The News...

Johnny Depp is to star as Totto in the Disney's re-imagining of the Lone Ranger. The starring role has not been cast yet. Totto is a half Native American character who after nursing the Lone Ranger back to life, becomes his faithful sidekick.

This is what Depp had to say on the character:

"I always felt Native Americans were badly portrayed in Hollywood films over the decades. It's a real opportunity for me to give a salute to them. Tonto was a sidekick in all the Lone Ranger series. [This film] is a very different approach to that partnership. And a funny one I think."

Depp really is the all unassuming philanthropist ehy...

The News...

Above is the first look at X-men: the First Class, Starring James McAvoy as Professor X and Michael Fassbender as Magneto. The movie is due out this August.

The News...

So firstly we are kicking off with some exciting news regarding The Dark Knight Rises aka the new Batman movie. As well as Nolan and Bale back for a 3rd outing we are introduced to at least two confirmed new characters- Catwoman, known by day as Selina Kyle and Bane played by Tom Hardy, who recently appeared in Nolan's Inception.

This is what Nolan had to say, "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story."

Bane is personally one of my favourite characters in the Batman comics and we can expect some major fight sequences!

Upcoming Movies 2011 continued...

The Rest...

The Immortals

It is about time we got to grips with some Greek myth classics, especially after the dismal Clash of the Titans! Tarsem Singh directs with pretty much newcomer Henry Cavill playing Theseus, a warrior who is on a mission to save a princess as well as overthrow evil king Hyperion, played by Mickey Rourke. Also stars Freida Pinto.

Mission impossible: Ghost protocol

Tom Cruise returns as agent Ethan Hunt in another jet- setting adventure. Locations such as Dubai (which features a stunt on the tallest building on the planet) and Prague are set to accommodate much of the action. Cannot wait!

Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Spielberg's first outing for the year features Jamie Bell voicing the lead character and an eclectic cast featuring Daniel Craig. the movie features state of the art capture animation. Looks good!

The War Horse

The second offering from Spielberg is the epic story of a war horse, which is seen mainly through the horses' eyes. It is set against the backdrop of WWI and charts the relationship between a young boy and his horse.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hot off his victory from the Golden Globes for The Social Network David Fincher's next project is underway and is the Hollywood remake of the recent movies starring Noomi Rapace. Newcomer Rooney Mara stars opposite Daniel Craig.... He's bloody busy this year!

Paranormal Activity 3

We cannot get through Halloween without what seems to be a permanent fixture every year- a Paranormal Activity movie! They are pretty good though. No plot details as it stands but expect, swinging doors, loud bangs and of course people being dragged by the invisible forces of evil...

The Rite

Anthony Hopkins plays a Vatican priest who is part of the "Exorcism arm" of the church. It is based on true events so is probably going to be quite creepy.

West is West

The follow-up to the much loved East is East will see Om Puri return as the head of the dis-functional family. Expect loads of racial gags, stereotypes and probably some decent acting.

Countdown to Zero

A documentary taking a look at the nuclear proliferation that exists. Probably going to be as scary as some of the horrors this year!

Real Steel

A big Action movie full of CGI starring Hugh Jackman as a retired boxer come promoter for the new replacement of boxing- big bad robots smashing the nuts and bolts out of each other! Sure to be a sit back, relax, switch your brain off and enjoy experience.

Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon

Yeah.... err, Transformers 3.

Battlefield: Los Angeles

Big scale Alien invasion movie which pitt's Aaron Eckhart against an attack by superior forces on LA. A group of U.S. Soldiers fight to survive which includes Michelle Rodriguez in her usual hard-nut chick sort of role.

Super 8

Little is known about JJ Abrams next big project but is sure to be a big budget production. Being produced by Spielberg, the Lost creator is doing his usual trick of teasing movie-goers right up until release (remember Cloverfield?). Guessing by the trailer there is probably going to be some involvement of alien life form- though that is just a guess.... Watch this space.

Red Riding

Amanda Seyfried takes on the titular role which is a twist on the classic tale. The story depicts a village which is terrorised by a werewolf- which could be any of the village members. Gary Oldman, Julie Christie and quite a few other well known names also star. Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke helms.

Conan the Barbarian

Jason Momoa stars as Conan, the muscular warrior previously played by the inimitable Schwarznegger. Ron Perlman co-stars and Stephen Lang will play the main bad guy. Let's hope it is as violent as the original and the film studio don't decide to give it a 12A rating!!!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Jack Sparrow is back, earning from what I hear a very lucrative fee for Johnny Depp. He is joined by Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush and Ian McShane who plays Blackbeard. Not one of my favourite movie series' but probably worth a watch.

Stay posted for movies for 2011...

Upcoming Movies in 2011

So we are into a new year, which means there is a whole new bunch of movies to look forward to (or at least mention).

So here is a brief list of the movies that you can expect to either win praise or make a killing at the box office... Let the 3D frenzy begin!

Superhero movies

Over the last few years or so , we have had an array of superhero movies shoved down our throats, most of which were pretty rubbish. From mutants, to web-slingers, to metallic suit wearing billionaires, superhero movies mean big money- which is why we cannot ignore probably the biggest onslaught of spandex wearing protagonists ever this year.

1. Thor

The year kicks off with the Thunder God himself, cast out of Asgard and demoted to earth (yeah, apparently earth is that bad). Newcomer Chris Hemsworth plays hammer-wielding Thor with a cast rounded out by Natalie Portman, Sam Jackson and Anthony Hopkins playing God of God's, Odin. The trailer looks OK with promises of big effects and lots of action.

2. Green Lantern

With Marvel being the overall residing force this summer, DC comics needed a movie to still show us that they are in the game this year. With Batman and Superman currently in development for next year DC are presenting us with Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds as the cocky test pilot commissioned by a group of aliens from around the universe to join the fraternity of intergalactic crime fighters. With the power of his ring he becomes the Green Lantern- queue set pieces galore and loads of CGI. Oh and expect an overload of exhausting humor from Reynolds.

3. Captain America

Marvels First Avenger stars Chris Evans as the patriotic super soldier who battles Nazis and kicks a whole host of evil war-mongering butt, all in the name of the stars and stripes. Oooh Raa! Joe Johnston directs, with Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell and Tommy-Lee Jones co-starring.

4. X Men Origins: The First Class

We go back to the origin of X-Men's this August with stories of Professor X and Magneto in their younger days- played by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. The movie will surely be filled with family friendly action and psychic beatings for all the baddies!

5. Cowboys and Aliens

Daniel Craig leads leads a starry cast playing a cowboy who has lost his memory and has some weired contraption attached to his wrist. Descending upon an oppressed town ruled by iron-fisted Harrison Ford, they quickly have to settle their differences and unite to take on a common enemy- Aliens! Sounds a bit silly but looks quite good, as well as being directed by John "Iron Man" Favreau. That man loves his comics.

The News...

Some exciting news now Sci-fi and movie- lovers alike. Ridley (superstar/visionary) Scott has announced plans to begin shooting his long awaited Alien prequel. It won't feature Ripley as the leading character, she of course comes face to face with the Extra-Terrestrial nasty in Alien. It will, however, feature a female lead- in the shape and form of Noomi Rapace who stars in movies based on Stieg Larsson's best selling Millennium trilogy books, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who kicked the Hornets Nest. The third movie will surely feature Noomi too.

The movie is described as a Sci-fi epic whilst not being a straight up Alien movie and details of the script are being kept very close to the chest just yet. Here's what the man himself Scott had to say:

"While 'Alien' was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of 'Alien's' DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I couldn't be more pleased to have found the singular tale I'd been searching for, and finally return to this genre that's so close to my heart."

Highly exciting stuff! Lets just hope Ridley has not lost his touch for Sci-fi class. At least we can expect a progressive change from the dire "Alien Vs Predator" movies.

Stay posted for further movie and cast details

Golden Globes

So the 2011 Golden Globes took place last night and with not in my opinion a huge amount of quality movies last year, there was no surprise that "The Social Network" walked away with the top honours.

A full list of the movie winners below:

Best film (drama)

The Social Network

Best film (musical/comedy)

The kids are alright

Best director

David Fincher- The Social Network

Best actor (drama)

Colin Firth- The King's Speech

Best actress (drama)

Natalie Portman- Black Swan

Best actor (musical/comedy)

Paul Giamatti- Barney's Version

Best actress (musical/comedy)

Annette Bening- The Kids Are Alright

Best supporting actor

Christian Bale- The Fighter

Best supporting actress

Melissa Leo- The Fighter

Best foreign language film

In a Better World- Denmark

Best animated feature film

Toy Story 3

Best screenplay

Aaron Sorkin- The Social Network

Best original song

You haven't seen the last of me- Burlesque: music and lyrics by Diane Warren

Best original score

Trent Reznor and Attucus Rose- The Social Network


So no major suprises... As you can see. There wasn't much competition for The Social Network. So roll on the Oscars, although I can't see the list of winners being too dissimilar to this one... Take it as a benchmark if you will.

Tali

The News...

So now that we have got into the full swing of things some news for some of the upcoming movies that we should be looking forward to.

47 Ronin-

Starring Keanu Reeves, to be shot in 3D and will be out by 2012. The film focuses on the true story of the 47 Ronin who upon their masters murder, pledge to avenge him. The film is set in feudal Japan around the 1700's, focusing on the Samurai (one of my all time favourite cultures). For those movie aficionado's out there, you will remember the story being briefly told in the 1998 action thriller Ronin (no relation to this film) starring Robert De Niro.

Goliath

Finally we get a classic bible tale remade. It is remarkable how many great stories there are in the bible which could be adapted for the big screen. And this is one of them. Goliath will focus on the the title character more than David, however it will ultimately build up to the legendary showdown. No cast announcements yet but watch this space. Truly a tale of Biblical proportions.

Spiderman

The new re-booted version will hit theatres summer 2012, with up and coming British actor Andrew Garfield playing the title charter. Garfield has recently been seen in The Social Network opposite Jesse Eisenberg... with Spiderman under his belt he is destined for super-stardom come 2012.

Check out the first image of Garfield as Spidey on the right.


more news soon...

Thou shalt have the knowledge...

Tali

Heat Review

Very few movie directors can boast having worked with two of the greatest screen actors of their generation but Michael Mann can certainly make that claim and make it with a sense of triumph. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino star in Heat an action packed faced pace thriller with a brain.

Michael Mann has for years now been an A list director, commanding a cast of only the finest actors and being able to promote his own vision how he sees fit. No other Mann film however has been such an epic of modern movie making than Heat, which firmly sits as the jewel in Michael Mann’s creative crown.

Heat is in essence a simple tale of “good guy catching bad guy” or a “cat and mouse” thriller, however through complex direction and in depth character exploration this does more than what it says on the tin. Pacino plays a hard boiled cop who has seen it all in his line of work, as he refers to himself in the movie “I am only what I’m going after”, which more or less sums up his determination to catch his target. De Niro on the other hand plays an ex-con who, in a not so clichéd way, “never wants to go back”. De Niro’s character is an accomplished thief who takes high risk jobs with big rewards and again mirroring Pacino’s character will do what it takes to get what he’s taking so to speak.

The film is an underlying story of two men on opposite ends of the law who are very similar and out of this a mutual respect for each other develops, portrayed in one of cinemas finest confrontations between two titans of the acting world. Both characters as stubborn as the other and will not quit until one is the victor which accumulates to an epic climax.

De Niro leads a band of professional thieves who he has done time with and trusts above all other people, including De Niro’s right hand man and gambling junkie Val Kilmer who has never been better, as well as Tom Sizemore in a well acted role. On the other side of the coin Pacino commands a police squad who work as a tight team and these types of mirrored images are shown throughout the whole movie, from restaurant scenes with families and wives to getting together to discuss their next targets.

There is a romance element to the movie with Pacino onto his third wife sharing a passionate but volatile relationship and having to deal with a depressed step daughter, played by a young Natalie Portman. De Niro starts and affair with a shy bookstore worker who he finds himself falling for but this goes against his every discipline and self teaching. This is where the film gains its title, in reference to the “heat around the corner” and being able to detach yourself from anything at the drop of a hat if necessary.

The direction is very typical of Mann’s recent films, with almost an eerie blue feel to it and an alternative feel to the Los Angeles we have come to imagine. The concrete landscapes and glittering lights provide great atmosphere and a sense of tension. As usual Mann’s use of music is fantastic and adds tremendously to the movie. Artists such as Joy Division and Moby lend their talents to the film and the music is used perfectly to compliment the scenes, in particular the closing sequence.

Overall Michael Mann has conjured up a neon masterpiece and has got all of the criteria right in this film. It is an excellent take on an old formula and re-aligned to match his vision. A classic.

10/10 on the Movie Richter

Tron: Legacy

So the first official review I give is of Tron: Legacy, the long awaited sequal to the original 1982 ground-breaking Sci-fi movie.



28 years after the first film left off we are introduced to Sam Flynn (Garret Hedlund), the Son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges). Sam Flynn is introduced as James Dean type rebel "with" a cause, donning a leather jacket and motorbike and getting up to all sorts of Hi-tech ASBO behaviour.

The movie swiftly throws Sam into "the grid", which for those who have not seen the original, is the computer generated world in which "users", i.e. you and me, can immerse themselves in and play games as well as tap into all sorts of computer code etc.

Bridges is the original User and created this world, however, he has been trapped in it by his own creation, the movies main antagonist- C.L.U. Who is a computer generated younger version of Bridges who is intent on creating the perfect code and ridding the world of any human spam!

Queue, fantastic light cycle sequences and disc wars, which are played in a gladiatorial-Esq way, to rid the system of any viruses- who said running the old Nortons anti-virus through your hard drive had to be boring ehy?

The computer world looks stunning, consisting of a colour scheme that easily allows you to separate the baddies form the goodies and the 3D is spectacular and does not become the residing force whilst watching the movie (IMAX is recommended). The movie has a perfect mix of characters, from allies like Quorra (played by Olivia Wilde) and a decent, if not odd, appearance by Martin Sheen, who seems to be a night club owning David Bowie style piece of code- a defect from iTunes maybe?

The most noteworthy part of the movie for me was and is the soundtrack. Created from scratch by electro-pop, seminal dance act Daft punk. Having acquired the services of an 85 piece orchestra they have created a mammoth album full of epic tunes. Who else is there so perfectly matched to create the soundtrack for this digital world? They were rightfully ordained to commission this. Tracks such as "the game has changed", with its epic drums and Hans Zimmer style horns, to the mind-fizzlingly electronic madness of "Derezzed" with have your feet pounding the sticky unwashed floor of the cinema. A masterpiece.

so to sum up Tron Registers as a modern classic, faithful to the original with fantastic set pieces and a decent story....

The game really has changed..

8.0/10 on the Movie Richter


Tali

The Essentials...

Hi

This Blog is specifically created for those of us who:

love movies,
Want to get into movies,
Want to know what movies are "essential views",
Or just those that we missed on our radars and are highly recommended.

I will review all movies that are a must-see in my humble opinion, as well as all movies which come out that are worth going to the old pic's for.

we can also talk about any upcoming movies that we think may actually be good!!

This is a blog for anyone to take part in and any views, opinions and any offerings are most welcome. so let me know!

So, this is the first blip on the movie Richter scale...

Standing by...

Tali