MOVIE NEWS: "ZOINKS! A SCOOBY DOO ANIMATED MOVIE?!"

Scooby-Doo, where are you? Back on the big screen, that’s where. Reports have it that Warner Bros. is moving forward with an animated film based on the cartoon dog and his mystery-solving pals.

No further details about the Matt Lieberman-penned script were announced because he’s currently working on the project. Lieberman has lots of projects in the works at the moment, including a remake of the 1986 Steve Guttenberg/Ally Sheedy robot comedy Short Circuit.
The Mystery Machine gang debuted in 1969 on Hanna-Barbera’s Scooby-Doo: Where Are You! and has been going strong ever since, with the latest incarnation of the series, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, wrapping up in April following a two-season run on Cartoon Network. The concept most recently hit the big screen as a pair of live-action films starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar. 2002′s Scooby-Doo and 2004′s Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed earned about $450 million for the studio.

Culled from the website spinoff.comicbookresources.com August 27 2013

MOVIE NEWS: IDRIS ELBA FEATURES IN BEAST OF NO NATION MOVIE

Uzodinma Iweala's Beasts of No Nation is being developed for the big screen. The novel, which the Telegraph (of London) described as a "horrifying exposé of what life is like for some young boys in an unnamed African state afflicted by civil war", chronicles the journey of Agu, a young boy caught in the middle of civil war in an unnamed West African country. He is conscripted into a unit of mercenary fighters. Agu is haunted by the murder of his father, even as he confronts the traumas of war with his new-found friend, a mute boy named Strika. Although the book does not give any direct clue as to which country it takes place in, there are several details which suggest it is in Nigeria. 

Now the tale of rape, death, looting and starvation is making it to the big screen, flaunting Idris Elba, 40, who will star in the film as a military commander as well as a producer on the film. Elba is fresh from a role in Guillermo del Toro's monsters-versus-robots fantasy Pacific Rim.

The film is directed by Cary Fukunga, who is no stranger to tackling difficult, gritty subjects. Fukunga, who has been credited with the scripting and directing of Sin Nombre, which is an intense narrative about a Honduran teenager -who on reuniting with her long-estranged father - attempts to emigrate to the US.

Of Iweala's bestselling novel, Fukunga said: "This project has been seven years in the making, so to say I'm excited to start shooting this - and with Idris Elba as lead - would be me trying to play it cool."

Beasts of No Nation is a 2005 novel by Uzodinma Iweala, the son of Nigerian Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.  

Culled from website allafrica.com: 26 August 2013

MOVIE REVIEW: "THEY'RE THE MILLERS...AND THEY SUCK!"

Before I start being pissy about this movie, i got three questions and I don't need answers cos I bet you may ask the same after you watch the movie "We're the Millers."

1. Why... I mean why do they still make this kind of movies, They are so like... yesterday! The film looks like a cheap knock off of Robin William's comedy film 'RV', and Chevy Chase's National Lampoon's Vacation ( which was a lovely movie by the way...Chevy Chase rocks)!

2. Why do we have to watch the movie! I mean are we the audience so dumb to drop the good ones and watch this one?! Was that what the producers were thinking?!

3. Jennifer...a stripper?! Are these guys high on cheap glue or something? Don't get me wrong, I love Jennifer Aniston. Actually she was one the reasons I watched the 'Friends' sitcom season 1-10 in 1 week. But you gotta agree, she is kind of a stiffo!!! Making her a stripper was wrong. Making her to strip dance for the bad guy in one of the scenes in the movie...was wrong, that was so wrong (hard to get the disturbing image off my head...bluuuaaaahhhh)!

Oh.. there it is!!!

The movie features Jason Sudeikis who takes main character, as a small-time drug dealer named David Clark, who hires three misfits to pose as a squeaky-clean family so that he can smuggle an enormous stash of pot across the Mexican border.

Low level marijuana drug dealer David Clark is robbed of his money and stash, some of which he owes to his supplier. His boss, wealthy drug lord Brad Gurdlinger (Ed Helms) forces David to smuggle marijuana from Mexico in order to clear his debt. Realizing that one man attempting to get through customs is too suspicious, he hires a stripper named Rose (Jennifer Aniston), a runaway teenage girl named Casey (Emma Roberts), and his virgin 18 year-old neighbor Kenny (Will Poulter) to pose as a bogus family called the "Millers" to avoid the attentions of police and border guards.

The Millers make the drive across the border in an enormous RV in order to hide the drugs. David picks up the marijuana using the name 'Pablo Chacon', the name given to him by Gurdlinger. 

After successfully crossing the border back to the U.S.A, one of the radiator hoses breaks while going up a steep incline because of the extra load of the marijuana on the RV. A family they had encountered at the border called the Fitzgeralds, catch up to them and tow the Millers' RV to a repair shop. On the trip to the shop, David learns that Don Fitzgerald is a DEA agent after finding his badge and gun in the glove compartment. Excuse me, does that seem like a coincidence or just a lazy way of creating a comic thrill by the film makers?!

The rest of the movie shows David and his potse in a race against time to deliver the huge stash of marijuana while trying so hard to maintain their disguise as a real family, escaping the clutches of death launched by the real 'Pablo Chacon' who is a powerful Mexican drug lord, and 'henchman One eye', because David unintentionally used the drug kingpin's name to collect the drugs in the first place.

A major disappointment with this movie is how the screenplay rely far too much on sexual crudeness. for example, Mrs Fitzegerald grabbing Aniston's boobs, the horrible strip tease, the yelling of 'a black dick' by Aniston while playing what was supposed to be a family game, the scene where disguised mother, daughter are giving kissing lessons to son, and David watches, ...should I go on?! In short, this film fails to convince the audience that the characters who express themselves with such unnecessary explicitness, would ever do so in real life, least of all in front of strangers. And Aniston given too much center of attention is way too obvious even though she is not given the major role, "like dah...we know she took one of the major roles in Friends and she was formerly married to Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt!"

Although the film is not a memorable comedy by any means, and fails to live up to the expectation of the director, Rawson Marshall Thurber’s who is known for his first movie 'Dodgeball' which was unexpectedly hilarious, it's worth seeing for pure mindless fun if you want a fun comedy that is a bit underrated! 

Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 47% based on reviews from 135 critics, with an average rating of 5.4/10. The site's consensus states "Blandly offensive (or perhaps merely offensively bland), We're the Millers squanders its potential—and its cast—with an uneven, lazily assembled comedy." Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score from 1 to 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gave the film a 43 based on 33 critics indicating "mixed or average reviews".
According audience polls conducted by CinemaScore, viewers gave the film an average grade of A-.

We're the Millers is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. It stars Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, and Will Poulter. It was released in the U.S. on August 7, 2013 by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.

MOVIE NEWS: "PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEANS 5 GETS A TITLE!"

Jerry Bruckheimer (American film and television producer), and Johnny Depp are raising the anchor and setting sail on another Pirates of the Caribbean adventure, this time with Kon Tiki directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg at the helm. The follow-up to 2011's 'On Stranger Tides' has been named 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,' co-directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg revealed. 

The duo has been working on "Dead Men Tell No Tales" since May, when they were announced as Disney's choice to direct. "We've been on it now for a couple of months, so we are in preproduction. We are in our office at Disney in Burbank," Rønning said. "It's just great, working with Johnny Depp and the Bruckheimer camp. It's a dream come true, really." This kind of directing gig has been a long time coming for the team, who have worked together since they were boys. 

Though they couldn't reveal too much about the fifth installment, they spoke highly of the script and said they are "very influenced" by the first film, "The Curse of the Black Pearl." "We have a great script that Jeff Nathanson has written," Sandberg said. "It's really funny and touching. We're really looking forward to realizing everything."Rønning and Sandberg expect to go into production sometime early next year, with a July 2015 release date already on the books.

The film's script is being written by Jeff Nathanson, whose previous screenwriting credits include Rush Hour 2, Rush Hour 3 and Catch Me If You Can.

Johnny Depp will be back for his fifth appearance as Captain Jack Sparrow, a character he famously based on Keith Richards, who endorsed Depp's performance by playing Sparrow's father, Captain Teague, in the two most recent Pirates movies.

Meanwhile, it's been reported that Orlando Bloom could be returning to the franchise after he sat out On Stranger Tides. 

The four previous movies have grossed a collective $3.7 billion (£2.3 billion) worldwide, making Pirates Of The Caribbean the fifth biggest film franchise ever.

"Dead men tell no tales" is a well-known line from the Pirates Of The Caribbean ride at Disneyland, California and other Disney theme parks.

MOVIE NEWS: "LEGO NOW HAS A MOVIE!"

On behalf of 'Botis' like me (wink wink blush), to 'Pakis' like you, we introduce to you, "THE LEGO MOVIE!" What is that?! Hehen, I knew you would ask, JJCs! But let me give you a brief background of what a LEGO is, so that plenti of una wey childhood rough no go crucify me!

Lego is a popular line of construction toys manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of colourful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts. Lego bricks can be assembled and connected in many ways, to construct such objects as vehicles, buildings, and even working robots. Anything constructed can then be taken apart again, and the pieces used to make other objects. 

Lego began manufacturing interlocking toy bricks in 1949. Since then a global Lego subculture has developed, supporting movies, games, competitions, and six themed amusement parks (thanks...Wikipedia).  

Now back to our topic. "Yay...There is going to be a Lego movie!" And for those of you who got kids who may not know what a Lego is, here is an opportunity to share the joy of childhood that we enjoyed when we were little.

The Lego Movie is an upcoming 2014 American stop motion/computer-animated adventure comedy film based on the Lego line of construction toys.

An ordinary guy named Emmet (Chris Pratt) is mistaken as being the Master Builder, the one who can save the universe. With the aid of an old mystic Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), a tough young lady named Lucy (Elizabeth Banks), and Batman (Will Arnett), Emmet will fight to defeat the evil tyrant Lord Business (Will Ferrell) who is bent on destroying the universe by gluing it together.

Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller (21 jump street, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) revealed that the film takes place in an immersive all-LEGO environment, “to the point where if there’s water or clouds or like a big explosion, that will be made out of animated LEGOs.”

The following acts will be lending their voices to this block animated movie; Chris Pratt as Emmet, Will Arnett as Batman, Elizabeth Banks as Lucy, Morgan Freeman as Vitruvius, Liam Neeson as Bad Cop, Will Ferrell as Lord Business, Nick Offerman as Metalbeard, Jonah Hill as Green Lantern, Cobie Smulders as Wonder Woman and Channing Tatum as Superman.

Warner Bros. has announced that they have set the film for a February 28th, 2014 release and they have confirmed that it will be in 3D. The popular website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films, Rotten Tomatoes, also widely known as the film review aggregator, reveal that 94% of audience surveyed are anticipating to see the movie. That seems like something to look forward to! Check out the trailer below.

The film has been in development since 2008, with the scribes and producers making several trips to Denmark to work with Lego's execs on the concept.

MOVIE NEWS: "WORLD OF WARCRAFT NOW HAS A MOVIE!"

Game heads out there, this is news for you! The popular multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), World of Warcraft (WoW) by Blizzard Entertainment, now has a movie.

Cinemablend.com reports that the World of Warcraft movie, which was unofficially confirmed back in January, has officially been announced. The first teaser video for the upcoming World of Warcraft film was shown during the Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros. panel at San Diego Comic-Con. and was disclosed to be directed by Moon and Source Code director, Duncan Jones, who was enthusiastic about the project, saying that "he has been given the chance to create a new world." Jones also reiterated that the Warcraft movie will begin filming in early 2014. The footage showed off footage of a warrior wielding a sword and shield who faces down an orc.

 

Described by those in the room as a faithful adaptation of the video game world, the movie-- called Warcraft in the teaser-- is set to start production early next year. The Warcraft film is believed to have a budget that exceeds $100 million, and is intended for release in cinemas in 2016. 

Hollywood has been trying to make a Warcraft movie since 2006. The project has been through stops and starts, at one point Steven Spielberg was even rumored to be directing it. Later Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Evil Dead) took over only to drop the project back in 2012.

With over 7 million subscribers as of July 2013, World of Warcraft is currently the world's most-subscribed MMORPG, and holds the Guinness World Record for the most popular MMORPG by subscribers.

For people like me who don't know about the online game, World of Warcraft contains elements from fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction: such as gryphons, dragons, and elves; steam-powered automata; zombies, werewolves, and other horror monsters; as well as time travel, spaceships, and alien worlds. World of Warcraft takes place in a 3D representation of the Warcraft universe that players can interact with through their characters.

MOVIE REVIEW: "THE KILLINGS DON'T STOP IN RED 2"

A couple of years ago when I watched Red, it was not because I was a fan to Bruce and his 'hipikaye' film career, it was out of curiosity.  At that time the movie was not given too much hype and I actually stumbled onto the movie online and found myself thinking, "Bruce Willis did a movie, and people are not talking about it...awkward?!" As at then, I had no idea that the movie Red was an adaptation of a DC comic with the same name. Well, to say the truth ...I thought comic books back then were all about superheroes wearing tight pants and doing stuff, you know...saving the world!

But while I started to watch the movie Red, I found myself intrigued most especially at the extraordinary character of Frank Moses played by Bruce Willis who possessed unusual killing skills because of his former status as a rogue American agent trying as much as possible to escape from his past and the clutches of death launched by the American government that has placed a price tag on his head. Bamboozled by the action scenes, I found myself just staring at my computer screen. And when the movie was over, I wasn't sure of how to describe the plot. It was all killing, killing, killing, and of course some stunts that drove one wild (remember the scene where Frank simply walks out of a spinning car with guns blazing...that was so cool).
It was however shocking to find out there was already a part 2 of the Red movie, and I started to question if I missed something that the rest of the audience loved which could warrant film makers to embark on a sequel, and so like the curiosity I had for the first one, I watched Red 2.

In Red 2 Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is seen trying to lead a normal life with girlfriend Sarah Ross (Mary-Louise Parker), and is approached by long time friend and partner Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich), who is afraid that there are people still after them, but Frank shrugs him off. After appealing a second time, Marvin drives off but his car suddenly explodes. Although Frank does not believe Marvin is dead, Sarah convinces him to go to Marvin's funeral where he delivers a teary-eyed eulogy. After the funeral, Frank is approached by a group of government spooks and is taken to be interrogated at a Yankee White Facility. During the interrogation, Jack Horton (Neal McDonough) appears, killing most of the facility's personnel, and threatens to torture Sarah in order to get information out of Frank. Frank manages to escape with the help of Marvin, who turns out to be alive, and they go on the run with Sarah. Marvin explains that he and Frank were being hunted down because they were listed as participants in a secret operation code named Nightshade. The operation was conducted during the Cold War era in order to smuggle a nuclear weapon into Russia piece by piece. Meanwhile, Frank and his friends have been labelled terrorists, and Victoria Winslow (Helen Mirren) who was also in the first installment of the movie has been contracted by M16 to kill Frank. Top contract killer Han Cho-Bai (Lee Byung-hun) was also contracted to kill Frank by Horton himself.

The rest of the movie sees Frank, Marvin and Sarah travelling almost half across the world to unravel the conspiracy behind the Nightshade and save the world from any suspected nuclear attack, while also making sure they stay alive. During their adventure they meet with different characters that could be of assistance to their quest, like the Frog (David Thewlis), a strange guy known for his obsession for old wine, Katya (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a Russian secret agent who Frank had a relationship with earlier in his career, and Dr. Edward Bailey (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant physicist, and the creator of the bomb involved with Operation Nightshade.

I am still not sure on my feelings towards the movie Red 2, but I can I say that it is an improvement from the first installment although there were still over exxagerated action scenes that kind of reminds one of some of the moves from part 1, but still fun to watch. The movie still has Frank Moses performing unrealistic but mind-blowing moves, like an instance where Catherine Zeta Jones picks up frank while making a 360 with a car during a car chase scene in the movie, a replica of what was done in part 1.

I think my only fault with the movie was how Frank Moses had to convince Han cho Bai, the assassin that was sent to kill him, to put differences aside so that they can avoid a nuclear catastrophe. But apart from some minor details, the movie is fun to watch, and I won't say for the whole family because of the unrelenting display of violence.

RED 2 is a 2013 American action-comedy film and sequel to the 2010 film RED. It was inspired by the limited comic book series of the same name published by the DC Comics imprint Homage. The film stars Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lee Byung-hun, Anthony Hopkins, and Helen Mirren. RED 2 was released on July 19, 2013. 

RED 2 received mixed reviews from film critics. The film holds a 42% approval rating at review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 5.4/10 based on 112 reviews. Metacritic, which uses a weighted mean, assigned a score of 48 out of 100, based on reviews from 36 critics. According to the above survey, the movie scored a bit below average.

As of August 13, 2013, RED 2 has grossed $51,039,854 in North America and $102,539,854 worldwide. Its however been disclosed that the movie Red is to have a third installment.

MOVIE NEWS: AFFLECK GETS TO PLAY THE 'BATMAN' IN MAN OF STEEL SEQUEL

It is with heavy heart that I announce...that the...OMG, what the...ok (taking a deep breathe)...the Superman 'Man of Steel' sequel that is to feature the Dark Knight 'Batman', will not be Christian Bale, after all, but...BEN AFFLECK! really, is that the best you guys could do, but Affleck?! What were these guys thinking?!

When Michael Osuji, a friend of mine hinted me on facebook, attempting to dull my day with the information, I thought he was just yanking my chain, until I found out...I WAS NOT BEING PUNK'D! 

Greg Silverman, president of creative development and worldwide production, Warner bros says "We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics' most enduringly popular superheroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some. His outstanding career is a testament to his talent, and we know he and Zack will bring new dimension to the duality of this character." REEeeaallyy, that's your frigging allibi?!

Director Zack Snyder is describing Affleck's Batman as "older and wiser" than Henry Cavill's Clark Kent and says he "bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain[s] the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne." Ahhh Cmon...you guys just stab me shoot me with a flare gun! You too Snyder?!

So that it doesn't seem like I am being over dramatic, here are a few tweets from famous personalities on hearing about the new development:

Richard Dreyfuss-"You read for a part, you feel good about it, you feel confident, then they cast Ben Affleck."

Stephen Whitty-"Oh please, why not just cast J Lo as Catwoman, too, and REALLY torpedo the whole thing."

Chase Mitchell- "In the Ben Affleck version, Batman's parents kill themselves (This is actually my favourite tweet)."

Richard Rushfield- "To every industry/fanboy site that didn't break the Affleck Batman news: Aren't you ashamed of yourselves! What do we pay you for (Well I am breaking the news and I ain't getting paid)?!" "Would everyone mind tweeting that Affleck is the new Batman? I need to hear it 1252 times before it sinks in!"

Bane -"Ben Affleck already butchered the Daredevil movie and now he's been cast as Batman??? Some men just want to watch the world burn."

Comedy Central - "Casting Ben Affleck as Batman sounds like something The Joker would do to create a distraction at the nerd bank."

Are we being too harsh on the poor dude? I don't think so! Actually, our disappointment is not with the actor, but with the film makers who are too stingy to lure Christian Bale with the rumored $50m. It would have been worth it...SCROOGES!!!

Well I still think its a joke. But if its not, then we all gotta keep our fingers crossed and hope the film makers know what they are doing. It will be sad to see the sequel turn to rubbish after all the hard work that was put into reviving the comic book brand 'Superman' in the hearts of audience.

MOVIE NEWS: "FINALLY, A BLACK GUY IN SPIDERMAN 2 ...AND HE IS THE BAD GUY!!!"

Am I sounding racist? I hope not?! I just heard that a popular guy will be playing a villain in the sequel to the 2012 superhero movie 'The Amazing Spider-man , and it got me thinking, wait a minute...this guy is gonna be the first black guy! 
Well, I was gladdened by the news since I am a great fan of the Spider-man comic brand, and this popular black actor who is also a comedian. But I also wondered why it took them this long. You still don't know who I am taking about right? Watch the trailer 'Amazing Spider-man 2' below to find out!

Still not sure who this is? Its my homie Jamie...Jamie Foxx everybody! And he will be playing 'Electro', a baddie with the ability to control electricity along with Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich who plays another known arch enemy of the Spider-man, 'The Rhino.'

Another popular comic actor was rumored to play one of Spider-Man’s most demented and violent villains, Cletus Kasady, better known as Carnage, and that person is no other person than funny dude, "Jim Carrey." The rumors started with a message board user on Superhero Hype, claiming that Carrey was in the film.

Seven Web Heads, known for their set videos and other Spider-espionage, posted a pair of videos to, first claiming they had word Carrey was, indeed, going to play a small role or make a cameo in the film. They speculated that he could play either Kasady or Mysterio, while others thought J. Jonah Jameson was a possibility.

They followed it up, though, with the revelation that back in March, Carrey had visited the set and a fan had tweeted a photograph of himself with the comedy icon to prove it. Given the fact that the scenes shot in March were set at Ravencroft Institute, a mental institution that’s home to many of Spidey’s nastiest villains, Seven Web Heads followed up with speculation that Carrey would indeed be playing Kasady, who was once an inmate there.

It’s a lot of speculation, but there’s a bit of meat to it and, frankly, it plays into some of the other sequel rumors that fans have already heard, so expect this to become a persistent question until the movie comes out. (Excerpt from comicbook.com; August 11, 2013)

Dane DeHaan also makes his debut as Harry Osborn, Peter Parker's best friend. Shailene Woodley had also been due to appear as Mary Jane Watson, but her role has recently been cut from the film and MJ will now make her Amazing Spider-Man debut in the third movie, due in 2016. Director Marc Webb said that the cut was "a creative decision to streamline the story and focus on Peter and Gwen and their relationship."

'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' is an upcoming American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man, directed by Marc Webb and released by Columbia Pictures. It is a sequel to the 2012 film 'The Amazing Spider-Man'.  Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Paul Giamatti, Denis Leary, Colm Feore, Chris Cooper, Sally Field, Chris Zylka,Marton Csokas, and Felicity Jones are set to star.

Development of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 began after the success of The Amazing Spider-Man. Filming took place in New York from February to June 2013. The film is scheduled to be released in 2D and 3D on May 2, 2014.

Sony pictures has announced there will be two more sequels to follow The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with the third film getting the release date of June 10, 2016, and the fourth film on May 4, 2018.

MOVIE REVIEW: "SOME MOTHERS DO 'AVE THEM"

I have seen a movie like this before, when I was a kid! A man, his wife and son are stranded on an island after they survive a plane crash, or is it a boat wreck?! Really can't remember, but anyway this family make a life for themselves on that deserted island as they wait and hope to be rescued.
Days turned to months, and months become years, and this family see themselves still stranded on this island, but they do not seem bothered as they have taken the island as their home. The son becomes a teenager, i guess he must have been 17 or 18ish, and one common thing with boys attaining this age is their poor tendency to control their sexual urges, remember they are the only human beings on the island, no girls, just them! The boy who is heavily on heat and needs to relieve himself by having sex with a partner but none in sight, decides to take on his mother, and the only way he can achieve this is by killing his father.
If you can understand how horrifying this movie plot with a forgotten name is, then you may empathize with me after watching the movie titled 'Adore.'
But you know what, before I describe the plot of this crazy sick film, please allow me to indulge you readers with an instance.
Imagine that you and your best friend are fathers are dating each other's teenage daughters, and you all know about it, and cool about it! That's sick! If you don't see the picture I am painting here, maybe I should just delve straight into the plot of Adore.

Roz, her husband Harold and their son Tom live near the beach. Lil, who is a widow lives nearby with her son Ian. Roz and Lil are best friends from when they were little, and so are Tom and Ian. Ian and Roz start a sexual relationship. Tom discovers this and takes revenge by initiating a sexual relationship with Lil. Eventually, what started as a sexual affair became a some what a real relationship with both young boys seeing their mothers as girlfriends. 

I am finding it hard to understand why the film received accolades by critics and most of its audience. Call me old fashioned, I fail to see the logic in this sick perverted movie! Well maybe because of my culture as an African which frowns on things like this. But if you see some sense in this god forsaken movie, please do indulge me with your comments.

Adore is an Australian and French drama film, directed by Anne Fontaine. The film is based on a novella by British writer Doris Lessing called "The Grandmothers" The original title of the film was Two Mothers and it premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

The movie stars Naomi Watts, Robin Wright  as mothers Lil and Roz, and Xavier Samuel, James Frecheville as sons Ian and Tom

MOVIE NEWS: TOM CRUISE FEATURES IN NEW FILM 'EDGE OF TOMORROW '

Tom cruise will soon be seen blazing the big screen with big guns but not anytime soon in a new movie titled 'Edge of Tomorrow.' The movie has a similar concept with 2011 action thriller movie 'Source code' starring Jake Gyllenhaal and is centered on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train, and 'Groundhog day', a 1993 comedy film starring Bill Murray as a weatherman who finds himself living the same day over and over again. 

In Edge of tomorrow, Tom is a soldier fighting in a war with aliens and finds himself caught in a time loop of his last day in the battle, though he becomes better skilled along the way.

Humanity is at war with an alien race known as Mimics, and Lt. Col. Bill Cage (Tom Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat until he is unceremoniously demoted and then dropped—untrained and ill-equipped—into what amounts to little more than a suicide mission. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an Alpha down with him. But, impossibly, he awakens back at the beginning of the same hellish day, and is forced to fight and die again…and again. Direct physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop—dooming him to live out the same brutal combat over and over.But with each pass, Cage becomes tougher, smarter, and able to engage the Mimics with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), who has killed more Mimics than anyone on Earth. As Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated battle becomes an opportunity to find the key to annihilating the alien invaders and saving the Earth.

Edge of Tomorrow is an upcoming British/American science fiction film directed by Doug Liman from a screenplay adapted by Dante Harper. The film is based on the Japanese light novel 'All You Need Is Kill' by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. It stars Tom Cruise,Emily Blunt, and Bill Paxton.

The film is scheduled to be released on June 6, 2014.

GODZILLA STRIKES AGAIN...POSSIBLY WITH FRIENDS THIS TIME?!

If you liked the last Godzilla movie of 1998 ( Yes, there is a movie called Godzilla...KIDS), then prepare to be thrilled, as a reboot of the above mentioned movie is already in the works and scheduled for release next year.

Director of the Godzilla film, Gareth Edwards confirmed an origin story for the film. Gareth described the tone of the film, "We're just going to take it really seriously. I've wanted to see this movie this way all my life. Imagine if this really happened – as crazy as it sounds – what would it really be like?" 

Screenwriter Frank Darabont in interviews described his plans for Godzilla as returning it to a "terrifying force of nature". The film will add a "very compelling human drama" and that Godzilla would be tied to a "different contemporary issue" rather than the original atomic bomb testing.

In January 2013, it was reported that Warner Brothers, in a meeting for advertisers, revealed that the film would contain two new monsters in addition to Godzilla, and the plot of the film would revolve around the story of a young US Marine. Screenwriter David Goyer also stated that there were two other monsters in the script when he worked on it. Star Elizabeth Olsen described the film as "definitely not lighthearted. It's kind of going back to its roots of the original Japanese film."

Godzilla is an upcoming American science fiction monster film based on the Japanese film monster of the same name and is a reboot of the Godzilla film franchise. It is the second Godzilla film to be fully filmed by an American studio, the first having been the 1998 film of the same name. The film is directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche, David Strathairn,Sally Hawkins and Ken Watanabe.

The film is scheduled to be released on May 16, 2014 in 2D and3D.

"ASSUMPTION CAN BE A B*#^H!"

For most of you who know me personally will testify that I don't waste time in watching a movie that is an adaptation of any of the superhero stories from comic book rivals DC and Marvel. And I am sure most of you are wondering why I had not even posted anything concerning this movie, 'The Wolverine' (and even the Man of Steel, which I guess I can speak for everyone that it is an awesome movie). I have my reasons.

As at the time I thought of watching The Wolverine, which was the most recent superhero movie from the stables of the Marvel comics, I had chats with movie freaks like you and myself who watched the movie but displayed mostly dissatisfaction with the film. At listening to most of their comments I created assumptions of my own, that the movie sucks! Already I became judgmental and lacked the interest to watch it because of my opinion of the former Wolverine movie, 'Origin', which i was not pleased with. This made me start to question why Marvel would go ahead to waste money to make this movie knowing well that the last one was not too impressive.

But here is my confession. After I watched the new Wolverine film, I wasn't sure of what I thought of it. This was because the movie was contrary to everything my friends described it and this made me feel ashamed for making assumptions even when I had not seen it. 

The movie 'The Wolverine' was exciting and very interesting. Its a good follow up to what the Marvel film left behind in the 'X-men: The Last Stand' released 2006, as the audience were reminded of the Jean Grey character who was killed by Logan when she became a threat to human existence.

In the movie The Wolverine, Logan is summoned to Japan by an old acquaintance, and finds himself embroiled in a conflict that forces him to confront his own demons.

The movie begins with Logan being held as a prisoner in a Japanese POW camp near Nagasaki in 1945 ( remember he is immortal). During his captivity, Logan rescues an officer named Yashida and shields him from the blast from the historical atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

In the present day, Logan hides away in a forest in the Yukon of Canada, tormented by hallucinations of Jean Grey, whom he was forced to kill in X-Men: The Last Stand. He is located by Yukio, a mutant with the precognitive ability to foresee people's deaths, on-behalf of Yashida, now the CEO of a technology corporation. Yashida is dying of cancer, and Yukio convinces Logan to accompany her to Japan so that Yashida may repay his life debt.

In Tokyo, Logan meets Yashida's son, Shingen, and granddaughter, Mariko. There, Yashida offers to transfer Logan's healing abilities into his own body, thus saving Yashida's life and alleviating Logan of his immortality, which Logan views as a curse. Logan refuses and prepares to leave the following day.

The next morning, Logan is informed that Yashida has died. At the funeral, proceedings were however disrupted by Yakuza gangsters who attempt to kidnap Mariko, but Logan and Mariko escape together into the urban sprawl of Tokyo. Logan is shot and his wounds do not heal as quickly as they should. After fighting off more Yakuza on a bullet train, Logan and Mariko hide in a locallove hotel. 

The rest of the movie sees Logan attempt to get his abilities back while trying to protect Mariko who he falls for, and is also curious on the reason for attempted kidnap by the Yakuza criminal organisation.

I must say, Logan's nonchalant ' I don't care' attitude coupled with his brutish behavior, and the way he doles out harsh and nasty words when he is uninterested about anything (which is always what I looked out for in any X-men movie) were not lost, and the film's action sequences were entertaining as Logan can be said to be getting stronger and faster in his fighting skills. I gotta say, I was mind-blown with his fights at the funeral and on the bullet train. 

As of August 19, 2013, The Wolverine has grossed $120,551,787 in North America, and $214,800,000 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $335,351,787.

The film has received generally positive reviews among critics. The popular film review website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 69% approval rating with an average rating of 6.3/10 based on 200 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Although its final act succumbs to the usual cartoonish antics, The Wolverine is one superhero movie that manages to stay true to the comics while keeping casual viewers entertained." It has a score of 60 out of 100 at Metacritic, based on 43 reviews. CinemaScore polls reported that the average grade cinemagoers gave for the film was an "A-".

The movie was also used as an opportunity to introduce the next X-men film with the theme 'Days of future past' which is still in the works and has been scheduled for release next year, as Logan is shown during a mid-credits scene returning to the United States after two years and is intercepted at the airport by Magneto and Professor Xavier, who is presumed to be dead, and warns him of an imminent grave threat to the mutant race.

I was really impressed with this movie that I am now contemplating watching 'Wolverine: The Origin' again, you know, just in case I missed something or maybe I was too hasty and brash with my decision! Right...what do you think, I should watch is again abi?! 

The movie 'Wolverine', is a 2013 American-Australian superhero film and is the sixth installment in the X-Men film series and the second film headlining Wolverine. The movie is based on the 1982 limited series Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. Hugh Jackman reprises his role from previous films as the title character.

MOVIE NEWS: CHRISTIAN BALE OFFERED $50M TO FEATURE IN MAN OF STEEL 2

Christian Bale could receive $50m to reprise his role as Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel 2, reports the UK press.
Bale who made it clear that last year's ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ was his final turn as the caped crusader may be called to bluff, with studio Warner Bros reportedly determined on luring him back into the famous cowl. 

Nevertheless, the Oscar-winner told Entertainment Weekly last month: "We were incredibly fortunate to get to make three [Batman films]. That's enough. Let's not get greedy. It's a torch that should be handed from one actor to another. So I enjoy looking forward to what somebody else will come up with."

The British actor, 39, would bring all the box office clout of Christopher Nolan's trilogy of Batman movies and also fits the bill for the older, jaded take on the superhero which producers are looking to opt for in a nod to Frank Miller's iconic The Dark Knight Returns. The 1986 graphic novel sees Superman called in to take down an increasingly bitter and merciless Batman who has returned to the streets of Gotham after many years in retirement.
The American Press Association's $50m figure stems from a comment in a new eBook titled ‘Beyond Batman: The Unauthorized True Story of Christian Bale and His Dark Knight Dilemma,’ by Vincent Russel. It quotes a source from Legendary Pictures, which partnered with Warner on Nolan's films, suggesting the studio is determined to get their man.
The insider said, "Why would Christian Bale walk away from what is certainly going to be either the first or second highest grossing movie in the history of cinema? He could probably make 50 million dollars for being in the movie 20 minutes. And it would be worth every penny to the studio."
Russel adds: "Sources close to Christian Bale have reportedly begun expressing their suspicions that Bale now views the Batman films in the same light that Robert Downey Jr. views the Iron Man films." Downey Jr. famously received a reputed $50m payday for The Avengers after agreeing a profit share deal with Marvel Studios for the ensemble superhero movie, which went on to make $1.5bn last year. 
Recruiting Bale, by far the most recognizable figure as Batman, would be a remarkable coup for Warner and the team behind Man of Steel 2, director Zack Snyder and writer-producer David S Goyer. While the original film performed decently at the box office earlier this year with $648m so far and got semi-decent reviews, Nolan's last two Batman films both broke the $1bn barrier and were hailed as masterpieces by many critics.
That the two superheroes will be actively battling appeared to be confirmed by Snyder's statement: "Let's face it, it's beyond mythological to have Superman and our new Batman facing off, since they are the greatest superheroes in the world."
Zack Snyder will direct the follow-up to his $630m global hit Man of Steel and will reunite with his Superman, Henry Cavill. Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane will also reprise their roles.

As well as Man of Steel 2, Warner is planning a Justice League movie which would ape Marvel's The Avengers by uniting rival DC Comics' famous superhero team of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman on the big screen. If Bale were recruited for both films, the studio could presumably rely on a spectacular double box office bonanza.

Meanwhile, Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston has revealed he would be interested in playing Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor in Man of Steel 2, giving a tongue in cheek quote to Metro. "I like Lex Luthor," he said. "I think he's misunderstood. He's a lovable, sweet man!"
The shaven-headed actor is a fan favorite to play the villain, who is rumored to make his debut in the sequel.
Snyder has committed to an early 2014 start and the game plan is to get the movie in theaters for summer 2015.


Culled from the Guardian, Wednesday 14 August 2013

"THINGS THAT YOU DO FOR..."

Its the summer of 1922, an era, known for unprecedented economic prosperity, bootlegging and other criminal activity. Nick Carraway,  a Yale University graduate and World War I veteran, moves from the U.S. Midwest to New York where he takes a job as a bond salesman after giving up on writing. He rents a small house on Long Island in the village of West Egg, next door to the lavish mansion of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious business magnate who holds extravagant parties.
Nick has a cousin, Daisy Buchanan, who lives across the bay with her husband Tom, a college acquaintance of Nick's. One day Nick decides to pay them a visit and is introduced to Jordan Baker, a cynical young golfer with whom Daisy wishes to match make with Nick.

During dinner at Daisy's home, Jordan reveals to Nick that Tom has a mistress who lives in the "valley of ashes," an industrial dumping ground between West Egg and New York City. Not long after this revelation, Nick finally meets Tom's secret lover, Myrtle, while traveling with Tom to the valley, where they stop by a garage owned by George Wilson, Myrtle's husband.

One day, Nick receives an invitation to one of Gatsby's parties. Upon arriving, he learns that none of the guests at the party have ever met Gatsby himself, and they have developed multiple theories as to who he is: A German spy, a prince, even an assassin. Nick encounters Jordan, and they meet Gatsby, who is surprisingly young and rather aloof, in person.

Gatsby seems to take a liking to Nick, inviting him out for numerous occasions. Through Jordan, Nick later learns that Gatsby had a relationship with Daisy in 1917, and is still madly in love with her, throwing his extravagant and wild parties in the hopes that she will one day appear at his doorstep. On most nights, he can be seen reaching out across the bay to the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He now wants Nick to arrange a reunion between him and Daisy. 

A nice build up from what will be presumed to be a gangsta film to an unsuspecting romantic story that sees main character Nick Carraway, played by Tobey Maquire, narrating his ordeal when arriving New York for the first time but finds himself in the center of what seems to be a love triangle, and the cupid that could reignite the romance between his cousin Daisy and his new found friend and neighbor Jay Gatsby, played by  Leonardo DiCaprio.

The movie attempted to bridge the current hip hop culture with jazz music (which is said to be the style of music that was highly appreciated in the 1920s) as popular songs like Kanye's and Jay-Z's "No church in the wild" were being fused with jazz, and one might try to question the relevance of this fusion in the first place which however stopped at the middle of the film to its end. In short, the hip hop experiment in the movie wasn't needed and even inappropriate at trying to drive home the main theme, which was basically the story of a young man torn between his desire, an unquenchable hunger to acquire wealth and his affection for beautiful Daisy whom he struggles to keep to himself, even though she is in a marriage.

But the movie is interesting with lots of twists, and the movie's display of New York's lively culture at this period in history is enough to entertain the audience who may not have an idea of what comes next.

The Great Gatsby is a 2013 Australian-American drama film. which originally is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki, Isla Fisher and Jason Clarke.

As of July 28, 2013, 'The Great Gatsby' earned $143,888,405 in North America, and $186,200,000 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $330,088,405.

Audiences polled by the market research firm CinemaScore gave The Great Gatsby a "B" grade on average.