Cinema 2009: A Year's Worth Of Movies In Just 7 Minutes

Almost a whole year ago, I shared with you guys an amazing video called 2008: A Tribute To The Movies, which was a compilation video of short clips from movies in 2008. This year, the same guy who did last year's video, Kees van Dijkhuizen, has made yet another compilation video for the movies in 2009. Amazing stuff with amazing music to back it up.

1 Year, 342 Movies, 12 Months of Production, 7 Minutes.
2009 proved that innovation is rewarded, and for that reason, I've decided no film should be left behind. I've nearly tripled the amount of footage used in 2008: A Tribute To The Movies.

Music:

'Malabar Front' by If These Trees Could Talk remains courtesy of If These Trees Could Talk, ® 2006.
'Death' by White Lies remains courtesy of Polydor Ltd. (UK), ® 2008.
'Crying Lightning' by Arctic Monkeys remains courtesy of Domino Records, ® 2009.
'1901' by Phoenix remains courtesy of Ghettoblaster under Exclusive Licence to V2 Records, ® 2009.
'Wake Up' by Arcade Fire remains courtesy of Rough Trade, ® 2005.

Source: /Film, keesvdijkhuizen

New Red Band Kick-Ass Trailer Featuring Hit-Girl Is Nothing But Kick-Ass!

One of my most anticipated movies of the next year, Kick-Ass has a new trailer featuring one of it’s characters, Hit-Girl, played by Chloe Moretz. If you want to check out the first trailer, here it is.

This is a red band trailer so be ready for a lot of violence and some profanity, all from a 12-year old girl. Check it out.

The Karate Kid Remake Trailer

Being a huge fan of the original The Karate Kid, the remake doesn't please me all that much. First off, the new Mr. Miyagi is Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is not even Japanese. Which brings us to where the movie is set- Beijing, China. And yet, the movie is still called The KARATE Kid. For a while, the title of the film was The Kung-Fu Kid, which would be more appropriate but it just wouldn't be right either. Also, the new Daniel Larusso is Dre Parker, played by Will Smith's son, Jaden Smith who's so small and scrawny he looks like he could barely kill a fly. At the end of the day, this film just should not be made.

It might be very evident I don't agree with the making of this film. But in any case, the first trailer is out. And I really don't like it. Check it out for yourself below.



The trailer begins with Smith’s character, Dre, reluctantly moving to China with his mother, played by Taraji P. Henson. Dre meets a girl, there’s a schoolyard tussle, and then Jackie Chan comes in to save the day. You pretty much know the rest of the plot already — Chan trains Dre in martial arts, who must eventually face his bully in a tournament.

The movie hits Malaysian theaters June 10, 2010.

Source: /Film

Opening This Week: Sherlock Muallaf The Squeakquel

This week we have a Guy Ritchie film, a Yasmin Ahmad film and movie about talking chipmunks. Yippee! Let's get into, shall we?

Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Director: Guy Ritchie
USA release: December 25
Malaysia release: December 24
Genre: Crime, Action, Mystery, Thriller
Runtime: 2 Hours 8 Minutes
Rated in USA: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material
Rated in Malaysia: PG-13
See what people on Twitter are saying about Sherlock Holmes

In a dynamic new portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous characters, Sherlock Holmes sends Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Jude Law) on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

I've always been a fan of Robert Downey Jr. and Guy Ritchie, so I can't be more excited to see this film. But I'm afraid Downey Jr.'s British accent is a little sketchy. If you're a big fan of Sherlock Holmes, you might find this iteration a little unfamiliar. Having said that, I hope Guy Ritchie did a good job. Watch this if you like Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) or Robert Downey Jr.




Muallaf (2008)
Cast: Ning Baizura, Sharifah Aleysha, Sharifah Amani, Brian Yap, Yeo Yann Yann
Director: Yasmin Ahmad
Malaysia release: December 24
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
Rated in Malaysia: 18PL
See what people on Twitter are saying about Muallaf

Two Malaysian sisters, Rohani and Rohana, run away from home to escape their wealthy father’s mistreatment. They find refuge in a small town where they get to know Brian Goh, a young Catholic schoolteacher. Brian is irresistibly attracted to the two girls. Impressed by their extraordinary courage in the face of adversity, their relationship forces him to confront the ghosts of his own childhood. Director Yasmin Ahmad explores the possibilities of emotional survival after being traumatised by loved ones. Through the wanderings of three lost souls who band together and console one another, Muallaf celebrates friendship, forgiveness, and the coming to terms with the past.

More than a year after this Malaysian-made film hit film festivals in Switzerland, Japan and South Korea, as well as getting released in our neighbors Singapore, Muallaf finally comes full circle and will be released here in Malaysia. Muallaf is the last film ever made by renowned Malaysian filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad before she tragically passed away earlier this year. Finally being granted permission to show here in Malaysia, Muallaf has been greeted with good reviews, so far, from the few people who have seen it. If you like Yasmin Ahmad's other films, Rabun, Sepet, Gubra, Mukhsin and Talentime, you'll most probably like Muallaf. And I would think that you would need to have a relatively open-minded approach when going into this movie.




Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)
Cast: Jason Lee, Jesse McCartney, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Anna Faris, Amy Poehler
Director: Betty Thomas
USA release: December 23
Malaysia release: December 24
Genre: Comedy, Family, Animation
Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
Rated in USA: PG for some mild rude humor
Rated in Malaysia: U
See what people on Twitter are saying about Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

In the Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakuel, pop sensations Alvin, Simon and Theodore end up in the care of Dave Seville's twenty-something nephew Toby (Zachary Levi). The boys must put aside music superstardom to return to school, and are tasked with saving the school's music program by winning the US$25,000 prize in a battle of the bands. But the Chipmunks unexpectedly meet their match in three singing chipmunks known as "The Chipettes" - Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette. Romantic and musical sparks are ignited when the Chipmunks and Chipettes square off.

Hmmm, I don't know why but I have absolutely no interest in seeing this movie whatsoever. Even for the chipettes. If you're a kid, at heart or otherwise, please disregard what I just said and watch the movie. =)

Sources: Cinema Online, IMDb

Iron Man 2 Trailer!

Yes, the trailer is out. But it's not on YouTube yet so we will have to make due with Trailer Addict for now. It loads slow but wait for it to load the whole way. It is so worth it. The trailer is epic. Check it out below.

UPDATE: I've got the YouTube trailer. In HD! Enjoy.

Whiplash Iron Man 2 Poster

You can check out the other two Iron Man 2 posters here and here. And as I wait for the trailer to load on Trailer Addict before I post it up on my blog, here is the third Iron Man 2 poster, featuring Mickey Rourke’s character, Whiplash.

Christopher Nolan’s Inception Gets A Poster

Right after The Dark Knight, rumors were rife about Chris Nolan’s plans for Batman 3 and bla bla bla. But then it was announced he would first work on an entirely different project featuring Michael Caine (Alfred in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) along with my favorite leading man, Leonardo DiCaprio, Academy Award-winner Marion Cotillard and genius actress Ellen Page of Juno. A few other names in the movie include Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy. All that, and you get Inception, a movie that is said to play with minds and dreams. In other words, my kind of movie. =)

Simply put, out of all the movies coming out next year- Iron Man 2, bla bla bla, I am most excited for Inception. For me, this is the movie to look out for. If the names I mentioned above aren’t enough, check out the teaser trailer for yourself right here. And now, we have a poster.

There’s something brilliant about this poster, other than the fact that it is awesome on its own. Does it look familiar? Does it look like another very famous poster? Does it look like this poster down here?

How amazing is that right? The Dark Knight Inception gets a July 15, 2010 release.

The film’s logline is “a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind.” The rumored plot claims “Inception is about entering peoples’ minds/dreams. A technology to do so has been developed and is done through an injection. DiCaprio and his team work to enter the minds of other characters in order to retrieve/plant information.”

Source: /Film

Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood Trailer Is Pretty Epic

  So Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe have teamed up once more to bring the legendary tale of Robin Hood to the silver screen. They are joined by a stellar cast which includes the likes of Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett Mark Strong, William Hurt. Kevin Durand, Alan Doyle, and Scott Grimes.

Check out the trailer below.

Is it just me or does heavy metal music make trailers a lot more epic? Robin Hood hits Malaysian screens May 13, 2010.

In 13th century England, Robin Hood (Russell Crowe) and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power. And whether thief or hero, one man from humble beginnings will become an eternal symbol of freedom for his people.

Robin Hood chronicles the life of an expert archer, previously interested only in self-preservation, from his service in King Richard’s army against the French. Upon Richard’s death, Robin travels to Nottingham, a town suffering from the corruption of a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation, where he falls for the spirited widow Lady Marion (Cate Blanchett), a woman skeptical of the identity and motivations of this crusader from the forest. Hoping to earn the hand of Maid Marion and salvage the village, Robin assembles a gang whose lethal mercenary skills are matched only by its appetite for life. Together, they begin preying on the indulgent upper class to correct injustices under the sheriff.

With their country weakened from decades of war, embattled from the ineffective rule of the new king and vulnerable to insurgencies from within and threats from afar, Robin and his men heed a call to ever greater adventure. This unlikeliest of heroes and his allies set off to protect their country from slipping into bloody civil war and return glory to England once more.

Source: /Film

2010 Golden Globe Nominations Announced

So it’s that time of year once more where there will be plenty of talk of ‘award-worthy’ movies. We are of course, in the process of building up to the 2010 Awards season, culminating at the Academy Awards. The nominations for the Oscars’ little brother, the Golden Globes, as it were, have just been announced and you can check them out below.

Best Motion Picture — Drama

• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglorious Basterds
• Precious
• Up in the Air

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama

• Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan, An Education
• Gabourey Sadibe, Precious

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama

• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

• (500) Days of Summer
• The Hangover
• It’s Complicated
• Julie & Julia
• Nine

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

• Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
• Marion Cotillard, Nine
• Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated
• Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
• Julia Roberts, Duplicity

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

• Matt Damon, The Informant
• Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
• Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
• Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
• Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Mo-Nique, Precious
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Penelope Cruz, Nine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Best Animated Feature Film

• Coraline
• The Fantastic Mr. Fox
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
• The Princess and the Frog
• Up

Best Foreign Language Film

• Barria
• Broken Embraces
• A Prophet
• The White Ribbon
• The Maid

Best Director — Motion Picture

• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar
• Clint Eastwood, Invictus
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Best Screenplay — Motion Picture

• Up in the Air
• It’s Complicated
• District 9
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglorious Basterds

Best Original Score — Motion Picture

• Michael Giacchino, Up
• Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
• James Horner, Avatar
• Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
• Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Original Song — Motion Picture

• “I Will See You,” Avatar
• “The Weary Kind,” The Crazy Heart
• “Winter,” Brothers
• “Cinema Italiano,” Nine
• “I Want to Come Home,” Everybody’s Fine

Best Television Series – Drama

• Big Love (HBO)
• Dexter (Showtime)
• House (FOX)
• Mad Men (AMC)
• True Blood (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

• Glenn Close, Damages
• January Jones, Mad Men
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Anna Paquin, True Blood
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

• Simon Baker, The Mentalist
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Bill Paxton, Big Love

Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical

• 30 Rock (NBC)
• Entourage (HBO)
• Glee (FOX)
• Modern Famiy (ABC)
• The Office (NBC)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical

• Toni Collette, United States of Tara
• Courtney Cox, Cougar Town
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Lea Michele, Glee

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical

• Alex Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Steve Carell, The Office
• David Duchovny, Californication
• Thomas Jane, Hung
• Matthew Morrison, Glee

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Georgia O-Keeffe (Lifetime Television)
• Grey Gardens (HBO)
• Into The Storm (HBO)
• Little Dorrit (PBS)
• Taking Chance (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Joan Allen, Georgia O’Keeffe
• Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
• Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
• Anna Paquin, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
• Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
• Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind
• Chiwetel Ejiofor, Endgame
• Brendan Gleeson, Into The Storm
• Jeremy Irons, Georgia O’Keeffe

Best Peformance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Jane Adams, Hung
• Rose Byrne, Damages
• Jane Lynch, Glee
• Janet McTeer, Into The Storm
• Chloe Sevigny, Big Love

Best Peformance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Michael Emerson, Lost
• Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
• William Hurt, Damages
• John Lithgow, Dexter
• Jeremy Piven, Entourage

As far as I know, movies that have a lot of critical buzz around it at the moment are The Hurt Locker, Brothers, Precious, Up in the Air and A Serious Man. I haven’t watched most of these movies. But I definitely will get around to it before the Awards season and try to give my opinions on them. Until then, mark your calendar for January 17th, 2010, which is when the Golden Globes will be airing.

Source: ScreenRant

Second Clash of the Titans Trailer is Awesome

Just about a month ago, I posted the first Clash of the Titans trailer. I thought that was epic enough. But the second trailer blows the first one completely out of the water. It's amazing. Check it out for yourself below.



Clash of the Titans follows Perseus and his quest to battle Medusa and the Kraken in order to save the Princess Andromeda.

The film hits American theaters March 26, 2010. No news on Malaysian distribution just yet.

Source: /Film

Opening This Week: Avatar

Yes, I am back and hopefully gonna get my movie blogging mojo back on track. Expect lots of updates coming soon. But I think I shall start things off with previewing one of the most talked about non-summer movie of the year- James Cameron's Avatar.


Avatar (2009)
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Director: James Cameron
USA release: December 18, 2009
Malaysia release: December 17,2009
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure, Thriller
Runtime: 2 Hours 43 Minutes
Rated in USA: PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking
Rated in Malaysia: PG-13
IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
See what the early buzz surrounding Avatar is like on Twitter

Avatar is an emotional journey of redemption and revolution. The story tells of a wounded ex-marine, who thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, and eventually crosses over to lead an indigenous race in a battle for survival. Thus, combining the elements of massive spectacle and intimate character that made James Cameron's Titanic the highest grossing film of all time.

So the hype around James Cameron's Avatar has been slowly growing from super secret Sci-Fi project to "biggest movie of the year" status. Despite the movie being released worldwide later this week, quite a few people have already seen Avatar and most of them are raving about it. To read some of the early Twitter reactions, check out this /Film article. When the first trailer was released I wasn't really excited for the movie but the early buzz has picked my enthusiasm for the film back up and I'm ready to be blown away by the 'revolutionary' 3-D and CG effects. Seriously cannot wait for the movie.

Sources: IMDb, Cinema Online, Rotten Tomatoes

New Iron Man 2 Poster!

Only just two days ago, we got the first official poster for Iron Man 2, featuring War Machine. Now in the 2nd poster, we get an unmasked Tony Stark in the Iron Man suit. Awesome. Check it out below.

First Official Iron Man 2 Teaser Poster featuring War Machine

Omg, omg, omg, omg. Check out the first teaser poster for next summer’s Iron Man 2. I don’t think anyone saw this coming but the poster very clearly features War Machine, James Rhodes’ (Don Cheadle) metal suited alter-ego. Check out the EPIC poster in all its glory below.

Iron Man 2 hits theaters here April 30th, 2010 here in Malaysia, a whole week before America.

Iron Man 2 Cover of Empire Magazine

Just wanted to share this with you guys. Very cool!

Iron Man 2 hits theaters May 7, 2010.

Kick-Ass Trailer is…well…kick-ass.

I know this trailer is long overdue and nothing has been going up on this blog. But for people who haven’t seen this trailer, you need to see it. So here it is. Enjoy.

Star Trek Gag Reel

I know I haven't been posting anything of late but in my defense, I've been terribly busy with work and college. Actually no, I've just been lazy. But that aside, here is a hilarious video I saw on /Film which features bloopers from this summer's Star Trek. The video will be included in the Blu-Ray version of the movie. But you can check it out below.

Back with Clash of the Titans Teaser Trailer

So I’ve been missing lately and there have been a lack of posts and a lot of exciting stuff has happened in that time so I will try to post up as much as I can. Starting of with the teaser trailer for Clash of the Titans, starring Sam Worthington of Terminator Salvation and Avatar fame. The film also features other names like Gemma Arterton, who’s next film will be alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, as well as Liam Neeson who has just been cast in The A-Team remake and Ralph Fiennes, better known as Lord Voldemort.

Check out the teaser embedded below.

Clash of the Titans follows Perseus and his quest to battle Medusa and the Kraken in order to save the Princess Andromeda.

The film hits American theaters March 26, 2010. No news on Malaysian distribution just yet.

Trailer for The Fourth Kind is Incredibly CREEPY!

This trailer isn’t actually new but I decided to share it with you guys because I saw it for the first time when I was doing 8TV Nite Live last night and to be completely honest with you, I was so freaking creeped out of my mind and I was genuinely frightened. Not many trailers do this to me but this one did. Another one would be the Paranormal Activity trailer which you can see here.

Anyway, here it is. Be prepared to not sleep soundly tonight.

“A UFO sighting is referred to as an encounter of the first kind…When evidence is collected, it is known as an encounter of the second kind…Contact with extraterrestrials, is an encounter of the third kind… The next level, abduction, is the fourth kind. This encounter has been the most difficult to document… Until now.”

Starring Milla Jovovich and based on “actual case studies”, The Fourth Kind hits Malaysian theaters this Thursday.

First Trailer for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

The first time I saw Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan, I almost puked in my mouth. But now that I’ve seen the trailer, things are looking up. First off, I think he manages to pulls off the British accent and he does all the action-ey stuff with a lot of pazzaz. Actually, I didn't even know Persians spoke with British accents. =p

As for other parts of the trailer, I thought every thing was brilliant. If the movie is even remotely as good as the game it’s based off, we’ll be in for a great treat come the release of the film. With the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise looking very bleak, Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer are looking for another franchise to make serious box office for them. And they just might have made it with Prince of Persia. You’ve got to admit the trailer was very Pirates-esque. Just look at the similarities so far- tons of huge action sequences; hints of comedy here and there; charismatic lead actor/character that will have all the girl’s will go GAGA.

In any case, the trailer is a very good one. As for the movie, we’ll just have to wait and see. Here’s the trailer embedded below. Enjoy!

From the team that brought the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy to the big screen, Walt Disney Pictures, director of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Mike Newell and Jerry Bruckheimer Films present Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, an epic action-adventure set in the mystical lands of Persia. A rogue prince (Jake Gyllenhaal) reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess (Gemma Arterton) and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

Set in the mystical lands of Persia, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is an epic action-adventure about a rogue prince (Jake Gyllenhaal) and a mysterious princess (Gemma Arterton) who race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time hits theaters next summer.

Review of Michael Jackson’s This Is It

All thanks to Sony Pictures, Nigel and Kel Li, I managed to catch the premiere of Michael Jackson’s This Is It on Wednesday night and here is my brief review of the film.

There isn’t much to review with this movie, simply because it’s one huge music video with no plot and direction. I must say Kenny Ortega and Sony did a really good job in editing the film considering it all came from over 100 hours of raw footage. It must have been one of the most tedious post-productions of any movie ever.

Another thing Ortega did well was to keep the interviews to a minimum and letting the performance of MJ make the movie. However, the dialogue in between the performances were just as entertaining, intriguing and captivating as MJ’s dance moves. In was really wonderful to get a small glimpse into how MJ worked, being a perfectionist and all as well as to see how others worked with him.

At the end of the day, the movie does what it is supposed to- it entertains the inner MJ fan in all of us. I whole-heartedly enjoyed this film just for it’s content alone. I found myself bobbing my head and thumping my foot throughout the entire film. Having said that, I enjoyed the film thoroughly just because I enjoy Michael Jackson’s movie. I’m afraid to say that a person who doesn’t quite enjoy MJ’s work, will definitely not enjoy this movie.

So just like I Tweeted, I’m going to tell you to rush out to see this movie if you’ve ever enjoyed any of Michael Jackson’s music or dance moves. Make sure you stay until the end of the credits. There is a little sumthin’ sumthin’.

So, yeah. This Is It.

RIP MJ.

New Clip From The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Here is a short clip from New Moon where Bella slaps Paul and Jacob comes to defend her.



The Twilight Saga: New Moon hits theaters at the end of next month.

Is This Really It?

*EDIT: This contest is now closed. Thank you to all who posted your entries. The two winners will be contacted really soon. As for everyone else, you have one last chance to win some tickets from JoshuaOngYS.com*

Michael Jackson really is gone and will definitely be missed. But is this really it for the King of Pop? I think not. His music has always had the ability to inspire millions all over the world. Now that the greatest entertainer to have ever lived is no longer here, his work will most definitely live on and will be heard and loved by many generations to come. So, I ask you, do you remember the time you first danced around your room to a Michael Jackson tune?

Tragically, this incredibly talented human being lost his life back in June of this year and nobody will see him perform ever again. In the months leading up to his death, Michael Jackson was hard at work rehearsing for his 50-date gig at the O2 Arena in London. The concerts were said to be his final curtain call and it was a chance for fans to catch him live one last time. Unfortunately, that one last time never came to be.

Almost immediately after MJ’s death, we learned that AEG Live, the concert organizers recorded over 100 hours worth of rehearsal footage. Soon after that, Sony Pictures had bought the rights to the footage and were to edit it into a feature film.

Michael Jackson This Is It, which documents MJ’s final days as he rehearses for his This Is It concerts in London, hits cinemas worldwide simultaneously (October 29 here in Malaysia) and will only stay in theaters for a limited two weeks. After which, will go to DVD.

Michael Jackson fans in America camped in line for as long as three days before the tickets went on sale back in September. As for Malaysian fans, they’ve had to wait until October 15 to get their hands on This Is It tickets. In the first day of sales here, 10,000 tickets were snapped up and over 20,000 have been sold to date.

So this is where it gets good. I am giving away 2 pairs of special passes to the Malaysian premiere screening of Michael Jackson This Is It happening October 28 which is a whole day before the rest of Malaysia gets to see it. This is, of course, all thanks to Sony Pictures Malaysia. Here are the full details of the special screening:

Michael Jackson This Is It Premiere Screening

Date: October 28, 2009 (Wednesday)

Time: 9.30PM

Venue: Cathay Cineplex, e@Curve (formerly known as Cineleisure)

Here is exactly what you have to do if you want to be one of the two people getting a pair of these passes. I want to know what is your favorite Michael Jackson song and why. Your submission can be a simple one-line comment on this blog post, or you could write your own blog post and insert the link in the comments section of this post. When commenting, please make sure you give me your full name, the link to your blog post (if you choose to do it that way) as well as your E-mail address so that you can be contacted if you win the passes.

The 2 commenters with the best and most creative comments will each win a pair of passes. Almost anything goes, just as long as you stick to the question “What is your favorite Michael Jackson song and why?”. So go wild! The comments will be judged by the organizers and their decision is final.

This contest will be open for only two days so hurry up and submit your comment/blog post. Any submission after 12.00AM Sunday (October 25) will not be considered. Also, any incomplete submission (e.g. without E-mail address) will be rejected. The winners will be announced and contacted on October 27 (Tuesday).

So good luck! If you do win, I will see you at the screening on Wednesday. By the way, make sure you stay back until the end of the credits for some nice Easter eggs. Also, you can head on over to Joshua Ong’s blog to try to win the This Is It passes there.

Opening This Week: Inglourious Law Abiding Basterds

This week = epic week. So far, Inglourious Basterds has received some extraordinary buzz and Law Abiding Citizen, not so much, but it still manages to seem like a decent action flick. Let's look at what to expect of these films, shall we?


Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Cast: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Til Schweiger
Director: Quentin Tarantino
USA release: August 21
Malaysia release: October 22
USA gross: $119,098,000
Worldwide gross: $275,365,277
Genre: Drama, War
Runtime: 2 Hours 34 Minutes
Rated in USA: R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality
Rated in Malaysia: 18PL
IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
See what people on Twitter are saying about Inglourious Basterds

Inglourious Basterds begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). She narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organises a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of vengeance. Known to their enemy as "The Basterds," Raine's squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own.

From what I've read and heard, this movie is Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece. And if Quentin Tarantino has a masterpiece, you absolutely HAVE to see it. The trailer is apparently very deceiving and the movie doesn't have as much gun-slinging action as portrayed in the trailer. Instead, people have said the movie is filled with intriguing verbal exchanges. Also, this film is very long. I, for one, am excited to watch this film but I cannot speak for anyone else. I guess we'll just have to go see the film to tell for ourselves.




Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler
Director: F. Gary Gray
USA release: October 16
Malaysia release: October 22
USA gross: $21,250,000
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller, Drama
Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
Rated in USA: R for strong bloody brutal violence and torture, a scene of rape, and pervasive language
Rated in Malaysia: 18PL
IMDb User Rating: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 24%
See what people on Twitter are saying about Law Abiding Citizen

Clyde Shelton (Butler) is an upstanding family man whose wife and daughter are brutally murdered during a home invasion. When the killers are caught, Nick Rice (Foxx), a hotshot young Philadelphia prosecutor, is assigned to the case. Over his objections, Nick is forced by his boss to offer one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice. Ten years later, the man who got away with murder is found dead and Clyde Shelton coolly admits his guilt. Then he issues a warning to Nick: Either he fix the flawed justice system that failed his family, or key players in the trial will die.

I've said this numerous times before and I'm going to reiterate it by saying trailers can be terribly deceiving and we shouldn't peg our expectations for the movie to the quality of the trailer. In my opinion, the trailer for this film was action-packed and really well done. According to IMDb, the general audience liked the film but on the other hand, many of the movie critics on Rotten Tomatoes didn't like it. In any case, let's just hope this film is full of good purposeful action and suspense.

Source: Cinema Online, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo

New The Princess and the Frog Poster

The Princess and the Frog is Disney’s much anticipated return to fully hand-drawn animated films and here is the latest poster for the movie.

A fairy tale about a girl named Princess Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose), who lives in New Orleans' French Quarter during the Jazz Age, and a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again.

Expect this movie to hit Malaysia cinemas December 3.

Coming Soon

More Toy Story 3 Character Posters

Slinky and Mr. Potato!

Opening This Week: Cloudy with a Pandorum of Whiteout

This week we look at an animated film which is said to be good, a Kate Beckinsale movie which is said to be the opposite of good and also a typical sci-fi thriller movie. Let's dive straight in, shall we?


Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Cast: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Samberg, Neil Patrick Harris
Director: Chris Miller, Phil Lord
USA release: September 18
Malaysia release: October 15
USA gross: $95,778,436
Worldwide gross: $101,258,907
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Rated in USA: PG for brief mild language
Rated in Malaysia: U
IMDb User Rating: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
See what people on Twitter are saying about Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

The end is near! The world's first ever animated disaster movie comes to the big screen when an outcast inventor creates a machine that rains food on his hungry town and gets the attention of the girl he's always loved. Intoxicated by the love and validation he receives, he goes too far with his machine: the falling food gets dangerously out of control, he loses the girl, and he has to set things right to win her back.

With the talents of Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, NPH and Anna Faris contributing their voices to this film, it looks pretty promising. The general public looks like it kind of liked the movie and movie critics most definitely did like the movie. So the only logical choice to make this weekend is to watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs which hits theaters this Thursday.




Pandorum (2009)
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet
Director: Christian Alvart
USA release: September 25
Malaysia release: October 15
USA gross: $9,517,801
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
Rated in USA: R for strong horror violence and language
Rated in Malaysia: PG13
IMDb User Rating: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 28%
See what people on Twitter are saying about Pandorum

The terrifying story of two crew members, Corporal Bower (Ben Foster) and Lt. Payton (Dennis Quaid) stranded on a spacecraft where they quickly realise they are not alone. Two astronauts awaken in a hyper-sleep chamber aboard a seemingly abandoned spacecraft. It's pitch black and the only sound is a low rumble and creak from the belly of the spacecraft. They can't remember anything - who are they or what is their mission. The only way out of the chamber is a dark and narrow airshaft. Bower crawls inside, while Payton stays behind for guidance on a radio transmitter. As he ventures deeper and deeper into the ship, he begins to uncover a terrifying reality. Slowly the spacecraft's shocking and deadly secrets come unravelled and the astronauts realise that the survival of mankind hinges on their actions.

This seems like the typical space thriller film so I'm not all that excited for it. Plus, not a big fan of Dennis Quaid. But quite a lot of people seemed to like it. I guess it might just be a good fun popcorn flick.




Whiteout (2009)
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht
Director: Dominic Sena
USA release: September 11
Malaysia release: October 15
USA gross: $10,144,505
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller, Mystery
Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes
Rated in USA: R for violence, grisly images, brief strong language and some nudity
Rated in Malaysia: 18PL
IMDb User Rating: 5.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 6%
See what people on Twitter are saying about Whiteout

Lone U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko (Kate Beckinsale) is stationed at Antarctica's South Pole research base for two years. Just as she is about to turn in her resignation, a body turns up on the ice and Carrie is thrust into Antarctica's very first murder investigation. As the death toll begins to mount and the mystery deepens, Carrie must solve the crime before the region is plunged into six months of isolated darkness with an unknown killer.

From what I've heard, this is a really, really crappy movie.

Source: IMDb, Cinema Online, Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes

Toy Story 3 Woody Poster

As the title describes, here is another one of the character posters put out by Disney Pixar recently.

Toy Story 3 Character Posters and Trailer

It’s been way too long since Toy Story 2 was released but finally, the 3rd installment of the Toy Story franchise is just around the corner. I was kind of bummed when we didn’t get the Toy Story 3-D double-feature here in Malaysia. But now that I’ve seen the trailer for Toy Story 3, I just cannot wait for it. Check it out for yourself below, along with the character posters featuring Buzz, Rex and Hamm.

Toy Story 3 is about what happens when Andy stops playing. Woody and Buzz had accepted that their owner Andy would grow up someday, but what happens when that day arrives? In the third installment, Andy is preparing to depart for college, leaving his loyal toys troubled about their uncertain future. It would seem they end up in a daycare center.

Toy Story 3 gets an American release June 18, 2010 and Malaysian release a day before.

Source: Cinema Blend

Opening This Week: Beyond A Reasonable Serious Surrogate

This week we look at three movies coming out this Thursday - Beyond A Reasonable Doubt, A Serious Man and Surrogates. Let's go!


Beyond A Reasonable Doubt (2009)
Cast: Michael Douglas, Amber Tamblyn, Jesse Metcalfe
Director: Peter Hyams
USA release: September 11 (Limited)
Malaysia release: October 8
USA gross: $32,917
Worldwide gross: $2,386,717
Genre: Mystery, Drama
Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes
Rated in USA: PG-13 for a sex scene, violence and brief strong language
Rated in Malaysia: 18PL
IMDb User Rating: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 0% (Yup)
What people on Twitter are saying about Beyond A Reasonable Doubt

A high-profile criminal lawyer finds his bid for the governorship in jeopardy when an ambitious rookie journalist begins suspecting him of tampering with evidence in order to secure his many convictions. Martin Hunter (Michael Douglas) has a reputation for putting criminals behind bars, and with elections approaching he seems a shoo-in for governor. But just how clean is the district attorney's record when held up to scrutiny? When hungry reporter C.J. Nicholas (Jesse Metcalfe) frames himself as a murder suspect in hopes of catching Hunter in the act, the two fierce rivals become caught up in a treacherous game of cat and mouse. But Assistant DA Ella Crystal (Amber Tamblyn) has no idea about her boyfriend C.J.'s latest assignment, and as the evidence against both men begins to pile up she begins to suspect that she's in mortal danger. As Ella discovers irrefutable truth of both C.J.'s innocence and her boss' shady dealings, the fate of two men rests in the hands of one woman whose life could be taken at any second.

This is pretty much the kind of movie I would enjoy. But after seeing the appalling stats, I doubt I'll catch this movie at the theater.




A Serious Man (2009)
Cast: Fred Melamed, Katherine Borowitz, Michael Stuhlbarg, Steve Park
Directed by: The Coen Brothers
USA release: October 2
Malaysia release: October 8
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Runtime: 1 hour 45 mins
Rated in USA: R for language, some sexuality/nudity and brief violence
Rated in Malaysia: NA
IMDb User Rating: 8.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
What people on Twitter are saying about A Serious Man

Larry Gopnik, a physics professor at a quiet mid-western university has been informed by his wife Judith that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy Ableman. Larry's unemployable brother Arthur is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny is a discipline problem, and his daughter Sarah is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. Just when you thought things can't get any worse, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larry's chances for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis.

This film may be classified under the 'Comedy' genre but it is a dark comedy so whatever you expect from this film, you can throw that out the window. There are a few comical moments in the film, from what I know, but it is a very dark and depressing movie. Having said that, I cannot wait to watch it. The Coen brothers, who have directed some of my favorite films, are definitely two of my favorite directors. I have high hopes for this film and getting an 8.7 on IMDb and 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, not too shabby. Also, I think this film has one of the best trailers this year. Check it out below.




Surrogates (2009)
Cast: Bruce Willis, James Francis Ginty, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Ving Rhames
Director: Jonathan Mostow
USA release: September 25
Malaysia release: October 8
USA gross: $26,387,000
Worldwide gross: $35,068,219
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Rated in USA: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, language, sexuality and a drug-related scene
Rated in Malaysia: PG-13
IMDb User Rating: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 39%
What people on Twitter are saying about Surrogates

FBI agents (Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell) investigate the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves - fit, good looking remotely controlled machines that ultimately assume their life roles - enabling people to experience life from the comfort and safety of their own homes. The murder spawns a quest for answers for who's real and who can you trust.

From what I know, the film is so-so. Not great but not terrible either. Most definitely doesn't live up to the graphic novel it was based on. So if you're up for some mindless fun with a sci-fi scenario, then catch Surrogates this Thursday.

Sources: Cinema Online, IMDb, Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes