Mark Harrison Aug 17, 2017
Anyone for monkey baseball? We examine the weird and wonderful unmade scripts of the Planet Of The Apes series
In 2006, screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver were inspired by footage of domesticated chimpanzees who were unable to adjust to our lifestyles to write a sci-fi horror spec script that they called Genesis. Apparently, it was a while before the two of them realised that they were writing a Planet Of The Apes movie.
Their resultant pitch to 20th Century Fox led to 2011's Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, the excellent, emotional prequel/reboot of the franchise that led to 2014's Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes and recent trilogy topper, War For The Planet Of The Apes. Together, the three films take Caesar from domestication to domination and have been huge critical and financial hits for the studio.
The development hell that plagued Fox's...
Anyone for monkey baseball? We examine the weird and wonderful unmade scripts of the Planet Of The Apes series
In 2006, screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver were inspired by footage of domesticated chimpanzees who were unable to adjust to our lifestyles to write a sci-fi horror spec script that they called Genesis. Apparently, it was a while before the two of them realised that they were writing a Planet Of The Apes movie.
Their resultant pitch to 20th Century Fox led to 2011's Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, the excellent, emotional prequel/reboot of the franchise that led to 2014's Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes and recent trilogy topper, War For The Planet Of The Apes. Together, the three films take Caesar from domestication to domination and have been huge critical and financial hits for the studio.
The development hell that plagued Fox's...
- 8/15/2017
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Jul 17, 2017
Jodie Whittaker's casting as the 13th Doctor in Doctor Who builds on an already-impressive body of work...
This article includes very mild spoilers for Broadchurch.
See related Preacher season 2 episode 4 review: Viktor Preacher season 2 episode 3 review: Damsels Preacher season 2 episode 2 review: Mumbai Sky Tower
Jodie Whittaker is the 13th Doctor. This Christmas, for the first time in over 50 years of Doctor Who, the Time Lord will become a Time Lady, and arguably, it's about time. There are those who will have been waiting for this for a very long time, and those who are (let's charitably say) trepidatious about the casting decision, but anyone who's familiar with Whittaker's work should be thrilled.
She will first appear in this year's Christmas special, when Peter Capaldi regenerates, and will make her full-time debut in next year's series. She's worked with new executive producer Chris Chibnall before, playing grieving...
Jodie Whittaker's casting as the 13th Doctor in Doctor Who builds on an already-impressive body of work...
This article includes very mild spoilers for Broadchurch.
See related Preacher season 2 episode 4 review: Viktor Preacher season 2 episode 3 review: Damsels Preacher season 2 episode 2 review: Mumbai Sky Tower
Jodie Whittaker is the 13th Doctor. This Christmas, for the first time in over 50 years of Doctor Who, the Time Lord will become a Time Lady, and arguably, it's about time. There are those who will have been waiting for this for a very long time, and those who are (let's charitably say) trepidatious about the casting decision, but anyone who's familiar with Whittaker's work should be thrilled.
She will first appear in this year's Christmas special, when Peter Capaldi regenerates, and will make her full-time debut in next year's series. She's worked with new executive producer Chris Chibnall before, playing grieving...
- 7/16/2017
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison May 25, 2017
The Pirates Of The Caribbean movies have not been easy films to make....
As Michael Bolton once belted out: “This is the tale of Captain Jack Sparrow.” The Pirates Of The Caribbean film was a surprise sleeper hit in 2003, astounding the higher-ups at Disney who had long been sceptical of how a pirate movie, based on a ride at Disneyland, would appeal to audiences.
Off the back of this success, the sequels only got more ambitious and expensive in scale, with their use of practical effects and convoluted character dynamics serving to complicate the adventure format, with mixed results. It shouldn't shock you then, to hear that each of the movies released so far had some serious behind-the-scenes battles to make them shipshape.
The fifth and apparently final instalment, Salazar's Revenge (or Dead Men Tell No Tales), has had some very public battles before it has even been released,...
The Pirates Of The Caribbean movies have not been easy films to make....
As Michael Bolton once belted out: “This is the tale of Captain Jack Sparrow.” The Pirates Of The Caribbean film was a surprise sleeper hit in 2003, astounding the higher-ups at Disney who had long been sceptical of how a pirate movie, based on a ride at Disneyland, would appeal to audiences.
Off the back of this success, the sequels only got more ambitious and expensive in scale, with their use of practical effects and convoluted character dynamics serving to complicate the adventure format, with mixed results. It shouldn't shock you then, to hear that each of the movies released so far had some serious behind-the-scenes battles to make them shipshape.
The fifth and apparently final instalment, Salazar's Revenge (or Dead Men Tell No Tales), has had some very public battles before it has even been released,...
- 5/24/2017
- Den of Geek
Jessica Chastain headlines Miss Sloane, which will hopefully make more of a splash in the UK than it made in the Us...
The Us release of Miss Sloane came in the same month as the 2016 presidential election finally came to pass, and perhaps it's only down to a general exasperation with politics that it has been so overlooked. The absurdity of the news has only been compounded over the six months that it's taken to arrive in UK cinemas, but it's testament to how well executed the film is that this story of corruption and skullduggery in Washington DC still seems remarkable.
The film centres on Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain), a ruthless lobbyist who has been hauled in to plead the Fifth in front of an ethics committee (chaired by John Lithgow's pompous senator), and the three months that led to these proceedings. Miss Sloane has quite the reputation in Washington,...
The Us release of Miss Sloane came in the same month as the 2016 presidential election finally came to pass, and perhaps it's only down to a general exasperation with politics that it has been so overlooked. The absurdity of the news has only been compounded over the six months that it's taken to arrive in UK cinemas, but it's testament to how well executed the film is that this story of corruption and skullduggery in Washington DC still seems remarkable.
The film centres on Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain), a ruthless lobbyist who has been hauled in to plead the Fifth in front of an ethics committee (chaired by John Lithgow's pompous senator), and the three months that led to these proceedings. Miss Sloane has quite the reputation in Washington,...
- 5/14/2017
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison May 19, 2017
From the currently playing Their Finest to the likes of Bowfinger and Boogie Nights, we salute the movies about making movies...
If you haven't caught up yet, Their Finest is currently playing in UK cinemas and it's a gorgeous little love letter to perseverance through storytelling, set against the backdrop of a film production office at the British Ministry of Information during the Second World War. Based on Lissa Evans' novel, Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy play characters whose access to the film industry has been contingent on the global crisis that takes other young men away from such trifling matters, and it's a real joy to watch.
Among other things, the film got us thinking about other films about making films. We're not talking about documentaries, even though Hearts Of Darkness, the documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now, may be the greatest film about...
From the currently playing Their Finest to the likes of Bowfinger and Boogie Nights, we salute the movies about making movies...
If you haven't caught up yet, Their Finest is currently playing in UK cinemas and it's a gorgeous little love letter to perseverance through storytelling, set against the backdrop of a film production office at the British Ministry of Information during the Second World War. Based on Lissa Evans' novel, Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy play characters whose access to the film industry has been contingent on the global crisis that takes other young men away from such trifling matters, and it's a real joy to watch.
Among other things, the film got us thinking about other films about making films. We're not talking about documentaries, even though Hearts Of Darkness, the documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now, may be the greatest film about...
- 5/3/2017
- Den of Geek
Ang Lee's latest film is an unconventional film being distributed, on the whole, in a very conventional way...
In the race to set forth the future of cinema through various technological advances, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk feels like a major casualty. Once tipped for the Oscar race, the latest film from Ang Lee has bombed at the worldwide box office and been all but ignored by critics and awards bodies. This is partly due to complications in exhibiting the film in its intended format, because cinemas haven't adapted for this war drama as they did for major blockbusters of recent years.
Avatar successfully made the case for 3D, like the gift of fire from James Cameron to studio arsonists who post-converted every tentpole movie in sight, while Peter Jackson's Hobbit films were less successful in pioneering higher frame rates, inadvertently exposing the actors' make-up and making the audience dizzy.
In the race to set forth the future of cinema through various technological advances, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk feels like a major casualty. Once tipped for the Oscar race, the latest film from Ang Lee has bombed at the worldwide box office and been all but ignored by critics and awards bodies. This is partly due to complications in exhibiting the film in its intended format, because cinemas haven't adapted for this war drama as they did for major blockbusters of recent years.
Avatar successfully made the case for 3D, like the gift of fire from James Cameron to studio arsonists who post-converted every tentpole movie in sight, while Peter Jackson's Hobbit films were less successful in pioneering higher frame rates, inadvertently exposing the actors' make-up and making the audience dizzy.
- 2/13/2017
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Feb 1, 2017
Ahead of his final series in the role, we look back at how Peter Capaldi has left his mark on Doctor Who and fandom.
“Everything ends, and it’s always sad. But everything begins again too, and that’s always happy.”
Well, it's that time again. Peter Capaldi has confirmed that Series 10 of Doctor Who will be his last as the Twelfth Doctor and before the year is out, we'll be looking at number 13. Speculation about who will be cast as the next Doctor usually begins anew the day after one has been announced, and will only intensify in the next few weeks and months, but let's not forget what Capaldi has achieved in the role so far.
Immediately taking umbrage with his new kidneys at the end of The Time Of The Doctor, the Twelfth Doctor is usually characterised as a grumpier and less cuddly version...
Ahead of his final series in the role, we look back at how Peter Capaldi has left his mark on Doctor Who and fandom.
“Everything ends, and it’s always sad. But everything begins again too, and that’s always happy.”
Well, it's that time again. Peter Capaldi has confirmed that Series 10 of Doctor Who will be his last as the Twelfth Doctor and before the year is out, we'll be looking at number 13. Speculation about who will be cast as the next Doctor usually begins anew the day after one has been announced, and will only intensify in the next few weeks and months, but let's not forget what Capaldi has achieved in the role so far.
Immediately taking umbrage with his new kidneys at the end of The Time Of The Doctor, the Twelfth Doctor is usually characterised as a grumpier and less cuddly version...
- 1/31/2017
- Den of Geek
Off the back of a wave of rave reviews, Jackie has landed in UK cinemas, with Natalie Portman in the lead. So: any good?
It was almost a little too on-the-nose for Entertainment One to release Jackie last Friday, given that it's a film about mourning for a political figure lost in the wake of a terrible tragedy as the peaceful transfer of power takes precedence over anyone's feelings. Then again, the film itself, which stars Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy, is so much a callback to a bygone age that any comparisons to current affairs are moot.
The film dramatises a pivotal Life magazine interview by reporter Theodore H. White (here represented by Billy Crudup as an unnamed character), which took place in the week following John F. Kennedy's assassination in November 1963. Mrs. Kennedy reserves strict editorial control over the cover story, but insists on fulfilling her duty...
It was almost a little too on-the-nose for Entertainment One to release Jackie last Friday, given that it's a film about mourning for a political figure lost in the wake of a terrible tragedy as the peaceful transfer of power takes precedence over anyone's feelings. Then again, the film itself, which stars Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy, is so much a callback to a bygone age that any comparisons to current affairs are moot.
The film dramatises a pivotal Life magazine interview by reporter Theodore H. White (here represented by Billy Crudup as an unnamed character), which took place in the week following John F. Kennedy's assassination in November 1963. Mrs. Kennedy reserves strict editorial control over the cover story, but insists on fulfilling her duty...
- 1/24/2017
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Jan 6, 2017
Viola Davis, John Goodman, Bryce Dallas Howard and more, in our rundown of 2016's underrated movie acting work.
This article contains minor spoilers for Pete's Dragon, Suicide Squad and Warcraft: The Beginning.
Nobody is likely to look back on 2016 fondly, whether because of global political instability, celebrity deaths or the rejection of Boaty McBoatface as a suitable name for a research vessel. In the world of film, we note that a lot of the contenders in this year's awards season haven't even been released in UK cinemas yet, and it was hardly a banner year for blockbuster cinema either.
On the plus side, there were some exemplary smaller films, of the kind that awards bodies tend to overlook, released in the last 12 months. Without any apparent genre contenders, like The Martian or Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015, this is a year in which performers are more likely...
Viola Davis, John Goodman, Bryce Dallas Howard and more, in our rundown of 2016's underrated movie acting work.
This article contains minor spoilers for Pete's Dragon, Suicide Squad and Warcraft: The Beginning.
Nobody is likely to look back on 2016 fondly, whether because of global political instability, celebrity deaths or the rejection of Boaty McBoatface as a suitable name for a research vessel. In the world of film, we note that a lot of the contenders in this year's awards season haven't even been released in UK cinemas yet, and it was hardly a banner year for blockbuster cinema either.
On the plus side, there were some exemplary smaller films, of the kind that awards bodies tend to overlook, released in the last 12 months. Without any apparent genre contenders, like The Martian or Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015, this is a year in which performers are more likely...
- 1/4/2017
- Den of Geek
Patrick Ness' A Monster Calls is brought to the screen in superb style from J A Bayona. Here's our review...
Grief is something that we all have to deal with at some point in our lives. Like a number of recent films that use fantasy conventions to process themes of mortality and emotional upheaval, A Monster Calls makes its thunderous impact feel real. The earth shakes, heavy breathing is heard, pencils roll off on their own and the rage and sadness of a little boy is made monstrous.
J.A. Bayona's third feature is adapted from the acclaimed novel by Patrick Ness, Jim Kay and the late Siobhan Dowd, and tells the story of Conor O'Malley (Lewis MacDougall), a 12-year-old boy coming to terms with his mother's long-term illness. Lizzie (Felicity Jones) has always understood him and been there for him, while his absent father (Toby Kebbell) and distant grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) have not.
Grief is something that we all have to deal with at some point in our lives. Like a number of recent films that use fantasy conventions to process themes of mortality and emotional upheaval, A Monster Calls makes its thunderous impact feel real. The earth shakes, heavy breathing is heard, pencils roll off on their own and the rage and sadness of a little boy is made monstrous.
J.A. Bayona's third feature is adapted from the acclaimed novel by Patrick Ness, Jim Kay and the late Siobhan Dowd, and tells the story of Conor O'Malley (Lewis MacDougall), a 12-year-old boy coming to terms with his mother's long-term illness. Lizzie (Felicity Jones) has always understood him and been there for him, while his absent father (Toby Kebbell) and distant grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) have not.
- 1/4/2017
- Den of Geek
Will Smith ends the year with a real stinker. Here's our look at Collateral Beauty...
“What is the why?”, asks Will Smith's high-flying advertising executive Howard at the start of Collateral Beauty, a kind of modernised spin on the supernatural redemption story of A Christmas Carol. The dialogue is not great, but you do find yourself asking 'why?' a lot during the film that follows. Sadly, it's not something that anyone involved in making the film seems able to answer.
The film opens with this character establishing moment before skipping forward three years in time to find Howard considerably more withdrawn from the world. His six-year-old daughter has tragically passed away and his company is suffering as a result of his days spent building elaborate domino set-ups in his office instead of engaging with clients.
His partner Whit (Edward Norton) and colleagues Claire (Kate Winslet) and Simon (Michael Peña...
“What is the why?”, asks Will Smith's high-flying advertising executive Howard at the start of Collateral Beauty, a kind of modernised spin on the supernatural redemption story of A Christmas Carol. The dialogue is not great, but you do find yourself asking 'why?' a lot during the film that follows. Sadly, it's not something that anyone involved in making the film seems able to answer.
The film opens with this character establishing moment before skipping forward three years in time to find Howard considerably more withdrawn from the world. His six-year-old daughter has tragically passed away and his company is suffering as a result of his days spent building elaborate domino set-ups in his office instead of engaging with clients.
His partner Whit (Edward Norton) and colleagues Claire (Kate Winslet) and Simon (Michael Peña...
- 12/27/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Dec 2, 2016
How each Doctor responds to the Daleks for the first time reveals something about them...
Pearl Mackie was announced as the new companion for Doctor Who Series 10 back in April, with a specially filmed clip broadcast during Match Of The Day's Fa Cup semi-final. Aside from befuddling Gary Lineker, the purpose of a trailer like this, as opposed to a press release or a lavish announcement programme, is to show a character in action, and there was really no better way to define the character of Bill Potts than to show how she acted in the face of the Daleks.
See related The Man In The High Castle season 2: new trailer
The Daleks are almost as old as the show itself and different Doctors respond to them in different ways. In some eras, Dalek stories have been an early fixture of a new Doctor’s run,...
How each Doctor responds to the Daleks for the first time reveals something about them...
Pearl Mackie was announced as the new companion for Doctor Who Series 10 back in April, with a specially filmed clip broadcast during Match Of The Day's Fa Cup semi-final. Aside from befuddling Gary Lineker, the purpose of a trailer like this, as opposed to a press release or a lavish announcement programme, is to show a character in action, and there was really no better way to define the character of Bill Potts than to show how she acted in the face of the Daleks.
See related The Man In The High Castle season 2: new trailer
The Daleks are almost as old as the show itself and different Doctors respond to them in different ways. In some eras, Dalek stories have been an early fixture of a new Doctor’s run,...
- 12/1/2016
- Den of Geek
The Edge Of Seventeen might just be the modern benchmark for the teen movie...
Just about every teen movie with a sparky female lead since 2004 has drawn comparisons, favourable or otherwise, back to the endlessly quotable Mean Girls. This didn't used to happen back in the heyday of American teen movies, but nowadays, it feels comparatively rare to see anything new in this sub-genre. But if writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig's debut film, The Edge Of Seventeen, is half as appreciated as it deserves to be, then it might just be a more modern benchmark.
For starters, 17-year-old Nadine Franklin is not only a uniquely and ferociously anti-social character, especially when compared to her fellow protagonists in this type of film, but she's also (at long last) a lead role worthy of Hailee Steinfeld, whose Oscar nominated turn in the Coen brothers' 2010 remake of True Grit spoke to her massive potential as a movie star.
Just about every teen movie with a sparky female lead since 2004 has drawn comparisons, favourable or otherwise, back to the endlessly quotable Mean Girls. This didn't used to happen back in the heyday of American teen movies, but nowadays, it feels comparatively rare to see anything new in this sub-genre. But if writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig's debut film, The Edge Of Seventeen, is half as appreciated as it deserves to be, then it might just be a more modern benchmark.
For starters, 17-year-old Nadine Franklin is not only a uniquely and ferociously anti-social character, especially when compared to her fellow protagonists in this type of film, but she's also (at long last) a lead role worthy of Hailee Steinfeld, whose Oscar nominated turn in the Coen brothers' 2010 remake of True Grit spoke to her massive potential as a movie star.
- 12/1/2016
- Den of Geek
Danny Glover leads the ensemble cast of Almost Christmas - but a Yuletide classic this isn't...
It's the most wonderful time of the year, but unfortunately, that seldom follows for new movies. Amid cruder comedy releases like Bad Santa 2 and Office Christmas Party, this year's annual movie about a festive family gathering is Almost Christmas, directed by David E Talbert and starring an ensemble cast led by Danny Glover, Gabrielle Union and Mo'Nique.
The film begins with a montage set to the Four Tops, covering the Meyers family's Christmases from the 1970s up to 2015. But entirely in keeping with 2016 so far, matriarch Grace (Rachel Kylian) has passed away and Christmas will be the first time that Walter has got his four grown-up children under one roof since they lost her.
Unfortunately for him, the five days leading up to Christmas are a nightmare as the siblings and their families are distracted by other concerns.
It's the most wonderful time of the year, but unfortunately, that seldom follows for new movies. Amid cruder comedy releases like Bad Santa 2 and Office Christmas Party, this year's annual movie about a festive family gathering is Almost Christmas, directed by David E Talbert and starring an ensemble cast led by Danny Glover, Gabrielle Union and Mo'Nique.
The film begins with a montage set to the Four Tops, covering the Meyers family's Christmases from the 1970s up to 2015. But entirely in keeping with 2016 so far, matriarch Grace (Rachel Kylian) has passed away and Christmas will be the first time that Walter has got his four grown-up children under one roof since they lost her.
Unfortunately for him, the five days leading up to Christmas are a nightmare as the siblings and their families are distracted by other concerns.
- 11/30/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Nov 22, 2016
With spoilers, we look at the questions Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them left behind...
This feature contains spoilers for Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them and other Harry Potter films.
For fans of Jk Rowling's Wizarding World, the newest adjunct to the Harry Potter franchise has been refreshingly unknown up until release. Although the new spin-off Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is set before the previous films, we don't expect that Rowling's planned five films will dovetail directly into The Philosopher's Stone and aside from a couple of references to wizarding history, it's uncharted territory.
The book version of Fantastic Beasts was published for Comic Relief in 2001 and purports to be an abridged, Muggle-worthy edition of Newt Scamander's in-universe work on magical creatures. On the other hand, the plot of the film is brand new, taking place during Newt's research into writing the book,...
With spoilers, we look at the questions Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them left behind...
This feature contains spoilers for Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them and other Harry Potter films.
For fans of Jk Rowling's Wizarding World, the newest adjunct to the Harry Potter franchise has been refreshingly unknown up until release. Although the new spin-off Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is set before the previous films, we don't expect that Rowling's planned five films will dovetail directly into The Philosopher's Stone and aside from a couple of references to wizarding history, it's uncharted territory.
The book version of Fantastic Beasts was published for Comic Relief in 2001 and purports to be an abridged, Muggle-worthy edition of Newt Scamander's in-universe work on magical creatures. On the other hand, the plot of the film is brand new, taking place during Newt's research into writing the book,...
- 11/21/2016
- Den of Geek
Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander headline The Light Between Oceans. Here's our review...
If you're excited about The Light Between Oceans, the new film starring Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander and directed by Derek Cianfrance, it's probably based on the people involved. If that's you and you've somehow managed to avoid seeing the trailer (which goes into more detail about the plot than we will in this review, so watch with caution), then you're best placed to appreciate this slow-burning and emotionally turbulent drama by heading straight to the cinema.
In 1918, war veteran Tom Sherbourne (Fassbender) seeks solitude after his experiences in battle, and finds it in a job as a lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, off the coast of Tasmania. This doesn't last long though, when he falls in love with local girl Isabel (Vikander). After a long and flirty correspondence through letters, the two marry and get on...
If you're excited about The Light Between Oceans, the new film starring Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander and directed by Derek Cianfrance, it's probably based on the people involved. If that's you and you've somehow managed to avoid seeing the trailer (which goes into more detail about the plot than we will in this review, so watch with caution), then you're best placed to appreciate this slow-burning and emotionally turbulent drama by heading straight to the cinema.
In 1918, war veteran Tom Sherbourne (Fassbender) seeks solitude after his experiences in battle, and finds it in a job as a lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, off the coast of Tasmania. This doesn't last long though, when he falls in love with local girl Isabel (Vikander). After a long and flirty correspondence through letters, the two marry and get on...
- 11/6/2016
- Den of Geek
David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o and Madina Nalwanga lead the cast of a real gem of a movie. Here's our review of Queen Of Katwe...
For a film that's competing with lots of big new releases in UK cinemas this week, there has been rather too much emphasis on how radical Queen Of Katwe is for a Disney film. Adapted from Tim Crothers' 2012 article The Queen Of Katwe: A Story Of Life, Chess and One Extraordinary Girl's Dream Of Becoming A Grandmaster, Mira Nair's winsome sports underdog movie just happens to be set entirely in Uganda.
In the titular Kampala slum, selfless youth ministry coach Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) introduces chess to the local kids by offering free food at his classes. One pupil in particular, Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga), proves to be a natural and Robert encourages her to pursue her passion to an international level over a number of years,...
For a film that's competing with lots of big new releases in UK cinemas this week, there has been rather too much emphasis on how radical Queen Of Katwe is for a Disney film. Adapted from Tim Crothers' 2012 article The Queen Of Katwe: A Story Of Life, Chess and One Extraordinary Girl's Dream Of Becoming A Grandmaster, Mira Nair's winsome sports underdog movie just happens to be set entirely in Uganda.
In the titular Kampala slum, selfless youth ministry coach Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) introduces chess to the local kids by offering free food at his classes. One pupil in particular, Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga), proves to be a natural and Robert encourages her to pursue her passion to an international level over a number of years,...
- 10/25/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Oct 13, 2016
It's being remade with Dwayne Johnson - but what's so special about the original Jumanji? We take a look back...
The 1990s saw a number of leaps forward in computer generated effects, from Terminator 2: Judgment Day at the beginning of the decade to The Matrix near the end. Hollywood blockbusters reflected the boom in visual effects accordingly and some films hold up better than others – 1995's Jumanji fits right in the middle.
In line with the special effects wizardry that had brought dinosaurs to the big screen in Jurassic Park a couple of years prior, Joe Johnston's wacky fantasy adventure unleashed a jungle on small town America with funny and scary results. With a reboot/belated sequel on the horizon, it's interesting to look back at how this one is more fondly remembered, whether as a visual effects extravaganza or as an action packed family movie.
It's being remade with Dwayne Johnson - but what's so special about the original Jumanji? We take a look back...
The 1990s saw a number of leaps forward in computer generated effects, from Terminator 2: Judgment Day at the beginning of the decade to The Matrix near the end. Hollywood blockbusters reflected the boom in visual effects accordingly and some films hold up better than others – 1995's Jumanji fits right in the middle.
In line with the special effects wizardry that had brought dinosaurs to the big screen in Jurassic Park a couple of years prior, Joe Johnston's wacky fantasy adventure unleashed a jungle on small town America with funny and scary results. With a reboot/belated sequel on the horizon, it's interesting to look back at how this one is more fondly remembered, whether as a visual effects extravaganza or as an action packed family movie.
- 10/11/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Oct 11, 2016
We salute the film work of one of Britain's very best, and most versatile, film actors: Mr Eddie Marsan...
Eddie Marsan isn't just one of the best British actors working today – he's also one of the busiest, appearing in all kinds of supporting roles in major movies, while also appearing on TV a lot, on both sides of the Atlantic. He was fantastic as the latter lead in BBC One's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell last year and he's also a regular on Showtime's Ray Donovan as Ray's brother Terry, an ex-boxer suffering from Parkinson's disease.
On the big screen though, it's Marsan's versatility that really makes him so watchable. He's had attention grabbing turns in minor roles in blockbusters like Hancock, Mission: Impossible III and Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes films, but he's also at home amongst a big ensemble in more serious fare like Spielberg...
We salute the film work of one of Britain's very best, and most versatile, film actors: Mr Eddie Marsan...
Eddie Marsan isn't just one of the best British actors working today – he's also one of the busiest, appearing in all kinds of supporting roles in major movies, while also appearing on TV a lot, on both sides of the Atlantic. He was fantastic as the latter lead in BBC One's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell last year and he's also a regular on Showtime's Ray Donovan as Ray's brother Terry, an ex-boxer suffering from Parkinson's disease.
On the big screen though, it's Marsan's versatility that really makes him so watchable. He's had attention grabbing turns in minor roles in blockbusters like Hancock, Mission: Impossible III and Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes films, but he's also at home amongst a big ensemble in more serious fare like Spielberg...
- 10/10/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Published Date Friday, September 9, 2016 - 20:47
There's a scene early on in Brotherhood, the concluding chapter in Noel Clarke's British Hood trilogy, in which his Sam Peel checks himself out in a changing room mirror after a rigorous gym session. He ends up sadly patting his emerging belly and you realise that whatever his original intentions for this series, Sam has become his Rocky Balboa.
Having played the antagonist in 2006's Kidulthood and then switched gears in the hit 2008 sequel Adulthood to show the difficulties of that character's life after being released from prison, Brotherhood ties up a lot of loose ends but also rediscovers Sam a little further down the line, much like Sylvester Stallone brought back his most iconic character in Rocky Balboa or Creed. Sam the character has nothing like the innate sympathy that the Italian Stallion evokes, but the connecting tissue in all...
There's a scene early on in Brotherhood, the concluding chapter in Noel Clarke's British Hood trilogy, in which his Sam Peel checks himself out in a changing room mirror after a rigorous gym session. He ends up sadly patting his emerging belly and you realise that whatever his original intentions for this series, Sam has become his Rocky Balboa.
Having played the antagonist in 2006's Kidulthood and then switched gears in the hit 2008 sequel Adulthood to show the difficulties of that character's life after being released from prison, Brotherhood ties up a lot of loose ends but also rediscovers Sam a little further down the line, much like Sylvester Stallone brought back his most iconic character in Rocky Balboa or Creed. Sam the character has nothing like the innate sympathy that the Italian Stallion evokes, but the connecting tissue in all...
- 9/9/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Sep 13, 2016
Before he hit big with Star Wars and Star Trek, Jj Abrams was penning films such as Forever Young, Regarding Henry and Armageddon...
Jj Abrams is one of the most powerful people in Hollywood right now. Over his career in the movies, he's written, directed, produced, acted and played a wicked keyboard solo on Cool Guys Don't Look At Explosions, and through his production company Bad Robot, his name is counted among the credits of massive franchises like Cloverfield, Mission: Impossible, Star Trek and of course Star Wars. He's more of a household name than most filmmakers of his generation and we sometimes wish we wanted anything as much as he wants that Steven Spielberg status.
You can't blame him when you hear about his first paid job in the film industry. Returning a bunch of Spielberg's personal super-8 home movies that he discovered after his...
Before he hit big with Star Wars and Star Trek, Jj Abrams was penning films such as Forever Young, Regarding Henry and Armageddon...
Jj Abrams is one of the most powerful people in Hollywood right now. Over his career in the movies, he's written, directed, produced, acted and played a wicked keyboard solo on Cool Guys Don't Look At Explosions, and through his production company Bad Robot, his name is counted among the credits of massive franchises like Cloverfield, Mission: Impossible, Star Trek and of course Star Wars. He's more of a household name than most filmmakers of his generation and we sometimes wish we wanted anything as much as he wants that Steven Spielberg status.
You can't blame him when you hear about his first paid job in the film industry. Returning a bunch of Spielberg's personal super-8 home movies that he discovered after his...
- 9/7/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Published Date Thursday, September 8, 2016 - 05:15
No one could reasonably expect that Woody Allen's 47th film Café Society would be some enormous trend-breaking statement, somehow pointing the way to the next 47 films. His movies are mixed up in nostalgia and romance and the self-perpetuating critical discussion about each new one, which has come along once every year for at least the last three decades, is of whether or not it's a return to form or evidence of a decline.
His breakthrough hits of the last decade, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Midnight In Paris and Blue Jasmine, are elevated into the former category, but most everything else seems to get dismissed as a cinematic fixture. If you've been a fan or viewer for any length of time, it's a bit like going to the same barber, getting the same annual haircut and hearing the same stories about the same preoccupations and neuroses.
No one could reasonably expect that Woody Allen's 47th film Café Society would be some enormous trend-breaking statement, somehow pointing the way to the next 47 films. His movies are mixed up in nostalgia and romance and the self-perpetuating critical discussion about each new one, which has come along once every year for at least the last three decades, is of whether or not it's a return to form or evidence of a decline.
His breakthrough hits of the last decade, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Midnight In Paris and Blue Jasmine, are elevated into the former category, but most everything else seems to get dismissed as a cinematic fixture. If you've been a fan or viewer for any length of time, it's a bit like going to the same barber, getting the same annual haircut and hearing the same stories about the same preoccupations and neuroses.
- 9/7/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Sep 1, 2016
It's only a rumour, but how could Harry Potter And The Cursed Child translate to the screen? A few thoughts...
Despite the various wrinkles in their DC movie slate thus far, the studio bods at Warner Bros. Pictures must be sitting pretty on the upcoming revival of their Harry Potter franchise. November sees the release of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, from a new screenplay by Jk Rowling that is intended to launch a trilogy. No matter what happens with that plan, the studio can always fall back on a Force Awakens-sized event 'legacy-quel' in the next decade or so.
Harry Potter And The Cursed Child is a play in two parts, co-written by Rowling, Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany. The production opened in London this July and is already more or less sold out until the end of 2017. The story focuses on the...
It's only a rumour, but how could Harry Potter And The Cursed Child translate to the screen? A few thoughts...
Despite the various wrinkles in their DC movie slate thus far, the studio bods at Warner Bros. Pictures must be sitting pretty on the upcoming revival of their Harry Potter franchise. November sees the release of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, from a new screenplay by Jk Rowling that is intended to launch a trilogy. No matter what happens with that plan, the studio can always fall back on a Force Awakens-sized event 'legacy-quel' in the next decade or so.
Harry Potter And The Cursed Child is a play in two parts, co-written by Rowling, Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany. The production opened in London this July and is already more or less sold out until the end of 2017. The story focuses on the...
- 8/31/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Published Date Wednesday, August 31, 2016 - 05:44
Richard Lester's A Hard Day's Night is one of the most influential movies of all time, pioneering a genre out of Beatlemania and inventing the language that has proliferated in music videos over the last 50 years. However, most modern music acts don't go down the Hard Day's Night/Spice World route in their cinematic tie-ins and concert documentaries (in 3D!) are more common than narrative features.
If we had to bet on any modern music act reviving the band movie as the Beatles had it, it would be the comedy group The Lonely Island, who first came to prominence through Saturday Night Live's Digital Shorts and have released a catalogue of catchy numbers with hilarious music videos. But for Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, it would have been almost too easy to loosely string together a number of...
Richard Lester's A Hard Day's Night is one of the most influential movies of all time, pioneering a genre out of Beatlemania and inventing the language that has proliferated in music videos over the last 50 years. However, most modern music acts don't go down the Hard Day's Night/Spice World route in their cinematic tie-ins and concert documentaries (in 3D!) are more common than narrative features.
If we had to bet on any modern music act reviving the band movie as the Beatles had it, it would be the comedy group The Lonely Island, who first came to prominence through Saturday Night Live's Digital Shorts and have released a catalogue of catchy numbers with hilarious music videos. But for Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, it would have been almost too easy to loosely string together a number of...
- 8/30/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Published Date Wednesday, August 17, 2016 - 05:54
Disney is on a roll this year - following the billion dollar box office success of Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book, their second dip into their back catalogue this year is another belter. Loosely based on the 1977 film of the same name, Pete's Dragon is more independent from its inspiration than any remake for many a year.
There are those who look back fondly on the original, a live action/cel animation hybrid in which Mickey Rooney and Jim Dale gurned at a delightful cartoon dragon, but it's hard to say that it stands up to the likes of similarly designed films like Mary Poppins and Bedknobs & Broomsticks. Nearly four decades on, the most unlikely of directors, David Lowery (Ain't Them Bodies Saints) has taken a trifle and stirred up a moving and majestic remake, transplanting the action from the 1900s...
Disney is on a roll this year - following the billion dollar box office success of Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book, their second dip into their back catalogue this year is another belter. Loosely based on the 1977 film of the same name, Pete's Dragon is more independent from its inspiration than any remake for many a year.
There are those who look back fondly on the original, a live action/cel animation hybrid in which Mickey Rooney and Jim Dale gurned at a delightful cartoon dragon, but it's hard to say that it stands up to the likes of similarly designed films like Mary Poppins and Bedknobs & Broomsticks. Nearly four decades on, the most unlikely of directors, David Lowery (Ain't Them Bodies Saints) has taken a trifle and stirred up a moving and majestic remake, transplanting the action from the 1900s...
- 8/16/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Published Date Tuesday, August 9, 2016 - 05:34
Never mind the trailers - not even the title of Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates is representative of the movie to which it has been assigned. A better title would have been Wedding Crashers, which could be why the 2005 movie of the same name comes in for so much flak for its ridiculousness during one of the big scenes. Either way, you're not prepared for how Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza play for top billing from the very first moment they appear.
To be clear: Mike (Adam Devine) and Dave (Zac Efron) most definitely need wedding dates. Tired of their thoughtless partying ruining family get-togethers, the two brothers' long-suffering parents (Stephen Root and Stephanie Faracy) decree that they must find themselves a pair of nice girls to bring to their sister's wedding in Hawaii.
But the film is most interesting when focusing...
Never mind the trailers - not even the title of Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates is representative of the movie to which it has been assigned. A better title would have been Wedding Crashers, which could be why the 2005 movie of the same name comes in for so much flak for its ridiculousness during one of the big scenes. Either way, you're not prepared for how Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza play for top billing from the very first moment they appear.
To be clear: Mike (Adam Devine) and Dave (Zac Efron) most definitely need wedding dates. Tired of their thoughtless partying ruining family get-togethers, the two brothers' long-suffering parents (Stephen Root and Stephanie Faracy) decree that they must find themselves a pair of nice girls to bring to their sister's wedding in Hawaii.
But the film is most interesting when focusing...
- 8/8/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Aug 15, 2016
We revisit Drop Dead Fred, starring the late, great Rik Mayall...
Hey, snotfaces, what do you get when you mix Mary Poppins and Beetlejuice? Look no further than 1991's Drop Dead Fred, a fantasy comedy about an imaginary friend, which turns out to be about a woman's mental breakdown after years and years of emotional abuse.
If you're of a certain age and, much like Phoebe Cates' protagonist Elizabeth at the beginning of the movie, you haven't seen Fred since you were a child, you may remember it as a childhood staple that you were probably a bit young to be watching and for many, it might have been your introduction to Mayall's comic stylings. However, also like Lizzie, Fred's anarchic behaviour has different implications when you meet him again in adulthood.
He first re-emerges after Lizzie has lost the three major totems of adulthood - her marriage,...
We revisit Drop Dead Fred, starring the late, great Rik Mayall...
Hey, snotfaces, what do you get when you mix Mary Poppins and Beetlejuice? Look no further than 1991's Drop Dead Fred, a fantasy comedy about an imaginary friend, which turns out to be about a woman's mental breakdown after years and years of emotional abuse.
If you're of a certain age and, much like Phoebe Cates' protagonist Elizabeth at the beginning of the movie, you haven't seen Fred since you were a child, you may remember it as a childhood staple that you were probably a bit young to be watching and for many, it might have been your introduction to Mayall's comic stylings. However, also like Lizzie, Fred's anarchic behaviour has different implications when you meet him again in adulthood.
He first re-emerges after Lizzie has lost the three major totems of adulthood - her marriage,...
- 8/1/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Published Date Tuesday, July 19, 2016 - 05:39
The first movie from the team behind Comedy Central's Key & Peele sets itself apart from most action comedies in its prologue, in which an adorable grey kitten scampers through the slo-mo crossfire of a bloody warehouse massacre like he's the hero of a John Woo movie. Unlike so many genre parodies of its kind, Keanu actually captures the style of its subject. It only gets more impressive when it mixes in some authentic-looking Michael Mann too.
The cat then runs all the way to Rell (Jordan Peele), a heartbroken layabout who's recently been dumped by his girlfriend. Keanu the kitten brightens up Rell's life considerably, much to the relief of his strait-laced cousin Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key). Their happiness is short-lived when Rell's home is targeted by burglars looking for his drug-dealing neighbour (Will Forte) and they've catnapped the only one who was at home.
The first movie from the team behind Comedy Central's Key & Peele sets itself apart from most action comedies in its prologue, in which an adorable grey kitten scampers through the slo-mo crossfire of a bloody warehouse massacre like he's the hero of a John Woo movie. Unlike so many genre parodies of its kind, Keanu actually captures the style of its subject. It only gets more impressive when it mixes in some authentic-looking Michael Mann too.
The cat then runs all the way to Rell (Jordan Peele), a heartbroken layabout who's recently been dumped by his girlfriend. Keanu the kitten brightens up Rell's life considerably, much to the relief of his strait-laced cousin Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key). Their happiness is short-lived when Rell's home is targeted by burglars looking for his drug-dealing neighbour (Will Forte) and they've catnapped the only one who was at home.
- 7/18/2016
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Jul 1, 2016
Need a laugh? Here's our guide to 25 comedies that are on Netflix UK now, and are well worth your time...
Putting aside all of the chunter about VPNs and rising subscription costs for a moment, there are more hidden gems to be discovered on Netflix UK than you might expect, and we've been combing through the streaming site's current catalogue to find some of the most underappreciated comedies on offer.
We've come up with this fairly broad selection of films that varies on several fronts. We've picked out a mix of belly laughers and dark comedies, with a couple of dramedies thrown in for good measure. They're not all big Hollywood comedies, but neither are they all films that you're hearing about for the first time, though we've tried to order them according to how well known they may or may not be. What they all have...
Need a laugh? Here's our guide to 25 comedies that are on Netflix UK now, and are well worth your time...
Putting aside all of the chunter about VPNs and rising subscription costs for a moment, there are more hidden gems to be discovered on Netflix UK than you might expect, and we've been combing through the streaming site's current catalogue to find some of the most underappreciated comedies on offer.
We've come up with this fairly broad selection of films that varies on several fronts. We've picked out a mix of belly laughers and dark comedies, with a couple of dramedies thrown in for good measure. They're not all big Hollywood comedies, but neither are they all films that you're hearing about for the first time, though we've tried to order them according to how well known they may or may not be. What they all have...
- 6/29/2016
- Den of Geek
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Susan Sarandon stars in The Meddler, from director Lorene Scafaria. Here's our review...
Susan Sarandon is front and centre in The Meddler as Marnie Minervini, a widow who lavishes affection and generosity upon those around her. The title is the simplest we’ve yet had from writer-director Lorene Scafaria, who also gave us Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World and Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, but it’s a little reductive too.
Since her husband Joe left her with more money than she could ever hope to spend on herself, Marnie has doted on her screenwriting daughter Lori (Rose Byrne), even moving from New York to Los Angeles to be around her. Lori has just gone through a bad break-up and is more exasperated than comforted by her mother’s attentions and decides to throw herself into working on a TV pilot to enforce...
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Susan Sarandon stars in The Meddler, from director Lorene Scafaria. Here's our review...
Susan Sarandon is front and centre in The Meddler as Marnie Minervini, a widow who lavishes affection and generosity upon those around her. The title is the simplest we’ve yet had from writer-director Lorene Scafaria, who also gave us Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World and Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, but it’s a little reductive too.
Since her husband Joe left her with more money than she could ever hope to spend on herself, Marnie has doted on her screenwriting daughter Lori (Rose Byrne), even moving from New York to Los Angeles to be around her. Lori has just gone through a bad break-up and is more exasperated than comforted by her mother’s attentions and decides to throw herself into working on a TV pilot to enforce...
- 6/27/2016
- Den of Geek
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George Clooney stars and Jodie Foster directs: here's our review of Money Monster...
“We don’t do gotcha journalism here,” says TV executive producer Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts) near the beginning of Money Monster, before wearily adding, “We don’t do journalism, period.”
Taking Network and Dog Day Afternoon as reference points, the new film by Jodie Foster uses a straightforward thriller format to examine the loss of trust between the powerful, the powerless and the media in recent times. It's less mischievous about it than Adam McKay's The Big Short, which sustained its articulate rage about the financial crisis to devastating comedic effect, but as the above line suggests, it's also accordingly more multiplex-friendly in its satirical leanings.
Money Monster is the live cable show presented by financial guru Lee Gates (George Clooney), who pitches himself as an entertainer rather than a journalist, much to Patty's frustration.
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George Clooney stars and Jodie Foster directs: here's our review of Money Monster...
“We don’t do gotcha journalism here,” says TV executive producer Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts) near the beginning of Money Monster, before wearily adding, “We don’t do journalism, period.”
Taking Network and Dog Day Afternoon as reference points, the new film by Jodie Foster uses a straightforward thriller format to examine the loss of trust between the powerful, the powerless and the media in recent times. It's less mischievous about it than Adam McKay's The Big Short, which sustained its articulate rage about the financial crisis to devastating comedic effect, but as the above line suggests, it's also accordingly more multiplex-friendly in its satirical leanings.
Money Monster is the live cable show presented by financial guru Lee Gates (George Clooney), who pitches himself as an entertainer rather than a journalist, much to Patty's frustration.
- 5/30/2016
- Den of Geek
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Adam Sandler's second movie for Netflix is not an improvement on the first. Here's our look at The Do-Over...
Negative reviews have a weird effect on some people. If you haven't yet watched The Do-Over, the latest Netflix Original movie headlined by Adam Sandler and David Spade, you might read a review like this one and go “It can't possibly be that bad, right? Right?” We're starting this review fully aware that some of you may go on to attempt to enjoy this ironically, but we're warning you from the top, without hyperbole: this is the worst movie Adam Sandler has ever made.
It's the second in Sandler's four-picture deal with Netflix, which was viewed as a coup for the streaming service when it first moved into producing its own content, but thus far, they probably haven't been as expected. After last year's Western spoof The Ridiculous 6,...
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Adam Sandler's second movie for Netflix is not an improvement on the first. Here's our look at The Do-Over...
Negative reviews have a weird effect on some people. If you haven't yet watched The Do-Over, the latest Netflix Original movie headlined by Adam Sandler and David Spade, you might read a review like this one and go “It can't possibly be that bad, right? Right?” We're starting this review fully aware that some of you may go on to attempt to enjoy this ironically, but we're warning you from the top, without hyperbole: this is the worst movie Adam Sandler has ever made.
It's the second in Sandler's four-picture deal with Netflix, which was viewed as a coup for the streaming service when it first moved into producing its own content, but thus far, they probably haven't been as expected. After last year's Western spoof The Ridiculous 6,...
- 5/29/2016
- Den of Geek
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Director Tom Tykwer tackles Dave Eggers' A Hologram For The King, with help from Tom Hanks. Here's our review...
The opening dream sequence of A Hologram For The King finds status symbols of the American dream evaporating into puffs of purple smoke as Alan Clay (Tom Hanks) paraphrases the opening of Talking Heads' Once In A Lifetime - “You may find yourself looking for your large automobile... without a beautiful house, without a beautiful wife and you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?”- to the fourth wall and then the heavens above.
This is representative of writer-director Tom Tykwer's slightly sunnier take on Dave Eggers' acclaimed novel, in which struggling salesman Alan travels to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to pitch a virtual reality conferencing system to the king. Unfortunately, Alan is on thin ice with his company, who...
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Director Tom Tykwer tackles Dave Eggers' A Hologram For The King, with help from Tom Hanks. Here's our review...
The opening dream sequence of A Hologram For The King finds status symbols of the American dream evaporating into puffs of purple smoke as Alan Clay (Tom Hanks) paraphrases the opening of Talking Heads' Once In A Lifetime - “You may find yourself looking for your large automobile... without a beautiful house, without a beautiful wife and you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?”- to the fourth wall and then the heavens above.
This is representative of writer-director Tom Tykwer's slightly sunnier take on Dave Eggers' acclaimed novel, in which struggling salesman Alan travels to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to pitch a virtual reality conferencing system to the king. Unfortunately, Alan is on thin ice with his company, who...
- 5/23/2016
- Den of Geek
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Tina Fey and Martin Freeman star in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, that's finally made it to cinemas. It's been worth the wait...
If you're wondering whether or not Whiskey Tango Foxtrot marks something of a departure for Tina Fey, the answer is yes and no. It's based on a true story and mostly takes place in an active war zone, but it's also very funny and Fey's role as journalist Kim Baker seems tailor-made for her. Happily, the end result is her best big screen leading role to date.
Fey's long-time writing partner Robert Carlock provides the script, based on Baker's memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days In Afghanistan And Pakistan, whose New York Times review observed that the author presented herself “as a Tina Fey character.” Unsurprisingly, the transition from page to screen has been very smooth since Paramount optioned the book, even with various artistic...
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Tina Fey and Martin Freeman star in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, that's finally made it to cinemas. It's been worth the wait...
If you're wondering whether or not Whiskey Tango Foxtrot marks something of a departure for Tina Fey, the answer is yes and no. It's based on a true story and mostly takes place in an active war zone, but it's also very funny and Fey's role as journalist Kim Baker seems tailor-made for her. Happily, the end result is her best big screen leading role to date.
Fey's long-time writing partner Robert Carlock provides the script, based on Baker's memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days In Afghanistan And Pakistan, whose New York Times review observed that the author presented herself “as a Tina Fey character.” Unsurprisingly, the transition from page to screen has been very smooth since Paramount optioned the book, even with various artistic...
- 5/16/2016
- Den of Geek
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From Justice League Dark and The Batman to Lobo and Man Of Steel 2 - the DC movies that await a greenlight...
Big spoilers lie ahead for Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
Whichever side of the imaginary rivalry you fall into, there's no denying that when it comes to movies, DC has got some catching up to do. In the same year as Marvel Studios released their first major crossover, The Avengers, Warner Bros released The Dark Knight Rises, the final chapter in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed Batman trilogy, which was firmly grounded in the notion that Bruce Wayne is the world's only superhero.
Nolan's disinterest in the larger DC toybox left Warners a few steps behind Disney and Marvel, especially after the failure of 2010's Jonah Hex and 2011's Green Lantern, the latter of which was intended as the first step into a wider universe.
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From Justice League Dark and The Batman to Lobo and Man Of Steel 2 - the DC movies that await a greenlight...
Big spoilers lie ahead for Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
Whichever side of the imaginary rivalry you fall into, there's no denying that when it comes to movies, DC has got some catching up to do. In the same year as Marvel Studios released their first major crossover, The Avengers, Warner Bros released The Dark Knight Rises, the final chapter in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed Batman trilogy, which was firmly grounded in the notion that Bruce Wayne is the world's only superhero.
Nolan's disinterest in the larger DC toybox left Warners a few steps behind Disney and Marvel, especially after the failure of 2010's Jonah Hex and 2011's Green Lantern, the latter of which was intended as the first step into a wider universe.
- 5/15/2016
- Den of Geek
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If a film gets a Cinemascore of B or C, it's often classed as a disappointment. But what is a Cinemascore?
The process of marketing a movie is now an operation that lasts many months across all sorts of media, from bus stop posters to social media campaigns, all in pursuit of making sure the movie makes an impact in its opening weekend. Tracking and analytics can give an indication of how audiences are responding before the movie even hits cinemas, but it's only in that opening weekend, once they've actually seen the movie, that you can get a more accurate read on public opinion.
Box office aside, one way in which Hollywood's studios reads public response after release is Cinemascore, the Las Vegas-based market research firm which conducts nationwide exit polls. Billed as “Hollywood's Benchmark”, the company's researchers gathers information from filmgoers and the results, expressed as letter grades,...
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If a film gets a Cinemascore of B or C, it's often classed as a disappointment. But what is a Cinemascore?
The process of marketing a movie is now an operation that lasts many months across all sorts of media, from bus stop posters to social media campaigns, all in pursuit of making sure the movie makes an impact in its opening weekend. Tracking and analytics can give an indication of how audiences are responding before the movie even hits cinemas, but it's only in that opening weekend, once they've actually seen the movie, that you can get a more accurate read on public opinion.
Box office aside, one way in which Hollywood's studios reads public response after release is Cinemascore, the Las Vegas-based market research firm which conducts nationwide exit polls. Billed as “Hollywood's Benchmark”, the company's researchers gathers information from filmgoers and the results, expressed as letter grades,...
- 5/9/2016
- Den of Geek
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Buffy, Doctor Who, Star Trek and more have all devoted episodes to members of their supporting cast...
Over an extended run, some television shows give off the impression that all life in their universe revolves around a small number of characters, but if they run long enough, writers and producers will invariably have to look elsewhere every once in a whle. Maybe on another day to every other episode, when the forces of evil rally and all seems lost, the good guys are... otherwise occupied, leaving someone else to pick up the slack.
As a dramatic convention in pop culture, foregrounding minor characters dates at least as far back as Tom Stoppard's 1966 play Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, which takes place “in the wings” of Shakespeare's Hamlet as the two minor characters have little comprehension of the tragic events going on concurrently. But over the years, geek...
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Buffy, Doctor Who, Star Trek and more have all devoted episodes to members of their supporting cast...
Over an extended run, some television shows give off the impression that all life in their universe revolves around a small number of characters, but if they run long enough, writers and producers will invariably have to look elsewhere every once in a whle. Maybe on another day to every other episode, when the forces of evil rally and all seems lost, the good guys are... otherwise occupied, leaving someone else to pick up the slack.
As a dramatic convention in pop culture, foregrounding minor characters dates at least as far back as Tom Stoppard's 1966 play Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, which takes place “in the wings” of Shakespeare's Hamlet as the two minor characters have little comprehension of the tragic events going on concurrently. But over the years, geek...
- 4/27/2016
- Den of Geek
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Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor star in new western Jane Got A Gun. Here's our review...
Maybe it's just my experience, but it might tell you something about how rare female-fronted Westerns are that some of my older relatives have asked me if Jane Got A Gun is related to Calamity Jane. As has been reflected in the vast majority of the genre throughout its cinematic history, men are the agents of frontier mythology and the American dream to such a great extent that women's options are next to non-existent.
In this case, the eponymous Jane (Natalie Portman) is quietly devastated when her husband Bill 'Ham' Hammond (Noah Emmerich) rides home after an altercation with the fearsome Bishop boys (led by Ewan McGregor), riddled with bullets and barely alive. Worse still, the gang are following Ham back to Jane, with whom they also have history, and the...
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Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor star in new western Jane Got A Gun. Here's our review...
Maybe it's just my experience, but it might tell you something about how rare female-fronted Westerns are that some of my older relatives have asked me if Jane Got A Gun is related to Calamity Jane. As has been reflected in the vast majority of the genre throughout its cinematic history, men are the agents of frontier mythology and the American dream to such a great extent that women's options are next to non-existent.
In this case, the eponymous Jane (Natalie Portman) is quietly devastated when her husband Bill 'Ham' Hammond (Noah Emmerich) rides home after an altercation with the fearsome Bishop boys (led by Ewan McGregor), riddled with bullets and barely alive. Worse still, the gang are following Ham back to Jane, with whom they also have history, and the...
- 4/25/2016
- Den of Geek
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Kevin Costner leads the impressive cast of the unimpressive Criminal...
When you think of how best to describe Criminal, the new body swap action thriller starring Kevin Costner, it wouldn't be by that name. As a title, Criminal is so hopelessly vague that it could apply to anything from Goodfellas to Les Misérables. The premise of this one isn't anywhere near that bland, but the film is not a whole lot better than it sounds either.
Seemingly flowing from the same vein of Euro-trash action films that Liam Neeson opened up with Taken, the film is driven by what CIA agent Bill Pope (Ryan Reynolds) knows, or rather what he knew, before a deal in London with a hacker known as the Dutchman (Michael Pitt) went awry and he was tortured to death by Spanish anarchist Xavier Heimdahl, (Jordi Mollà.)
His handler, Quaker Wells (Gary Oldman), needs...
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Kevin Costner leads the impressive cast of the unimpressive Criminal...
When you think of how best to describe Criminal, the new body swap action thriller starring Kevin Costner, it wouldn't be by that name. As a title, Criminal is so hopelessly vague that it could apply to anything from Goodfellas to Les Misérables. The premise of this one isn't anywhere near that bland, but the film is not a whole lot better than it sounds either.
Seemingly flowing from the same vein of Euro-trash action films that Liam Neeson opened up with Taken, the film is driven by what CIA agent Bill Pope (Ryan Reynolds) knows, or rather what he knew, before a deal in London with a hacker known as the Dutchman (Michael Pitt) went awry and he was tortured to death by Spanish anarchist Xavier Heimdahl, (Jordi Mollà.)
His handler, Quaker Wells (Gary Oldman), needs...
- 4/20/2016
- Den of Geek
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Rebecca Ferguson stars in Despite The Falling Snow, and she's the best thing about the movie...
The main draw of Despite The Falling Snow is a dual performance by Rebecca Ferguson, who shot this in between her Emmy-nominated work on The White Queen and her memorable breakthrough role in last year's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. Adapted by writer-director Sharim Sharif from her own novel, this romantic thriller casts Ferguson as two women separated by time but connected by blood and a sequence of events that occurred in Moscow at the height of the Cold War.
In 1992, an American artist called Lauren (Ferguson) is curious as to why her weary uncle Sacha (Charles Dance) is so cagey about their family's history and the circumstances of his defection from Russia thirty years prior. In particular, she's beguiled by her aunt Katya (also Ferguson), of whom she is the spitting image.
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Rebecca Ferguson stars in Despite The Falling Snow, and she's the best thing about the movie...
The main draw of Despite The Falling Snow is a dual performance by Rebecca Ferguson, who shot this in between her Emmy-nominated work on The White Queen and her memorable breakthrough role in last year's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. Adapted by writer-director Sharim Sharif from her own novel, this romantic thriller casts Ferguson as two women separated by time but connected by blood and a sequence of events that occurred in Moscow at the height of the Cold War.
In 1992, an American artist called Lauren (Ferguson) is curious as to why her weary uncle Sacha (Charles Dance) is so cagey about their family's history and the circumstances of his defection from Russia thirty years prior. In particular, she's beguiled by her aunt Katya (also Ferguson), of whom she is the spitting image.
- 4/18/2016
- Den of Geek
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Batman V Superman, Scott Pilgrim, Hardcore Henry and more show the growing influence of videogames on film....
This article contains very mild spoilers for Hardcore Henry, Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and 10 Cloverfield Lane.
For a while now, 'it's like watching somebody else play a video game' has been a nifty shorthand for film critics. Even though the popularity of playthrough videos, from YouTube to dedicated networks like Twitch, means that a lot of us might now be watching other people play the video games, we understand the implication whether we agree with it or not.
It's the same reason why there has arguably never been a great movie based directly on a video game, as these tend to transplant story and character elements into a big screen medium at the expense of the personal player experience, whereby you can actually inhabit and control a character.
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Batman V Superman, Scott Pilgrim, Hardcore Henry and more show the growing influence of videogames on film....
This article contains very mild spoilers for Hardcore Henry, Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and 10 Cloverfield Lane.
For a while now, 'it's like watching somebody else play a video game' has been a nifty shorthand for film critics. Even though the popularity of playthrough videos, from YouTube to dedicated networks like Twitch, means that a lot of us might now be watching other people play the video games, we understand the implication whether we agree with it or not.
It's the same reason why there has arguably never been a great movie based directly on a video game, as these tend to transplant story and character elements into a big screen medium at the expense of the personal player experience, whereby you can actually inhabit and control a character.
- 4/11/2016
- Den of Geek
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With the help of the hugely talented Jon Bernthal, Marvel has finally done tragic and brutal on-screen justice to The Punisher. Spoilers...
This article contains major spoilers for the whole of Daredevil seasons one and two.
It's only been a week since Netflix released season two of Marvel's Daredevil, but lots of fans and viewers would already declare Jon Bernthal's take on Frank Castle to be the best screen version of the Punisher to date. He's not even the principal antagonist, but he steals scenes left and right all the way through the season.
Following the acclaimed portrayal of Wilson Fisk last season, new showrunners Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez provide a more humanised spin on the character than is traditionally depicted in the comics, without having him get pally with his neighbours, like the 2004 film did, or having him indiscriminately blow up free runners with a bazooka,...
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With the help of the hugely talented Jon Bernthal, Marvel has finally done tragic and brutal on-screen justice to The Punisher. Spoilers...
This article contains major spoilers for the whole of Daredevil seasons one and two.
It's only been a week since Netflix released season two of Marvel's Daredevil, but lots of fans and viewers would already declare Jon Bernthal's take on Frank Castle to be the best screen version of the Punisher to date. He's not even the principal antagonist, but he steals scenes left and right all the way through the season.
Following the acclaimed portrayal of Wilson Fisk last season, new showrunners Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez provide a more humanised spin on the character than is traditionally depicted in the comics, without having him get pally with his neighbours, like the 2004 film did, or having him indiscriminately blow up free runners with a bazooka,...
- 3/25/2016
- Den of Geek
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It's definite: Indiana Jones is returning to our screens in 2019. But Disney's announcements leaves a lot of questions behind...
This article contains spoilers for Star Wars - The Force Awakens and Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Who knew that was coming? You might have been wondering Disney would do with Lucasfilm's other big franchise since it acquired the rights from Paramount in 2013, but yesterday saw the unexpected announcement that 19th July 2019 will see Steven Spielberg direct Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones for the fifth time, a whole 11 years after the late, lamented fourth instalment, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.
The announcement has come relatively quickly on the heels of Star Wars - The Force Awakens, in which Ford was top-billed as Han Solo. The overwhelming success and, more importantly, good reception for that film will probably have been...
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It's definite: Indiana Jones is returning to our screens in 2019. But Disney's announcements leaves a lot of questions behind...
This article contains spoilers for Star Wars - The Force Awakens and Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Who knew that was coming? You might have been wondering Disney would do with Lucasfilm's other big franchise since it acquired the rights from Paramount in 2013, but yesterday saw the unexpected announcement that 19th July 2019 will see Steven Spielberg direct Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones for the fifth time, a whole 11 years after the late, lamented fourth instalment, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.
The announcement has come relatively quickly on the heels of Star Wars - The Force Awakens, in which Ford was top-billed as Han Solo. The overwhelming success and, more importantly, good reception for that film will probably have been...
- 3/16/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
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It only took a year: here's the spoof take on 50 Shades Of Grey. Chortle.
When Scary Movie came out back in 2000, some remarked that the sleeper hit horror parody was spoofing a satire by drawing inspiration and iconography from Scream, which Wes Craven intended as a trope-riddled satire of the genre. Nevertheless, four sequels and a slew of other parody movies (mostly by 'two of the six writers', Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg) followed and have served to run the art of cinematic parody into the ground over the last 15 years.
Fifty Shades Of Black hasn't been anywhere near as big a hit for co-writer and star Marlon Wayans as Scary Movie was, although it's arguably in a similar situation as that first breakout hit. Many of us (this reviewer included) felt that last year's E.L. James adaptation Fifty Shades Of Grey was already hilarious by accident,...
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It only took a year: here's the spoof take on 50 Shades Of Grey. Chortle.
When Scary Movie came out back in 2000, some remarked that the sleeper hit horror parody was spoofing a satire by drawing inspiration and iconography from Scream, which Wes Craven intended as a trope-riddled satire of the genre. Nevertheless, four sequels and a slew of other parody movies (mostly by 'two of the six writers', Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg) followed and have served to run the art of cinematic parody into the ground over the last 15 years.
Fifty Shades Of Black hasn't been anywhere near as big a hit for co-writer and star Marlon Wayans as Scary Movie was, although it's arguably in a similar situation as that first breakout hit. Many of us (this reviewer included) felt that last year's E.L. James adaptation Fifty Shades Of Grey was already hilarious by accident,...
- 3/14/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
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The third Divergent film, Allegiant, may be the best of the lot but sadly, that's not saying much...
This is a spoiler-free review of Allegiant, but it does contain plot details from the previous two Divergent films, so if you're not up to date, proceed with caution.
It's that time of year again. It may still be stomping around in the too-big shoes of the Hunger Games movies, but The Divergent Series: Allegiant marks the third of four instalments in the series of movies based on Veronica Roth's trilogy of novels. You'd never know it from the way it's been presented, but like Katniss and Harry Potter before, we're in Part One and Part Two territory for the first half of Roth's climactic story.
If you haven't been back since 2014's Divergent, you needn't be too concerned with jogging your memory about the series' convoluted caste system,...
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The third Divergent film, Allegiant, may be the best of the lot but sadly, that's not saying much...
This is a spoiler-free review of Allegiant, but it does contain plot details from the previous two Divergent films, so if you're not up to date, proceed with caution.
It's that time of year again. It may still be stomping around in the too-big shoes of the Hunger Games movies, but The Divergent Series: Allegiant marks the third of four instalments in the series of movies based on Veronica Roth's trilogy of novels. You'd never know it from the way it's been presented, but like Katniss and Harry Potter before, we're in Part One and Part Two territory for the first half of Roth's climactic story.
If you haven't been back since 2014's Divergent, you needn't be too concerned with jogging your memory about the series' convoluted caste system,...
- 3/10/2016
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
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Action figures and Lego sets are giving clues to big movie spoilers - even before the films concerned are released. But why?
This article doesn't contain spoilers for any upcoming films, but does include plot details from Iron Man 3, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avengers: Age Of Ultron.
Readers of a certain age might find themselves missing the pre-internet age of movie fandom, and the days before it was nigh impossible to go into a blockbuster without knowing what was going to happen. With each new tentpole comes a tidal wave of information from the distributor, from trailers to TV spots to posters to pictures. All of this existed before too, but the internet has served to collect and circulate this in a way that's harder (though still not impossible) to ignore if you're a movie fan online.
But at least the studios have control...
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Action figures and Lego sets are giving clues to big movie spoilers - even before the films concerned are released. But why?
This article doesn't contain spoilers for any upcoming films, but does include plot details from Iron Man 3, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avengers: Age Of Ultron.
Readers of a certain age might find themselves missing the pre-internet age of movie fandom, and the days before it was nigh impossible to go into a blockbuster without knowing what was going to happen. With each new tentpole comes a tidal wave of information from the distributor, from trailers to TV spots to posters to pictures. All of this existed before too, but the internet has served to collect and circulate this in a way that's harder (though still not impossible) to ignore if you're a movie fan online.
But at least the studios have control...
- 3/9/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
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Ben Stiller returns in Zoolander 2 - a sequel that takes its time finally getting going...
15 years have passed since Ben Stiller's clueless male model Derek Zoolander learned that there was more to life than being really, really, really ridiculously good-looking and was brilliantly, absurdly quotable doing it. In a world where Dumb & Dumber To came out in 2014, Zoolander 2 doesn't really feel like as much of a stretch, but that's one of the only reasons why it doesn't feel like a bit of a letdown either.
That's not to say there's not tonnes of potential here. The world of fame and fashion has only grown more absurd since 2001 and, in fact, the real world sometimes feels a little closer to the arch vapidity depicted in the original film. Social media has all but taken over the world, the Kardashians are somehow seen to be worth...
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Ben Stiller returns in Zoolander 2 - a sequel that takes its time finally getting going...
15 years have passed since Ben Stiller's clueless male model Derek Zoolander learned that there was more to life than being really, really, really ridiculously good-looking and was brilliantly, absurdly quotable doing it. In a world where Dumb & Dumber To came out in 2014, Zoolander 2 doesn't really feel like as much of a stretch, but that's one of the only reasons why it doesn't feel like a bit of a letdown either.
That's not to say there's not tonnes of potential here. The world of fame and fashion has only grown more absurd since 2001 and, in fact, the real world sometimes feels a little closer to the arch vapidity depicted in the original film. Social media has all but taken over the world, the Kardashians are somehow seen to be worth...
- 2/10/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
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It's no disaster, but there's still not much point to the remake of Point Break...
Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break was fairly successful when it hit cinemas back in 1991, pitting Keanu Reeves' rookie FBI agent against Patrick Swayze's impossibly cool surfing bank robber in a film that landed with audiences but was largely dismissed by critics.
Its uniquely sensitive spin on macho action movies has led to its reappraisal as a cult classic, thus making this remake pretty much inevitable. Few of us would have predicted that director/cinematographer Ericson Core would convert it into an extreme sports movie, but that's one of the only surprises to be had here.
After a tragic accident, former poly-athlete Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) leaves the adrenaline junkie scene behind and applies to join the FBI. He's still on probation when he discovers that a daring gang of bank...
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It's no disaster, but there's still not much point to the remake of Point Break...
Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break was fairly successful when it hit cinemas back in 1991, pitting Keanu Reeves' rookie FBI agent against Patrick Swayze's impossibly cool surfing bank robber in a film that landed with audiences but was largely dismissed by critics.
Its uniquely sensitive spin on macho action movies has led to its reappraisal as a cult classic, thus making this remake pretty much inevitable. Few of us would have predicted that director/cinematographer Ericson Core would convert it into an extreme sports movie, but that's one of the only surprises to be had here.
After a tragic accident, former poly-athlete Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) leaves the adrenaline junkie scene behind and applies to join the FBI. He's still on probation when he discovers that a daring gang of bank...
- 2/8/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
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It's no disaster, but there's still not much point to the remake of Point Break...
Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break was fairly successful when it hit cinemas back in 1991, pitting Keanu Reeves' rookie FBI agent against Patrick Swayze's impossibly cool surfing bank robber in a film that landed with audiences but was largely dismissed by critics.
Its uniquely sensitive spin on macho action movies has led to its reappraisal as a cult classic, thus making this remake pretty much inevitable. Few of us would have predicted that director/cinematographer Ericson Core would convert it into an extreme sports movie, but that's one of the only surprises to be had here.
After a tragic accident, former poly-athlete Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) leaves the adrenaline junkie scene behind and applies to join the FBI. He's still on probation when he discovers that a daring gang of bank...
google+
It's no disaster, but there's still not much point to the remake of Point Break...
Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break was fairly successful when it hit cinemas back in 1991, pitting Keanu Reeves' rookie FBI agent against Patrick Swayze's impossibly cool surfing bank robber in a film that landed with audiences but was largely dismissed by critics.
Its uniquely sensitive spin on macho action movies has led to its reappraisal as a cult classic, thus making this remake pretty much inevitable. Few of us would have predicted that director/cinematographer Ericson Core would convert it into an extreme sports movie, but that's one of the only surprises to be had here.
After a tragic accident, former poly-athlete Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) leaves the adrenaline junkie scene behind and applies to join the FBI. He's still on probation when he discovers that a daring gang of bank...
- 2/8/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
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A film that's punched above its weight even to get a UK cinema release, we check out new sci-fi flick Lazer Team...
Since 2011, the web production company Rooster Teeth have been working on their first full length feature, drawing inspiration in equal parts from the sci-fi cult classics and underdog team sports movies that they grew up watching. The result of their efforts, Lazer Team, comes hot off the back of the highest-funded film crowd-funding campaign ever (raising $2.4 million in a month) and even attracted enough interest in international sales to get a limited theatrical run in the UK.
Starring, written and directed by the Rooster Teeth crew, Lazer Team follows a bunch of misfits - worrywart local cop Hagan (Burnie Burns), cocksure jock Zach (Michael Jones), burnt out alcoholic Herman (Colton Dunn), and dumb mullethead Woody (Gavin Free) - who are in the wrong place at...
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A film that's punched above its weight even to get a UK cinema release, we check out new sci-fi flick Lazer Team...
Since 2011, the web production company Rooster Teeth have been working on their first full length feature, drawing inspiration in equal parts from the sci-fi cult classics and underdog team sports movies that they grew up watching. The result of their efforts, Lazer Team, comes hot off the back of the highest-funded film crowd-funding campaign ever (raising $2.4 million in a month) and even attracted enough interest in international sales to get a limited theatrical run in the UK.
Starring, written and directed by the Rooster Teeth crew, Lazer Team follows a bunch of misfits - worrywart local cop Hagan (Burnie Burns), cocksure jock Zach (Michael Jones), burnt out alcoholic Herman (Colton Dunn), and dumb mullethead Woody (Gavin Free) - who are in the wrong place at...
- 1/31/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
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