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Showing posts from June, 2011

Micro Review: Unknown

Unknown so wants to be Taken 2, right down to the Bourne-inspired action scenes and having Liam Neeson as the star. But it's not a successor to Neeson's awesome 2009 action hit and it falls far short of the greatness of the Bourne films. It's a so-so Hollywood thriller with not enough thrills or action and a plot twist any trained filmgoer can see coming for miles. Neeson is incapable of being bad in anything and January Jones and Diane Kruger play their roles well and look good doing it, but everything else is uninspired. A Bad for sure.

Spielberg's on a horse

We're not much for sentimentality here in The Basement, but there's moments in this trailer for Steven Spielberg's War Horse that give me chills. It might be John Williams's score or the beautiful images, but that old Spielberg magic is in every frame. This is a boy-and-his-horse story set against the backdrop of the First World War. And although it's not the kind of thing we'd ever review on our show, the beauty of this trailer deserves to be shared. That and I have a feeling the wife and I will be seeing this one, as she loves horses and all. War Horse is due out this Christmas.

Rethink the impossible

I've enjoyed the Mission: Impossible film series since day one. Yes, the second outing doesn't hold up (sorry John Woo) but the first and third are solid. Judging from the slick little trailer below, the latest entry looks to continue the overall quality of the films. Tom Cruise is great at these kinds of roles and it looks like Jeremy Renner, who is rumoured to be taking over the series after this film, will kick some ass. And who doesn't like to look at Paula Patton? Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol is due out in December. Brad "The Incredibles" Bird directs.

Bigfoot lives! In a couple new movies that is

Shawn and I are completely biased in our opinions. And in our opinion there's not enough movies about bigfoot. Well, leave it to filmmakers Corey Grant and Eduardo Sanchez to tell us to shut the fuck up, bitches! Grant is the director of The Lost Coast Tapes, a new found footage film about a cynical journalist who sets out to prove the discovery of a dead bigfoot is nothing more than a hoax. You can guess what happens next. Sanchez, co-director of The Blair Witch Project, helms Exists, which has a pissed off bigfoot stalking a group of twentysomethings when they take a vacation in the woods. Both sound pretty good to us. As long as there's a bigfoot stomping on people, we're happy. That was the case with the exceptional Abominable and Shawn and I both came away with smiles on our faces. We'll keep you posted on these projects as they develop.

Jason and Shawn review: Rubber

Rubber Jason: Rubber is a slap in the face to Hollywood and all the sheeple who flock to the mass-market garbage movie studio's make. As long as the sheeple keep watching movies like that, Hollywood will keep making them. That's what Rubber is about, but it's also about a killer tire named Robert. To say Rubber is witty as hell and twice as funny would be an understatement. It's ballsy and has something to say. People will either groove on that or hate it. I grooved on it, and it's getting a Good in books. Shawn: I'm still processing this movie in my mind. There are so many ideas at work here that I can't turn my brain off. I didn't want to see Rubber because it looked like another dumb comedy like Scary Movie or Vampires Suck. It's not that kind of movie at all. Rubber says a lot about Hollywood and the people who watch Hollywood movies. I can't stop thinking about this movie. Some people will hate it, others will love it. I'm giving it

Next on the chopping block: Rubber

While nothing original seems to be coming out of Hollywood, we in The Basement can always count on the French to come up with something completely different. And, in this case, different = Rubber. When Robert, a tire, discovers his destructive telepathic powers, he soon sets his sights on a desert town; in particular, a mysterious woman becomes his obsession. Sounds like Rubber, from writer/director Quentin Dupieux, is a send up of the Hollywood monster movie doesn't it? Well, it is. Kinda. But it's so much more. How much more? Find out when the June Special lands Sunday at 6 p.m. PST on iTunes, Facebook , podOmatic and right here on the blog. Our special episodes are stripped down versions of the radio show. Just a review and some lively banter. If you miss our hour-long episodes tune in Fridays at 4 p.m. at 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca for archived Season One episodes. And we'll be back in The Basement Oct. 7 at 10 p.m. PST for all ne

Micro Review: Battle Los Angeles

A mantastic piece of film entertainment that is one part gritty war film and another part slick alien invasion flick. Think Saving Private Ryan meets Independence Day and you've kinda got the right idea. Aaron Eckhart provides a solid anchor as the marine staff sergeant charged with helping fight off the otherworldly invaders. But the real stars are the action scenes and way cool space aliens. The film is thin on story and character, but that's not the point here. This is one prolonged and brilliant combat sequence, and it's a great ride. One worth taking several times. A Good for Battle Los Angeles.

The final, and best, Captain America trailer arrives

And it's a chill-inducing, smile-creating gem. More action. More Hugo Weaving. More Tommy Lee Jones. More Howling Commandos. More music by Tool. This is going to be THE summer movie to see in my opinion. A period comic book adventure that, as far as this trailer is concerned, has the heart and tone of an old-school action picture. Think Raiders of the Lost Ark with a super hero. Sold! But why not watch the trailer for yourselves and sound off!

Retro Review: Fright Night

I first saw this movie back in 1985. It's the first horror film I watched in a theatre and it scared the crap out of me. Now it's just a great funhouse ride of laughs, scares and gruesome, but fun, visual effects. Chris Sarandon is just awesome as the vampire and Roddy McDowall is a joy to watch as Peter Vincent: Vampire Killer. This was made back when horror movies, and movies in general, were a lot of fun and it shows. I find it hard to believe the remake will have anywhere near the energy and wit writer/director Tom Holland put into every frame of his movie. A Good for me.

Statham, De Niro and Owen oh my!

What do you get when Jason Statham, Robert De Niro and Clive Owen are cast in the same action picture? Enough testosterone to power a planet that's what! Even Matt Bellamy agrees Killer Elite looks like an action fan's wet dream. The film, due out in September, features Statham as a former special-ops agent lured out of retirement to save his mentor (De Niro) from an evil Brit (Owen). Cue mayhem. I'm a huge Statham fan and seeing De Niro kick ass puts a big ole smile on my face. Owen seems perfectly cast. Throw in some 80s power metal and we're good to G-O. But enough jibber jabber, check out the fun trailer below and judge for yourself.

Shark Night 3D gets a PG-13 rating . . .

. . . and interest wains. Not that we in The Basement mind PG-13 flicks. There's a tonne of great ones out there within in the horror, action, and sci-fi genre. Jaws comes to mind. The Grudge. Live Free or Die Hard. But when you've got a movie about sharks eating people from the director of Final Destination 2 and Snakes On A Plane, you kinda expect more. More gore that is. And boobies. Mature, I know. The film is rated PG-13 for violence and terror, disturbing images, sexual references, partial nudity, language and thematic material. All of which could translate into good carnage, but still. The concept of a 3D shark movie makes me think of Piranha 3D, and that wouldn't have worked in PG-13. R-rated all the way baby. Despite our disappointment, Shawn and I will eventually check out Shark Night 3D because we're weird that way. The Film hits theatres Sept. 2 and stars the hotness that is Sara Paxton (see above pic). The film's trailer sits below.

Halloween 3D gets a release date

There was a time when news of another Halloween film would have filled me with a dark kind of joy. Given that Halloween 3D is supposed to be a continuation of the story Rob Zombie ended in his Halloween 2 and will contain the component of three extra dollars, I'm less than jazzed. Empireonline.com is reporting that the film is slated for an Oct. 28, 2012 release. No word yet on if director Patrick (My Bloody Valentine 3D and Drive Angry) Lussier and screenwriter Todd Farmer are still involved. The two were attached to the project a year or so ago but moved on to Drive Angry instead. The plot, according to Lussier talking to MTV last year, picks up right after Zombie's Halloween 2 and strips the character back to his John Carpenter roots, whatever that means. And again, what's the point given Zombie's interpretation was finished. This project stinks of pure greed on the part of the producers and studio, Dimension Films. I love the Halloween series, but feel Carpent

The next Wonder Woman?

If director Nicolas Winding Fefn has his way not only will DC Comics's most popular female super hero get to the big screen, but the Amazon will be embodied by Mad Men/Firefly/Life starlet Christina Hendricks. Who's Refn? The director recently won an award at Cannes for his action film Drive starring Ryan Gosling and he's slated to helm the latest version of Logan's Run. But he told ReelzChannel.com that he's long wanted to make a Wonder Woman movie and his top choice to play the heroine is Hendricks. Judging from fanboy reaction on almost every movie-themed website I check few would have an issue with Refn's casting. I think it's safe to say we in The Basement also agree with putting Hendricks in the role because she, well, um . . . looks the part. Dye her hair black and you're good to G-O. It doesn't hurt that she can act either. This project is a long way off, but dare to dream, boys. Dare to dream.

Conan gets a red band trailer

Any fears of a watered down Conan The Barbarian hitting theatres in August have been dashed thanks to this red band trailer, which offers gallons of blood and violence and a hint of sex and boobies. Does this mean the latest version of Robert E. Howard's barbarian will be any good? I seriously have my doubts. But at least my bloodlust will be satiated. Jason Momoa is certainly giving the role his all, but he has a long way to go to best Ah-nold. We'll know more when Conan hits theatres Aug.19. Until then, watch the blood spill! More Conan the Barbarian in 3D Videos

Retro Review: Darkness Falls

Upon first viewing Darkness Falls back in early 2003 Mike S and I found it to be a chilling little horror film featuring a great and unexpected villain in The Tooth Fairy. It's almost a decade later and the film is showing its age. The Tooth Fairy herself is awesome and there are some creepy moments, but the obvious trimming on the part of the studio to meet a PG-13 rating does detract from one's enjoyment. There's some nice atmosphere and Darkness Falls is technically well made and passably acted. Too bad they didn't aim for something a little rougher. A Bad for me.

Rob Zombie directed a Woolite ad

Yes, you read that right. The heavy metal shock rocker turned horror movie shock director has made a TV ad for Woolite, that most excellent of detergents. I can't believe I just wrote that. Nor was I even aware Woolite was still being made. All kidding aside Zombie, who's Halloween films are much maligned in my opinion, directed this tongue-in-cheek commercial with his usual grungy flare. It's nice to see that he can bring a sense of humour to his otherwise gritty style. We've posted it below for your viewing pleasure. We in The Basement are not paid sponsors for Woolite. Yet!

Expendables 2 has its director

And he is Simon West. The same Simon West who directed the early 90s action flick Con Air and the recent and decent Jason Statham remake of The Mechanic. At least the man knows his action. To be honest, we all know Sly Stallone is the driving force behind this sequel to his 2010 hit. And does it really matter who directs with him writing and returning along with fellow cast members Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews and Mickey Rourke? No. It doesn't. The awesome has already been brought. The film begins shooting this summer. The plot, as we've reported before, is as follows: The Expendables are back and this time it's personal! After Tool (Mickey Rourke), the heart and soul of the Expendables, is brutally murdered on a mission, his comrades swear to avenge him. They're not the only ones who want blood. Tool’s beautiful young and wild daughter Fiona embarks on her own revenge mission, complicating matters when she is captured and ransomed by a rut

Micro Review: Super 8

It's a rare thing in this age of mindless reboots, remakes, sequels and adaptations that an original film comes out of Hollywood. And even rarer still for it to carry the pedigree of J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg. This is writer/director Abrams's loving tribute to the escapist movies he grew up with and, as it turns out, the kind I grew up with too. Super 8 is fun, scary, exciting, moving, funny and just gruesome enough. There isn't one scene or moment that doesn't work. It's not a kids' movie, but it happens to be about kids, and because of that Super 8 will appeal to 10-year-olds and the 10-year-old inside of you. It's a rare film that should entertain anyone. A Good from The Basement for me.

Micro Review: 2010 Moby Dick

Only the folks at The Asylum would dare take Herman Melville's classic and update it into a high-tech, B-grade horror story -- a Jaws on steroids along the lines of their Mega Shark series. And only The Asylum would cast Xena's Renee O'Connor as The Narrator and Mega Force's Barry Bostwick as Capt. Ahab, now the commander of a U.S. Navy submarine. Actually, it all sounds better than it is. The effects are decent by Asylum standards and some of the dialogue is take directly from Melville's book. But it's still standard direct-to-DVD stuff. A Bad from me.

Harry Potter director buys rights to Troll Hunter remake

Even before the film is released in the U.S. some A-hole American director has to go and buy the remake rights for alleged-to-be-brilliant Norwegian horror film Troll Hunter. And by alleged I mean Shawn and I have yet to see the critically praised film and by A-hole American director I mean Chris Columbus, who is likely a very nice person. However, Columbus has been stated as saying on the Interwebs that he wants to introduce International audiences to this amazing film by remaking it. I've got a great idea Chris, why not distribute the original film to a mass audience instead? Oh right. Sorry. I forgot. Mainstream audiences don't like to read subtitles. Silly me. Columbus's 1492 Pictures will produce the film. We in The Basement intend to get a copy of the original Troll Hunter and review it early next season, therefor negating the need to watch the U.S. version unless we so desire. Here's the preview for Troll Hunter.

Poster Alert: Super 8

The much anticipated film is just days away from arriving in theatres so it's only fitting we provide a look at the latest poster for J.J. Abrams's Super 8. The film looks to be a loving throwback to Steven Spielberg's earlier films and this sweet poster captures that vibe perfectly. I miss the old-school, hand-drawn posters. It's great to see a studio take a shot at one of these again. In case you've lived in a cave for the past year, the plot for Super 8 is as follows: “In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth – something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.” Written and directed by Abrams and produced by Spielberg, Super 8 lands in theatres on Friday. Enjoy the poster b

Daredevil Reboot Born Again

If you're a fan and long-time reader of Daredevil like me, this is a double dip of good news. The David Slade-directed reboot of the 2003 adaptation, which we discussed here , has hired Brad Caleb Kane on to pen the script. Kane is a writer and producer on Fox's brilliant TV series Fringe, which means the project is in the right hands. It also turns out that Kane is a Daredevil fan and has decided to adapt Frank Miller's Born Again run from the mid-80s as the plot for his film. Born Again is the definitive Daredevil tale! Karen Page, Matt Murdock's former lover, has traded away the Man Without Fear's secret identity for a drug fix. Now, Daredevil must find strength as the Kingpin of Crime wastes no time taking him down as low as a human can get. If done right, this could be a great and decidedly different comic book film. With Slade directing and Kane at the keyboard, I have high hopes for this relaunch.

Trailer Alert: Fright Night (2011)

I remember my cousin Tony taking me to see the original Fright Night on its opening weekend back in 1985. I was 13, we were in Vancouver and it was the first R-rated film I ever saw in a theatre. It was a crazy experience. I was both awestruck and terrified. It was awesome! The film is held in a special place in my heart. It's a great mix of campy, scary, funny and gruesome. And you can't beat a cast that includes Roddy McDowall as a TV horror movie host who does battle with a real vampire. I don't know what to make of this remake. The film's been moved to Las Vegas and the Peter Vincent character is now some Sin City magician. And we've got Colin Farrell as the vampire. Whatever. The preview looks OK, but watch and judge for yourselves.

Micro Review: Drive Angry

Now this is what Basement Cinema is all about! Drive Angry is a fun, trashy B-movie with all the fixin's: bloody violence, liberal use of profanity, sex, nudity and hot chicks driving hot cars. Sure, it's got Nicolas Cage, but he's good in these kinds of off-kilter roles. And the world needs more Amber Heard because, well, just look at her! This is a 70s drive-in movie on steroids and it wears that badge proudly. Drive Angry isn't trying to be anything more than a crazy, beer-drinking movie experience, and I love it! Pair this up with Piranha 3D and you've got a great double feature. I'm giving this a Good, and will be watching it again and again and again.

Micro Review: The Rite

Decent acting and interesting ideas do not a good movie make. I'm not saying The Rite is bad, because the performances of Anthony Hopkins and Colin O'Donoghue are too good for the movie to fail. Plus I defy any genre fan to not like a story about exorcisms. But we've seen a lot of this stuff before and little actually happens until the third act. There are some minor scares thanks to Hopkins's performance and some nifty visuals, but the film is too long and kinda dull. A Bad for me on The Rite.

A better view of the Dragon Tattoo

Redundant yes, but response to the bootleg copy of David Fincher's Girl With the Dragon Tattoo remake preview was so positive that it would be heartless for us not to post the crisp, official version for your eye holes. Without further adieu . . . Nifty huh? In other news, look for regular blog updates to begin again in the near future as Shawn and I cruise through summer toward our eventual return to The X on Oct. 7. We're putting together some cool shit for fall, and want to keep our fans interested during the coming months. By all means, stick with us! And thanks to everyone who listened to our May Special. Each and every one of you rock! Until next time, we'll see you in The Basement.