Thursday 26 July 2012

Cloud Atlas,Life Of Pi-Trailer

Here is the trailer  for film Life Of Pi directed Ang Lee(Brokeback Mountain,Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) with a newcomer Suraj Sharma playing Pi and Tobey Maguire,Tabu and more making up the cast.The film based on the novel of the same is about the experience a boy,Pi experiences after a shipwreck which makes him  to learn more about survival and spirituality.The trailer is filled with beautiful  visuals to accompany the plot which is basicly involves a boy,a Bengal tiger,a zebra,a spotted hyena and a orangutan  in the sea.

Another ambitious trailer of the adaptation of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas which is movie about six different stories  set in six different eras,all connected in a way.It has a huge cast consisting Tom Hanks.Halle Berry,Jim Sturgess and more.Watching the trailer,the first thing that pops into my mind is 'The Fountain'  by Darren Afronosky.However,I have to admit this is a ambitious project with  amazing visuals.I have ordered the book  and will write a review when I'm done.Till then watch the six minutes trailer of this film.

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Stills from Neil Jordan's Byzantium

Its been quite a while  to see films that actually portray vampires as vampire and not sparkling male models and the images of Neil Jordan's Byzantium has been released.The film will be about  mother daughter vampire duo(Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan) who tries to live a normal life .However problem arises when the daughter slips out the secret and the past comes back to haunt them.Just have a look at this stills.Other castmates includes Jonny Lee Miller(Trainspotting),Sam Riley(On The Road),Caleb Landry Jones(X-Men: First Class)



I have also included a video of Neil Jordan and Saoirse Ronan describing the movie and a look at the movie set.Based on the interview,it seems Jordan  has ample back story for his vampires including how they feed and Saoirse speaking in her native  Irish accent  shows what an amazing actress she is.She sound so different in films and if you need proof just watch The Lovely Bones where she narrates the movie in her American accent.


Man of Steel -teaser

So here is the teaser of Zack Snyder's  Man Of Steel staring Henry Cavill as Clark Kent a.k.a Superman,Amy Adams,Michael Shannon,Russell Crowe ,Kevin Costner and more.Man of Steel is said to be chronicling the younger days of Clark Kent  with him learning to accept himself in this foreign land.I have seen the comic con trailer and its much more impressive than this one and it has a long clearer shot of Cavill walking in the suit.I do find Henry Cavill charismatic and this might be the film that project him to stardom and with Zack Znyder and Christopher Nolan attached to this film, I'm looking forward for it.


Sunday 22 July 2012

The Dark Knight Rises-review

So the end of Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy has arrived.Lots of hype have been surrounding this from the pre prodution itself .So does the film live up its expectation?Here is my review(spoiler free) of the film.



Director:Christopher Nolan
Cast:Christian Bale ,Anne Hathaway,Michael Caine,Morgan Freeman,Gary Oldman,Joseph Gordon Levitt,Marrion Cotillard and Tom Hardy


Plot: 8 years after Batman had took the blame for Harvey Dent's crime,Gotham City is peaceful and crime rate is declining thanks to Dent Act.Bruce Wayne(Bale) had been living in the dark  during this period mourning  for Rachel Dowes death and has no more will to live.Selina Kyle(Anne Hathaway) is a  thief who wants a new life, crosses path with Bruce and sets the story in motion .When Gotham city peace is threatened by the presence of a masked man named Bane(Tom Hardy) who is about carry out a revolution by releasing the criminals and taking over the city,Bruce has to make a decision whether to wear the mask one last time  despite the protest of Alfred(Michael Caine) who believes Bruce only wants to wear the mask  as a suicide mission.As the film progresses, the motive of Bane gets clearer and its clear that Bane is not only Batman's  strongest opponent but a clever one too.





Just like all the Nolan's film ,TDKR has a brilliant cast.Everyone does an amazing job here.As the plot might have hinted that this is a movie about Bruce Wayne instead of Batman.Bale  does a good job portraying a broken character who is quite depressed and  needs to fight his demons and find the will to live.For the first time we get to see that this superhero is a simple human and Bale is quite convincing .Michael Caine as the butler gives an emotional performance in the film while both Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon Levitt does a descent job for their respective roles which is bigger than many expected to be.I do feel Marion was slightly underused in the movie but thinking about it makes me realise that  her being underused is what makes the plot works.However,just like the previous film its the antagonists of the film that stole the show.While Tom Hardy performance is nowhere at par with Heath Ledger,I'm very impressed with his voice/accent in the film.His voice does convey pure evil.Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle gives the best performance of the cast.Her portrayal of Catwoman(although its never mentioned in the film) is superb and even surpass Michelle Pfeiffer's  performance in Batman Returns.She adds humour  and sarcasm to the dark plot.Her character is a character with grey shades and just like Bruce Wayne  she is a tormented soul and seeks for a happy ending and Anne definitely does a good job in giving a subtle performance during scenes showing Selina Kyle's sensitive side.





As for the plot of the film,is it the most original plot  anyone had seen,like Inception?Not really.It's almost similar to other bomb denotation films.However,I have to give credits for Nolan for creating a credible  and rich back story for all the characters,even the supporting roles.TDKR does not have any jaw dropping moments but the climax is surely something many had not expected.While some might find the part in the underground prison quite dragging,I do like it.There is some plot holes in the film regarding the bomb.I also loved the ending of the film.Its the perfect ending for the trilogy.I loved the fact that even though this is an ending for Nolan's trilogy,it starts a path for the future plans for the Batman franchise.




The musical score is one of the pluses of the film.The tribal/indian? like soundtrack by Hans Zimmer whenever Bane appears sets the tone of the film.The visual effects of the film looks awesome especially the flight scenes  during the first 10 minutes of the film and explosion scenes (there's quite a lot of explosion ).Nolan did not disappoint in the action scenes as the  car chasing scenes and Batman - Bane confrontation in the underground sewage with selina Kyle watching is epic.The scene at the bar involving Selina,Holly  Robinson (Juno Temple) is another superb scene.The sets in the film especially the underground prison looks amazing and Gotham City during winter definitely looks different than the previous films.


So overall,TDKR is an entertaining film with an  ordinary plot packed with brilliant performances from the cast and a great technical team as a strong support.

Possible Oscar contenders:

Best Supporting Actor- Michael Caine
Best Supporting Actress- Anne Hathaway
Best Original Score- Hans Zimmer
Best Art Direction
Best Visual Effects

A-

Friday 20 July 2012

The Master, Bachelorette-Trailer

The official trailer of Paul Thomas  Anderson's The Master starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman,Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams.The film is said to deal on the formation of a new religion(Scientology?) after World War 2. Just like the other trailers,it is Phoenix centric and I like it.


I also included the trailer of Bachelorette starring Kirsten Dunst,Isla Fisher,Lizzy Caplan and hilarious Rebel Wilson.The film is about  how 3 friends reacts to the fact that the friend they consider ugly  had found love and is about to settle down while they are still single.The trailer is not that bad  thanks to Rebel Wilson who makes us laugh whenever she appears onscreen and the three female leads.

Thursday 19 July 2012

64th Primetime Emmy-Nominations

So here is the full list of nomination of the 64th Primetime Emmy.The list is quite boring with the same  previous nominees getting nominated again with some new faces .Even though I'm quite happy Breaking Bad got nominated in most category,its sad to see good shows like Game of Thrones,Community getting snubbed in their respective categories.In addition,both Walking Dead and Happy Endings  were not mentioned at all..Another dissapointment was The Hour  and Appropriate Adult in the Miniseries category.

So check it out.

Outstanding Drama Series
"Broadwalk Empire"
"Breaking Bad"
"Downton Abbey"
"Game of Thrones"
"Homeland"
"Mad Men"

Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Kathy Bates, "Harry's Law"
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Claire Danes, "Homeland"
Michelle Dockery, "Downton Abbey"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men"

Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Hugh Bonneville,"Downton Abbey"
Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Damian Lewis, "Homeland"


Outstanding Comedy Series
"The Big Bang Theory"
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
"Girls"
"Modern Family"
"30 Rock"
"Veep"

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Zooey Deschanel, "New Girl"
Lena Dunham, "Girls"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
Melissa McCarthy, "Mike & Molly"
Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Don Cheadle, "House of Lies"
Louis C.K., "Louie"
Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"

Outstanding Made for TV Movie/Miniseries
"American Horror Story"
"Game Change"
"Hatfields and McCoys"
"Hemingway and Gellhorn"
"Luther"
"Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia"

Leading Actor in a Made for TV Movie/Miniseries
Woody Harrelson, "Game Change"
Clive Owen, "Hemingway & Gellhorn"
Benedict Cumberbatch, "Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia"
Idris Elba, "Luther"
Kevin Costner, "Hatfields & McCoys"
Bill Paxton, "Hatfields & McCoys"

Lead Actress in a Made for TV Movie/Miniseries
Julianne Moore, "Game Change"
Connie Britton, "American Horror Story"
Nicole Kidman, "Hemingway & Gellhorn"
Emma Thompson, "The Song of Lunch"
Ashley Judd, "Missing"

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
"The Amazing Race"
"Dancing With the Stars"
"Project Runway"
"So You Think You Can Dance"
"Top Chef"
"The Voice"

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Tom Bergeron, "Dancing With The Stars"
Cat Deeley, "So You Think You Can Dance"
Phil Keoghan, "The Amazing Race"
Ryan Seacrest, "American Idol"
Betty White, "Betty White's Off Their Rockers"

Outstanding Reality Program
"Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution"
"MythBusters"
"Antiques Roadshow"
"Shark Tank"
"Undercover Boss"
"Who Do You Think You Are?"

Outstanding Nonfiction Series
"American Masters"
"Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations"
"Inside The Actors Studio"
"The Weight Of The Nation"

Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series
"The Colbert Report"
"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"
"Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"
"Real Time with Bill Maher"
"Saturday Night Live"

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Aaron Paul, "Breaking Bad"
Giancarlo Esposito, "Breaking Bad"
Brendan Coyle, "Downton Abbey"
Jim Carter, "Downton Abbey"
Jared Harris, "Mad Men"
Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones"

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Archie Panjabi, "The Good Wife"
Anna Gunn, "Breaking Bad"
Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"
Joanna Froggatt, "Downton Abbey"
Christina Hendricks, "Mad Men"
Christine Baranski, "The Good Wife"

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ed O'Neill, "Modern Family"
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, "Modern Family"
Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"
Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family"
Bill Hader, "Saturday Night Live"
Max Greenfield, "New Girl"

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Mayim Bialik, "The Big Bang Theory"
Merritt Wever, "Nurse Jackie"
Julie Bowen, "Modern Family"
Kristen Wiig, "Saturday Night Live"
Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family"
Kathryn Joosten, "Desperate Housewives"

Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Sarah Paulson, "Game Change"
Frances Conroy, "American Horror Story"
Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story"
Judy Davis, "Page Eight"
Mare Winningham, "Hatfields & McCoys"

Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Ed Harris, "Game Change"
Denis O'Hare, "American Horror Story"
David Strathairn, "Hemingway & Gellhorn"
Martin Freeman, "Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia"
Tom Berenger, "Hatfields & McCoys"

Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Dot-Marie Jones, "Glee"
Maya Rudolph, "Saturday Night Live"
Melissa McCarthy, "Saturday Night Live"
Elizabeth Banks, "30 Rock"
Margaret Cho, "30 Rock"
Kathy Bates, "Two and a Half Men"

Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Michael J. Fox, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Greg Kinnear, "Modern Family"
Bobby Cannavale, "Nurse Jackie"
Jimmy Fallon, "Saturday Night Live"
Will Arnett, "30 Rock"
Jon Hamm, "30 Rock"

Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Martha Plimpton, "The Good Wife"
Loretta Devine, "Grey's Anatomy"
Jean Smart, "Harry's Law"
Julia Ormond, "Mad Men"
Joan Cusack, "Shameless"
Uma Thurman, "Smash"

Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Mark Margolis, "Breaking Bad"
Dylan Baker, "The Good Wife"
Michael J. Fox, "The Good Wife"
Jeremy Davies, "Justified"
Ben Feldman, "Mad Men"
Jason Ritter, "Parenthood"

Outstanding Animated Program
"American Dad"
"Bob's Burgers"
"Futurama"
"The Penguins Of Madagascar: The Return Of The Revenge Of Dr. Blowhole"
"The Simpsons"

Outstanding Children's Program
"Degrassi"
"Good Luck Charlie"
"iCarly"
"Victorious"
"Wizards Of Waverly Place

Saturday 14 July 2012

Game of Thrones Season 3: New Cast Members - Comic Con



Here is the video from Comic Con introducing the new casts joining Game of Thrones season 3.The casting of Game Of Thrones has been so far very perfect,thnaks to Nina Gold  and this season  seems to be the same.The new cast consists of the legend Dianna Riggs to the  newcomers like Ellie Kendrick.The standout of the casting is of course Dianna Riggs as the Queen of Thorns and the Reeds  which will be played by Thomas Sangster(Nowhere Boys)  and Ellie Kendrick(The Diary of Anne Frank) who look perfect for their roles.

So here are the other actors that got casted but didnt appear in the video.

Tara Fitzgerald- Selyse Baratheon,wife of Stannis Baratheon
Phillip McGinley- Anguy,a skillful archer (most likely a wildling or a  new NightsWatch recruit)
Kristofer Hivju-Tormund Giantsbane
Charlotte Hope-Myranda(Most likely  to be Roslin Frey ,name change as there is already)
Anton Lesser- Qyburn .a maester who is hired by Cersei
Tobias Menzies- Edmure Tully,brother to Catelyn Stark who agrees to marry Roslin  in return as Robb had broken his promise.


The Walking Dead Season 3-Comic Con

So here is the anticipated trailer of The Walking Dead Season 3 featuring  the prison as the setting of this season as well introducing 2 new characters  David Morrissey as The Governor and Danai Gurira as the arse kicking Michonne.The trailer is impressive with lots of zombies and its great to see hints of how the relationship of Rick and Laurie will go this season after  the murder of Shane.We can clearly see what they meant by making the prison as a character this season.The cameo of Merle Dixon at the end of trailer is amusing.




Friday 13 July 2012

Hello I Must Be Going-trailer

 Here is the trailer of the indie favourite Hello I must Be Going starring Melanie Lynskey.The film is about an older woman falling for a younger men.Its a tailor made role for Lynskey who has been used to playing auntie roles.Her performance received rave reviews and she is also in my Best Actress prediction.Chek out the trailer.The end bit is quite  funny.

Lynskey also have a minor but pivotal role in the upcoming film Perks of Being A Wallflower where she plays the aunt of Charlie(Logan Lerman) -SPOILER -who sexually abused him when he was a child.If portrayed right,its a role thats gonna make people talk about it when the film is out.

Oz:The Great and Powerful -Trailer

So here is the trailer of the movie Oz:The Great and Powerful directed by Sam Raimi staring  James Franco as Oz and Rachel Weiz,Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis as the Three witches.The plot of the film is Oz(Franco)  a  magician is transported to  Land of Oz where he is regarded the as the best wizard ever until he meets the three witches.
The trailers look impressive and both Michelle Williams and Rachel Weiz looks amazing in their roles

Lastly,here is the first image of  Saoirse Ronan as Daisy in the adaptation of How I live Now by Meg Rosoff.The still looks impressive and I'm really looking forward for this film as it deals with dark themes even though the story is about children.



PS: I'm also waiting for the latest trailer of The Walking Dead from Comic Con and the Man of Steel trailer which rumour has it Wonder Woman would be making a cameo.

Saturday 7 July 2012

Primetime Emmy-Part 2(Supporting Actor)

So here is the final part of my favourite Emmy contenders,Check it out.
Note:I included the newbies and possible first time nominee whose performance caught my attention.

1.Damon Wayans Jr as Brad Williams in Happy Endings
-He plays the flamboyant straight guy with a neurotic wife brilliantly portrayed by Eliza Coupe.He tickles the bone whenever he appears onscreen with his huge goofy smile.I laughed so hard watching Damon in the episode where he starts having sex dreams about Dave and describing it to his wife.



2.Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister in Game Of Thrones
-Charles Dance clearly has a big onscreen presence.With all the amazing things happening in  the episode Blackwater, Charles Dance cameo at the end of the episode stole all the attention.His scenes with Maisie Williams who plays Arya is superb and the scenes are great examples of how good these two actors are.Just an old man and a girl asking questions in a dark room and yet we are so invested.While I hated Tywin in the books,Charles Dance is making Tywin interesting though it will not last as Tywin is about to do something so cruel where people will hate him more than they hate Joffrey.



3.Max Adler as Dave Karovsky in Glee
-The suicide attempt of Dave Karovsky was the highlight of Glee season 3.His facial expression seeing the F-word over his locker room was so heartbreaking and the suicide scene accompanied by Blaine song was tears inducing.Its such a waste they focused the remaining  episode Rachel and Blaine .His scenes with Chris Kolfer in the hospital was perfect.



4..Robert Carlyle as Mr.Gold/Rumplestilskin in Once Upon a Time
-Robert Carlyle was brilliant in Once Upon a Time portraying two distinct character.He manages to insert humour and this cartoonish qualities(the way he talks) to this cold character Rumplestilskin and embodies a perfect Mr.Gold with subtle acting.without any doubt its sure that Robert Caryle's Rumplestilskin is the series breakout character.




5..Evan Peters as Tate Langdon in American Horror Story
-The character Tate is very creepy ,innocent,evil all at the same time and Evan Peters perfectly showcased all sides of Tate.He was tender and innocent in scenes with ,psychopathic with Jessica Lange and weak and vulnerable with Dylan Mcdermott.That's alot of range!



6.Max Greenfield as Schmidt in New Girl
-Max Greenfield does a perfect portrayal of this weird character named Schmidt,a overly metrosexual character .Everything he says and does makes us to frown,cringe and even roll our eyes and that's why many loves this character.If you need more convincing,just checkout his video for a dating site.JAR SCHMIDT!!!!



7.Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones
-Alfie Allen brought Theons internal struggle alive in all the scenes in Pyke.For the first time the audience realise he has serious daddy issues and he is yearns for acceptance.And the scene with Maester Luwin where he breaks down and show some remorse is so Emmy worthy.


8.James Van Der Beek as himself in Dont Trust the B in Appartment 23
-James Van Der Beek making fun of himself and his Dawson Creek character is super hilarious.Plus his chemistry with Krysten Ritter is so convincing.


9.Max Burkholder as Max Braverman in Parenthood
-his performance as the autistic son was so real and convincing that I had to google to check whether he is really Autistic.