"DESPICABLY FUNNY 2!"

I can't remember the last time I found myself laughing so hard while watching an animation, and the sequel of Despicable me, which was definitely hilarious, did the trick! The inclusion of new characters like Lucy Wilde, an agent of an undercover spy agency called the AVL (Anti-villain League), and Eduardo Perez, a Mexican restaurant owner who is suspected to be a former villain known as El Macho, this animation film is guaranteed to have you laughing your socks off.

The Anti-Villain League (AVL) recruits former super-villain and main character of the animation movie Gru, now a devoted father to Margo, Edith and Agnes, to find out which evil person using a mysterious giant magnet vehicle to steal a secret laboratory near the Arctic Circle The lab is said to contain a powerful mutagen known as PX-41 which can make indestructible and extremely aggressive monsters out of living organisms. 

Gru reluctantly partners with undercover AVL agent Lucy Wilde, and together they search The Paradise Shopping Mall, where they are given a bakery called "Bake My Day" as their headquarters. Gru suspects Mexican restaurant owner Eduardo Perez of being a super-villain called "El Macho", a bad guy who became Gru's inspiration for a villain who supposedly died after sky surfing a TNT-laden shark into the center of an active volcano (you gotta listen to the way Gru talks about this guy with so much excitement and adoration...oh sorry, I shut up now).

If there is anything this film has that many have failed to achieve over the year, is fun! Very laid back and simple comedy and the audience will also be thrilled by watching Gru's gibberish speaking minions just being naughty with each other. Even though Gru is a former villain, He becomes very overprotective of the girls he adopted in part one of the film, especially Margo who has a crush on Eduardo perez's son, Anthonio. Ironically, this expresses a touchy representation of a father and daughter relationship.

Despicable Me 2 is a 2013 American 3D computer-animated action comedy film and the sequel to the 2010 animated film Despicable Me. Produced by Illumination Entertainment, both films are directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, and written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Steve Carell, Russell Brand, and Miranda Cosgrove reprise their roles as Felonious Gru, Dr. Nefario and Margo. 

Despicable Me 2 has received generally positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 75% approval rating with an average rating of 6.7/10 based on 165 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Despicable Me 2 offers plenty of eye-popping visual inventiveness and a number of big laughs." Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 62 based on 39 reviews. The film earned an "A" from audiences polled by CinemaScore.With a budget of $76 million, the film became the most profitable film in the 100 year history of Universal Studios. As of November 4, 2013, Despicable Me 2 has grossed $364,800,590 in North America and $547,000,000 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $911,800,590.

It is the twenty-seventh highest-grossing film, the fifth highest-grossing animated film, the second highest-grossing 2013 film (behind Iron Man 3), the highest-grossing 2013 animated film, the highest-grossing Illumination Entertainment film, and the second highest-grossing Universal Studios film (behind Jurassic Park). 

The film was theatrically released in the United States on July 3, 2013. 

A spin-off film, Minions, focusing mainly on the little yellow henchmen before they met Gru, is set to be released on July 10, 2015.

"THEY DIDN'T CRY UNTIL I LEFT THEM!"

Imagine this, God forbid! You are a family man and one day your daughter goes missing, possibly kidnapped! What would you do? Leave it to the Nigerian Police to do their job, or take laws into your own hands because the prime suspect tells you this, "they didn't cry until I left them?!" 
Of course that is enough for you to go Bruce Lee on the brother, right?!

Meet Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), an upstanding American citizen, deeply religious man, happily married to Grace Dover (Maria Bello), and a father of two, his son Ralph, and daughter Anna. 
One day he attends Thanksgiving dinner with his family at the house of their neighbors, the Birches who have two daughters, Eliza and Joy. After dinner, the families' young daughters, Anna Dover and Joy Birch, go missing. After a police hunt, an RV that had been parked in the neighborhood is found outside a gas station next to a wooded area. When Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) confronts Alex Jones (Paul Dano), the RV's driver, Jones tries to speed away but crashes into the trees.

Alex is revealed during Detective Loki's interrogation to have the approximate I.Q. of a ten-year-old and is released due to lack of evidence. While desperate Keller Dover confronts Alex at the parking lot of the police station as he is being released about the whereabouts of his little daughter Anna and her friend Joy, Alex Jones in a whisper utters these words, "they wouldn't cry till I left them." That marked the beginning of Keller's adventure to finding the little girls in what seems to be a race against time!

Personal surveillance by Keller convinces him that Alex knows where the girls are. He abducts and imprisons Alex in an abandoned apartment building that he owns. With the reluctant help of Joy's father, Franklin Birch (Terrence Howard), Keller repeatedly beats and interrogates Alex for days without any further information.

What is so exciting about this film are the film makers' ability to transit empathy into the audience. The audience gets to feel the pulse of a father who seems helpless as he watches his family fall apart due to the disappearance of his daughter but has no other choice but to go rogue, and this well achieved through Hugh Jackman's performance. 
The movie stylishly puts one into a state of limbo as viewers tends to assume they know who the villain is but thrills you when the real villain is revealed at the end.

The movie successfully achieves being called a thriller and is bound to keep you gripping your palms hard to the edges of your seat. With an easy going beginning, well paced tempo at the middle, and a well delivered and spectacular ending, 'Prisoners' is one movie that can be regarded one of the best thrillers of the year and a must watch.

Prisoners received positive reviews from critics. The film currently has an 81% approval rating on review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 213 reviews. Its consensus reads: "Prisoners has an emotional complexity and a sense of dread that makes for absorbing (and disturbing) viewing." 

Ed Gibbs of The Sun Herald wrote: "Not since Erskineville Kings, in 1999, has Hugh Jackman appeared so emotionally exposed on screen. It is an exceptional, Oscar-worthy performance." Metacritic provides a score of 74 out of 100, based on 46 reviews, indicating 'Generally favorable reviews.'

As of November 3, 2013, Prisoners has grossed $59,949,000 in North America and $42,400,000 in foreign countries, for a worldwide gross of $102,349,000.

Prisoners is a 2013 American thriller film directed by Denis Villeneuve. The film has an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello,Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano. The plot focuses on the abduction of two young girls in Pennsylvania and the resulting search to find them.

ROBERT HANSEN...SOME MOTHERS DO 'AVE 'EM!

On June 13, 1983, 17-year-old Cindy Paulson escaped from 44-year-old Robert Hansen while he was trying to load her into his Piper Super Cub. She told police that she had been offered $200 to perform oral sex, but when she got into the car Hansen pulled a gun on her and drove her to his home; there, he held her captive, torturing, raping, and sexually assaulting her. 

Cindy Paulson escaped when Hansen took her to Merrill Field airport, where he told her that he intended to "take her out to his cabin" accessible only by boat or bush plane). Paulson, crouched in the back seat of the car with her wrists cuffed in front of her body, waited until Hansen was busy loading the airplane's cockpit to make a run for it. Paulson made it to 6th Avenue first and managed to flag down a passing truck. The driver, alarmed by her disheveled appearance, stopped and picked her up. He drove her, upon request, to an Inn, where she jumped out of the truck and ran inside. The truck driver continued on to work, where he called the police to report the barefoot, handcuffed woman. When Anchorage Police Department (APD) officers arrived at the Inn, they were told that the young woman had taken a cab to the Big Timber Motel. APD officers arrived at room 110 of the Big Timber Motel and found Cindy Paulson, still handcuffed, and alone. She was taken to APD headquarters where she described the perpetrator. Hansen, when questioned by APD officers, denied the accusation stating that Paulson was just trying to cause some trouble because he wouldn't pay her extortion demands.

Although Hansen had had several prior run-ins with the law, his meek demeanor and humble occupation as a baker, along with a strong alibi from his friend John Henning, kept him from being considered as a serious suspect, and the case went cold.

This is a story about a serial killer, who sadly represent the sick and demented amongst us inflicting harm  in this world of ours. 
Robert Christian Hansen, born February 15 1939, murdered between 17 and 21 women near Anchorage, Alaska Between 1971 and 1983.  

Detective Glenn Flothe of the Alaska State Troopers had been part of a team investigating the discovery of several bodies in and around Anchorage, Seward and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley area. Supported by Paulson's testimony, Flothe and the APD secured a warrant to search Hansen's plane, cars and home. On October 27, 1983 investigators uncovered jewelry belonging to some of the missing women, as well as an array of firearms in a corner hideaway of Hansen's attic. The biggest find was an aviation map with little x marks on it hidden behind Hansen's headboard.

When confronted with the evidence found in his home, Hansen denied it as long as he could, but eventually began to blame the women and tried to justify his motives. Eventually, confessing to each item of evidence as it was presented to him, he admitted to a spree of attacks against Alaskan women starting as early as 1971. Hansen's earliest victims were young women, usually between 16 and 19, and not the prostitutes and strippers who led to his discovery.

He was convicted in 1983 and is currently serving 461 years in Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, Alaska.

If this story is not scary enough to convince you that we do have demons in human form living among us, then just google the name Robert Hansen, which I did after watching the movie 'Frozen Grounds'.

The Frozen Ground is a 2013 American thriller film written and directed by Scott Walker, The film stars Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens,Katherine LaNasa, Radha Mitchell and 50 Cent. 

Nicholas Cage plays the role of Alaskan detective Glenn Flothe (called Sgt. Jack Halcombe in the film) who sets out to end the murderous rampage of Robert Hansen played by John Cusack, a serial killer who has silently stalked the streets of Anchorage for more than 13 years. As the bodies of Anchorage women start to add up, Sgt. Halcombe goes on a personal manhunt to find the killer. When 17-year-old Cindy Paulson (Vanessa Hudgens) escapes Hansen's unspeakable violence, she believes the law will take him down. Instead she finds herself, once again, fighting for her life. With his only ally, Cindy Paulson, Sergeant Halcombe is determined to bring the serial killer to justice.

The movie has received mixed reviews from critics. It currently holds a 57% "rotten" rating on review site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 47 reviews, with a weighted average of 5.1/10. The site's consensus reads: "Though this by-the-numbers true procedural seems basic, The Frozen Ground presents a welcome return for Nicolas Cage in a solid performance." That I agree! 

John Cusack's extraordinary and scary performance as he played serial killer Robert Hansen was actually very good. In one of the scenes, Cusack is seen loosing his temper when Cage confronts him with evidences incriminating him to the Alaska murders. This movie is the first time John Cusack plays the role of a serial killer, and trust me, he did a very scary good job!

The film begins by displaying Matthew 10:16 on-screen: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves." Which is the truth and enough message that explains how we live in a world where crazy people also call their own, and I assure you that after seeing this film, "you will be careful of speaking to strangers." 

The film was dedicated to all the women that were victims of Hansen's madness and their names and pictures were displayed at the end of the movie.

MOVIE REVIEW: "GO GO POWER RANG...OH SORRY, ITS PACIFIC RIM!"



When we thought we had heard the last of the popular children action series, Power Rangers (a programme shown in the late 90s which is a replica of the popular cartoon in the 80s, Voltron), Hollywood thought it cool to reintroduce the concept of giant robots controlled by humans, determined to protect the earth from giant monsters trying to unleash havoc on the human race.

The movie is Pacific Rim, and I must say that I am confused on whether to follow public opinion by giving the movie a thumbs up and avoid being lynched! Or rather just speak the truth and let it out...but actually words can't express my disappoint for this GLORIFIED POWER RANGERS MOVIE!

Human cities come under attack by the Kaijus: colossal beasts who come through an interdimensional portal on the Pacific Ocean floor. To combat them, the Pacific Rim nations build the Jaegers: equally colossal humanoid war machines. Each Jaeger is manned by two pilots whose brains are linked to share the overwhelming mental load of piloting the machine. A Jaeger's neural load is too much for a single pilot to handle alone, meaning they must first be psychically linked to another pilot—a concept called "Drifting". When pilots Drift, they quickly gain intimate knowledge of each other's memories and feelings, and have no choice but to accept them.

Commanding Officer of the Pacific Rim Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) approaches retired pilot Raleigh Becket (Hunnam) and convinces him to return and pilot Gipsy Danger, the Jaeger he and his brother Yancy once piloted. During a mission off the coast of Alaska in 2020 (Yancy was killed by a Kaiju while connected to his brother, traumatizing Raleigh).

 Raleigh has to test with potential co-pilots to find one with whom he connects strongly, which ensures effective performance in battle. Sensing a strong connection, Raleigh demands to be partnered with Mako Mori (Kikuchi), the director of the Jaeger refurbishment project.

The film centers on the relationship between Becket and Mori. Both are deeply damaged human beings who have decided to suppress their respective traumas. While learning to pilot their Jaeger, they undergo a process of "opening up", gaining access to each other's thoughts, memories and secrets. Both Becket and Mori have suffered profound personal tragedies; one of the movie's central ideas is that two damaged people can metaphorically "become one", with their figurative missing pieces connecting almost like a puzzle.

Watching this movie with what can be called personal torture, I could remember how irritated I was when Power Rangers came on but was unable to change the channel because my younger ones were watching, and trust mummy, changing the channel at the time was bullying!

The movie lacked depth as it was mostly about showing the fight scenes between the Jaegers and the kaijus. It failing to establish how and why the kaijus intended to invade earth and destroy humanity in the frst place.
The movie, although showed promise, failed to move me and I wonder how it was able to intrigue the majority of the audience.

Idris Elba showing off his British accent as he played the role of a no nonsense commanding officer, to me was trying too hard to display a tough exterior...he looked like an angry Charlie Chaplin!
This is what I suggest, those of you who gave kudos to this movie should watch it again, and trust me you will get my drift. Pacific Rim was a junk of metallic crap and moster slime grinding each other, that's all!

Pacific Rim received generally positive reviews from critics. Review aggregation website Metacritic gives a rating of 64 out of 100 based on reviews from 48 critics, which indicates "generally favorable" reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 72% approval rating with an average rating of 6.7/10 based on 243 reviews. The site's consensus reads: "It may sport more style than substance, but Pacific Rim is a solid modern creature feature bolstered by fantastical imagery and an irresistible sense of fun."

Pacific Rim grossed $101,802,906 in North America, and has had a favorable international release, grossing $305,800,000 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $407,602,906.
Pacific Rim is a 2013 American science fiction monster film directed by Guillermo del Toro, written by del Toro and Travis Beacham, and starring Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba,Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Robert Kazinsky, Max Martini, and Ron Perlman. 

The film was produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros.

There are already speculations of a sequel.

THE CONJURING...TRUE LIFE STORY!

If there are movies that easily catch my attention is one that claims to be based on a true life occurrence. And there is a movie that got me so curious about happenings, especially concerning the paranormal that I went online to investigate. Are these real? Is it possible? Asides the existence of ghosts and troubled spirits, did they really constitute so much trouble for inhabitants of a house?  We have always heard of stories of haunted houses and they have always been depicted as fictional, but when a movie comes out to say its based on true life...now that's a different ball game!

Its The Conjuring, a 2013 American supernatural horror film which tells the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren, world renowned paranormal investigators, who were called to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse.

In 1971, Roger and Carolyn Perron move into a dilapidated farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island with their five daughters.
The next morning, Carolyn wakes up with a mysterious bruise. Over the next several days, various instances of paranormal disturbance occur, one of which is Carolyn noticing all clocks in the house stop at exactly 3:07. The activity culminates one night while Roger is away in Florida. After hearing various clapping, giggling, and seeing the picture frames shattered on the stairs, Carolyn is locked up in the cellar.

Carolyn contacts noted paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren for help. The Warrens conduct an initial investigation and conclude that the house may require an exorcism, but they needed authorization from the Catholic Church and further evidence before that.

While researching the history of the house, Ed and Lorraine discover that the house once belonged to an accused witch, Bathsheba, who tried to sacrifice her children to the devil and killed herself in 1863 after cursing all who would take her land. The property was once 200+ acres but has since been divided up into smaller parcels. They find reports of numerous murders and suicides in houses that have since been built upon parcels that were once part of the property.

 

Now is it true or just a scam to attract the public to the movie? 

 

The real-life Perron family swears by their story, throwing their full weight behind the film and even appearing in some of The Conjuring's marketing materials. 

Andrea Perron one of the family members actually wrote a three part book on her experiences growing up on the farm called "House of Darkness, House of Light." Although she said the film was not based on her trilogy “House of Darkness House of Light”, it was, instead, based upon the case files of Ed & Lorraine Warren.

 

Andrea said that although she and Mrs. Warren both provided the studio with more information than they could handle, the screenwriters had much to pick & choose from. She says that the film 'The Conjuring' is a fair reflection of the chaos and danger they faced at the farm claiming that the movie stands alone as a work of art — not fiction.

 

The Warrens' (pictured on the left) 10,000-plus career cases include the alleged haunting depicted in The Conjuring. In 1971, Roger and Carolyn Perron moved into a colonial farmhouse in Harrisville, R.I., with their five daughters, and quickly began experiencing what they described as both haunting and spiritual possessions. They invited the Warrens to the farmhouse to investigate. Over the nine years they lived in the house, the Perrons described spirits, both harmless and angry, that "stunk of rotting flesh" and routinely arrived at 5:15 a.m. to levitate their beds.

 

Regardless of whether The Conjuring is a true story or completely made up, there is no denying that director James Wan has delivered a movie that is creating a great buzz.

The film has earned largely positive reviews from both critics and audiences alike. Rotten Tomatoes sampled 174 reviewers and judged 87% of the reviews to be positive with an average score of 7.2 out of 10. Its consensus reads: "Extremely well-crafted and gleefully creepy, The Conjuring ratchets up the dread with a series of smartly delivered, terribly effective old-school scares." Metacritic, another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 35 reviews from mainstream critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film an A- grade.

 

After its initial run in theatres, the film turned out to be a box office hit by grossing over fifteen times its production budget with a worldwide total of $312,459,667.

 

Do you think its all real?

Well watch the movie and decide!

MOVIE NEWS:TERMINATOR GETS A REBOOT

With highly anticipated movies set for release in summer 2015 such as Star Wars sequel, The Avengers 2, Pirates of the Caribbean 5, The Smurfs 3 and Independence Day 2 among others, its obvious that the summer of 2015 is set to be one of the biggest blockbuster seasons ever.

Making the 2015 summer more enticing for movie buffs is the reboot of one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made. Terminator fans, your favorite cyborg killer will be back!

Paramount has announced it will not only reboot the popular sci-fi franchise with a new movie which was formerly scheduled to hit theatres on June 26, 2015, but the studio also revealed it's making a whole new stand-alone trilogy!

After several years of legal wrangling to iron out the rights, Paramount confirmed its joining forces with Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures and brother David Ellison's Skydance Productions to make the pictures. The siblings, of course, are the sons of billionaire Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who've been making a big mark in Hollywood helping to finance a slew of blockbusters and critically acclaimed films.
Annapurna  won the rights to James Cameron's epic apocalyptic series pitting humans against nasty robot killing machines at an auction two years ago and initially attached Fast and Furious 6 helmer Justin Lin to direct, with Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising his role as the T-800. Thor: The Dark World's Alan Taylor is set to helm the film.

However, the 65-year-old actor shortly thereafter put his participation on hold after revelations surfaced that he had fathered a child out of wedlock.

According to reports, the studio has opted to change the release date for the upcoming Terminator reboot from June 26, 2015 to Wednesday July 1, 2015. While it's only a five day shift, it's an interesting one, as the title is going from a weekend without competition to one that already has two other big movies scheduled for release. In doing so they will be going head-to-head with both Roland Emmerich's Independence Day 2 and an untitled project from the folks at Illumination Entertainment, the animation studio that has produced hits like the Despicable Me movies and The Lorax. It's worth noting that Terminator currently has a two day jump on both of those films, as the other titles are dated for July 3, 2015, but it's hard to say if that will make a difference from this far out. 

Paramount's attempt to take over the Independence Day weekend may also come from the studio's success in that time frame in recent years. In the last decade they have had three major hits land on the holiday, with Transformers, Transformers: Dark of The Moon and War of The Worlds all managing to make a bundle of cash in their respective release years. 

Latino Review says that Terminator 5 is tentatively titled Terminator 2012 and“involves time travel to the present day.” The implication is that the film will feature an older version of Sarah Connor who is still alive in the year 2012 – a move that would literally invalidate the events of both Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator: Salvation, as well as the even more convoluted timeline for The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Linda Hamilton would be the most likely “original cast” member to return for the fifth Terminator flick as Sarah Connor – and Edward Furlong could also be in line to appear as an older John Connor, even though he isn’t technically an “original”Terminator star.
The studio could not confirm whether Schwarzenegger will star in Terminator 5, but it's more than likely he'll appear considering he's professed interest in reprising the role that made him a star.

Also unclear is whether the film will be a reboot of the 1984 original, or whether the trilogy will continue the storyline of the mediocre fourth installment, Terminator: Salvation, which left off with Skynet having launched its war against humanity.The script is being written by Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island) and Patrick Lussier (Drive Angry).

The four Terminator movies have grossed over more than $1 billion cumulatively at the worldwide box office since Arnold first uttered those immortal words, "I'll be back."

MOVIE NEWS: "THE GUBERNATOR MEETS AVATAR"

Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron go way back, from when Cameron reportedly tried to find a reason not to cast Schwarzenegger in The Terminator until he was so charmed by him that he gave him the role that would change both of their careers. The two haven't worked together since 1994's True Lies, mainly because Schwarzenegger was busy running a state and Cameron was making gigantic movies that took about a decade apiece, but is there finally time for the two of them to reunite… and on a planet far, far away?

According to Latino Review, Cameron is planning to take his old buddy Schwarzenegger with him on his next journey to Pandora, casting him as one of the bad guy humans who return to the alien planet in their never-ending quest for that sweet, sweet unobtanium.

Given that Stephen Lang was essentially playing a Schwarzenegger type in the first Avatar it's not hard to imagine Arnold stepping into the role, especially now that he has no connections to politics that might keep him out of it.

Avatar 2, and soon to be Avatar 3 & 4, is finally, actually moving forward after years of promises, with the first sequel set for release in December 2016. Cameron's been setting up shop in New Zealand for the production, and back in July screenwriter Josh Freidman was brought on board to work with Rise of the Planet of the Apes writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver as well as Shane Salerno, who both wrote Armageddon and directed the recent documentary Salinger. Cameron, who is a complete genius when it comes to directing, is not writing the script this time. 

The biggest question about this giant bunch of Avatar sequels we're getting isn't Schwarzenegger's role or really anything to do with the humans onscreen; it's whether the motion capture and 3D effects from the first Avatar can be as dazzling seven years and many technological advances later. Since Avatar came out in 2009 we've had Martin Scorsese and Sam Raimi make stupendous 3D movies, and all-CGI characters like The Hulk and Caesar the ape who felt even more believable than Avatar's Na'vi. If there's anyone likely to raise the bar on technology it's Cameron, with his unlimited money  and passion for the next big thing. But the competition is a lot fiercer than it used to be… and Schwarzenegger alone won't be enough to get Cameron past them.

MOVIE NEWS:TOKYO DRIFT STAR FINALLY RESURFACES IN FAST AND FURIOUS 7

When it came time to make The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in 2006, Universal Pictures couldn't get Vin Diesel or Paul Walker to sign on, so they instead turned to Lucas Black. That ended up being the only movie in the franchise for the Alabama-born actor, as Diesel, Walker, and other original cast members ended up returning to the series in 2009's Fast & Furious. But it's been announced that Black is ready to make his triumphant return - and in a big way.


There are reports that the Tokyo Drift star, who played a character named Sean Boswell, is going to make his comeback in James Wan's Fast & Furious 7, but that's not all. According to the site's sources, the actor will become a "regular in the series" and that he has signed on for at least the next three movies, meaning that we will also get to see him in Fast & Furious 8 and 9. At this stage its not been disclosed how Black will be introduced into the plot and united with the rest of the franchise's cast.

In Tokyo Drift, which is actually set after the events of the three most recent films, Sean Boswell was portrayed as a 17-year-old loner and street racer who is forced to move from the United States to Japan to live with his father when he gets too many strikes on his record. After the move he becomes a good friend of Han (the character played by Sung Kang who says he used to be a member of Dominic Toretto's gang) and is introduced to the world of drift racing. At the end of the movie Vin Diesel had a cameo as Dominc, reintroducing his character to the franchise, but outside of him Boswell has no other connections within the movie universe.

As revealed with the film's first set photo - which was just published on Diesel's Facebook page - production on Fast & Furious 7 is already underway, with Diesel, Walker, Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Jason Statham, Djimon Honsou, Tony Jaa and Ronda Rousey all signed on. The seventh film is set in Los Angeles. 

Universal Pictures has announced that the movie will be in theaters on July 11, 2014, which is just a little more than a year after Fast & Furious 6. 

MOVIE NEWS: AFFLECK REACTS TO BATMAN HATE REMARKS

When it was announced that Argo star Ben Affleck would play Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel Batman vs. Superman, the internet became a place of panic, overreaction and outrage. But what was this crazy time like for Affleck? After some strategic radio silence, he’s risen from the Batfleck cave to make an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to share the early highs and lows of being Batman, as you can see in the video below. 

Affleck- “It’s so awesome, man. I’m so excited,” Affleck told Fallon as the pair tackled the topic of his newly acquired role. “Zack Snyder’s directing it and he has this incredible take on it. Obviously you can’t do what Chris (Nolan) and Christian (Bale) did, those movies are amazing. So he wants to do something different but still in keeping with that. So I thought, ‘This is a brilliant way to do this, and I really know how to hook into this.’ And I said, ‘Okay I want to do it.’ And people from the studio said, ‘We’re thrilled, we’re so excited, da da da da.’ Then they said, ‘Listen. We want to talk to you because people go through this process and it’s a little bit you know, it can be trying.’” 

From there the studio shared with Affleck some of the past reactions of superhero casting to prepare him for the inevitable onslaught that becoming Batman would bring his way. Still, Affleck thought he could handle it. “I’m a big boy. I could handle the Emmy snub, I can handle anything,” he joked. Still, the studio warned, stay off the internet for a couple of days. 

Undeterred Affleck exclaims, “I handle shit!”, and promptly looked at the comments section of one website’s announcement. “The first comments just goes, ‘Noooooooooooooooooo!’” he tells Fallon, adding he stopped looking any deeper into the rabbit hole of comments. 

Considering some of the reactions regarding the casting call, turning away from the web at that point was definitely a wise move. But Affleck seems to be in a good place with all this mania. He comments on how you can’t really determine a person’s performance in a movie before its even been shot, and that some of the actors who fans initially revolted against ultimately turned in brilliant performances. (Consider Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight or even Michael Keaton in Batman!) So, despite this very rocky start, Affleck doesn’t seem to shaken, and while he can’t tell us why he thinks he’s so right for this part, he’s clearly confident he can pull it off. The rest of us will just have to wait and see.

MOVIE NEWS: "EDDIE'S BLAST FROM THE PAST...BEVERLY HILLS COP IS BACK!"

The long-awaited "Beverly Hills Cop" follow-up, "Beverly Hills Cop 4" is finally in the works. After original "Beverly Hills Cop" star Eddie Murphy signed on for the reprise in July, original producer Jerry Bruckheimer is in talks to return as well

Having already lured Eddie Murphy back to the part of Axel Foley,Beverly Hills Cop 4 could be about to bring another old name back on board in the form of Jerry Bruckheimer.

Bruckheimer helped create the original film alongside the late Don Simpson, and there have been reports that he has entered discussions with Paramount over potentially producing the sequel.

It had initially been thought that the Beverly Hills Cop franchise would be revived as a TV series, but the initial pilot was apparently enough to convince the studio that there is mileage in another film.

Meanwhile, Bruckheimer still has a number of other irons in the fire in terms of sequels, with claims that he still hopes to make Top Gun 2 and Bad Boys 3. Beverly Hills Cop 4 might just have been added to that list…

MOVIE NEWS: "JURASSIC PARK IV GETS NEW TITLE AND RELEASE DATE!"

The much-delayed fourth instalment in the staggeringly successful Jurassic Park series finally has a title and a release date: "Jurassic World" which indicates a fresh new start from the original dino trilogy will hit cinemas on June 2015, studio Universal has revealed. 

The movie is being directed by Colin Trevorro and he joins Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver to work on the Jurassic World script.

The new title tallies with rumours that the fourth instalment would see John Hammond's dream of a fully functional Jurassic Park finally reaching fruition, with tens of thousands of visitors arriving each year on the island of Isla Nublar. Trevorrow, however, recently shot down suggestions that the film would feature tame dinosaurs performing for humans.

Jurassic Park IV has been significantly delayed, with the franchise languishing in development hell for more than a decade. One famously barmy abandoned script was due to eschew the format of the first three films in favour of a story centring on hyper-smart dino-human hybrids with guns who are created to rid a dinosaur-infested north America of the giant reptile menace. Concept art for the canned film, which would have been written by The Departed's William Monahan and Lone Star's John Sayles, emerged in October last year.

Safety Not Guaranteed director Trevorrow takes the reins from Captain America's Joe Johnston, who directed the last instalment, Jurassic Park III, in 2001. Steven Spielberg, who directed 1993's Jurassic Park and 1997's The Lost World: Jurassic Park, will once again be an executive producer.

The film series based on Michael Crichton's novels about prehistoric beasts brought back to life through gene technology is one of Hollywood's longest-running sagas, with more than $1.9bn at the global box office thus far.

It's safe to say the difference between Jurassic Park and Jurassic World will be much like the difference between Disneyland and Disneyworld: One is bigger and more expensive, but either way your kids leave crying.

Culled from the website the guardian.com September 11, 2013

MOVIE REVIEW: "BECOME A BADDIE FOR 12 HOURS WITH THE PURGE!"

Imagine! Imagine you are given 12 hours free pass to commit any crime, especially Kill! The thought may seem delightful for most of us who have horrible bosses because I am sure they will be the first persons we would hunt down if given the opportunity. But actually, the concept has repercussions on anyone as you may not know who has some beef with you.
That's what they tried to preach in the movie that had Ethan Hawke play the major role as James Sandin, a home security salesman whose family is held hostage for harboring the target of a murderous syndicate during the Purge, a 12-hour period in which any and all crime is legalized.

The film is set in the year 2022 when the United States has become "a nation reborn", with crime and unemployment rates hitting an all-time low, due to the government having instituted an annual 12-hour period called "the Purge" during which all criminal activity (including murder, theft and rape) becomes legal. The only rules during the Purge are that government officials of "ranking 10 or higher" must remain unharmed and usage of weaponry above "Class 4" (such as WMDs) is forbidden. The Purge is designed to act as a catharsis for the American people, so that they may vent all negative emotions and repressed urges however and on whoever they desire. The idea of "The Purge" is very similar to the Krypteia tradition every autumn of ancient Sparta.

James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) is a wealthy home security salesman who lives in a nice neighborhood in the streets of San Francisco, California. James has made a fortune selling home security systems that are specifically designed for the Purge. His family is the envy of all as neighbors gossip that the extension on the Sandin family's house was financed by the security systems which her husband had sold to the whole neighbourhood in the first place.

On the day of the annual free crime event, an Emergency Broadcast System message appears on television, telling America the rules of the Purge and that all police, fire, and hospital aid will be shut down for the 12 hour period. Tornado sirens start blaring outside, commencing the start of the annual "Purge", which is a period when all crime is legal and emergency services remain suspended.

At their heavily-fortified house, the Sandin family watch the events of the Purge unfold via the video monitors in the lounge. After a while, Charlie, James Sandin's son, is left alone and notices a bloody stranger outside the house pleading for help. Charlie deactivates the security system and lets him in. 

Later, a group of masked vigilantes led by a sadistic young man who wears a suit and is known as "Polite Leader" arrive at their home, having found where the bloody stranger is hiding. The leader emphasizes that James' family and the "Purgers" have common interests in the Purge, and that they have no desire to hurt "their own people". The leader reveals that the stranger's homelessness made him in a good candidate for purging, and that James should not impede their right to purge. The leader suggests the family give them the stranger or else they'll kill everyone inside.

The movie was brilliant in concept but failed to have it properly actualized. When something like a purge is universally accepted as an event, highly revered and sought after, the movie should try at least to broaden the scenes of the movie beyond a home or a neighborhood. The movie becomes tiring to watch as one would easily predict what would happen next, and guess what, the predictions comes out right. But one thing is true, the movie has potential and would have been one of the best movies of the year if the film makers had put in enough time to create scenes that best depicts their imagination when the concept was created.

The Purge received mixed to negative reviews from critics. As of August 27, 2013 Rotten Tomatoes recorded an aggregate rating of 38% based on 126 reviews, with the site's consensus stating "Half social allegory, half home-invasion thriller, The Purge attempts to use thriller formula to make an intelligent point—but ultimately only ends up sinking in numbing violence and tired cliches". The film held a score of 41/100 on Metacritic based on 33 critics, signifying mixed or average reviews. The film received a "C" onCinemaScore.

On its opening weekend, The Purge topped the box office with $16.8 million on opening day and $34.1 million through the entire weekend. The film has collected $84,552,035 at the worldwide box office, with a production budget of $3 million.

Due to the success of the first film, a sequel is in development by Universal and Blumhouse.

MOVIE NEWS: "CHRIS BROWN FACES BATTLE OF THE YEAR!"

Chris Brown has proven over the years that he's pretty talented on the dance floor. And now he's taking those skills to the big screen for "Battle of the Year," out September 20.

Brown was first attached to the flick in 2011. The film also features Laz Alonso and Caity Lotz. It was directed by Benson Lee and is based on his award-winning 2007 documentary "Planet B-Boy."

Brown in an interview with MTV News opened up about wanting to expand into acting while still maintaining a music career. "When acting, I feel like it's cool to use your strengths, but it's also cool to use your other abilities as well," Brown said in 2010. "I didn't just wanna do movies that had consistent dancing and singing: I wanted to do stuff that pushes me as an actor at the end of the day. Because you have people like T.I. and Common that do stuff that's not around what they do in the entertainment industry as far as music, and they succeeded.
"So I just wanna branch over to that, especially like Will Smith," he continued. "He comes from rapping and going right into the acting thing, so I wanna come from the singing parts and go into acting, and people can tell the difference. I think that with this role [in 'Takers'], it was more intense, more action, more stuff that I love to do, what I love to see in movies."

In addition to "Battle Of The Year," Brown is also prepping the release of his album, X.

Culled from MTV.com September 13, 2013

MOVIE REVIEW: "THE WORLD'S END IS TWELVE PINTS OF COMEDY, WITH SOME KICK ASS!"

Fancy some good ol' British humor ey? Then you gotta see "The World's End." Its not about the world coming to an end, not at all! The name of the movie is actually referring to what the English love the most after their queen. Can anybody guess what it is? Exactly, The PUB! guess most of you did not see that coming did ya?!

The World's End is the third installment of director Edgar Wright's trilogy of comedies starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, following the successes "Shaun of the Dead" (2004) and "Hot Fuzz" (2007).

In "The World's End," 20 years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends reunite when one of them becomes hellbent on trying the drinking marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by Gary King (Simon Pegg), a 40-year-old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags his reluctant pals to their hometown and once again attempts to reach the fabled pub - The World's End. As they attempt to reconcile the past and present, they realize the real struggle is for the future, not just theirs but humankind's. Reaching The World's End is the least of their worries.

To say more about the plot would be to ruin the surprises. Suffice it to say that Wright and Company are once again telling wild, Twilight-Zone tales as a way of celebrating friendship. 

Like the other installments created by Edgar wright, The World's End begins with the usual British humor then surprises you with some thrill, and kick ass fight scenes. 

Instead of giving us characters who find happiness by rediscovering their youth, they show us the folly of resisting adulthood. In this film, the “kid at heart” isn’t the solution to the problem — he is the problem. They affirm the importance of growing up, fulfilling commitments, breaking addictions, and fighting to save each other from despair.

The World's End has received critical acclaim, and holds a 90% "Certified Fresh" approval rating on aggregate review site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 181 reviews, with an average score of 7.4/10. Its consensus states: "Madcap and heartfelt, Edgar Wright's apocalypse comedy The World's End benefits from the typically hilarious Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, with a plethora of supporting players." The film also holds a Metacritic score of 81 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 45 collected reviews. 

The World's End earned £2,122,288 ($3,242,064 USD) during its UK opening weekend, losing the top spot to Monsters University. Its weekend grosses were higher than Shaun of the Dead's £1.6 million but lower than Hot Fuzz's £5.4 million.
In the United States, the movie was released on August 23 and earned $3.5 million on its opening day. 

P.S For those that have not watched the first two installments from the Wright trilogy (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), what are you waiting for?

MOVIE NEWS: IDRIS ELBA SET TO FEATURE IN THRID SEASON OF LUTHER

The most terrifying killers once again stalk the gray streets of London — and luckily for those residents, and U.S. drama fans — John Luther is on the case.

After a two-year absence, Golden Globe winner Idris Elba (“Pacific Rim”) returns for a third season of “Luther.” This time around, when he’s not hunting the most nightmarish of killers, the detective finds romance with a beautiful shopkeeper named Mary (Sienna Guillory, “Resident Evil”) after they crash their cars into each other.

“Luther’s attraction to Mary is based on how completely different and how untouched she is. She is the furthest thing away from a murder scene, and she is bizarrely isolated in her own world,” Elba told reporters recently during a conference call.

But of course, the bane of Luther’s existence — or is she his greatest blessing? — killer Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson) resurfaces at a key moment, raising questions about Luther’s future.
“I think because of the cat-and-mouse game between them, they end up being attracted to each other,” he said. “They each own sort of a big secret about each other.”

Luther has other problems, beyond even the unusually scary killers: A retired police officer (David O’Hara, “The Tudors”) with the determination of a shark sets out to prove Luther is corrupt.

“Luther is just a target. He’s just a big target for this sort of (guy looking for) someone to blame. He’s a big, burly man who’s not afraid to speak his opinion, and he solves cases in 10 minutes. With that comes responsibility. If you drive a motorcycle without a helmet, you’re going to get flies attached to your face. Going to season three, although Luther has made an attempt to clean up his act, it’s not surprising someone is coming after him.”

This installment might conclude Luther’s journey (no spoilers from this quarter), but his story is far from over. Series creator and writer Neil Cross has finished a film script exploring Luther’s origin, and Elba is raring to launch what he envisions as a big-screen franchise.In a film, “we can really explore what makes this man tick, and go on more and weirder, experimental journeys. The origin story is a classic superhero type setup, and I’ve always likened Luther to a superhero,” he said.
Though Elba is making a name for himself in film (He plays Nelson Mandela in the autobiographical “Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom,” set to be released later this year), he says he will never turn his back on TV. The medium gave him his first big break, as the erudite drug kingpin Stringer Bell on HBO’s acclaimed “The Wire,” and allows him to take on the most challenging parts.
And there’s one person in his household who can’t seem to get enough of “Luther,” Elba’s 11-year-old daughter.“She’s actually sneaked away and watched the first two seasons. What can I say to her? She’s a big fan of it. She hasn’t seen the third season yet.”
(That’s probably a good thing, as some of the violence lends itself to especially vivid nightmares.)

As for another TV season of “Luther,” Elba joked with a reporter, “Neil and I would consider if you would get David Bowie to score the next season. If you could do that, I think we’d be in that straight away.”

Luther is a British psychological crime drama television series starring Idris Elba as the title characterDetective Chief Inspector John Luther. A first series of six episodes was broadcast on BBC One from 4 May to 8 June 2010. The second series of four episodes was shown on BBC One in summer 2011. During the 2011 Edinburgh TV Festival, BBC One controller Danny Cohen announced a third series,[1] which ran from 2 to 23 July 2013.

Creator Neil Cross has said that Luther is influenced by both Sherlock Holmes and Columbo; the nature of Luther's intellect and its application to solving crimes is comparable to Holmes', whereas the show's use of the inverted detective format was inspired by Columbo.[23]
Culled from the website www.rte.ie; september 02 2013