Trailer - "Drive"

I've been quietly waiting for this one for a while now. Drive is the latest film from Dutch director Nicholas Winding Refn, a director who is certainly one of the more interesting working today. His last two features were very memorable in their own right - Bronson was an awesomely original biopic about the british psychopath with an incredible powerhouse performance from Tom Hardy and Valhalla Rising was more so for the wrong reasons, featuring hypnotising, frequently trippy visuals and a nothing plot. Drive looks set to be more accessible than his prior work and houses one of the best casts of the year. The film casts Ryan Gosling playing a movie stunt driver, who gets ever more dangerously embroiled in a life of crime. Also featured include Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Oscar Isaac and Albert Brooks. Refn seems to be channelling a great 70's vibe for his film and knowing the directors inability to shy away from the more gritty and violent element of things, it will almost certainly feature it's fair share of hair raising moments. The film is released on September 23 later this year.

Production Blog #3: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"

After slowly revealing the entire band of twelve dwarves the past two weeks, Peter Jackson has released yet another Production Blog. The entire cast and crew are taking a well earned break after the first block of shooting, so the timing is perfect for Jackson give us more tantalising glimpses from the set. In it, as is befitting the last week, we spend most of our time with the dwarves and get a better sense of their personality and look. Jackson has amazingly managed to give each member a distinct and memorable personality from the last - something the man says was certainly a bone of contention in early stages of design. Everyone looks as if they share the same camaraderie as the original fellowship did ten years ago. Speaking of the original trilogy, we also get our first look at Cate Blanchett's ethereal 'Galadriel', Hugo Weaving's 'Elrond' and even John Rhys-Davies turning up to give some much needed dwarfing advice. Everything looks set in place for another epic and stunning return to Middle Earth. How Jackson is maintaining his sanity after undertaking such a behemoth is beyond me. Also included below is the released pics of the dwarves in full. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released on December 14th 2012.

Nori, Ori & Dori

Oin & Gloin

Balin & Dwalin

Fili & Kili

Bombur, Bofur & Bifur

Thorin

Trailer - "The Amazing Spider-Man"

There's been a dodgy cam leak floating around online for the past few days now, but finally the official trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man has finally debuted, in all it's HD glory. It looks like director Marc Webb has brought some of his indie cred from 500 Days of Summer and the whole film has a distinctly darker tone than the previous trilogy. Coasting on Nolan's coattails, it looks to have taken a leaf out of Batman's reboot. However, whereas Batman sorely needed a reboot to fix the abomination that had gone prior, there really is no need for yet another stab at Peter Parker's backstory. With the original film still fresh in everybody's mind not even nine years ago, the recent (disastrous) broadway production and countless comic book lines, there really is a huge dollop of 'unnecessary' surrounding the film. It simply is not a story I wish to see repeated for the umpteenth time. Surely just assuming everybody knows how Parker came into being Spiderman and skipping straight onto the good stuff was the better way to go when Raimi left? Hopefully the film will dispel my doubts, but Webb et al have their work cut out. At least the extended POV at the end is cracking. It is scheduled for release on July 3rd 2012.

Top 10: Anti-Heroes

Heroes are boring. Sure, they strive for good and always sacrifice everything to get it, but isn't that what you expect off a hero? There is never any surprises with them. A good example is Superman. I have never understood the fascination with such a character. He is indestructible (bar some green rock), always and sickeningly does the right thing and looks utterly daft in his costume. He's like the teacher's pet in school. They may be keeping the class on track but they are ultimately gonna get beat up at lunch time. OK, so maybe you couldn't beat up Superman, but if you caught him as Clark Kent in public, I'd say he'd just lie down and take it. Much more interesting is Batman. He bases his image out of fear, was borne out of violence and flirts with darkness. You always know where Superman stands. He is literally a God on Earth and yet all he seems to do is moan over Lois. Batman on the other hand does the right thing too, but not always through the morally correct ways. In my list here I have compiled a list of characters that are so much more interesting because you don't know if they are going to do the right thing. They usually ultimately serve only their own needs and that will go on to designate why they are taking the measures they are taking. Most actors say that playing the villain is always more fun than the hero. Well by that rationale, surely the anti-hero is going to be the best of all; you get to portray all the nefarious things a villain might, but get to save the day at the end of it all.

Snake Plissken

Possibly the best anti-hero of all time is Kurt Russell's depiction of Snake Plissken in John Carpenters 1981 classic Escape From New York. He is a cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking rebel and only does the things here to serve entirely his own ends. An ex-convict, Plissken shows nothing but contempt for the Government and the scumbags he is sent to infiltrate. He is a true lone wolf. An effective bad-ass throwback to the Westerns of John Ford. It is his simplicity that makes him so effective.






'Mad' Max Rockatansky
We have to get through most of Mad Max, before we truly get to see what an anti-hero the man has become. It is only after losing his wife and child to psychopathic bikers that he is free to throw himself into the murky, questionable and downright despicable ways and means to apprehend the men responsible. Mad Max 2 explored the character even better, with the basis that the apocalypse has destroyed all humanity in men. This is exemplified best in Max. He might do the right thing, but only if it suits him and if he can get something out of it. Of course this was all before they turned him Disney in Beyond Thunderdome and sheparding all those kids to freedom (?)


"Mad Max" Offers a Choice


Leon
An indestructible hitman who kills with no remorse or questions asked? Bad. Protecting a defenseless 12 year old girl from the drug toting psychopathic officers who massacred her family? Good. Teaching said 12 year old to kill like he does? Bad. Harboring questionable feelings for 12 year old? Well how much more 'anti' could the man be? To be fair, I always saw Leon's relationship with Mathilda as purely father and daughter, but it still doesn't excuse the fact that the man is a killing machine! In any other film, Leon would be the bad guy's terrifying henchman. It is a tribute to Jean Reno's acting skills that we are as receptive to the character as we are.







Travis Bickle
Has the line between hero and villain ever been so grey? Taxi Driver features universal themes of loneliness and isolation that many people can relate to. What people don't relate to, is just how unhinged DeNiro's 'Bickle' becomes throughout the film. The film may end with the man saving Jodie Foster from a life of child prostitution by gunning down all those responsible, but it could just as easily be innocent people at the end of his smoking barrel. As a result, the man is proclaimed a hero - the reality couldn't be farther from the truth, Travis killed those people to satiate his thirst for blood.







Withnail
Everybody has met someone like Withnail. Someone so utterly self absorbed and ignorant of most other peoples needs, but his own. Why would anyone hang out with such a character? Because he's bloody good fun and a great drinking buddy.







Richard
Throughout Dead Man's Shoes, Richard navigates some very murky waters indeed. This is a slasher film where we follow the slasher, and it is he who we relate to most. The film is a revenge fantasy. Any brother could imagine doing what Richard does in order to get back at the local small town scum bags who have tortured his brother. The only difference is that most would not go to the lengths he goes, to torment and kill them all. You have to give it to him, the man doesn't play around, as evidenced here:







Tony Montona
Undeniably, the most grandiose character here. Some will argue as to whether or not, Tony should fall into the villain category; surely villains aren't supposed to inspire the cheers that Tony does? The man's bravado and larger than life attitude alone ensure him a place.





Patrick Bateman
No way Bateman is a villain. He may be a psychopathic serial killer with some serious hang ups about business cards, but the fact that he is the lead in the film means we are asked to at least empathize with him. Bale has never been better than here, and is supremely watchable throughout, even through all the more grotesque scenes. Bateman may be a monster, but is a product of his time and surroundings, and whether or not all his crimes were even real is left up to interpretation. It is his sheer enthusiasm for being so despicable, that wins the viewer over, every time.

"American Psycho" Hip To Be Square




Alex
Poor Alex. Through his tortuous and very uncomfortable journey, A Clockwork Orange asks some very tough questions about the meaning of self and expression in todays society. Alex was undoubtedly a monster, but does that still condone the forced moral change that is made to his character? If it is not inherent 'goodness' in a person, then is that not in itself morally duplicitous to use aversion therapy to stop ammoral behaviour? If this is where it begins, then surely all control by the government over everyone is not far behind?  Is Alex's forced goodness ever truly real?

"A Clockwork Orange" Alex Takes Back His Gang



Officer Bud White
The man has questionable police skills, but shows nothing but results when he goes after those involved with violent crimes against women. White always gets his man, but not always through the official means. Where he not a cop, he'd be a mindless thug and bully.

Trailer - "The Dark Knight Rises"

For all you non Pott(er) Heads out there, the first teaser for The Dark Knight Rises has finally gone online. And true to the series form it shows.........not much of anything at all. What more is to be expected of Christopher Nolan at this stage? What is revealed in the trailer is more in keeping with the previous films and especially Batman Begins which almost certainly is very much connected to The Dark Knight Rises (Liam Neeson's 'Ra's Al Ghul' voiceover is certainly reused for a reason......). So we get a brief scene with a very banged up Commissioner Gordon on a hospital bed, pleading for Batman to return, however what is very intriguing is that he seems to be talking to Bruce Wayne and not Batman. Does he know Wayne's secret identity? From there on in we get a brief shot of Tom Hardy's 'Bane', some very Inceptioney titles and music plus a quick shot of a semi-frightened Batman squaring up to Bane, towering over him. And who is that watching on from behind? True, it gives nothing away in the plot department, but at least there's more on display than The Dark Knight's teaser trailer four years ago. Either way, I defy anyone not to be incredibly excited about Nolan's conclusion to his series - surely on it's way to joining that elite few, who can boast the status of being a great trilogy. In almost exactly a year to the day The Dark Knight Rises is released on July 20th 2012.

Trailer - "The Thing"

I still have my worries about this one, but for now, the trailer and poster have set my fears at rest about the new The Thing reboot/prequel. The original is one of the best horrors ever, finding director John Carpenter at the top of his game and features nail biting paranoia, gut wrenching violence and some of the best prosthetic work ever seen on celluloid. This film takes place before the events of the 1982 film and is supposed to segue directly into Kurt Russels 'MacReady' and band of Artic scientists. It's hard to be too negative about this effort seeing as Carpenters was also a remake of a 1951 film and look how mind blowing that turned out to be. Hopefully this won't let the legions of fans down, eager to see this creature done the justice it deserves on screen. The film is released on December 2nd.

Trailer - "Hugo"

The first trailer for Martin Scorsese's new childrens film Hugo (formally Hugo Cabret) takes it's bow today. I must admit, it is quite strange to see a master of such daring cinema like Scorsese work within the confines of a kids film, but the man has more than a proven track record to make this one at the very least, intriguing for now. He seems to be stretching his genre muscles after the downbeat Shutter Island from last year and looks set to be aiming for a whimsical, magical tone. It will also be interesting to see how he works with such extensive CG for the first time along with the mooted 3D. I guess until we see more I'm staying on the fence for now. Hugo is released on December 2nd.