March | 2012 | the m0vie blog

Prometheus Second Trailer (& International Trailer)

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Darren

How far would you go to get your answers? What would you be willing to do?

– David

Ridley Scott’s Prometheus is getting gradually closer and the mystery seems to be unfolding a bit. These two trailers give a bit more background information on his latest science-fiction epic, and even hint at the possible link to Alien that the direct (and his cast and crew) have been so coy about. Those wishing to go in completely blind might want to skip them, but they can only raise anticipation. My own anticipation can’t get much higher. It’s my third most anticipated movie of the year (behind The Dark Knight Rises and Django Unchained), so it can’t climb too much further.

Anyway, here’s the second American trailer:

And here’s the international trailer which is a bit slower but has a bit more back story:

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: alien, arts, blade runner, charlize theron, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Prometheus, ridley scott, science fiction, trailer | 2 Comments »

The Quatermass Experiment (2005) (Review)

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Darren

The wonderful folks at the BBC have given me access to their BBC Global iPlayer for a month to give the service a go and trawl through the archives. I’ll have some thoughts on the service at the end of the month, but I thought I’d also take the opportunity to enjoy some of the fantastic content.

The Quatermass Xperiment was a very important place in the history of genre television. Originally airing as a six-part drama on the BBC, the 1953 adventure serial demonstrated that televised science-fiction could be written for adults. Written by Nigel Kneale, the show had a major influence on the genre not only at home (inspiring Doctor Who), but also internationally (allegedly paving the way for 2001: A Space Odyssey and Alien). In 2005, as part of BBC 4’s “TV on Trial” season, a remake of the classic serial was commissioned, with one especially fascinating facet: it would be broadcast live.

Man of science...

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: bbc, bbc global iplayer, BBC iPlayer, david tennant, Jason Flemyng, live television, quatermass, quatermass experiment, quatermass experiment (2005), quatermass xperiment, science fiction, Television | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Act of Valour

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Darren

Act of Valour is an interesting little experiment that almost undermines its own central premise. Using real-life Navy SEALs to portray fictional Navy SEALs, one might imagine that the directors were opting for a naturalistic approach to the somewhat conventional action film. On paper, it seems like an attempt to construct a film drawing on the raw experiences of people who have lived through events similar to those depicted on screen, and to harness that personality in a way that connects with the audience more faithfully than an actor giving a performance could. Unfortunately, the movie winds up feeling horribly staged, with the cast given naturalistic dialogue that sound painfully rehearsed, a blaring soundtrack and an impersonal approach to the action sequences. While it might have the right stuff at its core, the surface of the movie is almost impenetrable.

Not quite a blast...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Action film, Chuck Norris, film, Government, Jeff Fahey, Major Commands, McCoy, military, Movie, Navy, Navy SEAL, non-review review, roman polanski, United States, United States Navy SEALs, Waugh | 2 Comments »

Snow White & The Huntsman Trailer

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Darren

Hi there. Just a quick one. The guys at Universal sent over the new Snow White & The Huntsman trailer earlier, and I’ve included it below. It’s certainly a bit darker and grittier than the other Snow White reimagining being released this year, Mirror Mirror. I’m actually looking forward a bit to both films, if only because they have two very distinct visual identities, and I am interested in fairytale reimaginings and deconstructions. I have to admit to quite liking the imagery with Charlize Theron in the bath of milk. While some might argue two Snow White films within the space of a month is over-saturating the market, I suspect make an interesting comparison. What do you guys think? The trailer’s below.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: charlize theron, chris hemsworth, kristen stewart, Queen, snow white, Snow White and the Huntsman, universal | 7 Comments »

Garth Ennis’ Run on Punisher MAX – Hardcover, Vol. III (Review)

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Darren

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, this month we’re going to take a look at Northern Irish writer Garth Ennis’ run on that iconic Marvel anti-hero, The Punisher. Check back every Friday and Wednesday for a review of a particular section.

I think I’m finally getting the hang of Ennis’ run on Punisher MAX. It seems that it’s pretty much positioned between two extremes: bleak nihilistic cynicism and depressing absurdist black comedy. I don’t think that any collection of Ennis’ work illustrates these two extremes quite as well as this one, collecting both The Slavers and Barracuda – the former undoubtedly Ennis’ darkest work on the title and the former probably the most ridiculously cynical comedy the writer has drafted for the character (at least on the MAXline). It certainly makes for one weird cocktail.

Frankly my dear...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: Barracuda, Boys, comic books, Comics, Frank Castle, Garth Ennis, marvel, marvel comics, marvel max, max, Northern Ireland, punisher, punisher max, Slavers, the slavers | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: The Hunger Games

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Darren

The Hunger Games is a solid science-fiction action movie that brushes fleetingly with greatness. Borrowing liberally from various sources of science-fiction cult lore, director Gary Ross provides an efficient little adventure movie that alludes to depths it seems afraid to explore. The result is a stylish little film, one constructed with considerable style and technique. It keeps the audience interested for most of its two-and-a-half hour run time. The problem is that it feels like it should be so much more than it ultimately ends up being. It lacks the killer instinct that it needs to define itself as a truly exceptional piece of work.

Straight arrow?

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: arts, film, Gary Ross, Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence, Katniss Everdeen, List of characters in the Hunger Games trilogy, Movie, non-review review, panem, review, Ross, Ryan Seacrest, science fiction, stanley tucci, Suzanne Collins, truman show, United States | 8 Comments »

Tiny Plays for Ireland at the Projects Art Centre (Review)

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Darren

There’s something very charming about the rat-tat-tat nature of Tiny Plays for Ireland. A collection of short pieces by a variety of new and established talent, not every chapter in Fishamble’s latest production is perfect. Some are even quite weak. However, the quick turnover means that there’s a new and better drama unfolding on stage in the time it takes to toast a slice of bread. While there are some weaker segments, some of these short plays are charming, some are endearing, some are genuinely moving. Some leave you longing for just a little bit more, and some feeljust right.

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Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: art, arts, audition, Bill Withers, christopher walken, Culture of Ireland, dublin, Flag of Ireland, france, Ireland, irish times, Leprechaun, Lovely Day, Nation, Saint Patrick, Saint Patrick's Day, Scotland, United States | Leave a comment »

Wallander: One Step Behind (Review)

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Darren

And so we reach the end of the first season of the British adaptations of Henning Mankell’s acclaimed Swedish crime novels. Wallander is a series that is probably much stronger than it really should be, offering ninety-minute-long mysteries that are produced the standards of feature films. Director Philip Martin returns after directing the first episode to helm the final in the first trilogy of adaptations. (There would be a second set of three broadcast in 2010 and another set of three to be shown in 2012.) Strangely enough, this final episode actually manages to give a significant amount of depth to the title character, finally suggesting a role worthy of the depth Branagh imbues into it.

We've got a hit on our hands...

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: Arts and Entertainment, bbc, BBC iPlayer, Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Henning Mankell, kenneth branagh, Kurt Wallander, One Step Behind, Sky Arts, Sweden, tom hiddleston, Wallander, Wallander: One Step Behind | 8 Comments »

Marvel Knights: Punisher by Garth Ennis Omnibus

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Darren

Solo act again. No Micro. No gimmicks: no fancy ammo, no battle-vans, no high-tech surveillance. Just the basics. Been gone a while. Distracted. The scum in this city need a wake-up call. And here it comes.

– Frank Castle gives us a mission statement

Looking back, it’s hard to imagine how big a mess the Punisher was in before Garth Ennis got his hands on the character. The fascination with “darker and edgier” in the nineties had given the character a huge boost, but it was quickly wasted. From a character who had supported multiple books during the “boom” years, he was reduced to one core title with a radical new direction. Imagining the Punisher as some sort of avenging angel figure hadn’t worked out, so it seemed like that character was truly struggling to keep his head above water. Then Garth Ennis arrived, writing a twelve-part maxi-series that would be the first step in a long and fruitful relationship with the character. He didn’t try to radically revamp the character, opting for a back-to-basics approach with a healthy dash of black humour, realising that there was something inherently absurdist about a gun-carrying psychopathic killing machine with a skull on his chest, sharing a universe with angels and demons and superheroes.

Welcome back, Frank...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: batman, dc universe, ennis, Frank, Garth Ennis, marvel knights, marvel universe, punisher | 13 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Devil Inside

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Darren

The Devil Inside is a cocktail of fascination, frustration and infuriation. Unfortunately it’s not a balanced one – though there’s just enough interesting ingredients to pique our curiosity, but the delivery is so slapdash and haphazard that these intriguing elements are swiftly brushed aside. The Devil Inside confuses provocative drama with shallow sensationalism, but the biggest flaw with the film is that – quite simply – it doesn’t work. I don’t mean that it doesn’t work as a film. The problem is more fundamental than that. I mean that it doesn’t work as a story.