Happy Halloween everyone! Tomorrow is the big day and I'm sure some of you are wondering what to watch this creepy Halloween weekend. Well we have a gargantuan collection of new horror releases to give you an idea on what to choose to spook yourself and your friends this year.
We'll be featuring DVD, Blu-ray, and even some scares that bring laughs in the end. This round up will have an appropriate 13 titles for you to choose from! So without further ado, let's start with Sony Pictures spectacular release of Night of the Creeps on Blu-ray!
Night of the Creeps
Written & Directed by: Fred Dekker
Starring: Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow, and Tom Atkins
This is a release that so many people have been waiting for and most people never thought would happen. Sony has released Night of the Creeps on blu-ray with a features packed directors cut. This is a movie that has been ingrained in my brain since I first saw it nearly two decades ago. I instantly fell in love with it's quirky humor and creepy chills. It was definitely a formative movie that directed me towards wanting to be a horror writer.
Now, we get to relive it again in this fantastic release. Fred Dekker's awesome movie is getting the treatment it deserves (The Monster Squad also gets blu-ray treatment next month!)
The film looks great and I'm really glad it's getting such great treatment. The set is jammed with features including commentary from the director and the cast, the original theatrical ending (this releases features Dekker's original ending), deleted scenes, featurettes, trivia, and the original ending.
This is the movie 80's horror fans have been screaming for and they will be more than pleased with the results. By the way, we'll be giving away a copy next week!
That's just the first release we're covering with this round up. Click the Rawr! for 12 more horror releases!
Next up we'll take a trip across the sea with Palisades Tartan's Terror Pack Vol. 1. This set features three gruesome horror films from across the world including France's Sheitan which stars Vincent Cassel in a deliciously creepy role, Japan's Carved: The Slit Mouthed Woman which features a scissor wielding spirit in a hospital mask, and the Dutch gore fest Slaughter Night.
If you aren't interested in Night of the Creeps, then this is the set for you. Gore filled scarefests that will lead to sleepless nights with the hall lights on. Palisades Tartan is rapidly becoming the go to place for international horror releases and this collection offers up three prime examples of exceptional horror from around the globe.
Each disc includes a few special features include trailers, outtakes, deleted scenes and more and they all boost up the scare factor.
Palisades Tartan doesn't stop with the scares there. We're also including two more of their releases on this round up. These two films come from the Palisades Tartan Asia Extreme line. First up is the Thai film P.
P is kinda like a coming of age magic addition film. A young woman leaves for the big city to earn money to help her ailing grandmother. She begins work at a go-go bar and uses magics taught t her by her grandmother to become more successful. Her magics become darker and darker and she succumbs to an evil force.
A little sexy, a lot gory, and even more creepy, P is another fine example of how the best horror films are coming from thousands of miles away.
Hollywood should take note instead of just remaking this things and start creating original movies that are just as good.
P is not the scariest flick on this list but it does get under your skin a little. Definitely worthy of a Halloween night creep fest.
Finally, we have The Butcher. This Korean film was banned because of its shocking brutality but apparently not brutal enough to be banned anywhere else.
This one was almost too much for me. I'm not the biggest fan of gore and generally prefer films to be more cerebral than bloody. Don't get me wrong I love a good slasher movie but when we get in to the more Torture Porn area, not so much.
The Butcher, while extremely gory, sets itself above the rest in the way its presented via two POV video cameras. It gives it a bit more realism than your standard gore fest.
Not to mention the pig faced guy. That is frightening all by itself. A guy chainsawing people in a pig mask? Leatherface could take some lessons.
The Butcher disc includes an alternate ending, storyboards, and a trailer. If you're not to unsettled by a large amount of violence and gore than The Butcher should make for a great part of your Halloween scares.
Let's take a break from the intense horror from around the world for something a little lighter.
Warner Brothers brings us Scare Tactics: Season Three Part One. This is the Uncensored Too Hot For TV version of the show. Scare Tactics is now hosted by Tracy Morgan, who can be a little grating at times and to be honest I preferred the show when it was hosted by Shannon Doherty. As the show continues it gets less and less believable as the situations get crazier and crazier. That said, the show is still fun to watch. Hidden camera shows have always been a guilty pleasure of mine and Scare Tactics is one of my favorites. There is a perverse pleasure in watching people get the crap scared out of them and I don't think another show does it better than Scare Tactics.
The set includes thirteen uncensored (unbleeped and unblurred) episodes that include the return of fan favorite Satan's Baby. There are also extended scenes and Tracy Morgan's outtakes, which admittedly, are pretty funny.
If you find yourself getting to scared with the other options on this round-up, pop in Scare Tactics to calm yourself down and have some real laughs.
Next up, let's have a peak of four release from Ghost House Underground.
Ghost House Underground is an interesting animal. The films aren't usually pick of the litter. They're fun to watch but none of them, with the exception of the brilliant Dance of the Dead, are great. That holds true with these four films. They're fun watches and some of them do have some really creepy parts but for the most part they're just okay.
Why include them on the list? Well, all four of them are perfect to watch on during a horror marathon on Halloween. These four in particular feature a bit of everything: creepy kids, cannibals, parasites, and zombie ghosts so there is definitely something for everyone here. The films feature some pretty big names like Val Kilmer, Amy Smart, Aaron Ashmore, Jack Ketchum, and Eduardo Sanchez so their pedigrees are pretty decent.
Each of the films have a nice collection of special features and Ghost House always seems to supplement its films well. It's just that they rarely achieve greatness. These four films are creepy and fun to watch, they're just not as scary as I'd hope. Still though, don't let that keep you from giving them a shot.
What's a round of up horror movies these days without including a remake?
This one would be a remake of the classic 70's monster baby flick trilogy It's Alive. This is a terrible terrible film. Hokey effects, lousy acting, to say the least.
So why include it? Well, what better fun than to lampoon it?
A mutant flesh eating baby, who you hardly see and when you do see it it's cgi schlock. It's unfortunate that the movie was so poorly done. It had a chance to be interesting it just fails on every possible level. But that failure can be your pleasure as you and your friends can make fun of it before moving on to the next gruesome horror film on the list.
There are no special features to worry about so no time wasted on that. This is probably the worst film on the list, and quite possibly of the year, but it might end up being your favorite part of the holiday with all the fun you'll have making fun of it.
Lastly, we'll bookend this round up with another blu-ray release.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is widely considered one of the scariest movies of all time. I can see where that comes from. Henry is different from most horror films because its probably the most realistic horror flick in recent memory. The horror of this film is from its realism. It's the story of an everyman who just happens to be a remorseless serial killer. He can be anyone and that is the scariest part of this movie. There aren't any jump scenes or any over stylized death scenes (although there are some gruesome kills). It's a simple and horrifying glimpse at a madman.
Michael Rooker is nothing short of brilliant as Henry the rage filled killer who is remarkable at hiding his inner urges. The film is based on real life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas which makes it even more frightening.
The disc is full of features including outtakes and deleted scenes, making of documentary, commentary, storyboards, interviews, and a fascinating documentary on Henry Lee Lucas.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is sure to have you freaked out just by walking to your car. Hide this one in the middle of your horror-thon so the realistic fear induced from it can be buried by the over the top standard horror flair!
That's it gang! What a round-up this time around. I hope you find a few flicks to check out and make your Halloween movie marathon a great one.
Henry: Portait of a Serial Killer, Night of the Creeps, Palisades Tartan Terror Pack Vol. 1, The Butcher, P, Ghost House Underground's The Thaw, The Children, Seventh Moon, and The Offspring, It's Alive, the Uncensored, Too Hot for TV Scare Tactics Season Three: Part One are all available now.
Happy Halloween!
Steven Soderbergh's The Informant! is not an easy film to write about. There is so much to like in the movie, the performances are strong, the writing is inventive and never settles for easy jokes, and the direction is strong. Yet, somehow, The Informant! manages to disappoint despite all that it has going for it.
The Informant!, despite whatever faults it may have, is an extremely challenging movie. It tells the story of Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon turning in one of his most fully developed performances ever) executive turned whistle-blower at lysine developing company ADM. When the FBI begins to investigate ADM, Mark turns spy exposing an illegal-multinational price-fixing scheme that leads all the way to the top of his company. As new truths and new lies about ADM begin to surface, the honesty or lack thereof of Mark is also called into question. Oh yeah, and this is all a comedy.
Click the Rawr! for the full review.
There are so many things to like about The Informant!, first and foremost among them is the stellar cast. In addition to Matt Damon, Soderbergh managed to get some of the finest character actors (a surprising number of them stand-up comedians) to round out his cast. Featuring The Smothers Brothers, Scott Bakula, Thomas F. Wilson, Clancy Brown and Patton Oswalt, Soderbergh's cast manages to be well-controlled and subtle as the film grows progressively more and more ridiculous. But, at the end of the day, this is really Matt Damon's show. Here, under some additional weight and one of the best (or at least funniest) mustaches, he really does give a complex and deeply layered performance. By turns hilarious and infuriating Damon's Whitacre pulls off the difficult task of adding humanity to corporate America, while still being enough of a weasel that you can detest him.
Also the writing of the film is mature and interesting. Whitacre, as well as all of the characters surrounding him, are filled with just enough moral ambiguity to prevent them from being outright caricatures (which the film gets awfully close to doing). Covering similar territory as his deeply felt, and critically acclaimed, Erin Brockovich covered almost a decade ago, Soderbergh seems right at home with the sharp, often uncompromising writing. (Special note: The Informant! is the first comedy I've seen in a long time that does not rely on a single cheap joke, such as potty-humor.)
With all this going for it The Informant! managed to miss the mark. While Matt Damon's performance is uncompromising and astonishing, the character is too milquetoast for an audience member to feel sorry for or identify with. He is not even interesting enough that he falls into the anti-hero-you-like-to-hate category. Watching Damon build this intricate house of lies makes you uncomfortable to be in his head (at times throughout the movie Damon narrates Whitacre's thoughts), and, being that he is in every scene, makes the task of identifying with/caring about what happens to him a near impossibility.
Though the movie is set in the 90s throughout the film Soderbergh seemed to be going for a 70s retro feel. From the score (by three time Oscar winner Marvin Hamlisch) to the on-screen graphics, this retro-ness permeates. Something about the way that this was balanced makes it feel really muddled and schizophrenic, almost as if it was added for no reason other than to be cool.
The Hamlisch score, while not bad music in and of itself, (at least at the screening I attended) was a huge distraction. In keeping with the rest of the film it is a 70s era throwback, but it is overbearingly loud, and does not work to compliment the film, but rather distracts from it. It almost inspires the feeling that you are attending a film of one kind and a disparate concert, and that everybody is trying to make it work, but it just doesn't.
The Informant! is an interesting movie, it may even be an engaging movie, however it is not a satisfying movie. There is plenty to like but, unfortunately, the film disappoints.
The Informant! is in theaters now.
Yes! This is a great start. I am more than interested in seeing this now. That last shot is a little iffy for me but I don't think that is his real look.
There is some terrific imagery in this teaser.
Great stuff.
We have a few great releases to cover today that have recently hit stores and wanted to give you guys a glance them. We'll have a second TV DVD Roundup later in the week so watch out for that.
This time, we're going to focus on two network dramas with strange happenings and two cable comedies with well...strange happenings.
The good news? All four of them are great examples of fine television. The bad news? Well, can you afford to buy them all?
Click the Rawr! for our thoughts on Fringe Season One, Supernatural Season Four, Flight of the Conchords Season Two and Important Things with Demetri Martin Season One! 
Fringe: The Complete First Season
Starring: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Blair Brown, Jasika Niciole with Mark Valley and John Noble.
First up is Fox's new supernatural drama from J.J. Abrams, Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, Fringe. The story centers around a female FBI Agent (Anna Torv) who finds herself investigating strange occurrences with the help of a brilliant scientist who's spent 17 years in a mental institution (John Noble) and his son (Joshua Jackson). As they investigate, it becomes clearer and clearer that someone is using the world as their own private lab and as they track "The Pattern" it leads them to a global corporation, Massive Dynamic.
Fans of The X-Files will be on familiar ground here. Fringe is more science based but the show is in the same vein. The cast is pitch perfect, with the exception of Mark Valley who, admittedly, I've never really liked that much.
The show is clever, extremely well written, and at times is completely crazy. It's a great watch. J.J. Abrams has a history of making great TV and Fringe is no exception.
The DVD set features a lot of special features including featurettes on the casting, the science behind the show, and the special effects. Deleted scenes, a gag reel, production diary, and more.
There's plenty for everyone with Fringe, even those hesitant to latch onto a genre show like this will find themselves pleased.
Season Two begins on September 17 so you should get watching so you can catch up in time.
Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season
Starring: Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles
Next up is the The CW's occult hit, Supernatural. The series's fourth season finds the Brothers Winchester in some rather interesting biblical situations, not to mention continuing their road trip creepy monster battling ways. This time vampires, teddy bears, and the Devil are on the menu, among other things.
Now, I resisted this show for years. I really didn't think it was anything more than bait for tweeners. I can honestly say that I was wrong. Supernatural is a helluva fun show and has been consistently good through it's four seasons. There may be rough patch or two but for the most part it's a good show to get behind.
Season Four keeps that up well. This year delving more into the war between heaven and hell that our heroes are smack in the middle of. Granted, I had my doubts when I read what the season was going to be about, but I really enjoyed it.
That is directly related to the smart writing and fantastic performances from the leads. They carry this show and make it as good as it is.
The Season Four set features deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel, featurettes on the themes of the season and commentaries.
For those of you who write off Supernatural as a lame teen show not worth your time, let me assure you that is wrong. The show is really fun and is still running strong in it's fourth year.
Pick up Season Four so you can get through it in time for the premiere of the shows fifth season on well, it was last week but you can still catch up in time for episode two!
Flight of the Conchords
Starring: Jermaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, Rhys Darby, Kristen Schaal, and Arj Barker
Our favorite folk duo from New Zealand are back in the hilarious second season of HBO's Flight of the Conchords.
The laughs keep coming as the guys continue to try to break into the American music scene. I cannot get enough of this show. It's extremely funny and clever and even touching at times. Bret and Jermaine are fantastic characters that you can't help but get caught up with.
Some of the songs featured this season aren't as good as those from Season One but that does nothing to take away from the show. The real star here is the band themselves. Jermaine Clement is up for an Emmy this year for his work on this season. As good as he is, I didn't expect that to happen. I just didn't think this show would even be on Emmy's radar in terms of acting. Writing for sure as it's near brilliant at times but it was a complete shock for an acting nod!
The season two set features a documentary feature, commercials for Dave's pawn shop, New Zealand Consulate Meetings with Murray and Greg, deleted scenes, and outtakes. All of these features just help to make an already fantastic show even better.
Season Two of Flight of the Conchords is a joy to watch and well worth the price. You'll want to get this and relive the show often considering I don't know if there is even going to be a third season. I'll watch these episodes again and hope there will be one.
Important Things with Demetri Martin
Starring: Demetri Martin
Last but certainly not least, is the new Comedy Central hit Important Things with Demetri Martin. It seems Comedy Central has been trying to recapture the magic of Chapelle's Show since it's shocking demise a few years ago. First came the dreadful Mind of Mencia, which is absolutely unwatchable.
Now, we have Important Things, which, to me anyway, is about as close as they will ever get. This show is hilarious. It helps to be a fan of Demetri Martin, which I am. In fact, I think he could be our generations Steve Martin. His charm is undeniable and his comedy is extremely clever. Whether it's a song or a sight gag or a sketch, this show is nearly all hit and very little miss.
The episodes cover things like Brains, Power, Chairs, Games, and more. Each episode is a laugh riot example of Martin's comedic genius.
The DVD contains all seven first season episodes with some bonus features like deleted sketches, commentaries, a poster, and more.
This is the cheapest of the sets featured here but it also has the least episodes. Still, it is packed full of funny so if I had to choose I would go with Important Things.
These are some great options for you to drop some coin on. It's a tough choice, even if the the funniest stuff is courtesy of Demetri Martin.
Fringe: The Complete First Season, Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season, Flight of the Conchords: Season Two, and Important Things with Demetri Martin Season One are in stores now.
Some potentially huge comic-con news today as Gary Oldman revealed that the third entry into the brilliant new Batman franchise is set to begin shooting next year with a release in 2011.
He goes on to say, "But you didn't hear it from me."
There is no word as to who the villains are or even who is directing at this point.
Fingers crossed Christopher Nolan is back in the saddle. We should know more soon.
Hopefully.
Terminator Salvation
Written by: John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris
Directed by: McG
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin, Jadagrace, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Common
The highly anticipated sequel/prequel Terminator Salvation is finally here. This time the story propels us far into the future. A full 9 years! The future doesn't look much like the future we've seen in the previous films. This future isn't dark with skulls littering the ground and lasers blasting over head. This future is more desolate. Maybe that darker future hasn't arrived yet or won't until John Connor is killed. Who knows? We're dealing with time travel here. It's not exactly easy to follow.
And that is a problem here. I'm still not quite sure when this movie is supposed to take place. Thinking back it has to be before the events of the first movie take place because in Salvation, John Connor hasn't met his father yet. In the grand scheme, I guess it doesn't really matter much because time travel isn't really a plot point in this movie. What this movie is about is a bunch of characters that we don't really care about (with the exception of one) discovering a way to defeat the enemy they've been fighting for years, rescuing human hostages from Skynet, cramming in lazy homages to the previous movies, and lastly, this film is about a Cylon.
Wait, what?
Click the Rawr! for the full review.
Harry Knowles recently saw this film and launched an epic assault spending a couple thousand words detailing his hatred of it. He likens the main character of Marcus (played by Sam Worthington)to Robocop. I'm more inclined to compare the character to the Cylons of the recent Battlestar Galactica series. It seems like the whole idea was lifted directly from that show. A human/machine hybrid thing that doesn't know it is a machine and believes it is human. It has a heartbeat just like a cylon did. Looks, feels, sounds, and acts human just as a cylon did. It's madness that anyone looked at this script and didn't immediately think they were ripping off a TV show. One of the greatest Sci-Fi shows in recent memory no less.
It's hard to overlook that to be honest.
Harder still to overlook is the general lack of caring I had for every single character, with the exception of one who I will get to momentarily. I agree with Knowles on this point exactly. The characters are meaningless. I really did not care if one lived or died. There was just nothing to them. Even John Connor, who is so vitally important to the lore and the legend of this series, was worthless to me.
The one exception was Kyle Reese, played expertly by Anton Yelchin. He steals the show and brings us a perfectly realized character. A kid trying to be bigger than he is that is really the only truly human feeling character in the film. Everyone else just felt like space filler to me. Useless.
The story is pretty thin here with a script that is nothing special. The entire project was just underwhelming. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat with nerves and excitement. I really wasn't. I wasn't bored but I certainly wasn't feeling what I should have been feeling.
The bad aside, the effects are incredible. The machines all look extremely realistic and imposing. The effects team really deserves the kudos here as they and Anton Yelchin are the best parts of this film. I just wish I could say that I loved it.
I didn't hate it. It was okay. It's worth watching on the big screen but it does nothing to further the story and it does nothing to justify it even being made. It's a barely entertaining, extremely underwhelming movie with some fun action sequences, great special effects, and one great performance (unless you like hearing Christian Bale scream every line then it's two).
Oh and the score. I don't even remember a note beyond the famous Terminator theme.
I'm not sure what else there is to say really. Go see it, I'm curious to see what your thoughts are. See it, come back here and leave us a comment with your impressions. Now that I think about it, you might be better off watching The Sarah Connor Chronicles on Blu-ray. It's light years better.
Terminator Salvation is in theaters tomorrow.
Warner Bros. has started an amazing program for those of us who have a bunch of useless HD-DVDs sitting around. You can now trade them in for their blu-ray counterparts for $4.95!
In fact, the great Harry Potter set with all five movies can be traded for only $14.95.
Head over to red2blu.com to get started!
This may be the funniest movie of the year. Apparently, Warner Bros. has faith in it because they've already greenlit a sequel.
Also, Zach Galifianakis alone is reason enough to see this.
Warner Bros is moving ahead with a theatrical version of Stephen King's epic novel "It". I'm not sure how they're going to turn a book that exceeds 1100 pages into a two hour movie but we'll see.
Previously It was adapted into a miniseries that spanned the 50's and the 80's of which 50% of was fantastic. It also featured the scariest clown to grace the small or big screen.
The new version will be set in present day. Let's hope they can do Pennywise justice!
It would be fantastic if they started building a Stephen King universe that was true to the Dark Tower books considering a lot of those books spilled over into a lot of King's other books.
Watchmen
Written by: David Hayter and Alex Tse
Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Gibbons
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, and Matt Frewer
It is probably the most anticipated movie of the year and one of the most anticipated comic book adaptations in history. You've no doubt seen the trailers, the posters, and the tv spots so I think it's safe to say I don't really need to go to far into plot details. There will be a hundred reviews out there where people dissect this movie and write dissertations about it as if it's the dawning of a new era in film.
I'm not going to do that. I don't have that much loyalty to the source material and to be honest it's just not good enough for that kind of work.
I will start by saying that I don't see what the fuss is about. People talk about Watchmen with such reverence and devotion and I don't understand it. I've read it twice and feel no such dedication. In fact, I was rather underwhelmed. It must be generational. It came out when I was a kid so I was too young to even know it existed, let alone read it. I was 27 when I did finally read it and I had to force myself to finish it. It was a bore to me. I read it again recently and did enjoy it better, but I still failed to see the genius or jump from my chair to proclaim it a masterpiece.
So to be honest, I wasn't that excited about the film and the firs trailer did nothing to change that. The second trailer was a little better and did peak my interest enough to actually see it. I didn't go into the movie as an overexcited fan boy or someone being dragged to see something they didn't want to see.
My point here is that I went into this movie as the average film goer might. Mild interest, no expectations either way, and no real connection to the source material.
I don't think I can get any more objective than that.
That said, Watchmen is a snooze fest.
Let me talk a moment about what works. First and foremost it's Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. He brings this character to life in away I didn't think was possible. I hate to say Jackie Earle Haney IS Rorschach (that seems a little cliche nowadays) but it's pretty close to being true. The majority of the cast is good but its Haley that owns this movie. No other performance stands out, with the exception of Malin Akerman as Laurie Jupiter, except for a different reason that I'll touch on in a moment. Dr. Manhattan is also well done. Crudup portrays his detachment with a rather subtle intensity that works really well.
Another positive is the look of the film. It really is gorgeous to look at. Visually striking, and extremely true to the atmosphere of the comic.
The last positive is this, Snyder took extreme care to remain true to the the comic. Scenes and dialogue are taken directly from the page and put on screen with exacting precision.
This is also a bad thing. Watchmen is not a comic for mainstream audiences and Snyder sticking so close to the source material gives us a movie that will not sit well with mainstream viewers. It's just too dense. Snyder's direction, while at times gives us some stunning visuals, also betrays the comic somewhat.
I'm referring to the slow motion shots. Now, they aren't numerous but when they're used they sort of give the illusion that these crime fighters are super powered. In the comic, these are real people who put on costumes and fight crime. They are not super heroes. They do not have super strength or x ray vision. They are regular people. This is one reason why Dr. Manhattan is such an important part of the story. He is the first true SUPER hero. I don't know if it was a creative decision to sort of make it seem like all the characters have immense strength or if it just looks like it but either way, it sort of takes away from the characters.
I was also slightly underwhelmed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He wasn't bad by any means. He looks the part and plays the part of The Comedian well, it's just that he seems to lack a certain sort of madness that The Comedian has in the comic. You look at Morgan and see a sort of every man nice guy instead of the sociopath The Comedian is supposed to be.
I mentioned Malin Akerman before. I can honestly say that her performance will be ranked among the worst of the year. It was brutal. It was as if she didn't bother to learn her lines and simply settled for having someone yell them out to her before each take. She has zero passion, zero emotion, and has the same lights out expression on her face for the entire movie.
Another negative? The Music. Wildly out of place and jarring. I think every song is from the 70s (except 99 luft balloons) which is odd since the movie takes place in the 80's. Beyond that, none of them really fit. They all feel shoehorned in and as soon as they start you're yanked out of the movie. There is hardly any orchestration at all and even what little there may have been, I couldn't tell you when or where it occurred.
There is a sex scene that is better suited for a late night Cinemax movie, some of the dialogue is atrocious, its about 45 minutes too long (which means that the 3 hours plus directors cut will probably be unbearable). I found myself getting frustrated and antsy before the last act began. It's that boring. There are a few rather indulgent camera shots as well. We see reference to 300 a couple of times at least and do we really need to see grave stones for 45 seconds and then pull back through a sign that says cemetary? Isn't our location obvious by the hundreds of gravestones we're seeing? This is also the point where another jarring song appears. This sets up another long music videoish montage, of which I believe there are three.
Despite all that, it's not a terrible movie. It has enough good moments to warrant at least one watch. I don't think Warner Bros. has the next Dark Knight here by any means. I'd guess it has one huge weekend and then plummets because this movie's success is all going to be on the shoulders of comic fans. This is not a movie for the mainstream movie going public and in the end I don't see this as ending up particularly successful.
Oh and yes, there is full frontal nudity here. There's a blue penis. Get over it.
Watchmen is in theaters now.
Check out this clip from the upcoming DVD/BluRay release of Wonder Woman on March 3, 2009. That's Tuesday in case you wondered.
In the meantime, check out our review HERE and visit www.wonderwomanmovie.com!
Wonder Woman
Written By: Michael Jelenic
Story By: Michael Jelenic and Gail Simone
Directed By: Lauren Montgomery
Featuring the voices of: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina, Rosario Dawson, Virginia Madsen, Marg Helgenberger, and Oliver Platt.
Let's start with the official synopsis:
Wonder Woman begins on the mystical island of Themyscira, where a proud and fierce warrior race of Amazons resides. They have raised Princess Diana, a daughter of stunning beauty, extraordinary strength and incredible fighting prowess. Diana possesses a host of super human powers granted to her by the gods and goddesses of Olympus and her strength and stamina are unparalleled.
When Air Force fighter pilot Steve Trevor crash lands on the island, the rebellious and headstrong Diana defies Amazonian law by accompanying Trevor back to civilization. Meanwhile, Ares (the God of War) has escaped his imprisonment at the hands of the Amazons and has decided to exact his revenge by starting a world war that will destroy them all. It is up to Princess Diana to save her people and the world by using her gifts to become the ultimate Wonder Woman.
Now that that is out of the way I can tell you, unequivocally, that this movie is awesome. It is everything you could want from a Wonder Woman movie (except Joss Whedon). The animation is great and the voice acting is perfect. Nathan Fillion shines here as Steve Trevor. Another notch is his belt of excellence.
I'm not the biggest fan of Wonder Woman to be honest. I like her in a team dynamic, but on her own I've never really enjoyed her. That's one reason I was apprehensive about this movie. I felt like there were better characters to explore than her. The abysmal Batman: Gotham Knight and Superman: Doomsday releases didn't help matters.
I enjoyed Wonder Woman beginning to end. It is the best DC animated film to date. It's action packed and even funny. I was shocked at times by the violence in the film and it really earns that PG-13. The opening battle between Ares and the Amazons is incredible. It's like 300 with women and sets the tone for the entire film. The film is bookended with two insane battle scenes and sandwhiched between is a flesh tenderizing Wonder Woman.
The filmmakers have done what I thought was impossible. They took Wonder Woman who seems to have become a weak almost boring character and made her awesome again. This is for me at least. There are people out there who are eagerly anticipating this movie who are huge fans of the character. I'm pleased to say that they will love it too. Wonder Woman is great for new comers, seasoned fans, and naysayers like myself.
Let's talk about the DVD. The two disc special edition and the BluRay features collectible packaging and 185 minutes of special features including:
· Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream - She is one of the pillars of DC Comics. We examine why Wonder Woman is important in the grand scheme of the DC Super Heroes and how her raw strength and power helped define a new generation of empowered women, who realized that their gifts of intellect and strength were just as powerful as their male counterparts.
· Wonder Woman The Daughters of Myth – The riveting documentary historically defines the meaning of the Amazons and how this links in with the evolution of the Wonder Woman character from comics to screen.
· Audio Commentary - featuring commentary by Gregory Noveck (Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs, DC Comics), Bruce Timm (Producer), Lauren Montgomery (Director) and Michael Jelenic (Screenplay).
· Bruce Timm’s Top Picks
Popular episodes from the Warner Bros. archive of Justice League/Justice League Unlimited animation featuring Wonder Woman; all personally selected by Bruce Timm, producer of this Wonder Woman feature film. All formats include “To another Shore” and “Hawk and Dove.” Exclusive additions for the Blu-Ray and 2-Disk formats: “Paradise Lost, Parts 1 & 2.”
· Digital Copy Download– Warner Bros. is including a Digital Copy of Wonder Woman on the DVD which will provide fans a legitimate means to enjoy their favorite action hero anywhere they want on their portable video device. Formats supported include: iTunes, Windows Media Player. Restrictions apply. Consult product packaging for details.
· Sneak Peak - The next DCU Animated Original Movie. This is the best part of all for me. It is a sneak peak at the upcoming GREEN LANTERN feature! One step closer to a Sinestro Corps War movie!
· Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess – This featurette includes both a thumbnail history of the character of Wonder Woman featuring interviews with DC Comics creators and artists (Paul Levitz, Dan DiDio), and behind the scenes footage of the upcoming made-for-DVD release punctuated with interviews from the production staff and voice talent behind the film (Keri Russell, Alfred Molina, etc.)
Wonder Woman is a definite must have for fans of Wonder Woman as well as comic and animation fans. The set is jam packed with great special features that only serve to make a great movie even better.
Wonder Woman arrives with a standard edition DVD, a 2-Disc Special Editon DVD, and BluRay on March 3, 2009.
For more information on Wonder Woman visit the official site at wonderwomanmovie.com.
You can also get the inside scoop on WB movie & DVD releases by visiting www.wbreelnews.com
Wonder Woman Official Trailer
It looks like Tomb Raider is returning to the big screen with a franchise reboot ala Batman. Warner Bros and producer Dan Lin are in the early stages of development.
It looks as though Angelina Jolie will NOT return to the role.
In that case, might I suggest a perfect replacement?
Rhona Mitra.
