sophia myles Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Vikings vs. aliens -- you're either with it or not. It's a curious concept, likely greeted by one of two reactions -- either palpable intrigue or a total and utter lack of interest -- and even those intrigued know that a killer pitch can't stop a SciFi Channel level stinker from being just that (Sharks in Venice, anyone?). Well, rest assured that this version of that story, which opens in select markets today, isn't all hollow kitsch -- in fact, Outlander is probably the best possible version of whatever movie you've already made in your head from reading those first three words.

During the reign of the Vikings, a spaceship suddenly thunders down from the heavens and crash-lands smack in the middle of Norway. Out tumbles Kainan (James Caviezel), who has to bury his co-pilot and learn the language of the land in short and painful order, respectively -- and who also has to find out what has become of an alien stowaway that claimed much of his own race and is now free to plague a new planet. The local villagers, led by Rothgar (John Hurt), are skeptical of this stranger and his alleged quest to conquer what he only calls a dragon, but soon enough, even the elder, the heir apparent (Jack Huston), and his headstrong wife-to-be (Sophia Myles) will realize that what menaces them is a bigger beast indeed...

I've been obsessed with Outlander's amazing conceit for ever since I first head about the movie, oh, two years ago. Back in early June, I posted this update, indicating that the movie still existed, albeit in the iron grip of the Weinstein Company.

Now we finally have a trailer, which confirms that the movie is, indeed, about a man from another planet who allies with the Vikings in 6th Century A.D. to kill an alien predator that he accidentally unleashed on earth. All of that remains as awesome as it was in 2006. Some of the footage in the trailer looks a bit murky and generic, which is disappointing, but at least it's clear that they don't back away from that killer plot hook. Jim Caviezel does indeed arrive in Viking-ruled Norway on a spaceship, and that's basically all I need to hear. Let the geek-out commence.

The movie, which co-stars Sophia Myles (ooooh), John Hurt (aaaah) and Ron Perlman (holy crap!), has no American release date, but I'd be stunned if it doesn't at least appear on DVD in the next year. Keep your eyes peeled. Meanwhile, I welcome estimates of the probability that Outlander will live up to the expectations I've set. Myself, I can't imagine it's over 25%. But we'll see.

Very cool of rowthree to catch the trailer appearing on the film's official website.

Had Hallam Foe played the Sundance festival, it probably would have been one of the more buzzed-about films; its edgy, teenage angst quirkiness doesn't quite seem like it belongs in competition here in Berlin. However, that has not stopped it from pleasing a crowd desperate for a bit more entertainment -- a bit more flavor -- as the festival entered its final days. Following his full-of-life performance in Billy Elliot, Jamie Bell has subsequently gone on to become a warped festival actor -- the kind of guy you get to play "fed up with his dysfunctional neighborhood" (The Chumscrubber) or, in this case, "cross-dressing teen obsessed with his dead mother."

Young Hallam doesn't have many talents; following the suicide of his mother, he spends most of his time camped out in a treehouse built high off the ground on the edges of his father's massive estate. There, he's created a bit of a shrine to mom; collecting her old clothes, pictures, make-up and whatever other memorabilia he could find in an attempt to keep her memory alive. It would appear Hallam only has one hobby: to occasionally smear his mother's old lipstick across his body and spy on those closest to him (including the neighbors) with his binoculars. He'll then frantically scribble his observations down in a diary; his only outlet for emotion.

• Æon Flux - This empty sci-fi flick's listing on IMDB.com is loaded with glowing user endorsements, leading everyone else who has seen it to believe that either drugs were involved in forming these opinions, the Pod People took these users over or an army of undercover PR lackeys is spinning overtime. This cinematic equivalent of a bronzed cow pie, an unimaginative Logan's Run pretender set 400 years in the future after a global plague, stars Charlize Theron as a rebel trying to take down the corrupt government of Bregna, the only city on Earth. From the way-lazy back story title cards and opening narration to the silly costumes to the cartoonish action sequences to the awful deadpan performances, this should be called Peed-On, Sux. Maybe Theron's mother needed an operation or something, but this is a very bad and brainless example of sci-fi, a puffed-up issue movie that ultimately offers nothing but regret. Instead, check out creator Peter Chung's original, pre-anime craze animated MTV series, which was released on DVD late last year.