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Happy Holidays from Your Friends at Film Junk!
24 December 2009 8:07 PM, PST
Hey guys, I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and whatever else you might be celebrating at this time of year. It's been an enjoyable year for all of us here at Film Junk, and we're awful appreciative that folks like you visit our little website from time to time and feign interest in whatever we might have to say. There may be a ton of other movie blogs out there that are bigger and better, but we're happy just to be able to share our love of movies with people who feel the same way we do. Updates will be fairly sporadic over the next week or so, but our Best of Decade countdown will continue on weekdays and our Top 10 of 2009 lists will be unveiled by January 1st, along with the winners of the Film Junk Reader's Choice Awards. »
- Sean
New To Theatres This Weekend: Sherlock Holmes, Up in the Air, Nine, It’s Complicated
24 December 2009 11:43 AM, PST
We've definitely got a strange line-up of movies in theatres this Christmas. There aren't as many Oscar contenders out there this year, and not much in the way of family comedies except for The Squeakquel (ugh). The big battle shaping up is the one between Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes and James Cameron's Avatar. Avatar is building on strong word of mouth, but Sherlock Holmes has name recognition, Robert Downey Jr., and positive reviews to back it up. Which one will come out on top? Jason Reitman's Up in the Air is also finally in wide release this weekend, and it's definitely the critical favourite of the bunch. Other major releases include It's Complicated starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin and the Rob Marshall musical Nine starring Daniel Day-Lewis, while Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is opening in select theatres. What will you be checking out this weekend? »
- Sean
Best of the Decade #4: Lost in Translation (2003)
24 December 2009 10:16 AM, PST
After a promising directorial debut with The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola proved it was no fluke when her follow-up film, the 2003 masterpiece Lost in Translation became something of a phenomenon. It opened in just 23 theatres, but it ended up grossing almost $120 million worldwide. Coppola had officially stepped out of her father's shadow and found her own voice, but she also established herself as one of the most exciting and prominent female directors working today. A lot of disparate things came together to make this movie such a huge success, but there's no question that one of the most important decisions Coppola made was casting Bill Murray as washed-up movie star Bob Harris. The story goes that he was a difficult man to track down, despite the fact that his career had been revived (and somewhat transformed) with Wes Anderson's Rushmore, but Sofia Coppola's persistence paid off (both for »
- Sean
Kevin Smith’s Cop Out Trailer Starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan
24 December 2009 8:55 AM, PST
We've got one more trailer to squeeze in before Christmas, and I think it's one a lot of people have been waiting to see: Kevin Smith's latest comedy Cop Out (formerly known as A Couple of Dicks)! This is the first time Kevin Smith has directed from someone else's script, and lucky for him, the script by Robb Cullen and Mark Cullen was on the 2008 Black List of best unproduced screenplays. He also has a pretty awesome cast in Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan and Seann William Scott. So does it look like Cop Out is going to be one of the best comedies of 2009? Well... uh, I'm not so sure about that. I have to be honest, the trailer didn't really do much for me. I thought the intro was kind of clever, but other than that, there wasn't really much here that made me laugh. I do think »
- Sean
Is Hawkman Getting His Own Movie?
24 December 2009 8:42 AM, PST
Hawkeye Is Getting His Own Movie!!!!! *Mentally high-fives Jay* ... Wait, no... Hawk-..man? Hawkman?!! What is this! I've been tricked! fasuhfh12uaiou51fha... Note to self: Never pick a story to write about before fully reading and understanding it first. On top of this major disappointment (both comedic and news-wise), I'll continue on. Pajiba [1] has word from their super duper secret insider source, that Warner Bros. and DC are planning to take the superhero game one step further by creating a film about one of the lesser known DC characters: Justice League's Hawkman. The only thing I know about Hawkman is that he appears in the Justice League cartoons (or was that Hawkwoman/girl?), but other than that it's not ringing any bells of recognition. But apparently that could be a good thing, as they seem to have hopes of creating the next sleeper hit (i.e. the next »
- Kasper
Repo Men Trailer Starring Jude Law
24 December 2009 8:38 AM, PST
Breathe easy folks, this is not a remake of the 1984 Emilio Estevez cult classic Repo Man, but rather a new dark sci-fi thriller starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker. In the future, artificial organs save lives, but they also cost a lot of money. Many people buy them on credit, and when they fail to make a payment, Jude Law and his buddies come knocking at their door to rip the organs back out of their bodies. Sounds like kind of a clever concept to me, and perhaps a timely one as well. The first trailer for Repo Men is a red band one, which is mainly so that they can show off the bloody nature of the job (although there is some brief nudity as well). You should be warned that the trailer does give away a plot twist that may or may not end up being a big spoiler. »
- Sean
Forgotten Films: Santa With Muscles
24 December 2009 12:20 AM, PST
Forgotten Films [1] is a semi-regular feature on Film Junk where we explore interesting movies that have fallen off the radar or slipped through the cracks over the years. Everyone loves a good turkey around Christmas, so this week we've got a very special movie to satisfy that holiday craving: Santa with Muscles, the 1996 crapterpiece starring Hulk Hogan! Sometimes movies become "forgotten films" for a very good reason, and in the case of Santa With Muscles, it seems perfectly acceptable that the majority of the world is blissfully unaware of its existence. Still, with a ridiculous title like that, I felt compelled to seek out a copy and investigate further. It had to be good for at least a few laughs, right? In recent years we've seen plenty of WWE wrestlers make the transition to questionable acting careers, but many people forget that a handful of the popular '80s wrestlers »
- Sean
Knight and Day Trailer Starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz
23 December 2009 11:44 AM, PST
I know what you're thinking... oh great, Tom Cruise in another spy movie. With Cameron Diaz. Mission: Impossible meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith, right? Well, not quite. After watching the trailer for Knight and Day, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the storyline wasn't entirely what I expected. It seems Cameron Diaz is just an innocent woman who happens to cross paths with a secret agent, and then gets dragged along for the ride. I was prepared to roll my eyes, but the tone of the movie is light and comedic, and the action still looks solid. This is the kind of action comedy I want to see... not Date Night with some crazy car chases added in! Although Tom Cruise still seems to be in a lot of people's shit books these days, he's still making good movies, and this looks like another perfect role for him if you ask me. »
- Sean
Movie Poster Round-Up: Inception, Robin Hood, Clash of the Titans
23 December 2009 11:27 AM, PST
Along with all the trailers coming out for next year's big blockbusters, we've also got a slew of new posters being released at the same time since the two seem to go hand in hand. Let's take a quick spin around the web and see what kinds of artwork these talented graphic design people have come up with. Among the more intriguing ones of the bunch are a couple of posters for Christopher Nolan's Inception, which as some have pointed out, seem to have a slight resemblance to early posters for The Dark Knight. I still have no idea what this movie is about, but I definitely want to find out. Other newly released one sheets include a pair of epic Clash of the Titans posters, a wanna-be epic Season of the Witch poster, and a very stylish poster for the new Tom Cruise / Cameron Diaz movie Knight and Day. »
- Sean
Best of the Decade #5: Inglourious Basterds (2009)
23 December 2009 10:51 AM, PST
Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds was probably my most anticipated film of 2009, and it had been a long time coming. I remember first hearing about the idea of a Tarantino WWII film and wondered what that could look like. The end result surpassed even my already high expectations, cementing itself as one of my favourite theatre going experiences of the decade. The idea of paying tribute to and ultimately elevating genre films seems to work quite well for Quentin. It succeeds because it's done out of love. He approaches the material with a sincere sense of adoration where others might come off as condescending. His passion for the sort of simple storytelling laid out in some of his favourite exploitation films ends up providing the groundwork for which he builds upon, resulting in something fresh and exciting. Even though Inglourious Basterds plays pretty straight for the most part, you can »
- Jay C.
Sex and the City 2 Trailer
23 December 2009 10:11 AM, PST
Alright guys, it's time to get "Carried" away with the very first trailer for Sex and the City 2! After the first movie made $415 million worldwide, they certainly didn't waste any time churning out a sequel. Something tells me this one won't make quite as much money, but then again, what do I know? It's another excuse for a girls night out across the world, and that's probably all they need. In the meantime, men will continue to scoff at how terrible it is, and claim superiority of Iron Man 2 or whatever testosterone-driven counterpart they've most recently seen. Hey, maybe if women had more movies that appealed to them, Sex and the City wouldn't be as popular as it is. Sex and the City 2 hits theatres on May 28th, which means it's going head to head with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Check out the trailer after the jump. »
- Sean
Weekly Poll Results: Best James Cameron Movie
23 December 2009 9:44 AM, PST
Last week we asked you what the best James Cameron movie is, and you guys responded with plenty of votes... the majority of them going to Terminator 2: Judgment Day! I think we all knew it was going to be a race between T2 and Aliens, but T2 won by a pretty large margin. Aliens was a distant second with 27% of the votes, followed by The Terminator and The Abyss. Surprisingly, Piranha 2 actually got more votes than True Lies, and unfortunately, not a single vote was cast for either of James Cameron's undersea documentaries. Come on, don't we have any lovers of sunken ships and strange fish out there? What do you think, should Avatar be higher on this list? 1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day -- 37.9% 2. Aliens -- 27.8% 3. The Terminator -- 8.1% 4. The Abyss -- 5.8% 5. Titanic -- 5.6% 5. Avatar -- 5.6% 7. Piranha 2 -- 3.7% 8. True Lies -- 3.5% 10. Ghosts of the Abyss -- 0% 10. Aliens of the Deep »
- Sean
The Messenger Review
23 December 2009 12:12 AM, PST
The Messenger Review Directed by: Oren Moverman Written by: Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Steve Buscemi After a few years of movies about the war in Iraq that were both commercial and critical failures, it seems that American filmmakers are finally learning to tackle the subject without trying so hard to make a statement. Most notably, Kathryn Bigelow's action thriller The Hurt Locker has been hailed by many as one of the best films of the year, and is currently riding a huge wave of Oscar buzz. On the other side of the spectrum, we have Oren Moverman's quiet yet powerful indie drama The Messenger (not to be confused with Luc Besson's Joan of Arc biopic of the same name). The tale is a simple one with no immediate hook. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) is a soldier who »
- Sean
The Karate Kid Trailer Starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan
22 December 2009 2:29 PM, PST
Just in time for Christmas, the first trailer for the remake of The Karate Kid has arrived online, and (I assume) will also be attached to some of the movies debuting in theatres this weekend. I have a feeling this trailer is going to cause a minor uproar wherever it plays, simply because it's such a classic film and a lot of people probably don't even know it's being remade as of yet. But yes, here it is, and they've officially opted to maintain the original title, even though the setting has been moved to China. I have to admit I'm a little torn on this, because although so many parts of this trailer just feel awkward and wrong, the actual storyline of a kid fighting back against his bullies is still compelling. They're clearly trying hard to make this appear hip and urban, even using the same hip-hop song »
- Sean
Best of the Decade #6: There Will Be Blood (2007)
22 December 2009 10:09 AM, PST
It took me two viewings to realize that There Will Be Blood was my favourite film of 2007. Too bad they both happened in 2008. Luckily, with the decade coming to a close, I can finally give There Will Be Blood the praise it deserves and include it in a list! Paul Thomas Anderson turns in a film that is uncharacteristically subdued in technique, yet unapologetically bombastic in its performances; specifically Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview. While some complained that his portrayal was too 'showy', I thought it hit the spot, bringing life to the otherwise blown out and depressing late 19th century California setting. Paul Dano's Eli Sunday may not be able to match Day-Lewis' intensity, but it sure is a lot of fun to watch them go at each other. Characters aside, there's also some serious attention to detail in the process of turn of the century oil drilling, »
- Jay C.
Mike Myers in Talks for Marvin the Martian Movie?
22 December 2009 9:43 AM, PST
It was announced [1] last year that a CG/live-action movie based on the popular Looney Tunes character Marvin the Martian was on its way to becoming a reality. At the time, the project was still in the very early stages of development, with no writer or director attached, but now this week we have an update courtesy of the L.A. Times [2]. Apparently the movie is still happening, with Warner Brothers and producer Alcon Entertainment eyeing a Christmas 2011 release date. The holiday release date is essential since the story revolves around Marvin the Martian coming to Earth to destroy Christmas. No word on whether or not any other Looney Tunes characters will be involved (I'm hoping his loyal dog K-9 will at least have a part), but they have named Alex Zamm (Chairman of the Board, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2) as the director. Oh good. The script will be written »
- Sean
This Week on DVD: District 9, (500) Days of Summer, It Might Get Loud
22 December 2009 9:25 AM, PST
Only three more shopping days left till Christmas! If you're still looking for some last minute gifts, you're in luck, because there are some decent DVD releases hitting stores today including Mike Judge's Extract, the indie hit (500) Days of Summer, and Neill Blomkamp's District 9 (the Blu-ray of which even includes a God of War 3 demo for the Playstation 3). Other major releases include the Sandra Bullock comedy All About Steve, the Family Guy parody of The Empire Strikes Back, and another direct-to-dvd American Pie sequel. Also don't miss out on the guitar documentary It Might Get Loud featuring Jack Black, Jimmy Page and The Edge. See anything worth renting or purchasing? District 9 [1] (DVD, Blu-ray [2]) (500) Days of Summer [3] (DVD, Blu-ray [4]) Extract [5] (DVD, Blu-ray [6]) Beyond A Reasonable Doubt [7] (DVD, Blu-ray [8]) All About Steve [9] (DVD, Blu-ray [10]) American Pie Presents: The Book of Love [11] (DVD, Blu-ray [12]) Staten Island [13] (DVD, Blu-ray [14]) Call »
- Sean
No Topher Grace in Venom Spinoff?
22 December 2009 8:20 AM, PST
The much talked about Spider-Man 3 spinoff about the movie's villain Venom, has yet to really materialize and everything about the project is still pretty unclear. I wouldn't even be surprised if the movie never happens. But if it does, will Topher Grace then return as Venom? Not likely, as the actor doesn't seem to have a clue about what is going on with the movie. When asked if he would like to return to take another turn as Venom, he gave the answer: "Um, I don't know. I guess... I haven't heard anything." Very reassuring! The answer, however, could mean several things (or nothing, really). 1. Grace, with his "I guess," could be interested in taking on the role once again, but has not been asked to return, or 2. he has no idea about what's going on at all. Most likely it's the second option. Whatever happens, if the flick does go into production, »
- Kasper
Marmaduke Trailer Starring Owen Wilson
22 December 2009 8:13 AM, PST
Now this is a drive-in movie if ever there was one! Owen Wilson voices Marmaduke, the clumsy Great Dane from the comic strip by Brad Anderson. Unlike some of the other talking animal comedies out there, they decided not to go the full CG route for the dogs, which is probably a good thing. As far as the voices go, maybe it's just me, but Owen Wilson doesn't seem to fit such a big dog. Fortunately, I can probably overlook that, because check it out... that dog's actually wearing sunglasses! Classic! From the twist on Phantom Planet's "California" to the tag line that refers to him as "The Duke", this teaser trailer is a real masterpiece. Marmaduke is directed by Tom Dey (Failure to Launch, Shanghai Noon) and also stars William H. Macy and Judy Greer, plus the voices of Steve Coogan, Ron Perlman, Jeremy Piven, Emma Stone, Damon Wayans and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. »
- Sean
Film Junk Bonus Podcast: Avatar
21 December 2009 11:13 PM, PST
You've heard plenty of ranting and raving about James Cameron's Avatar over the past week or so, but if for some reason you're not completely burnt out on the film yet, we've got another half-hour of discussion to throw out into the ether. Although there weren't a ton of spoiler topics we wanted to address, we thought it best to keep it as a separate bonus podcast that acts as a supplement to Episode #248 [1] of the Film Junk Podcast. The bonus podcast is about 30 minutes long and it addresses some of the lingering questions we had about the story, some of the issues raised by the movie, and a number of Reed Farrington's inevitable nitpicks. Warning: This podcast is basically all spoilers all the time, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, think twice before you listen. » Download the MP3 (15 Mb) [2] Subscribe to the podcast feed: [3] [4] [5] [6] [1] http://www. »
- Sean
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