Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Expendables (Sylvester Stallone, 2010)



The first thing one might notice about The Expendables is its cast, a collection of tough guys from the past and present. The all-star cast is so often seen as a mere marketing ploy, but in The Expendables, it serves a finer, more poignant function. At the core of this film is a rather remarkable scene that finds Mickey Rourke’s character Tool–what a name!–delivering a heartbreaking monologue on finitude and entropy. The name Tool is perfect: these are men who have given their bodies in service of other’s aims, all in exchange for money and, perhaps, their souls. We’ve heard this theme many times before, but Stallone here pushes it to a scabrous breaking point–before ultimately pulling back somewhat through the requisite narrative closure of the film’s ending. Stallone has casted men who have endured these same toils as part of their careers. So there are not only the action stars whose bodies provide them their livelihood and mythical personae, but there is also a football player, a UFC champion, and a professional wrestler. Though these men don’t possess acting ability in the conventional sense, their bodies no doubt tell countless stories. And Rourke’s presence at the film’s narrative core is similarly appropriate: his career has witnessed a resurrection after being left for dead. In this scene, he articulates the fear of nearly everyone that, in the end, one’s limitations (physical, mental, emotional) will surpass one’s will, leaving behind more failure than success, more instances of caving to fear and apathy than moments of grandeur or transcendence. Rourke’s Tool doesn’t so much fear the disintegration of his own body–these men probably have come to terms with their own mortality more than most have–he fears that the soul’s memory is greater than the body’s, that the headlong rush towards death cannot mask the deeper levels of suffering that only grow louder and more intense with age. The effect is an awareness of one’s futility suffused with the knowledge that one doubtlessly could have done better.
As a complement to Rourke’s Tool, Jason Statham’s Lee Christmas embodies the similar concerns of a younger, more able man. In the beginning of the film, after returning from the team’s most recent job, Christmas finds his girlfriend with another man. This subplot shows the inverse of Rourke’s confusion: even if you make something of a life for yourself, there is always the fear that you will be replaced. What is poignant is the way this drama is acted out by men who are like the cinematic equivalent of machines (tools), needing to be replaced after years of wear and tear, and by the looks of it, some of the men in this film are due for a tune-up, if not a visit to the junkyard. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a cameo in one scene, but his presence is like a phantom’s, a reminder that the world of action films is no longer his domain–leaving the cast to suffer the aches and bruises of their work while he enjoys his new life as a hologram in the world of politics. Statham’s Lee Christmas is later able to find some sort of victory when he beats up the man who replaced him (and who has been abusing Christmas’ ex-girlfriend). But even here, these are men condemned to find physical solutions to their metaphysical dilemmas. In the final scene, Lee Christmas displays his relatively youthful physical prowess in a knife-throwing game with Tool, the team having returned from yet another job completed. This scene is somewhat of a diversion, a spectacle to conclude the film without resolving its deeper tensions. And anyways, how else to end the film other than with a display of male camaraderie? But it’s not enough to make us forget the scars these men are hiding behind their communal bonds. The film begins with the conclusion of one job and ends with a brief celebration after their next job; how are we to ignore the paucity of life lived in between? The mask they put on to deflect this reality is now leathery and worn, fraying at the edges. This reality is always slipping out from underneath, just as some of the cast at times slip out of believability and appear too old and weary to smoothly blend in with the sets and stunts that give them the illusion of immortality.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Sylvester Stallone Says ‘The Expendables 2′ Will Be Rated R



Countless people around the Interwebz were stirred up into a virtual riot (pun intended) in the early goings of 2012, when word got out that The Expendables 2 - a macho action throwback flick that writer/star Sylvester Stallone has described as a “Barbeque of Grand scale Ass Bashing” – was shaping up to be a PG-13 Rated affair, due largely to co-star Chuck Norris objecting to the “hardcore language” present in Stallone’s script draft.
While Stallone was fairly quick to confirm that rumor as being true rather than the result of a mistranslation, the beefy sexagenarian has since back-peddled on his claim. Sly is now reported as having said that the sequel to The Expendables will indeed be an R-Rated affair, like its predecessor – not to mention the innumerable manly action titles of the 1980s and ...


‘Prometheus’ International Trailer Teases Horrifying Events in Space



In case you didn’t get your fill of ominous sci-fi spectacle and horrifying events while watching the amazing full-length trailer for Prometheus (which premiered over the weekend), today we can offer a new international theatrical promo for filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott’s return venture to the Alien universe.
The marketing for Prometheus has so far been great, thanks to previous trailers having successfully teased the grand scope of the visuals and ideas explored in Scott’s project, without also divulging so many of the film’s secrets as to make viewers feel like they’ve already seen a truncated version of the movie. We’re happy to report that the latest international preview (which takes its time setting up the storyline and boasts new footage to boot) doesn’t break away from that approach.
Prometheus takes place in the relatively-distant future, as a pair ...

Megan Fox and Zoe Saldana Will ‘Swindle’ Moviegoers



That header image says it all, no?
In what is either a shrewd marketing ploy or the worst exploitation of the male psyche since the McRib was invented, Paramount has paired salt-and-pepper bombshells Megan Fox and Zoe Saldana in the upcoming action-heist pic, Swindle.

The film was born out of a spec script by Scott Wilson and Enzo Mileti, which became the object of a competition between Universal and Paramount, with the latter stuido ultimately walking away with the prize. The film is being produced by Michael De Luca, who helped usher last year’s Moneyball from boring-sounding baseball stats movie to critically-acclaimed Oscar nominee for Best Picture. Deadline reports that both Saldana and Fox have been looking for a project to star in together, and the pair will produce Swindle alongside De Luca, ...



Sunday, March 18, 2012

Lionsgate (Obviously) Interested in More ‘Twilight’ Films



After Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 grossed over $700 million worldwide (on roughly a $110 million budget) and projections for Part 2 forecasting an equally (if not more) profitable box office run, it’s no surprise to hear that Lionsgate would love to dole out even more movies in Stephenie Meyer’s world of vampires and werewolves.
Of course, at this point, Meyer has been hesitant to confirm any plans to extend the series beyond the fourth (Breaking Dawn) book but, should she decide to revisit her Twilight creations, Lionsgate is once again making it clear that they’ll be anxiously waiting in the wings to turn the would-be book into another cinematic cash

grab
cow.
According to THR, the official word from Lionsgate (who recently purchased Twilight ...

Click to continue reading Lionsgate (Obviously) Interested in More ‘Twilight’ Films

Saturday, March 17, 2012

‘Spartacus: Vengeance’ Episode 3: ‘The Greater Good’ Recap



‘The Greater Good’ is the first episode of this young Spartacus: Vengeance season to allow advancement of the various plotlines, now that the necessary exposition and set up has been handled by the premiere and last week’s episode: ‘A Place in This World.’
Here, Spartacus is determined as ever to help Crixus locate the missing Naevia, although it may mean putting the lives of those who follow them at great risk. Seeing this as a detriment to the cause, and his own life, Spartacus’ close ally, Agron (Daniel Feuerriegel), deceives Crixus by telling him that the woman he seeks is dead. Agron and his newfound Syrian friend Nasir/Tiberius (Pana Hema Taylor) fabricate Naevia’s demise under the belief that a prolonged search for one slave is contrary to the group’s ultimate goal.


Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance



Sony’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance has been earning some decent buzz of late, thanks to a fairly well-received official teaser trailer, a good showing at the 2011 New York Comic-Con, and a circulating collection of unofficial one-sheets that stylishly recreate some of the more memorable imagery on display in the film’s initial theatrical promo (ex. Johnny Blaze spewing a flaming wave of bullets).
Today, we have a new official poster for the Ghost Rider sequel, along with some reactions from those who got an early look at the flick recently – while attending Harry Knowles’ annual “Butt-Numb-A-Thon” screening event.

Here is an official synopsis for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance:
Johnny (Nicolas Cage) – still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – is hiding out in a remote part of ...


Win A ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ Mega Prize Pack



Sony’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance has been earning some decent buzz of late, thanks to a fairly well-received official teaser trailer, a good showing at the 2011 New York Comic-Con, and a circulating collection of unofficial one-sheets that stylishly recreate some of the more memorable imagery on display in the film’s initial theatrical promo (ex. Johnny Blaze spewing a flaming wave of bullets).
Today, we have a new official poster for the Ghost Rider sequel, along with some reactions from those who got an early look at the flick recently – while attending Harry Knowles’ annual “Butt-Numb-A-Thon” screening event.

Here is an official synopsis for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance:
Johnny (Nicolas Cage) – still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – is hiding out in a remote part of ...


‘Rock of Ages’ Trailer: Don’t Stop Believin’ in Tom Cruise


The revival of the movie musical is not dead yet – The Muppets sang their way through their big comeback film this past Thanksgiving, and next summer, the speakers in a theater near you will be thumping to the familiar rock n roll music that has pretty much defined all-American youth since the 1970s, thanks to the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway production, Rock of Ages.

Today we have the Rock of Ages trailer to share, and it features more famous faces and famous tunes than a Hollywood karaoke bar.
Check out the synopsis for Rock of Ages below, and then, the trailer:
Set in 1987 Los Angeles, Drew and Sherrie are two young people chasing their dreams in the big city. When they meet, ...


Daniel Craig: ‘Skyfall’ Better Than ‘Quantum of Solace’ & ‘Casino Royale’



Martin Cambell may have let us down this summer with Green Lantern but there’s no debating his masterful job in rejuvenating the James Bond franchise with Daniel Craig as the new 007 in 2006′s Casino Royale. It not only earned the love of fans new and old with a grounded take on the British super spy, but it earned a sequel, one that wasn’t so well received.
Titled Quantum of Solace, the more action-focused sequel earned the same success at the box office as its predecessor, but it did not earn the same respect from fans and critics. As it turns out, star Daniel Craig wasn’t too fond of it either and promises better with his third outing: Skyfall.
In ...



Man in Black 3


One of the more memorable extraterrestrials who popped up in the original Men in Black movie was that of the villainous Bug (Vincent D’Onofrio) whose “Edgar suit” was quite hilariously ill-fitting. The MIB sequel went the opposite route by featuring bad

guy
gal “Serleena” (Lara Flynn Boyle) whose human disguise was that of a Victoria’s Secret model – but, unfortunately, the end result was considered far less amusing.
The upcoming Men in Black III returns back to the “bizarre human” design of the first film’s villain with Boris: a bike-riding, time-traveling, alien brought to life by New Zealand comedic actor Jemaine Clement (The Flight of the Conchords). But will the end result be better or worse for it?

A set pic of Clement as the (according to the actor) “creepy but charming” Boris in the MIB ...



Friday, March 16, 2012

World War Z

Paramount Pictures’ adaptation of Max Brooks’ popular allegorical zombie novel, World War Z, has attracted its fair share of controversy due to a handful of issues – including, plans for the $125 million project to be Rated PG-13 and the substantial narrative differences between Brooks’ book and its cinematic counterpart.
Today, we have another piece of World War Z-related news that is also bound to be divisive; it turns out that the Brad Pitt-starring movie could kick off a new trilogy of zombpocalyptic flicks.

The LA Times is reporting that Paramount executives and World War Z helmer Marc Forster view the project as the first in three flicks which would blend “the grounded, gun-metal realism of [the Jason Bourne series with] the unsettling end-times vibe of AMC’s The Walking Dead.” The ...