russell crowe | the m0vie blog

Watch! Behind the Scenes on the Man With the Iron Fists!

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Darren

Universal Pictures Ireland just sent over this featurette looking behind the scenes at RZA’s upcoming action film, The Man With The Iron Fists. It certainly looks like an interesting genre mash-up, with Russell Crowe, RZA and Lucy Liu in front of the camera and Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth working with RZA behind the scenes. I’m not quite sure what to make of it at this point, but I am just hoping for a pulpy action film. Anyway, give the featurette a look and let me know what you make of it.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Eli Roth, Lucy Liu, Man With The Iron Fist, quentin tarantino, russell crowe, RZA, universal studios, Wu-Tang Clan | Leave a comment »

Watch! Live Singing in Les Misérables…

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Darren

Universal Pictures Ireland just sent over this behind-the-scenes look at Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables. The film is opening here in January 2013, and I’m actually quite curious to see how it pans out. We’ve had juke box musicals, and modern movies like The Muppets incorporating songs, but there really haven’t been too many legitimate old-school-style musicals in the past number of years. Even Sweeney Todd seemed remarkably subversive. I’m fascinated with this attempt to play the genre straight, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a musical in a cinema. I can’t remember a large-scale musical like this, with a lot of pundits suggesting the genre has been relegated to history.

I actually find this snippet quite insightful, because I would have assumed – for purely practical purposes – the film would have been shot with actors recording the songs separately to filming the scenes. It also illustrates just how skilfully Hooper has put all this together – even offering an off-hand reference to a tune from the musical, Hugh Jackman has a fantastic singing voice. Anyway, check it out below.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Amanda Seyfried, anne hathaway, arts, Eddie Redmayne, Hooper, hugh jackman, Les Misérables, russell crowe, Tom Hooper, universal studios | 2 Comments »

Watch! The Trailer for The Man With The Iron Fists…

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Darren

Universal Pictures Ireland sent over the trailer for Russell Crowe’s next film, The Man With the Iron Fists, written, directed and starring RZA. It looks interesting, at the very least, and there’s certainly a fascinating cast assembled for the film, including Pam Grier and Lucy Liu. With Eli Roth collaborating with RZA on the script, I’m hoping for a pulpy action film. Let me know what you think.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Eli Roth, Lucy Liu, Man With the Iron Fists, Pam Grier, Rick Yune, russell crowe, RZA, trailer | 8 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Virtuosity

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Darren

Virtuosity is a hybrid monster, a veritable Frankenstein’s monster stitched together from various ideas and concepts you’ve seen done elsewhere and better. In a way, it feels like the logical combination of Hollywood’s fascination with two nineties genres that the studios never really understood. One part cybernetic internet-era technological thriller to one part serial killer movie, Virtuosity feels like a volatile cocktail that needs to be handled with care. If there is a way to work this curious blend of genres, it’s with a very delicate and nuanced. Unfortunately, neither Eric Bernt’s script nor Brett Leonard’s direction can really make anything of what should at least be a pulpy premise. Russell Crowe does do an excellent job as the cybernetic serial killer, though.

Crowe’s agent should screen his scripts better…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Brett Leonard, Caesars Palace, Charles Manson, classical music, denzel washington, Eric Bernt, history, hollywood, Janitor, Ludwig van Beethoven, murder, Piano, russell crowe, serial killer, Sid, SID 6.7, The Great Kat, Virtuosity | 4 Comments »

Les Miserables Trailer

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Darren

Just a quick one. The guys at Universal Pictures Ireland just sent on this trailer for Les Miserables, the next film from the Tom Hooper, the director of The King’s Speech. It features Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman… and Hugh Jackman’s great big bushy beard. All joking aside, I’m amazed that Hollywood hasn’t been quicker to adapt more of the more vintage or “classical” stage musicals. Sure, occasionally you end up with Phantom of the Opera, but I really enjoyed Sweeney Todd.

With films like Hairspray proving you can adapt a musical in a fun and sharp (and engaging) manner, there’s no reason to be afraid of the genre – if done right. And Hooper, I think, definitely has the elegant style necessary to transition a work like this from stage to screen. I’m quite curious about this one, and I like that it’s up front about being a musical – unlike the infamous Sweeney Todd trailer that made a point of cutting around the singing.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: anne hathaway, hollywood, hugh jackman, King's Speech, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, russell crowe, Tom Hooper | 6 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Next Three Days

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Darren

The Next Three Days is actually, when it gets down to it, quite a clever and inventive little prison break movie, with a strong central performance from Russell Crowe, with a smart script and a great supporting cast. However, the problem is that, for a prison break movie, the actual prison break only takes up a relatively small amount of the film. While it’s clear a great deal of care and research went into the production, and it feels like Paul Haggis is really showing his work, it throws the pacing off a bit, and feels almost like we’re watching the episodic adventures of a guy planning to break his wife out of prison.

This couple really needs a break...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Brian Dennehy, DVD, elizabeth banks, escaping from prison, film, jailbreak, liam neeson, Movie, Movies, next 3 days, Next Three Days, non-review review, Olivia Wilde, paul haggis, prison break, review, russell crowe, the next 3 days, the next three days | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Master and Commander – The Far Side of the World

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Darren

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a movie that, like Gladiator before it, finds a lot of appeal in resurrecting a genre that was pretty much dead in cinema. As such, despite being well-produced and well-acted, the core of the movie is one of nostalgia – we’ve all seen those classic tales of men at war on the oceans, what might be termed swashbuckling sea-faring adventures. However, unlike Russell Crowe’s earlier film, Peter Weir’s attempt to revive the men-at-sea adventure movie never quite landed with the public – to the point that the genre hasn’t really seen a resurgence, nor has a sequel been produced. Which, to be honest, is a bit of shame. Master and Commander isn’t quite as powerful an experience as it could be, but it is – like the ship on which it is set – well built and sturdy.

It's long and hard and filled with... never mind...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: A Beautiful Mind, films, gladiator, Jim Sturgess, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Movies, non-review review, nostalgia, paul bettany, Peter Weir, review, romanticism, russell crowe, Way Back | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Gladiator

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Darren

My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.

– Maximus sums up the plot in case you were sleeping for the first hour and a half

The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Striking story!

– Commodus also reiterates the plot in case you weren’t paying attention

I think a lot of the appeal of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator rested on the fact we hadn’t seen a film quite like this in over a generation. In the years since we’ve witnessed a rejuvenated genre, with historical epics becoming more and more common. It’s easy to forget the impact of the Ridley Scott’s swords-and-sandals epic in the wake of films like King Arthur, Robin Hood or even Kingdom of Heaven – let alone 300 or shows like Spartacus: Blood & Sand. And yet, even after all these big all-action historical endeavours, there’s still something special about Gladiator.

It's the eye of the tiger...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: best picture oscar, Commodus, djimon hounsou, epic, film, gladiator, Gladiators, Hans Zimmer, history, Joaquin Phoenix, Marcus Aurelius, maximus, Movie, non-review review, oliver reed, review, richard harris, ridley scott, russell crowe | 5 Comments »

Robbin’ the Hood: Give The People What They Want…

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Darren

I’ve been thinking (dangerous, I know). Specifically about Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood. I’m going to be honest with you, I was more than a little surprised at the way the film was put together. The film is, to borrow from the parlance of the times, an “origin” story. It’s about Robin, but before he was Robin. There is a single robbery over the entire course of the film, and it doesn’t really amount to much – it’s hardly the stuff of infamy. Instead, Robin is off doing battle with the French in a very manly, water-logged fashion. I tried to judge the film on its own merits (and I think my review is fair), but I’ve found myself thinking over the same question a lot since I saw it: Aren’t a lot of people going to be disappointed that there’s essentially little-to-none of the conventional tropes of a Robin Hood movie present?

Bringing the Hurt...

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: audience expectations, audiences, expectations, films, imagery, Movies, ridley scoot, robin hood, russell crowe, tropes | 7 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Robin Hood

Posted on May 13, 2010 by Darren

The second of the blockbusters arrives, celebrating the true arrival of summer. Chosen to open Cannes and featuring a return of the powerhouse pairing of maestro Ridley Scott and love-‘im-or-hate-‘im matinee icon Russell Crowe in a historic setting brimming with action potential and historic appeal, it’s safe to say that there’s a lot of pressure on the iconic outlaw, Robin Hood. So does he carry it off as confidently as he carries off that bow-and-arrow?