» Tanpa Label » Review: POLICE STORY 2013 Is Low-Rent, Lacklustre & Dull

Review: POLICE STORY 2013 Is Low-Rent, Lacklustre & Dull

Oleh

Review: POLICE STORY 2013 Is Low-Rent, Lacklustre & Dull

Review: POLICE STORY 2013 Is Low-Rent, Lacklustre & Dull

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 01:14 AM PST

A sequel in name only to Jackie Chan's hugely popular action series, this latest offering moves proceedings to mainland China for a small scale, straight-faced and relatively thrill-free drama with a tendency to pontificate about civil responsibility.Jackie Chan's Police Story films remain some of the actor's most entertaining and successful work, notorious for their frenetic pacing and jaw-dropping stunt work to this day. While 2004's New Police Story saw things take a turn towards more straight-up drama, this fifth entry in the series hardly seems to belong at all.For starters Chan plays a totally new character, Police Captain Zhong Wen, a sullen downtrodden law enforcer reeling from the recent death of his wife. Summoned to a nightclub by his estranged daughter, Miao Miao (Jing Tian...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Thomas Kretchmann Joins AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 06:15 PM PST

It's been announced that Thomas Kretchmann, star of Dario Argento's Dracula 3D, Stalingrad and current NBC series Dracula, has been chosen to play a villain in the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron. Kretchmann will play Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, a character with a long and, in mighty Marvel tradition, complex history. The character first appeared in 1964 doing battle with Nick Fury and his Howling Commandoes during World War 2. Subsequently he's taken over as the head of terrorist organization Hydra, died and been revived and fought with Captain America, Wolverine and most of the other Marvel heroes at some point over the years. Along with most of the original cast returning and Josh Whedon back in the director's chair, it's already been stated that James...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Hey Toronto! Time To Get Tawdry And Penetrating With A Thorough Paul Verhoeven Retrospective

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 06:00 PM PST

With her tongue hanging out awkwardly and completely without sex-appeal, squeaky clean TV star Elizabeth Berkley's transformation to Nomi Malone in Showgirls anticipated Miley Cyrus's most talked about moment in 2013 - a awards show performance which heralded her descent from clean-cut Hanna Montana to trashy pop diva - and it did so by nearly two decades.  And so goes the career of Paul Verhoeven, who makes films that confound critics and audiences alike upon initial release with unabashed earnestness acting as a veneer for the director's satirical approach to humanity and a perceived audiences unslakeable thirst for sleaze. Yet, his films seem well ahead of their time and not without purpose; whether it is putting blockbuster bombast towards satire or copious amounts of on-screen...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Review: Delightful Retro Comedy HOT YOUNG BLOODS Runs Out Of Steam

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 04:00 PM PST

Just as the taste of a madeleine triggers a rush of childhood memories for the protagonist in Marcel Proust's magnum opus In Search of Lost Time, smells, sounds and images can transport all of us to different times in our lives. This is a trick that can be especially effective in cinema, as it can turn a film into a communal experience for theatergoers. With Lunar New Year just around the corner, the 80s rural-set high school film Hot Young Bloods, the return of Running Turtle (2009) director Lee Yeon-woo, is hoping to do just that. Joong-gil, the Casanova of his high school, struts around the sun-drenched countryside wooing girls with his easy charm. The school's toughest girl, the spunky Young-sook, has a crush on...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Sundance 2014 Preview - Midnight, Premieres, & Spotlight

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 03:30 PM PST

The Sundance Film Fest is kicking off in Park City tomorrow and we've got another edition of our preview series to round things out. We've already covered the US Dramatic, World Dramatic, and NEXT competitions, and the Documentary sections. On top of that, Ben took us on a little tour of Slamdance up the street. Today we turn our attention to the Midnight, Premieres, and Spotlight programs. Check out the films below and let us know what you're pumped to see....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

IFFR 2014 Reveals Full Schedule

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST

Next week, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) will start again, for ten days of movie madness. When measured in visitors and ticket-sales, it is the largest cultural event in The Netherlands. Films and filmmakers from all over the world will attend its movie-market, or hope to get a grant, for the festival is heavily slanted towards discovering new talent. Indeed, its most famous awards, the Tigers, can only be won by directors for their first or second films. Today, the festival released the full schedule on its website, and there is plenty to look forward to. Amongst the films covered already here on Twitch are: R100, A Touch of Sin, Intruders, Rigor Mortis, Nebraska, Her, Big Bad Wolves, Blue Ruin, Allan Partridge: Alpha Papa,...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Trailer For Ali Abbas Zafar's GUNDAY Shows How Crime Paid In '70s Calcutta

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

Valentine's Day is a special day for all of those happily involved in loving relationships. For everyone else, there's GUNDAY!Ali Abbas Zafar's '70s set coal mafia film debuted its trailer with Hindi blockbuster Dhoom 3 and it was, honestly, probably my favorite part of the whole experience. The film stars youngsters Ranveer Singh (Band Baaja Baarat, Ram-Leela) and Arjun Kapoor (Ishaqzaade) as Bala and Bikram, a pair of no-good hoodlums who move from the slums of Calcutta (Kolkata these days) to the penthouse via less than legal means. Singh has proven himself a very capable performer through his roles in BBB and one of 2013's most acclaimed Hindi films, Lootera. Kapoor has a less impressive CV, with Ishaqzaade opening to middling reviews, and not even...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Check This DEVIL'S DUE Marketing Prank For A Chuckle

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST

This Friday, the horror film The Devil's Due premieres in the US. To call attention to this, the marketing department came up with a candid camera prank. And successfully so, as the video they made has gone viral, and has been watched over 8 million times in the past day. As the film deals with the birth of the antichrist, the joke involves a damn convincing demonic baby and his possessed baby carriage. How many of the reactions are staged is always hard to tell, but the clip is well made and definitely good for a laugh. You can check the video below. And hell, I'd jump too......

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

THE BABADOOK: Story Time Turns To Terror In Brilliant First Trailer For Sundance Selected Horror

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 01:30 PM PST

Wow. Just wow. The first trailer for Jennifer Kent's Sundance selected horror film The Babadook has arrived online and in a lineup jammed with high profile familiar faces it appears that Kent may very well be the dark horse that comes in with no fanfare and exits with the lion's share of the fanfare. This, kids, is one hell of a trailer.From breakthrough writer-director Jennifer Kent comes the creepy psychological horror movie The Babadook, making its world premiere in Sundance's Midnight section. The film tells of a single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, who battles with her son's nighttime fear of a shadowy monster.  But soon, she must confront the sinister presence lurking in the house. With echoes of past and...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Review: DETRÁS DEL PODER, A Poorly Made Mexican Political Thriller

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 01:00 PM PST

I have to begin this review by saying just two weeks ago I finished the first season of the extremely engaging political series House of Cards. So after watching Detrás del Poder (there's no official English title yet but the literal translation would be "behind the power") I began thinking of the powerful presence both Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright have on the series and how Detrás del Poder needed something as simple as better acting to be at least a competent thriller. It might be a little unfair to compare House of Cards with this Mexican production... but just a little. After all, both try to show us how the political world works with all the puppeteers and the collateral damage, though Detrás del...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Spanish Box Office Falls In 2013

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 12:30 PM PST

For most Spaniards, one piece of news at the end of 2013 didn't cause great uproar. That the country's film industry is further struggling economically hasn't led to mass demonstrations yet on the streets. There's plenty of other reasons for that still, such as 25% national unemployment and endless high-profile corruption cases.  However, for anyone with an interest, it's a pivotal time to take a general look at a sector that appears to still have a good international reputation, yet is close to extinction should you believe Pedro Almodóvar and many others closely associated.  First the digits. According to the ICAA, the government body in charge of totting up the numbers, provisional figures in 2013 show box office earnings fell to €507 million. That's a...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Review: RIDE ALONG Doesn't Go Anywhere

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 12:00 PM PST

When it comes to Ride Along, the new, unremarkable comedy starring Kevin Hart and Ice Cube, it's a better use of everyone's time and focus to skip any detailed breakdown of the film's failings, and simply state that the laughs are minimal, and the actors have done better elsewhere. So, in direct contradiction with that statement, here's why: Ride Along is a police comedy from director Tim Story, the guy who gave us 2012's surprise hit Think Like a Man, Taxi with Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon, and both Fantastic Four movies. Here, Story's flair for comedy is merely moderate, and he only rarely utilizes the performance strengths of his stars. Consequently, it's a lot of by-the-numbers meandering through a pedestrian buddy cop adventure. The single...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Exclusive REASONABLE DOUBT Clip: Dominic Cooper Gets Suspicious Of Samuel L. Jackson

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 11:30 AM PST

Dominic Cooper and Samuel L. Jackson star in the thriller Reasonable Doubt, which opens in select theaters on Friday, January 17. It will also be available to watch via various Video On Demand platforms. We have an exclusive clip, but before you watch it, read the official synopsis for context. When up-and-coming District Attorney Mitch Brockden (Cooper) commits a fatal hit-and-run, he feels compelled to throw the case against the accused criminal who was found with the body and blamed for the crime. Following the trial, Mitch's worst fears come true when he realizes that he acquitted a guilty man, and he soon finds himself on the hunt for the killer before more victims pile up. Jackson is the accused criminal, who is not seen...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Blu-ray Review: GIRLS UND PANZER Delivers Fun On Caterpillars

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST

(Where angels fear to tread, these girls rush in on treads!) In the last quarter of 2012, when anime-fans were eagerly anticipating the (then) upcoming Attack on Titan, there was one series on television which turned into a surprise hit: the bizarre-sounding and silly-looking Girls und Panzer. Last month, US distributor Sentai Filmworks released the whole series on Blu-ray, And I was curious enough to check it out. To my surprise I liked it a whole lot more than I expected I would, to the point where I was watching the finale with bated breath and white knuckles! Wait, what? Am I saying this series is actually (gasp) thrilling? I guess I am. Read on to see why! The Story: Oarai is a girls' high...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Hey, Aspiring Filmmakers! Sitges Wants You To Be Phonetastic!

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 10:30 AM PST

There's a fighting chance you have a high definition camera in your pocket right now. Either that or in your hand, if you happen to be reading this on a mobile device. And The Sitges Film Festival wants you to put it to use ... Phonetastic launches new website, where selected shorts can be watched The Phonetastic Sitges Mobile Film Festival is launching a new website today, Wednesday January 15th, where it will present and publicize this new platform incorporated into the Sitges - Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya. Phonetastic was born at last year's Sitges Festival as a parallel section, that selects and awards the best genre shorts shot with a cell phone or a tablet and goes to meet one of...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Sundance 2014: Exclusive Teaser Trailer For LIAR'S DICE

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST

It is just the tiniest taste, but this teaser trailer for the Sundance World Dramatic Competition film Liar's Dice has whet our appetite for more. Directed by Geetu Mohandas, this tale of an Indian woman venturing to find her husband looks to have production value in spades from the snowy Himalaya to the bustling metropolis of Delhi. Here's a bit more about the film: It's been five months since Kamala has heard from her husband, Harud, a construction worker at a dangerous and potentially corrupt urban worksite. Though others in their rural, snowbound village in Himachal Pradesh, India, know of men who started new families in the city and never returned, they urge Kamala to stay put and await his word. She refuses, stubbornly...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Slamdance 2014 Preview

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST

20 years in and Slamdance is still considered the upstart in Park City. A veteran with the spunk of youth then, the fest has become one of the premiere places to scope out first time directors and truly low-budget independents. Yes, the DIY spirit is alive and kicking (down doors) at Slamdance, and this year with the big anniversary, things look to be a good 'un. So let's take a gander at some highlights from the fest's narrative and documentary competitions, plus a few films from their Beyond (second or third time directors) program. Slamdance 2014 runs from January 17-23. Click here for the full line up.   ...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Christophe Gans' BEAUTY AND THE BEAST And Richard Linklater's BOYHOOD Added To Berlin Fest Lineup

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:30 AM PST

High-profile titles, including the latest from Christophe Gans (Beauty and the Beast), Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Yamada Yoji (The Little House), and Hans Petter Moland (In Order of Disappearance) have been added to the lineup for the rapidly-approaching Berlin International Film Festival. Set to begin February 6 with the opening night presentations of Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and George Clooney's Monuments Men, the festival will feature 23 films in the competition section, of which 18 are world premieres. (Linklater's film will debut at Sundance.) Here are the latest additions to the lineup: Bai Ri Yan Huo (Black Coal, Thin Ice) China By Yinan Diao ("Night Train," "Uniform") With Fan Liao, Lun Mei Gwei, Xuebing Wang World premiere Boyhood (U.S.) By Richard Linklater ("Before Midnight,"...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Review: MAIDENTRIP Is A Beautiful Celebration Of Youth

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

You may have already heard this story: A fifteen-year-old girl wins a legal battle versus the Dutch government to stay in the custody of her parents and is therefore able to set out on her 40-foot sailboat in an attempt to become the youngest person to ever sail around the Earth, solo. If it sounds fantastic, it is. Inspirational? Yep. Daunting? Check. A bit terrifying? That too. But could this really make an interesting documentary considering she is on the boat by herself? In her fascinating and beautifully moving film Maidentrip, young director Jillian Schlesinger answers that question with a resounding, "Yes!" Part of the secret to Schlesinger's success is in Laura Dekker's decision to not simply sail around the world at a breakneck...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE: Watch The Trailer For The Latest From Director Of A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 07:30 AM PST

Announced today as in copetition at the upcoming Berlin Film Festival, Hans Petter Moland's Kraftidioten has gotten itself a brand new English title to go along with a brand new trailer. Formerly known as The Prize Idiot the film has been retitled In Order Of Disappearance for the international market and it once again features Stellan Skarsgard - leading man of Moland's previous A Somewhat Gentle Man - in the lead role.Nils drives a snow blower and has a carefree life in snow covered Norway, until his son's death suddenly puts him in the middle of a drug war between the Norwegian mafia and Serbian criminals. In this world he is a beginner - armed with heavy machinery and beginners luck.No subtitles on the trailer,...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Destroy All Monsters: Stop J.J. Abrams

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST

I cannot overemphasize the degree to which I am convinced that basing a new Star Wars movie around the septuagenarian adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo is an extinction-level error in judgment. The Hollywood Reporter revealed this weekend that the reason screenwriter Michael Arndt left Star Wars: Episode VII after turning in his first draft was due to a disagreement about the "emphasis" of the new project. Arndt, like any halfway-sane human with a working understanding of the difference between what an audience wants and what an audience needs, wrote a story about the next generation of Skywalker children sparking up a new adventure that would carry them through the Sequel Trilogy. Luke, Leia and Han were to be featured in...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Review: THE NUT JOB Fails To Crack Up Viewers

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST

After a prolonged season of amused-with-themselves animated studio films that are over-complicated for their little tyke target audiences (time traveling presidentally pardoned turkeys and fuel-injected race car snails), the premise of a cadre of hungry squirrels plotting to knock over a nut shop sounded refreshingly straight-forward. Silly me, perish the thought! Not to persecute The Nut Job for simply not being what it isn't, but honestly, what a missed opportunity for a better film! This really could've been a staid and clever talking animal heist picture, one that operates the same way all good heist pictures operate. That is, the narrative intensely focusing upon A.) the characters' blind yet somehow admirable obsession with the object of the theft, and B.) the time spent on the details of...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]

Back To Top