It Really Is An Inconvenient Truth

Today, for the first time, I saw An Inconvenient Truth, which is a documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the world more aware of global warming. It is probably the best documentary I've ever seen. I am not someone who is interested in politics...as a matter of fact I hate politics and politicians and find no need to talk about them...but An Inconvenient Truth was so powerful that it really got me thinking. Not only do I fully support Al Gore and his campaign for global warming awareness, but now I actually want to help out in preventing it. To do my part for the environment.
It is clearly stated that the government wants to convince us that global warming is a theory, but really it is something happening right now that is a serious problem for not only the U.S., but the entire Earth and something needs to be done. The U.S. is the main problem and is doing the least to make up for it. If you care about the world that you live in, or your children will live in, then you should do something. I'm not an activist...just someone who wants to get the word out to others and I recommend that you see this film ASAP so you too can "do your part."

For more information or to see how you can help go to StopGlobalWarming.org

Spidey's Additional Footage

Today, Spider-Man 2.1 was released on DVD by Sony into stores everywhere. Spider-Man 2.1 is an extended version of the original Spider-Man 2. It includes 8 minutes of additional footage, improved audio and video and of course a trailer for Spider-Man 3, which is set to come out May 4th. The DVD is approximately $20.

My Blogging Experience

Keeping a blog for the first time this semester has been an awesome experience that has really helped me improve as a writer and I feel I have finally become passionate about being a journalism major. More than ever, I'm motivated to pursue my dream to become a film critic. At first, I had no clue what a blog even was. Was it a journal? Was it a profession? I didn't quite know, but now I know that you can make it your own and do whatever works for you. When I found out in class that we were able to chose our own topic for our blogs, I immediately thought film, that is totally my niche. I had no clue how to start, but eventually I had so much to write, and so much to say, and even though this was a requirement for my class, I actually looked forward to writing on it every day. When people started commenting it was so exciting to know that people were reading my stuff (thanks to those who commented, your awesome), and it made me want to post even more. I feel that I have mastered the art of blogging. I figured out how to organize, post, edit, and even use youtube on my blog. Friends and family have just been impressed with my work (my mom reads it religiously) and are very supportive, which is awesome, and every time someone says something to me about my blog I'm extremely flattered. I plan on continuing my blog after this semester's classes are over. Yay...a new hobby!

Disturbia

I can tell you right now, that if you are looking to get scared, Disturbia is the movie for you. It is the first movie that has made me scream out loud since The Ring. While I only screamed once, the rest of the girls in the theater were screaming throughout the movie...again, something I haven't seen since the scene in The Ring where Samara freaks us all out by climbing out of the television. Still gives me goosebumps!
Often when I go to see thrillers, the strong point is the shock value and gore, and the weak point is the acting. However, in Disturbia, the acting was fantastic. Shia LaBeouf proves to be a promising newcomer, Aaorn Yoo makes a great addition as the comic relief, and David Morse is creepy as hell as the serial killer next door.
Disturbia has a fast moving plot which keeps your eyes glued to the screen, and at the same time makes you want to close or cover them, or maybe hold hands with the person next to you. Worried that it would be a rip off of Rear Window, the film has quite a different style and tone to it...this isn't a bad thing. Of course nothing can really rival Hitchcock's Rear Window, but that doesn't discredit Disturbia, which proves to be an awesome thriller and one of the better films to come out this year.

Grade: B

Pirates of the Caribbean 3 - At World's End Trailer

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End trailer. Set to come out May 25th.

Northeastern's Springfest 007

This Sunday, April 15th, as an event of this year's Springfest 007, CUP will be hosting a Bond Movie Night at afterHours on Northeastern's campus. This event will begin at 5pm and will feature two Bond films, old and new...Goldfinger and Casino Royale for free.

Where Do They Go From Here...?

After finishing up "Grindhouse," a film that was hot with the critics but cold in the box office and is now in danger of being split into two films by the Weinsteins, what are Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's future plans?
Tarantino's next project is "Inglorious Bastards," which he will write and direct. It is about a band of U.S. soldiers who are facing certain death by firing squad for their misdeeds are given a chance to save themselves by heading into the perilous no-man's lands of Nazi-occupied France on a suicide mission for the Allies. QT had indicated that this may be a follow-up to "Grindhouse." So far Michael Madsen and Tim Roth are signed on and the film is set to be released sometime in 2008.
Rodriguez is starting pre-production soon for his next project, "Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For," where he will again be teaming up with Frank Miller for a second addition. Rodriguez will also be working on "Sin City 3: Hell and Back" (possible title). There is talk that Johnny Depp and Antonio Banderas will probably be signing on for "Sin City 3," with Depp as the main character Wallace, and Banderas possibly playing a hunchback, oddly enough on his request.

For more info on RR.
For more info on QT.


If you don't want "Grindhouse" to be split into two films, get your butt out of bed and over to the theaters to support the double feature.

Darfur Diaries

This Wednesday, April 11th, from 7 - 8pm at Northeastern University, in room 168 Snell Engineering, NUSTAND invites you to a free screening of the groundbreaking documentary "Darfur Diaries: Message From Home."
Three independent filmmakers were outraged that the media turned a blind eye to the genocide in Darfur. So they went with a camera to make the world understand. This is their story.
This event is free and open to the public as well as NU students. There will also be free pizza and refreshments.

Kumar Goes to Northeastern

Kal Penn, best known for his roles in "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" and more recently "The Namesake," will be speaking at Northeastern on Thursday, April 12 at 9pm at the Remis Auditorium at the Museum of Fine Arts.
Tickets are limited to two per person with NU ID. To reserve tickets, send an email to AsianAm@neu.edu. For more information go here.

Another Advanced Screening

Tonight at the Regal Fenway Theatre 13, there will be an advanced screening of Robert Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's "Grindhouse" at 10pm.

For details about the film go here.

Grindhouse Trailer

A Plague of a Film

Corny, cheesy, stinky. When you think of these words, usually food comes to mind, but in this case they are describing The Reaping. With Hilary Swank's career on the rise, I don't know what she was thinking or if she cringed after watching the final cut of this film because it was an absolute disaster. This is definitely one of those films that's going to end up on IMDb's Bottom 100 list because it is just that bad. Even horror film fans who would be satisfied with no plot and just tons of death and gore would be disappointed. It wasn't even scary enough to rake in the mula, like The Grudge, a complete failure of a film, did.
The acting was crap, so was the story and the plagues, which were the lifeline for the film's weak plot, just were unsatisfying and barely scary. The high point of the film was where we see that the entire river has turned to blood, a shocking spectacle, but despite the one cool plague the other nine were given such brief screen time and were not in the least bit scary, I just found myself saying "ew" a few times, and for someone like me who is totally squeamish when it comes to bugs, i wasn't disturbed in the least when the locusts came out. Kind of pathetic for a horror film don't you think?
At the end of the film I was just glad I didn't actually pay to see this movie.

Grade: D

Free Adavanced Screening of "The Reaping"

Tonight, Wednesday, April 4th, there is a free advanced screening of "The Reaping" at the Regal Fenway Theatre 13 for Northeastern students. The film starts at 7pm, but seats are available on a first come first served basis, so showing up early is key. Tickets are free and available on the door of room 234 at the Curry Student Center.
"The Reaping" stars Hilary Swank, who is a former Christian missionary who is all about disproving religious phenomena. However, when she comes upon a town that seems to be suffering from the 10 biblical plagues, she immediately tries to disprove the hoax...but she never thought that maybe it's not a hoax at all?

The Most Anticipated Sequels

10
Terminator 4
Nick Stahl is rumored to be returning for the fourth installment, but all we know now is that the script is ready and production is going to begin sometime this year.
Set Release Date: Sometime in 2008

9
Jurassic Park 4
Yes, there is going to be another addition to Jurassic Park. The script is being developed and the current working title is Jurassic Park 4: The Extinction. No word on who will be a part of the cast or what the story is going to be.
Set Release Date: Sometime in 2008

8
Live Free or Die Hard
A terrorist organization is trying to shut down the US economy via the Internet. John McClane of course signs up to save the day along with a hacker sidekick played by Justin Long, who you might recognize as the spokesman for Apple Mac and for his memorable role in "Dodgeball."
Set Release Date: June 27, 2007

7
Sequel to The Departed
Nothing much to know about this one since "The Departed" came out on DVD not too long ago. However, there is a second one in the works, fans will flock to it and that's all that matters.
Set Release Date: Sometime 2009

6
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
The final chapter to the Pirates trilogy is almost at hand, with Geoffrey Rush back for the final installment as Captain Barbossa, the gang must find a way to save Jack from the Kraken and stop Davey Jones and Lord Cutler Beckett from bringing the world to ruins. Reportedly the cast (especially Depp) is very sad to be hanging up their cutlasses, and hope there's still chapters to be written about Captain Jack Sparrow and his adventures. Official site.
Set Release Date: May 25, 2007

5
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
This film is based on J.K. Rowling's fifth book, and of course the whole cast is back, even "dirty" Harry after his recent controversial nude scenes. Harry and the gang form the Order of the Phoenix in order to learn how to defend themselves against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named aka Lord Voldemort...oops! David Yates directs this installment. Check out the official site.
Set Release Date: July 13, 2007

4
Sin City 2
A new cult classic, bringing in Tarantino and Frank Miller fans from all over, "Sin City 2" will no doubt be a smash at the box office. Nothing is set in stone, but so far the second installment is supposedly about Dwight planning revenge against an old flame, Ava Lord, while Nancy is trying to cope with the recent death of Hartigan. Rachel Weisz is still the front runner for the role of Ava Lord, but no word yet on if she's officially signed on. After "Grindhouse" is released, there should be more developments on "Sin City 2." For updates on the films progress go here.
Set Release Date: Sometime 2008

3
The Dark Knight
The franchise that will never die...Batman! It will outlast us all, and with Christian Bale returning as Bruce Wayne, I look forward to its continuance. Batman and Lt. Gordon team up with the newly appointed DA Harvey Dent (our future two-face), to stop the vicious killer The Joker (played by Heath Ledger). Maggie Gyllenhaal is our new Rachel Dawes (thank god!) and Aaron Eckhart is Harvey Dent. With this new and exciting cast, I can't wait to see what they're going to do with this one. The sky is the limit! Filming begins this month. If your a fanatic you'll want to check this out.
Set Release Date: July 18, 2008

2
Indiana Jones 4
So there is definitely a fourth Indiana Jones in the works with the 65-year-old Ford as Jones, who else. Not too much is known of the story or the cast. Rumors are flying that Sean Connery might be back, or that Shia LaBeouf or Natalie Portman may be playing his kid. No one really knows for sure. Cate Blanchett, however, is reportedly signed on to be Jones' right hand woman and there is talk of Ray Winstone ("The Departed") joining the cast most likely as the villain. To keep up to snuff on the films developments try this site.
Set Release Date: May 22, 2008

1
Spider-Man 3
In this third addition, a dark entity bonds with Spider-Man, creating inner-conflict while having to deal with new villains such as Sandman (played by Thomas Haden Church) and the new Green Goblin (played by James Franco). This may even be Maguire's last act as the superhero before he moves on to other things. Check it all out here.
Set Release Date: May 4, 2007

Killer Thrillers

This year it seems there's an influx of thrillers set to come out, and surprisingly they look good! However, trailers can be deceiving, but here's the low down:


In "28 Weeks Later" (the sequel to "28 Days Later" of course), London seems to be in a state of rebuilding now that the Americans have come over bringing aid and claiming the war against the virus is won. But when everything seems to be looking up, a carrier of the virus manages to sneak behind enemy lines restarting the vicious cycle we saw in the original, except this time it's worse. "28 Weeks Later" is set to be released May 11, 2007. Go here to see the trailer.



Based on the true story of the double initial killings in Rochester, NY, the trailer for "The Alphabet Killer" starts out saying "In the small blue collar city of Rochester, New York...innocent girls are being killed" showing us a panicked young girl named Carla Castillo who we find out was murdered in Churchville, NY. Coincidence with the names? I think not. There's not too much to report on this one, except that Rob Schmidt(director) is collaborating with Eliza Dushku(as Megan, a neurotic detective) again, after their first meeting on the set of "Wrong Turn," a movie that was a well executed horror flick, and even though it had no point, I liked it, so I'm definitely looking forward to this one which is set for release in October 2007.



In room "1408" there's been some weird happenings, and anyone who stays in that room never lasts more than an hour. Samuel L. Jackson plays the suave hotel manager, and John Cusak is the eccentric ghost hunter who lost his daughter when she was only a child, and is now out to find a real ghost. Convinced that there is no afterlife or such things as ghosts, he hears about the legendary 1408 and despite the 57 deaths that have taken place in this room, he believes it's all just a myth or coincidence...until things start happening. With an intense trailer that will grip any thriller junkie, "1408," based on the book by Stephen King, looks to be a promising thriller. It is set to come out on the oh so unlucky date of July 13, 2007.



"Vacancy," with Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale, is about a couple who become stranded and are forced to take shelter at a creepy little motel. Things are alright until they discover the hidden cameras and the tapes that show the countless murders that have taken place in this specific hotel room. They must find a way to escape before they become the next victims of this brutal cycle. "Vacancy" hits theaters soon on April 20, 2007. View trailer here.



Now this I feel could be a hit or a flop, but I just thought it was an interesting concept for a movie with our current reality TV obsession. "The Condemned" is all about reality TV except each contestant was on death row, and now they must fight to the death on a remote island, and the prize for the last one left alive...they are set free. Vicious killers (including Stone Cold Steve Austin), killing each other off in front of the masses for entertainment. Sounds kind of like the Roman coliseum to me, and judging solely from its kick ass trailer, I think it'd make a hell of a movie.


And finally, we have "Disturbia," which will be the most recent thriller to hit theaters this month on April 13, 2007. Some say it's going to be a complete rip off of Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window," but how is this a bad thing I wonder? Stealing from the master of suspense (one of my all-time favorite directors) and remaking it in the now. I have no problems with that. Shia LaBeouf (our own Even Stevens) stars as Kale, the trouble kid next door, who happens to be under a court-ordered house arrest, and is unable to leave his property. While spying on his neighbors, he manages to meet the sexy girl next door, Ashely (played by Sarah Roemer) who is more than willing to join in on the stake out. Of course, when you're looking where you shouldn't be, you're going to witness things you shouldn't have seen. In this case, a potential murderer is living right across the street. But while they're watching him from what seems like a safe distance, he's watching them right back. As an avid thriller lover, this trailer just chills me to the bone. It looks like it has all the jumps and spine tingling moments a thriller needs, while giving us a compelling plot to follow along with...100% thriller.

Have The Turtles Lost Their Moves?

After seeing TMNT tonight, I have to say I'm pretty disappointed. Growing up watching the Turtles and wanting to be Mikey, I had high hopes for this new installment. I guess they were too high since I came out wishing the movie was more like the cartoon or previous movies. The CGI was cool and all, but TMNT was lacking the usual comedic element necessary to make the series work, and TMNT spends more time catching random mutants than focusing on its main characters...the Turtles of course. There was a large part of the plot devoted to the relationship between Leonardo and Raphael, but instead of delving into that a bit more or focusing even a little bit on Donatello and Michelangelo's stories, it was more about the foot clan and Max Winters, an immortal warrior trying to break a curse. Damnit! I wanted to see some Shredder action! The film however does leave off on a good note, hinting that Shredder is in the near future.
Okay, so I bashed TMNT, but there were some positive aspects to the movie. The CGI provided us with some awesome action scenes, and most memorably the battle between brothers Leonardo and Raphael, which was hands down the best scene of the movie. If only the whole movie were like this (sigh). In the pouring rain, the two turtles duke it out, leading us to believe they might fight to the death. The conflict that had been brewing throughout the whole movie finally comes out when Raphael's temper comes to a head and has the desire to fight his older, prodigal brother who has always been the fearless leader, but in lieu of his recent absence, Raphael has taken the lead and is unwilling to bend to Leo's commands. This battle of course ends in disaster, but don't worry, the Turtles always triumph.
Much like the most recent Bond installment, Turtles might not have been what we all wanted, but it leaves us in a good place, waiting for newer and better movies furthering the journey of the Turtles against their arch nemesis Shredder. Can't wait to see what's in store.

Grade: B-

Babson Film Festival

Through the grapevine of emails I receive from the people at the Cinema Studies department, whom I'd like to applaud for being so informative this year to many film students, I found out that Northeastern University is going to be hosting the first annual Babson Film Festival, which will take place on April 12th. Although this date is approaching quickly, they are still looking for submissions from a wider selection of schools. So far they have applicants from only Boston University, Babson and Lexington High School. Films can be no longer than six minutes long, and if you enter and win, the grand prize is a contract with Comcast that says your film will be shown on an upcoming short film network. Pretty cool! So if you are a filmmaker and want to get your work out there, this is your opportunity, go and support!

300...This Years Big Epic?

300 is not for the faint of heart, but for the die hard action fans seeking a blood, guts and glory epic.
Loosely based on the historical battle of Thermopylae, that took place in 480 B.C., 300 is not meant to be historically accurate, but a reflection of Frank Miller's graphic novel. From this Zach Snyder (director of Dawn of the Dead) gives us stunning cinematography, much like that of Miller's other work, Sin City, where film and comic books collide producing a new and revolutionary form of art.
Being a huge fan of Sin City, I wasn't in the least bit disappointed with 300. Yes, some of the lines were corny and the editing could have been better, but overall 300 is the sword and sandal epic we've all been craving. It's a testosterone fest with brutal battle scenes and decapitations reminiscent of Ridley Scott's Gladiator. However, Gladiator took home five Oscars including Best Picture and a Best Actor Oscar for Russell Crowe's performance as Maximus. Now this is where 300 was lacking. The acting and dialog just weren't up to par. Gerard Butler, in the role of Leonidas, I'm sure gave the director exactly what he was looking for, but his intense character often over-delivered corny lines such as the famous trailer line "Spartans! Tonight we dine in HELL!" I did however like the character of Leonidas despite the corniness. I was not so crazy about Queen Gorgo, his wife, who I felt was just a waste of space. I guess because there were no other female main characters, they decided to stick her in. Yes, she was badass like the rest of the cast, but I felt that she was just there for the sex appeal since there's mostly half-naked men running around for the majority of the film, and mostly men are coming to see 300.
As a whole, 300 is awesome if you can deal with all the blood and death. When I left the theater with a bunch of my guy friends, all they wanted to do afterwards was fight someone...like little boys who wanted to be King Leonidas and his brave 300 and take down the mighty army of Xerxes. It was quite funny.
Flashing back to Gladiator, when Maximus is in the collesium after defeating some intense rivals he yells, "Are you not entertained?" and if he was talking about 300, then hell yes I was entertained!!!

Grade: B