The Town (2010)

I have mixed feelings about bank heist movies - they can be incredibly boring, predictable or just dull. Or, then can be very, very exciting if the surrounding plot shines equally if not brighter than the main thrust of the bank robbing plot, such as Dog Day Afternoon (1975), The Bank Job (2008), or even Quick Change (1990). Because essentially, bank robbery movies tend to focus on the a. the robbers robbing the bank, b. the bank customers quivering in fear, c. the tense stand-off between robbers and cops. Which spells boredom. However, in the case of Ben Affleck's co-written and directed The Town, based on Chuck Hogan's Prince of Thieves, a gritty crime thriller based in Boston, it may be different. Lets have a look-see. Especially since I was pretty much inspired by his rendition of Dennis Lehane's Gone Baby, Gone (2007), which had a definite look and feel to it. Nice.

The Skinny: bank robber Doug MacRay is romantically torn between the bank manager of the bank he is robbing, and the FBI agent that is investigating his previous heists. But he has a job to do ... cue bank robbing antics. The full synopsis taken from imdb.com:

"Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) was born and raised in Charlestown, a blue-collar neighborhood in Boston, where crime is a part of life. Charlestown is the world's capital for carjacking, kidnappings, and armed robberies. The tricks of the criminal trade are passed down from father to son. Doug is the brains and ruthless leader of a gang of bank robbers who have been able to get out clean after each bank robbery. But Doug knows that his luck will not last forever, and he is looking for one last big heist that will give him the chance to leave the town in his rear-view mirror. But no one will let him, especially, his right-hand man Jeremy (James Coughlin); because he believes that it would be a personal betrayal to him, and he is not going to allow that. In a recent bank job, Doug forced the bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall) to open the safe, and then took her hostage as leverage for the getaway, and eventually setting her free unharmed. Doug knows that he should leave Claire alone, but she only lives four blocks from him, and he can handle it, but he begins to fall for her. Their romantic involvement is about to take them down a perilous path. Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)"

Category: Crime / Drama / Thriller 

Release Date: 8th October 2010

The Helmer: Ben Affleck

1. The Town (2010)
   
2. Gimme Shelter (2008) (V)
3. Gone Baby Gone (2007)
   
4. I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook, and Now I Have a Three-Picture Deal at Disney (1993)

The Casts: Ben Afflec; Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Slaine, Owen Burke, Chris Cooper 

The Prediction: This looks like a good movie with honest to goodness hard men leading the way. You've got powerhouse Chris Cooper and you've got Jeremy Renner still fresh from the Hurt Locker and soon to be in the Avengers. Its a great combination with Affleck helming; provided he maintains his excellent visual style and editing with Gone Baby Gone. Its been a while since we've been treated to something solid and gritty ... check out the trailer, its smooth but its hard. Kinda like me. Hoho.

Trailer

Wikipedia's Take

Official Site

Let Me In (2010) Remake

I haven't seen the original Swedish movie from which this remake is based on, from my my readings of reviews from several sources it appears that the original film Let the Right One In (2008) kicked ass. Mainly because it was a touching story of friendship between two young kids. Only difference was that one of the kids was a vampire. Cue awkward vampire violence moments ... 

The Skinny: A young bullied kid befriends his neighbour who just happens to be a vampire. 

The Helmer: Matt Reeves - 

1. Untitled Cloverfield Sequel (2012) (announced) (rumored)
   
2. Let Me In (2010)
   
3. Cloverfield (2008)
   ... aka "1-18-08" - USA (promotional title)
   ... aka "Monstrous" - USA (promotional title)
   ... aka "Cloverfield: Hakaisha" - Japan (English title)
4. "Conviction" (1 episode, 2006)
       - Pilot (2006) TV episode
5. "Miracles" (1 episode, 2003)
       - The Ferguson Syndrome (2003) TV episode
6. "Felicity" (5 episodes, 1998-2001)
       - The Declaration (2001) TV episode
       - The Slump (2000) TV episode
       - Felicity Was Here (1999) TV episode
       - The Last Stand (1998) TV episode
       - Pilot (1998) TV episode
7. "Gideon's Crossing" (1 episode, 2000)
       - The Gift (2000) TV episode
   
8. "Homicide: Life on the Street" (1 episode, 1997)
   ... aka "Homicide" - USA (informal short title)
       - All Is Bright (1997) TV episode
9. "Relativity" (1 episode, 1997)
       - Billable Hours (1997) TV episode
10. The Pallbearer (1996)
    ... aka "Happy Blue" - Japan (English title)
11. Future Shock (1994) (segment "Mr. Petrified Forrest") 

The Casts: Chloe Moretz, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas, Sasha Barrese, Cara Buono

Release Date: 1st October 2010 

The Tagline: Innocence dies. Abby doesn't. 

The Prediction: Hollywoodizing movies from the far east (both Europe and Asia) is most often than not a hit and miss thing. It kinda makes me nervous, especially with the remake of the (again) Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) trilogy which I enjoyed tremendously. It depends largely on how close the remake wants to be with the original, and whether or not it can adapt the look and feel with the largely American audience. Its like the time USA hosted the soccer world cup ... be that as it may, sometimes, given the right helmer, with the right casts and the right intention it may actually work. Matt Reeves for me at least, is best remembered for Cloverfield, the monster-destroying-New-York-city handycam flick. Which was reasonably okay; not really great, but fascinating enough to be compelling. Is he strong enough to take over from Tomas Alfredson, the original Swedish helmer?  Looking at both trailers theres a distinct similarity of both films in terms of feel: cold, stark underlined with brutality and blood. Nice. But what sweetens the deal I suppose is the presence of the great Richard Jenkins and the very promising Chloe Moretz who played Hitgirl in Kick-Ass. Two very watchable casts.

Trailer

Trailer of "Let the Right One In"

Official site

Escape from New York (1981) Rewind

This is Kurt Russel at his ass-kicking best, as Snake Plissken: the eye-patch wearing, snarling bad-ass death-row inmate. You can't get a more anti-heroic character than this.

The Skinny: Soon to be executed prison inmate bad-ass Snake Plissken is given a chance at freedom if he can rescue the President of the United States who has crash-landed in New York city, the new prison of the future. Only catch is that the Prez is being held hostage by the Duke, the dude who runs the place, and he must do so within a specific time or else he is going to self-destruct, thanks to a device implanted in his body ...

The Helmer: filmMeister John Carpenter- 

1. L.A. Gothic (2010) (announced)
   
2. The Ward (2010)
   ... aka "John Carpenter's the Ward" - USA (complete title)
   
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. Gorgo Versus Godzilla (1969)
26. Sorceror from Outer Space (1969)
27. Warrior and the Demon (1969) (as Johnny Carpenter)
28. Terror from Space (1963)
29. Revenge of the Colossal Beasts (1962) 

The Verdict: Remember those sci-fi images of past years where u have muscular men fighting each other with clubs, in a death-ring of sorts, on some distant planet with one too many moons? This movie is that image. All the things you need to know about what its like to see living images of the damned in post-apocalyptic world is displayed here in all its glory. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, John Carpenter is indeed a master of this, and many other genres. Unfortunately, Escape from LA (1996) happened ... which it shouldnt. But still, even though the look and feel of this movie is kinda dated the character of Snake Plissken still stands the test of time ...

The News: theres been talk over the years of doing a remake of this movie, with my personal favorite Gerad Butler considered to be the one donning the eye-patch. But that was scrapped, and now we have possibly Timothy Olyphant taking over this role. Stranger things have happened I suppose, but I just don't see him playing the part that well, because he ain't no bad-ass ... Gerry Butler would have been the bad-asser of the two if you asked me. Now with Mad Max: Fury Road coming up fast, there may be a line of post-apocalyptic kick-assory films coming up ... which should re-ignite interest in Snake's reapparence on the big screen ... we can only hope. 

Trailer

Wikipedia's take

Vulture Blog on remake update

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