Could cute James McAvoy be Bilbo?

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 31 May 2008 by Don

James McAvoy was pretty cute as a fawn in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But could the handsome star of Atonment and The Last King of Scotland make a convincing Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit movies? The Scottish actor is in contention for the role played by Ian Holm in The Lord of the Rings, according to the UK's Daily Express, which quoted one of those ubiquitous anonymous sources as saying, "A number of names have been doing the rounds, including Daniel Ra... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Turn in your badge, Eddie!

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 31 May 2008 by Don

Of all the sequels I least want to see, Beverly Hills Cop IV would be high on the list, along with Babe 3*, Rambo IV and Police Academy 8. I doubt I'm alone on that score, so you wonder how Eddie Murphy has persuaded Paramount to let him bring back the wisecracking cop Axel Foley for another outing. And why Brett Ratner is in negotiations to direct the film. After all, we last saw the Detroit cop in 1994, and by most accounts, it was the least satisfying of the trilogy, which started ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Unexpected danger for Christian Bale in The Dark Knight

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 30 May 2008 by Don

Christian Bale felt so claustrophobic he was afraid he'd panic when he first donned the Batman suit. While he was filming The Dark Knight, an overhead helicopter caused some anxious moments. And he hopes the new Batman pic will celebrate the career of Heath Ledger. Aside from the Batman franchise, the 34-year-old Welsh actor is known chiefly for playing confronting characters in movies such as 3:10 to Yuma, The Machinist, American Psycho and Rescue Dawn. He spoke frankly about his career in... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Sex and the City Movie: strictly for the converted?

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 30 May 2008 by Don

If you're not a committed Sex and the City fan, will you roll up when the movie opens here next Thursday- unless your partner drags you along? We'll have a pretty good idea on Monday how audiences overseas are responding as the film has just launched in the US, the UK, France, Italy and Germany. In the UK, where the world premiere generated huge buzz, the movie grossed a hefty $US4 million on Wednesday. You can bet that was the SATC fan club en masse, but it's too soon to tell whether... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

No step-brotherly love in Step Brothers!

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 30 May 2008 by Don

Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly and writer/director Adam McKay had so much fun on Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, they spent ages drumming up ideas for another comedy. Nothing clicked until someone mentioned the words "bunk beds." That inspired McKay to imagine a scenario where Ferrell and Reilly play adult step brothers. The actors loved it and collaborated on the story, and the result is Step Brothers, which opens in September. Judging by the trailer, it looks pretty funny, alth... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

What's your favourite Indiana Jones scene?

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 29 May 2008 by Don

If you've seen Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, what was your favourite scene? And how does it compare with the earlier Indy adventures? I found lots to admire: Indiana's first tussle with Cate Blanchett's Agent Spalko. Indy and Mutt's (Shia LaBeouf) hair-raising motorcycle chase around the college campus. The extended race through the jungle, involving monkeys and giant ants; and a theme-park ride down three waterfalls. The least effective or convincing scene, for me, w... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Stones and friends whoop it up in Shine A Light

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 29 May 2008 by Don

One of the pleasures of watching Shine A Light is that while there are plenty of classic Rolling Stones songs, you also get to see the band vamping it up with three guest performers. Mick Jagger enjoys himself hugely, bumping and grinding with Christina Aguilera as they duet on the raunchy Live With Me. Blues legend Buddy Guy, a frequent collaborator with the group, teams up on Champagne and Reefer. And Jack White of the White Stripes clearly gets a kick out of singing Loving Cup with his g... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

What's the best concert movie you've ever seen?

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 29 May 2008 by Don

From Woodstock, Monterey Pop and The Last Waltz through to U2 3D and the Rolling Stones' Shine A Light, concert movies have provided some memorable experiences over the years. There's no doubt U2 3D (pictured) and Shine A Light have raised the bar, using multiple cameras to enable the viewer to almost feel he or she's on stage with the musos. And while Mick Jagger in close-up on a wide screen is a graphic reminder he's in his 60s, Mick obviously has no qualms about the cameras capturing him... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Fab, fit and 50- or 60-plus

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 28 May 2008 by Don

As the latest Indiana Jones adventure demonstrates, Harrison Ford at 65 is a shining example of actors of a certain age who have lost little, if any, of their sex appeal despite the march of time. And let's not be sexist, there are plenty of mature women who are still in the prime of their careers. In my eyes, Meryl Streep is as watchable and fetching at 58 as she's been in every preceding decade. I've not seen Raquel Welch on screen for a while- she appeared in a US TV series called ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Narnia's King Peter grows up, as does his alter ego Will Moseley

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 28 May 2008 by Don

When we left "king" Peter and the other Pevensie kids at the end of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, their world was a happy place and Peter was a normal, well-adjusted lad. Fast forward four years, and the sequel finds Peter has turned into a very angry young man--which was a terrific challenge for actor William Moseley. The Pevensies are at school in World War 2 England before they are summoned back to Narnia. "Peter is facing his own struggles," Will t... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Leatherheads: a nostalgic trip to the roaring 20s

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 28 May 2008 by Don

Here are some reasons why you might enjoy Leatherheads, the latest film directed by, and starring, George Clooney: You're a Clooney fan. You admire his co-star Renée Zellweger. You're partial to films that are a throwback to the Hollywood screwball comedies of the 1930s. Here's why you may not: Unlike my colleague Jess, you have no abiding interest in American football, which is the backdrop for this film. Life in the US in the roaring 1920s holds no nostalgic appeal. And old-fashioned c... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Michael Apted enters the world of Narnia

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 28 May 2008 by Don

Michael Apted is renowned as the director of the Up series of social documentaries and movies such as The World Is Not Enough, Amazing Grace, Blink and Gorillas in the Mist. Which makes the 67-year-old Brit an intriguing choice to direct The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The next instalment will follow Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund Pevensie (Skandar Keynes) as they return to Narnia with cousin Eustace, where they team up again with Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes)... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Jennifer Hudson a late convert to the world of Sex and the City

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 27 May 2008 by Don

Here's two things I didn't know about Jennifer Hudson: She wasn't a fan of Sex and the City until she was offered a part in the film; and the SATC movie was just her second role after she won the best supporting Oscar for Dreamgirls. I've not seen the movie yet but I can see why director Michael Patrick King cast her: At 26, she's considerably younger than the leading ladies and thus relatable to young females; she's a bright, fresh talent, as Dreamgirls proved; and she's Afro-American, w... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

R.I.P Sydney Pollack

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 27 May 2008 by Don

The highly-respected Oscar-winning director, producer and sometime actor Sydney Pollack has died in Los Angeles, aged 73, after succumbing to cancer. Pollack earned his reputation in the 1970s and 80s as a sure directing hand with thrillers Three Days of the Condor and Absence of Malice, the Dustin Hoffman comedy Tootsie, the the Western Jeremiah Johnson and weepie The Way We Were. Arguably the pinnacle in his career came in In 1985 when he won the Best Director and Best Picture Osca... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Will Smith returns to take over the world......again

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 27 May 2008 by Ben

Hollywood mega-star Will Smith returns to the big screen on July 3 as Hancock, a superhero who is edgy, conflicted, sarcastic and misunderstood. And from the most recent trailer I've seen, it looks great. Hancock's well intentioned heriocs are constantly getting him into trouble - saving the day but ruining roads, buildings or houses and disrupting the people of LA aren't making him the most popular character. In a switch from the usual good guy, save the world, win the girl type of a... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Del Toro looks to weave his magic

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 27 May 2008 by Don

If you're a film buff, you probably know Guillermo del Toro as the mastermind behind Hellboy and the upcoming Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Blade II and Pan's Labyrinth. What you may not know is that the Mexican-born director is one of the most literary guys in the film business, a passionate collector of horror fiction, sci-fi and fantasy who's been an avid reader since the age of 4. And that he's very eloquent, almost poetic, in describing how he conceives and fashions his movies. Del ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Prince Caspian director Andrew Adamson takes pressure in his stride

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 27 May 2008 by Don

When you've directed or co-directed three of the most successful family films in recent times, the pressure just keeps mounting to repeat that level of success. Just ask Andrew Adamson, who co-directed the first two Shrek blockbusters, followed by the two Chronicles of Narnia fantasy/adventures. It's no secret that The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian didn't open as strongly as the original in the US, although it's outperforming the first film in its first dozen or so overseas territor... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Almost nothing is as it seems in Indy 4

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 26 May 2008 by Don

If you've seen the latest Indiana Jones adventure, you'll know it's a frantic journey from a desert air force base, across to Marshall University and Professor Jones' home, down to the jungles of darkest Peru. Except almost nothing is at it seems, thanks to the wizardry of the production designers and visual effects team assembled by Steven Spielberg. The opening sequence was the closest to reality, filmed at an old World War II Army air base in New Mexico. Yale University and the t... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Jackson and del Toro on The Hobbit: ''intense but not gory''

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 26 May 2008 by Don

Perter Jackson jokingly refers to himself as a Hobbit. Guillermo del Toro sees himself as a dwarf, "a coarse creature I am." And for an hour yesterday, the creative geniuses entertained and intrigued fans with a live online chat about their next collaboration: the two Hobbit movies. They revealed pre-production will take place through 2009; the films will be shot back-to-back in New Zealand in 2010; The Hobbit will be released in December 2011, and the second film, as yet untitled, in Dece... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Indy 4 unlocks box-office gold!

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 26 May 2008 by Don

New and old fans around the world embraced Indiana Jones at the weekend as the fourth edition of the fantasy/adventure franchise dug up an estimated $US311 million globally. In the US, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is projected to have earned $US126 million from Thursday through Sunday-- the second biggest Memorial Day weekend opener of all time behind Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, which minted $139.8 million last year. Paramount is forecasting a 5-day haul... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Don't give up your day job, Scarlett!

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 25 May 2008 by Don

It's just as well Scarlett Johansson is a talented actress, because I don't think she'll have much of a career as a recording artist. The Lost in Translation star has released her first album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, consisting of 10 cover versions of Tom Waits' songs, plus one original tune. David Bowie provides backing vocals on two tracks, Fannin' Street and Falling Down, and the album was produced by TV on the Radio’s David Sitek, with guitar by Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Mr Modest James Cameron raises the bar for Avatar

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 24 May 2008 by Don

For a guy who proclaimed himself "King of the world" after Titanic won 11 Oscars, it's no surprise that James Cameron has started making extravagant claims about his new picture, Avatar. Never lacking in self-confidence or ambition, the director declares Avatar will stand as the "single most complex piece of filmmaking ever made." Filmed in 3D, the movie stars Aussie Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi in the saga of a struggle between... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Prince Caspian 'royalty' heading to Sydney

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 23 May 2008 by Don

Prince Caspian and King Peter will be in Sydney on Sunday for the Australian premiere of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian at the State Theatre. Last seen in the fantasy Stardust, 26-year-old Brit Ben Barnes is Caspian. William Moseley, 21, returns as Peter. Also attending will be Andrew Adamson, who directed both Narnia adventures. The sequel follows the Pevensie children who are transported from World War II England back to Narnia, now a very different world where a new enemy... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

At 64, life's still a blast for Keith Richards

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 23 May 2008 by Don

Watching Martin Scorsese's Shine A Light, at last count the 18th documentary on The Rolling Stones, I kept thinking the guy who's having the most fun up there is Keith Richards. Sure, Mick Jagger is the star, prancing, pouting, running and jumping. You wouldn't know what Charlie Watts is thinking, if anything, judging by his bemused expression. There are a few cutaways to Ronnie Wood, who doesn't exude much charisma. But every time the camera (16 were used) lights on Keith, here's a ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Sam Worthington hits the big league- and looks like staying there

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 23 May 2008 by Don

Confession: I always regarded Sam Worthington as an actor of modest accomplishments and talent, rating his best work as Somersault, Gettin' Square and Love My Way. Like 95% of the population, I didn't see his last Oz movie, Rogue. I began to think Sam had more to offer after James Cameron cast him as the lead in the sci-fi epic Avatar. Now I'm willing to believe the 31-year-old Aussie is truly in the big league as he's jumped straight into another major movie, Terminator Salvation: The F... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Twilight: a modern-day vampire story with a human twist

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 23 May 2008 by Don

I haven't read any of the books by Stephenie Meyer, but judging by the internet chatter, I'm starting to think the movie Twilight will be something special. There's a rabid fan base for the novels Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse, which have sold more than 5.3 million copies in the US alone. In April, Time published an article comparing Meyer, a 34-year-old Mormon who lives in Phoenix, to J.K. Rowling, pointing out Eclipse dislodged the final Harry Potter novel from some best-selling lists, e... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Indy 4 fever grips the world!

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 23 May 2008 by Don

It looks like the world's gone Indy crazy, no more so than in Australia. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull sold $1.9 million worth of tickets nationwide yesterday. That's bigger than the opening days of Spider-Man 3 and The Da Vinci Code, which both raked in $1.8 million, but below Transformer's $2 million Thursday debut. In the US, where many midnight shows were sold out, some pundits are predicting a 4-day tally of at least $US130 million, and perhaps as much as Pirates ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Which Eddie Murphy will we see in Meet Dave?

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 22 May 2008 by Don

When Eddie Murphy plays an ass, I mean voices a donkey, I think he's very screamingly funny. He was surprisingly watchable in Dreamgirls, but when he tries to impersonate multiple other characters, as in Norbit and Dr Dolittle, I just want to scream. So which Eddie will we get in his latest comedy, Meet Dave: the clever clown or the over-the-top, cringe-making embarrassment? I'm not encouraged by the trailer, which looks like a collection of clunky jokes in search of a coherent story, ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Sex and the City Movie an easy gig for Jason Lewis

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 22 May 2008 by Don

Playing Samantha's boy-toy Smith in the Sex and the City Movie and series wasn't such a stretch for Jason Lewis. The 36-year-old model turned actor admits he's attracted to older women, although his most-publicized romance was with actress Rosario Dawson. He had an affair with a woman aged about 50 while he lived in France, he confided to Elle magazine (on second thoughts, that's not confiding is it?). "Older women rock, especially when you’re young. Young people should sleep with older p... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Thanks Tom Selleck, you did Indy fans a huge favour!

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 22 May 2008 by Don

Can you imagine if Tom Selleck had played Indiana Jones in the first Indy adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark, in 1981? Tom was Steven Spielberg's first choice, but had to pass because he was committed to the TV series Magnum P.I. But for that quirk of casting, I'm willing to bet we wouldn't be watching Harrison Ford today in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull-- and I'm not even sure there would have been a second or third edition. Spielberg offered the part to Ford af... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Clint Eastwood in vintage form in Changeling

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 22 May 2008 by Don

A week or so before his 78th birthday, Clint Eastwood unveiled his latest directorial effort, Changeling, at the Cannes film festival-- and it's already being compared to some of the finest films of his career. The movie stars Angelina Jolie in the true story of a single mother in 1920s California, whose 10-year-old son goes missing. Months later the police announce they've found the boy, and reunite him with his mother. Despite their claims, it's not her son. Aided by a crusading radio ev... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

The trailer for Australia: Another visual feast from Baz?

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 by Don

It's not often you see the words 'Australian' and 'epic' in the same sentence. So touting a film as an Australian epic filled with romance, action and adventure could be a dodgy claim...if it came from almost anyone other than that master story-teller Baz Luhrmann. The trailer for Australia certainly conveys a sweeping, epic feel to the saga set in the Outback on the brink of World War 11. As a teaser, it conveys little of the plot but is visually rich, with superb use of lighting, scenery ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Indy 4: a retro-cool trip back to the 1950s

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 by Don

For the vast majority of today's audiences, the 1950s exist pretty much only in grainy old movies and TV series. To recreate the spirit, tone and feel of that era, Steven Spielberg and his production team perform some astounding feats in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. If you were never there, I bet you will feel transported back to a time when girls wore letter sweaters, ponytails, and saddle shoes, guys roared around on hot rods and rock 'n' roll began to transform p... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Sex and the City Movie: Samantha blooms, and so does Kim Cattrall

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 by Don

In the four years between the end of the TV series and filming the Sex and the City movie, Kim Cattrall went to some dark places. Her third marriage broke up, with all the messy details aired in the tabloids. Her father was diagnosed with dementia. And then she was accused- unfairly, she says- of delaying production of the movie. All that is in the past, and, at 51, Kim seems bubbling over with happiness. The SATC movie is generating mostly favourable buzz, and in her private life she's fou... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Star Wars: The Clone Wars-- just for converts, or new audiences too?

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 20 May 2008 by Don

Hardcore Star Wars fans have been buzzing about the trailer for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, most saying the footage looks awesome and they can't wait for the movie. A few sceptics have questioned whether the animated format will do as much justice to the story as live action would have, and reckon the characters could have been made to look more photo-realistic. And one fan said, "I'll see it, but my expectations are pretty low. Episode 3 hurt Star Wars pretty bad in my eyes." George Lucas ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Karen Allen shows a lot of that old spunk in Indy 4

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 20 May 2008 by Don

While most media focus has been on Harrison Ford's return as the slightly less nimble action hero in the new Indiana Jones adventure, in some ways Karen Allen's comeback is even more remarkable. Ford only had to wait 19 years since the last Indy outing, but it was 27 years since Karen played Dr. Jones' love interest Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Moreover, while Ford has kept working, albeit selectively, she virtually retired from acting five or six years ago, and concentrated on r... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

The X-Files: I'm not sure I believe, yet; do you?

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 20 May 2008 by Don

X-Files fans who have been waiting six years for a new case are probably counting the days until X-Files: I Want To Believe hits cinemas on July 24. As someone who was never hooked by the series, I can't say I'm a believer, yet. The trailer looks creepy, but reveals almost nothing about the plot...evidently because the filmmakers want to keep everyone in suspense until the movie opens. There's a reference to missing girls, a car crash, a scary-looking guy with a needle, but little else to g... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Iron Man is invincible...until Thursday

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 20 May 2008 by Don

Iron Man continued its box-office reign for the third straight week in Australia last weekend, with none of the new films posing a serious challenge. But you can bet the Marvel superhero will lose its crown on Thursday when Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull invades cinemas. Driven by great word-of-mouth, Iron Man rang up $2.5 million last weekend, down just 26%, to propel its cumulative total to $14.8 million. Proving effective counter-programming, romcom What Happens ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Cate Blanchett fulfills a girlhood dream in Indy 4

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 19 May 2008 by Don

At primary school Cate Blanchett had a crush on Harrison Ford. While her classmates dreamt of kissing the rugged actor, she took it a step further: She wanted to be Indiana Jones. Great actor that she became, she knew she was never going to step into Ford's boots...but playing a villian opposite her one-time idol in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is as good as it gets. It was the first time in her career that she's been an “out-and-out baddie” as Irina Spalko, lead... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Carrie, Samantha, Miranda & Charlotte are back to take over the world

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 19 May 2008 by Ben

What is it about this Sex & The City phenomenon that makes guys run for the hills and the girls go crazy? My girlfriend is what I would call a Sex & The City addict and therefore I have been forced to watch numerous episodes of this cult classic. When she first asked me to watch the show, I thought it was a joke, but boy was I wrong. After watching the show, I realised and admit that it's not as bad as I first thought it would be. When the trailer for the Sex and The City film first c... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

The latest installment from Narnia really does deliver!

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 19 May 2008 by Jess

Let me start out by saying that I really didn’t enjoy the first instalment from The Chronicles of Narnia, so as I was going in to watch Prince Caspian, I was somewhat hesitant. As I took my seat, all I could think about was how wooden the four actors playing the children were in the first movie, and I was not looking forward to sitting through 2 and a bit hours of them all over again. Having not read the books, I didn’t know what to expect for Prince Caspian and within the ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

First reviews for Indy 4- most critics really dig it!

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 19 May 2008 by Don

After 19 years, the wait is worth it! That's according to the majority of critics who attended the the world premiere of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at the Cannes film festival. "Nineteen years after their last adventure, director Steven Spielberg and star Harrison Ford have no trouble getting back in the groove with a story and style very much in keeping with what has made the series so perennially popular," said Variety. "Was it worth the wait? ...Absolutely," ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian grabs the box-office crown

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 19 May 2008 by Don

Judging by the weekend box-office numbers, audiences in the US aren't quite as keen to see the new Narnia adventure, while cinemagoers overseas are definitely more enthusiastic. In the US, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian rang up $US55 million: a very sound start but below the original's $65.5 million debut. However the sequel opened, on average, 33% bigger than the first film in a dozen markets including Mexico, Russia and Korea. It launches here on June 5. US pundits p... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

A RoboCop remake? Maybe, but who in the hell needs a new Red Dawn?

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 18 May 2008 by Don

MGM has been making news for all the wrong reasons lately after replacing its studio head and trying to defuse bad buzz about Valkyrie, the World War 11 drama starring Tom Cruise as an SS officer. So the MGM brass were clearly looking for some favourable headlines in Cannes when they re-announced plans to remake RoboCop--and, for the first time, floated the prospect of a new version of Red Dawn. A new RoboCop probably makes sense, given the iconic status of Paul Verhoeven's 1987 film ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Who wants to see a fourth Spider-Man? Or even a fifth?

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 18 May 2008 by Don

While some people felt Spider-Man 3 was the least satisfying of the Spidey adventures, the fact is it made more money globally-- $US892 million- than either of the first two editions. So it's no surprise to read web reports that Zodiac screenwriter James Vanderbilt has completed a draft of Spider-Man 4. What is a bit hard to believe is that according to Cinematical, his story arc, to use the Hollywood jargon, spans two movies. Neither Sam Raimi nor stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Duns... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Bardem and Cruz may help put Woody Allen back in favour

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 17 May 2008 by Don

Woody Allen's films in recent years mostly have been so lousy, even the Woodman's die-hard fans stopped going. Match Point, Scoop, Anything Else, Melinda and Melinda, Hollywood Ending...all are a fary cry from the filmmaker's golden period of the 1970s and 80s and classics such as Annie Hall, Manhattan and Hannah and Her Sisters. His 38th film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, has just premiered at the Cannes film festival, and it may herald a return to form for Allen, now 72. It stars Javier Bard... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

If you're excited about Indy 4, get set for Indy 5!

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 17 May 2008 by Don

With less than a week before the worldwide launch of the fourth Indiana Jones adventure, George Lucas is already thinking of story ideas for Indy 5. Lucas is notoriously media-shy, so as he's gone on the record about yet another Indy outing, with Shia LaBeouf as the lead character and Harrison Ford as his sidekick, you can almost bank on it. Some industry pundits are predicting Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has a good shot at smashing box-office records for Memor... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Kung Fu Panda packs quite a kick

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 16 May 2008 by Don

Three of Angelina Jolie's growing brood (how many sprogs does she have now? I've lost count) have seen her latest film, Kung Fu Panda. As you'd expect, they loved the cute animated tale of the fat, lazy panda who dreams of becoming a kung fu master. However Ang insists, "They are my biggest critics." She was speaking at the Cannes film festival where she and co-star Jack Black introduced the movie. She voices Tigress, one of the Furious Five crew of warriors. Black lends his vocal tal... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Sarah Jessica Parker: the wait is nearly over

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 16 May 2008 by Don

It took Sarah Jessica Parker and executive producer/writer/director Michael Patrick King, some 18 months to make the Sex and the City Movie happen. And an exhausting four months to film it. As the May 30 US launch approaches, and amidst promoting the movie in New York, London and, soon, in Berlin, Sarah Jessica seems almost as relieved as the fans that the wait is almost over. In a series of interviews with Entertainment Weekly and Premiere, the 43-year-old actress/producer admits ther... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: bigger, better than the original?

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 16 May 2008 by Don

The critics mostly agree: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a bigger, more dramatic and visually impressive movie than the first Narnia adventure. And the sequel is set to eclipse the original's opening in the US this weekend. Whether Prince Caspian is a better movie than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe obviously will be a matter of personal opinion. But the US critics have applauded the sequel, which has an 85% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. It's projected to fetch upw... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Shia LaBeouf opens up on Indy 4

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 15 May 2008 by Don

It was a hair-raising ride for Shia LaBeouf, perched on a motor bike with Harrison Ford on the back, in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The young actor crosses swords, literally, with Cate Blanchett. He admits to having a crush on co-star Karen Allen. And he'd love to do a sequel--if Harrison is willing to don the fedora again. We know all that because Shia has just given his most extensive interview on the movie to MTV. Under strict orders from Steven Spielberg, he sti... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Sharkwater spawns more films

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 15 May 2008 by Don

If you enjoy Rob Stewart's documentary Sharkwater, more is to come. Some $US4 million is being invested to convert Stewart's film, which was shot in High Definition, into a 3-D IMAX movie. That will be released in a year or so, the Canadian filmmaker tells the Movie Blog, and will likely be distributed via National Geographic or Canada's Shaftesbury Films. Moreover, Stewart says three companies are bidding for the rights to remake Sharkwater as a dramatic movie. With tales of corrupti... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

What's scarier- the supernatural, or Michael Bay?

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 15 May 2008 by Don

Rachel Taylor found shooting the horror/thriller movie Shutter in Tokyo a creepy experience. But not nearly as daunting as working for demanding director Michael Bay in Transformers. The Aussie actress had never worked on anything of the lavish scale of Transformers-- or for such a hard taskmaster. "It was scary. I was literally right off the boat when I shot that movie," said the Tasmanian-born Rachel, who's 23. "Michael Bay is like a drill sergeant on a set. He’s very meticulous. He’s a m... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Why do we hate horror movies?

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 15 May 2008 by Don

With the notable exceptions of Cloverfield (pictured) and the Saw franchise, horror films have had a hard time drawing audiences in Australia. Just why is a question which has long perplexed film industry executives. Unlike the US and Asian markets like Japan, Korea and Hong Kong, which have a long tradition of producing genre movies, Aussies usually shun overtly gory fare. "Whilst it’s true to say that the relationship between the US and Australian markets remains steady, there i... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Kate Bosworth has it all figured out in 21

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 15 May 2008 by Don

Kate Bosworth cheerfully admits she has little in common with the brilliant maths student she plays in the Las Vegas-set caper 21. For one thing, she was hopeless at maths. For another, the actress, who made her debut aged 14 in The Horse Whisperer, never went to college. She was accepted into uni but took the advice of the dean, who urged her to defer for a year to taste other life experiences. Since then her career has blossomed with roles in Blue Crush, Wonderland, Rules of Attracti... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Sex and the City Movie: a fairytale with a happy ending?

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 by Don

They laughed, they cried, they oohed and aahed: the mostly female audience at the world premiere of Sex and the City: The Movie in London reacted pretty much the same as the audience at a private screening in LA. "Sex And The City gives its legion of female fans what they want," the London Sun told its readers. "It was coarse, sentimental, and outrageously materialistic - just as we hoped and expected it would be," gushed the UK's Daily Telegraph. That's fine, but what's in it for b... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Sharkwater: a gripping human drama

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 by Don

When Canadian filmmaker Rob Stewart set out to make a "pretty" film about sharks, he had no idea it would take four years. Or that he'd be charged with attempted murder and threatened by gun-wielding coast guards. Or end up in hospital suffering a triple whammy of a flesh-eating disease, TB and dengue fever...and lose his girlfriend. "It was a series of worst-case scenarios," Rob, who's 28, told the Movie Blog in Sydney yesterday. It was all worth it, in his view, in his mission to save ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Colin Firth shows his dark side in Then She Found Me

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 by Don

Colin Firth is so adept at playing warm, cuddly, romantic characters, it's a refreshing change to see him as an emotional wreck in Then She Found Me. The handsome Brit plays Frank, a divorced father of two. He's rumpled, bordering on seedy, hot tempered, neurotic and disillusioned with life. Not such a great catch for Helen Hunt's April, who is on the rebound after her immature husband (Matthew Broderick) dumps her. There is mutual attraction, but both are wary about starting a relatio... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Londoners embrace Sex and the City Movie

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 by Don

The world premiere of Sex and the City: The Movie in London last night drew hundreds of screaming fans, a fair number of the city's A-listers, and predictably effusive comments from the four leading ladies. "We want Carrie" shouted the mostly female crowd as Sarah Jessica Parker arrived, adorned in a green tulle and feather dress by Alexander McQueen and a headpiece by Philip Treacy. (I assume those are famous brands; they mean zilch to me!). "This is a movie for all genders, gays, st... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Hellboy II: The Golden Army aims to amp up the action

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 by Don

The original Hellboy movie was admired by some critics and comic book fans but struggled to reach a wide audience in 2004, making $59 million in the US and about $23 million in the rest of the world. So why is Universal rolling the dice on a sequel? Credit that to the studio's faith in hot director/writer Guillermo del Toro and his ability to create a new, compelling story featuring the red-horned superhero. Hellboy II: The Golden Army, which opens on August 28, is generating a lot of... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Speed Racer loses out to Kutcher and Diaz

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 by Don

How humiliating is this? Once the final numbers were crunched, Speed Racer had to surrender second spot in the US box-office last weekend to What Happens in Vegas. The Wachowski brothers' action adventure made just $US18.6 million, trailing Vegas' $20.1 million, contrary to Warner Bros.' Sunday projection which had its film ahead of Fox's romantic comedy. Iron Man was No. 1 in its second weekend, raking in $51.2 million. Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow invested heavily in Speed Racer... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Underbelly's Gyton Grantley hits the road in Prime Mover

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 12 May 2008 by Don

Gyton Grantley, who made an indelible impression as gang boss Carl Williams in TV's Underbelly, has landed a role in the new Australian movie Prime Mover...as a baddie. Now shooting in Dubbo, Prime Mover is described as a "diesel-charged" love story about ambition, pressure, responsibility and the love shared by a man, a woman and his truck. The lead roles are played by Michael Dorman and Emily Barclay, who co-starred in Suburban Mayhem. Grantley has a pivotal role in the supporting cast... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

At last: A Star Trek movie for non-Trekkies?

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 12 May 2008 by Don

The new Star Trek movie is bound to please hardcore Trekkies: but what about the rest of us, who either never got on board the SS Enterprise, or tired of the franchise years ago? J.J. Abrams, who's directing Star Trek, the 11th movie in the series, is actutely aware of the risk of making a movie purely for the converts and failing to engage a new audience. So Abrams, who as a kid was more of a Star Wars fan, is determined to avoid that trap. "The whole point was to try to make this mov... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

US audiences put the brakes on Speed Racer

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 12 May 2008 by Don

Those US critics who dismissed Speed Racer as an accident waiting to happen were right on the money. The action adventure from the Wachowski brothers hit more than a speed bump in the US last weekend. Not only was the costly movie soundly beaten by the second weekend of Iron Man, according to most Sunday estimates it was a photo-finish for second place between Speed Racer and the modestly-budgeted What Happens in Vegas. Coming in well below the pre-release projections, Speed Racer look... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian-- first reviews!

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 12 May 2008 by Don

What can we expect to see in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian? A handsome new leading man in Ben Barnes as the title character. Spectacular medieval battle scenes. More clanging swords than all the Robin Hood and Ivanhoe movies put together. A darker tone and more grounded characters than what we saw in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. That's according to one of the first mainstream reviews of the film by Variety's respected chief critic Todd McCarthy. His spoiler-free rev... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Indy 4: 'good, old-fashioned fun and adventure for young and old'

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 11 May 2008 by Don

How keen are you to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Like me, you may be even keener after this unofficial review posted on Ain't It Cool News. The key question is whether this edition, the first in 19 years, will appeal primarily to older fans of the franchise, or whether it can connect equally well with young audiences. It will grab both segments, according to Derek Flint, a regular contributor to AICN. Flint credits Steven Spielberg with recapturing the spirit... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Speed Racer: looks like you'll love it- or hate it!

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 10 May 2008 by Don

There's no middle ground: US cinemagoers either love Speed Racer with a passion, or hate it in equal measure, judging by the initial buzz on websites. The postive reactions are outrunning the negative, according to my unscientific survey today, but that's not surprising: You're more likely to post a comment to defend or support a movie than if you thought it sucked. A few fans rate the Wachowski brothers' adventure as better than Iron Man-- a very big call--prompting others to say it's... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Star Wars: The Clone Wars- do we care who wins?

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 10 May 2008 by Don

George Lucas has been out spruiking Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as the new Indiana Jones adventure. Indy 4 looks and sounds great; I'm not sure about the latest Star Wars edition, unless you're a hard-core fan. Even George would probably admit he's not a great salesman: witness his puzzling efforts to play down expectations on Indy 4, as we reported yesterday. And apart from revealing the Star Wars animated movie will feature the familiar voices of Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu and Anth... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Lights, camera, action - Speed Racer zooms all over the place

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 9 May 2008 by Ben

The Wachowski brothers take animation to an entirely new level in Speed Racer although I left feeling a tad too old for this film. Although quite enjoyable, I thought Speed Racer had way too much happening at once with ultra fast cars zooming past each other and flashes of the crowd making it hard to keep up and stay focused. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural behind the wheel. Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competiti... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Incredible Hulk's biggest foe might be...Ang Lee's Hulk

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 9 May 2008 by Don

When The Incredible Hulk invades our screens in June, its most formidable foe may not be M. Night Shyamalan's thriller The Happening or the Wachowski brothers' Speed Racer, which both launch the same day. The bigger concern may be wiping out many cinemagoers' unhappy memories of Ang Lee's 2003 misadventure Hulk. That film, starring Eric Bana, opened big but didn't live up to the hype, crashing in its second weekend. The producers of The Incredible Hulk, which debuts June 12, are highly... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Indy 4 going for gold

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 9 May 2008 by Don

While Robert Downey Jr. deservedly is being touted as a contender for the best actor Oscar for his dazzling turn in Iron Man, let's not forget we're just 13 days away from another film with a fair bit of awards pedigree. With Steven Spielberg at the helm, it's a safe bet that the fourth Indiana Jones adventure will figure in the awards: the three previous editions collectively garnered 13 nominations and won six Oscars. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) took home four awards, and there was one... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Can Speed Racer catch Iron Man in the US?

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 9 May 2008 by Don

In the slipstream of Iron Man, Speed Racer roars out of the starting gate in the US this weekend. Pre-release tracking indicates the family action-adventure helmed by the Wachowski brothers will make between $US30million-35 million. That won't be enough to catch Iron Man, which, even if it drops by 50% after its massive opening, will rake in close to $50 million. Warner Bros. has generated tons of publicity for the Speed Racer cast headed by Emile Hirsch, Matthew Fox, Christina Ricci,... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Is Hollywood ignoring female cinemagoers?

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 8 May 2008 by Don

In the US summer box-office season, which blasted off with Iron Man, there are precious few girls on screen, and real women are close to extinct. That's not my view-- in fact I strongly disagree wth that premise put forward by New York Times movie critic Manohla Dargis. She contends the summer movies are largely a boys' club dominated by comic book superheroes and comedies starring Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Mike Myers, Steve Carell, Jack Black and Seth Rogen. She lament... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Ashton and Cameron square off in What Happens in Vegas

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 8 May 2008 by Don

Ashton Kutcher spends most of What Happens in Vegas fighting- figuratively and literally- with Cameron Diaz. Off set, however, you get the impression that if Ashton weren't married to Demi Moore, Cameron is the kind of gal he'd have fallen for. "To show up to work and have to look at a good looking woman who's funny and happy to be alive and joyous and nice to people, that's a nightmare," he says, tongue-in-cheek. "I think she's maybe the only true comedic leading lady in our business right... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Jim Sturgess hits the jackpot in 21

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 8 May 2008 by Don

For a young actor like Jim Sturgess, how intimiditating would it be to be trading barbs with Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne in his first major movie, 21? Pretty daunting, as it turned out, but Sturgess was up to the challenge, and the film has been a hit with US audiences. On the upside, he got to make out on screen with Kate Bosworth. Directed by Aussie Robert Luketic, 21 is the true story of five M.I.T. students who are taught how to count cards in blackjack so they can win a fo... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Iron Man is still a rush for Robert Downey Jr.

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 8 May 2008 by Don

The hottest man in Hollywood right now is Robert Downey Jr.-- and he can see the funny side of it. The Iron Man star has been on a publicity treadmill for more than three months, and it hasn't stopped this week with appearances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel and the MTV Movie Awards. "It's this trippy thing where we're going into another lap [of interviews] on shows that maybe weren't so sure they were going to have us a minute ago. Now, all of a sudden, we're geniuses," Downey tells Ent... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Gutsy Helen Hunt avoids the glamour in Then She Found Me

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 7 May 2008 by Don

How brave is Helen Hunt? Brave enough to completely surrender her personal vanity in Then She Found Me, a cracking comedy-drama which marks her debut as director, co-writer and producer. Helen's character, schoolteacher April Epner, is approaching 40 and in a bad place. Within a short time, her immature husband (Matthew Broderick) ditches her, her adoptive mother dies, and a bombastic talk-show host (Bette Midler) turns up, claiming to be her biological mother and confessing she was conceiv... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Jon Favreau's taking Iron Man success in his stride

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 7 May 2008 by Don

One man who's not getting carried away with Iron Man's massive opening is director Jon Favreau. For one thing, he's keen to see how the superhero adventure fares in its second weekend to guage whether audiences are truly enjoying the movie and spreading the word to their friends. For another, he seems remarkably down to earth about the biggest hit in his career, after making Elf and Zathura and writing and co-starring in Swingers. Generously, he gives a lot of the credit to Iron Man star ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Sharkwater: humans are the enemy!

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 7 May 2008 by Don

While he was shooting Sharkwater, Canadian filmmaker Rob Stewart had several dangerous encounters-- none of them with sharks. The threats he faced came from a variety of humans: illegal fishermen, corrupt officials and the Taiwanese mafia who control the shark fin industry in Costa Rica. Far more than a 'save the shark' plea, Sharkwater is a gripping documentary full of human drama. The charismatic Stewart spent four years making the film, at considerable risk. Teaming up with the Sea... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Frances McDormand enjoys the high life as Miss Pettigrew

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 7 May 2008 by Don

For audiences accustomed to seeing Frances McDormand playing quirky characters in her husband Joel Coen's films Fargo, Blood Simple, Raising Arizona and The Man Who Wasn’t There, it's a surprise to find her in a 1930s screwball comedy. Yet it's a tribute to the talented actress that the role of Miss Pettigrew in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day fits her like a glove. Her character is a vicar’s daughter who lost her fiancé in World War I, and found work as a governess. After she's unfairly d... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Mamma Mia! Will it be a dancing queen at the box-office?

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 6 May 2008 by Don

I have a confession: More than 350 million ABBA records have been sold around the world, and I don't possess one. Nor am I one of the 30 million people who've seen the stage musical Mamma Mia! So I'm not jumping out of my skin to see the Mamma Mia! movie, which opens on July 10. But I imagine nearly every ABBA fan, young and old, will put on their dancing shoes and go see it. If I ignore the music, the trailer looks fun, and I'm a huge fan of Meryl Streep, who seems to relish the rol... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Tears and cheers for first Sex and the City Movie screening!

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 6 May 2008 by Don

The first couple of reviews of Sex and the City: The Movie have been posted online- and they are unqualified raves. Interestingly, both are from guys. And they're mercifully free of spoilers, conforming with the producers' wishes to keep a lid on the plot until the movie opens. "Women wept, cheered. It’s the Neiman Marcus catalogue on steroids," enthused Fox News' Roger Friedman after catching a private screening. The New York Daily News' Colin Bertram raved about the "'Oh, my God, the... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Marvel sets Iron Man 2, Captain America, Thor and more

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 6 May 2008 by Don

Marvel fans rejoice: Iron Man 2 will hit theatres in 2010 and Marvel Studios will produce at least four new movies based on other Marvel characters. Capitalizing on Iron Man's smash worldwide opening, Marvel confirmed the sequel will be released on April 30, 2010. And it announced plans to produce Thor, due out June 4, 2010; The First Avenger: Captain America, May 6, 2011; The Avengers, July 2011; and Ant-Man. For the uninitiated: Thor is a blond, hammer-wielding Norse god who's sent ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Look what we've got - The new Dark Knight trailer!

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 5 May 2008 by Jess

Following on from Don's story on Aaron Eckhart playing Harvey 'Two-Face' Dent, I thought I'd have a look around and see if there was anything new on the web for The Dark Knight, and boy did I find it. One word describes this trailer... wow! Watching Heath Ledger as the joker is eerie, Aaron Eckhart looks polished, Christian Bale looks amazing and the batmobile and other 'toys' belonging to Batman look like they could give James Bond and Q a run for their money. T... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Sarah Jessica opens up about an old love, marriage and the movie

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 5 May 2008 by Don

Promoting Sex and the City: The Movie, Sarah Jessica Parker has spoken freely about her old boyfriend Robert Downey Jr., her marriage, her son and her relationship with her co-stars. In a revealing chat with the Glasgow Daily Record, she says in reference to her affair with Iron Man star Downey, which ended in 1991, "Yeah, I probably made some wrong choices. But I'm glad that I have, because you make better choices afterward. You don't want to get it right so early in life, because it's a... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Aaron Eckhart warns: It's going to get ugly in The Dark Knight!

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 5 May 2008 by Don

In his first extensive interview regarding The Dark Knight, Aaron Eckhart seems to be softening up fans to steel themselves when they see him on screen as Harvey 'Two-Face' Dent. In the comic books, we know the character's face was badly scarred when a gangster threw acid at him on the witness stand. So how gruesome can it be in the movie, which opens on July 17? Pretty graphic, apparently. "When you look at Two-Face, you should get sick to your stomach," Eckhart tells the Los Angeles ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Iron Man rockets to $US200 million--How do you rate it?

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 4 May 2008 by Don

Iron Man isn't just big- it's humungous! The Marvel superhero rang up nearly $US200 million worldwide last weekend, surpassing even the most optimistic expectations. The first film produced by Marvel Studios smashed various records in the US, raking in $102.1 million, including $3.5 million from the Thursday night screenings. That was the 10th best opening weekend ever and the second highest for a non-sequel after Spider-Man, which flew to $114.8 million on the same weekend in 2002. It's al... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Speed Racer: a fast, ultra-bright trip for families, or just kids?

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 3 May 2008 by Don

Depending on which critic you read, Speed Racer is either a visually stunning, adrenalin-pumping action adventure for the whole family-- or strictly for kids. Contrary to the early negative buzz, the first batch of reviews suggests the Wachowski brothers' plunge into unfamiliar PG territory with their adaptation of a Japanese anime will pay off. "The directors have been outrageously successful in creating one of the most trippy, visually astonishing mainstream movies ever made, and hav... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

US cinemagoers hot for Sex and the City Movie

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 3 May 2008 by Don

Here's a surprise: Those sassy gals in Sex and the City: The Movie have overtaken Indiana Jones to rank as the most eagerly awaited movie in the US. A new poll by AOL Moviefone ranks SATC (which opens here on June 5) as the film which fans are most excited about, attracting 32% of the 420,000 votes cast online. That's a whisker ahead of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22), with 31%. The Dark Knight (July 17) was next with 21%, followed by The Chronicles of Narnia:... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Made of Honour's Michelle Monaghan dishes on McDreamy

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 2 May 2008 by Don

Michelle Monaghan has a dream role in Made of Honour as a young woman whose best friend and soul mate Tom is played by Dr McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey. The twist is that her character Hannah asks Tom to be her maid of honour after she decides to marry Colin, a handsome Scot (Kevin McKidd) after a whirlwind courtship. Tom agrees- but only so he can try to sabotage the wedding after belatedly realizing Hannah's the girl for him. Michelle spoke to the Cinebuzz Show's Sami... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Will Smith, Charlize Theron bound for Oz for Hancock world preem

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 2 May 2008 by Don

Hancock is looming as one of the major entries in this year's season of blockbusters, and it's just been announced Sydney will host the world premiere of the action-comedy on June 10. Will Smith, who plays the title character, an out-of-favour superhero, will attend, along with co-stars Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman, director Peter Berg and producers Akiva Goldsman and James Lassiter. Will will give what the publicists describe as a "special public musical performance" before the premie... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Cinema's immortals: who's your favourite?

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 2 May 2008 by Don

From Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and Wolverine through to Iron Man, comic book-inspired movies have given us a whole host of immortal characters through the years. To that you can add a gallery of other invincibles, from James Bond, Indiana Jones and TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer through to various incarnations of God--like Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty (let's skip over Evan Almighty). Entertainment Weekly recently compiled its list of 17 favourite immortals. There were some ob... Find out more...   |   0 Comments