Animal Kingdom (2010)

Aside from horror and sci-fi, I love modern day gritty gangster movies. And surprisingly, apart from the usual up and coming Hong Kong triad-based gang-crime movies, I'm really impressed by the Australians and their take of organized crime. They appear to be in love with the whole romantic appeal of real life gangsters and gangbangers. I've seen the awesomness of the acclaimed true accounts of gangland warfare in the leafy suburbs of Melbourne in Underbelly and I've yet to see the legendary Chopper Read on the big screen; another true account real life gangster. Solid stuffs from down under I'd say. And now, once again, they've come up with the highly acclaimed "Animal Kingdom", Sundance Film Festival award for World Cinema Grand Dramatic Jury Prize in 2010. 

The Skinny: Young J. Cody is drawn in the violent world of organized crime as he scrambles around to stay alive as his dangerous crime family spirals down to a brutal showdown with a band of renegade homicide detectives led by veteran head-kicker Guy Pearce. 

imdb.com's summary: "Welcome to the Melbourne crime underworld, where tensions are on the brink of exploding between felons and renegade cops. The Cody brothers, a gang of armed robbers, are in the process of initiating their teenage nephew Joshua 'J' into their frightening world after the death of his mother and under the watchful eye of his matriarchal grandmother, Smurf."

The Helmer: David Michod 

1. Animal Kingdom (2010)
   
2. Inside the Square (2009) (V)
3. Solo (2008/II)
4. Netherland Dwarf (2008)
5. Crossbow (2007)
6. Ezra White, LL.B. (2006)

The Casts: Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver, Sullivan Stapleton, James Frecheville

Release Date: 3rd June 2010 (Australia)

The Prediction: For this to work, Guy Pearce must be as intensed as he was in the James Ellroy inspired LA Confidential masterpiece. But having said that, I'm sure this movie can stand on its own based on the Sundance prize it won, and the from the looks of the trailer. This is definitely going to work, and if given a worldwide release, may put Australia on the map of excellent gangster movies.By the way, the movie title simply rocks!

Trailer

Official site

Wikipedia's take

Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

Zombie movies have so much versions to it that its become a full-fledged franchise owner all on its own. There's the sad, solemn "I'm-dead-you're-dead-lets-cry" version, theres the "holy-shit-we-need-to-get-the-hell-outta-here-before-they-eat-our-brains" version, and theres the "I-wanna-kick-some-zombie-ass" version. Its the last version which best sums up the Resident Evil series, but which does one better, by combining all the existing versions together, more or less.

The Skinny: taken from imdb.com's , movie summary:

"In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, Alice (Jovovich), continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead - and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap." Written by Screen Gems

Release Date:  10th September 2010 

Tagline: She's back ... and she's bringing a few of her friends.

The Helmer: Paul W.S. Anderson  - 

1. The Three Musketeers (2011) (filming)
   
2. Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
   ... aka "Resident Evil: Afterlife: An IMAX Experience" - USA (IMAX version)
   ... aka "Biohazard IV: Afterlife" - Japan (English title) (imdb display title)
   
3. Death Race (2008)
4. AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
   ... aka "Alien vs. Predator" - Germany, USA (short title)
   ... aka "AVP" - USA (promotional abbreviation)
5. Resident Evil (2002)
   ... aka "Biohazard" - Japan (English title)
6. The Sight (2000) (TV)
   
7. Soldier (1998/I) (as Paul Anderson)
8. Event Horizon (1997) (as Paul Anderson)
9. Mortal Kombat (1995) (as Paul Anderson)
10. Mortal Kombat: Behind the Scenes (1995) (V)
11. Shopping (1994) (as Paul Anderson) 

The Casts:  Milla Jovovitch, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts , Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Spencer Locke, Boris Kodjoe

The Prediction: A helmer who specializes in slighly B-grade actioneers with a sci-fi slant, returning to the original franchise which he started, added with returning heroine who just refuses to die Jovovitch, and you have a very successful game-to-movie series which can stand on its own. I'm just wondering just how far this one can be stretched. It'd be good if it  branches off into other spin-offs both for TV and for the big screen. If its good, milk it to death. And then make comics out of them for longevity. Oh, and its in 3D. So expect rotting flesh to drop on your lap. Just waiting for smell-o-rama to include smell as well. Maybe one day ... 

Trailer

Official site 

Wikipedia has it covered 

The Walking Dead (2010) TV

Everybody loves zombies; they're so cool. Why? Because they're very common-people. They're not pseudo classy like vampires, nor are they animalistic like werewolves. They just lumber about seeking out brains to eat. And they look hideous, with rotting flesh hanging off their faces. People just generally like them, because its a common enough fear of dead people coming back to life. Which is why Frank Darabont's adaptation of the very popular 2003 comic series The Walking Dead is eagerly awaited. The fact that its a TV series makes it all the more reasonable and logical as you can't squeeze a long term comic series into one single movie.

The Skinny: Taking the cue from 28 Days Later, police officer Rick Grimes wakes up from a long comatose state to a world teeming with the walking dead. And he's family's missing. Cue family drama with zombies.

Release Date: October 2010

The Helmer: Frank Darabont -

1. "The Walking Dead" (pre-production) (1 episode, 2010)
       - Pilot (2010) TV episode
   
2. The Mist (2007)
   ... aka "Stephen King's The Mist" - USA (complete title)
3. "The Shield" (1 episode, 2007)
       - Chasing Ghosts (2007) TV episode
4. "Raines" (1 episode, 2007)
       - Pilot (2007) TV episode
5. The Majestic (2001)
   
6. The Green Mile (1999)
   ... aka "Stephen King's The Green Mile" - USA (complete title)
7. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
8. Buried Alive (1990) (TV)
   
9. The Woman in the Room (1983)
   ... aka "Stephen King's Night Shift Collection" - USA (video box title)
   ... aka "Stephen King's Nightshift Collection Volume One: The Woman in the Room" - USA (video box title)

The Casts: Andrew Lincoln, Joe Bernthal, Jeffrey DeMunn, Laurie Holden, Michael Rooker, Sarah Wayne Callies

The Prediction: I have great respect for Darabont - he is one the few directors in Hollywood who can faithfully adapt existing written material and project it on the screen without losing any of the original work's fanbase. He was good with Stephen King's works notably The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Green Mile (1999) , and The Mist (2007). Which says alot about his directorial ethics - he repsects the material and uses his craft exceptionally well to tell the story. Which is why this TV adaptation looks set to become a TV event worth noting.

Trailer
Official Site  

The Thing (1982) Rewind

This movie scared the bejeebus out of me back in '82 when I was 13 years old. It was one of those screaming terror kind of horror which screams straight in your face with spittle raining down on your open mouth. It had great special effects with the alien, but lean with the humans balanced out on a white, cold, blizzard hit Antarctic platform. It was claustrophobic, urgent and desperate. It was great horror film making. It was also John Carpenter's most steady and conventional film to date. This is the type of film which is best remembered for its parts and its overall awesomeness.

The Skinny: A group of ex-communicated scientists stuck in an Antarctic scientific outpost unearths a 10,000 year old buried shape-shifting alien. Alien carnage ensues.

The Helmer: John Carpenter

1. L.A. Gothic (2010) (announced)
2. The Ward (2010) (completed)
   
3. "Masters of Horror" (2 episodes, 2005-2006)
       - Pro-Life (2006) TV episode
       - John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns (2005) TV episode
4. Ghosts of Mars (2001)
   ... aka "John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars" - USA (complete title)
   
5. Vampire$ (1998)
   ... aka "Vampires" - USA (original title)
   ... aka "John Carpenter's Vampires" - USA (complete title)
6. Escape from L.A. (1996)
   ... aka "John Carpenter's Escape from L.A." - USA (complete title)
7. Village of the Damned (1995)
   ... aka "John Carpenter's Village of the Damned" - USA (complete title)
8. In the Mouth of Madness (1995)
   ... aka "John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness" - USA (complete title)
9. Body Bags (1993) (TV) (segments "Gas Station, The" and "Hair")
   ... aka "John Carpenter Presents 'Mind Games'" - USA (cable TV title)
10. Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
    
11. They Live (1988)
    ... aka "John Carpenter's They Live" - USA (complete title)
    ... aka "They Live!" - USA (poster title)
12. Prince of Darkness (1987)
    ... aka "John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness" - USA (complete title)
13. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    ... aka "John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China" - USA (complete title)
    ... aka "Ghost Hunters" - Japan (English title)
14. Starman (1984)
    ... aka "John Carpenter's Starman" - USA (complete title)
15. Christine (1983)
    ... aka "John Carpenter's Christine" - USA (complete title)
16. The Thing (1982)
    ... aka "John Carpenter's The Thing" - USA (complete title)
17. Escape from New York (1981)
    ... aka "John Carpenter's Escape from New York" - USA (complete title)
    ... aka "New York 1997" - Japan (English title)
18. The Fog (1980)
    ... aka "John Carpenter's The Fog" - USA (complete title)
    
19. Elvis (1979/I) (TV)
    ... aka "Elvis the Movie" - USA (informal title)
20. Someone's Watching Me! (1978) (TV)
21. Halloween (1978)
    ... aka "John Carpenter's Halloween" - USA (complete title)
22. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
23. Dark Star (1974)
    
24. Gorgon, the Space Monster (1969)
25. Sorceror from Outer Space (1969)
26. Gorgo Versus Godzilla (1969)
27. Warrior and the Demon (1969) (as Johnny Carpenter)
28. Terror from Space (1963)
29. Revenge of the Colossal Beasts (1962)

The Casts: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Richard Dysart, Donald Moffat, Keith David,

The Tagline: Man is the warmest place to hide.

The Verdict: This is a great movie.The humm of daily dullness which only an outlandish post can bring, is suddenly splashed with blood; coloring the whiteness of snow with crimson pain. Russell shines in this movie; cementing his role as the 20th century anti-hero who is doing all he can to look out for number 1. And he succeeds.  The special effects was pretty much ahead of its time, and by today's standards without the technology of modern CGI. The head tearing scene (see trailers below) is one scary looking mother of a scene: it all starts with a heart-resuscitation pumping of the chest ends up with a head ripped off a body and growing its own pair of crab eyes and spider legs. You just have to see it to believe it.

Trailer: Runaway Head Scene

Trailer 2: The Kennel Scene

Skyline (2010)

Finally a prediction / preview that is not horror-related; although it can be horrific to the characters in this sci-fi action flick of alien invasion. Whatever it is, the trailer kinda kicks ass as it does have a whole lotta buncha humans flying into the butt-hole of a mean looking alien space ship screaming their little lungs out. Its like watching ants with arms and legs getting sucked up a vacuum cleaner. Nice. Me like.

The Skinny: Alien invasion. 2010 version. 

Tagline: Don't Look Up

The Helmer: Colin Strause, Greg Strause - Alien versus Predator: Requimen AVPR (2007), 16mm Mystery (2004), Mute (2003 V) , Download It: Behind the Scenes Video (2003), Nickelback (2003 V)

The Casts: Eric Balfour, Scottie Thomson , David Zayas, Donald Faison, Brittany Daniel

Release Dates: 12th November 2010

The Prediction: I have a fondness for movies directed by brothers. Only because brothers-directed movies have over the years, rocked. Like for example, the Coen Brothers, yeah, and the Warchowski Brothers, the Farrelly Brothers, and many other twin-teams that makes pretty good flicks. So when an alien invasion movie comes along, directed by brothers, its like having two kids have fun. And everyone knows that real work of art emerges when you have fun. BTW, check out the site, its apparently part of rogue network? What the hell is the rogue network? Hmm. Go google it.

Trailer

Official Site

The Last Exorcism (2010)

Under the many slots of horror movies, exorcism has its own niche, its own little chapter. It may not be big, but, if done right, can stay within living memory for a long long time. Take The Exorcist (1973) for example. It is still ranked as number 1 of top 100 horror movies of all time. And that was what? 37 years ago? So what is it about demonic possession that still sends chills down our spine? Is it the idea of evil crawling under your skin and living there? Or is it the distorted version of ourselves once we've been possessed? Or is it something else quite literal, the deep guttural voice, the evil grin, the twisted body?  Or is it the intelligent evil that mocks us and our beliefs? Evil has many faces, and the scariest of all is the one we're familiar with the most: our own.

The Skinny: A documentary crew led by a protestant minister does a documentary on a live exorcism. Horror hijinks ensues. 

The Helmer: Daniel Stamm - A Necessary Death (2008), Off Hollywood & Wiine (2004)

The Casts: Patrick Fabian, Ashely Bell, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum, Caleb Landry Jones, Tony Bentley, John Wright Jr

Release Date: 27th August 2010 

The Prediction: This film has the gravitas of having Eli Roth's name attached to it as a producer. Is it a good thing? If you consider him as a heavyweight for all things gruesome and troubling, then it can be seen as good endorsement. Otherwise, if you want to see a film which seems to be an honest representation of demonic possession done in 'real TV' format, then its all systems go. The trailer makes the movie look very compelling, but the schtick about good versus evil, this versus that is kinda thin on the ground. Which means, enjoy this movie for the simple scares and the shock value it wants to communicate. Live documentary crew filming horrific subject matters have been kinda stretched, so it must have something more than that, it must have good ole fashioned spine tingling chills made real.

Wiki Possessed

Trailer

Official Site

I Spit on Your Grave aka Day of the Woman (2010)

I honestly have major questions for people who enjoy torture-porn the likes of Hostel and the Saw series. Do they really enjoy seeing other people get tortured to death? It also makes me wonder if as a society, our level of tolerance for violence and torture has been so desensitized that horror flicks like the original I Spit on Your Grave (1978) , banned in several countries (notably the UK) is making a new millennium comeback. Wasn't once enough? What is it with the studios need to remake something which is extremely distasteful and obscene? 

The Skinny: A young woman is raped and left for dead by some hill-billies. She survives and hunts them down one by one adopting literally the adage "Revenge is a Bitch". Weapons of choice includes a really large pair of rusty clippers, applied in the nether regions ... ouch.

The Helmer: Steven R Monroe - Mongolian Death Worm (2010 TV), Complacent (2010), Ice Twisters (2009 TV), Wyvern (2009 TV), Storm Cell (2008), Ogre (2008 TV), Dual (2008), Left in Darkness (2006 V), Sasquatch Mountain (2006), It Waits (2005), House of 9 (2005), The Contract (2002), The Beach Boys: Nashville Sounds (1996 TV)

The Casts: Sarah Butler, Chad Lindberg, Daniel Franzese, Tracey Walter, Jeff Branson

Release Date: 8th October 2010

The Prediction: I'm going to give this one a miss. I'm just putting this prediction up for those who may have heard about this movie, and wants to know what its about. Its about vengeance, in a very nasty way. The original has been billed as a 'video nasty' by the British so you should know what you're in for.

Trailer  

Wikipedia 

Official site