Film Preview:The Thing Prequel

When I first heard a prequel of John Carpenter's The Thing was to made, I wondered why the fuck anyone would mess with such a great movie. Secondly, why make it at all when we know how it will end up because it's the beginning of the 1982 movie. It'd be like someone making movies to tell us that Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader. Oh, hang on! MUST NOT MENTION THOSE DAMN PREQUELS!!!!

Anyway, Ain't It Cool News has a cool article about this movie that may appease me until I see if they fuck it up or not.

Quint's Exclusive Set Visit

Film Preview: The Stoning of Soraya M

THE STONING of Soraya M.

When a Deadly Conspiracy Became a Shameful Cover-Up

One Witness Refused to Be Silent

Released across UK cinemas on 22^nd October 2010

Based on a true story and best-selling book

“The Stoning of Soraya M.” by

FREIDOUNE SAHEBJAM

Directed by

CYRUS NOWRASTEH

Starring

SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO

MOZHAN MARNÒ

and

JIM CAVIEZEL

Written by

BETSY GIFFEN NOWRASTEH & CYRUS NOWRASTEH

www.thestoning.com

THE STONING OF SORAYA M trailer can be downloaded here: https://www.yousendit.com/download/WTNJN3RkdENsamRFQlE9PQ

Synopsis:

Academy Award® nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo (HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG) stars in the heroic role of Zahra, an Iranian woman with a burning secret. When a journalist (Jim Caviezel, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, DÉJÀ VU) is stranded in her remote village, she takes a bold chance to reveal what the villagers will stop at nothing to keep hidden.

Thus begins the remarkable account of what happened to Soraya (Mozhan Marnò), a kind, spirited woman whose bad marriage leads her cruel, divorce-seeking husband to conspire against her, trumping up charges of infidelity, which carry an unimaginable penalty. Moving through a minefield of scheming, lies and deceit, Soraya and Zahra will attempt to prove Soraya’s innocence in a legal system stacked against her. But when all else fails, Zahra will risk everything to use the only weapon she has left – her fearless, passionate voice that can share Soraya’s story with a shocked world.

THE STONING OF SORAYA M. is inspired by Paris-based journalist Freidoune Sahebjam’s acclaimed international best-seller of the same name which, rife with intrigue and moral outrage, first brought global attention to the real Soraya, who in 1986 was buried to her waist in her hometown square and stoned to death by her fellow villagers.

Director Cyrus Nowrasteh, along with his wife and fellow screenwriter Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh, saw in Soraya one story that stands for thousands of untold tales around the world, from Africa to Asia, from Europe to America, wherever people are battling prejudice and injustice. Their screenplay takes the hard facts surrounding Soraya’s fate and carves from them a lyrical, fable-like passion play that gets under the skin by posing a provocative question: Who among us would throw stones and who would take a stand against them?

Blu-Ray News: The A-Team

 CRAZY FOO!

DETAILS of the upcoming Blu-ray release of The A-Team have been revealed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

I saw this recently and, despite having seen mediocre reviews, enjoyed it. The movie captures the spirit of the series whilst taking it into the 2010s. The only thing missing was the trademark fighting style of leaping into shot and on top of the bad guys and the vehicle stunts that seemed to happen in every episode. I would have liked a bit more of the main theme used too.

The A-Team will hit stores on Blu-ray Triple Play and DVD on November 29.

Like the TV series of the same name, the story follows the exploits of a group of unlikely friends who, after spending years as one of the military's most trusted Special Forces units, are sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit.

The team are forced to go underground to locate the true culprits and clear their names. Liam Neeson (Taken, Batman Begins), Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, Yes Man), UFC Champion Quintin "Rampage" Jackson, and Sharlto Copley (District 9) star as the characters we know and love.

The cast also features Jessica Biel (The Illusionist, Powder Blue) as Captain Clarissa Sosa and Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, The Switch) as the shadowy CIA operative, "Lynch".

The Blu-ray Triple Play is an extended, three-disc edition which includes a look at the special effects, an A-Team mash-up, gag reel, and an interactive behind-the-scenes featurette with director Joe Carnahan. Each pack also contains four limited edition character art cards, which by the looks of it you can use to swap the front cover of the packaging.

Fall Schedule TV Round-up: Supernatural/Dexter *spoilers*

Supernatural 6.1 – Exile On Main Street
 

We knew form the final dénouement of the last series that Sam had returned, somehow. At the beginning of this show, it’s weird because Dean is living his normal apple pie life without him. I expected some stuff to have happened off-screen as he's been away for a whole year. The writers play around with the return of Sam in a way that makes us wonder what we’re watching. Judging from previous shows, Dean could have been living his own fantasy whilst being strung out due to a Djinn’s poison. The return of Grandpa Campbell was also off-kilter, coupled with the revelation that the Winchester boys have cousins that are also Hunters. Old yella eyes returned too, but I think that was an illusion. What was a bit grating and contrived was the thing about Sam not telling Dean that he was alive, and that Bobby also knew. The audience shares Dean’s anger and frustration. The writer’s seem to advertise the fact that they had no idea on how to bring Sam and Dean back together and have winged it a bit. I can see the Writer's Committee now.
"How do we get Sam and Dean back to what they do best?"
"Erm....Let's not say"

Grandpa Campbell looks as if he could be the overall Big Bad this season.

I couldn’t help feeling a little like I did when presented by Babylon 5 Season 5; a bit “so what?” I hope I get proved wrong.

 

Dexter 5.1  - My Bad
 

This was hard going but in a good way. At the end of a terrific Season 4, we learn that Dexter’s wife Rita is dead. It was a dour end to a season full of wonderful moments, most of which involved John Lithgow. But the series isn’t just Dexter and a nemesis, this is a family show; in the sense of an ensemble cast. The entire cast got to shine in this episode.

Dexter feels that he is unable to emote over Rita’s death and appears to worry more about the fact his boat needs refuelling. Any audience member that has been watching from the beginning, and has paid attention, should realise that Dexter is in fact suffering from avoidance, and a kind of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is evident when he continues to wear the set of Disneyland Mickey Mouse ears (given to him by Cody and AStor) whilst informing Rita’s kids that she’s dead. All of that sequence is uncomfortable because of the way he handles it. Dexter let the children enjoy a last day in Disneyland , leaving the bad news until their return. He sees it as a part of his disconnect with his humanity. I see it that he’s just suffering from shock and was not thinking straight. At the end, this theory is paid off as Dexter finally loses it and takes it out on an unsuspecting redneck who just happens to p*ss Dexter off enough to warrant his killer instinct overtaking him.

Michael C Hall notches up an Emmy winning performance in this episode alone. For most of the episode he appears shell shocked and unable to function in his normal controlled way. When he finally vents his fury, it's almost as a reaction to an understanding that he did indeed truly love Rita with all his heart. 
Despite her leaving the series, Julie Benz gets to see her character off without just being left in a bathtub at the beginning during entertaining flashbacks. These flashbacks provide brief respite during this mostly funereal dirge of an episode. 
Once again, Jennifer Carpenter was at the top of her game. Her hyperactive character goes through the full range of emotions, almost somewhat understated at times. She goes from breaking down to making love to Quinn in a matter of moments. She plays the “strong” sister very well. 
Quinn may be taking on the role that Doakes had in the first and second seasons. I suspect, though, that the writers may twist this against our expectations. 
Both Lauren Vélez and David Zayas (fresh from Stallone's The Expendables) share some poignant screen time and C.S. Lee, as Masuka, gets the most uncomfortable line in the show;

“I’ve always imagined seeing Rita naked but not like this”

All of the above is sure sign that the writers still have a good handle on what makes this series great.

Blu-Ray Preview: Night of the Demons

COME ON IN...IT’S GOING TO BE ONE HELL OF A PARTY

“Loud, Brash, sexy and gory” – Bloody Disgusting

Night of the Demons directed by Adam Geirasch (Autopsy) and starring Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie, Scary Movie), Edward Furlong (Terminator 2, American History X) and Monica Keena (Freddy Vs Jason) is a remake of the 1988 cult classic about a bunch of kids who go to a Halloween party and end up in a face off against a group of Demons. Diora Baird (The Wedding Crashers), John F Beach (The O.C), Michael Copon (One Tree Hill) and Bobbi Sue (Extreme Movie) also star.

   
 Synopsis: 

Maddie Curtis (Keena) and her friends Lily (Baird) and Suzanne (Luther) are ready for a great Halloween night. They’re going to a party thrown by their friend Angela (Elizabeth) at the notorious Broussard Mansion in New Orleans. Over eighty years ago, six people disappeared from the mansion without a trace – and the owner, Evangeline Broussard, hung herself.

Angela, Maddie, Lily, Jason (Beach), Dex (Copon), Colin (Furlong) and Suzanne are left alone in the mansion when police bust up the party. Their cell phones don’t work and the mansion gates are now mysteriously locked. The group soon discover that the Broussard Mansion is home to demons that need to possess seven vessels to break free of their ancient curse.

One by one they fall victim, transforming into hideous creatures. Only Maddie, Colin and Jason remain – but can they make it through the night and keep evil forces from spreading into the world?

 Get ready for the night of your life when Night of the Demons is released on DVD and Blu Ray on 11 October.

Review to be hosted on  Flash-Bang Action Movie Reviews nearer the release date.

RIP - Stephen J Cannell

By some sad coincidence, I happened to be watching the 2010 movie "The A-Team" and checking out the references to the 80s TV show that holds a nostalgic place in my heart as being a harmless, character-filled, action TV show. I completed watching it only to discover through Nathan Fillion's Facebook fanpage that Stephen had passed. He was 69. He passed away on Thursday at his home in California, Pasadena, after complications with Melanoma. I'm sad because his prolific career could have gone on for longer. He gave much to the industry and a lot of entertainment to us all in the 40 shows he either wrote or produced.

I recall watching The Rockford Files with my Dad when I was little. It was a light drama about a Private Investigator that was popular because of the characters in the show. To me, that's Stephen J Cannell's legacy, providing Television with such rich characters. Who could forget BA, Face, Murdock and Hannibal alone?Despite being famous for that show, he wrote and produced Wiseguy from 1987-90, which is cited as being the forerunner to The Sopranos. He wrote 16 novels and recently appeared on the show Castle.

I'l raise a glass to Mr Cannell tonight and mourn the loss of a great writer who battled through the years with Dyslexia.

Fall TV Round-Up: Smallville 10.01 - Lazarus *Spoilers*

When we last saw Clark Kent, aka Kal-El, aka The Blur, he managed to send the evil Zod and his cloned Kryptonians to a new inter-dimensional prison via the Book of Rao, whilst being mortally wounded by a super-power-sapping Blue Kryptonite dagger.

Ok....

So naturally we pick the story up seconds after this event. Does Clark finally put on the suit, you ask? Er...no.

Maybe it's just me but I thought that the writing of this episode was way better than most Smallville episodes.Maybe I was in a more receptive mood. The banter between Lois and Clark was less grating and twee with a genuine bit of "I know, but you don't know I know" farce when Clark needs to look for a file at super speed and Lois provides him with the time to perform the task while she's "not looking".

It's no secret that Allison Mack is leaving before the end of the season, which is a great shame. Whilst I find her character, of late, trying too hard to be ambiguous, the actress has put in some hard work throughout the last ten years. In this show we see a glimpse of just how she might exit the series but I'm betting that the Dr Fate thing is a red herring. Maybe she did a Colin Farrell, as Bullseye from Daredevil;

"I want a f*cking costume!"

We see more shadowy government types (presumably) smack Olly around. The Green Arrow hasn't got a superior healing factor so who knows how he survives the kickings he receives. But chicks dig the guy without his shirt on.

Tess Mercer is back, and through a deus ex machina in the form of a Luthercorp lab experimental gunge, has her face restored from the damage it received last season. Clearly on a network such as the CW you can't have a an attractive actress wandering around with half her face hidden. The archetypal Luther Lab is something out of Alien 4 with half finished Lex Luthor clones suffering in man sized tubes. Tess finds a child who purports to be "Alexandra" only to let out "The Bad One" as the child informs her. He's an older Lex and has a hatred for Mr Kent. So, rather than hunt him down in the City, goes off to the Smallville farm. Oooo-kay.

Lois is at the farm rifling through Clark's possessions; the naughty scamp. Here she comes across the costume that fan boys all over have given up hope of Tom Welling ever wearing before he reaches 40. But, shock-horror - it's the Superman Returns costume. The producers couldn't even spring for a new one! Hopefully it hasn't still got Brandon Routh's sweat stains on it.

The older Lex-Clone captures Lois and manages to spray paint her under sized T-Shirt (couldn't she get a T-Shirt that fit?) with a perfect S. It's a great job! I'd be at least shaking a little bit whilst trying to concentrate on the artwork instead of anything else.

He puts her on a cross similar to the one that Clark was put on in the pilot and sets the field alight.

Clark finds the Clone and they have a little chat where Clone berates Clark and says he's self-righteous. Coming from Lex that's gotta hurt. Clark narrowly resists the temptation to squeeze the life out of the clone before it gives Clark a choice of saving either Metropolis citizens from the Daily Planet globe (a bomb has been left on timer to blow sending the globe to the streets below) or Lois who is reliving one of Clark's high school humiliations. Whoooosh! Clark saves both in a not surprising scene, Clone keels over and passes on it's mortal coil handily.

Clark returns to the Fortress all pumped up and proud before Jor-El bursts his bubble and tells him that he isn't worthy. Tess is seen looking after the Lex child. Olly gets released. Lois buggers off to Africa afterall. The Super suit is all iced up in the Fortress. Clark has a touching visitation by John Scheider playing his Dad, Pa Kent again before we see a teaser of this season's Big Bad; Darkseid.

Entertaining if not typically vacuous.