SiM Trailers: More Than a Game

Director: Kristopher Belman
Writer: Kristopher Belman, Brad Hogan
Cast: LeBron James, Dru Joyce, Romeo Travis, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee
Distributor: Lionsgate
Running Time: 105 minutes
Release Date: October 2, 2009

Synopsis: This documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to fame

DVD Pick: Repo! The Genetic Opera

Cult status card approved!

Sometime in the summer of 2008 I came across a 7 track demo for Repo! The Genetic Opera, while it didn’t blow my mind, it had me on the lookout for the film. So when I finally got a chance to pop in Repo! The Genetic Opera and slowly worked my way through the dozen or so trailers bringing me to the DVD menu page, boy was I hooked. Laughing out loud, or maybe it was a shriek, I was already having fun just listening to the DVD theme song.

Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, III and IV) directs Repo! which opens with a look into the new world in the year 2056, in comic book form (how digital comics should be, but that is an item for another time), where an epidemic of organ failures have devastated the planet. Out of the tragedy, the Bio-Tech Company GeneCo, emerges to provide organ transplants to the needy populace. GeneCo enlists in the help of Repo Men, assassins dispatched to deal with customers who default on their payments. The film follows the intertwined stories between Nathan (Anthony Stewart Head) who is also one of the Repo Men, his daughter Shilo (Alexa Vega), GeneCo’s president Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino) and his three children (Paris Hilton, Bill Moseley, Nivek Ogre) and Blind Mag (Sarah Brightman) who is the headliner of the GenoCo Genetic Opera. GraveRobber (Terrance Zdunich) acts as the films narrator who is a drug dealer and has connections to Rotti’s daughter.

Holding the record for most songs ever composed into one film, a total of 64, Repo! shifts among top notch and utter crap songs. Some are pleasant surprises, with Anthony Stewart Head (who played Rupert Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) stealing the show, “Shilo Wakes”, “Legal Assassin” and “Let the Monster Rise” are the songs that were unique and fantastic. The flip side to that would be “Bravi!”, “Mark It Up” and basically anything sung by two of the trio that is Rotti’s children with the exception being Ogre’s character was interesting and did not get enough screen time. No fault goes to the actors, as it is the songs themselves that ruin it, feeling more like a joke than a piece that should be in the film.

To say the plot was lacking is probably wrong, it’s right in front of you, missing a small chunk here, probably repossessed by the Repo Men, and skipping over another part here. The film uses small sub plots that are used and not needed to be built upon, it doesn’t wreck the movie, but makes you wanting some bigger explanations which may come in a sequel.

The alternate, futuristic reality that is Repo! is devilishly amusing, colourful, and vibrant while using a style many films won’t dare to try. If a person is looking for a film with loads of originality, this movie has it in spades. Loads of fun and worth a rewatch!

3 out of 5
Colin Enquist

SiM Trailer: Lymelife

Director: Derick Martini (debut)
Writers: Derick Martini (Goat on Fire and Smiling Fish), Steven Martini (Bolden!)
Cast: Rory Culkin (The Zodiac), Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Kieran Culkin (She's All That), Jill Hennessy (Crossing Jordan), Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People), Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew), Cynthia Nixon (Sex & the City), Adam Scarimbolo (Chapter 27), Logan Huffman (America)
Distributor: Screen Media Films
Running Time: 95 minutes
Release Date: April 8, 2009 (limited)

Synopsis: First-time director Derick Martini brings his--and brother Steven Martini--life to film, set in Long Island, New York during the late-'70s. Two of the Culkin brothers (Rory & Kieran) play ficitional brothers in this indie comedy-drama, which follows the hectic lives of two families and how they deal with financial and relationship problems, as well as a local Lyme disease outbreak. Filmed in New Jersey, Lymelife premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, where it won the International Critic's Award. The Martini brothers also make cameos in the film, as does another sibling Matthew Martini, while Steven also wrote the score and performed on the soundtrack with his band The Spaceship Martini. Alec Baldwin serves as producer for Lymelife, while Oscar winner Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull) is executive producer.

Hunger Film Provokes Thirst For More

McQueen's feature debut tells true story of ultimate sacrifice

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

Back in the '70s the IRA--an Irish republican paramilitary organization--had set out to "end British rule in Ireland" in order "to establish an Irish Socialist Republican," an ambitious feat that took five years before culminating in the infamous 1981 hunger strike by paramilitary prisoners at the Maze Prison in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

This history lesson is essential to the compelling plot of the UK film Hunger, the feature directorial debut for Steve McQueen, formerly best-known for silent shorts like Bear (1993) and Deadpan (1997). McQueen outdoes himself with a raw and authentic take on the landmark hunger protest that ended with the deaths of 10 prisoners, including leader of the pack Bobby Sands.

Michael Fassbender (300, Eden Lake) embodies Sands in his most determined and valorous moments, as well as his most vulnerable and sequestered, inhabiting this role unlike almost any other Hollywood actor could. Fassbender even adopted a medically-induced crash diet that had him decay just as Sands had in the prison hospital, losing 40 pounds to come off as genuine as possible.

But it wasn't just Fassbender's physical capacity in the film, it was also his part in a scene in Hunger that will be remembered as the longest unbroken scene in mainstream cinematic history (pictured bottom right). For 17 and a half minutes Fassbender sits at a table, smoking cigarettes, telling of his intentions to starve himself to death to his priest, played by Liam Cunningham (The Escapist, Paris Noir). This mid-range dialogue stretch contrasts what McQueen displays prior and thereafter, as a movie capable with silence.

In preparation for the bold scene, which continued for another five minutes after the first uninterrupted 17, Cunningham actually moved into Fassbender's apartment, to practice the 28-page scripture as many as 15 times daily. Aside from the heavy Irish accents that muffled some of the conversation, it came together effortless and without fault.

McQueen borrows the artsy atmosphere of his short film past and spreads it throughout Hunger, in scenes as provocative and visceral as anything by veteran visual directors, such as a seemingly neverending shot of a lone prison guard sweeping away the urine spilled over by the captured guerrillas. There are more subtle moments of obscure charm as well, such as one in which a guard weeps behind a wall of his peers brutally beating naked prisoners, and another in which Stuart Graham's character (prison guard Ray Lohan) smokes from a cigarette, his knuckles bleeding, standing subdued in the midst of a sedate snowfall, each seized by cinematographer Sean Bobbitt (Oxygen).

Hunger ends with Sands' deteriration at the hands of his own beliefs, a skeletonized form of himself, suffering from kidney failure, stomach ulcers, and vile blood sores. 66 days into the
strike, Sands ceases to exist, and we believe the same could be said for the all-encompassing Fassbender, who looks like Sands must've, but we know that the actor is just that, an actor. The credits begin to roll.

Despite prolonged scenes and confined dialogue, Hunger does not linger, coming in at less than 90 minutes long. In fact, as pun-filled ironic as it may sound, McQueen's emotional epic of a film left me hungry for more.

4.5/5 stars

A Hungry Director Proving His Worth

Simplicity can be powerful

Hunger follows life in the Maze Prison, Northern Ireland with an interpretation of the highly emotive events surrounding the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike, led by Bobby Sands. With director Steve McQueen’s epic eye for detail, the film provides a timely exploration of what happens when body and mind are pushed to the uttermost limit. The film dramatizes events in the Maze prison in the six weeks prior to Sands death. The films main star is Michael Fassbender but he has good support in Liam Cunningham, Stuart Graham and Liam McMahon.

Using very little dialogue you would think you walked into a silent film, until we are thrown beside Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) and the priest (Liam Cunningham), during the 20 minute single shot which has a cascade of dialogue. Though some of it was tough to decipher, a few lines due to the Irish accent, you got the sense that Sands believed 100% in his cause, as he defends his methods of going on the hunger strike.

The only real knock is that the film feels almost like an art project by the director at times, as he uses no dialogue to move the scene, instead using simple graphic visuals and raw imagery. The use of the visual description over the choice of words brings out some fantastic moments but also hurts other parts of the film where the scene is trying to convey a sense of dread or pain but instead lazes around for too long. Hammering the point into the viewer almost makes it feel like the director believes we wouldn’t have understood the message that the image portrayed.

Fassbender goes through a miraculous transition during the film, reminiscent of Christian Bale in the Machinist, going from fully fed and strong, but once the hunger strike begins he’s a skeleton with flesh hanging from its cage. During the filming Fassbender went on a medically supervised crash diet, bringing life to his character as he is dying on screen.

Lacking music, McQueen’s stylistic choice to go without it, making us use our ears as a way to communicate to our brains with what is happening as we listen to every punch thrown, breath drawn and cigarette smoked.

McQueen’s film is grotesque, bold, brutal and stunning. This movie is not for everyone, although I feel everyone should see this film. Cinema like this one is unforgettable.

3 out of 5
Colin Enquist

SiM Trailer: The Boat That Rocked

Director: Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral)
Writer: Richard Curtis (Mr. Bean)
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt), Tom Sturridge (Being Julia), Bill Nighy (Shaun of the Dead), Rhys Ifans (The Informers), Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility), Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz), Kenneth Branaugh (Valkyrie), Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy), January Jones (Anger Management), Talulah Riley (Pride and Prejudice), Chris O'Dowd (How to Lose Friends and Alienate People)
Distributors: Universal Pictures
Running Time: 129 minutes
Release Date: August 28, 2009

Synopsis: Philip Seymour Hoffman plays "The Count," a DJ who hosts a "pirate radio station" (Radio Rock) from a ship on international waters, for millions of rock 'n' roll fans across the United Kingdom. Set in 1966, The Boat That Rocked is a fictitious story, but there were similar truths during that era, when the BBC, as the only licensed radio broadcaster in the mainland UK, would only air two hours of recorded music per week. In the Richard Curtis feature film, the British government tries to shut down the 24-hour radio ship, but not without a fight. At 129 minutes, The Boat That Rocked has been criticized for its lengthy telling, including in a review by The Hollywood Reporter, which claimed that the film could "barely stay afloat."

DVD Pick: Flow (For Love of Water)

Water is the new oil in newcomer Salina's alarming documentary

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

I suppose that most folks who go to the movies might think that a documentary about the state of the world's water supplies would be trivial when there's a couple of lengthy wars currently underway, in the midst of a global recession. But director Irena Salina (Ghost Bird: The Life and Art of Judith Deim) throws another log on the fire with her panic-ridden look into the world's most precious resource: water.

According to some of the experts that Salina (and producer Steven Starr) interviews for Flow, there's a lot that we don't know when it comes to the H2O affair, and it looks as though governments around the world want to keep it that way. Salina explores the toxic pollutants that end up in the drinking water of not only the Third World nations, but right in our own backyards as well. Pollutants that, in some cases, even end up in the highly unregulated bottled water we spend billions of our dollars on every year.

But it's the privitazation of the "blue gold" that warrants the real fear behind the limited supply the Earth sustains, and it's that same issue that carries the bulk of Flow. Major interntaional corporations--such as Suez, Vivendi, and Thames Water--are putting their flags into the freshwater supplies all over the globe, staking claim in property that defies ownership, and then distributing it back to the citizens on a for-profit basis.

Take a look at what the Nestle brand did when it decided to erect a pump site in Michigan, drilling into the homegrown spring waters and then bottling it for sale, tax-free! Similar cases have arose in other places by other conglomerates, but the World Bank takes the cake when it comes to immoral behaviour, as it lends billions of dollars to poor countries, and then takes control of national matters when those same countries are unable to reimburse. This was a tragic reality for the citizens of Bolivia, for example, who had no say when their government privitized their water stock at the demands of the World Bank, who threatened to refuse funds to the impoverished country.

Large companies like Suez also require colossal dams in order to trap and store the world's stockpile of freshwater--only 3% of the planet's aqua is fresh--which in turn ruins ecosystems and displaces literally tens of millions of people all over the world, most notably in destitute Asian territories.

Intriguing and informative as Flow may be, Salina is still new to her craft, a vulnerability that shows itself from time to time. Much of its 84 minutes are made up of continuous scenes of water flowing in all matters (from kitchen taps to frozen streams), and although it fits in undeniably with the subject matter, it's unnecessary and almost tacky. But she rectifies herself with the closing credits, debreifing us on the potential that surrounds solutions to these problems, ending on a good note rather than on the dire atmosphere the film established early on.

Salina guides us through the outrage and the terror, the frustration and inhumanity behind another inconvenient truth that is perpetually affecting the whole planet. The water shortage isn't just an exaggerated rumour, and it's not a matter that only the future generations will have to deal with. It's a global issue that is happening RIGHT NOW, and it's scarier than any weapon of mass destruction, because it is the closest thing to the apocalyptic fantasies of all those science fiction writers who wrote of the end of the line for mankind.

The filmmakers of Flow encourage everyone to check out their online community, where you can "take action" by signing up to the FreeFlo social network or sign a petition to add Article 31 ("establishing access to clean water as a fundamental human right") to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At flowthefilm.com you also have access to numerous organizations that support similar efforts.

3/5 stars

SiM Trailer: H2

Director: Rob Zombie (Halloween)
Writers: Rob Zombie (Halloween)
Cast: Scout Taylor-Compton (Halloween), Tyler Mane (Halloween), Malcolm McDowell (Halloween)
Distributors: Dimension Films
Release Date: August 28, 2009

Synopsis: H2 picks up at the exact moment the first movie stopped and follow the aftermath of Michael Myers (Mane) murderous rampage through the eyes of heroine Laurie Strode. Instead of focusing on Michael, the film will look more at the psychological consequences on Laurie (Taylor-Compton) after the events of the first film. Two years after Michael murdered her friends and family, Laurie is a "wreck", who continually sinks lower as the film moves forward.

SiM Trailers: The Girlfriend Experience

Director: Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven series)
Writers: Brian Koppelman (Ocean's Thirteen), David Levien (Ocean's Thirteen)
Cast: Sasha Grey, Chris Santos
Distributors: Magnolia Pictures
Release Date: May 22, 2009

Synopsis: Set in the weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential election, The Girlfriend Experience is five days in the life of Chelsea (adult film star Sasha Grey in her mainstream film debut), an ultra high-end Manhattan call girl who offers more than sex to her clients, but companionship and conversation – "the girlfriend experience." Chelsea thinks she has her life totally under control—she feels her future is secure because she runs her own business her own way, makes $2000 an hour, and has a devoted boyfriend (Chris Santos) who accepts her lifestyle. But when you're in the business of meeting people, you never know who you're going to meet...

Is Hollywood Running Out of Ideas?

Fresh ideas for movies seem to have gone stale

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

It was not much more than two months ago that I spent $12.50 ($43.50 if you include popcorn!) to see Jason Voohries brought back from the grave (again!) in Friday the 13th, the remake of a 1980 cult classic. It wasn't long after that that I checked out the first movie stills of the sequel to the remake of another horror staple, Halloween. And just days ago I read that the Child's Play and Nightmare on Elm Street franchises will receive their own reboots, just as we are about to see new efforts in the Star Trek, X-Men, and Harry Potter series as well.

Is tinsletown tapped out, or just plain lazy?! Whatever the reasoning behind this trend of remakes, adaptations, sequels, prequels (and even an interquel {see Fast & Furious}), it doesn't seem to be hurting the numbers at the box office, as one of the few industries seemingly unaffected by the current recession.

Let's take a look at the top 20 movies in theatres right now, and it's full of stories we've already heard, or characters we already know. I'm not necessarily complaining here, but these people--the actors, directors, producers, writers, executives--make millions, have the world's most talented peers, and many others begging at their doorsteps, so why is it that the movie industry is starting to sound like a broken record?

The No.2 film in North America, State of Play, is a political thriller born out of a 6-year-old British mini-series of the same name. At No.4 is Hannah Montana: The Movie, Miley Cyrus' feature film debut that is based on her hit TV series, titled...you guessed it, Hannah Montana. As unoriginal as the title of the Montana movie is, it's still not as bad as the No.5 movie, Fast & Furious. All it did was drop a couple of "the's" from the 2001 original, which inspired this new film and two others prior.

Right behind that, at No.6, is Jason Stathem's Crank: High Voltage, a sequel to a film that really had nothing more to say. Moving down the list we run into Observe and Report (No.7), which is set to an original screenplay, but instantly reminds us of another comedy flick that is actually still in the top 20, Paul Blart Mall Cop, at No.17. Rounding out the top 10 is the ghost feature The Haunting in Connecticut, which isn't a remake or a sequel, but is based on a true story (like currently-playing Che and Hunger), dramatized to tie it into every one of the other 'Haunting' movies we've seen of late.

Moving out of the better half of the charts and we come to No.11, Dragonball Evolution, which borrowed its plot from the 25-year-old series of Japanese comics. The live action adaptation was a bust, most likely rushed through the red tape to cash in on a classic children's franchise. Four spots below is Race to Witch Mountain, a "re-imagining" of the 1975 adventure movie Escape to Witch Mountain, it in itself based on a 1968 sci-fi novel by Alexander Key.

No.18 belongs to The Last House on the Left, a re-telling of Wes Craven's infamous horror flick from 1972. They didn't even bother coming up with a new name for this one. Outside of the top 20 are many other examples of movie producers and studio executives who are slowly ridding original stories and ideas more and more, to cut corners perhaps, but at the expense of quality. There are comic book adaptations (Watchmen), video game adaptations (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li), semi-autobiographical takes (The Class), thrasher reboots (Friday the 13th), short story conversions (Two Lovers), and even a movie adapted from a best-selling relationship book (He's Just Not That Into You)!

But it's not just the movies currently in theatres....it's also the anticipated ones coming up that bare familiar tales, including Angels & Demons (the sequel to The Da Vinci Code and an adaptation of a Dan Brown novel), Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince (the sixth installment of a film series based on a 6-part book series by J.K. Rowling), Star Trek (another "re-imagining" of a classic film, based on a classic TV series), X-Men Origins: Wolverwine (a spin-off of a film trilogy based on a comic book chain), and even Where the Wild Things Are, a live action film version of a 46-year-old children's picture book!

What happened to the Matt Damon's and Ben Affleck's of the late-'90s? Where are all the Project Greenlight's? Where's the originality? Hollywood seems to have misplaced all of that (especially Ben Affleck!), relying on motion pictures that resemble graphic novels, television sitcoms, and other motion pictures that got to the punchline years ago.

So, to sum things up, these head honcho's simply need to stop cutting corners in their cheque books, satisfying their bosses, sacrificing our patience, or at least my patience. This is a shout out to all the layman literates and struggling scripters to spread the word, put pencil to paper (or more likely, fingertips to the keyboard), and break the cycle, before some la la land big shot turns this here editorial into a movie!

State of Play Is Crowe's Show

The 6 hour story lost luster when only 1/3 is shown

Based off the critically acclaimed 6-part BBC mini-series, this 127 minute film tries to condense all 6 hours of the original without losing too much of the juicy parts. It is directed by Kevin Macdonald (Last King of Scotland) and written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom), Tony Gilroy (Duplicity), Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon), and Billy Ray (Hart’s War).

The film tells of a journalist's probe into the suspicious death of a Congressman's mistress. Russell Crowe (Gladiator) plays the journalist and Ben Affleck (Smokin’ Aces) plays the Congressman. Support comes from Helen Mirren (The Queen), Jason Bateman (Hancock), Robin Wright Penn (Beowulf), Rachel McAdams (Red Eye), and Jeff Daniels (Traitor).

State of Play breaks no barriers or shows us anything new that a political thriller hasn’t already, but that isn’t to say it’s not a good story. Love affairs, politics and corrupt politicians, private corporations posturing for more money and power, and the media and their relationship with politicians seem to be the main themes presented throughout the film.

The film uses dialogue to move the story, it evens becomes to dialogue heavy at times, really slowing down the film. Although the film seems to go through stages, by pacing a slow build up, kicking it into high gear, then dropping the intensity below where we started only to leisurely work our way back to the top gear, rounding out the film on a supposed “shock” ending that could be perceived from more than a mile away.

Crowe’s character was so laid back and casual it was hard to believe he was an investigative reporter and the only people that gave him information were even more casual about their lives or their jobs than he was. Aside from that character flaw, Crowe carries the film with his charisma and marvellous acting.

On the other hand, Affleck had plenty to work with, but wasn’t that credible as a politician. Many times I have heard that Affleck can’t act, this film finally showed me how those people were correct, aside from his ability to change the emotion on his face from happy at one point to emotionally torn at the next, he was not anything other a stand in. McAdams character, Della, has absolutely no back story other than a hint of a possible boyfriend, but she was very convincing as a modern day blogger that has the tenacity to become an investigative reporter. Some of the supporting cast is superb, Helen Mirren and Jason Batemen light up the screen with what little time they have, while Jeff Daniels and Robin Wright Penn give mild and sometimes unimpressive performances. Many characters were introduced throughout the film, to the point where it is becoming confusing and the filmmakers thought it was unnecessary to give them all a slight back story.

A few scenes of the film seem to be shot out of context, some of these scenes were jarring and were shot in a completely different perspective for no reason other than to demonstrate that a camera can be in that position.

An interesting part of the film was the use of the Washington Globe to the effect of showing how a newsroom seems to work. They even presented how a paper is produced during the credits of the film. It was never explained why, but throughout the film we see many shots of helicopters in flight or hear the beating of the wings in the background, the rationale behind it doesn’t defies logic. The movie was fun at times, but dragged and has some moments where you want to groan, I wouldn’t say skip the movie completely, just wait until it becomes available on DVD.

2 out of 5
Colin Enquist

DVD Pick: Encounters at the End of the World

Visually-stunning documentary analyzes all aspects of Antarctica

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

Although Antarctica takes center stage in the award-winning documentary feature film Encounters at the End of the World, the people that inhabit it are also uncovered, and how they exist within the most foreign borders on the planet. Lengendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man) explores all aspects of life on the one continent without skyscrappers, Bluetooth, or a Starbucks, from the "fluffy penguins" and siren-esque seals, to the microscopic entities that link us with the very beginnings of life on Earth.

But you'll be surprised with what Antarctica does have to offer, all vividly captured by determined cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger (Grizzly Man), who accompanies Herzog through all the brutality and the glory this isolated land conceals.

The film crew--sponsored by the National Science Foundation--take up residence in the largest community on the frozen landscape that is Antarctica, the U.S.-run McMurdo Station, which has culminated into large garages, small warehouses, businesses, homes, and plenty of gas-guzzling trucks. Herzog, who also narrates, interviews some of the characters that make up McMurdo's tiny population (never more than 1,300), including mechanics, tradesmen, drivers, and all types of scientists. All are also explorers, and each one has a fascinating story to tell.

But it's the elegance of the "frozen sky" below the town of McMurdo that captivates the audience. It's the hypnotic sounds that the native seals make in the frigid waters of the surrounding oceans. It's the enchanting ice cathedrals, the puzzling carriage of its wildlife, and it's the daunting extent of the land's reach. But most of all, Encounters intrigues us with just how fragile, yet how essential Antarctica really is to the rest of us, in a time when global warming is a global issue.

Henry Kaiser and David Lindley's indelible score is haunting, leaving me unsettled, but in a good way; perhaps a similar feeling of the secluded residents of this last Earthly frontier. In the words of Herzog himself, "Anarctica is not the moon, even though sometimes it feels like it." That pretty much sums it up.

4/5 stars

SiM Trailer: 9

Director: Shane Acker (The Hangnail)
Writers: Shane Acker (The Astounding Talents of Mr. Grenade), Pamela Pettler (Corpse Bride)
Cast: Elijah Wood (Sin City), John C. Reilly (Step Brothers), Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind), Crispin Glover (Beowulf), Martin Landau (City of Ember), Christopher Plummer (Up), Fred Tatasciore (Bolt)
Distributors: Focus Features
Release Date: September 9, 2009 (9.9.09)

Synopsis: 9 is a feature adaptation of director-writer Shane Acker's 2005, Oscar-nominated animated short film of the same name, set in a world parallel to ours, one that is facing extinction of humanity. Co-produced by Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas), the computer-animated flick follows a rag doll-like creature named 9 (Wood), who is perhaps the last of his kind in his dark and violent world.

RIP: Jim Hutchison (1934-2009)

Little-known Hawaiin-based actor dies in Honolulu

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

England, Arkansas-reared actor/director Jim Hutchison, 75, died last Thursday (April 16) in Honolulu, Hawaii, where the late filmmaker was an important part of the arts community.

After winning various talent competitions in his home state, Hutchison decided to try to make it big in acting, moving to New York and landing parts in Broadway musicals like The Ziegfeld Follies, The Pajama Game, Kean, and Happy Hunting.

In 1965 he appeared as a dancer in Jim Henson's Oscar-nominated short film Time Piece, and then had an uncredited bit part in Gene Kelly's Oscar-winning classic feature film Hello, Dolly!, which starred Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau.

When Hutchison left the continental U.S. to settle in Hawaii he found work appearing in episodes of TV shows like Magnum, P.I., Hawaii Five-O, and Jake & the Fatman. His final role was as Ernest Billings in the 1986 mini-series Blood & Orchids.

Hutchison, who is survived by a son and a daughter, also taught tap dancing in Honolulu, and served as the director for the city's Community Theater. In addition to wearing those hats, Hutchison was on the board of directors for the Honolulu City Ballet, served as the director for the Screen Actors Guild's Hawaii chapter, and worked as both a choreographer and director for various organizations of the Hawaiin capital.

SiM Trailer: Ball Don't Lie

Director: Brin Hill (The Ecology of Love)
Writers: Brin Hill (Morning Breath), Matt de la Pena (Ball Don't Lie novel)
Cast: Grayson "The Professor" Boucher (Semi-Pro), Dania Ramirez (X-Men: The Last Stand), Emilie de Ravin (Lost), Ricardo Chavira (Desperate Housewives), Nick Cannon (Drumline), Chris "Ludacris" Bridges (Crash), Melissa Leo (Frozen River), Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction), Kim Hidalgo (How to Save a Life), James Pickens, Jr. (Grey's Anatomy), Harold Perrineau (Lost)
Distributors: Night & Day Pictures
Release Date: June 5, 2009 (limited)

Synopsis: Brin Hill's basketball drama Ball Don't Lie is based on Matt de la Pena's applauded novel of the same name (2005), about a 17-year-old foster kid named Sticky (Boucher), who is one of the top basketball players in Venice, California, with the power to heal. Boucher is an actual b-ball star, a member of the AND1 Mix Tape Team, and is known simply as "The Professor." Ball Don't Lie, which premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, will be released in limited theatres this summer.

SiM Photo Op (Reunited)

Golden Globe winner Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) and Oscar winner Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential) were photographed together at the premiere of their upcoming feature film The Informers, in Los Angeles on Thursday (April 16). This was the first time the stars have seen each other since starring in Adrian Lyne's 1986 exotic classic Nine and a Half Weeks. Rourke and Basinger both appear in The Informers (due April 24), but never had a scene together, so met for the first time in 23 years on the red carpet. Photo by Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos.

Child's Play Remake In the Works?!

Yet another horror franchise redo is in early planning stages

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

According to www.bloody-disgusting.com/ there are confirmations that Child's Play creator-writer Don Mancini is working on bringing the cult classic original back to the big screen, and may take over the director's seat as well.

Brad Dourif, who first voiced the Chucky character in the 1988 original, insured reporters at a recent horror film convention that he will also return to the 20-year-old series, though this reboot will not be a sequel to the last feature in the chain, 2004's Seed of Chucky.

In the first Child's Play movie (MGM) Dourif played the character of Charles Lee Ray, a serial killer who, after he is shot dead by police, comes back to life--via voodoo--in the form of an evil doll named Chucky. The feature was directed by Tom Holland, starred Catherine Hicks, and grossed more than $44 million worldwide.

"Sorry Jack...Chucky's Back!" read the tagline of the 1990 sequel Child's Play 2 (Universal), which cost more, but made less ($35.7 million). Although Dourif returned as the voice of Chucky, the sophomore feature was helmed by John Lafia. The following year Jack Bender directed the third Chucky movie, Child's Play 3: Look Who's Stalking (Universal), which barely made a profit ($20.5 million).

Dourif was present for part three and again for the fourth installment, 1998's Bride of Chucky (Universal), directed by Ronny Yu. Bride introduced a female playmate for Chucky, voiced by Jennifer Tilly, and bolstered some fresh attention inthe franchise, pulling in more that $50 million around the world.

Don Mancini took over as director by 2004's Seed of Chucky (Rogue Pictures), which took a comedic turn, proving a failure amongst critics and moviegoers. Reuniting Dourif and Tilly, Seed bombed at the box office ($24.8 million), and put an arrow in potential follow-ups in the film series, which is why Mancini has decided to just start over again.

Universal will distribute the Child's Play rehatch, which has not yet began production. Below is a link to view the trailer for the '80s original.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_UZcbTdivw

New Transformers Footage

Bay releases ShoWest clip online

During the 30th Annual ShoWest director Michael Bay was given the Vanguard Award for Excellence in Filmaking, and during his acceptance speech, Bay gave his audience a special treat by sharing some brand new footage from his newest sure to be blockbuster, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Now to please his fans everywhere, Bay has released the clip online at his official site MichaelBay.com.

Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who penned the first Transformers, are now have Ehren Kruger joining them on writing duties. The film returns most of the original cast including, Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro and Jon Voight with Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving reprising their voice rolls. Steven Spielberg also returns as the executive producer.

RIP: Lee Madden (1926-2009)

Obscure director & writer's pneumonia leads to death

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

At the age of 82, director-producer-writer Lee Madden died from complications of pneumonia last week (April 9), in Camarillo, California.

The Brooklyn native, who is survived by two children (Geraldine, David), reached the peak of his career with his feature film debut, Hell's Angels '69 (1969), which starred actual Hell's Angels from the Oakland chapter, including its then-president Sonny Barger.

Madden continued directing movies right into the late-'80s, including Angel Unchained (1970) (also wrote & produced), The Night God Screamed (1971), The Manhandlers (1975), Night Creature (1978) (also wrote & produced), and his final film Ghost Fever (1987). He was credited for the latter as "Alan Smithee."

In addition to the big screen, Madden also worked in television, directing episodes of The Most Deadly Game (1970), Bearcats! (1971), Cade's County (1972), and The New Perry Mason (1973), as well as TV commercials and industrial films.

Madden, who had initially pursued acting, formed his own production company, Lee Madden Associates, in 1978.

SiM Trailer: My Sister's Keeper

Director: Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook)
Writer: Jeremy Leven (The Notebook) & Jodi Picoult (My Sister's Keeper novel)
Cast: Cameron Diaz (What Happens In Vegas), Alec Baldwin (The Departed), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine)
Distributors: New Line Cinema
Release Date: June 26, 2009

Synopsis: Adapted from the 2004 novel of the same name, telling the story of a family who is rocked by sudden, heartbreaking news that forces them to make a difficult and unorthodox choice in order to save their baby girl's life. The parents' desperate decision raises both ethical and moral questions and rips away at the foundation of their relationship. Their actions ultimately set off a court case that threatens to tear the family apart, while revealing surprising truths that challenge everyone's perceptions of love and loyalty and give new meaning to the definition of healing.

DVD Pick: Eden Lake (2008)

UK thriller makes Crystal Lake look like a cakewalk

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

When it comes to thrillers Eden Lake proves that the British can reek havoc just as menacing as the Yankees have. But this hair-raising feature goes above and beyond the status quo of fear.

The stunning Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes) is a nursery school teacher named Jenny, who decides to partake in a camping weekend with her boyfriend Steve, played by Michael Fassbender (Hunger). The couple drive off to the reclusive and tranquil Eden Lake, and set up camp at its beachside, where they are soon harassed by a group of delinquents.

Things escalate and harassment turns to torment by the next morning, when they awake to discover the hoodlums have stolen their Jeep. The situation again intensifies after Steve accidentally kills the dog of the pack's leader Brett (Jack O'Connell), who forcingly persuades his buddies to help him hunt down the couple in the isolated woods of Eden Lake.

Director and screenwriter James Watkins (The Descent: Part 2) gives us a peek into how truly dispicable the human race can be, taking us on a rollercoaster ride that is, at times, grotesque, horrific, and heartless. Eden Lake will make you cringe, as its victims' survival instincts kick in to high gear, but will also pull back and find moments of sentiment within stages of utter terror, such as in a scene that has a destitute Jenny cradling the young thug she just murdered.

Almost unwatchable during some scenes, Eden Lake bares a realism to its suffering and the heartlessness of its main antagonist, who seems more terrifying than any of the movie villains we've become accustomed to. It's twists and turns may have you feeling a little naucious, but Eden Lake is worth the sit-threw, promising to literally have you on the edge of your seat.

4/5 stars

SiM Teaser Trailer: Extract

Director: Mike Judge (Office Space)
Writer: Mike Judge (King of the Hill)
Cast: Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Mila Kunis (That '70s Show), Ben Affleck (Dazed & Confused), Kristin Wiig (Saturday Night Live), J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man), Clifton Collins, Jr. (Babel), Dustin Milligan (90210), T.J. Miller (Cloverfield)
Distributors: Miramax Films
Release Date: September 4, 2009

Synopsis: Sexually-frustrated Joel (Bateman) runs a factory that makes flavour extract, and is near an early retirement when a series of small disasters put those dreams on hold. Kunis plays the beautiful factory temp Cindy, who temps Joel into cheating on his possibly-unfaithful wife Suzie (Wiig), while Affleck plays his pot-smoking best friend Dean. Look for a bit part by Kiss rocker Gene Simmons, as a lawyer!

RIP: Shakti Samanta (1926-2009)

Legendary Bollywood filmmaker succumbs to heart problems

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

One of the most sought-after Indian directors of the Bollywood film industry, Shakti Samanta, passed away at his home in Mumbai last Thursday (April 9), at the age of 83. The official cause of death was cardiac arrest, which he suffered while recovering from a stroke and a short illness.

The Calcutta University graduate (1944) had initially worked as a schoolteacher before he began pursuing acting in Hindi films, but ended up working as an assistant director to some of the top Indian directors, beginning in 1948.

In 1955 Samanta helmed his first feature film, Bahu, and followed that up with over 40 more up until 2002, including Inspector (1956), Howrah Bridge (1958), Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), An Evening in Paris (1967), The Great Gambler (1979), and his final film Devdas (2002).

Samanta, who established his own production company in 1957 (Shakti Films), also served as President of the Indian Motion Pictures Association, as well as Chairman for the Central Board of Film Certification and the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute in Kolkata. He's also accepted the Filmfare "Best Film" Award three times, for 1969's Aradhana, 1969's Anuraag, and 1975's Amanush.

SiM Trailer: Shifty

Director: Eran Creevy
Writer: Eran Creevy
Cast: Riz Ahmed (The Road to Guantanamo), Daniel Mays (Vera Drake), Jason Flemyng (Alive and Kicking)
Distributors: Metrodome Distribution
Release Date: April 24, 2009

Synopsis: Riz Ahmed takes the title role of Shifty, a thriller charting an action packed 24 hours in the life of a young crack cocaine dealer on the outskirts of London. The sudden return of his best friend sets in motion a chain of events that see Shifty’s life quickly spiral out of control.

SiM Trailer: April Showers

Director: Andrew Robinson (Shimmer)
Writer: Andrew Robinson
Cast: Kelly Blatz (Prom Night), Daryl Sabara (Spy Kids), Ellen Woglom (Nameless), Janel Parrish (Geppetto), Illeana Douglas (Cape Fear), Tom Arnold (True Lies), Fernanda Romero (Drag Me to Hell), Mark Arnold (Shimmer)
Distributors: unknown
Release Date: April 24, 2009 (limited)

Synopsis: Director & screenwriter Andrew Robinson was a survivor of the tragic Columbine High School shootings in Colorado, in which 13 students and one teacher were killed, and 23 others were left wounded. April Showers is a dramatized biopic of the 1999 massacre, and will hit limited theatres just four days after its 10-year anniversary.

RIP: Marilyn Chambers (1952-2009)

Famed porn star found dead in home at age 56

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

Marilyn Chambers, one of the most well-known porn stars of the '70s, was found dead last Sunday (April 12) in her Santa Clarita, California mobile home, discovered by her 17-year-old daughter McKenna Taylor. Foul play has been ruled out.

The former exotic dancer was born Marilyn Ann Briggs in Providence, Rhode Island, and gained her first taste of fame modeling on a box of Ivory Snow soap, holding an infant that was once rumoured to be Brooke Sheilds. By 1970 she landed a bit part in Barbra Streisand's film The Owl and the Pussycat, billed as "Evelyn Lang."

In 1972 Chambers' career had peaked with her memorable starring role as "the all-American girl" in the Mitchell brothers' adult film Behind the Green Door, which is credited as the first hardcore porn to be widely released in the U.S. In the film Chambers has sex with African-American actor Johnny Keyes, at a time when interracial sex scenes were taboo.

Chambers appeared in more than 30 films during her lengthy career, including Together (1971), David Cronenberg's Rabid (1977), Insatiable (1980), My Therapist (1984), and her final picture, last year's Solitaire. She also penned an autobiography in 1975 (Marilyn Chambers: My Story), scored a disco-pop hit in 1976 ("Benihana"), and even ran for vice presidency in 2004, as a member of the Personal Choice Party.

Known for her versatility and trend-setting approaches (she was one of the first porn stars to shave her pubic hair or to bare a genital piercing!), Chambers earned a Lifetime Achievement FOXE Award in 2005. Five years earlier, in 2000, Tracy Hudson portrayed Chambers in Emilio Estevez's Rated X film, based on the Mitchell brothers.

Chambers leaves behind one daughter.

DVD Pick: Frozen River

Small film delivers big message

BY EMIL TIEDEMANN

At times Frozen River would remind me of other movies I'd seen, good movies at that, but in the end it stood on its own, and brushed off any of those aforementioned comparisons, as there really hasn't been a movie like this that I could remember.

Melissa Leo--who appeared in no less than 8 films last year alone--deglamourized her underrated Hollywood status to play Ray Eddy, a discount store employee and mother of two who is overwhelmed by bills, a low-paying job, and a husband who keeps running off to gamble away their savings. Eddy finds herself overdue on everything, including the downpayment for her dream home, a double-wide trailer for her small lot in northern New York, near the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation on the U.S.-Canadian border.

When the opportunity arises Eddy begins partnering up with a Mohawk woman named Lila Littlewolf (Misty Upham), the two of whom smuggle illegal immigrants from Canada across the border to the U.S. via the frozen St. Lawrence River, pulling in $1,200 per trip. As expected, a "last run" is foiled by local police patrols, and Eddy shows us a truly audacious deed of humanity after an empathetic friendship arose on that frozen river.

Leo was nominated for an Academy Award for her lead role in Frozen River, but, like screenwriter Courtney Hunt (who also directed), lost to more well-known features (The Reader and Milk, respectively). Nonetheless, River won numerous other awards and accolades, all forecasting a future classic, a hidden gem of a film that refused to settle on conventional ideas, borrowing from real life and its shrouted little stories of compassion and understanding.

4/5 stars

SiM Trailers: Antichrist

Director: Lars von Trier (Manderlay)
Writers: Lars von Trier (Manderlay), Anders Thomas Jensen (The Duchess)
Cast: Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man), Charlotte Gainsbourg (21 Grams)
Distributors: unknown
Release Date: TBA, 2009

Synopsis: A grieving couple retreat to ’Eden’, their isolated cabin in the woods, where they hope to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage. But nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse.

Harry Potter Changes Dates Again

Will two days make Potter fans less disgruntled?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been moved by Warner Bros. Pictures two days from Friday, July 17th to Wednesday, July 15th. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was also released mid-week in July two years ago (July 11, 2007). Phoenix earned $44 million that Wednesday and $139 million over the 5-day period including the weekend.

It was originally set to be released on 21 November 2008, but was pushed back by eight months, despite being completed. Warner Bros. executive Alan Horn noted that the move went ahead "to guarantee the studio a major summer blockbuster in 2009," with other films being delayed due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. The date change was met with a heavily negative reaction by Harry Potter fans.

The enormous cast of the David Yates directed film includes Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, David Bradley, Jessie Cave, Frank Dillane, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Helen McCrory, Natalia Tena, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Bonnie Wright.

SiM First Look: The Brothers Bloom

On May 15th The Brothers Bloom (Summit Entertainment) will be released to limited theatres across North America, before its wide release two weeks later (May 29). Directed by Rian Johnson (Brick) and starring Mark Ruffalo (Collateral), Adrien Brody (The Pianist), Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener), and Rinko Kikuchi (Sayonara), the caper flick tells the story of the "world's greatest con men," brothers Stephen (Ruffalo) and Bloom (Brody), who con millionaires from around the world with their silent partner Bang-Bang (Kikuchi). Shot in Belgrade, Serbia with a $20 million budget, The Brothers Bloom also features Robbie Coltrane, Zachary Gordon, Nora Zehetner, and Andy Nyman. These are the two latest promotional posters that Summit has released.

William Hurt Joins Robin Hood Cast

Another big name signs on for remake of an old tale

Academy Award-winning actor William Hurt (Kiss of the Spider Woman) is the latest notable name to sign on for the upcoming--and not yet titled--Robin Hood remake, which has already started production in the UK.

Hurt will play William Marshall, the Earl of Pembroke, an actual historical figure who was a servant of the Plantagenet Kings, and known as the "greatest knight that ever lived."

Fellow Oscar winner Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind) will lend his talents as Robin Hood himself, a folklore figure that's been around for some 600 years. Yet another Oscar alumni, Cate Blanchett, is set to portray Maid Marian, while Robin's "Merry Men" will be played by Kevin Durand (Smokin' Aces), Scott Grimes (Critters), and Alan Doyle, the lead singer for Canadian group Great Big Sea.

Emmy-winning feature film director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) will helm the project, which he is producing with Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer, the Oscar-winning super producer behind films like A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Apollo 13 (1995), and TV shows such as Arrested Development (Fox) and 24 (Fox).

Universal Pictures and Imagine are producing the newest Robin Hood feature adaptation, and the first since Kevin Reynolds' Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which grossed more than $225 million worldwide in 1991.

SiM Trailer: Hunger

Director: Steve McQueen
Writers: Steve McQueen & Enda Walsh (Disco Pigs)
Cast: Michael Fassbender (300), Liam Cunningham (The Escapist), Stuart Graham (Michael Collins), Liam McMahon (Snatch), Lalor Roddy (Cherrybomb)
Distributors: Icon Entertainment/ Pathe Distribution (UK)
Release Date: March 20, 2009 (Now Playing)

Synopsis: "An artistic masterpiece" (The Washington Post)... "The most shocking and important film of the year" (Esquire)... "Fearless & uncompromising" (The Daily Telegraph).... These are some of the responses to the first film by Steve McQueen (no, not that Steve McQueen), Hunger, a true story about the 1981 Irish hunger strike that changed a whole nation. Fassbender plays Bobby Sands, the Provisional Irish Republican Army guerrilla who led the infamous strike, which culminated into a 5-year protest by Republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. A sure bet to be one of the year's most acclaimed features, Hunger is also making news over its lengthy unbroken scene in which the camera remains in the same position for 17 straight minutes!

No Midnight Shows

Star Trek will be released on the 7th!

Planning on catching the midnight show of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek on May 8th? No need, Comingsoon.net is reporting that shows for the highly anticipated reboot will start at 7pm on May 7th! Make sure you send Paramount a thank you for the change.

Written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the film stars John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy.

SiM First Look: H2

With filming officially wrapped, Rob Zombie has released his first image of Michael Myers in the film. The writer-director stresses this is "one of the many faces Michael 2009." This comes shortly after fans learned this week that Myers will be shown in various guises (sometimes maskless). Zombie now enters post-production, the new film arrives in theaters August 28 and picks up where the first remake ended, following the aftermath of Michael Myers' murderous rampage through the eyes of the sister he hunted.

Box Office Battle (April 10th)

Hannah has second highest Easter weekend opening ever

BY COLIN ENQUIST

Playing in 3118 theatres, Hannah Montana: The Movie grossed an estimated $34M, with a Friday gross of $17.3M which is the highest ever for a live-action G-rated film on its opening day. Though not able to break the weekend gross of Scary Movie 4, Disney can probably thank Miley Cyrus' star status for bringing out the teenagers off of school on Good Friday to see the film which is also Disney's highest April take in the companies history.

Universals' Fast and Furious surpassed the $100M mark, becoming the fifth movie this year to do so. Dropping 59% into second, the Vin Diesel and Paul Walker film raked in $28.7M, making the decision easy for Universal, who signed both stars to a come back for yet another film for the franchise. The film also crossed the $200M mark worldwide over the weekend.

Monsters vs. Aliens brought in $22.6M, bringing its impressive total up around $141M. The film is still playing in over 4000 theatres, and with only a 30% drop in ticket sales, we should expect this to become the highest grossing film of the year sometime over the next week.

The dark comedy, Observe and Report opened in fourth place at $11.1M. Warner Bros. has high expectations for the Jody Hill comedy starring Seth Rogen, the studio is hoping it follows the line drawn by Kevin James' Paul Blart: Mall Cop which is the current number one grossing film this year. With the much darker material, the audience will be quite different.

Slots five through seven were filled by Alex Proyas and Nicolas Cage's sci-fi thriller Knowing with $6.7M, the Paul Rudd R-rated buddy comedy I Love You, Man with $6.4M and haunted house thriller The Haunting in Connecticut with $5.7M. They've grossed $68M, $59M and $46M respectively.

The biggest dissapointment would be Fox's Dragonball: Evolution, which opening only in 2181 theatres and bombed its way to $4.6M. The opened a few weeks back in the foreign market and has grabbed $25.3M overseas already.

Rounding out the top ten, Adventureland took in another $3.4M bringing its two week total around $11M. Duplicity earned another $2.9M, making the four week total $36.8M.