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Showing posts from July, 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen, Ghostface

It's been a sucky couple of weeks for film news. The Comic Con has really dominated the geek front for the last week or so and what's the point on regurgitating panel discussion from other film sites when we weren't even at the con? There is no point. Besides, Shawn's been on holiday and learning all the cool new things we need to know to host our radio show. We've also started putting together ads to run on 92.5FM The X . Hopefully we can figure out a way to demo them for you here on the blog. I've been busy at work too, which is my excuse for not providing regular updates here. Anywho, enough blabbing. Here's a behind-the-scenes still from Scream IV, which is currently shooting . . . somewhere. In it we see the now famous killer in all his Halloween costume glory. The film stars eve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Nico Tortorella, Anthony Anderson, Marielle Jaffe, Adam Brody, Marley Shel

Trailer Alert: Sucker Punch

Here's the Comic Con footage from Zack Snyder's upcoming fantasy epic Sucker Punch, and boy does it leave one wanting to see more! Snyder, who directed the awesome Dawn of the Dead remake, the spectacular 300 and the flawed but entertaining Watchmen, is a superior visual storyteller who also knows how to hit the right character notes. While we don't get much about the plot from this footage, the images are jaw dropping. I'm already looking forward to seeing the film next year. I mean babes, swords, dragons and giant robots armed with gatling guns? Who doesn't want to watch a film with all that? Sucker Punch hits theatres in March 2011.

Trailer Alert: Monsters

We in The Basement have heard nothing but good buzz for this, and I (Jay) for one hope we can review it on The X once our show gets rolling this fall. The premise is simple, and cool: Set six years after huge, Lovecraftian aliens have taken over Mexico, the movie follows two people who must try to get from South America to the US after all the official crossings have been closed. It's mating season for the monsters, and they're on the move and more dangerous than usual. Writer/director Gareth Edwards is supposed to have made the film for a scant $20,000 to $30,000. To me, it looks better than most big-budget Hollywood productions. Watch the trailer below and judge for yourself. More Monsters Videos

Mark Ruffalo Will Be Bruce Banner

A few weeks back we reported that Edward Norton will not play Bruce Banner , the Hulk's alter ego, in the upcoming Avengers movie. Now we've heard Norton has been replaced with Mark Ruffalo, probably one of the best working actors in the business. I lament the passing of Norton, but one could do far worse than Ruffalo. While not an "action guy," he does have the acting chops to pull of any role. It's going to be hard for him to fail as Banner, and my faith in the character being in The Avengers has been restored. Granted, a lot of his scenes will be filled by a screaming, massive, green version of himself, but surely Banner will play a pivotal part in the film during some of the less intense moments. Ruffalo was last seen in Shutter Island and The Kids Are All Right, which we in The Basement have yet to watch.

Micro Review: Predators

Finally, after two decades of suckypairings with Fox's other alien franchise, we get a real sequel to John McTiernan's 1987 action classic. And it's a doozy too as producer Robert Rodriguez and director Nimrod Antal return the title monster to its roots, creating tension and mystery about the beasts while crafting a kick-ass tribute to the original. The film employees music and visual cues from Predator, adding a sense of nostalgia to the proceedings. Antal is also willing to shoot the film "old school," using cinematic techniques and effects which make the movie feel like it could have been made 20 years ago. Predators is a B-movie that knows its job and does it well, executing its simple premise with flare. A Good review from The Basement.

Hellbinders

3 strangers have their lives entwined by the epic battle between good and evil.  Only these guys are a little bad themselves. A hit man, a Knight Templar and a warrior priest assassin battle the Legion.  Legion = Spawned demons from hell, that want to open up a portal to let hell through, dominating this world. Sound cool?  That is because it is. This is another low budget (just over a million)movie that went direct to DVD in 2009.  I have been increasingly satisfied with lower budget movies as of late.   New and cheaper technology is allowing more and more people to put their thoughts to film. Thankfully, they don't have to go through "Hollywood" anymore. The 3 directors of this film were more stuntmen than directors. That gave the action sequences (a lot of them) some jaw dropping eye candy. There is still some cheesy effects but they don't detract from the film as I really expected worse.  Appearing in a small role was Derek Mears (The new Jason and a &quo

Harry Potter Will Face The Woman In Black

Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter himself, is dipping into old-school horror as part of his post-Hogwarts carrier. The star has joined the cast of The Woman In Black, which will be released by recently revived Hammer Films. The adaptation of Susan Hill’s bestseller will come from director James (Eden Lake) Watkins, with a script from Jane (Kick Ass) Goldman. The story follows young lawyer Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe), who is ordered to travel to a remote corner of the U.K. and sort out a recently deceased client’s papers. As he works alone in an old and isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover its tragic secrets, and his unease grows when he discovers that the local village is held hostage by the ghost of a scorned woman set on vengeance. Having seen a previous version of the film I can assure you it's creepy as hell. The film begins production in the fall. We'll update you as more news becomes available. Hammer is also releasing the U.S. version of Let Me In later this ye

Trailer Alert: Faster

Remember with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson looked like he was going to be the next big action star? Well, looks like he does too, but his next film promises to be the movie all of us fans have waited almost seven years to see. I don't bemoan The Rock for trying different things. In fact, I respect him for it. But after several kiddie flicks its nice to see him taking another shot Ah-nold's throne. And although this teaser for Faster is just that, a teaser, it looks like a lean and mean good time worthy of the man's roots. I'll be checking this out come November! In the meantime, head to Yahoo and give the teaser a viewing or two. I've watched it three times!

Micro Review: Inception

How does one describe Inception? Smart, innovative and thrilling come to mind. So does mind blowing, visual stunning and incredible. The Dark Knight was a masterpiece, but that property wasn't 100 per cent Christopher Nolan's. Inception is, and it is a great piece of work. A masterwork from a master craftsman. This is a movie people will go see and then argue about and then, very likely, go see again. It is the must-see film of the summer, if not the year. Nolan dares us to think big here, yet he also thrills us with some of the biggest and best action scenes to ever reach the big screen. Inception is the film movie fans have waited all year for, it's a slick brain-twister that makes the year's other mainstream releases look boring and empty-headed in comparison . . . because they are.A Good review from The Basement, and a most enthusiastic one at that.

Trailer Alert: The Town

Fall is certainly shaping up to be a far more interesting film season than summer. First we've got the hilarious looking Due Date (see below) and now the trailer for The Town has appeared, and boy does it look great. Don't let the presence of BAff scare you. The man was good in State of Play and he directed the brilliant Gone Baby Gone. He's directing again here, and I'm pretty sure he could have a second career in that chair. The film also stars Jeremy (Hurt Locker) Renner and Chris Cooper, who rarely disappoint. This one looks like a winner, but watch the trailer on iTunes and judge for yourself. It hits theatres Sept. 17. Sorry, couldn't find one to embed here.

Due Date Trailer F$%king Funny!

Robert Downey Jr. and Zack Galifianakis in a road comedy from Hangover director Todd Phillips? Sold! I legitimately laughed all the way through this. So did my wife. I'm pretty sure we'll be braving a trip to the movie theatre come November. Between this and Red, fall is looking pretty good. Hopefully it will make up for the asstacular summer we're suffering through right now. Hopefully Inception breaks the curse. Check the trailer out below, and leave a thought or two.

Biohazardous

"I swear, if life was like a horror film...You'd be the first one to get killed" The movie Biohazardous, for all intents and purposes, is a zombie movie. That said, watching this made me feel a bit weird.  Mainly because it reminded me of the home movies WE used to make. This is an ULTRA low budget movie, filmed mostly with a couple of  alright home video cameras. The acting was much better than I was expecting, though still a bit questionable in parts. haha. Some of the actors were actually pretty good.  The main "bad guy", head of Gentech industries, reminded me very much of Willem Dafoe .  Believe THAT or not. The movie is similar to Resident Evil and really pays homage to George A Romero's zombies from the original Dawn Of The Dead. Of course the story is about a company that is chemically testing their ability to make soldiers that won't die.  While resurrection is easy, after the administration of a second phase drug, killing them is not.

Tag Team Review: Daybreakers

Mike S. is back with another one, and I figured I (Jason) would throw my two cents into the mix. What are your thoughts about the Spierig Brothers' take on vampires? Mike S. While there are certain parts of its execution that could've been improved, I would have to say that I enjoyed Daybreakers. I really liked the film noir elements that were used for some of the camera shots, wardrobe, and tone. The use of dreary greys and blacks with chilly blue artificical light gave a nice sense of an essentially souless society. The cast was well chosen, and while not necessarily realistic, they weren't exactly cookie cutter characters, either. I especially enjoyed Sam Neill's turn as a vampire. The action when it occured was quick, thumping and well filmed. Unlike the usually clean dining of most movie vampires, these vampires are rather messy... almost like savage zombies in their feasting. The message of managing natural resources, and trying to find alternatives sourc

Edward Norton Won't Hulk Out In Avengers Movie

I'm sure most film geeks are well aware of the back and forth between Marvel and Edward Norton this weekend regarding the award-winning actor's part in the upcoming Avengers movie. A statement issued by Marvel said Norton , who recently played Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk, wouldn't reprise the part in The Avengers, saying the decision was "definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members.” Norton's agent, Brian Swardstrom, rebuked, calling the statement a "purposefully misleading, inappropriate attempt to paint our client in a negative light." Norton released a statement of his Facebook page "It seems it won't work out for me to continue playing Bruce Banner for Marvel in 'The Avengers.' I sincerely hoped it could happen and be great for everyone, but it hasn't turned out as we all hoped. I kno

Micro Review: Green Zone

A capable, if not unspectacular, action/thriller that can't quite live up to its roots. Director Paul Greengrass and star Matt Damon knocked it out of the park with two of the Bourne films, and one can't help but be let down by the fact this is nowhere near as good. And one cannot help but make unfair comparisons to The Hurt Locker either, which this film can't even touch. Biases aside, Green Zone offers a fast pace and bone-crunching action captured with Greengrass’ signature hand-held camera and rapid-fire editing. Too bad we know the truth behind WMDs heading into the movie. A Bad review from The Basement on this one.

Listener's Review: The Woman In Black

The following comes from FRFTB fan Mike S, who Constant Listeners know is the creator of our Good, Bad and Ugly rating system. Here he takes a few moments to share his thoughts on the British horror film The Woman In Black, based on one of the longest running stage plays in London! Very few people can make a decent ghost movie. The British are one of the few. When I watched this movie, I had trouble sleeping afterwards... for several nights. The setting of the mansion that becomes rather isolated when the fog roles in created such a sense of being utterly alone and unprotected... especially when you start to hear the phantom sounds of a horse drawn carriage in the fog, and the screams of a child. Adding into that, the appearance of a hateful looking woman in black on an island nobody is supposed to be able to reach due to the fog is enough to make you uncomfortable... and jumpy at the little sounds in your house when you're alone. The pace isn't fast- but it's relentles

Join The Conversation

We're gearing up for our first season as a live radio show and want to make the experience as interactive for our fans as possible. To do that we've launched a message forum over at Proboards. Stop on by, sign up, join a conversation or start a new one. It's all pretty rough at this point, but we figured why not get the ball rolling. Shawn and I will pop up often and leave a comment or two. Work continues on the radio show. We've got a format pretty much locked down and promise to throw a few surprises into the mix. Shawn and I have already got some guests figured out too! So, without further adieu, take a spin by Proboards and share your thoughts! Jason and Shawn

Episode XV: Midnight Movie and The Poughkeepsie Tapes

We've saved the best for last. The last episode of Season One that is! We're back Oct. 1 at 10 p.m. as an hour-long radio show on 92.5FM The X with live episodes beginning Oct. 8. Until then, groove on our reviews of underground horror films Midnight Movie and The Poughkeepsie Tapes. Plus get to hear Shawn's first attempt at a radio voice and learn what disturbs Jason. Plus micro reviews of The Book of Eli, The A-Team and Old Dogs! And don't worry: we're still going to update this blog on a regular basis to keep you in the loop about the goings on with our show and other developments from The Basement! BTW: You can also listen to us right now on podOmatic !

Micro Review: The Crazies

A solid genre outing with the right balance of smarts, gore and suspense. This remake of the 1973 chiller is unlike almost every horror remake out there in one key way -- it's actually pretty good! The film's strength lies in allowing us to get to know, and therefor care, about the characters. It also acts as a cynical social commentary, believing the government would rather nuke a town out of existence than admit to its mistakes. I, for one, don't doubt that for a minute, which makes The Crazies all the scarier. A slick little thriller, earning a Good review from The Basement.

Micro Review: Hot Tub Time Machine

Not the balls-to-the-wall laughfest I heard it was, but still one of the funnier films to come along in some time thanks to a good cast and wacky premise. The film relies too much on vulgar humour and gags aimed at people with a low IQ, but it is frequently very funny and even suspenseful: I cringed every time I saw Crispin Glover and his destined-to-be-amputated arm. In fact, the film is funniest when it doesn't try too hard. And I don't know who the drunk guy was in the bear costume, but rock on!! A Good review from The Basement on this one.

Up Yours Twilight! Let Me In is the real deal.

When I heard Cloverfield director Matt Reeves was remaking the absolutely smashing Swedish vampire movie Let The Right One In, I cringed. Not because I didn't dig Cloverfield, but the thought of anyone remaking that modern classic made me want to punch midgets in the nutsack. Now we've got the teaser trailer for Reeves' Let Me In, and it looks damn good. The mood is right. The intensity is right. It doesn't look like Hollywood screwed with the story. This could work. We'll know for sure when the movie opens later this year. A remake is unnecessary, but if one is going to happen, then at least do it right. I think Reeves has done that. Watch the trailer and judge for yourself!