Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Review: Up in the Airhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/review-up-in-the-air/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/review-up-in-the-air/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/review-up-in-the-air/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



By: Eugene Novikov, reprinted from the Toronto Film Festival '09

Sometimes it seems like one of Hollywood's main goals is to make people without spouses and children feel really bad about themselves. If that sort of thing bothers you, I would recommend passing on Up in the Air, which is as strident about the notion that a life without a family is worthless as any movie I've ever seen. Fortunately, it is also brisk, funny, and not enslaved to genre conventions. Parts of the film, in fact, approach comic brilliance. The reason that the film's message-mongering doesn't grate, I think, is that we really do feel sorry for the protagonist - an obsessive frequent flier who begins to realize that his life is an empty, lonely shell of rationalizations and self-delusions.

In some respects, Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) approaches caricature: not only is he wifeless, childless and practically homeless - he has a barren studio in Omaha and spends 320 days a year on the road - but he fires people for a living and occasionally gives motivational speeches urging people to "empty their backpacks" and rid themselves of commitment. But there's a kernel of truth to him, in the sense that there is something compelling, almost romantic about transience. His world of luxury hotels and airline perks - and a hot frequent flier girlfriend (Vera Farmiga) with whom he sleeps with when their paths cross but who asks for nothing more - actually seems kind of cool.

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]]>cinematicalgeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyjason reitmanJasonReitmanup in the airUpInTheAirvera farmigaVeraFarmigaCinematical staffThu, 03 Dec 2009 21:32:00 ESTThis Week's Comfort Movie: 'The Blind Side'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/this-weeks-comfort-movie-the-blind-side/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/this-weeks-comfort-movie-the-blind-side/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/this-weeks-comfort-movie-the-blind-side/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Sandra Bullock in 'The Blind Side'The holiday season usually issues forth an avalanche of award-contending dramas, feel-good family films, and oddball counter programming. Last weekend was no exception, with the debuting Old Dogs, Ninja Assassin, and The Road jostling for attention with New Moon and The Blind Side. Of all those movies, the one that jumps out at me is The Blind Side, which actually increased its audience in its second week of release.

That's a pretty rare feat, especially for a wide release, and speaks to the broad appeal of the film. "Yes, Virginia, Sandra Bullock is the biggest female star in the world... again," in the words of David Poland at The Hot Blog, and there's no doubt that Bullock's celebrity, even more than her compelling, measured performance, is a big draw. Yet with big stars like Will Farrell and Jim Carrey failing to bring in the expected box office this year, Bullock is not the whole story. Nor is it only a matter of the movie being "generically acceptable [for families] to watch together over the holiday weekend," as our own Eugene Novikov suggested, although, to be fair, it's likely that 'the Sandie Bullock football movie' would be an easier sell to more families to watch together than 'the bare-chested boy vampire romance' or 'the violent ninja flick.'

No, I think it's clear that positive word of mouth has spread. What have people told their friends? Maybe that the first, widely-seen and frequently-mocked (by me) trailer was not representative of the movie as a whole, which comes by its emotions honestly.

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]]>comfort moviesComfortMoviessandra bullockSandraBullockthe blind sideTheBlindSidePeter MartinTue, 01 Dec 2009 12:02:00 ESTWeekend Box Office: 'New Moon' Edges 'Blind Side' Over Thanksgivinghttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/weekend-box-office-new-moon-edges-blind-side-over-thanksgiv/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/weekend-box-office-new-moon-edges-blind-side-over-thanksgiv/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/weekend-box-office-new-moon-edges-blind-side-over-thanksgiv/#commentsFiled under: ,

It's a bit disconcerting when a movie takes a 70% tumble in its second weekend, and still ends up with a $66 million holiday take, but that's Twilight fans for you. New Moon took all of eight days to get to $200 million, a number bested only by The Dark Knight and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It doesn't look like New Moon's staying power will be particularly impressive, but when your movie opens to $142 million, you don't really need it.

A movie that might be sticking around the top of the charts for a few weeks yet is The Blind Side, which surged to get an 18% boost over its strong opening weekend (3-day numbers). The relentlessly positive movie no doubt was helped by families looking for something generically acceptable to watch together over the holiday weekend. Even those who don't care for The Blind Side should be happy that most families chose it over the universally despised Old Dogs, which landed in fourth place with $24 million over the five-day weekend, about $15 million less than its predecessor-in-everything-but-name (but really in name too), Wild Hogs, made in its three-day opening.

The weekend's other major debut was Ninja Assassin, which put up a lukewarm $21 million. That's weaker than the non-holiday opening of the last McTeigue/Wachowski Bros. collaboration, V for Vendetta, despite Ninja Assassin seemingly having broader potential appeal (I mean, come on -- ninjas). Opening in limited release was Dimension's The Road, which did okay on just over 100 screens. It seems safe to say that the dark, grimy post-apocalyptic thriller won't be a breakout hit.

The holiday top 11 after the jump.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office: 'New Moon' Edges 'Blind Side' Over Thanksgiving

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]]>new moonNewMoonninja assassinNinjaAssassinold dogsOldDogsthe blind sidethe roadTheBlindSideTheRoadweekend box officeWeekendBoxOfficeEugene NovikovMon, 30 Nov 2009 09:02:00 ESTReview: New York, I Love Youhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/27/review-new-york-i-love-you/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/27/review-new-york-i-love-you/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/27/review-new-york-i-love-you/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Armed with a collection of the world's notable directors, Paris je t'aime hit screens with a good deal of impact and buzz. It was to be the first piece in producer Emmanuel Benbihy's "Cities of Love," a collection of films detailing romance and metropolitan life across the globe, a series planning to travel to the likes of New York, Rio, Shanghai, Jerusalem, and Mumbai.

Three years later, the second installment is finally upon us with New York, I Love You. With only minor changes, the film continues the tradition of joining many internationally diverse filmmakers for the journey through a popular city, but the buzz has diminished. The film is slowly making its way across screens in the U.S., and will break into Canada come November 27. But how could one of Hollywood's most beloved cities find its ode so woefully under the radar? It's not an easy question to answer because while New York, I Love You might be flawed, it's also sweet, engaging, and nicely representative of that small island cluttered with millions of people.

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]]>Anthony MinghellaAnthonyMinghellaBrett RatnerBrettRatnerCinematicalCloris LeachmanClorisLeachmanEli WallachEliWallachJoshua MarstonJoshuaMarstonJulie ChristieJulieChristieMira NairMiraNairNatalie PortmanNataliePortmanNew York I Love YouNewYorkILoveYouShia LaBeoufShiaLabeoufYvan AttalYvanAttalMonika BartyzelFri, 27 Nov 2009 14:02:00 EST'Shrek Forever After' to Be Last 'Shrek' Film ... for Nowhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/26/shrek-forever-after-to-be-last-shrek-film-for-now/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/26/shrek-forever-after-to-be-last-shrek-film-for-now/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/26/shrek-forever-after-to-be-last-shrek-film-for-now/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



I have a personal kink when it comes to a good old fashioned fairy tale subversion. I can't explain it, but there's just something about messing with those classic tales that never fails to amuse me -- so you can see why I have a soft spot for the Shrek franchise. News of a fourth film first hit back in 2007 and now USA Today gives us our first look at the fairy tale comedy, as well as (good?) news that the fourth installment of the franchise, Shrek Forever After, will be the last (and as much as I liked the first two films, I'll admit that by the time we had reached Shrek the Third, the charm was wearing a little thin).

Bill Damaschke, head of creative production at DreamWorks and Mike Mitchell (Sky High) gave some hints as to what we should expect from Shrek Forever After, and according to Mitchell, this time Shrek is feeling out of touch with his inner ogre, so he strikes up a deal with Rumplestiltskin (voiced by Walt Dohrn) to change his life. But things don't work out as planned and Shrek finds out that life in Far Far Away has changed for the worse in his absence. Franchise favorites Puss in Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) will return and some of the new additions to the cast are Kathy Griffin and Kristin Schaal (Flight of the Conchords) as witches and part time Ogre hunters, and Mad Men's Jon Hamm as the leader of the ogre underground.

Continue reading 'Shrek Forever After' to Be Last 'Shrek' Film ... for Now

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]]>3DAntonio BanderasAntonioBanderasEddie MurphyEddieMurphyjon hammJonHammkristen schaalKristenSchaalmike myersMikeMyersPuss in BootsPussInBootsshrekShrek Forever AfterShrekForeverAfterJessica BarnesThu, 26 Nov 2009 15:02:00 ESTReview: The Roadhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/the-road-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/the-road-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/the-road-review/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



By: Eugene Novikov, reprinted from the Telluride Film Festival '09

Just before the kid was born, the world burned. We don't know why, and the characters don't talk about it -- perhaps they don't quite know themselves, or maybe they've decided that it no longer matters. The Boy's universe is grey, full of ash, dust, and the ruins of a civilization he never saw. This is all he knows. His mother, seeing no point in going on, killed herself shortly after his birth. She was not alone. Many of those who didn't take their own lives were soon murdered by the desperate and hungry.

Skip ahead nine or ten years. The kid and his father wander the barren roadways heading south toward the coast for no clear reason other than that it gives them a tangible goal toward which to strive. (And there's always the hope that the ocean will be something other than gray.) Every day is a knock-down, drag-out fight for survival. They run, hide, starve, and fight off attackers who want their food, or their clothes, or, at one point, their flesh.

I set the stage like this not to horrify you or to gross you out, but to give you a sense of the relentless, pervasive grimness of The Road -- and then to turn around and say that The Road may be the most profoundly optimistic and life-affirming film you will see this year. Those who have read Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name won't be surprised by this. John Hillcoat's faithful, near-perfect adaptation beautifully captures McCarthy's synthesis of all-encompassing darkness and enduring hope.

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]]>Cormac McCarthyCormacMccarthyjohn hillcoatJohnHillcoatKodiSmit-mcpheethe roadTheRoadviggo mortensenViggoMortensenCinematical staffWed, 25 Nov 2009 20:02:00 ESTReview: Ninja Assassinhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/ninja-assassin-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/ninja-assassin-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/ninja-assassin-review/#commentsFiled under: , ,



By: William Goss, reprinted from Fantastic Fest '09

One can't ask too much of a film called Ninja Assassin -- that's a given -- but James McTeigue's proper directorial follow-up to V for Vendetta does its damnedest to take that insta-pulp title and weave around it a worn-out tale of forbidden love, family betrayal, and government conspiracy. Complete with some hard-to-see fight scenes and some harder-to-hear dialogue, all delivered with a poker-straight face and capped off with some super-splattery kills, it's like a graphic novel adaptation with comic book punctuation, a film so flagrant in its fakery that it almost forgets to have any fun.

Raizo (Korean pop star Rain, of Speed Racer and "Colbert Report" fame) was once an orphan, raised by a secretive clan to, um, assassinate as, well, a ninja would. One forbidden fling and one shamed father later, and our pariah protagonist is off to Berlin in order to save Europol* agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) from the grisly fate that her criminal investigations have inevitably drawn.

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]]>james mcteigueJamesMcteigueninja assassinninja assassin reviewNinjaAssassinNinjaAssassinReviewrainCinematical staffWed, 25 Nov 2009 17:15:00 ESTUPDATE: Girl Was Not Bitten by Pervert at 'New Moon' Screeninghttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/update-girl-was-not-bitten-by-pervert-at-new-moon-screening/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/update-girl-was-not-bitten-by-pervert-at-new-moon-screening/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/update-girl-was-not-bitten-by-pervert-at-new-moon-screening/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This is a tale of the girl who cried wolf vampire...

TMZ is reporting that the 17-year-old girl who claimed that a fellow moviegoer bit her neck while exiting a screening of New Moon was, as they put it, "lying through her teeth." Erin Westrate gave police her story of the so-called bite, but a witness came forward to say that they saw her leave the theater and saw no biting. After grilling the teen, she confessed: "the alleged culprit was simply kissing her on the neck at the time and she was a 'willing participant.'" What possessed her to make up this extravagant lie is beyond me. Is she an English literature fiend who wanted to play on the never-cry-wolf idea after a movie with wolves and vamps?

Detective Lieutenant Timothy LaVigne says that the teen could now face criminal charges, and if this is all true and she did lie -- I say bring her down. Women have a tough enough time as it is when they are assaulted, crying wolf doesn't help matters.

From the original post:

We keep hearing about the annoying Twilight Saga fans and their ever-loyal fandom, but there are other crazies coming out of the woodwork. An ABC affiliate in Michigan reports that while watching New Moon at the Norton Shores theater, a teen girl was harassed and bitten by an old perv while watching the vampire/werewolf blockbuster.

It seems that in the midst of a screen full of vamps and wolves, an old, short, white dude believed to be about 45 years old starting throwing "sexual comments" at a 17-year-old girl sitting in front of him. But he didn't just assault her with words. When the movie was over, he decided to give her a taste of the "real deal" and allegedly bit the girl on the neck (lucky for her, he didn't break the skin). Right now, the perv is at large, and the police are asking anyone with any information to contact the Norton Shores Police Department.

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]]>CinematicalNew MoonNewMoonpervy moviegoersPervyMoviegoersMonika BartyzelWed, 25 Nov 2009 15:45:00 ESTReview: Old Dogshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/old-dogs-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/old-dogs-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/25/old-dogs-review/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



I will say this for Old Dogs: It is exactly as funny as you'd expect a movie to be that stars John Travolta and Robin Williams as two bachelors who must suddenly take care of precocious 7-year-old twins, and that was directed by the man who made Wild Hogs. Which is to say, it is not the least bit funny, not once, not even for a minute. Imagine a season's worth of plot devices from TV's most generic sitcom crammed into 88 excruciating minutes.

Here are the thoughts of Williams' character in this frantic, contrived mess: I had a one-night stand seven years ago, and it turns out I'm the father of twins! And now I have to babysit them for two weeks! But I'm working on the Big Account at my job, and I don't have time! Oh no, they don't allow children in my condos -- apparently not even temporarily, to visit -- so we have to stay with my best friend at his un-child-proofed apartment! Oh no, if I screw up this golf game with the client, it'll blow everything -- and I accidentally took my friend's medication this morning that gives me hallucinations! Oh no, my friend and I are going to breakfast with the kids, and everyone thinks we're their grandparents! And now the staff is singing a "welcome to the grandparents' club" song, which surely does not exist in real life anywhere! How embarrassing! And now we're on a camping trip with the kids, and the scout leader thinks my friend and I are gay, except we're too stupid to realize he thinks that, because somehow it's "funnier" if we don't know! Doh! We're on a collision course with wackiness!!

Continue reading Review: Old Dogs

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]]>john travoltaJohnTravoltaold dogsOldDogsrobin williamsRobinWilliamsterrible comediesTerribleComediesthings that are almost as bad as all about steveThingsThatAreAlmostAsBadAsAllAboutSteveEric D. SniderWed, 25 Nov 2009 14:03:00 ESTWTF? Girl Bitten by Pervert at 'New Moon' Screeninghttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/24/wtf-girl-bitten-by-pervert-at-new-moon-screening/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/24/wtf-girl-bitten-by-pervert-at-new-moon-screening/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/24/wtf-girl-bitten-by-pervert-at-new-moon-screening/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We keep hearing about the annoying Twilight Saga fans and their ever-loyal fandom, but there are other crazies coming out of the woodwork. An ABC affiliate in Michigan reports that while watching New Moon at the Norton Shores theater, a teen girl was harassed and bitten by an old perv while watching the vampire/werewolf blockbuster.

It seems that in the midst of a screen full of vamps and wolves, an old, short, white dude believed to be about 45 years old starting throwing "sexual comments" at a 17-year-old girl sitting in front of him. But he didn't just assault her with words. When the movie was over, he decided to give her a taste of the "real deal" and allegedly bit the girl on the neck (lucky for her, he didn't break the skin). Right now, the perv is at large, and the police are asking anyone with any information to contact the Norton Shores Police Department.

Attention pervy men: While it might seem like biting is the new flirting, especially with the hordes of girls begging Robert Pattinson to bite them, you are not RPatt and that is not cool. And for you fellow filmgoers -- don't let the sickos get away, okay? Do you want to worry about who sits behind you or walks too close as you exit a theater?

You can watch the newscast after the jump.

Continue reading WTF? Girl Bitten by Pervert at 'New Moon' Screening

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]]>CInematicalNew MoonNewMoonpervy moviegoersPervyMoviegoersTwilight Saga: New MoonTwilightSaga:NewMoonMonika BartyzelTue, 24 Nov 2009 14:45:00 ESTInterracial Harmony: 'Ninja Assassin' vs. 'Blind Side'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/24/interracial-harmony-ninja-assassin-vs-blind-side/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/24/interracial-harmony-ninja-assassin-vs-blind-side/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/24/interracial-harmony-ninja-assassin-vs-blind-side/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

'Ninja Assassin,' 'The Blind Side'

What major movie production features an interracial friendship that defies all the expected stereotypes? Hint: it's not the one starring Sandra Bullock.

On its own merits, The Blind Side is a heartwarming story of the modern South, in which a rich white 40-something woman (Bullock) befriends a poor black teenager (Quenton Aaron). Their relationship develops to the point that the young man feels a part of her family. I agree with our reviewer, Jette Kernion, who described it as "a very good example of a sports-related family film, with quality performances and writing." She also notes the "seeming visual message that the African-American community can't or won't care for their own, and that the saviors here are rich white conservatives." The film is based on a non-fiction account, but it still makes me wonder why, exactly, we needed another film depicting that particular racial dynamic -- beyond providing a great starring role for Bullock and the aforementioned heartwarming elements.

As finely-edged as a new razor blade, Ninja Assassin establishes itself as a contender for "CGI Fu Movie of the Decade" in its very first sequence, gleefully slicing off body parts with the abandon of an extreme gore flick that would satisfy most horror hounds. It rocks back and forth between ponderous philosophical pontifications and riotously preposterous action scenes like a ticking time bomb, exploding in geysers of blood at regular intervals. Our reviewer William Goss was much less taken with the film than I am -- I think it's fair to say he hated it -- so bear in mind that your mileage may vary wildly. However, I feel confident in saying that Ninja Assassin presents a rarely seen relationship: a friendship between two people that makes no mention of their racial differences.

Continue reading Interracial Harmony: 'Ninja Assassin' vs. 'Blind Side'

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]]>featuredjames mcteigueJamesMcteiguenaomie harrisNaomieHarrisninja assassinNinjaAssassinRainsandra bullockSandraBullockthe blind sideTheBlindSidePeter MartinTue, 24 Nov 2009 12:02:00 ESTSpin-ematical: New on DVD for 11/24http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/24/spin-ematical-new-on-dvd-for-11-24/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/24/spin-ematical-new-on-dvd-for-11-24/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/24/spin-ematical-new-on-dvd-for-11-24/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Angels & Demons
The first was met with much critical disdain, but fought back to earn over $750 million at the worldwide box office. Angels & Demons still managed to make money, but less than $500 million (needing worldwide take to even make up for the budget) as Tom Hanks tries to hunt down a symbol-loving murderer. Eric D. Snider called it: "is as overly serious as its predecessor, and poor Mr. Hanks -- the world's most likable man, for crying out loud! -- is still dour and intense." Skip it. Also on Blu-ray.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Four Christmases
Just as the title implies, Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon are forced to stop avoiding their crazy families and must hit four households over the holidays. In his review, William Goss wrote: "The rest makes for an occasionally amusing, mostly shrill series of encounters with an ensemble that only encourages misanthropic ideals, and maybe if Four Christmases had decided to extend itself beyond white trash targets and projectile vomiting, we could've found ourselves talking about a new Christmas classic right now." Rent it if you want some uncomfortable holiday humor. Also on Blu-ray.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Funny People
If ever there was a reason why Adam Sandler has been sticking to the ridiculous fluff, this is it -- a dramedy with a lot of heart that couldn't even make back its budget after worldwide release. In his review, Todd Gilchrist said: "Funny People is one of the summer's, if not the year's best films, because it's a comedy that inverts the medium's typical use - effectively revealing feelings rather than concealing them - and invites the audience to share in that discovery." Buy it and give the film some love. Also on Blu-ray.

Read Our Blu-ray Review | Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Hit the jump for a peek at Shorts and other new releases...

Continue reading Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 11/24

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]]>Angels and DemonsAngelsAndDemonsCinematicalDVD RecommendationsDvdRecommendationsfeaturedFour ChristmasesFourChristmasesFunny PeopleFunnyPeopleShortsThe Maiden HeistTheMaidenHeistMonika BartyzelTue, 24 Nov 2009 11:15:00 ESTWatch This: A 'Twilight' Interventionhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/watch-this-a-twilight-intervention/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/watch-this-a-twilight-intervention/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/watch-this-a-twilight-intervention/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Twiight: New Moon"Team Jacob!" roars a trio of dudes in a bar. Drinks are flowing fast. "A typical horrible Monday just became amazing," gushes a woman who's about to go see a private screening of Twilight: New Moon. The crowd moves from the bar to what looks suspiciously like a high school theater to get amped up for some muscle-bound shirtless werewolf action.

"C'mon, get out of your seats! Are you ready?" The fans, who are all most certainly of drinking age, are definitely out of their seats and screaming. They're so ready!

"Too bad!" cackles the emcee, and the curtains part to show a young comedian named Skyler Stone who's there to stage an intervention, via FunnyorDie.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you are not going to see Twilight: New Moon tonight." For some reason (I think it has to do with alcohol), the audience is still cheering, but this statement brings a solitary "NO!" Stone continues, "This is a vampire intervention because you clearly don't know what the f*ck a vampire is!" Is that male laughter in the background? Wooing begins. Is this real or is it fake? Stone berates the audience and insults Rpatz with aplomb. Still, the cheering continues!

"Why are you cheering?!" he yells at them. "Do you understand you're not seeing Twilight tonight?"

Will there be a riot? Bloodshed? Will Stone leave the theater intact? Find out what happens after the jump.

Continue reading Watch This: A 'Twilight' Intervention

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]]>funnyordieNew MoonNewMoonTwilightTwilight: new MoonTwilight:NewMoonvideoJenni MillerMon, 23 Nov 2009 12:43:00 ESTExclusive: Title Track for 'The Road' Soundtrackhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/exclusive-title-track-for-the-road-soundtrack/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/exclusive-title-track-for-the-road-soundtrack/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/exclusive-title-track-for-the-road-soundtrack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Cinematical has just received the following title track for Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' original and haunting film score for The Road. It's simple and chilling -- just as any accompaniment to a post-apocalyptic world should be -- full of violin and piano tunes, some wind instruments and sound loops. The soundtrack is being released digitally today over at Amazon, with further digital retailers tomorrow and a CD release to follow on January 12, 2010.

We first alerted you to the score back in March, and then to the duo's Soundtrack Collection in September. As you might have gathered, some of us are big Cave & Ellis fans. And rightly so. They provided an award-winning score for John Hillcoat's earlier feature The Proposition (which Cave also wrote), and also scored The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. And of course, that's besides their work in Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, which has memorable cinematic ties to Wings of Desire (before Ellis teamed up with Cave).

Too often these days it's easy to get pulled out of movies due to overly imposing and grandoise film scores desperately trying to yank at emotions, rather than just lightly coaxing the right feel for a particular scene, and Cave and Ellis definitely know how to let simplicity reign. Check out the clip and track list after the jump and grab it over here at Amazon.

Continue reading Exclusive: Title Track for 'The Road' Soundtrack

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]]>Cinematicalfeaturedfilm scoresFilmScoresNick CaveNickCaveThe RoadThe Road: Original Film ScoreTheRoadTheRoad:OriginalFilmScoreWarren EllisWarrenEllisMonika BartyzelMon, 23 Nov 2009 12:02:00 ESTWeekend Box Office: 'New Moon' Lives Up to the Hypehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/weekend-box-office-new-moon-lives-up-to-the-hype/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/weekend-box-office-new-moon-lives-up-to-the-hype/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/weekend-box-office-new-moon-lives-up-to-the-hype/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sometimes a movie will consume the internet for weeks before its release, and then turn out to be Snakes on a Plane. This is not one of those times. New Moon didn't set the all time opening weekend box office record, but it came uncomfortably close, and -- holy crap -- it now owns the record for the highest single-day gross ever, a $72 million Friday. Twilight opened to almost precisely half of New Moon's $140 million number, and went on to gross $192 million. The sequel should pass that mark by next weekend.

New Moon's staying power is a bit difficult to forecast. On one hand, its grosses may be frontloaded, as is typical when rabid fans of the source material rush out to pack midnight and opening-day showings. On the other, this might just be the kind of film that, even more so than its predecessor, generates repeat business. (Along these lines, I wonder if the egregious objectification of men in New Moon's marketing campaign is a victory for feminism. I vote yes.)

Getting somewhat lost in all the New Moon hoopla is the slightly less dramatic victory scored by the earnest, good-natured tearjerker The Blind Side, which took second place with nearly $35 million, which I suspect is another testament to the enduring box office draw of Sandra Bullock. (As a side note, the enduring box office draw of Sandra Bullock must be a testament to the awfulness of All About Steve, which topped out at $33 million despite her prominent presence.) It was also smart of Warner Bros. to deemphasize the sports angle -- a "football movie" would not have done this well.

More, and the top 10, after the jump.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office: 'New Moon' Lives Up to the Hype

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]]>2012planet 51Planet51preciousthe blind sidethe twilight saga: new moonTheBlindSideTheTwilightSaga:NewMoonweekend box officeWeekendBoxOfficeEugene NovikovMon, 23 Nov 2009 09:02:00 ESTReview: The Blind Sidehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/20/review-the-blind-side/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/20/review-the-blind-side/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/20/review-the-blind-side/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Blind Side

The trailers for The Blind Side triggered my "oh geez, another sports-related Triumph of the Human Spirit" cynicism, and I might not have seen the film at all if I hadn't been assigned to review it. That would have been my loss, and I experienced the lovely surprise of having a movie turn out far more enjoyable than I expected. The Blind Side has no twists or gimmicks other than being a very good example of a sports-related family film, with quality performances and writing.

The movie's title is a football reference, which the voiceover of Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock) explains at the beginning. Michael Oher (Quenton Aaron) is sweating out a tough but unspecified situation in an office, when we flash back a few years and meet him as Big Mike. An African-American staff member at a mostly white Christian private school is trying to get his athletic son into the school, and the school's coach also spots some athletic potential in Big Mike, granting him a scholarship. Big Mike has terrible trouble keeping up in school, and when his friend's family stops helping him out, he is virtually homeless -- sleeping in the school gym, eating popcorn left there after events, wearing the same thin clothes daily.

Continue reading Review: The Blind Side

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]]>CinematicalfilmJohn lee hancockJohnLeeHancockkathy batesKathyBatesmoviequenton aaronQuentonAaronsandra bullockSandraBullockthe blind sideTheBlindSidetim mcgrawTimMcgrawJette KernionFri, 20 Nov 2009 09:03:00 ESTCinematical Seven: Movies That Start Fightshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/19/cinematical-seven-movies-that-start-fights/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/19/cinematical-seven-movies-that-start-fights/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/19/cinematical-seven-movies-that-start-fights/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



I've been meaning to purchase and wear this t-shirt since I learned of its existence a couple of months ago, but I figured I'd better let the Twilight: New Moon hysteria die down first. It would appear, after all, that openly declaring one's hostility toward the Twilight franchise on one's person, even with a statement as unquestionably correct as "Vampires Don't Sparkle," is just asking for trouble. You do not want to mess with a gaggle of rabid Robert Pattinson fans.

I do not hate the Twilight franchise, actually, though I would like to suggest that the Twilighteers may live to regret sinking so much time and emotion into something so utterly banal. But I seem to be one of the few who occupy the middle ground. Twilight might be the most divisive love-it-or-hate-it phenomenon of the last few years. Not everyone adores Harry Potter, but most people have at least a grudging respect for it; Twilight has as many haters as fawning admirers.

You gotta admit that if you can use a movie to start an argument, it's at least good for something. Here are seven other movies that seem to disproportionately divide the moviegoing population into adoring fans and angry detractors.

1. Titanic - To get the obvious out of the way. It's amazing to me how often people make offhand derisive mentions of Titanic, as if its awfulness were well-established and self-evident. As with Twilight, of course, the surprisingly widespread disdain of this movie is a backlash against its army of obsessive partisans (and from a similar demographic to boot) -- the folks who showed up on local news shows in 1997 bragging about having seen it 16 times in the theater, etc. The fact that Titanic is a fantastic film -- and not really (or at least not only) for the reasons many of its fans think -- tends to get lost in the shuffle, sadly.

Continue reading Cinematical Seven: Movies That Start Fights

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]]>dogvilleevent horizonEventHorizonnatural born killersNaturalBornKillersthe blair witch projectthe matrix reloadedTheBlairWitchProjectTheMatrixReloadedtitanictransformerstransformers: revenge of tefallenTransformers:RevengeOfTefallentwilight: new moonTwilight:NewMoonEugene NovikovThu, 19 Nov 2009 22:02:00 ESTReview: The Twilight Saga: New Moonhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/19/the-twilight-saga-new-moon-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/19/the-twilight-saga-new-moon-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/19/the-twilight-saga-new-moon-review/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Even the most egocentric or self-important film critic realizes that his opinions and insights aren't going to be agreed with or respected by everyone, but movies like New Moon offer a special challenge in both honesty and humility. Like with any other beloved literary franchise brought to the silver screen, there's already an impassioned fan base eager to see it realized regardless of its quality, and there's also an inherent distrust among them of nonfans who will eventually be analyzing the object of their affection. In which case, a critic must not only manage his own response to the film, perhaps filtering it through some designated demographic or specific audience that's potentially different than him, but gauge the reaction he'll get when he puts pen to paper, if only to be aware of the relevance of his reaction to what the filmmakers were trying to achieve and what those fans really want. Even if he's also got to be completely honest and unmerciful, too.

By virtually all technical measures, The Twilight Saga: New Moon is a superior effort to its predecessor - well-shot, efficiently told, and by all accounts faithful in tone and execution to its source material. But what filmmaker Chris Weitz makes up for in directorial proficiency he lacks in conveying emotional authenticity, which is why it fulfills the expectations of fans and followers of the franchise but nevertheless still falls short of forming something transcendent and meaningful to everyone else.

Continue reading Review: The Twilight Saga: New Moon

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]]>kristen stewartKristenStewartnew moonNewMoonrobert pattinsonRobertPattinsonthe twilight saga: new moonTheTwilightSaga:NewMoontwilightTodd GilchristThu, 19 Nov 2009 12:02:00 ESTDoes Pattinson's Edward Cullen Make Men Feel Inadequate?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/18/robert-pattinson-edward-cullen-men-feel-inadequate/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/18/robert-pattinson-edward-cullen-men-feel-inadequate/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/18/robert-pattinson-edward-cullen-men-feel-inadequate/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


On the heels of speculation that Twilight was making abstinence fashionable comes a very amusing bit of hand-wringing from Details magazine. Reporting from the Ground Zero of Forks, Washington during Stephanie Meyer Day, Details discovered that it wasn't just impressionable teenagers pinning their hopes on Edward, married women were also carrying a torch for the eternal teenager: "Gentlemen, your wives have something they want to tell you. The polite way to put it is that the pressures and demands of running a home in the 21st century have a way of siphoning off the platelets from even the most red-blooded of romantic unions. To be blunt: Life is a grind, and our wives are bored sh*tless. Edward Cullen has, for millions of passion-starved better halves worldwide, become the undead embodiment of everything the contemporary schlub seems to have shed: danger, poetry, strength, speed, eternal devotion, and an insatiable hunger for the jugular."

The modern man is finding it impossible to compete with Edward, and Details worries about the erotic dreams he's spawning in married women. The magazine listens dutifully to female confessions that range from enthusiastic to cagey, and lends sympathy to the wives whose husbands "don't get" Twilight or what it provides. "But with life so crazy, this is my escape - Twilight. Edward. Men get into that comfortable rut once the relationship is there. Life gets so busy ... Men and women both, they lose that need to impress each other."

Continue reading Does Pattinson's Edward Cullen Make Men Feel Inadequate?

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]]>Edward CullenEdwardCullenfeaturedNew MoonNewMoonrobert pattinsonRobertPattinsonstephanie meyerStephanieMeyerTwilighttwilight sagaTwilight Saga New MoonTwilightSagaTwilightSagaNewMoonElisabeth RappeWed, 18 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST'Nine' Buzz: Kate Hudson Music Video, Early Reviewhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/17/nine-review-kate-hudson-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/17/nine-review-kate-hudson-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/17/nine-review-kate-hudson-trailer/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



I may not be the biggest devotee of movie musicals, but I've been keeping an eye on Rob Marshall's adaptation of Nine (the Tony Award-winning musical) since the production was first announced back in 2007. The thought of some of the coolest chicks in Hollywood with Daniel Day Lewis in a musical about 8 1/2? Well, count me in. Despite early casting changes and rumblings about Lewis' singing abilities, I've held out hope for the flick, and now that the film's Christmas release date is a little over a month away the early reviews are trickling in. First up is AICN who scored an early review from a source going by the name of Tobby (You can read the entire review over there, but be warned, it's a little spoilery)

So let's start with the good news: according to this review, the film is pretty darn good. The reviewer had nothing but praise for Marion Cotillard as Lewis' wife, and even Fergie gets some love as the prostitute, Saraghina. As for Lewis in the role of the troubled director Guido Contini, it turns out those rumors of his lack of singing ability were just rumors, and he makes out pretty good in the review for the limited singing he does in the film (two songs) -- and I think we all knew his acting was never going to be the problem.

Of course, the film is far from perfect and there are some rough patches according to this reviewier. Most of the scorn was directed towards Nicole Kidman's performance as Contini's muse, and unfortunately one of the other problems with the film is Kate Hudson (who plays an American Vogue reporter) in what was described as a throwaway role. Bad timing, perhaps, now that Hudson's musical number, Cinema Italiano, is the bulk of the latest trailer for the film.

After the jump: Hudson's Go-Go debut and a musical layman's review of Cinema Italiano...

Continue reading 'Nine' Buzz: Kate Hudson Music Video, Early Review

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]]>8 12812Daniel Day-LewisDanielDay-lewisKate HudsonKateHudsonmarion cotillardMarionCotillardNicole KidmanNicoleKidmannineRob MarshallRobMarshallJessica BarnesTue, 17 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST