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.