Tag: Josh Brolin

The Geekscape ‘Deadpool 2’ Special With Ian Kerner!

by Jonathan

‘Deadpool 2’ is out! But now we’ve got a lot of questions! Like who is Cable? Who is Domino? They did WHAT in the first 15 minutes? How does Deadpool 2 fit with the X-Men films? How close is Cable’s origin story to the one in the comics? How does Deadpool 2 movie set up an X-Force film? What characters would be in an X-Force movie? Does this change the X-Men timeline? Should you bring your kids to see Deadpool 2? Is Deadpool 2 as funny as the first movie? And more! So obviously we have to get Ian Kerner to join us on this ‘Deadpool 2 Special’ to Wade Wilson through all the questions with us! Oh yeah! And MAJOR SPOILER WARNING! ENJOY!

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Geekscape Movie Review: Deadpool 2

by MCDave

After surprising critical and box office adoration transformed Tim Miller’s risky and monumentally self-aware anti-hero comedy, Deadpool, into a record-breaking phenomenon, we all knew that the film’s immediately announced sequel would aim to be bigger, bolder and more outrageous than the original. And despite a changing of the guard, with Miller rumored to be stepping aside in favor of John Wick and Atomic Blonde director David Leitch because of a power struggle with leading star Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool 2 continues to push the envelope with more of the same vulgar, violent and over-the-top antics.

After opening with some wise cracks about Wolverine, the film immediately turns to Wade Wilson’s (Reynolds) recent selfish behavior and how it leads to an unfathomable tragedy. But rather than self-loathing like his natural instincts suggest, Wade attempts to find deeper meaning in things and finally begins to try and do what’s right. However, as Deadpool quickly finds out, old habits are hard to break when he crosses paths with a mercenary from the future named Cable (Josh Brolin) who refuses to let Wade get in the way of his mission.

Deadpool 2 doubles down with its abrasive, juvenile humor and blood-filled violence. And while the overall effect doesn’t quite grab you like its predecessor, this sequel still aptly entertains and smoothly keeps the laughs coming in impressive style. Furthermore, as if heavier doses of this winning formula aren’t enough to put you all in, Deadpool 2 throws some unexpected curveballs that are a refreshing surprise. Yet, while a whole new collection of characters, both good and bad, help occupy the screen time, this is once again Ryan Reynolds’ spotlight and he cradles the opportunity to near perfection. Wade Wilson’s evolution marks a stark contrast to the last film, one that’s a welcome change and navigates the franchise down a clearer more resolute path. But as his character so conveniently points out more than once in the film, there are spells of lazy writing that linger throughout, and even a wide-growing hokiness that looms over Wade’s modest character transformation. However, the action is on point, the characters are wildly entertaining, and the story shifts down an unpredictable road, all of which make Deadpool 2 another successful superhero tale with an immensely bright future

GRADE: 3.5/5

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Geekscape Movie Review: Avengers: Infinity War

by MCDave

For more than a decade the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has branded 19 films in total that have completely merged together in what’s guaranteed to be this summer’s most lucrative blockbuster, Avengers: Infinity War. Now, we’ve been down similar roads before with Marvel’s first ambitious multi-hero collaboration, The Avengers, and with both the film’s sequel, Age of Ultron, and the third Captain America installment, Civil War.  The success of these grandiose endeavors have been met with varying levels of success, casting a huge question-mark over the MCU’s newest title. But allow me to wash away any worries you may have by fearlessly labeling Infinity War as one of the top films to-date in Marvel’s ever-expanding universe.

Despite their conflicting opinions regarding oversight of their Earth-protecting superhero group “The Avengers”, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) must put their differences aside and get the old team back together when they learn of a cosmic villain named Thanos (Josh Brolin) who’s en route to their home planet. Thanos is on a mission to collect all six infinity stones, hidden artifacts that possess unimaginable power, and he pinpoints a pair of them located on Earth where he’ll stop at nothing to acquire them and bring balance to the galaxy. And with the fate of humanity on the line, Marvel’s greatest superheroes must confront their most powerful foe yet.

Prior to Infinity War, little was known about the film’s primary antagonist, Thanos. And although this approach is a foreign concept within the familiar formulaic structure that’s helped mold the MCU into an unstoppable machine, the character of Thanos is met with bold originality that makes Infinity War “his” film. Rarely is a villain gifted such an enormous responsibility, but Thanos makes the most of his opportunity and commands the viewer’s sympathy with a unique perspective to what’s perceived by The Avengers as an evil plot. Both his character and his mission are propelled by surprising depth that will make the audience question their own ethical beliefs. With Infinity War, sibling directors Joe and Anthony Russo create a moral dilemma in which there may be no right or wrong answer, but instead resolve must come from a desperate battle for survival between Thanos and Marvel’s assorted collection of superheroes. Yet, while the film’s story is as compelling as its uptempo action and finely-tuned pacing, Infinity War does sour with overly sappy dramatics that artificially attempt to raise the emotional stakes. Nevertheless, these cheaply constructed moments take a backseat to Infinity War‘s cerebral and multi-dimensional tale that culminates with a cliff-hanging finale guaranteed to keep you longing for the next chapter in Marvel’s elaborate cinematic universe.

GRADE: 4/5

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Geekscape Movie Reviews: Hail, Caesar!

by MCDave

The dynamic sibling duo of Joel and Ethan Coen have already left a tremendous imprint on the film industry. As gifted writers and prolific visionaries who are all too familiar with Oscar acclaim, any entry of theirs is graciously accepted by critics and viewing audiences alike. Oddly, though, Joel and Ethan’s latest cinematic work, Hail, Caesar!, lands as an early year release competing in theaters against numerous elite Oscar contenders, something the brothers haven’t experienced since they debuted The Ladykillers in March of 2004. But despite their multiple pieces of Academy Award-winning hardware, Hail, Caesar! reveals itself as a comedy-heavy film that’s far from the brothers’ finest achievements.

Set throughout 1950s Hollywood, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is a movie executive for Capital Pictures who’s known for cleaning up a mess or two (or three). If a director encounters a problem or the acting talent becomes entangled in a poor decision, Eddie arrives to reset the world back to normal. But when the studio’s most prominent release of the year is compromised because its leading star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), is kidnapped and held for ransom, Mannix begins to question his love for the job while he works to fix this potentially final problem.

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Although it suffers from a few devastating flaws, Hail, Caesar! serves as another fine comedic endeavor for the Coen brothers. The laughs are endless and the film’s tone is almost absurdly jocular enough to overshadow its blatant disregard for a cohesive storyline. This self-mocking examination of Hollywood and filmmaking in general possesses a certain spark and bravado that eases the viewer to the final credits. Hail, Caesar! engages with a natural wit and humor that’s effortlessly provided by a star-studded cast which includes Brolin, Clooney, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes and newcomer, Alden Ehrenreich. Be warned, though, the film is completely devoid of any dramatic elements whatsoever, making Hail, Caesar! a limited effort from a duo with unlimited potential.

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Through no fault of its own, Hail, Caesar! will unfairly be measured beside a long list of exceptional titles previously released by the Coen brothers. And in no way, shape or form can this new entry stack up against hits such as Fargo, No Country for Old Men and The Big Lebowski. Structurally, the Coen’s offer a jumbled story that struggles to develop characters and deliver a meaningful message. The film is riddled with random scenes and highlighted moments that work well on their own but fail to amount to a greater whole.

If you’re dying for the next great Coen brothers epic, you’ll have to keep waiting. Hail, Caesar! is a reasonable comedy that gets by on mild humor and admirably committed performances. Yet, the film falls well shy of the duo’s reputable heights which will surely disappoint many. Rushing out to theaters to catch it on the big screen may be a bit rash, but there are still a few reasons worth enjoying Hail, Caesar!.

GRADE: 3/5

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Geekscape Giveaway: Win An ‘Everest’ Blu-Ray Combo Pack & Everest Carabiner!

by Shane O'Hare

We’ve got ourselves another incredible giveaway for you ‘Scapists!

We’ve teamed up with Universal to give you a chance to win yourself a copy of the Blu-ray combo pack of Everest (which includes the Blu-ray, DVD and a Digital HD code)​, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin and Jason Clarke. On top of that, to get into the climbing spirit, we’ll be including an awesome Everest themed carabiner!

First, lets learn a little bit about the film:

On the morning of May 10, 1996, climbers (Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin) from two expeditions start their final ascent toward the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. With little warning, a violent storm strikes the mountain, engulfing the adventurers in one of the fiercest blizzards ever encountered by man. Challenged by the harshest conditions imaginable, the teams must endure blistering winds and freezing temperatures in an epic battle to survive against nearly impossible odds.

How To Enter:

Entering is simple! Just sign up with your email or Facebook with the widget below, and choose from multiple ways to enter! The more you do, the better your chances, and you can even tweet once a day to maximize your chances! Please be sure to use an email you check regularly, as we will contact you for your address through that. Contest is open to U.S. residents only!

Everest is available now on Digital HD, and will hit stores January 19th!

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Everest Blu-ray Box Art

Climbers, you’ll be most excited about this little goodie:

Everest-Carabiner

Geekscape Reviews: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

by S.J. Borger

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, is the sequel to the gritty, perverse, irreverent and occasionally funny Sin City, created by the iconic graphic novelist Frank Miller (300, The Spirit) and directed by Robert Rodriguez. Both movies live in the black-and-white, highly stylized, extremely violent oeuvre both Miller and Rodriguez are known for, but unlike it’s predecessor, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is all about the style, with no room for story or substance.

Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Senator Rourke (Powers Boothe) returns as the ultimate bad-guy, but the role, which was the underpinning to the Hartigan (Bruce Willis)/Nancy (Jessica Alba) story that drove the first movie, is two-dimensional here. He is a bad guy because he is a bad guy–all sense that the power he holds has perverted his greatest strengths to his most horrible vices is gone. It is especially clear in his interactions with Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a story which seems to exist in the movie solely to show that (a) Gordon-Levitt looks very good in a tight suit and a smirk, and (b) that Rourke is a terrible person. Which we already knew.

A Dame To Kill For suffers from these issues through out. The main story–about Dwight (Josh Brolin here, Clive Owen in Sin City), and his one-true-love/femme fatale Ava Lord (Eva Green, playing the cat eyed, sullen, secretive part we’ve seen her do before, only this time with a LOT more nudity–seriously, we now know more about Green’s body then we ever really wanted to)–feels forced and falls flat of the deep, haunting, resonating love story between the doomed Hartigan and Nancy we saw in the first movie.

Josh Brolin and Eva Green as Dwight and Ava in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Josh Brolin and Eva Green as Dwight and Ava in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

The subtle and clever interweaving of individual story and plot that made Sin City more than just a comic-book movie, and vaulted it into cult-status, is missing completely here. While there are multiple viewpoints and stories being told, including an intro by Marv (Mickey Rourke, unrecognizable in Elephant-man style make-up), each story stands by itself, touching against the others only by chance at Kadie’s Bar, where Alba’s Nancy performs a series of increasingly embarrassing strip-teases. Nancy is watched over by Marv (for some unknown reason), except when he is manipulated by one of the other characters to go off and get involved in murder and mayhem. This lack of coherence and depth, despite the solid performances by the entire cast, makes A Dame To Kill For merely all right–occasionally funny, and sometimes cringe-inducing, but never riveting.

The largely black-and-white film uses sharp, evocative jabs of color (red blood, green eyes, a sudden flash of strawberry blonde hair) as not-subtle-at-all indicators of characterization or an attempt-at-wry commentary (Ava’s eyes go green when her true character is revealed). Characters leap out of the black-and-white world of Miller’s Sin City, capturing the essence of the visual work extraordinarily well. We saw it 3D, which added nothing except a vague headache caused by the glasses.

Overall, the film is visually stunning, well acted, but unable to drive its story across numerous characters and plot lines.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is open at a theatre near you.

What do you think? Seen it? Won’t see it? Can’t hardly wait to see it? Watch the trailer below and let us know in the comments!

Geekscape Rates: 2.5/5 Stars

Josh Brolin Cast As Marvel’s Thanos!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We got our first peek at Thanos in the mid-credits scene of last year’s The Avengers, and it appears as though we’re about to see a lot more of the character (especially if Del Toro’s The Collector is assembling the Infinity Gauntlet).

Latino-Review broke the news, which was later confirmed by Variety, that Josh Brolin will join the Marvel cinematic universe as Thanos. Like Rocket Racoon and Groot, it’ll likely be a voice-only performance, but he’s set to appear in (at least) both Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

What do you think of the casting choice? Is there another actor you’d rather have seen in the role? Sound out below, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated as we learn more.

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Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Oldboy’

by S.J. Borger

Oldboy, Spike Lee’s remake of the Park Chan-wook film of the same name (which won numerous awards for its grim violence, shocking twists, explicit yet barbarically beautiful fight scenes and atmospheric cinematography) tries very hard. It tries very hard to shock. It tries very hard to be grim, gritty, stark and compelling–yet nothing really coalesces. Moments within the film are memorable–certainly the corridor fight springs to mind–but the film never reaches the psychotic heights or perverse lows of its predecessor, and as such, falls flat.

Josh Brolin as Joe Ducuett in Spike Lee's remake of "Oldboy"
Josh Brolin as Joe Doucett in Spike Lee’s remake of “Oldboy”

Josh Brolin stars as Joe Doucett, a not-so-nice ad man with a serious drinking problem, a ex-wife who’s sick of him, and a three-year-old daughter whose birthday party he misses in order to take out an important client (whose wife he hits on, losing the account and sparking a night of black-out drinking). The film does an truly admirable job of recreating the era (the action starts in 1993), and Brolin is engaging as the debauched golden boy–including carrying 20 or so extra pounds.

At the end of the night, refused by his one remaining friend (Michael Imperioli as bar-owner Chucky), Brolin is lured by a young woman with a yellow umbrella and abducted–we don’t know who by–to a faux cheap-motel room which is quickly shown to be a private jail of some kind. Brolin’s descent into isolated madness, and his subsequent fight back to sanity, is perhaps the best part of the film. Brolin is alone on the screen for a chunk of the film and he maintains a compelling presence through out.

Josh Brolin in "Oldboy"
Josh Brolin in “Oldboy”

His prison is not without some distractions, namely a TV (with delightfully period-accurate programming) which airs an America’s Most Wanted-esque type show. Through this, he learns that his ex-wife was brutally raped and murdered and his DNA (removed by his unseen jailors) was at the scene. His daughter was adopted and is, apparently, a cello prodigy.

This incites Doucett to sober up, exercise, and plan his escape. It takes him twenty years to carve a tunnel, but before he can use it, he is released out into the world, complete with iPhone, cash, and a ticking clock: find out who abducted him, and why, or his daughter dies. The woman with the yellow umbrella leads him through a football field (where he violently attacks three college guys) and then to a mobile medical clinic, where he meets Marie (Elizabeth Olson), a lost soul who is drawn to Doucett and ends up helping him unravel the mystery.

Josh Brolin in "Oldboy"
Josh Brolin in “Oldboy”

What follows is a series of set-piece violence-porn, beautifully choreographed (see above mention of the corridor fight) and almost random plot twists forced down the films gullet in order to arrive at its ‘shocking’ ending. Changes from the original weaken the premise (and don’t seem to be made for any practical reason) and reduce the characters to caricatures.

The cast is strong but cannot save the film from its combined issues of plotting, pacing and predictability. Samuel L Jackson (as Chaney, the Jailer) seems lost in his Square-Enix-esque costumes and hairstyle; Sharlto Copley (Adrian/The Stranger) loses any menace with a off again/on again vaguely European accent and seems as lost as the audience is as to why he’s driven to do what he does.

We were left wanting to like this film–Brolin especially earns high praise for his work in it–but it is reductive and spectacle driven. We recommend watching the original if you’re looking for some revenge-fantasy for your Thanksgiving holiday.

The film is rated R and opens wide on November 27th, 2013.

Geekscape Score: 2.5/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrLcnrnEqyI

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Labor Day

by MCDave

This year’s closing night feature at the 22nd annual Philadelphia Film Festival was Jason Reitman’s upcoming drama, Labor Day. While the selection felt a bit puzzling from the onset, I still managed to arouse some excitement for an ultra-early screening of the Christmas Day release. But despite having Academy Award Winner Kate Winslet in a starring role and Oscar-regular Jason Reitman set to direct, Labor Day is a hapless reminder that Christmas won’t be coming early this year.

Adele (Kate Winslet) is the depressed and divorced mother of her teenage son Henry. When they venture out to the grocery store to make some routine purchases, a recently escaped and wounded criminal named Frank (Josh Brolin) bullies them into harboring him for the night. Yet, what’s only intended to be a short term disruption, turns into an unexpected set of circumstances that extend throughout the entire Labor Day weekend.

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Jason Reitman’s Labor Day is a grossly dramatic affair that falls victim to an unlikely and inordinate collection of situations. Nothing about the feature makes any logical sense. Brolin stars as an escaped convict on the run who decides to spend his newly found freedom fixing cars and cleaning gutters in the middle of the day while a community-wide manhunt is under way. Although Kate Winslet and Brolin try their best to mask Reitman’s glaring onscreen absurdities with a pair of heartwarming performances, the baffling situations that arise time and time again make their efforts a lost cause. And at the end of the day, Labor Day is an imposing piece of fluff that never resonates or holds much weight.

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For all of its weaknesses, none of the blame deserves to be placed on Reitman’s fine set of cast members. Winslet and Brolin are beyond serviceable in their leading roles and additional praise should be given for youngster Gattlin Griffith’s admirable performance. Griffith truly captures the essence of a bashful and lonesome teenager struggling with his entry into adulthood and understanding of the world around him. However, outside of Reitman’s cast, the director’s latest attempt is completely off the mark. Whether it’s the hokey usage of flashbacks in the story or the off kilter manner in which the sequence of events unfold, nothing about Labor Day feels natural.

With expectations of history repeating itself, many anticipated that Labor Day would mark a triumphant return to the heart of the awards season debate for Jason Reitman. But to the contrary, elements of charm and charismatic humor that reigned prevalent in the director’s past work are nowhere to be found. As a big fan of Up in the Air, Juno and even the under-seen and under-appreciated Young Adult, Reitman strays from the norm and appears extremely lost. With the success of his previous films, Reitman clearly has discovered his niche. Let’s just hope he returns there sooner rather than later.

GRADE: 2.5/5

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Go Behind The Scenes Of ‘Oldboy’ With A New Featurette!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: FilmDistrict has just debuted a fancy new featurette for Spike Lee’s Oldboy.

The video heads behind-the-scenes with Lee and some of the film’s cast (including Samuel Jackson, Elizabeth Olsen, Josh Brolin, and more), and includes plenty of new footage from the anticipated and controversial film.

Take a look at the featurette below, and let us know if you’re looking forward to the film!

OLDBOY follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement without any indication of his captor’s motive. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment. His quest for revenge leads him into an ill-fated relationship with a young social worker (Elizabeth Olsen) and ultimately to an illusive man (Sharlto Copley) who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.

New Stills Released For Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Spike Lee’s anticipated remake of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy, is now just a few months away from theatres, and FilmDistrict today debuted a new batch of screenshots from the anticipated film.

The new screens feature an angry looking, shaved Brolin (complete with bloody hammer in one shot), an angry looking, bearded Brolin, Samuel Jackson, as well as a few shots of Elizabeth Olsen.

Take a look at the stills below, and let us know what you think! I’ve yet to see the original Oldboy, so with only a few months to go until release, I better get on it! Oldboy hits theatres on November 27th!

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OLDBOY follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement without any indication of his captor’s motive. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment. His quest for revenge leads him into an ill-fated relationship with a young social worker (Elizabeth Olsen) and ultimately to an illusive man (Sharlto Copley) who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.

Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy’ Pushed To November

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: At least it’s not as big a delay as Sin City: A Dame To Kill For or 300: Rise of an Empire, right?

FilmDistrict today announced a slight delay for Spike Lee’s upcoming remake, Oldboy. The film was originally slated to hit theatres on October 25th, but now holds a November 27th release date.

A reason for the delay was not given, but it’s sure to be frustrating for anyone who is looking forward to the film. Disappointed? Are you looking forward to this version of Oldboy? Sound out below!

 

Get Revenge With The Redband Trailer For Spike Lee’s ‘OLDBOY’

by Shane O'Hare

Way back in 2003 a small Korean film called “Oldboy” was released upon the world. Based on a Japanese Manga, it follows the tale of a man who is imprisoned in a room for over a decade without knowing why or who had captured him. Upon his release he goes on the hunt for the person responsible. Called one of the greatest “revenge” films of all time, Oldboy is a legend.

Well now we have ourselves the trailer for the US remake! The remake has been in the works since 2009, with numerous directors and studios on board at different points. Even a nice little lawsuit over the rights! Well now that everything is settled and the film is in the can, Spike Lee has given us what appears to be a faithful recreation of the Korean classic. Here is the official redband trailer.

This trailer got me so incredibly excited I hurt myself. It feels as if they captured the feel of the original film almost perfectly. And did we get a peak of the infamous hammer fight scene? I think we did!

The film is set to release this October 25th and it stars Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen and Sharlto Copley.

Oldboy 2013 poster

New Poster Revealed For Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Spike Lee’s Oldboy is just a few months away from theatres at this point, and strangely enough we still haven’t seen any footage from it. That’s set to change next week with the film’s first trailer scheduled to debut on Wednesday, but until then, FilmDistrict has just unveiled an oddly stylish new poster for the film.

The tagline for the movie is fantastic, and definitely sets the stage for what’s to come. Embarrassingly, despite uncountable recommendations, I still haven’t seen Park Chan-wooks acclaimed original film. I’m running out of time to do so, so I’ll definitely have to put a priority on that one.

Take a look at the new poster below, and let us know if you’re excited! Oldboy hits theatres on October 25th.

SpikeLeeOldboy

OLDBOY follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement without any indication of his captor’s motive. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment. His quest for revenge leads him into an ill-fated relationship with a young social worker (Elizabeth Olsen) and ultimately to an illusive man (Sharlto Copley) who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.

Teaser Poster For Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy’ Officially Released

by Shawn Madden

We saw some shots of the poster at CinemaCon and now the teaser poster for Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake has been officially released. With this being released you can definitely expect a trailer to be on it’s way soon as well. Be sure to check back for that one.

oldboylarge

OLDBOY follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement without any indication of his captor’s motive. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment. His quest for revenge leads him into an ill-fated relationship with a young social worker (Elizabeth Olsen) and ultimately to an illusive man (Sharlto Copley) who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.

Oldboy is set to hit theaters October 11th, 2013.

Source: SHH

First Teaser Poster For Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy’ Spotted

by Shawn Madden

The first teaser poster for Spike Lee’s remake of Oldboy was recently spotted at CinemaCon. Could this signal that we may be seeing a trailer for the film arriving soon? Check it out below.

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Oldboy follows the story of an advertising executive who is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement without any indication of his captor’s motive. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment. His quest for revenge leads him into an ill-fated relationship with a young social worker and ultimately to an illusive man who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.

Oldboy is set to hit theaters October 11, 2013

Source: Collider

Josh Brolin Joins The Cast Of ‘Sin City: A Dame To Kill For’

by Shawn Madden

Quite a bit of casting news coming down regarding Robert Rodgriguez and Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. Yesterday when word broke that Joseph Gordon-Levitt had signed on for the film it was also revealed that Josh Brolin (MIB3, Oldboy) was being looked at for one of the film’s roles as well. Well, Brolin has now officially been cast as Dwight, who was played by Clive Owen in the first film, in the upcoming sequel. Check out the full press release below.

Today Dimension Films announced another big name that has been added to the SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR cast roster, further ramping up the ensemble – Academy Award® nominee Josh Brolin (GANGSTER SQUAD, MILK). Brolin will star as “Dwight” in the follow up to FRANK MlLLER’S SIN CITY for co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller. The part of the “Dame” has yet to be cast.

Dwight is one of the favorite characters from Miller’s books and the 2005 film. In SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR, Dwight is hunted down by the only woman he ever loved, Ava Lord, and then watches his life go straight to hell. Chronologically, this story takes place prior to “The Big Fat Kill” (featured in the film FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY) and explains how Dwight came to have a dramatically different face.

“Dwight is a constant character throughout the Sin City world and “A Dame To Kill For” is a defining episode in his life. We’re looking forward to Josh’s take on Dwight,” said Rodriguez and Miller.

Brolin will next be seen alongside Sean Penn in the Warner Bros. 1940’s police drama Gangster Squad set for release January 11, 2013. Brolin recently completed production on the Jason Reitman-directed film Labor Day opposite Kate Winslet, in addition to Spike Lee’s Oldboy, a remake of the popular Korean film. Brolin last appeared as young “Agent K” in Men in Black 3, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and co-starring Will Smith and Emma Thompson. In 2008, Brolin was nominated for an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and received awards from the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Board of Review for his portrayal of ‘Dan White’ in Gus Van Sant’s acclaimed film Milk. Prior to that, Brolin earned a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of an ensemble for his work in Joel and Ethan Coen’s No Country for Old Men, which also won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR weaves together two of Miller’s classic stories with new tales in which the town’s most hard boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more repulsive inhabitants.

The star studded ensemble includes already announced original cast members Academy Award® nominee Mickey Rourke as “Marv,” Jessica Alba as “Nancy,” Rosario Dawson as “Gail” and Jaime King as “Goldie/Wendy” with new cast members Joseph Gordon-Levitt as “Johnny,” Dennis Haysbert as “Manute” and Jamie Chung as “Miho.” Production is underway at Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas.

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For is scheduled theaters October 4th.

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Gangster Squad

by MCDave

We will always remember the tragic events that took place in Aurora, Colorado this past Summer. At a midnight showing of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, a gunman (who I refuse to sadistically glorify and identify by name) fired shots into a packed movie theatre killing 12 and injuring 58 others. For as horrific as the act was, the shooting also had its impact on Hollywood. Ruben Fleischer’s first trailer for Gangster Squad included an unforgettable clip with tommy guns firing throughout a movie theatre and, out of respect for the victims and their families, Warner Bros. forced the director to re-shoot parts of his feature. Originally slated to hit theatres in September of 2012, Gangster Squad finally arrives in theatres four months later than scheduled. Despite the prolonged build up of anticipation, Fleischer’s third directorial effort never reaches expectations.

In post World War II Los Angeles, east coast mobster Mickey Cohen (played by Sean Penn) has transformed the city into a morally corrupt and dishonest haven for criminals. With most of local law enforcement in Cohen’s pocket, Chief Parker (played by Nick Nolte) turns to none other than Sgt. John O’Mara (played by Josh Brolin) to restore justice in Los Angeles. Through a carefully structured screening process, O’Mara gathers a group of specially skilled officers who put down their badges and go to war against Mickey Cohen’s crime syndicate.

Fleischer’s Gangster Squad plays out like a thoughtless and made-for-profit crime drama. Clearly picking and choosing from classic mob films of the past, Gangster Squad never truly develops its own identity. Predictable to a fault and overly formulaic, Fleischer swings and misses with this unimaginative and unoriginal effort. The characters lack depth, the script is virtually hollow and his star-studded cast is never given the appropriate platform to shine. For as reputable of an ensemble as he’s given, Fleischer fails to generate the performances you would hope for out of rising stars like Ryan Gosling, Michael Pena and Emma Stone. It almost feels like a waste of immense talent. When you start to piece together each of these shortcomings, you begin to recognize Gangster Squad for what it really is … a cash cow. Now, no one will ever know how much of the film needed to be altered after the tragic events in Aurora, Colorado, but clearly the new final product leaves much to be desired. Never breaking any ground in the often-loved mob genre, Gangster Squad is the second straight mediocre release (let’s not forget 30 Minutes or Less) from director Ruben Fleischer.

Although the feature clearly has its faults, Gangster Squad is by no means a disaster. To its benefit, the film is well paced and fluent enough to begin and end without a hiccup. The screenplay’s scarcity of substance and character development make for a fast-moving release. In addition to its smooth feel, Gangster Squad scrounges up just enough violence and action to satisfy any fan of mob movies. However, the rare memorable scene and “over before you know it” approach fails to make up for the film’s overabundance of cliche dialogue and regurgitated ideas.

Unable to create a unique identity, Ruben Fleischer’s Gangster Squad is sadly a letdown. With the blame falling mostly on the shoulders of its director and its screenwriter, Will Beall, even a talented crop of actors and actresses can’t resurrect this bland screenplay. If you’re looking for a superficial and action-filled movie experience, then Gangster Squad may be enough to satisfy your needs. Yet, if you’re looking for a never-before-seen addition to the mob genre, you won’t find it here. Mediocrity reigns supreme and becomes the perfect identifier for the squandered crime drama Gangster Squad. Be warned.

Grade: 2.5/5

Check out other work from MCDave at his website Movie Reviews By Dave

Film District Sets Release Date For Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy’

by Shawn Madden

The Spike Lee directed remake of the 2003 South Korean revenge thriller Oldboy, which in turn was based on a manga of the same name, is currently in production as we speak. The film stars Josh Brolin (Men In Black 3), Elizabeth Olsen (Silent House), Sharlto Copley (District 9), James Ransone (Sinister) and Samuel L. Jackson (Do we really need to tell you what you’ve seen him in?) and will be distributed by FilmDistrict.

Up until now it was known that the film would hit theaters in 2013, but no date has previously been set until now. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Oldboy will hit theaters October 11th, 2013.

The synopsis for Spike Lee’s Oldboy:

“An advertising executive (Brolin) who is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement for an unknown reasons. When the ad executive is released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment. His quest for revenge leads him into an ill-fated relationship with a young social worker (Olsen) and ultimately to an illusive man (Copley) who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.”

Samuel L. Jackson Joins The Cast Of Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy’!

by Shawn Madden

Samuel Jackson (The Avengers) has joined the cast of Spike Lee’s remake of the Chan-wook Park revenge film, Oldboy. The LA Times has learned that Jackson has come on board to play a small but pivotal role in the film. The actor will play the man who is being tortured by the hero, played by Josh Brolin (MIB3) in a key revenge scene.

If you remember the original movie you may remember this one as one of the most disturbing scenes in the film. In it we saw the protagonist take vengeance on the man that guarded him by removing his teeth with the claw on a hammer. Sounds like a pretty messed up scene right? Well, it looks like we won’t be seeing that happening in this one but instead another extreme form of torture that the Times wouldn’t reveal but did say was “pretty painful”. This movie definitely won’t be for the faint of heart folks.

Oh yeah, and also Bruce Hornsby (Red Hook Summer) has hopped on board the film too and will be composing the score.

WB Moves ‘Gangster Squad’ From September To January

by Shawn Madden

Today Warner Bros. has confirmed that they will be moving Gangster Squad from September 7 to January 11, 2013. This comes after the recent shooting in Colorado in order to allow the filmmakers to excise a certain scene from movie that depicts the agents spraying machine-gun fire into a crowded movie theater from behind the screen.

They will be shooting an alternate murder spree scene that does not take place in a movie theater. They are hoping that the six months of breathing room will help return the focus to the L.A. mob storyline. Well, that and girls swooning over Ryan Gosling.

Source: Deadline

Sharlto Copley Talks ‘Oldboy’ Remake!

by Scott Alminiana

MTV News recently spoke with actor Sharlto Copley (District 9, The A-Team) during Comic-Con where he was promoting Neill Blomkamp’s film Elysium. Copley was briefly asked about Spike Lee’s upcoming remake of Old Boy in which he plays the villain.

“They’ve been very true to the spirit of it. It’s dark, it’s gritty. They’re not sort of softening it, which to me was important. And I’m very excited about that movie. I’m very excited about working with Spike and with Josh,” Copley said. “I think it’s going to be a film that is really worth redoing and make that idea that is such an unbelievable story accessible to maybe more people than it was originally.”

The movie is a remake of the 2003 Korean film Oldboy, directed by Chan-wook Park, which  was based on the manga by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya.

Josh Brolin is set to play Joe Douchett, an everyday man who has only five days and limited resources to discover why he was imprisoned in a hotel room for 15 years without any explanation. Copley will play the film’s villain Adrian Pryce.

Geekscape Movie Reviews: “Men In Black 3”

by Scott Alminiana

Has it really been 15 years since Will Smith’s Agent J first donned the last suit he’d ever wear?! The first “Men In Black” was released back in 1997 and worked wonders, but then it was followed up with 2002’s lackluster “Men In Black 2”.

Following  the letdown that was “MIB2”, the franchise was wisely put on hold and the suits were put away in mothballs. Now that we’ve all had a chance to wash the bad taste out of our mouths the Men In Black are back for another adventure.

This time around we find Agent J (Will Smith), still working with his surely partner Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones), as they continue to keep the world safe from the scum of the universe. When an enemy from K’s past, Boris the Animal (Jemain Clement), escapes custody and travels back in time, altering the future, it’s up to Agent J to save the day. The new head of the MIB, Agent O (Emma Thompson) orders Agent J to travel back in time and “put right what once went wrong” and just like that we are off to 1969. Once he’s safe but not sound back in good old 1969, we are introduced to a scene-stealing Josh Brolin as the young version of Agent K and the two agents are off on an adventure that sees the likes of Andy Warhol, the  “Amazin’ Mets” and Apollo 11.

Director Barry Sonnenfeld has managed to make a movie that not only gets the series back on track, makes us remember what made the first film so enjoyable, and simultaneously making us forget how lame the second film was. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones don’t miss a beat in their roles but the real star of this movie is Josh Brolin. He does a fantastic impression of Tommy Lee Jones and manages to bring new life to what has been a fairly boring and humorless character. Brolin and Will Smith have good chemistry together and their scenes together make for some good laughs.

“Men In Black 3” proves that there’s still life in the franchise. Sure, the movie may have cost $215 million dollars to make and yes, it did get delayed quite a few times, but as it turns out a little extra time to fine tune the script wasn’t such a bad thing.

Is this the best movie you’ll see this summer at the movies? Doubtful, but if you’re looking to sit back, relax, and have a good time at the movies then this flick will do the job.

Score: 3.5/5

"See this little blue light, it'll make you forget Men In Black 2"

 

 

 

Ryan Gosling And Sean Penn Movie ‘Gangster Squad’ Releases First Trailer

by Scott Alminiana

The trailer for Gangster Squad has hit the web and it packs quite the punch. Looks like guys won’t mind if their girlfriends drag them to this Ryan Gosling flick. In fact, it may be the guys who will be dragging their girlfriends to this one. Here’s the synopsis for the film:

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and–if he has his way–every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of  not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret …

Gangster Squad is directed by Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer and stars Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Emma Stone and Sean Penn. No release date has been announced so stay tuned.