So deep breath and away we go. The actors included are ....
Friday 25 February 2011
The New Jason Bourne Could Be?
So deep breath and away we go. The actors included are ....
The Hangover 2 Trailer
Yup the boys are back, but the teaser doesn't really give anything away. In fact it doesn't give anything away. Teasers are supposed to wet the appetite, but this just shows them, well, walking.
New Source Code Trailer
It seems to tell a story about Jake Gyllenhaal's Colter Stevens (cool name dude) who can travel back in time 8 minutes before a tragedy happens, putting things right, that once went wrong and hoping each time, that his next leap will ... Oh sorry.
Thursday 24 February 2011
Predator The Musical
I shouldn't like this, I know I shouldn't, but I do. I don't watch very many musicals but if they were all as good as this they'd be played on a constant loop in my house.It's exactly what it says on the tin, its Predator in musical form. Noting more, nothing less. So what are you waiting for, click on the link below and marvel at what many consider to be one of the greatest musical productions the world has ever seen.
The Bodyguard Remake
Yes the Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston vehicle is going to be brought up-to-date with an ex Iraq veteran hired to look after a spoilt, rich pop singer. The joy.
Wednesday 23 February 2011
Bad Teacher Red Band Trailer
Bad Teacher. Remember the title because this looks like it could be great. I love Bad Santa, if you've not seen that yet watch it this instance, and Bad Teacher looks like it's the teacher version of that.
New Sucker Punch Trailer
If you've been keeping up you'll know the story and you'll have a good idea on how visually stunning the whole thing looks. I honestly don't have a clue what genre this will fit in, fantasy? Well yes there's a dragon. War? Well yes there would appear to be Nazi type fellows.
Tuesday 22 February 2011
Grave Encounters Trailer
Well I came across this trailer today and although its nothing new it at least looks a little but more engaging that the PA entries. I'd not heard anything about this previously and on first viewing looks like a good bit of fun.
Firefly: A Project
Nathan Fillion, who played Captain Mal Reynolds, has told Entrainment Weekly that if he won the lottery the first thing he would do is buy the rights to the Firefly TV series and bring it back to our screens.
Kevin Costner To Be Superman's Dad?
Well It now looks like he's going to get another chance at a big Hollywood movie after rumours surfaced that he's in line to play Jonathan Kent, Superman's human father.
Monday 21 February 2011
Review: The King's Speech (12A) ★★★★
The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.
Review
Sometimes movies can be over hyped, so much in fact that through no fault of their own the audience already has a pre-planned idea of what the movie is and should be. This is unfair but it's a cross to bear for some. The King's Speech is a movie that has been hyped, it's won awards all over the place and Colin Firth has won everything he's been nominated for (and he'll win the Oscar). So does the film fall down on what it's been built up to be?
No. Its is a very good film, worthy of peoples attention, the hype is justified and I'd have to say Firth is a worthy winner of the awards he's collected. In a strange kind of way, the hype helped me accept the film. It was never going to be anything different than I'd expected and this helped me enjoy it even more.
The King's Speech is a film I would have overlooked ten years ago. One of those films I'd tell friends "I'm not bothered about that one, its one my Mum would watch" and I'd be dead right, it is one she'd watch, nothings changed in that respect. The thing that has changed is my appreciation for films of this nature, telling a story based on historic fact that appeals to a broader audience by being more intimate and drawn around the characters rather than lavish set pieces.
Now that's not to say there isn't any grandiose set pieces present in The King's Speech, there is but they are kept at a minimum and this is down to the two characters the story is centred around. This may be a royal period piece - and Oscar bait - but at its core it's a simple story of friendship, of how two completely different people can bond and mutually respect one another.
Colin Firth plays King George VI, a man with a stammer. A man who is rarely unable to communicate to anyone at any level. It's so much of a problem that he's also reluctant to tell a story to his two daughters, his speech is that much of a cross to bear. As his royal duties start to mount and the wireless growing ever more popular he's called upon to speak to the country on a more regular basis. It's this that sends his wife Elizabeth, played by a brilliant Helena Bonham Carter, to Geoffrey Rush's Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue. A man who's techniques and therapy could be considered controversial for his time.
So begins a relationship where the two battle against each other, Firth the unsure, retiring patient with a very public problem and Rush the cocky, confident therapist. Twists and turns ensue leading to several monumental moments in history ending in Firth having to reassure his nation and give his ultimate speech when World War II is announced. It really is something you couldn't make up.
The chemistry between Firth and Rush is electric, each clearly bouncing off the other, providing the audience with an interesting character study of two people marked in the annals of history. Firth is the mightier of the two but that's clearly down to the character he's playing. A man who is unable to communicate must do it through other means and its down to Firth's mannerisms and body language where the communication lies. Firth displays all the emotions necessary to portray King George along with a likeability that many other actors may have struggled to get over.
Rush has the easy life, if that's not too mean on him, its the part he can have fun with, outlandish therapy techniques and the one who is in control of almost every situation the two find themselves in. Rush can let loose and just give it everything he's got. It's Firth who has to reign it in and give a believable performance, going overboard with someone playing a stutter can kill an entire film and reduce it to a laughing stock, but this does not happen and its a measure of how well Firth handles the role.
The supporting cast, Bonham Carter aside, are hugely overshadowed by the two leads and are at times reduced to no more than panto villains. This is the one weak point of the film for me. Derek Jacobi as a cynical Archbishop, Guy Pearce as a fly by the night big brother and Timothy Spall hamming it up as Winston Churchill. A little much but they don't do any harm to proceedings and come and go with no real longevity.
As mentioned this a film that has been hyped, is winning all the awards, and has performances sweeping the awards boards but believe me when I say, its totally deserved and an experience you will enjoy.
Hesher Trailer
So here's the trailer for a film called Hesher. First Impressions? It looks and feels fantastic.
Apollo 18 Trailer
It seems to be that there's a reason we never went back to the moon - its because there's Aliens up there!
Friday 18 February 2011
Kaihoro Times - A New Direction ... Kinda
Those of you who are regular visitors to the site, and god bless all five of you, will hopefully notice that recently my writing style and sbustance has changed slightly. There's a reason for this, not a good one, but a reason none the less.
I've been reviewing the site and the stories that I've posted previously and noticed that I've been trying to write and sound like every other film site out there. I've been styling my scrawl around a generic audience and treating the site as though hundreds of people visit. This isn't the case and I need to change that and realise that the people who visit are my friends, people who know me, people who expect me to write like me. Does that make sense?
This does not include the reviews. The reviews are written directly from my perspective and is not derivative from any other place but my brain. I know I'm no literary scholar but I hope the reviews are enjoyable and entraining enough to keep you coming back and reading. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd like to think that your not expecting the Shakespearean Barry Norman equivalent here.
Well I'm endeavouring to change this from here on in. I'm still going to be posting stories, reviews and all the other random nonsense but will be writing it directly from my perspective. You all know me, you know what I'm like and to be frank you all deserve better than the generic, bland stuff I've been writing before.
Hopefully this new style will make the site a little more engaging and enjoyable. I guess we'll find out in time.
I've been reviewing the site and the stories that I've posted previously and noticed that I've been trying to write and sound like every other film site out there. I've been styling my scrawl around a generic audience and treating the site as though hundreds of people visit. This isn't the case and I need to change that and realise that the people who visit are my friends, people who know me, people who expect me to write like me. Does that make sense?
This does not include the reviews. The reviews are written directly from my perspective and is not derivative from any other place but my brain. I know I'm no literary scholar but I hope the reviews are enjoyable and entraining enough to keep you coming back and reading. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd like to think that your not expecting the Shakespearean Barry Norman equivalent here.
Well I'm endeavouring to change this from here on in. I'm still going to be posting stories, reviews and all the other random nonsense but will be writing it directly from my perspective. You all know me, you know what I'm like and to be frank you all deserve better than the generic, bland stuff I've been writing before.
Hopefully this new style will make the site a little more engaging and enjoyable. I guess we'll find out in time.
Thor Trailer
I'm not 100% sure why I don't like the look of it, all I know is that I just don't. Is it too generic? Is it because it's just more of the same comic book nonsense and I'm getting a little tired of it now? Possibly.
I Saw The Devil - Red Band Trailer
Directed by The Good, The Bad and The Weird's Kim Ji-Woon and starring Oldboy himself Choi Min-Sik this could go down as one of the best Korean movies of recent time.
John Hughes 1950 - 2009
Hughes seemed to be the voice of the 80's. His work was embraced by a whole generation which appeared to single out and speak directly to each individual.
Thursday 17 February 2011
Dead Island Game Trailer
Dead Island looks to be your typical Zombie style game but I tell you what, the trailer is absolutely fantastic. If more film trailers had the same amount of artistic thought and visionary direction as what is showed here cinema would be a better place.
Insidious Trailer
On the outset it seems to be the standard haunted house story, spooky baby monitors, images in mirrors but there's something about it that makes me quite interested.
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Review: Cyrus (15) ★★★★
A recently divorced guy meets the woman of his dreams. Then he meets her son.
Review
Another Indie movie, another positive, glowing review. Yes for every Juno (which is a terrible film by the way) there is a Cyrus. Brimming with originality and stand out performances from its three leads this was a film that had me in fits of laughter which is quite rare.
John, played by John C Reilly, is a divorced, lonely man. A man who, in a heart-breaking drunken speech, admits to having so much to offer but never having the luck to find the right person. His ex-wife (Catherine Keener) feels so much pity for him that she even invites him to party's that she and her new husband-to-be are going to in the vain hope that he can find someone new. That's how low his life has become.
It is at one of these party's, and aforementioned drunken speeches, that he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei) who seems more fascinated than attracted to John but both immediately click. Life seems to be looking up for John and then he meets Molly's son, Cyrus, played gleefully by Jonah Hill. At first all seems well, Cyrus appears to be older than his years and is very close to his mother, sometimes uncomfortably so, but he seems pleasant and friendly and supports their relationship. Or so John thinks.
From here on in its a war of the minds between John and Cyrus. Cyrus who not only manipulates his mother and John's relationship but directly influences his mother herself. It's all played out very cleverly and so slight that you really have to keep up with what is going on, duck out of the room for just a few minutes and you'll miss where the story is at. It's also a very quotable film which I didn't realise till the end when I started playing it back in my head, "What are you doing in the forest of Shrek?" sticks very vividly. Its this connection, pace and perfectly set running time that keeps you hooked. That and the performances.
John C Reilly is just prodigious in this role, he's the perfect actor to show a ludicrous comedic side mixed with dramatic outbursts that blend seamlessly from one scene to the next. Without a shadow of a doubt it's this versatility that is making him one of the most interesting actors working today. Jonah Hill shows a new side to his Superbad tendencies, playing Cyrus with a deafening charm and bewilderment while at the same time being just the right side of creepy to not give too much away. It's a great role for Hill to show that he's not just a one trick pony who'll remain relegated to supporting roles in Judd Apatow fair. Onto Marisa Tomei, sometimes annoying (My Cousin Vinny, What Women Want), sometimes brilliant (The Wrestler), here she's most definitely in the latter category. Entering proceedings as a confident 'I know what I want' woman to show her true emotional colours as a over nurturing mother who refuses at times to acknowledge her son has grown into an adult. It's a whimsical and curious progression of the character and its the one person who you feel the most empathy toward throughout the story.
All this is brought together by Jay & Mark Duplass (another tag team of directors!), filmed with a documentary hand-held camera style which fits perfectly with the dialogue and characters. I wasn't sure how to take it at first but as soon as I got swept up in proceedings I was hooked. The film has a true indie theme and influence running throughout with, at times, full on comedic moments that wouldn't seem out of place in a Will Ferrell offering. Its this blend that makes it all the more watchable and all the more unique.
Cyrus was a fantastic watch and unlike some of the more mainstream comedy fare had me in stitches. Highly recommended and one you should seek out.
Terminator Will Be Back
Universal are said to be offering the gig to a number of directors, one of whom, Justin Lin (Fast Five), seems to be the favourite. For what my opinion is worth, and its not worth much, I think it's an horrendous idea.
Tuesday 15 February 2011
Review: Paper Man (15) ★★★★
A washed-up writer forms an unlikely friendship with a teenager from Long Island.
Review
Paper Man was another gem I stumbled upon. An underground indie hit that struck all the right chords and kept me riveted throughout. Its premise has been told before but the film making and performances make this stand above many more of its type.
Paper Man is the tale of Richard Dunn, played by a brilliant Jeff Daniels. A pretty much failed writer who has scuttled away to his holiday home to try and start work on a new novel. His wife (Lisa Kudrow) is a very successful doctor to whom he simply refers to quiet coldly, as 'The Doctor' and has suggested this retreat is a good place to gather his thoughts and bring his new story to life.
Richard however has a slight problem, he is still clinging onto his imaginary friend who he has relied upon since his childhood. Captain Excellent, Ryan Reynolds in a superb role, follows him everywhere, gives him courage when needed and at times even talks for him. Richard has never really found his own feet, made any real friends or stood up for himself, its this meekness and loneliness that leads him to Emma Stone's Abby.
Abby herself has problems, stalked by a friend who forever states his love for her and in a relationship with the local school jock who sees her as nothing more than a quick lay. Richard comes across Abby setting fire to a bin in what you see as a cry for attention and strikes up and unusual but moving relationship.
As mentioned Jeff Daniels is brilliant in the lead, retiring, meek and unashamedly geeky, Daniels plays the role to perfection, think Harry from Dumb and Dumber but not so stupid and your halfway there. Emma Stone plays the teenage girl with troubles very confidently, you can see why now she's getting all the major roles in blockbusters and Lisa Kudrow plays Claire with a removed sense of emotion, I was quite surprised be her. Ryan Reynolds clearly revels in playing the Captain Excellent part, showing up from time to time to give his hero speech and rejuvenate Daniels Dunn. Reynolds and Daniels bounce off each other superbly and keep the whole thing just the right side of believable. Without these two talents this could easily have slipped into farce and the whole thing would have crumbled.
The film style just screams indie at you, from the opening credits right through to the ending you can see coming throughout, but Kieran and Michele Mulroney hold everything together and allow the movie to flow with a kinetic sense of energy. They balance the emotional and comedic side of proceedings with true professionalism and coax one of the best performances out of Jeff Daniels in a long while.
If your looking for a decent feel good indie movie you wont be disappointed by this, my only concern is that it may just be a little too 'indie' for some.
Thundercats: The Movie - Test Footage
I'd never heard anything about this and I have doubts whether or not it's real due to the Warner Brothers tag at the beginning so if its fan made its definitely an awesome attempt.
Bad Boys 3
Lawrence, currently promoting Big Mommas House 3 (jesus I bet that's a tough gig), has speaking to digital spy stating that a script is being circulated, Will Smith is back on board along with Michael Bay.
The Amazing Spiderman
The studio have also released a high res pic of Spidey clearly showing his web shooters as mechanical instead of the biological ones in the Sam Raimi film.
Monday 14 February 2011
The BAFTAS. And The Winners Are...
The Kings Speech wins Best Film (including Best British), Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor & Actresses but Tom Hooper misses out on the Best Director nod? Surly its the director who drives the film and the performances?
X-Men First Class Trailer
Set during the Cold War it shows the dissolution of the friendship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr before they become Prof X and Magneto.
Director For Die Hard 5 Hired
Murro only has one film to his name (a Sarah Jessica Parker one at that *shudders*) but has been hired based on his impressive Halo commercials. Quite a big project to give to a relative newcomer, no?
RIP Corey Haim
Haim didn't become 'the next big thing' many predicted after The Lost Boys and struggled with drug addiction for a long time. The roles he was offered late on in life where mostly the straight to DVD type, with a fleeting appearance in the awful Lost Boys sequel The Tribe.
Thursday 10 February 2011
Twilight To Highlander
I could play the easy card here and spout all sorts of jokes about emo's and depressed millionaire teens but I think that ship has sailed so I'll concentrate on the positives. Errrmmm I'm struggling a bit here.
Star Wars Geek Overload
Those who love star wars will marvel at this iconoscope chart, those who don't probably won't have a clue what is going on here. Click the link below and behold the power of Star Wars geekery.
Wednesday 9 February 2011
Michael J Fox Wins Award
Fox was presented the award by Danny DeVito and stated that he was 'truly humbled' and also joked 'I remember back in 1985 getting an award for Best Newcomer. Now I'm on stage with Danny DeVito as one of the old timers'. What a guy.
Submarine Trailer
Submarine is the the coming of age story of Oliver Tate, struggling to keep his parents together and trying to woo a girl he's besotted with. The film is drenched in Indie and looks amazing, not to mention that it has Paddy Considine in it, with a mullet no less!
Mr Men The Movie
Fox have announced that the Mr Men will be starring in their own movie, animation mixed with live action, with an option for a sequel dependant on box office success. Or more closer to the truth, merchandising revenue.
Streep As Thatcher
Ok, so here's the first picture of Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher from The Iron Lady. Nothing really exciting but it is eerily creepy how much she actually looks like Maggie.
Monday 7 February 2011
Stallone For Headshot
Stallone will play a hit-man who team up with a New York Cop to investigate a series of gruesome murders, leading all the way to Washington DC.
Superbowl TV Spots
Check them all out by click the link below.
Friday 4 February 2011
Review: The Last Exorcism (15) ★★
A troubled evangelical minister agrees to let his last exorcism be filmed by a documentary crew.
Review
For approx seventy minutes of The Last Exorcisms runtime you are kept interested, intrigued and truly witnessing something unique in an Exorcism 'mockumentary'. Then the last ten minutes comes along and undoes all the good work that proceeded it, I mean totally, flat out, ruins it.
The premise is great, Reverend Cotton Marcus is an evangelical minister who is struggling to believe in his faith. He is also a part-time exorcist but is not sure that what he is doing is causing more harm than good to the people he is exorcising. Due to this he enlists a small film crew to follow him on his 'last exorcism' to debunk the whole theory.
He shows us all the tricks of the trade, electric shock rings, shaky beds and an MP3 player loaded with hundreds of demon noises ready to go. He claims all this is used by his fellow exorcists and nothing is ever real, its all a charade to make people believe that the demon has been ousted and in addition to strengthen their belief in God and Jesus.
Cotton and his film crew arrive at Louis Sweetzer's farm to exorcise his teenage daughter Nell who is apparently possessed by a demon. Cotton starts his routine and in the space of an afternoon claims to have exorcised the demon and all is well, that's when the real freaky stuff begins. Nell starts sleepwalking, attacks her brother with a knife, drowns her dolls and begins making strange baby noises.
This then brings out the real Cotton, a man who doesn't believe in possession but medical and psychological problems teenage girls can have. A few more twists and ugly storylines seem to suggest he's right. Until the final ten minutes.
Everything up to this point is under played and treat with the right amount of trepidation to keep you hooked. There are no real outright scares but the setup to each scene is played out with just the right amount of tension to keep you on the edge.
Then the end arrives. Good god what the hell happened. It's almost like the writers just ran out of ideas and decided to make a quick, utterly nonsense ending that doesn't fit with the aesthetic of the first seventy minutes. Sense and logic are thrown out of the window and the audience is then treated like a bunch of idiots and served an ending that deserves to go down as one of the worst ever put on film.
I can't give anything away as it would spoil the entire film, needless to say that if you do watch this film be prepared for the end scenes. That's the best advice I can offer you. The trouble with a turgid ending is that as its the last thing you see of the film its the one thing that you really remember. The rest gets diluted down and this is exactly what happens with The Last Exorcism.
Hanna Trailer
Its for a film called Hanna and seems to be a tale of a young assassin who escapes from an institution and proceeds to try and live a normal life while being pursued by her captors. Think a Finnish Nikita.
The Inbetweeners Movie
All the gang have returned and from what they've been allowed to say, the plot is centred around a lads holiday to Malia.
Thursday 3 February 2011
George Lucas Visits Star Tours
Yes George Lucas visited Disneyland Star Tours (do you see what they've done there? Genius!) the other day to check on their progress with the new Star Wars attraction as you can see in the picture below.
Julia Roberts Is The Evil Queen
Its no real secret that I'm not the biggest Julia Roberts fan, self centred and smug always spring to mind when her name is mentioned, but you know what, in this role, she may fit quite well.
Pet Sematary Remake
Originally made back in 1989 from Kings novel it follows the Creed family move into a new home right next door to an ancient Indian Burial ground (isn't it always the way).
Wednesday 2 February 2011
Die Hard 5
The latest is that yet another one of the Gruber family will turn up and cause mayhem for McClane. Right.
Fletch To Return
So its with great trepidation that I bring news that Warner Bros are looking to try and reboot Fletch yet again. You may remember a good few years back that Kevin Smith tried to get his own Fletch project up and running with Jason Lee or Ben Affleck set to star, but that fell through.
Joesph Gordon Levitt Could Be The Riddler?
The rumour mill has Levitt pencilled in as The Riddler but with Bane and Catwoman already cast this may bog the movie down with villains.
Tuesday 1 February 2011
Review: 127 Hours (15) ★★★
A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.
Review
Can one actor hold your attention for approx ninety minutes when they are, for the most part, the only character in the film? Its been asked before, think Tom Hanks in Castaway. There you had the considerable talent of a proven Oscar winner in Tom Hanks to keep you hooked, 127 Hours has James Franco. So how'd he do?
Very well is the answer. It's in no small part down to Franco's presence and likeability that keeps you interested in events. Without this I don't think the film could have worked, but as things turn out Franco makes for a surprising lead and eats up the, by this day in age, small run time.
Based on a true story, Franco plays Aron Ralston who, while canyoneering in a remote region of Utah, gets trapped by a boulder for *ahem* 127 hours. The first fifteen minutes or so is so frantic you start to physically feel out of breath just watching things unfold, Franco playing Aron with such energy that it's hard to keep up with him. Then when he gets trapped by the boulder things stop dead. The energy and life drains right out of proceedings and from then on its the beginning of the end.
I think its this sudden shift that lost me, from breathtaking energy to standstill. Franco was the only reason why it didn't lose my attention completely, but it got me thinking "what was I expecting?". I knew it was about someone trapped for most of the film so why did I lose focus when the main plot started to unfold? I can only think that I got so wrapped up in proceedings because of the fantastic setup, the visuals and filming style, once we reverted to standard, one person, one camera shot, I got slightly bored.
The story didn't help me that much either, it was your typical, life lessons learned, family's are precious but you don't know that until something horrible happens and the triumph of human spirit. There was nothing that original after the first fifteen minutes for me, and yes I know its based on a true story, but if The Social Network has taught us anything, the primary purpose of a film over a documentary is to entertain its audience not educate so as such take an artistic licence.
127 Hours is in no way a bad film, and James Franco does deserve his Oscar nod, but for me it didn't sweep me up in the ways it has for other people. I know my thoughts on this film will be in the minority, you only have to take a look at its IMDB score to see this, but I always said I'd review films based on my honest opinion and in this case its exactly what I think.
New Bridesmaids Poster
Bridemaids is the tale of Lillian's (Maya Rudolph) Hen Do, organised by cashed strapped Annie (Kristen Wiig) along with her super rich family and friends. Things take a turn for the worse when the richer side of Lillians kinship try to take control of the event, leading, no doubt, to hilarious consequences.
Stephen King's The Stand
The Stand, a post apocalyptic tale about a group of characters who survive a killer virus that has wiped out most of America, has been green lit by Warner Bros and CBS Films.
