The Artist to the bottom of the screener pile for months. I found it difficult to conjure up much enthusiasm for a film that is not only silent but filmed entirely in black and white. What’s the big deal? Why is this film a frontrunner for the heated Best Picture race? It looked dull and tedious. Wrong, on both accounts. The Artist is one of the most charming films I have ever seen. It’s a wonderful tribute to the golden age of film, all the while managing to feel wholly original and exhilarating. It’s little wonder it has emerged as a critical darling this season. There’s nothing else quite like it. A dashing hero (Jean Dujardin) and a coquettish ingénue (Berenice Bejo) whirl their way through a tale of romance, melancholy, loss and redemption. Dujardin is George Valentin, the debonair reigning king of silent film who stars in swashbuckling adventures that enthrall the audiences who are devouring this new form of entertainment. Valentin is a contract performer for a major film studio, and expertly uses his good lucks and charisma to market whatever film project he is promoting. The result is mass chaos whenever he shows up on a red carpet event. He knows how to work the crowd, and women strain to catch a glimpse of him. One day a clamoring cutie named Peppy Miller finds herself face to face with her idol when she stumbles out from behind the velvet rope, and it is Kismet. The two have instant chemistry, and take the opportunity to ham it up for the camera. The next day the photos are splashed across the front page of every newspaper across the nation, and everyone wants to know who the mystery girl is. Peppy’s brush with fame inspires her to pursue her dreams of being a star, and she auditions for bit part in George’s next film. Not only does she snag the part, but she gets to spend some stolen (though chaste) moments with George, who offers some words of advice to the ambitious starlet. Though he is obviously transfixed by Peppy, he is married, and honors that commitment. This all takes place on the crux of a development that will change the future of film forever: the arrival of “talking pictures”. George eschews the new type of movies being made as a silly fad, while Peppy embraces the future, and becomes one of the fresh faced performers at the same studio that represents George. In an ironic twist of fate, George sees his star plummet to the ground at the very same time Peppy’s explodes. After several years, the once proud George finds himself penniless and broken, while Peppy is at the toast of Hollywood. However, Peppy has never forgotten her crush. It’s wonderfully romantic. Dujardin and Bejo are magnificent in their respective roles. Since there is no spoken dialogue in the film, the two must convey every single emotion with highly nuanced facial expressions and body language. There are some subtitles that provide sparse bits of dialogue, but the movie relies almost completely on the performances of the two principals. Director Michel Hazanavicius (Bejo’s real-life husband) coaxes some magic from the pair; they also deliver one hell of a dance sequence in the movie that left me giddy. It’s a throwback to the musicals of the 50s, something we don’t see today. I can imagine the nostalgia it will inspire in older Academy members, so I think its chances for taking home the big prize are better than ever. Though this film deals with the transition from silent to speaking film, it reminded me of the times when big actors were under contract with major studios like MGM, then gradually a new model was adapted. Gone today are the days when a particular actor guarantees a big box office opening. Even recent heavyweights like Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks are capable of faltering at the box office. We’re on to the next era, where actors are plucked from obscurity in order to cut budget costs and studios cross their fingers that every once in a while they will hit the bulls-eye with a mega franchise like Twilight or Fast Five. Someday we’ll be waxing poetic about the stars of the '80s and '90s (I’ve already begun doing so). Despite the lack of color, The Artist boasts sumptuous cinematography. You won’t even notice that it is in black and white. The characters pop on the screen, and Hazanavicius perfectly frames the shots so that you can focus on their faces, which are the centerpiece of the story. I’m not even going to touch on the controversy swirling around the score of The Artist, but as far as I am concerned, it’s perfect for the film; punchy and kicky at times, soft and subtle at others. This is one of those films in which the score actually becomes an integral character. I would be remiss without mentioning some of the excellent supporting players in the film. John Goodman plays Al Zimmer, George’s longtime boss and friend who agonizes over releasing George from his contract. Then there is Uggie, the Jack Russell dog who has catapulted to fame after his endearing performance as George’s loyal canine companion (and co-star). Do yourself a favor and believe the hype - The Artist is one of the most entertaining films of the year. -- Shannon

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The Bourne Legacy Trailer Starring Jeremy Renner

Sean — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:28:01 +0000

In the lead up to Super Bowl weekend, I was thinking about the few big 2012 summer blockbusters that we have yet to see a trailer for, and The Bourne Legacy stood out as the biggest of the bunch. This week Universal has finally debuted the trailer, but just like Sony did with The Amazing Spider-Man, they decided to unveil it online instead of dropping a few million dollars on a 30 second TV spot that could easily be missed. The question is, will anyone care about a new Bourne movie without Jason Bourne? As previously announced, The Bourne Legacy does not star Matt Damon but rather Jeremy Renner in the lead role, playing a new member of Operation Treadstone named Aaron Cross. Renner is a capable actor, but something tells me this could easily blur together with his recent role in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. It's unclear what Aaron Cross' story will be (aside from the fact that he can also kick all kinds of ass), but Edward Norton apparently plays the film's villain. Director Tony Gilroy wrote the screenplays for the previous three films and also directed Michael Clayton, so the movie seems to be in good hands, and yet it's hard not to see this as an extraneous spin-off from an already solid standalone trilogy. The Bourne Legacy hits theatres on August 3rd; check out the trailer after the jump and see what you think.

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Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson to Reunite for Interns

Sean — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:58:26 +0000

There was a time when the so-called "Frat Pack" was on top of the comedy world, back when actors like Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Luke and Owen Wilson were all collaborating in some of the funniest and most successful films of the past decade. However, recently their output has slowed and dropped off in terms of both quantity and quality as they've been surpassed by Judd Apatow's "Jew Crew", among others. Most of the Frat Packers have gone on to experiment with more artistic fare like Stranger Than Fiction, Greenberg and Midnight in Paris to varying degrees of success, but most of their actual comedies have become pretty uninspired (Little Fockers and The Big Year being the latest group efforts). But could they be hatching a plot to reclaim the comedy crown from all these young upstarts who starred in movies like The Hangover and Horrible Bosses? This year Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn will star in a promising sci-fi comedy called Neighborhood Watch, and now it looks like Wedding Crashers buddies Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson will also be teaming up for a new movie called Interns. Is this something that could actually be worth getting excited about? According to Vulture, Interns revolves around two forty-something company guys who both get laid off from their jobs and decide to become interns at a dotcom startup, competing for promotions with all the younger employees who are fresh out of school. It sounds like an inspired idea, almost like an update of Mike Judge's Office Space, and Vaughn himself wrote the script. The project is being set up at Fox and Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) is currently attached to direct. Vince Vaughn has had a long string of pretty bad comedies over the past few years (Fred Claus, Four Christmases, Couples Retreat and The Dilemma), but I have to admit that I kind of miss the guy and I really hope this is the start of a comeback for him. Owen Wilson hasn't done much better, although his performance in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris seems to be turning things around a bit. What do you think, do these guys still have what it takes to be funny or have they long since passed their prime? Are you looking forward to Interns?

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Make Directorial Debut with Scarlett Johansson Co-Starring

Aaron — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:14:50 +0000

The trend of actors turning to the director's chair continues this week as we've learned that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will soon be making an effort behind the camera. The untitled film is described as a romantic comedy about a modern day Don Juan who attempts to become less of a "selfish dick." In addition to directing, Gordon-Levitt wrote the script and will play the lead role. Scarlett Johansson has also been announced as a lead, although her role was not specified. While directing might seem like a big turn for Gordon-Levitt, he's had aspirations to helm features for quite a while and has made several short films that have played on the festival circuit, in addition to launching a collaborative production company called hitRECord.org. The script for the film took three years to complete, finishing around the time 50/50 was shooting. Gordon-Levitt has a crowded year ahead of him since he'll presumably be out promoting The Dark Knight Rises, Premium Rush, Looper, and Lincoln. And now with his directing debut set up, it's questionable whether he will be able to fit his small part in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained into his schedule. As for tackling the challenge of feature-directing, Gordon-Levitt seems ready, saying, “I spent a year working with Chris Nolan, Rian Johnson, Steven Spielberg, and I did my best to pay attention." That experience, along with his short film work, should serve him well. Will you be looking forward to a film written, directed, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, or does that combination sound like a little too much JGL for you?

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Robert Rodriguez’ Machete Sequel to Shoot in April

Sean — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:58:06 +0000

The end credits of Machete hinted at the possibility of not one but two sequels, although at the time it was unclear if this was merely a joke or if it was for real. However, when you consider that the movie itself was a self-fulfilling prophecy that grew out of a fake trailer created for Grindhouse, it only makes sense that both Machete Kills and Machete Kills Again would eventually become a reality as well. That being said, it is a little bit surprising that they are happening so soon. For a guy who has been attached to so many different projects over the past few years, you'd think that Robert Rodriguez would be far too busy to bother with another Machete movie right now. That doesn't appear to be the case, as it is now being reported that the first sequel will begin shooting as early as this April. According to Deadline, Machete Kills will be produced and financed by Russian-Ukrainian producer Alexander Rodnyansky, and Danny Trejo is already in talks to reprise the title role. The script was written by Kyle Ward (Kane & Lynch) and finds the U.S. government recruiting Machete to "take down a madman cartel leader and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war across the planet with a weapon in space." I am assuming that Robert Rodriguez will actually direct it himself, but it's unclear if his editor Ethan Maniquis will also be co-directing again. I enjoyed Machete, but I do worry that this burgeoning franchise could easily run out of steam if they don't find some creative ideas and an interesting supporting cast to surround Trejo with. Considering that the budget for these movies will probably continue to decrease, I'm not sure we'll get anyone like Jessica Alba, Robert DeNiro or even Steven Seagal in the next one. On the bright side, it seems that from the plot synopsis, it should be an easy transition to the third film, the full title of which has been revealed to be Machete Kills Again ... in Space. What do you think? Are you looking forward to a Machete sequel or is Robert Rodriguez wasting his time by churning out so many quick and easy sequels on the cheap?

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Kevin Smith Announces Jay & Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie

Sean — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:38:07 +0000

Last week Kevin Smith held a live podcast and interactive Q&A in Toronto that was simulcast to movie theatres across North America called Kevin Smith: Live from Behind. As you might expect, the Q&A featured some new information about upcoming projects from Smith, one of which was his hockey movie Hit Somebody (which he plans to debut in hockey arenas across Canada), and the other was a brand new movie called Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie. Unbeknownst to me, there had been a brief mention of this film in the SModcast Pictures press release from last month, but it stated only that it would be "a blend of live action footage and R-rated animation." Smith confirmed this fact during Live From Behind, although he did not reveal a heck of a lot more. The details are still pretty scarce, but according to Smith, they are aiming to have Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie premiere at the Midnight Madness program at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. That would seem to indicate that the project is already in production, especially since animation can take a lot longer to complete than a low budget film. Movie Buzzers also reports that the movie is partially being developed by Jason Mewes, and that the live action elements will include Smith and Mewes in their superhero outfits, most likely as Bluntman and Chronic. If you ask me, it sounds like it could end up being something in the vein of Rob Zombie's The Haunted World of El Superbeasto, which seemed kind of cool but ultimately ended up getting mixed reviews. I'm also guessing that Steve Stark, the guy who does The SModCo Cartoon Show (previously known as SModimations 2D) will be involved, and that it will feature the same art style. I was a fan of the short-lived Clerks animated series back in 2000, and I'd still like to see what else Smith could do with the medium, particularly if it's rated R. On the other hand, if this project is mainly the brainchild of Jason Mewes, that could be a bad sign. What do you think, are you interested in Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie?

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The Amazing Spider-Man Trailer #2

Sean — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:56:58 +0000

It would seem that Sony had a new trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man prepped and ready to go in time for Super Bowl Sunday but decided to just save the money and release it online the next day instead. In retrospect, it was probably a smart move, although they would have easily been the talk of the Super Bowl since most of the other trailers underwhelmed. The release of this trailer also coincides with a fan sneak preview event called The Amazing Spider-Man: The Untold Story, where the trailer was screened in 3D for fans in select cities along with 7 minutes of additional footage. As for the trailer itself, it's two and a half minutes long and features all kinds of new footage including our first good look at The Lizard. It looks fine, but the big problem, as many thought it might be, is that it feels like we've already seen this story once before. I don't know that Marc Webb's take on the character is doing enough to distinguish itself from Sam Raimi's films, even though they are pushing this angle that Peter Parker's father was as an Oscorp employee who worked with Curt Connors. I guess the other thing it has over the previous films is the 3D element, but that's something we can't judge by simply watching this online. What do you think, are you sold on The Amazing Spider-Man? The movie hits theatres on July 3rd; check out the trailer after the jump and sound off in the comments below.

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Undefeated Trailer: Real-Life Friday Night Lights

Sean — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:01:34 +0000

Since everyone here in North America still has football on the mind, it seems like as good a time as any to post the official trailer for the upcoming high school football documentary Undefeated (not to be confused with the similarly-titled Sarah Palin film The Undefeated). The movie generated a lot of strong buzz at TIFF last year and has since managed to drum up an Academy Award nomination. Although sports docs usually tend to get overlooked at the Oscars (Hoop Dreams, anyone?), this one is distributed by The Weinstein Company, which means it might actually have a shot at winning. The movie follows The Manassas Tigers, an inner-city high school football team in Memphis, Tennessee that has been consistently destroyed by its opponents, partially because most of its star players either end up dead or in jail. However, coach Bill Courtney took over the team in 2004 and slowly started to turn things around, with the goal of winning the first playoff game in the school’s 110-year history. Underdog sports stories may be a dime a dozen, but they are slightly less common in non-fiction form and I've heard that this one packs an emotional wallop. I have to admit, the trailer alone gave me chills. Undefeated hits select theatres on Feb. 17th; check out the trailer after the jump and see what you think.

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Rango Takes Top Prize at 2012 Annie Awards

Sean — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:27:03 +0000

As we all know, a year without a strong Pixar movie is a year where other studios have a rare opportunity to get some recognition for their own animated features. Since Cars 2 was not even nominated for an Academy Award this year, we've now got DreamWorks and Paramount battling it out against a couple of smaller foreign productions. However, while the Academy Awards are what most of the world uses to judge the best animated film of the year, industry insiders typically look to the Annie Awards instead. In the past, DreamWorks has had their fair share of success at the Annies (How to Train Your Dragon won out over Toy Story 3 last year, while Kung Fu Panda upset Wall-E in 2008), but this year, newcomers Paramount and ILM have taken the title for Rango. Go figure! It's probably not a huge surprise that Rango won Best Animated Feature, especially you when you consider that these awards are generally a little more technical and Rango's tech was pretty damn impressive. However, the question remains: is Rango is now more likely to win the Oscar as well? Not necessarily. Many of the other Annie Awards were spread out to other films, and Jennifer Yuh Nelson took home the directing award for Kung Fu Panda 2. Heck, even The Adventures of Tintin picked up a couple of awards. Check out the full list of winners after the jump.

Best Animated Feature: “Rango”
Best Animated Special Production: “Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters”
Best Animated Short Subject: “Adam and Dog”
Animated Effects in an Animated Production: “The Adventures of Tintin”
Animated Effects in a Live Action Production: “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
Character Animation in a Feature Production: “Rio”
Character Animation in a Live Action Production: “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
Character Design in a Feature Production: “Rango”
Directing in a Feature Production: Jennifer Yuh Nelson, “Kung Fu Panda 2”
Music in a Feature Production: John Williams, “The Adventures of Tintin”
Production Design in a Feature Production: “Kung Fu Panda 2”
Storyboarding in a Feature Production: “Winnie the Pooh”
Voice Acting in a Feature Production: Bill Nighy, “Arthur Christmas”
Writing in a Feature Production: “Rango”
Editing in a Feature Production: “Rango”
Winsor McCay Award: Walt Peregoy, Borge Ring, Robert Searle
June Foray Award: Art Leonardi
Special Achievement Award: Depth Analysis

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