Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2010) Movie Review
Note: This is the live action movie not the superb animated film
"the time travelling theme and background science fiction flavour do mean that “Time Traveller, the Girl who leapt through Time” is able to rise above its more basic romantic teen drama trappings, and it stands as a very enjoyable and quite charming piece of wistful cinema. Naka Riisa makes for a winning heroine, and drives what is a successful extension of the original story and a welcome addition to the canon."
Arnold Schwarzenegger Puts Movie Career Comeback on Hold … For Now
First pic of Bane from the Dark Knight Rises
A muscle man in a gimp mask.
Bane!!!!!
New Chinese Movie Posters Unveiled at Cannes
WHITE VENGEANCE
This one is a historical epic starring Leon Lai (BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS, FIRE OF CONSCIENCE). Directed by Daniel Lee (DRAGON SQUAD, THREE KINGDOMS, 14 BLADES), the film tells the story of a famous Chinese banquet that involved the two key characters in the overturning of the Qin Dynasty. Zhang Hanyu, Liu Yifei, Feng Shaofeng, Anthony Wong, Jordan Chan and Andy On co-star. I have always found director Daniel Lee's movies to be mostly entertaining despite the (very) often messy narrative. So this one should be a fun, if forgettable, historical film. Plus the strong cast could really help lift this film.
THE GREAT MAGICIAN
While everyone's wondering what is happening to Wong Kar Wai's THE GRANDMASTERS, which of course stars the great Tony Leung (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, INFERNAL AFFAIRS, LUST CAUTION), Tony has already got a new film due to be completed very soon. The new film is THE GREAT MAGICIAN, directed by Derek Yee (ONE NITE IN MONGKOK, PROTÉGÉ, and a personal favourite of mine - the little tearjerker C'EST LA VIE, MON CHERI). Lau Ching Wan also stars in the film. Looking at the poster, I think the smoke dragon is pretty cool, but why is Tony Leung dressed so similarly to what we've seen of him in THE GRANDMASTERS posters?
TAI CHI
This is going to be the new film by actor-director Stephen Fung, who as a director, has been incredibly inconsistent. His most successful work to date remains his 2005 action flick HOUSE OF FURY, but his last film JUMP was rather disappointing. Now working with China's biggest production company Huayi Brothers, Fung is going to direct a trilogy of films called TAI CHI, with the help of the crew behind DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME. TAI CHI is reportedly about the birth of a Tai Chi grand master. Looking at the poster, my only question is: what on earth is that thing facing the Tai Chi practitioner? Production is due to start next month and release of the first film is planned for 2012.
X-Men First Class action TV spot
Ridiculous
Trailer For 'My Kingdom'
The trailer has been released for 'My Kingdom', a new Chinese martial arts drama directed by Gao Xiaosong. The film tells the story of two brothers’ quest for fame, love and revenge, back dropped by the Shanghai opera stage during its 1920s heyday. The cast includes Wu Chun, Barbie Hsu and Han Geng
"Glossy and conspicuously cynical Korean comedy that rides a killer concept to entertaining romcom gold. Despite huge unanswered questions, Cyrano Agency gets the girl and probably your money."
A Chinese Ghost Story 2011 remake review
"Wilson Yip's remake of the 1987 Chinese Ghost Story is OK for big budget audience fare, but it's impossible to forget that the original film exists and was also a whole lot better. Really, putting together a satisfactory remake of A Chinese Story was probably an impossible proposition. It remains impossible."
Too funny:
Former Planet of the Apes Star Estella Warren Arrested, Escaped, Arrested Again
This … is just awesome. Yeah, it’s super serious law stuff, too, but I think that’s what makes it so much more awesome.
In case you’re not familiar with her, Estella Warren is a Canadian former model turned actress who made her big screen splash in Tim Burton’s “Planet of the Apes” remake in 2001. If you saw the movie and didn’t know who she was, she’s the “primitive human” with the perfect set of teeth romancing Mark Wahlberg. Warren’s career hasn’t exactly been going strong since that sci-fi blunder, but it looks like it’s just gotten much worst.
The actress was recently arrested in Hollywood for crashing into three parked cars, trying to flee the scene, getting caught, assaulting a police officer arresting her, put into a holding room while in handcuffs, promptly escaped, and then was captured again.
True story.
Warren was driving down Harper Avenue near West Hollywood when she crashed into three parked cars, Los Angeles police Officer Sarah Faden said.
Someone heard the noise of the crashes and came to see what was going on. That person called police then pursued Warren when it was clear she wasn’t going to stop and leave her information, Faden said.
The person then forced Warren to stop, though it was unclear how. Police arrived and arrested Warren on suspicion of driving under the influence, but she assaulted one of the officers, Faden said. The 32-year-old actress was then immediately re-arrested for felony battery on an officer.
Police took Warren to Wilshire station, where she was detained in a holding room. Exactly how she managed it was unclear, but Faden said Warren slipped out her handcuffs then burst through a door to the police station and briefly escaped. She was immediately recaptured and booked on a felony escape charge.
It's funny because the other day I was actually thinking about Estella and wondering what the hell ever happened to her. I remember looking at some promo shots of her in a copy of Premiere Magazine prior to the release of Planet of the Apes and thought they were some of the sexiest pictures I'd ever seen. But that movie really didn't do much for anyone's career. Oh well, sucks to be her.
It killed Tim Roth's career.
I was looking forward to the action movie Red Eagle till I read a bad review. Now here is a positive one.
"it makes up for its shortcomings in the best possible way, by delivering absurd amounts of ridiculous, over-the-top action. We’re talking a “Bad Boys II” level of overkill here. There is one fight scene that goes on for nearly twenty-minutes; it stops and starts, and constantly builds to a point where the two combatants are fighting on a falling elevator. That’s the kind of movie we’re talking about here, where the story and characters are secondary concerns"
"he cleans things up, dispensing his own brutal and bloody form of justice, like Batman only more vicious. Within the first few scenes he tortures and forcibly overdoses a drug dealer, and takes a particularly nasty retribution on a crooked senator with a penchant for molesting young children. It suffices to say he does not meet a pleasant end. Red Eagle can also kill like 80 dudes and leap high walls from a stand still."
"—beheadings abound. For all of “Red Eagle’s” faults, the movie is entertaining as hell."
X-Men First class twitch film review
The point is, "X-Men: First Class" does an awful lot right, and, like the altruistic team it's about, it may be paying the price for it already. What this film lacks in Wolverine it makes up for in Erik-becoming-Magneto pathos, Mystique's identity angst, and Beast's onscreen transformation into Sully from "Monsters Inc." (Okay, maybe not that last one.) But "X-Men: First Class" is nonetheless an excellent new take on a derailed franchise, through the lens of alternate history. If you feel the need to sneak into it in your underwear, I understand, but do remember that as engrossing as this movie can be, the sixties ended years ago, and were never quite that swingin'.
Some clips which show how awesome Summer Wars is:
The video below has the music but no subtitles or voice so minimal spoilers. It's a scene near the end, the best one so I would turn it off when the music goes off melody.
I just read this on Yahoo movies
The success of ‘The Hangover Part II’, which became the top grossing film of 2011 this week despite (mostly) terrible reviews, is just the latest demonstration of why sequels are so important in Hollywood.
With such big money on offer, film studios always look into following up a successful movie, even if they don’t really have a decent idea for a story. Here are some of the madcap sequels that were genuinely considered by greedy movie producers, but thankfully never got the green light. At least not yet, anyway…
Roger Rabbit II: Toon Platoon
The idea: A direct-to-video prequel that saw a young Roger searching for his mother in, er, Nazi-occupied Europe. Along the way he meets a Hollywood actress called Jessica, who he must rescue when she’s captured by the Third Reich. Apparently the film ended with a huge military parade that saw Rog reunited with his real dad, who was revealed to be Bugs Bunny. Hmm.
Why it never happened: Co-producer Steven Spielberg reportedly hated the script - perhaps because he had just made ‘Schindler’s List’ and wasn’t in the mood for jaunty cartoon Nazis. A Hitler-free re-write set on Broadway was commissioned but the project never saw the light of day.
The Vegas Brothers
The idea: A prequel showing the adventures of Vic Vega/Mr. Pink from ‘Reservoir Dogs’ (Michael Madsen) and Vincent Vega from ‘Pulp Fiction’ (John Travolta) - who were apparently brothers. Tarantino said the project “would have taken place during the time Vincent was in Amsterdam, when he was running one of Marcellus’ clubs in Amsterdam. And Vic goes to visit him.” Why it never happened: Quite simply, Tarantino had other projects he wanted to make more, and the actors got too old to play younger versions of their characters. Probably a good thing.
[See also: Box office disaster becomes surprise international hit]
Forest Gump 2: Gump and Co
The idea: Based on Winston Groom’s sequel, Gump would have once again accidently stumbled through historical events - this time in the 1980s and 90s. Shenanigans included helping develop ‘New Coke’, destroying the Berlin Wall, capturing Saddam Hussein during operation Desert Storm and meeting Tom Hanks at the Oscars. Why it never happened: A script based on the frankly-rubbish sounding book was written by Gump scribe Tim Roth, but according to Hanks a sequel was never seriously considered. “We would have just been repeating ourselves,” he told Radio 1 back in 2008. If life is like a box of chocolates, Gump 2 would be a coffee-flavoured one.
Gladiator 2
The idea: Written by Nick Cave (yes, the musician), this barmy-sounding sequel had Russell Crowe’s Maximus (killed at the end of the first film, remember) resurrected by Roman Gods and becoming some kind of immortal warrior, ultimately fighting in the Second World War and working at the Pentagon.
Why it never happened: Apparently Crowe was extremely keen on Cave’s script, as was director Ridley Scott, who said it “worked brilliantly”. Sadly, however, it was just a bit too barmy for the studio and they passed.
E.T. 2: Nocturnal Fears
The idea: This nine page story treatment dreamt up by writer Melissa Mathison and director Steven Spielberg saw Elliot (the boy from the first movie) captured by an evil ‘mutant albino’ offshoot of E.T.’s race, who had been at war with the peaceful alien’s people for years. Eventually E.T. returns to save the day once more. At one point the diminutive alien leaves a message on his old radio saying ‘ET help Elliott soon’.
Why it never happened: Spielberg quickly decided a sequel to the most beloved sci-fi film of all time might be a bad move, famously saying (somewhat creepily): “It would do nothing but rob the original of its virginity’.
The Bodyguard 2 (Princess Diana)
The idea: Having protected Whitney Huston in the first movie, Kevin Costner’s bodyguard Frank Farmer would now look after Princess Diana - who would play herself.
Why it never happened: Obviously because of her tragic death in 1997. According to Costner, however, the princess was “genuinely interested” in the project. “I had talked with Princess Di a couple of times," Costner told the BBC back in 2001. “She was genuinely excited to see [the script].”
Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash
The idea: A sequel to ‘Freddy vs. Jason’ that pits horror icons Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees (the villains of ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ and ‘Friday 13th’) against manic ‘Evil Dead’ hero Ash Williams. Why it never happened: The trio had already battled in a comic series, so it seemed only a matter of time before the project reached our screens. However, ‘Evil Dead’ director Sam Raimi, who still owns the rights to the Ash character, reportedly wasn’t keen on the idea, so it’s still stuck in development hell.
[See also: Gordon Ramsay in embarrassing film cameo]
Superman Lives
The idea: Written by Kevin Smith (who directed ‘Clerks’ and is one half of ‘Jay and Silent Bob’), this is the granddaddy of silly sequels. Madcap producer Jon Peters gave Smith all kinds of bizarre elements he had to incorporate into the script, including (at various points) Superman battling a giant spider in the finale, Lex Luthor getting a space dog sidekick (because Peters liked Chewbacca ) and Brainiac fighting polar bears at the Fortress of Solitude. Peters also objected to the Man of Steel’s costume… and the fact he could fly.
Why it never happened: Amazingly, Warner Bros. loved the finished script (by that point the space dog was gone) but when Tim Burton was brought onboard to direct he had the screenplay totally re-written and eventually the project collapsed.
Lol at the Gladiator 2 synopsis.
travo said:Lol at the Gladiator 2 synopsis.
All of them seem insane but that one is especially crazy.
Gladiator 2 is the only one I'd heard of before that list.
Sounds better than Gladiator tbh.
Gladiator sounds awesome, they should make it as a violent animated movie.
I heard there was rumors that a Roger Rabbit sequel was in the works for years, but would be too costly to make. I don't understand how.
Roger Rabbit II: Toon Platoon
The idea: A direct-to-video prequel that saw a young Roger searching for his mother in, er, Nazi-occupied Europe. Along the way he meets a Hollywood actress called Jessica, who he must rescue when she’s captured by the Third Reich. Apparently the film ended with a huge military parade that saw Rog reunited with his real dad, who was revealed to be Bugs Bunny. Hmm.
Why it never happened: Co-producer Steven Spielberg reportedly hated the script - perhaps because he had just made ‘Schindler’s List’ and wasn’t in the mood for jaunty cartoon Nazis. A Hitler-free re-write set on Broadway was commissioned but the project never saw the light of day.
Roger Rabbit should have been in a Schindlers List sequel. Problem solved.
The comics haven't aged at all! Unless you're going to be offended by sambos, racist stereotypes and animal cruelty.