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First poster for KILLING THEM SOFTLY starring Brad Pitt

Frantic Monkey — Tue, 22 May 2012 06:06:44 +0000

First poster for KILLING THEM SOFTLY starring Brad Pitt HollywoodHubbub

Formerly known as Cogan’s Trade (which I think it a far cooler title), here’s the first poster for the upcoming crime drama Killing Them Softly starring Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins, and Ray Liotta.

Jackie Cogan (Pitt) is an enforcer; and when the Mob’s rules get broken, he gets hired to ply his trade — murder. In the gritty, tough-talking pages of Higgins’s 1974 national best-seller, Cogan is called in when a high-stake card game under the protection of the Mob is heisted. Expertly, with a ruthless businessman’s efficiency, a shrewd sense of other people’s weaknesses, and a style as cold as his stare, Cogan moves with reliable precision to restore the status quo as ill-conceived capers and double-dealing shenanigans erupt into high-voltage violence.

The film is due to open on September 21st.

First poster for KILLING THEM SOFTLY starring Brad Pitt HollywoodHubbub

Teaser trailer for ANCHORMAN 2

Frantic Monkey — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:37:28 +0000

Teaser trailer for ANCHORMAN 2 HollywoodHubbub

The teaser trailer for Anchorman: The Legend Continues which has been playing infront of The Dictator has finally found it’s way online.

Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner and Steve Carell are all returning for the next instalment.

Teaser trailer for ANCHORMAN 2 HollywoodHubbub

First clip from THE MASTER starring Joaquin Phoenix

Frantic Monkey — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:19:19 +0000

First clip from THE MASTER starring Joaquin Phoenix HollywoodHubbub

It’s not a trailer but this clip of Joaquin Phoenix in The Master, Paul Thomas Anderson‘s highly anticipated followup to There Will Be Blood, certainly makes me excited to see the final product. Then again, considering the quality of Anderson’s previous work I was already super excited to see The Master.

Set in America in the years following World War II, a charismatic intellectual (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) launches a faith-based organization and taps a young drifter (Phoenix) as his right-hand man. But as the faith begins to gain a fervent following, the onetime vagabond finds himself questioning the belief system he has embraced, and his mentor.

The film opens on October 12th.

First clip from THE MASTER starring Joaquin Phoenix HollywoodHubbub

First teaser trailer for SKYFALL

Frantic Monkey — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:05:10 +0000

First teaser trailer for SKYFALL HollywoodHubbub

It was only a couple of days ago that we got the teaser poster for Sam Mendes’ next instalment in the Bond franchise Skyfall and now we get to see some actual footage of the film in this teaser trailer.

Whilst the trailer gives nothing away about the plot it sure does look good. Skyfall has now jumped up my most anticipated list to #29.

Skyfall opens on November 9th and stars Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney.

First teaser trailer for SKYFALL HollywoodHubbub

HICK review

Frantic Monkey — Sun, 20 May 2012 15:00:47 +0000

HICK review HollywoodHubbub

Written by: Andrea Portes
Directed by: Derick Martini
Genre: Drama

A 13-year-old Nebraska girl, Luli (Chloë Grace Moretz), runs away from her alcoholic parents, bringing along a pistol. After she is taken under the wing of grifter Glenda (Blake Lively), who uses her in cons and makes her an accessory to a robbery, both their lives are threatened by erratic drifter Eddie (Eddie Redmayne). Juliette Lewis, Alec Baldwin, and Rory Culkin also star.

I watched Hick solely because Chloë Moretz was in it. I’ve been a fan of her since I saw her in an episode of My Name is Earl and came away very impressed. Since then she’s gone on to bigger and better things like Kick-Ass, Let Me In, 500 Days of Summer, Hugo and Dark Shadows.

The objectification of Moretz starts early on when she appears in her rainbow underwear holding a gun. After this, even though I knew nothing about the plot of Hick, it seemed pretty obvious where it was gonna go; Luli would get herself into trouble and at some point she would get hurt or raped. Well that ended up happening but we were lucky enough as an audience to be spared from actually seeing anything. I can’t abide rape scenes, and I certainly don’t want to see someone like Chloë Moretz go through one.

Whilst I was watching the film I couldn’t help but think about the Dakota Fanning film Hounddog which got all it’s publicity thanks to a graphic rape scene featuring Fanning. I’ve never seen Hounddog but I imagine it got made thanks to the presence of Fanning and the nature of the film. That level of controversy leads to publicity, and I think Hick took a similar route thanks to Chloë Moretz be paraded around as a sex object.

The actual story contained in the film is nothing special, Luli runs away from home for some reason and crosses paths with Eddie, a psychopath, and Glenda, a grifter, and thanks to Luli’s need to be with someone who can take care of her, she finds herself getting into trouble when Eddie’s affection for her gets too much for him to control. The film ultimately builds to a disjointed and unsatisfactory conclusion in a cabin, with Luli seemingly just shrugging off all the things she’s been through over the previous few days. I’m all for happy endings but I think this one glossed over Luli’s ordeal way too easily.

On the performance side of things I think most everyone does a decent enough job with the material they were given. Eddie Redmayne is the clear standout thanks to his very effective portrayal of a crazy pervert. Blake Lively does about as well as you’d expect the Gossip Girl star to do, but doesn’t nearly approach the quality of her performance in The Town. Chloë Moretz delivers another natural performance which has none of the typical child actor awkwardness you usually see in young performers. Besides the three leads it was a pleasant surprise to see Rory Culkin (who I’m a big fan of simply for the fact that he’s a Culkin) and Alec Baldwin (who I’m a fan of thanks to Working Girl, Beetlejuice and 30 Rock).

CONCLUSION
Chloë Moretz was good as the young and attractive Luli, but ultimately Hick is unimpressive due to the somewhat disjointed plot and a very unrewarding conclusion.

RATING: 5/10
FLICKCHART RANKING: 759 of 1515

HICK review HollywoodHubbub

DARK SHADOWS review

Frantic Monkey — Sun, 20 May 2012 06:10:31 +0000

DARK SHADOWS review HollywoodHubbub

Written by: Seth Grahame-Smith and John August and Dan Curtis (TV series)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Genre: Horror, comedy

Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of falling in love with a beauty named Josette DuPres (Bella Heathcote) and breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death—turning him into a vampire, and then burying him…alive.

Nearly two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972, a stranger in an even stranger time. Returning to Collinwood Manor, he finds that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin, and the dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets.

Family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) is the one person Barnabas entrusts with the truth of his identity. But his rather odd and anachronistic behavior immediately raises the suspicions of the live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), who has no idea what kind of problems she’s really digging up.

As Barnabas sets out to restore his family name to its former glory, one thing stands in his way: Collinsport’s leading denizen, who goes by the name Angie…and who bears a striking resemblance to a very old acquaintance of Barnabas Collins.

Also residing in Collinwood Manor are Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloë Grace Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gully McGrath). The longsuffering caretaker of Collinwood is Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley), and new to the Collins’ employ is David’s nanny, Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote), who is, mysteriously, the mirror image of Barnabas’ one true love, Josette.

That’s a long synopsis for a film where nothing much happens, although I think anyone who watches Dark Shadows does so because they want to see Johnny Depp as a kooky character rather than so they can see an outstanding story.

Despite the fairly ordinary story, I enjoyed the film because of the look, the cast, and the soundtrack. Let’s be honest, Depp has made a habit out of playing weird characters in Tim Burton films, and his turn as Barnabus was an enjoyable additional to his catalogue of characters. In addition, because I had no idea who was in Dark Shadows I was pleasantly surprised to see Michelle Pfeiffer, Jackie Earle Haley and Chloe Moretz. Eva Green also did a good job with what she was given. Acting hot and crazy suits her.

One of the first things I noticed, and liked, about the film was the soundtrack and it’s use of cool songs like “Nights in White Satin” by The Moody Blues and “Season of the Witch” by Donovan. The Alice Cooper cameo was pretty cool too because the last thing I can remember him cameoing in what Wayne’s World.

The problem with Dark Shadows is that the cast, the look and the soundtrack, don’t make up for a weirdly structured, unfunny and boring film. It wasn’t until past the 1 hour mark that anything of substance happened, with everything before this being used to introduce the characters and illustrate Barnabus’ “fish out of water” situation. The ludicrous sex scene between Barnabus and Angelique took more away from the film than it added. Eva Green’s supreme sexiness was completely wasted.

I’ve long given up hope that Tim Burton will make a good film (his last truly good film was Sleepy Hollow in 1999) and Dark Shadows does nothing to change that. It’s a passable film which allows the audience to see Johnny Depp hamming it up as a vampire Captain Sparrow.

CONCLUSION
I have no clue whether Dark Shadows adheres to the old TV show or not, but I suspect it doesn’t matter one way or the other. Dark Shadows isn’t a bad film, certainly not as bad as Battleship or Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, but it isn’t especially good either. Ultimately, if you go in expecting a harmless retro gothic comedy horror you probably won’t come away disappointed.

RATING: 5/10
FLICKCHART RANKING: 541 of 1514

DARK SHADOWS review HollywoodHubbub

First poster for MANIAC starring Elijah Wood

Frantic Monkey — Sun, 20 May 2012 01:16:18 +0000

First poster for MANIAC starring Elijah Wood HollywoodHubbub

Here’s the first poster (lo-res only at the moment) for the upcoming horror remake Maniac starring Elijah Wood has arrived just ahead of the films premiere at Cannes.

Frank (wood), a victim of child abuse, owns a mannequin store, and is sought out by an artist named Anna (Nora Arnezeder) for help with her upcoming exhibition. Soon, scalping mannequins stirs Frank’s inner demons, unleashing a scornful serial killer who wants skin, not plastic.

Maniac is due to premiere at Cannes on May 26th so it won’t be long until some reviews start trickling out.

First poster for MANIAC starring Elijah Wood HollywoodHubbub

BATTLESHIP review

Frantic Monkey — Sat, 19 May 2012 12:00:38 +0000

BATTLESHIP review HollywoodHubbub

Written by: Erich Hoeber & Jon Hoeber
Directed by: Peter Berg
Genre: Action, sci-fi

Battleship is an epic-scaled action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies and over land as our planet fights for survival against a superior force. Inspired by Hasbro’s classic naval combat game, Battleship stars Taylor Kitsch as Lt. Alex Hopper, a Naval officer assigned to the USS John Paul Jones; Brooklyn Decker as Sam Shane, a physical therapist and Hopper’s fiancée; Alexander Skarsgård as Hopper’s older brother, Stone, Commanding Officer of the USS Sampson; Rihanna as Petty Officer Raikes, Hopper’s crewmate and a weapons specialist on the USS John Paul Jones; and international superstar Liam Neeson as Hopper and Stone’s superior (and Sam’s father), Admiral Shane.

First off, can there be any doubt that Battleship is the most calculated film/product tie-in in history. A summer blockbuster based on a game that no-one plays anymore featuring a ridiculous story and a host of young fairly poor actors. I’m absolutely certain this film was only made because of Transformers and the Hasbro connection. How could anyone think this would turn out well, it’s Independence Day + Armageddon + water, and at the end they add in a little Space Cowboys for good measure.

The entire first act is both boring and a waste of time because it plods along introducing all these paper-thin characters in the hope that the audience will somehow become attached. It’s a dumb action movie. I don’t care about the characters, I want explosions and spectacle and a little comic relief, not character growth.

Taylor Kitsch does what he was hired to do, speak his lines and look somewhat tough. Brooklyn Decker adds nothing and could of been replaced by any number of hotter blondes and the film would have been better. There’s an attempt to make Sam have some semblance of a story, she’s a physical therapist who’s new patient has no legs and has lost all hope. The thing is, she doesn’t do anything other than drive a jeep down a hill and crash it. Even her role as the “love interest” is uneventful because she’s really not involved with the action. At least Megan Fox did something in the Transformers films besides just looking hot.

Alexander Skarsgård is there for a bit and then dead, with his role as Stone apparently only existing as a means to get Alex to join the Navy. Likewise, Liam Neeson is given very little to do as Admiral Shane other than act as another hurdle for Alex to overcome. Never mind that that hurdle is mostly a fear of asking for Sam’s hand in marriage.

Once the action kicked in, even though it took about 40 minutes, the film did improve thanks to some solid special effects. But then came the inevitable references to the game and the whole film got boring as hell again with everyone sitting around watching a grid on a screen and trying to bomb aliens.

Then came the even worse third act with the ridiculous idea that the surviving crew could take out an old decommissioned battleship that was docked and acting as a museum, and take on an alien ship. Not only that, they also rounded up a bunch of retirees to crew the ship, conjured up a shit ton of ammunition that would never have been there, defied the laws of physics by power drifting a battleship, and then stole the Titanic sinking scene where the ship goes nose down.

And on top of all this stupidity, I don’t even think the aliens came to Earth to cause trouble. We sent a signal, they responded, and when they crashed into the ocean on their visit we tried to shoot at them with fucking Navy destroyers. Every time they attacked the humans it was in response or defence to an attack directed at them. The aliens cut off access to the area so they wouldn’t get bombarded with more attacks and then set about trying to contact their home planet to explain that Earth wasn’t so friendly and maybe try and get a lift home. And why was it so important for the humans to stop the aliens from making their call. They’ve already arrived. They know where Earth is. They can come back any time they want, but considering the lack of hospitality they received that’s probably not gonna happen soon.

Oh, and that Army dude fought dirty. Taking off the alien’s mask so that he couldn’t see is like gouging someone’s eyes out. It’s cheating.

CONCLUSION
Special effects and some decent comic relief can’t save this dud of a film. Battleship is as ordinary as everyone expected it to be.

RATING: 4.5/10

FLICKCHART RANKING: 845 of 1513

BATTLESHIP review HollywoodHubbub

PULP FICTION chronological infographic

Frantic Monkey — Sat, 19 May 2012 06:41:08 +0000

PULP FICTION chronological infographic HollywoodHubbub

I remember when I first saw Pulp Fiction way back in 1995 when I was about 16 years old, before I could of even called myself a casual film fan, and distinctly recall being quite confused by the structure of the film. Quentin Tarantino’s classic was unusual for the time because it jumped around between stories, characters and timelines, with the result that someone could die in one scene only to reappear in another scene just a few minutes later. My young mind found this difficult to grasp.

Thankfully nowadays we have dedicated and talented movie fans like Noah Smith who devote their time to making infographics to help viewers process how Pulp Fiction would play in chronological order.

PULP FICTION chronological infographic HollywoodHubbub

First trailer and poster for HYDE PARK ON HUDSON

Frantic Monkey — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:06:19 +0000

First trailer and poster for HYDE PARK ON HUDSON HollywoodHubbub

The first poster for Hyde Park on Hudson starring Bill Murray and Laura Linney shows Murray looking quite unlike himself.

In June 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Bill Murray) and his wife Eleanor (Olivia Williams) host the King and Queen of England (Samuel West, Olivia Colman) for a weekend at the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park on Hudson, in upstate New York – the first-ever visit of a reigning English monarch to America. With Britain facing imminent war with Germany, the Royals are desperately looking to FDR for support. But international affairs must be juggled with the complexities of FDR’s domestic establishment, as wife, mother, and mistresses all conspire to make the royal weekend an unforgettable one. Seen through the eyes of Daisy (Laura Linney), Franklin’s distant cousin, neighbor, and intimate, the weekend will produce not only a special relationship between two great nations, but, for Daisy – and through her, for us all – a deeper understanding of the mysteries of love and friendship.

Hyde Park on Hudson opens on December 7th in the US.

First trailer and poster for HYDE PARK ON HUDSON HollywoodHubbub