The latest featurette
for Total Recall has just been released.Go
behind-the-scenesof Total Recall as the stars of the film
explain, “what is real and what is Recall”.
Release Dates Australia: 23rd August 2012 USA 3rd August, 2012 UK 29thAugust 2012 Other Countries:Release Dates
Total Recall
stars Colin Farrell in the iconic role of Douglas Quaid alongside an all-star action
cast including Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston and Bill Nighy.
Synopsis:
Total Recall is an action
thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story
"We Can Remember It For You Wholesale".Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn
your dreams into real memories.For a
factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he's got a
beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the
perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a
super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly
wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man.
Finding himself on the run from
the police -- controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of
the free world -- Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find
the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line
between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the
balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.
Here is a round up of the movies we've seen this week. It may help you decide how to spend your precious dollars when visiting the cinema. If you have seen any of these or want to see them and have a comment please feel free to share. We love hearing from our readers.
This is the final to Christopher Nolan’s trilogy and it seemed like he didn’t want it to end, throwing everything into this last instalment and opening a few teaser doors to perhaps new chapters.I found it a bit plodding in the middle but husband counselled me on the fact that it was all about the characters.Excuse my impatience. However, it is still a film you should see and see on the big screen. All you downloading pirates, you are really wasting your time watching it on your little TV screens.We saw it in IMAX and it certainly enhances the experience.Check out our full review here "Big & weighty but it does rise"
STORY
Having assumed responsibility for the crimes of District Attorney Harvey Dent in order to protect his reputation, Batman is chased into exile by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, the appearance of the mysterious Selina Kyle sets in motion a chain of events culminating in the arrival of Bane, a ruthless terrorist with plans to destroy Gotham City. With the future of the city at stake, Batman must emerge from his exile and confront Bane to bring about an end to his reign of terror.
Girls, girls, girls, (and certain boys) this is one for you.What a smorgasbord of gorgeous—no wait, seriously gorgeous—males.At one point I realised I had a huge smile on my face and as hard as I tried I couldn’t turn it off. Matthew McConaughey eats up his sexy club owner role and after seeing Channing Tatum in three very different roles this year so far, he is certainly impressing—and he can certainly dance.The screenplay is in part based on Tatum's experiences as a stripper in Tampa, when he was 19 years old. At one point there was an attempt at a deep and meaningful plot but don’t worry that moment didn’t last long. This movie doesn’t need too much of a story, in Director Steven Soderbergh’s capable hands it never strays far from fun.
STORY
A dramatic comedy set in the world of male strippers, "Magic Mike" is directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Soderbergh ("Traffic") and stars Channing Tatum in the title role. The film follows Mike as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Alex Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money.
I can never say I enjoy movies about Nazi atrocities.Usually, I watch with one hand over my mouth in horror and another dabbing at the tears.This is an incredible story, in the same vein as “The Pianist”, “Schindler’s List”, “Life is Beautiful” and “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”.It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Oscars but lost to “A Separation”.This one is really worth seeing.It’s a beautifully acted drama and there is a happy ending of sorts if you forget all the terrible deaths along the way.If it does nothing else it will cause you to come home and hug hour loved ones a little tighter.
STORY
This is a true story about Leopold Socha, a sewer worker and petty thief in Lvov, a Nazi occupied city in Poland. One day he encounters a group of Jews trying to escape the liquidation of the ghetto. He hides them for money in the labyrinth of the town's sewers beneath the bustling activity of the city above. What starts out as a straightforward and cynical business arrangement turns into something very unexpected, the unlikely alliance between Socha and the Jews as the enterprise seeps deeper into Socha's conscience. A story of survival as these men, women and children all try to outwit certain death during 14 months of ever increasing and intense danger.
What have you seen this week?Did you find our comments helpful or do you disagree?Share your thoughts with us.
Release Dates Australia: 19th July, 2012 USA 20th July, 2012 UK 20th July, 2012 Other Countries:Release Dates
During the two hours and forty-four minutes of the ‘The Dark Night Rises’, in my head I wrote three different reviews.The first review started with "Batman is beyond cool and Director Christopher Nolan’s dark vision is a lesson in creating fascinating well-drawn characters. And wow, Anne Hathaway is a fabulous Cat Woman."
Second review approximately an hour in: “Move it along Mr Nolan, enough already of the miserable Bruce Wayne wallowing in self-pity. Get him a psychologist and stop having your characters repeat themselves.What an overblown monster film that sinks in the middle.Now I know why it’s almost three hours long.”
Third review over the last hour: “Finally the Dark Knight does indeed rise and hits meteoric heights with a dramatic premise, a seemingly unstoppable villain and exhilarating chase scenes.”
This final film of Nolan’s trilogy is set eight years later and Nolan wants to explore every question raised in the first two films.D.A. Harvey Dent’s elevation to idol after his death at Batman’s hands haunts Commissioner Gordon.Only he knows that Dent died, not as a hero but as the vengeful Two-Face—and that Batman disappeared in the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good of Gotham City.
Bruce Wayne now a reclusive, hobbling shadow of himself has no interest in the outside world until he encounters master thief Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway)—better known as Catwoman.Despite her robbery of his own safe, he is intrigued by her and it is this curiosity that prompts his first steps back to life outside Wayne Manor.
Screenwriter Jonathan Nolan says, “Something about her morally ambiguous philosophy finally gives Batman someone he can relate to. The dynamic between them is so fresh—the playful way she kind of pokes fun at him—it sparks a connection between them and takes some of the somberness away from his character.”
Meanwhile it appears there is a new villain in the city, Bane (an unrecognizable mouth-manacled, Tom Hardy).Malevolent and physically brutal he personifies evil and embarks on a master plan that is not clear.One thing is clear is that only Batman can save Gotham from him.
Batman is not alone in his fight, Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), a wealthy philanthropist on the board of Wayne Enterprises, and police officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) join him as enthusiastic allies in thwarting the latest threat.Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) returns as the ultimate gadget man and Michael Caine gives his usual perfect performance as an Alfred who no longer wishes to stand by as his master risks his life and happiness.
In all three Dark Knight films the characters are the central focus, even more than the action.Producer Emma Thomas affirms, “Right from the start, Chris set out to make each of these films something that could not be categorized into any one genre.
With this film, Nolan completes the story arc he commenced with 2005’s “Batman Begins.” He recalls, “We felt a tremendous sense of responsibility to fulfill expectations based on the first two movies while giving the audience something they hadn’t seen before. It was a tricky balance.”
“In deciding on who the next villain would be, it was imperative that it was someone completely different from the Joker—that he be a brute force.”
In one compelling scene Batman and Bane endure a lengthy fist fight in which it seems Batman may not triumph.“This scene required very intense preparation,” says Nolan.“When it came time to shoot, Christian and Tom worked extremely well together. It was frighteningly real, and quite intimidating to see these iconic, larger-than-life characters really go at it. There are plenty of other large-scale action scenes in the film, but that face-to-face confrontation between these two adversaries was something I really felt was the centerpiece of the film.”
Arguably, Batman’s greatest assets are his vehicles and he finally goes “wheels up,” thanks to Lucius Fox’s latest contribution to his arsenal: The Bat. Nolan and production designer Nathan Crowley, collaborated on the design of the state-of-the-art airborne machine.“There are a lot of moving parts: the cockpit opens; the aerial flaps all operate; and it has working rotors and lights. It’s nearly 30 feet long and 17 feet wide and weighs about 3,000 pounds; it’s a big piece of machinery.”
As the rise and fall, and rise again, of this last Dark Knight instalment draws to a close in the final scenes, there will be no disgruntled patrons in any cinema.It may be a little long, it may be a little too dark, and it may be we’ve learnt a little more about Batman than we care to know.However, there is enough greatness here to overcome the lag.In an age where blockbusters are manufactured to please rather than provoke, most will forgive Nolan’s indulgences in this grandly imagined and passionately executed conclusion, which appears to leave more than a few doors open for another series.
It has been quite the marathon for film previews this week-five days in a row of cinema going. Here's the round up for this week. It may help you decide how to spend your precious dollars when visiting the cinema. If you have seen any of these or want to see them and have a comment please feel free to share. We love hearing from our readers.
Go see this movie.Mothers take your daughters (and your sons).I wasn't a big Katy Perry fan.In fact, I only attended the preview because my nine-year-old music fan son wanted to go.However, I walked out of this film totally sold on her.It’s not your usual, “Aren’t I a fabulous pop star?” reality flick.This movie screams her message; to be yourself, follow your dream and persevere.In one part, I even shed a tear.The girl's got courage, huge talent and is a great role model for the young ones and the old ones too.See it and all will be revealed.
STORY
This is a fun and engaging movie that celebrates every aspect of Katy's life including her relationship with fans and music.Katy even shares her breakup with husband Russell Brand.
I was truly afraid to see this movie. Everyone has been saying, ‘I want to see Ted’ when I’ve mentioned it, so I thought it would probably be a let-down.It looked like crass, over-the-top X rated humour, and I am not big on that. (Somewhere along the way, I’ve become a touch prudish.)However, I like Mark Wahlberg and teddy bears so there was hope.It’s certainly everything I thought it would be (over the top, 'Oh my gosh, I can’t believe he said that' crude) but it is funny—not belly laugh funny but funny enough.I give them extra points too for trying something different.And the actors certainly had us all believing there was a teddy bear in the room.
STORY
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane brings his boundary-pushing brand of humour to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of Ted.In the live action/CG-animated comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish…and has refused to leave his side ever since.www.tedthemovie.com.au
This is a fabulous debut feature film by Perth born Director, Peter Templeman.Over the past year, I've endured awful Hollywood versions of this same idea, so it was refreshing to find a home-grown gem that actually worked.Sarah Snook and Ryan Kwanten are dream leads and Templeman who co-wrote the script has penned a funny romp with heart.Don’t be surprised if Hollywood steals Snook and Templeman in the next few years. They’ve already got their fangs into Kwanten.Its an Australian film that shows Hollywood how to do Romantic Comedy (they seem to have forgotten).It’s fun and witty with perfect timing. Go see it.
STORY
Jonah (Kwanten) is a freewheeling guy in the prime of his life, who after learning he will be infertile in a month, has to find someone to have a baby with before it’s too late. This twist of fate sees Jonah, with the help of his best friends (Snook & Corr), embark on a crazy caper to help him sow his seed as much as possible, and ultimately find the “one” in time.
This is a big Hollywood blockbuster and whilst not as much of an “untold story” as the film studio would have you believe, it does add something to the previous trilogy of films.There will no doubt be discussions on who was the best spider-man – Andrew Garfield or Toby Maguire.My vote is with Team Garfield.Of course, Emma Stone is fabulous as always. Her personality shines through in everything she does.Despite some gaping plot holes, it’s still worth seeing. Grab a big bucket of popcorn, a coke and enjoy the ride.We saw it in IMAX 3D which was quite an experience.Read our full review here: Sticking With A Good Thing
STORY
The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field).Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today.Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets.As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner.As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero. Website: www.TheAmazingSpiderMan.com.au
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia ★
Opens in Australia: Now Showing in Limited Release
OUR THOUGHTS This Turkish drama has left me mystified.It has received fabulous reviews from the media and won prestigious international film awards.However, I fell asleep at least four times (according to nudging husband I was snoring—not a good look). So, it wasn’t fabulous for me.Cut down by about forty-five minutes it may have been a beautiful study of human behaviour.But at 150 minutes, it was a very long and slow journey to nowhere of interest.
STORY
Late one night, an array of men - a police commissioner, a prosecutor, a doctor, a murder suspect and others - pack themselves into three cars and drive through the Anatolian countryside, searching for a body, across serpentine roads and rolling hills. The suspect claims he was drunk and can’t quite remember where the body was buried; field after field, they dig but discover only dirt. As the night draws on, tensions escalate, and individual stories slowly emerge from the weary small talk of the men. Nothing here is simple, and when the body is found, the real questions begin.
What have you seen this week? Did you find our comments helpful or do you disagree?Share your thoughts with us.
When you still have merchandise from the last version of the
film, Ã la Spiderman carry bag, t-shirts and baseball cap, is it a touch too
soon to restart the franchise?The Amazing Spider-Man™is marketed as the untold story of our webbed hero.Despite some elements remaining of the
original story there is an unfolding mystery and a new villain.For the Spiderman officiados this franchise
could be arguably a truer portrayal of the comic book story.
In The Amazing Spider-Man™ the story begins with seven-year-old Peter
Parker (Andrew Garfield) and the mysterious disappearance of his parents which
leaves him orphaned and in the care of his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt
May (a perfect Sally Fields).It is in
these early scenes we learn more of the Peter Parker history barely mentioned
in the original.
Returning to the familiar
ground of Peter’s teenage years we understand better the emotional impact of his
parent’s disappearance.He is
introverted by choice but carrying a strong sense of humanity as opposed to
being the bullied geek.Gwen Stacy (always
perky Emma Stone)—introduced in Issue 31, December 1965 of the comic series—is Peter
Parker’s first crush.
In searching for answers
about his parents, Peter uncovers information leading him to Oscorp and the lab
of his Father’s ex-partner Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans).There Dr. Connors is searching for the key to
cross-species genetics to cure the world’s health and physical disabilities, and
most notably regrow his own missing arm.
Of course, Spiderman is
nothing without the inevitable spider bite and we are into original story
territory with the struggles and fun of discovering his new abilities.When Connors injects himself with untested
serum, he evolves into the megalomaniac, Lizard. I know—it does sound weird but
I’m informed Lizard is one of Spiderman’s most famous enemies, although perhaps
unknown to fans of the earlier films.Who would think a Lizard could be so much trouble?
Director Marc Webb explains, “There are a lot of
things in the Spider-Man canon that haven’t been explored cinematically—the
loss of Peter’s parents launches him on his journey.I was curious about the emotional consequence
of that tragic event.Then, of course,
we have the Gwen Stacy saga and there’s the Lizard, one of my favorite villains
in comics.All of that gave us a lot to
work with.”
Webb wanted to explore a new
dimension of the Peter Parker story and tell it in a more naturalistic
way. “I wanted the fun, the spectacle, the action, the rage, and the
humor to feel more realistic—like you walk out on the street and you can
imagine this happening.”
As a result, the filmmakers
chose to create The Amazing Spider-Man using practical, real-world
elements whenever possible and choosing visual effects only when strictly
necessary.
Sony Pictures Imageworks—which
previously handled VFX duties on director Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy—returns
to oversee the visual effects on The
Amazing Spider-Man.New animation
and rendering technology was developed at Imageworks in order to create the
incredible detail of the Lizard’s scales and the movement of his muscles
beneath the skin.
One such technique involved
the use of a stuntman—dressed in black to help his digital “removal” during the
post process—posing as a stand-in for the Lizard during a key action sequence
at Peter Parker’s high school. To fully convey the illusion that Spider-Man is
grappling and being tossed around by a nine-foot-tall mutated Lizard, the
stuntman (who was almost seven feet tall himself!) would grapple with Andrew
Garfield. Later, the stuntman was removed and the CG Lizard animated to have
motion that coincided with Garfield’s movements.The meshing of the real physics of the actor
and the CG animation of the Lizard create a visceral illusion of Peter Parker
fighting for his life.
The attempt to revisit a successful
franchise so soon was a courageous move and it could have been a fail. But The Amazing Spider-Man™ is a big fun romp,
especially in IMAX 3D, with some young energetic actors and solid golden oldies.
Even better, this time round I save on merchandise. And the must-have movie
T-shirt I’m usually begged to buy...you’ve already got one, almost brand new.
