Cinematical http://www.cinematical.com Cinematical http://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gif Cinematical http://www.cinematical.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Prepare to Enter 'Quarantine' A Week Earlierhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/prepare-to-enter-quarantine-a-week-earlier/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/prepare-to-enter-quarantine-a-week-earlier/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/prepare-to-enter-quarantine-a-week-earlier/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Whenever Scott and I aren't out fighting crime together, we tend to be chatting each other up about horror films, as he has often either pointed me towards many a overlooked gem or brought to my attention the best titles currently making the festival rounds.

Whether or not Weinberg was the one who got me initially amped up for [REC], I can't accurately recall, but the point is that I can support his many praises over the film, and I think it's safe to say that we're both cautiously optimistic about the forthcoming American remake, Quarantine. It seems that Sony's smarter minds are also prone to cautious optimism, as Shock Till You Drop informs us that the film's release has been bumped up a week, from October 17th to October 10th.

Now, the 10th is a crowded weekend - we also have a crime thriller, a family adventure, and a teen sex romp - but what's important is that not only do none of those films appeal to the same horror-seeking demographic as Quarantine, whereas video game adaptation Max Payne might on the 17th, but the move gives it an extra week to rake it in until Saw V comes around and effectively dominates the market come the 24th.

As for me, I'm still curious about Quarantine director John Erick Dowdle's previous film, the still-unreleased The Poughkeepsie Tapes. Is it some sort of staring contest between them and the equally delayed All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, or what?

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]]>horrorhorror movieHorrorMoviejohn erick dowdleJohnErickDowdlequarantineremakesaw vSawVWilliam GossSat, 05 Jul 2008 19:32:00 ESTWill 'Repo!' Face Off Against James Bond?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/will-repo-face-off-against-james-bond/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/will-repo-face-off-against-james-bond/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/will-repo-face-off-against-james-bond/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Just the other day, I shared the new trailer for the bloody, music extravaganza known as Repo! The Genetic Opera, and I noted that the flick was still without a release date. If Ace Showbiz is to be believed, the opera has found itself a new tentative square on the calendar -- November 7, 2008. That puts it face to face with the next James Bond film, Quantum of Solace.

Spies. Genetic repossessors. Gadgets. Song and dance. Bond girls. Paris Hilton. Okay, going back and forth between the perks of each feature isn't going to win this battle. These are certainly different films, but I wonder if it's wise to put them head to head. But even more to the point -- why the 7th? Heck, seeing that it's only one week after Halloween, it would make more sense to zip it into theaters a week earlier -- it might have to go up against Kevin Smith, but it would have the Halloween creepiness on its side.

Stay tuned to see if this release date sticks.

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]]>CinematicalQuantum of SolaceQuantumOfSolaceRepo The Genetic OperaRepoTheGeneticOperaMonika BartyzelSat, 05 Jul 2008 18:02:00 ESTAcclaimed Indie 'Ballast' Goes the Self-Distribution Routehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/acclaimed-indie-ballast-goes-the-self-distribution-route/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/acclaimed-indie-ballast-goes-the-self-distribution-route/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/acclaimed-indie-ballast-goes-the-self-distribution-route/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Talk about conflicted emotions! In a very fine article at indieWIRE, Anthony Kaufman reports on filmmaker Lance Hammer's recent decision to pull out of a distribution deal with IFC Films for his Sundance award-winning feature, Ballast. While I'm heartened that Hammer is willing to place creative control ahead of financial concerns, I'm also discouraged that there appears to be little room in the current distribution landscape for Hammer's critically-acclaimed independent drama to find its audience.

Ballast details the lives and connections between a man, a woman, and her son. It won praise from our own James Rocchi -- "Cineastes, looking for an American film that offers something on-screen other than glossy consumerist fantasies, will embrace Ballast with the ardent fervor of a drowning victim offered a rope" -- even though James acknowledged the challenges the film would face in drawing viewers from "outside the film festival circuit."

Paris-based sales outfit Celluloid Dreams nabbed nternational rights (outside the US) at Sundance, and then IFC made a deal for US rights in February. But Hammer told indieWIRE that, while he wasn't thrilled with the prospect of not even recouping his production budget from the deal, he was "particularly dissatisfied with the lengthy terms of the contract." All things considered, Hammer decided to walk away: "It becomes difficult to justify giving up creative control."

Continue reading Acclaimed Indie 'Ballast' Goes the Self-Distribution Route

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]]>ballastIFC FilmsIFC First TakeIfcFilmsIfcFirstTakelance hammerLanceHammerself-distributionPeter MartinSat, 05 Jul 2008 16:32:00 ESTKevin Smith Releases a Shot of Zack & Miri's Supporting Casthttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/kevin-smith-releases-a-shot-of-zack-and-miris-supporting-cast/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/kevin-smith-releases-a-shot-of-zack-and-miris-supporting-cast/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/kevin-smith-releases-a-shot-of-zack-and-miris-supporting-cast/#commentsFiled under: ,



In case you didn't spot it earlier this week, Kevin Smith slipped a peek at the supporting cast for Zack and Miri Make a Porno into his MySpace blog. It's nestled amongst remembrances of the late, great George Carlin and other morsels.

This picture is awesome, and not because you can get a look at what everyone will look like in the film. Look at their faces. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that these six people are witnessing something porn-esque, and the variety of expressions is priceless. Traci Lords looks a little unnerved. Katie Morgan looks unimpressed. But best of all is Jason Mewes. First, he looks ready and willing to get in on the action -- legs spread, face serious, anxious posture. (Pinch hitter, perhaps?) Secondly, what's with the beer? On-set hops enjoyment?

This definitely won't be our usual Halloween fare when Smith's latest opens on October 31, and I'm thinking that's a good thing.

[via JoBlo]

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]]>CinematicalJason MewesJasonMewesKatie MorganKatieMorganKevin SmithKevinSmithTraci LordsTraciLordsZack and Miri Make a PornoZackAndMiriMakeAPornoMonika BartyzelSat, 05 Jul 2008 15:03:00 ESTCasting Rumors for Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/casting-rumors-for-tim-burtons-alice-in-wonderland/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/casting-rumors-for-tim-burtons-alice-in-wonderland/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/casting-rumors-for-tim-burtons-alice-in-wonderland/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Before we get started, I just want to make it clear that in Hollywood nothing is ever official until you see the press release (and you should probably take the following news with a big grain of salt). Over at the Alice in Wonderland fan site, talk has surfaced that Tim Burton has finally cast Alice in his live-action version of Alice in Wonderland (not to be confused with the long-suffering American McGee creation).

According to the commenter, Ian B: "My brother is working on the movie and he said Alice has been cast. He is a music supervisor for the movie and said there will be a press release about it on July 9th. The role was originally supposed to be Evan Rachel Woods but she backed out. Alice won't be played by a child but a 23 year old. From what I was told it's her first Burton movie, and her first big role in a film that will be released world wide." So who's the lucky gal? Say hello to Ryan Nikole Parker. Parker is not very well known, and other than a few TV credits is a relative newcomer to the business.

Burton struck the deal for Alice with Disney back in November, and according to comments on the IMDB message boards, he's already finished casting. Luckily for us, July 9th isn't that far away, so we won't be waiting long for the official word.

Sound off below on who you would like to see go down the rabbit hole with Mr. Burton.

[via The Bad and Ugly]

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]]>alice in wonderlandAliceInWonderlandfrankenweenietim burtonTimBurtonJessica BarnesSat, 05 Jul 2008 13:32:00 ESTTrailer Park: Keeping It Realhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/trailer-park-keeping-it-real/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/trailer-park-keeping-it-real/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/trailer-park-keeping-it-real/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,



They say truth is stranger than fiction. To that I say "you obviously haven't seen Naked Lunch," but reality is certainly a fertile ground for film makers and today we've got five trailers for films based, to varying degrees, on real events.

The Perfect Game
I've never enjoyed watching sports so baseball movies usually leave me cold, but this one has a couple of things going for it: a true tale of a bunch of kids rising up from poverty to become world champions, and former drug culture icon Cheech Marin playing a priest. Based on true events, a former coach for the St. Louis Cardinals (Clifton Collins Jr.) takes a group of poor Mexican kids under his wing and teaches them the fine art of baseball, which ultimately leads them to the 1957 Little League World Series. There are the usual sports metaphors: "Love ain't like baseball," says Collins' character. "Yes it is," replies one of his bright eyed proteges. I'm teetering between cute and cringe-inducing on that one, but this kind of rags to riches story is pretty appealing and the period setting is pretty cool. The Perfect Game hits theaters on August 8.


Continue reading Trailer Park: Keeping It Real

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]]>Bottle ShockBottleShockCinemaCinematicalDeath Defying ActsDeathDefyingActsMoviesRepo The Genetice OperaRepoTheGeneticeOperaSecond SkinSecondSkinThe Perfect GameThePerfectGameMatt BradshawSat, 05 Jul 2008 12:02:00 ESTWacky New Online Video Games for 'Pineapple Express' and 'Step Brothers'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/wacky-new-online-video-games-for-pineapple-express-and-step-b/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/wacky-new-online-video-games-for-pineapple-express-and-step-b/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/wacky-new-online-video-games-for-pineapple-express-and-step-b/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I'm not exactly sure how the act of delivering silly little video games translates into tickets bought at the multiplex, but I suppose it works like this: Sony created the tie-in games, and now I'm telling you about them. So ... I guess the method works.

Anyway, it's a slow holiday weekend, which means you might have some time to waste on clicky little browser-based video games that are based on a pair of upcoming comedies. Click here for the Donkey Kong-esque misadventures on The Pineapple Express, or click here for the "whack-a-mole" game starring Step Brothers Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.

I'm definitely looking forward to both comedies ... but I'll just stick to my beloved Zuma, thanks. (Good luck making a movie out of that game.)

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]]>pineapple expressPineappleExpressstep brothersStepBrothersvideo gamesVideoGamesScott WeinbergSat, 05 Jul 2008 10:32:00 ESTReview: The Animation Show 4http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/review-the-animation-show-4/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/review-the-animation-show-4/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/05/review-the-animation-show-4/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Back in the old days, moviegoers used to get a cartoon before every movie. A lot of the classic Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry, Droopy, Popeye, Superman & Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons that many of us grew up watching on TV were once savored on the big screen. Eventually filmmakers began cranking out cartoons much more cheaply for television, and it was the end of an era -- almost. In recent years, Spike & Mike's touring cartoon festival has been a big success and other cartoon festivals have joined in. Earlier this year the five Oscar-nominated animated shorts opened in theaters, although together they ran nearly two hours. The new The Animation Show 4 collects some 18 shorts and series and runs less than 90 minutes. (See official site.)

Curator Mike Judge, the gentleman behind "Beavis & Butthead" and "King of the Hill," is definitely a man who likes his cartoons to get to the point, and so the three longest shorts here run about 7 minutes apiece. Steve Dildarian's Angry Unpaid Hooker is one of them. When his girlfriend arrives home early, Tim has trouble explaining the angry unpaid hooker sitting on his couch. The befuddled Tim will go on to star in his own series, "The Life and Times of Tim." Another epic is This Way Up, from the team of Smith & Foulkes. In it, a pair of long-faced morticians (father and son?) carries a sarcophagus to its final resting place, attempting to keep the box upright despite cruel fate's best attempts to knock it down. Stefan Mueller's Mr. Schwartz, Mr. Hazen and Mr. Horlocker, from Germany, is the other "long" one. A cop investigates some noisy neighbors in an apartment building, but can't quite get the entire story until the same scenes are played out again, behind closed doors. This features the greatest cinematic drug trip since James Toback's Harvard Man.


Continue reading Review: The Animation Show 4

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]]>bill plymptonBillPlymptoncinematicalfilmmatthew walkerMatthewWalkermike judgeMikeJudgemoviethe animation show 4TheAnimationShow4Jeffrey M. AndersonSat, 05 Jul 2008 09:02:00 ESTThe Rocchi Review -- With David Poland of Movie City Newshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/the-rocchi-review-with-david-poland-of-movie-city-news/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/the-rocchi-review-with-david-poland-of-movie-city-news/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/the-rocchi-review-with-david-poland-of-movie-city-news/#commentsFiled under: ,



Can you make a summertime movie that gives audiences excitement, adventure and real drama -- and still have it flop? Are Hancock's reviews missing the big picture? And does the success of Sex and the City mean that the niches of movie marketing are going to get even more narrow? Joining us this week to talk about all these topics and more is David Poland, editor-in-chief of Movie City News and author of The Hot Blog. Cinematical's podcast is now available through iTunes; you can subscribe at this link. Also, you can listen directly here at Cinematical by clicking below:



As ever, you can download the entire podcast right here -- and those of you with RSS Podcast readers can find all of Cinematical's podcast content at this link.

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]]>David PolandDavidPolandfeaturedHancockSex and the CitySexAndTheCitySummer MoviesSummerMoviesWALL-EWill SmithWillSmithJames RocchiFri, 04 Jul 2008 21:02:00 ESTThe Rocchi Review -- With David Poland of Movie City NewsJames Rocchi26:10Cinematical's Friday Night Double Feature: Frights for the Fourthhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/cinematicals-friday-night-double-feature-frights-for-the-fourt/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/cinematicals-friday-night-double-feature-frights-for-the-fourt/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/cinematicals-friday-night-double-feature-frights-for-the-fourt/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



It would be easy to offer you appropriately themed movies for the Fourth of July. There is, of course, Independence Day, plus flicks like Yankee Doodle Dandy, or on a more serious note, Born of the Fourth of July. But what's the fun in that? You could come up with those yourself. I could be snarky and offer only British fare, which is actually very tempting, but I have something else in mind: Independence-themed chills.

The two films for this double feature are not centered specifically on the Fourth of July, but the date is important to both stories -- whether it's the tale of tourists and teeth, or parades and creepiness. Do you see where I'm headed? For this double feature, in honor of the Fourth of July, I give you: Jaws and Cape Fear.

Continue reading Cinematical's Friday Night Double Feature: Frights for the Fourth

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]]>Cape FearCapeFearCinematicaldouble featureDoubleFeatureFourth of JulyFourthOfJulyIndependence DayIndependenceDayJawsMonika BartyzelFri, 04 Jul 2008 20:02:00 ESTFan Rant: Movies Are Not Funhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/fan-rant-movies-are-not-fun/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/fan-rant-movies-are-not-fun/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/fan-rant-movies-are-not-fun/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



"If you don't make it yourself, it isn't fun. It's entertainment."

I apologize to my colleagues and readers, because most film critics, reviewers and cinephiles have been known, at least at one point in his or her life, to call a movie "fun." I certainly am guilty of it somewhere, in some review or blog post or whatever. But I'm here to finally set the record straight, even though David Mamet clearly already informed us via the quote above, which is spoken by his wife, actress Rebecca Pidgeon, in his 2000 film State and Main. A movie can not be fun, it can only be entertaining. That is, if we're merely watching it on the screen and had no involvement in its production. Actually, even if we make a film ourself, watching it afterwards should technically still be considered entertaining rather than fun.

Of course, a movie experience can be fun. I have fun at a lot of movies I attend, but not because of the movie I'm watching. Like in the case of my recent experience with The Strangers, the movie was not what was fun, not even my observance of the audience was officially fun. But for me, the ticket buying, the popcorn eating, the sitting in the dark is all fun. And the movie was entertaining, as was the crowd. I guess that the experience of watching a movie at home or on your iPod can also be fun, but still in any scenario, the actual movie itself is never fun; it's only entertaining.

Continue reading Fan Rant: Movies Are Not Fun

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]]>hancockthe strangersTheStrangersChristopher CampbellFri, 04 Jul 2008 18:32:00 ESTReview: The Wacknesshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/review-the-wackness/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/review-the-wackness/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/review-the-wackness/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



(Note: We're re-posting the following review of The Wackness from The Tribeca Film Festival to coincide with the film's theatrical release this weekend.)

Finally, a film for kids of the 90's!

This is a hard review to write because it feels as if The Wackness was tailor-made for people like me: a male who grew up in New York City and graduated high school in 1994; the year this film was set. (Actually, I graduated in 1995, but it doesn't matter much: same kids, same lingo, same music, same surroundings). How do you review your childhood? These were all kids I hung out with, this was the music we listened to, these were the mix tapes we made and these were the girls we tried to hook up with ... but didn't. And, to some extent, it actually surprises me that so many people have loved The Wackness -- not because it's a terrible movie, mind you, but because kids who grew up in New York City during the '90s were annoying as all hell, with their "Yo, that was mad good" and their "He's got da skillz, kid!" Trust me, I know -- I was one of them.

Continue reading Review: The Wackness

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]]>cinematicalthe wacknessthe wackness reviewTheWacknessTheWacknessReviewErik DavisFri, 04 Jul 2008 17:15:00 ESTInsert Caption: Hellboy 2http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/insert-caption-hellboy-2/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/insert-caption-hellboy-2/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/insert-caption-hellboy-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Welcome back to another funtastic, Americana edition of Insert Caption -- the game where you don't need fireworks to blow our minds. Last week we asked you to step up to the mic with some dope captions for a photo from The Wackness. Congrats to Kurt P., who can now escape the summer heat and chill out with a new portable DVD player. We're jealous. We might stalk you Kurt. Be ready.

1. "Young couple seeks father figure, must have Hawaiian shirt, facial hair, and soft focus." -- Kurt P.

See full image and all captions









This week we're celebrating our independence with a big, bad red dude named Hellboy. That's right! Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy and all his freak-ish friends are back to get their fight on in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and the winners behind our three favorite captions based on the photo below will slip away with one Hellboy 2 t-shirt, one Hellboy 2 hat, one Hellboy 2 belt with buckle and one official Hellboy 2 poster. It's hot as hell outside, and come July 11 (when Hellboy 2 hits theaters), it'll get even hotter. Sound off critters!



Read the official rules for this contest

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]]>cinematicalhellboy 2hellboy II the golden armyHellboy2HellboyIiTheGoldenArmyinsert captionInsertCaptionthe wacknessTheWacknessErik DavisFri, 04 Jul 2008 16:02:00 ESTThe Spirit of Kubrick Shines On in UK TV Adverthttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/the-spirit-of-kubrick-shines-on-in-uk-tv-advert/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/the-spirit-of-kubrick-shines-on-in-uk-tv-advert/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/the-spirit-of-kubrick-shines-on-in-uk-tv-advert/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As an admitted Admirer-And-Not-Much-More of Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror classic, The Shining (I know, I know, blasphemy and such), I still got a genuine kick out of this Channel 4 promo for their upcoming month-long Kubrick retrospective.

Hosted on UK newspaper The Guardian's website, the ad consists of a single minute-long tracking shot and takes the view of the Academy Award-winning filmmaker as he dashes about the quite meticulously recreated set. The twins, the axe, the maze, each and every last iconic touch -- it's almost like they Overlook-ed nothing... (No? Too much? Apologies all around then.)

I'm having trouble ascertaining whether or not Channel 4 was also responsible for this live-action opening to 'The Simpsons' that popped up a few years back. Even if it's not, the fact still remains that precious few American commercials can claim to be their equal in both fondness and dedication. Alas, until Spike someday hosts a Joe Eszterhas tribute marathon...

[by way of AICN]

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]]>stanley kubrickStanleyKubrickthe shiningTheShiningWilliam GossFri, 04 Jul 2008 15:02:00 ESTAsian Cinema Scene: 'Boys Over Flowers' Drives Japan Crazyhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/asian-cinema-scene-boys-over-flowers-drives-japan-crazy/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/asian-cinema-scene-boys-over-flowers-drives-japan-crazy/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/asian-cinema-scene-boys-over-flowers-drives-japan-crazy/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Yes, American women, you have your beloved Sex and the City, and you may or may not want your Friends in the future, but you have nothing to compare to the female population in Japan, who are singing, en masse, the praises of Boys Over Flowers!

Currently sweeping the nation, Boys Over Flowers: Final shoved old Indiana Jones and his silly old Crystal Skull out of the way, Box Office Mojo tells us, wresting the #1 spot away from the Spielberg-Lucas devil child, whose fridge has indeed been nuked. Crystal Skull is in its second week of release in Japan; playing on 788 screens, it averaged $7,810 per screen, while Boys Over Flowers: Final averaged more than three times that amount. What's the Japanese word for "ka-ching!"?

As you might suspect from its English-language title, the phenomenom is not new, beginning with a manga series (Hana Yori Dango) published from 1992 to 2003. Among other spin-offs, an anime series was broadcast (available on Region 1 DVD), as well as a hugely popular live-action television series that aired in two 11-episode arcs in 2005 and 2007, following the travails of a "working-class girl [Inoue Mao] at an elite prep school who must contend with a four-man clique of rich, gorgeous guys," as Variety summarized. The movie wraps things up. Kevin at Nippon Cinema has a good synopsis of the whole thing, along with a teaser and a trailer from the Japanese-language official site.

Boys Over Flowers: Final proved very popular with young women aged 16 through 19, who supplied 25% of the audience, according to lunapark6. Owing to its popularity, perhaps an enterprising US company will pick up DVD rights and make the movie available in the US.

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]]>asian cinema sceneAsianCinemaSceneboys over flowersboys over flowers finalBoysOverFlowersBoysOverFlowersFinalF4hana yori dangoHanaYoriDangoinoue maoInoueMaoPeter MartinFri, 04 Jul 2008 14:02:00 ESTReview: Tell No Onehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/review-tell-no-one/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/review-tell-no-one/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/review-tell-no-one/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Tell No One is a decidedly modern thriller that also, wisely, respects the great examples of the genre's past; strip away all the e-mail and web video and it's a classic Hitchcockian thriller, where a regular-but-resourceful man is squeezed between those who have committed a crime and the cops who think he's committed it. Based on a novel by American best-selling author Harlen Coben, Tell No One is transplanted -- gently -- to France by writer-director Guillame Canet, who turns Coben's breezy summertime page-turner into a breezy summertime movie. Yes, there are plot points in the film where you'll later go back and puzzle over how who knew what when, but trust me, you won't be thinking about that while Tell No One's running up on the big screen.

Alex (François Cluzet) and Margot (Marie-Josee Croze) are happy, childhood sweethearts who've made a real and adult marriage out of that foundation; they're relaxing at the family's country estate enjoying a little night swimming when Margot gets out of the water to check on something. There's a shout, a scream; Alex swims to help her ... and is knocked unconscious by a blow. And then a title jumps the film "Eight Years Later." It's an eye blink for us; for Alex, it's been an eternity.

Continue reading Review: Tell No One

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]]>francois CluzetFrancoisCluzetGuilliame CanetGuilliameCanetHarlen CobenHarlenCobenkristin scott thomasKristinScottThomasMarie-Josee CrozeMarie-joseeCrozeNe Le Dis a PersonneNeLeDisAPersonneTell No OneTellNoOneJames RocchiFri, 04 Jul 2008 13:15:00 ESTA Trailer for Alex Proyas' 'Knowing'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/a-trailer-for-alex-proyas-knowing/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/a-trailer-for-alex-proyas-knowing/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/a-trailer-for-alex-proyas-knowing/#commentsFiled under: ,



Hi. I like movies by Alex Proyas. Everyone likes Dark City and The Crow, but I like I, Robot, too. Is it a visionary masterpiece like Dark City? It is not. But in 2004, it was the most seamlessly beautiful f/x spectacle I had ever seen. If there's one thing Proyas can do, it's make one hell of a great-looking movie.

By the look of the trailer that debuted at IGN yesterday, Knowing, Proyas's new sci-fi project with Nicolas Cage, will be along the conventional, expensive lines of I, Robot rather than his earlier work. The plot seems like a less-than-promising mix of Next and The Number 23, and Cage looks like he'd rather be somewhere else. But, uh... it sure looks great. And the thing that happens about a minute-and-a-half in convinces me that everything they said after September 11th about what we will and will not be able to consider entertainment from here on out has gone completely out the window. Which is just as well.

Despite my affinity for all things Proyas, I'll take yesterday's genuinely creepy trailer for The Day the Earth Stood Still over this one. But at least we have some non-comic-book sci-fi to look forward to.

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]]>alex proyasAlexProyasdark cityDarkCityiknowingnicolas cageNicolasCagerobotthe day the earth stood stillTheDayTheEarthStoodStillEugene NovikovFri, 04 Jul 2008 12:32:00 EST400 Screens, 400 Blows - July Fourth Movieshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/400-screens-400-blows-july-fourth-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/400-screens-400-blows-july-fourth-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/400-screens-400-blows-july-fourth-movies/#commentsFiled under: ,



It's pretty easy to pick out Christmas movies and Halloween movies, and it's not too hard to find a New Year's movie, or even Arbor Day or Memorial Day movies. But how do you select a Fourth of July movie? Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975) takes place during the Fourth of July, when the sheriff (the late, great Roy Scheider) tries to close the beach to protect the people from the killer shark and the greedy mayor wants to keep the beaches open to make lots of money. And who can forget Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear (1991), with its image of a cackling, cigar-smoking Robert De Niro looming over the helpless, passive family, while fireworks explode overhead? These movies may not be entirely appropriate, or they may be all-too-appropriate symbols of America in 2008, but either way, they're both terrific movies.

The road movie is a uniquely American genre; unlike other parts of the world, Americans have the freedom to drive across 3000 miles of open land without getting hassled. It also involves cars, for which Americans have a singular passion. There are dozens of great road movies (not surprisingly), but let's go with three of the most unique examples. Tim Burton's cult classic Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) brings the title hero on the road to find his stolen bicycle; the film also has the best hitch-hiking sequences since It Happened One Night. Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) is the ultimate existential car movie, and David Lynch's The Straight Story (1999) is the road movie transplanted to a power lawnmower (which is pretty American, too, when you think about it).

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]]>cinematicalfeaturedfilmfourth of julyFourthOfJulyjuly 4thJuly4thmovieJeffrey M. AndersonFri, 04 Jul 2008 11:02:00 ESTIndie Spotlight: New Releases for July 4http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/indie-spotlight-new-releases-for-july-4/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/indie-spotlight-new-releases-for-july-4/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/04/indie-spotlight-new-releases-for-july-4/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

You say you've got an indie jones? A desire to see something that's not playing on every single screen in America? Then you've come to the right place. "Indie Spotlight" is a new column that will appear each Friday at Cinematical, listing the films that are opening in limited release that weekend. We'll tell you what they are, where they're playing, and what the critics are saying about them, to give you something to see beyond the multiplexes.

This Fourth of July is a fine time to declare your love of independents, as these films are opening in art houses across the land: Diminished Capacity, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Holding Trevor, Kabluey, Tell No One, The Wackness, and We Are Together.

Diminished Capacity
What it is: Matthew Broderick plays a man suffering from memory problems who returns to his hometown to hang out with his uncle (Alan Alda), who has Alzheimer's. He connects with an old girlfriend (Virginia Madsen), too; not sure on whether she can remember things or not. Oh, and it's a comedy.
What they're saying: Cinematical's Christopher Campbell gave it a so-so review; boss man Erik Davis liked it better, but he's in the minority.
Where it's playing: New York City (Landmark Sunshine Cinema; Clearview's 62nd & Broadway), Chicago (Landmark Century Centre Cinema), and Los Angeles (Laemmle's Music Hall 3, Beverly Hills).
Official site: IFC Films.

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
What it is: Sadly, Gonzo is not the long-awaited biopic of the misunderstood Muppet. It is instead a documentary about the legendary writer/journalist/hallucinogen-enthusiast whose work you might know from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The doc, by Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room), premiered at Sundance.
What they're saying: Cinematical's James Rocchi reviewed it favorably and interviewed Gibney. Our Nick Schager liked it, too.

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]]>Eric D. SniderFri, 04 Jul 2008 09:02:00 ESTCinematical Seven: My Favorite Summertime Movieshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/03/cinematical-seven-my-favorite-summertime-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/03/cinematical-seven-my-favorite-summertime-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/03/cinematical-seven-my-favorite-summertime-movies/#commentsFiled under: ,



It usually takes about a week after the kids get out of school for summer to kick in, and if there was ever an official starting line, it's Fourth of July weekend. Maybe you're hitting up a barbecue with some friends this weekend, relaxing by the pool or shooting off some fireworks -- and that's cool. Enjoy yourself. Me? I'll be doing a little of the BBQ, but I'll also enjoy a screening of at least one of the following seven films. See, what's summer without a memorable summertime flick ... or several?

This year's best summertime film (according to me), The Wackness, hits theaters in limited release tomorrow before rolling out to other cities. That film caters a bit more toward a specific time period (1994) and a specific location (NYC), but those summer-in-the-city flicks are rare, especially a good one. Instead of following all those kids who left town, went to camp, traveled abroad, what have you, The Wackness remains with the one dude who didn't leave town. The kid who was stuck spending his summer on hot pavement, dealing pot to his therapist while chasing the girl of his dreams.

But perhaps that's how you remember summer growing up. Or maybe you spent most of your summers in camp, or on the baseball field, or with a few of your best pals on another bizarre adventure. Those summer months hold a lot of memories for you, I'm sure, as they do for me. And what's up with summertime movies and awesome soundtracks? Ever notice that? Anyway, here are some of my favorites ... feel free to tell me yours.

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]]>cinematicaldazed and confusedDazedAndConfuseddirty dancingDirtyDancinggreat summertime moviesGreatSummertimeMovieshot american summerjawsstand by meStandByMethe sandlotthe wacknessTheSandlotTheWacknesswetErik DavisThu, 03 Jul 2008 20:02:00 EST