Trumpets please…
Bumblebee, a 2014 Concept Camaro . . . the final jewel in the Transformers 4 crown.
OFFICIAL SITE: WWW.TRANSFORMERSMOVIE.COM
Saturday, July 6, 2013
New Bumblebee for "Transformers 4"
Trumpets please…
Bumblebee, a 2014 Concept Camaro . . . the final jewel in the Transformers 4 crown.
OFFICIAL SITE: WWW.TRANSFORMERSMOVIE.COM
Review: Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) – animated film
Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)
MPAA – PG for adventure action, some mild sensuality and brief language
DIRECTORS: Patrick Gilmore and Tim Johnson
WRITER: John Logan
PRODUCERS: Jeffrey Katzenberg and Mireille Soria
EDITOR: Tom Finan
COMPOSER: Harry Gregson-Williams
ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY with elements of comedy and romance
Starring: (voices) Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, Joseph Fiennes, Dennis Haysbert, and Jim Cummings with Frank Welker
The subject of this movie review is Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, the 2003 animated swashbuckling fantasy and adventure film from DreamWorks Animation. While this film is technically a Sinbad movie, the character is taken out of its traditional Arabic context and moved to a Greek setting. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas finds the sailor of legend framed by a goddess for the theft of a magical book and forced to save the life of a childhood friend.
Doesn’t Hollywood make great adventure films like Raiders of the Lost Ark anymore, or how about one that’s just good? I suspect that Dreamworks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg was attempting to make a “great” animated adventure film when his company took on the task of creating Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. Visually the film rocks the boat as hard as any other adventure film, but in the end, it lacks the heart of the great American animated films. The film also lacks the show-stopping performances that leave us wanting more, like Raiders did.
Sinbad (Brad Pitt), the Arabian playboy sailor is set to steal The Book of Peace from a galley when he discovers that the book is under the protection of a boyhood friend, Proteus (Joseph Fiennes). Later, a shape-shifting goddess, Eris (Michelle Pfeiffer), makes a deal with Sinbad for him to make another attempt at theft, but she betrays him, steals the book, and frames Sinbad.
The theft is punishable by death, but Proteus offers his life as ransom so that Sinbad will be free to find the book before the date of execution. Proteus believes that only a sea captain of Sinbad’s skill can make the arduous journey across the oceans to retrieve the sacred tome. To make sure that Sinbad keeps his end of the bargain, Proteus’ betrothed Marina (Catherine Zeta-Jones) follows Sinbad and his crew to Eris’s dark kingdom of Tartarus.
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas seems a little lost in the current movie marketplace. It’s a boys adventure animated film, and both Fox (with Titan A.E.) and Disney (with Treasure Planet) have suffered spectacular box office flops with boys oriented animation. Computer animated films like Finding Nemo and Monster’s Inc. appeal to both the kiddies and the adults with their broad humor and tales of families and friendships fighting adversary.
What does Legend of the Seven Seas have going for it? It has striking, traditional cel animation in rich beautiful colors and 3-D computer modeling of spectacular and awe-inspiring cityscapes. The filmmakers use computer animation to create large scale crowd scenes and to unleash some of the most impressive, monstrous creatures you’ll see in animation for a long time. The story is rather simple-minded, but the fast-paced script by John Logan (a co-scriptwriter on Best Picture winner Gladiator) keeps the film story bouncing off the walls like a madly-inspired pulp novel. The score by Harry Gregson-Williams is the kind of stunningly grand and opulent affair usually reserved for serious, live action epics, so it makes Sinbad seem more serious than it is.
The voice acting is mostly bad, and I mean really bad. Brad Pitt is atrocious. Let’s face it, and he needs to be seen as well as heard. He’s a package deal – a good actor with a good face and body. If they aren’t together, all you have is slop. Catherine Zeta-Jones, whose voice I find so distinct, is so nondescript that if not for her name on the marquee, we’d never know who it was. Dennis Haysbert’s sonorous tones are wasted on the hideous dialogue Logan (or whoever rewrote this) gave him. Listening to the film’s stilted dialogue is torture, and in the end, it’s the major misfire that does in this movie.
Most of the time, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas is gorgeous to look at, but with the deep pockets of American film studios, how can animators not at least make an animated film look good? Other than that, there’s nothing to make this film stand out. The story is just so matter-of-fact; even the prize to be obtained, The Book of Peace, lacks resonance. It doesn’t seem important, and the script really isn’t clear on why it should be important; the book might as well have been a gold-encrusted jack-in-the box.
A really good animated film can have a simple story, but it must reach the audience’s (children and adults) hearts and as well as appeal to their minds. Dreamworks certainly has the power to make beautiful animated films of an epic scope, but this is ultimately only a show of force i.e. we (Dreamworks) can compete with Disney. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas simply lacks heart. Finding Nemo’s story of a grieving father’s desperate search for his only child really touched a large number of viewers. A cast of witty and talented voice actors who can keep up the banter and make their characters’ emotions and moods seem real just endears itself to viewers.
For all the thunder and lightening Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas has, it’s mostly a disposable adventure film. It is certainly an entertaining adventure film, but there’s nothing to make it stand out. I don’t think kids are going to buy it because there’s nothing in the film to endear them to it. Lovers of adventures films will have a good time, but they’ll almost certainly forget Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, if not by the time they walk out the theatre, then certainly by the time they reach the first stop light.
5 of 10
B-
Updated: Friday, July 05, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
"Disney's Planes" to Screen at D23
The Walt Disney Studios to Present Disney’s Planes, a High-Flying, Big-Screen Comedy Adventure
D23 Expo Attendees to Be Among the First to See the Film in 3D with Special Appearances from Select Filmmakers and Stars
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Official Disney Fan Club reveals plans for a special 3D screening of the high-flying big-screen adventure Disney’s Planes at the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
D23 Expo attendees will be among the first to see Disney’s Planes on its opening day. An action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure from Disneytoon Studios, Disney's Planes will take flight in theaters nationwide August 9, but D23 Expo guests will see this special 3D presentation featuring an introduction by some very special guests. Dusty Crophopper dreams of competing as a high-flying racer, but he’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps him train to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.
Directed by lifelong aviation enthusiast Klay Hall (King of the Hill, The Simpsons), and produced by Traci Balthazor-Flynn, Disney’s Planes features the voices of Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Priyanka Chopra, John Cleese, Cedric the Entertainer, Carlos Alazraqui, Roger Craig Smith, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Sinbad, Gabriel Iglesias, Brent Musburger, Colin Cowherd, Danny Mann, Oliver Kalkofe, and John Ratzenberger.
The screening is slated for Friday, August 9, 2013, at 3 p.m. at the Arena inside the Anaheim Convention Center. For more information about the movie, check out Disney.com/Planes, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyPlanes and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DisneyPictures.
DISNEYTOON STUDIOS, a division of The Walt Disney Studios, is home to a vibrant group of filmmakers, artists, and production teams who produce original high-quality series-based stories for in-home and theatrical audiences, including Disney’s Planes, which hits the big screen Aug. 9, and the popular Disney’s Fairies franchise, starring Tinker Bell and her Pixie Hollow friends.
About D23 Expo 2013
The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing attendees with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, and theme parks. For the latest D23 Expo 2013 news, visit www.D23Expo.com. To be part of the D23 Expo conversation, make sure to follow @DisneyD23 and tag your tweets with #D23Expo.
About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s nearly 90-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com; and member-exclusive discounts and special events for D23 Members throughout the year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, August 9–11, 2013.
Fans can join D23 at www.D23.com and at www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us @DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.
D23 Expo Attendees to Be Among the First to See the Film in 3D with Special Appearances from Select Filmmakers and Stars
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Official Disney Fan Club reveals plans for a special 3D screening of the high-flying big-screen adventure Disney’s Planes at the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
D23 Expo attendees will be among the first to see Disney’s Planes on its opening day. An action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure from Disneytoon Studios, Disney's Planes will take flight in theaters nationwide August 9, but D23 Expo guests will see this special 3D presentation featuring an introduction by some very special guests. Dusty Crophopper dreams of competing as a high-flying racer, but he’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps him train to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.
Directed by lifelong aviation enthusiast Klay Hall (King of the Hill, The Simpsons), and produced by Traci Balthazor-Flynn, Disney’s Planes features the voices of Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Priyanka Chopra, John Cleese, Cedric the Entertainer, Carlos Alazraqui, Roger Craig Smith, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Sinbad, Gabriel Iglesias, Brent Musburger, Colin Cowherd, Danny Mann, Oliver Kalkofe, and John Ratzenberger.
The screening is slated for Friday, August 9, 2013, at 3 p.m. at the Arena inside the Anaheim Convention Center. For more information about the movie, check out Disney.com/Planes, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyPlanes and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DisneyPictures.
DISNEYTOON STUDIOS, a division of The Walt Disney Studios, is home to a vibrant group of filmmakers, artists, and production teams who produce original high-quality series-based stories for in-home and theatrical audiences, including Disney’s Planes, which hits the big screen Aug. 9, and the popular Disney’s Fairies franchise, starring Tinker Bell and her Pixie Hollow friends.
About D23 Expo 2013
The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing attendees with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, and theme parks. For the latest D23 Expo 2013 news, visit www.D23Expo.com. To be part of the D23 Expo conversation, make sure to follow @DisneyD23 and tag your tweets with #D23Expo.
About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s nearly 90-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com; and member-exclusive discounts and special events for D23 Members throughout the year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, August 9–11, 2013.
Fans can join D23 at www.D23.com and at www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us @DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.
Review: "Derailed" Seems Unnecessarily Dark (Happy B'day, RZA)
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 98 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux
Derailed (2005)
Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong disturbing violence, language, and some sexuality
DIRECTOR: Mikael Håfström
WRITER: Stuart Beattie (based upon the book by James Siegel)
PRODUCER: Lorezno di Bonaventura
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Biziou
EDITOR: Peter Boyle
COMPOSER: Edward Shearmur
CRIME/DRAMA/THRILLER
Starring: Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassel, Melissa George, Addison Timlin, RZA, Tom Conti, Giancarlo Esposito, Denis O’Hare, and Xzibit
The subject of this movie review is Derailed, a 2005 British-American thriller and crime drama. The film is based on the 2003 novel, Derailed, from author James Siegel. Derailed the movie focuses on a married business executive and his mistress who are being blackmailed by a violent criminal.
Successful advertising executive Charles Schine (Clive Owen) misses his commuter train one day, which lead to a chance encounter with Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston), a seductive financial advisor, on a later train. Charles is having trouble at home. He and his wife, Deanna (Melissa George), are a bit at odds, and their daughter, Amy’s (Addison Timlin), Type-1 diabetes puts a tremendous strain on their finances and marriage. Thus, Charles is responsive to Lucinda’s magnetic attraction, and before long cocktails and lunches turn into an impromptu romp at a seedy hotel.
However, a brutal criminal, Philippe LaRoche (Vincent Cassel), breaks into their hotel room and derails their fun, and the illicit liaison becomes a nightmare world more violent and dangerous than Charles could ever have imagined. Unable to confide in his wife and friends or speak to the police, Charles must battle the violence, deception, blackmail, and crime as the life he once knew becomes something unimaginable.
Derailed starts off so slowly and dully that I thought the movie would never recover, but the film’s second half is a kick in the gut. It’s an old-fashioned hard-boiled, noir-ish, romantic, crime thriller, in the vein of Against All Odds. The film isn’t as well written or directed as such A-list romance and crime movies as Fatal Attraction or Basic Instinct, nor will Jennifer Anniston’s performance be as well remembered (if its remembered at all) as the actresses in the aforementioned films.
Owen and Aniston have zero screen chemistry. Owen is a decent actor, but doesn’t quite seem to fit inside the skin of this role; he’s better as a “heavy” or dark type. He doesn’t at all come across as a vulnerable businessman type (an ad exec of all things), but he does fit the part for the second half of the film. Aniston is a small screen actress. It’s clear to me (at least) that she is one of the luckiest actresses alive. She’s not an incredible beauty, and she is a one-note actress – at best – and thus getting parts way beyond her skill. In fact, Aniston don’t have strong dramatic chops, and as it stands she can’t carry a lead role in a drama. This screen pairing nearly kills Derailed.
However, Vincent Cassel as the supernaturally deceptive and wicked LaRoche is fantastic. Now, he is an actor, and he gives this film a superb lift, turning a disastrous movie about an unlikely affair into an edgy crime thriller that keeps surprising the viewer with its nastiness. Rappers RZA (the Wu-Tang Clan) and Xzibit also add some spicy malevolence and grittiness that seems right off mean streets of big city America. If not for Cassel, RZA, and Xzibit, Derailed would have died on the vine simply by the hands of its director, writer, and stars.
5 of 10
B-
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Updated: Friday, July 05, 2013
--------------------
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Disney Acquires Marvel Films from Paramount
Disney Acquires Distribution Rights to Four Marvel Films from Paramount
Deal covers Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios announced they have reached an agreement under which Disney has acquired all of the distribution rights previously held by Paramount for Marvel Studios’ Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger. Under terms of the deal effective June 30, 2013, Paramount was paid for the transfer of the distribution rights. Paramount will continue to honor and service existing distribution commitments. All other distribution activities will be transitioned to Disney over the next several months.
The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment in 2009, purchasing the worldwide marketing and distribution rights for Marvel’s The Avengers and Marvel's Iron Man 3 from Paramount the following year.
About The Walt Disney Studios
For nearly 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. The Walt Disney Studios encompasses the creation, production, promotion, sales, acquisition and domestic and international distribution of live-action and animated motion pictures, home entertainment releases, music and soundtrack recordings, and live stage plays. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney; Walt Disney Animation Studios; Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!. For more information, please visit www.disney.com.
About Marvel
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel's strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information, visit www.marvel.com.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
Deal covers Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios announced they have reached an agreement under which Disney has acquired all of the distribution rights previously held by Paramount for Marvel Studios’ Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger. Under terms of the deal effective June 30, 2013, Paramount was paid for the transfer of the distribution rights. Paramount will continue to honor and service existing distribution commitments. All other distribution activities will be transitioned to Disney over the next several months.
The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment in 2009, purchasing the worldwide marketing and distribution rights for Marvel’s The Avengers and Marvel's Iron Man 3 from Paramount the following year.
About The Walt Disney Studios
For nearly 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. The Walt Disney Studios encompasses the creation, production, promotion, sales, acquisition and domestic and international distribution of live-action and animated motion pictures, home entertainment releases, music and soundtrack recordings, and live stage plays. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney; Walt Disney Animation Studios; Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!. For more information, please visit www.disney.com.
About Marvel
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel's strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information, visit www.marvel.com.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
"Pacific Rim" Cleans-Up Before Release
Warner Bros. and Legendary Organize Monster-ous Sized Beach Clean-up Day in Celebration of the July 12 Release of “Pacific Rim”
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In support of the upcoming theatrical release of Guillermo del Toro’s new sci-fi action adventure “Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim,” eight North American coastal cities along the Pacific Rim are joining in to host monster-sized, family-friendly beach clean-up events on Thursday, July 11. Warner Bros., along with local media partners, RealD, various eco-friendly organizations and local parks and recreation departments, is encouraging people to join the clean-up efforts. They will award the first 100 participants at each local clean-up event two tickets to see the film in RealD 3D on opening weekend, as well as a special “Pacific Rim” t-shirt made of recycled materials, courtesy of RealD, and other prizes.
To ensure successful “Pacific Rim” clean-up efforts, Warner Bros. will provide all of the clean-up necessities, and, “Pacific Rim” film talent Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba and Charlie Day have done their part by taping TV and radio PSAs encouraging people to participate in the beach clean-up events. Participating coastal cities include: Los Angeles (Santa Monica Beach), San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Huntington Beach, Vancouver, Honolulu, and Santa Barbara. You can join the “Pacific Rim” clean-up locally on Thursday, July 11, at:
•Honolulu – Pounders Beach (in Laie) from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
•Los Angeles – Santa Monica Pier (PCH & Colorado Ave.) from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
•Orange County – Huntington State Beach (PCH & Brookhurst St.) from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
•San Diego – Mission Beach (starting at the Wave House) from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
•San Francisco – Ocean Beach (Fulton St and JFK Drive) from 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
•Santa Barbara – East Beach (Stearn’s Wharf/ Mission Creek Lagoon) from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
•Seattle – Alki Beach (The Bathhouse at Alki Beach) from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
•Vancouver – Kitsilano Beach (Park Entrance at Arbutus and Cornwall Ave) from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
“Pacific Rim” opens nationwide in RealD 3D, 2D and IMAX on Friday, July 12, 2013.
ABOUT “PACIFIC RIM”
From acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes the sci-fi action adventure “Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim.”
When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are synched via a neural bridge, called “The Drift.” But as the enemy grows more powerful with each attack, even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju.
On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a seemingly obsolete Jaeger. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.
Oscar® nominee Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) directed the film from a screenplay by Travis Beacham and del Toro, story by Beacham. Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, del Toro and Mary Parent produced the film, with Callum Greene serving as executive producer and Jillian Zaks co-producing.
“Pacific Rim” stars Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Rob Kazinsky, Max Martini, Clifton Collins, Jr., Burn Gorman, and Ron Perlman.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures present a Legendary Pictures/DDY Production, a Guillermo del Toro film. The film will be released in 2D and 3D in select theaters and IMAX®, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
This film has been rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language.
www.pacificrimmovie.com
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In support of the upcoming theatrical release of Guillermo del Toro’s new sci-fi action adventure “Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim,” eight North American coastal cities along the Pacific Rim are joining in to host monster-sized, family-friendly beach clean-up events on Thursday, July 11. Warner Bros., along with local media partners, RealD, various eco-friendly organizations and local parks and recreation departments, is encouraging people to join the clean-up efforts. They will award the first 100 participants at each local clean-up event two tickets to see the film in RealD 3D on opening weekend, as well as a special “Pacific Rim” t-shirt made of recycled materials, courtesy of RealD, and other prizes.
To ensure successful “Pacific Rim” clean-up efforts, Warner Bros. will provide all of the clean-up necessities, and, “Pacific Rim” film talent Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba and Charlie Day have done their part by taping TV and radio PSAs encouraging people to participate in the beach clean-up events. Participating coastal cities include: Los Angeles (Santa Monica Beach), San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Huntington Beach, Vancouver, Honolulu, and Santa Barbara. You can join the “Pacific Rim” clean-up locally on Thursday, July 11, at:
•Honolulu – Pounders Beach (in Laie) from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
•Los Angeles – Santa Monica Pier (PCH & Colorado Ave.) from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
•Orange County – Huntington State Beach (PCH & Brookhurst St.) from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
•San Diego – Mission Beach (starting at the Wave House) from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
•San Francisco – Ocean Beach (Fulton St and JFK Drive) from 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
•Santa Barbara – East Beach (Stearn’s Wharf/ Mission Creek Lagoon) from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
•Seattle – Alki Beach (The Bathhouse at Alki Beach) from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
•Vancouver – Kitsilano Beach (Park Entrance at Arbutus and Cornwall Ave) from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
“Pacific Rim” opens nationwide in RealD 3D, 2D and IMAX on Friday, July 12, 2013.
ABOUT “PACIFIC RIM”
From acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes the sci-fi action adventure “Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim.”
When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are synched via a neural bridge, called “The Drift.” But as the enemy grows more powerful with each attack, even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju.
On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a seemingly obsolete Jaeger. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.
Oscar® nominee Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) directed the film from a screenplay by Travis Beacham and del Toro, story by Beacham. Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, del Toro and Mary Parent produced the film, with Callum Greene serving as executive producer and Jillian Zaks co-producing.
“Pacific Rim” stars Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Rob Kazinsky, Max Martini, Clifton Collins, Jr., Burn Gorman, and Ron Perlman.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures present a Legendary Pictures/DDY Production, a Guillermo del Toro film. The film will be released in 2D and 3D in select theaters and IMAX®, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
This film has been rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language.
www.pacificrimmovie.com
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Review: "Snitch" Tattles on America's Drug War
Snitch (2013)
Running time: 112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for drug content and sequences of violence
DIRECTOR: Ric Roman Waugh
WRITERS: Justin Haythe and Ric Roman Waugh
PRODUCERS: Tobin Armbrust, Alexander Yves Brunner, Guy East, David Fanning, Dany Garcia, Matt Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Jonathan King, and Nigel Sinclair
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dana Gonzales (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Jonathan Chibnall
COMPOSER: Antonio Pinto
DRAMA/CRIME with elements of a thriller
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Barry Pepper, Jon Bernthal, Susan Sarandon, Michael K. Williams, Rafi Gavron, Melina Kanakaredes, Nadine Velazquez, Benjamin Bratt, Lela Loren, JD Pardo, David Harbour, and Harold Perrineau
Snitch is a 2013 crime drama from director Ric Roman Waugh. The film is inspired by Snitch, an episode of the PBS documentary series, “Frontline” (Season 17, 1999). Snitch the movie stars Dwayne Johnson as a father who goes undercover as a drug dealer in order to free his son who was arrested in a drug sting.
Snitch focuses on John Matthews (Dwayne Johnson), who owns a construction company. He receives a phone call from his ex-wife, Sylvie Collins (Melina Kanakaredes), that their son, Jason Collins (Rafi Gavron), has been arrested and charged with distribution of narcotics. The local U.S. Attorney, Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon), tells John and Sylvie that Jason is facing a federal mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in jail.
In a bid to get Jason’s sentence reduced, John plans to inform on a drug dealer. He asks one of his new employees, Daniel James (Jon Bernthal), who served time in prison for drug distribution, to help him make a connection with a drug dealer. Reluctantly, but in need of the money John offers, Daniel introduces John to Malik (Michael K. Williams), a very dangerous, high-ranking local drug dealer. John’s simple plan turns very complicated when he draws the attention of a drug cartel kingpin, Juan Carlos Pintera a.k.a. “El Topo.”
Because Participant Media is one of the studios behind Snitch, the film has a social and political message, that being the futility of the United States’ “war on drugs.” There is also the need to make an action movie of Snitch, or at least have some action in the form of gunfights and car chases. Thus, Snitch ends up being somewhat muddled; it is part drama, but struggles to also be a message movie and an action film. The film has a slightly awkward pace and a jittery feel, as if the story just needed to start running – to who knows where.
With that said, Snitch is an enjoyable movie. The action is good, and the way the messaging is presented is certainly attention-grabbing. Director and co-writer Ric Roman Waugh makes sure his audience feels his film’s overwhelming theme of injustice. Waugh certainly plays up the notion of “policemen and thieves” as causing confusion and commotion for the people caught in the middle of their dangerous games.
Dwayne Johnson gives a performance that is so intense that he often comes across as stiff – sincere but stiff. Still, you know… he’s a movie star, mesmerizing and alluring, so I overlook the blemishes. Barry Pepper gives one of his best performances ever as Agent Cooper (of the DEA, although this is never made clear in the movie). Benjamin Bratt is like lightning in a bottle when he first appears in what is a small, but pivotal role. As far as I’m concerned, we don’t see Bratt enough.
Although it could have been much better, Snitch is a quality film that is worth seeing. Just because it does present a powerful and compelling portrait of America’s futile drug war makes it worthwhile. Plus, the DVD has a funny and satirical faux-advertisement about going to prison for selling drugs.
6 of 10
B
Wednesday, July 03, 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)