Sunday, October 31, 2010
Must Watch: Monster Movie Mash-Up
Labels: Movie Mash-Ups
Posted by Kristen at 11:42 AM 5 comments
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Top 10 Best Vampire Films

If you're sick of the vampire craze and assume there are no new vampire stories to tell, you are dead wrong! In fact, you won’t be able to drive a stake into this genre anytime soon. As long as there is money to be made, there will always be a new vampire tale to tell.
Anyway, all this vampire talk got me thinking of my favorite blood-sucking films. And what better way to present my thoughts then to give you a fang-tastic top 10 list. Although my list may not be definitive, hopefully it will introduce everyone to some of the greatest vampire movies around. These are movies with real "bite." You can definitely sink your teeth into them. They're bloody good ones. Please, somebody stop me.
One should always respect and pay homage to the films that were groundbreaking. Nosferatu is hands down the vampire film that started it all and set the pace for all others to come. It inspired many of the early Hollywood vampire movies with its dark and eerie vibe, and is still well regarded amongst filmmakers today. This film was supposed to be a screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, but, since the filmmakers didn't have the rights to the book, they produced this somewhat similar version of the same tale. This vampire film is actually fairly creepy in mood and texture by even today’s standards.
This horror spoof was actually a surprise summer hit back in the 80's. The set up: A teenage horror-movie fanatic Charley (William Ragsdale) seeks the help from a washed-up horror-movie actor (Roddy McDowall) when he’s unable to convince his girlfriend, his mother, his best friend, and the authorities that his new neighbor (Chris Sarandon) is a dangerous vampire. Sure, this film is sorely out-dated, but who cares. It's campy, it's fun and full of cheesy surprises. You’re so cool, Brewster! Colin Farrell will be taking on the vampire role in the upcoming reboot, which should hit theaters on August 19th 2011. I actually think this remake will be pretty good.
My brother Tom, who hooked me on vampires, took me to see this movie and I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Vampires is an oldie but a goodie and starred James Woods and Daniel Baldwin as vampire hunters who, guess what, hunt down vampires and destroy them for the church. Although it's not as deep in story, its an action packed festival of vampire staking fun from start to finish. It's what you call a popcorn flick. It's fun vampire madness in the name of the catholic church! What's not to love?
What’s not to like about a futuristic thriller? It’s dark and creepy, but more importantly it has a pretty unique plot. The set up: almost everyone on Earth purposely caught a virus in order to become immortal. The catch is that they’re all now vampires, and the supply of pure human blood is dwindling. Oops! As it turns out a diet without human blood has some pretty severe side effects for vampires. It’s definitely a vampire film worth seeing.
This cult classic was one of the first films to explore the idea that being a vampire might actually be pretty cool. This film was a pretty important precursor to the Twilight series and takes viewers into a world that explores teen angst, and drama. Even though it's a tad-bit dated now, it is still pretty cool compared to a lot of other average vampire movies out there.
I'm a fan of Sam Raimi's films and director David Slade and I thought they did a great job with this movie. The plot was interesting enough to keep me anticipating the characters next move. It was super dark and eerie not to mention incredibly bloody. The thought of vampires having their own language was a nice touch too. And the twist in the end was an unexpected surprise, one that I really liked. It's a very campy film in a sort of fun loving, kill everyone kind of way.
Forget Team Jacob and Team Edward for a moment, this series was the first to start the ongoing battle between vampires and werewolves. But it is easy to forget that it’s about vampires since Kate Beckinsale (team vampire) looks distractingly… um, distracting, in her oh so tight leather combat suit. Underworld’s premise was also among the first to reach for a scientific explanation – viruses from a bat and a wolf turned the entire planet into the two rival species. The vampires are a little weak in this series, which I found annoying, but it’s still a pretty fun ride.
Coppola's direction brings a very realistic portrayal of the book to the screen, as realistic as the horror/fantasy element permits that is, and it has a host of top notch actors in boot – gotta love Gary Oldman, he plays one killer vampire. This sensual vampire film may be looked at as a let down by it's rigid following of the book, i.e. trying to cram too much into a 2 hour movie. At times it leaves the story feeling a little hollow, but this is still an important film in the vampiric world. And despite having Keanu Reeves staring in the it, "Whoa, you're fangs are like really long," it's still a great film, definitely one worth checking out.
This Swedish film is a work of perfection. The movie is so subtle in its brutality, and yet so equally haunting in its approach that it regularly pins the viewer to their seat in anticipation. Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, Let the Right One In follows the bullied, isolated, preteen boy who finally befriends the new "girl" next door. But when townspeople suddenly turn up with throats ripped to shreds, he has to decide if fear or friendship will take the upper hand. I loved this film! I thought it was a very interesting take on vampires, one that has never been told before. I highly recommend checking it out. You can also see the American version, Let Me In, which is currently in theaters.
I loved the idea of a story being told through the eyes and soul of a vampire - just a somber, yet simple tale of the life of the tortured and undead. Brilliant! “Interview” is perhaps one of the most faithful adaptations in film history. If you haven’t read Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles yet, I urge you to do so immediately. This film definitely sets the bar pretty high when it comes to vampire films, and with a combination of Anne Rice's script and Neil Jordan's direction, the film not only looks amazing, but contains good material as well. It immediately recasts vampires as irresistibly sexy instead of horrifyingly ugly. And to this day I still maintain Tom Cruise did an exceptional job portraying the “Brat-Prince” – Lastat. With that being said, this is easily, and without doubt my favorite vampire film of all time.
Anyway, now's your chance to let the world know which vampire films you thought were left off this list. The comments section is yours. Have at it!
Labels: Best of the Best
Posted by Kristen at 10:43 PM 4 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Third Batman Movie is Officially Titled 'The Dark Knight Rises'
Source: Hero Complex

This is all very exciting news! Apparently Hero Complex had a chance to speak with Christopher Nolan the other day and is reporting that the third installment in the Batman franchise will be officially titled The Dark Knight Rises. This will be the follow-up to the epic conclusion to the phenomenal and unforgettable The Dark Knight. Nolan confirmed a few other things as well: that it will not be shot in 3D (I'm actually happy to hear that), but rather shot with high def and IMAX cameras (again) instead. Also the villain is not The Riddler and Harvey Dent will not be returning.
How excited are you?
Labels: Movie News
Posted by Kristen at 6:06 PM 4 comments Links to this post
Let Me In, Red, Life As We Know It Movie Reviews




Labels: Movie Reviews
Posted by Kristen at 12:50 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
A Great 'Epic Finale' Featurette for Harry Potter 7
Source: Yahoo

Be sure to watch the first full-length Trailer and SECOND Trailer for Deathly Hallows online as well.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is again directed by British filmmaker David Yates, of Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince previously. The script was also written again by Steve Kloves, of Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, and also Half-Blood Prince, but not Order of the Phoenix. This is based on J.K. Rowling's very popular series of books which have already concluded. This epic film hits theaters next month on November 19th. I seriously can not wait!
Labels: Movie News
Posted by Kristen at 7:53 PM 3 comments Links to this post
Paranormal Activicty 2 Review

Being a fan of scary/horror films, I had no choice but to give it shot. So some friends and I ventured to the theater opening night to see Paranormal Activity 2. We had a blast! The theater was packed with people in for a good scare. And a great scare is what we got. It's no wonder it was #1 at the box office last weekend, ranking in a whopping $40.7 million. That's really impressive for any horror movie opening, let alone a sequel. If you thought the first film was scary/creepy, just wait until you see this new installment, directed by Tod Williams.
Our story begins one year after the Rey family brings home their new born baby boy. The father Daniel (Brian Boland), mother Kristie (Sprague Grayden), and her teenage stepdaughter Ali (Molly Ephraim) are alarmed when they come home to a ransacked house. Naturally assuming it was a break-in, despite that fact that only a necklace given to Kristie from her big sister Katie (Katie Featherston) was missing, they decide to install surveillance cameras around the inside and outside of their suburban home. Over the next three weeks, they will discover that the culprit is actually living inside the house, and is far from human.
I really liked how this sequel tied into the first film - it's actually more of prequel than a sequel. And because of the surveillance cameras around the house, I felt this film was more believable than the first. If you're honestly terrified the last think you're going to grab, while b-lining out the front door, running for your life, is your video camera. And what's great about these horror films is they don't rely on gore to freak the audience out - ahem, Saw anyone? It's the evil, never seen demon that does the freaking, but more importantly it's the lack of music. With this film, even more than the original, there's a wonderful, quiet rhythm that settles in very quickly, and it's the slow burn that makes it work so well. With each night, the same pattern of shots is used to establish the pace we're dealing with, and what happens to disrupt that rhythm is what truly becomes terrifying. Since there's no score at all the entire movie uses ambient noises and that's really what cranks up the mood. It's all depended on the situation and the way these people react to the situation, and Williams proves himself brilliantly with this sequel/prequel.
The ending was pretty bleak though. It all happened too quickly and with little surprise, but all in all it was a horrifyingly fun movie. The best horror films are the ones that make us forget that we are safe, they make us feel like we're right there, hanging out over oblivion, alone in the dark with only haunting sounds around us. And that's exactly what this film did. I definitely had trouble sleeping that night, that's for sure. But it's the most fun you'll have being scared in 2010, no doubt about it. So if you're in the mood for a scare-fest this is definitely the movie to see.
RATING: B-
Labels: Movie Reviews
Posted by Kristen at 5:55 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
First Official Teaser Trailer for Scream 4
Source: Trailer Addict

Ten years have passed since the first series of killings, and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the infamous Ghostface Killer once again.
Scream 4 is once again directed by horror mastermind Wes Craven, of The Hills Have Eyes, Swamp Thing, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Shocker, Red Eye and of course the original Scream trilogy. The screenplay was written by franchise creator Kevin Williamson, who wrote Scream 1 & 2 and I Know What You Did Last Summer. The Weinstein Company/Dimension Films is bringing this never ending series in 3D no less, to theaters on April 15th, 2011.
Labels: Latest Trailers
Posted by Kristen at 2:35 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Monday, October 11, 2010
Tony Gilroy's 'Bourne Legacy' Sequel Won't Have Jason Bourne
Source: Hollywood Elsewhere
Last week it was officially announce that director Tony Gilroy (of Michael Clayton and Duplicity) would be taking over the Bourne franchise bringing us the fourth sequel titled The Bourne Legacy. And since Paul Greengrass (of The Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum) won't be returning, neither will Mr. Matt Damon. So this will not be the prequel we were all hoping for and expecting. Gilroy states, "This is not a reboot or a recast or a prequel. No one's replacing Matt Damon. There will be a whole new hero, a whole new chapter… this is a stand-alone project." Um?...
So let me get this straight, no Jason Bourne, a new "hero", a stand-alone project... sounds like a reboot to me, especially if they're continuing with a CIA super-agent who's on the run. "The easiest way to think of it is an expansion or a reveal," Gilroy added. "Jason Bourne will not be in this film, but he's very much alive. What happened in the first three films is the trigger for what happens. I'm building a legend and an environment and a wider conspiracy… the world we're making enhances and advances and invites Jason Bourne's return (down the road)." Okay, I guess that's kind of cool. But I still think they should put this franchise to rest, even if Damon was open to reprising his role. It ended so brilliantly! And now with Damon out, I don't see this sequel being nearly as cool. Although Gilroy does have some interesting concepts, I'm still annoyed Damon's not returning. I don't think I'm alone when saying that either.
"Everything you saw in the first three films actually happened, and everyone who got into will be rewarded for paying attention. We're going to show you the bigger picture, the bigger canvas. When you see what we're going and see what we're doing it'll be pretty obvious." The Bourne franchise had a fantastic finale in 2007 with The Bourne Ultimatum (which is actually my favorite in the series), but since then it has been on a rocky road because Universal wants more, but no one else does. They've hired countless writers to take a crack at a story and honestly I don't even know who's behind the script that Gilroy's using. Whatever the case, we at least know where they're headed now.
What do you think of all this?
Labels: Movie News
Posted by Kristen at 3:00 PM 5 comments Links to this post
Andrew Garfield Chats About His Preparation for Spider-Man
Source: Risky Business
Ever since it was officially announce in July that Andrew Garfield would play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Marc Webb's upcoming reboot (which I think is a great idea btw), no one involved has spoken about the project, until now.
Below is his lengthy, but quite fun and fascinating response, to a question about how he's prepping for the role. Shooting isn't supposed to start until December, so he doesn't have too much to say just yet.
"I have been waiting for this phone call for 24 years, for someone to call me up and say, 'Hey, we want you to pretend to be a character that you’ve always wanted to be all your life, and we’re going to do it with cool cameras and cool effects and you’re going to feel like you’re swinging through New York City. Do you want to do that?' [laughs] 'Let me just consult with my seven-year old self and see what he thinks…' So my seven-year-old self started screaming in my soul and saying, This is what we’ve been waiting for. Like every young boy who feels stronger on the inside than they look on the outside, any skinny boy basically who wishes their muscles matched their sense of injustice, God, it’s just the stuff that dreams are made of, for sure. It’s a true fucking honor to be part of this symbol that I actually think is a very important symbol and it’s meant a great deal to me, and it continues to mean something to people. So yeah, I feel like I’ve been preparing for it for a while. Ever since Halloween when I was four years old and I wore my first Spider-Man costume."
Couldn't have asked for a more genuine response. He seems like a very humble guy, which is nice. I'm kind of fan of his work, so I'm excited for this reboot. I think he'll do great! In response to a question about wrapping his brain around the extreme exposure of being Spider-Man, he replied: "Not to give it credence, not to give it any of my energy. Just approach it like any other job that I care about deeply… I just want to be an actor, really. And of course all those things came into consideration when I was making the decision. But at the end of the day, I had faith that I would be able to not be defined by it. And I still have faith that I will be able to get lost in roles and just keep doing what I love to do." I just love his answer btw!
Without any details known about the story or even what the costume may looks like, there's not much to add about this for now. But with production starting later this year/early next year, we'll probably be hearing a lot more sooner than we think. For the full interview, head over to THR's Risky Business. Lastly, as for what exactly he's focusing on doing right now, well, it's a key element of the superhero physique: "Flexibility is my main focus right now. Making sure that I can be as flexible as possible." WOW! Gotta love that. ;) Personally, I feel Garfield is perfectly cast and I love how excited he is to play the iconic super-hero. Can't wait to see him as Spider-Man! And if you haven't seen the The Social Network yet, what are you waiting for?! It's a must see! He's currently at the Telluride Film Festival promoting Never Let Me Go, which was released to limited theaters on September 15th and looks amazing. I can't wait to see it.
Labels: Movie News
Posted by Kristen at 2:11 PM 4 comments Links to this post
Watch: First Trailer for Peter Weir's Surival Film 'The Way Back'
Source: The Playlist

Labels: Latest Trailers
Posted by Kristen at 1:15 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Friday, October 8, 2010
Second Trailer: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Source: YouTube

I didn't know there were dragons in Narnia. Count me in! 20th Century Fox has just debuted their latest and greatest full-length trailer to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I wasn't so impressed with the last film - Prince Caspian - so this new chapter comes as a surprise. It looks really, really good! Much more appealing than the first two films... if only for the dragon fight at the end. I'm excited to see this movie now. Did Fox take this franchise right out from under Disney and make it better? Take a look for yourself. Enjoy!
Labels: Latest Trailers
Posted by Kristen at 2:42 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Over The Hill To Damon's House We Go

Some of my favorite Damon flicks include, Good Will Hunting, Ocean's Eleven, and of course The Bourne series. Oh, and let's not forget his hilarious guest appearance on Will & Grace - good times. Word has it they are continuing The Bourne series... without Mr. Matt Damon?! One thing's for certain, if he doesn't reprise his role, you can count me out. Click on link to learn more: EXCLUSIVE: Tony Gilroy Helming 'Bourne 4'. Be sure to look for Damon in his next project, Hereafter and again later this fall in True Grit. In celebration of this over-the-hill stud, I've attached a fun/cheesy video below. Enjoy!
We hope you have a GREAT day!
Labels: Birthdays
Posted by Kristen at 12:02 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Must Watch: Latest Trailer For 'The Tourist'
Source: SlashFilm

"You were part of a plan"
The Tourist is directed by acclaimed German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, of only the Oscar winning film The Lives of Others. The screenplay was written by Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park, Vanity Fair, Young Victoria), Christopher McQuarrie (Usual Suspects, Valkyrie). This is a remake of the 2005 French film Anthony Zimmer, which I highly recommend renting. This film hits theaters everywhere on December 10th.
Labels: Latest Trailers
Posted by Kristen at 1:47 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Best Of Jesse Eisenberg!





His mom was a professional clown
Dream Job

Eisenberg’s character Columbus comes up with rules to surviving a world that has been overrun by zombies. He also has a phobia about clowns, which is ironic since Eisenberg’s real-life mother worked as a party clown.
Watch the trailer!


Labels: Birthdays
Posted by Kristen at 8:37 AM 3 comments Links to this post