For A Few Movies More

This week in Fun Stuff Friday I am going to try something different. In a similar team effort to last week I am simply writing the blurbs to the fun stuff that Dean has pre-chosen with some spare minutes in his ever so busy lifecycle. So in an attempt to show the special telepathic connection of decade long friendships – and to make myself somewhat relevant to this article – I will try and guess what is on offer for us today. That’s right, without even seeing the content I am writing this intro! When I get home and check the links in my email I would expect to see the following:

First and foremost will be something from the Alien series. Whether it is from the classic films of the past or the new quasi-prequel Prometheus there will be something. I’m guessing a weapon recreated. Another play it safe bet is something from Star Wars. I’m going to say Lego Star Wars. I’m going to say a recreation of the Volcano scene from Ep. III (perhaps a touch ambitious there). Third item for today…I’m sensing a video game…Dean can’t help but put Video Game stuff even though it’s a movie site…Nintendo Poster Mash Up. Fourth is the obscure pick, I need to think outside the box. Let’s go wihvsomething from the blood lusty slasher film Hatchet. A mould of Hatchet’s head. And fifth and finally (assuming there is no number 6) will be an 8-bit something. Poster art of Quentin Tarantino films! Now let’s see how we went!

Prepare thyself for Poster Roundup has arrived once more… This week we take a look at the latest poster designs for Taken 2, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Campaign, Hit And Run, Paddington Bear, Step Up Revolution, Ice Age 4: Continental Drift, The Words, Hope Springs, Celeste And Jesse Forever, Arbitrage, Red Lights, Anna Karenina, Bert And Arnie’s Guide To Friendship, Robot And Frank, Red Clover, Middle Of Nowhere, The Double, Assassin’s Bullet and Alex Cross.

I hate to say it, but we really don’t have a very impressive crop of posters to gaze longingly over this week. The duelling designs for The Campaign are kind of neat, each of which effectively set the tone for the film while fleshing out the lead protagonists in a humorous way. Along with those two gems is the Taken 2 poster which is kind of cool in a minimalist sort of way, but other than that, there really isn’t too much for your retinas to get excited over.

As for the posters that have been viewed as unfavourable by my Sauron-like gaze, well there’s a few to choose from. Considering I’ve demolished the previous posters for the film in the past it probably comes as no surprise that the latest from Step Up Revolution caused me to scowl angrily at my computer upon viewing it. Not content with basking everything, including the actors, in an unhealthy orange glow, this latest offering continues to desperately appeal to both sexes. Look! A shirtless guy and an inexplicably soaking girl in a short dress! That movie must be amazing! Apart from that single visual offence, the bulk of the remaining designs are less overtly terrible and more so just bland. In fact the majority of this week’s posters are composed of ghostly floating heads or actors staring solemnly off into the distance. Boring poster trademarks that do very little to encourage viewers to rush out and see the promoted film in question.

Head on after the jump to view this week’s selection in full. Click on each individual thumbnail to enlarge the image or scroll down a little further to see a larger version of the entire gallery. Enjoy!

Taken 2

Directed By Olivier Megaton

Starring Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace

Liam Neeson is back and he’s ready to kick a whole lot of ass all over again. Continuing on from the events that occurred in the original Taken, Taken 2 sees Neeson combating some old foes who in an act of revenge, kidnap his wife. In turn this act of retribution sets of another act of retribution, sending Neeson off on a quest to shoot and punch his way through as many evildoers as humanly possible.

The original Taken was a hollow blast of entertainment that easily could have ended up as a straight to DVD if it wasn’t for its leading man. With his gravely voice and his ability to dish out brutal servings of violence in a convincing manner, Liam Neeson provided a necessary dose of realism to the silly proceedings, making the absurdly high body count seem somewhat reasonable. With its exhilarating and often satisfying action sequences, there’s a chance that the original film may have been a success even without Neeson, but there’s a high probability that someone like Jason Statham would have been tossed into the mix, sentencing the film to live side by side with a legion of underwhelming action clones. So while the inescapable sense of deja vu I suffered whilst watching the trailer for Taken 2 left me slightly disappointed that the filmmakers chose to tread almost identical ground once again, I can’t deny that I’m incredibly excited to see Neeson showcase his set of skills once again, leaving a wake of bodies in the process. Taken 2 could go either way, but I’m dearly hoping it’ll be more over the top bloody mayhem.

Anticipation Level: 3.5/5

Hello there, welcome traveller. The internet is a vast place and you look like you could use a break. Come and relax your weary eyes, rest your jittery index finger, ease the tension that is slowly engulfing your entire right side. This short introduction can be your bay of comfort from the relentless tidal wave that is the internet. But don’t rest too long because you are about be assaulted with brilliant technicolour, countless links and new tab pop ups, and the RSI that has spread through your neck and shoulder and elbow will be jolted to life with a gripping cramp as we unleash the latest edition of Fun Stuff Friday!

This week Eden takes the reins to bring you not one but two Lego things, Stephen King fanboy flowcharts and not one but two Alien things! So I got the stuff, it looks like fun and somewhere in the world it is still Friday and I didn’t miss this deadline! Let’s go!

Holy moly! As if to make up for the lack of new release posters in last week’s Poster Roundup article, the movie God’s from above have blessed us with an intimidating tidal wave of new poster designs. Where to start? This week we take a look at the latest designs for The Expendables 2, The Amazing Spider-Man, Total Recall, Savages, VHS, Won’t Back Down, Rise Of The Guardians, Soldiers Of Fortune, The Watch, Pitch Perfect, Ice Age: Continental Drift, For A Good Time Call, Queen Of Versailles, Red Hook Summer, It’s A Disaster, Home Sweet Home, Falling Overnight and Electrik Children… Wow, deep breaths now…

In another stark contrast to last week’s offerings, this week we have plenty of impressive entries to gaze lovingly over. The Expendables 2 has bombarded viewers with great promotional material up until this point, and this latest poster for the nostalgic action extravaganza is no exception. The chaotic design screams destructive mayhem, precisely the road the advertising campaign for such an over the top ode to 80′s action should be taking. Next, I need to give huge props to VHS. The design comes close to looking a little cheesy, but the skull shaped VHS tape collection is supremely fun, plus I love the 80′s feel. However as commendable as those aforementioned posters may be, it’s the Total Recall collection that takes the cake. By themselves, any of the posters in the gallery would seem unimpressive, but when viewed as a single frame in a bigger picture, they work exceptionally well.

As for the low points of the week, well, there’s not really too much to complain about. But if I had to criticise any of the selections, I guess I could pick apart For A Good Time Call if only for the fact that the poster looks unbelievably photoshopped. That and the image used gives the impression that the film is a dopey chick flick, which it certainly is not.

Head on after the jump to view this week’s selection in full. Click on each individual thumbnail to enlarge the image or scroll down a little further to see a larger version of the entire gallery. Enjoy!

Pitch Perfect

Directed By Jason Moore

Starring Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Elizabeth Banks, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

You know how you can tell it’s a slow week for trailers? Because we’re opening this week’s Trailer Roundup article with the Anna Kendrick driven Pitch Perfect. Ok, so I hate the TV show Glee. Loathe it even. I know it’s super popular with a teenage demographic and I’m fine with that, but whenever I see even a fraction of a second of those ridiculously photogenic teens singing their cover song of the week in a painfully cheesy fashion, I cringe. So with that in mind, there’s not a ghost of a chance that I’m going to connect with Pitch Perfect. Aimed primarily at the aforementioned teen audience infatuated with Glee, Pitch Perfect focuses on Anna Kendrick’s Beca, a reserved outsider who upon arrival at her new college is recruited to participate in an all girl a cappella group. Cue lots of peachy singing as this team of oddballs attempts to take out the college a cappella championship.

I’ll admit, while the central material doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest, the trailer is full of enough energy to suggest that perhaps the film won’t be quite as painful as it sounds. There could be some real fun to be had here. The performances are full of tongue in cheek cheer, particularly from Rebel Wilson, the songs are catchy, the visuals are crisp and the overall tone feels reminiscent of other self-aware teen comedies such as Bring It On. However on the other end of the stick, the film looks so damn cheesy. Also what’s up with the communal shower sequence? That dude popping up at the end is just plain creepy…

Anticipation Level: 2/5

At some point we’ve all walked into a movie sporting immeasurable expectations only to leave the cinema a short time later disappointed and bitter. It’s a common plight, but on the other hand there are those shining occasions when a movie that we’ve set our hopes low for turns out to be an extraordinary surprise. And it’s with unreserved satisfaction that my experience with the little indie dramedy, Jeff Who Lives At Home, fits perfectly into that latter category. A sweet-natured and light-hearted affair, Jeff Who Lives At Home is a mostly enjoyable experience that only suffers from a handful of minor snags along the way.

Free spirited Jeff (Jason Segel) is a 30 something year old young man still living with his mother. Following a cryptic phone call from an unknown caller, Jeff heads off on an unpredictable journey spurned on by a series of what he perceives as interconnecting clues. By the time the day is over, Jeff will have aided his brother (Ed Helms) with his floundering marriage and more importantly, discovered his purpose in life. Meanwhile, while Jeff is embarking on his confounding journey, his mother, Sharon (Susan Sarandon), is also experiencing a perplexing day. The recipient of a string of flattering instant messages from an anonymous source, Sharon attempts to discover the identity of this apparent secret admirer.

Big hair. Cringeworthy fashion. Margaret Thatcher. Say what you want about the 80’s. The one thing we can all agree on is that the music was freaking awesome! Well… most of it was. I don’t think there were too many tears shed when Boy George vanished from the charts. Nor indeed did anyone lament the disappearance of Flock of Seagulls. But if I mention such names as Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Foreigner, Journey, Poison, Guns ‘n Roses, Styx, etc, I have no doubt you’ll be rocking out before you’ve even got your iPod on. Well, 80’s music loving movie fans, your time has come. “Rock Of Ages” has made the transition from the stage to the screen, and is rocking your local cinema now. And is it as awesome as it sounds? In my humble opinion, hell yes! It is two hours and three minutes of great tunes, nostalgia, and damn good fun. What more could one ask for in a musical?

Worst writer and slackest person ever back to continue my reviews of films I saw at the Berlinale about FOUR MONTHS AGO. I know, I know. But hey, I’m trying to make good here (a reference to the opening of this post. Yes, that was a blatant attempt to get you to read other stuff on the site). So my comeback is to be started off by this film review of Kebun Binatang (Postcards from the Zoo), the debut feature film of Indonesian director Edwin. Before you get excited by visions of more The Raid awesomeness, let me stop you right there. You know those films that are (either condescendingly, fairly, or praisingly) categorised as “Typical Indie Flick”? Well, this would be one of those. Sorry, no kick-ass fighting or blood and gore here, folks. It’s lingering camera shots, minimal dialogue, and ambiguous scenes all the way.

Hi all, welcome to another edition of TronCat and Nis’ Fun Stuff Friday — the slackest writer to ever want to be called a writer. You know what they say about excuses? Don’t make excuses — make good. Well, here’s my attempt at making good. With that in mind, let’s just continue with the fun stuff so I can get back to thinking about what a bad person I am…