All Movie Replicas Visitor Resource Centre: Licensed movie memorabilia, movie posters, film cells, movie prop replicas, home theater decor, movie reviews & more...
If any film this year has suffered the one-two punch of bad buzz and worse marketing, it’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Those who’ve spent even a small amount of time reading online sites and movie mags have likely caught wind of problems in the editing room, problems with the script, problems with the director, Stephen Sommers, and, most importantly, problems with the movie itself – rumors which were hardly dispelled by the film’s downright unimpressive trailers. That, coupled with the hesitancy of the die-hard Joe fans to support any adaptation – as well as the fact that today’s kids simply weren’t raised on the classic toys and cartoons – virtually paved the way for a film that appeared as if it’d make Transformers 2 look like Twelfth Night in comparison.
Count us surprised then that G.I. Joe doesn’t disappoint. In fact, taken in the proper spirit, it delivers a relatively action-packed and – dare we say – fun bit of mindless entertainment in a fashion that’s been missing from movie screens this summer. In these days of more serious-minded (and wildly successful) adaptations, it is unexpectedly refreshing for a film to be so wildly “popcorn” without falling into the realm of the unengaging and inane. Let’s make no mistake here, however. This is a B-level action movie with relatively well-drawn characters, a few minor subplots and smartly staged, near-constant action. Shakespeare, it ain’t. For better or worse, it feels very much like Sommers’ The Mummy, chock-a-block with massive set pieces and broad, dramatic beats without ever taking itself too seriously.
When weapons manufacturer McCullen – soon to be known as Destro – tries to frame NATO forces for the theft of his own metal-eating nano-bot rockets, an even more elite Special Forces group enters the picture: G.I. Joe. Soon, a military caravan led by officers Duke and Ripcord is hijacked by the Baroness and her men, thwarted only by the sudden appearance of Scarlett, Snake-Eyes and Heavy Duty, blasting away in true Joe fashion. Eventually, the pair is allowed to tag along with the group on a mission to retrieve the missles before Destro, Baroness, Storm Shadow and the soon-to-be Cobras can use them against strategic, well-populated targets in an effort to… what else?… take over the world!
As Duke and Ripcord prove themselves to be true Joe material, past events for many of the character (particularly Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, Duke and the Baroness) play a major factor in the emergence of a figure who may very well become the Cobra Commander of legend. And it is in these minor flashbacks and subtle relationships that actual characters being to take shape – with motivations and emotions that, while not constituting great drama, go far to invest the audience enough to follow along.
The action shifts from dense forests, to subterranean facilities, to the streets of France, to underwater bases, to high-altitude jet fights and a number of places in-between. The major sequences are both intense and sufficiently humorous, laden with eye-rolling, though faintly charming, one-liners and a speaker-shattering, non-stop barrage of explosions, chases, shoot-outs and sword fights. The action is well paced and the effects – much like the cinematography itself – blend the tangibly real and the colorfully cartoonish in a way that captures the spirit of G.I. Joe. There’s no attempt to explain why or how these massive bases might feasibly have been constructed; no effort made to convince the audience that jamming electrodes into a dead person’s skull shouldn’t allow you to replay their last memories; and no real explanation as to why taking over the world is all that appealing to begin with.
It all just is…
You may have heard it stated that this is the perfect movie for eight year olds… or, at the very least, the eight year old that you once were. And while the former is true, the latter is somewhat misleading. G.I. Joe doesn’t require that you awaken your inner-child and dismiss any sense of your adulthood to enjoy it. You just have to take it in the spirit in which it is intended. In fact, there is something rather admirable in Sommers’ attempt to neither pander to his audience nor unnecessarily class-up the source material. The good guys are good guys; the bad guys are bad. The schemes are ridiculous and the characters are broad. But nothing here is ever too much of anything. This is an adult’s interpretation of a childhood phenomenon, and if you’re willing to give it a shot and not expect a work of cinematic art, one suspects that you’ll find yourself entertained enough to give your best, “Yo, Joe!”
IGN Movie paid a visit to Iron Man 2 in Los Angeles where spoke at length with Robert Downey Jr., director Jon Favreau and and Marvel Studios Kevin Feige about the sequel, which just wrapped this month. (Beware spoiler alert)
[Please be advised that this article is potentially spoiler-ish for some.] IGN Movies visited the set of Iron Man 2 on an uncharacteristically rainy day in Los Angeles this past June. While on-set at Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach, we spoke at length with star Robert Downey Jr., director Jon Favreau, and Marvel Studios honcho Kevin Feige about the sequel, which just wrapped this month.
The majority of our set visit was spent in Tony Stark’s new and improved workshop/lab. The entire floor is made of shiny, dark glass — which required visitors to wear booties over their shoes so as to not scuff it up — that, in the film, will project holographic images and schematics throughout the lab for Stark to interact with. In the far side of the workshop is the armory where Tony’s Iron Man suits are stored. Curiously, one of them was missing, a mystery that wasn’t solved until it was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that Don Cheadle will be wearing a modified version of it as War Machine.
The first scene we observed being shot that had Tony examining a miniature model of the 1974 Stark Expo, a cross between Macworld and the 1964 World’s Fair if it had been staged by the late Howard Stark (played by Mad Men’s John Slattery). Howard hid something of great value on the grounds way back when and now Tony desperately needs to find it. “The key to the future is … where?,” Downey asked in character take after take as the camera swooped over the miniature and settled on his scrutinizing face.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) looks over a model of the 1974 Stark Expo
The biggest surprise we had on set wasn’t even on the schedule for us to see, but Marvel and Favreau were kind enough to arrange for us to meet Scarlett Johansson in costume as the sexy spy Black Widow. She had been filming second unit stuntwork on a nearby soundstage when she graciously took a few moments out to chitchat with us. As you can now tell from the newly released photos, Scarlett is ridiculously hot as Black Widow. She was even more jaw-dropping in person.
Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.
Without giving too much away, there are two interconnected personal crises that Tony is dealing with in Iron Man 2 (and alcoholism isn’t one of them): Tony’s lingering father issues and an energy crisis of some sort. The shadow of Tony’s celebrated, brilliant father — a man who helped America win World War II and stay armed during the Cold War — looms over the entire film. Howard’s past somehow holds the key to Tony’s future. (Tony isn’t the only character with daddy issues; Mickey Rourke’s Ivan “Whiplash” Vanko also has them. Vanko and Stark are two sides of the same coin; Vanko even has a famous scientist father, Anton.)
“It’s one of the major themes of the movie, which is that no man is an island. Here’s a guy who’s said, ‘I’m going to run the company myself. I’m going to take control of all of my own technology, use it only for benefit. I’m going to introduce this giant, new Stark Expo to advocate all sorts of new energy sources and all sorts of new technological wonders to the world, the world of tomorrow,’” Feige said. “But he’s a Marvel superhero and so it takes about six months for everything to go to hell once he’s done that.”
Although the sequel won’t be using the famous “Demon in a Bottle” storyline, Iron Man 2 will have echoes of it as it shows Tony succumbing to the pressure he’s under. “About midway through the film he hits rock bottom. Rock bottom is not in alleyway with alcohol alongside of a dumpster. That’s not what it is in this movie,” Feige explained. “But it is all of these things that he’s trying to do and pressuring himself to do. He sort of loses control of that.”
This collapse will affect Tony’s relationships with both Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). “He’s just one of those guys though that thinks he can do everything by themselves and that he can do it best and people start to kind of get turned off by that and turned away by that. Then he does something in a very charming, funny [manner],” Feige revealed. “I think the audience is going to cheer and laugh and it’ll be a high point of the movie, but the other characters aren’t going to be quite as amused.”
In a corner of the workshop there was a relaxation area with Tony’s personal effects and paperwork strewn about. Among the items spotted were a German passport, newspaper articles, a map of Antarctica … and a diagram of Captain America’s shield! Antarctica, Cap … Marvel really is laying the seeds for an Avengers movie in Iron Man 2. Outside the soundstage, several of us in the group of visiting journalists also noticed boxes marked “Project Pegasus.”
In the original Marvel comics, Project Pegasus was a government program that researched unusual forms of energy and also served as a prison for super-villains; in the Ultimates universe, S.H.I.E.L.D. operates the Project Pegasus facility where bizarre and powerful objects are stored. I’m not sure exactly how Project Pegasus is used in Iron Man 2, but it could be related to Howard Stark’s past, an energy crisis, Captain America, or all of the above.
How all of these plot threads play out — and how they may lay the groundwork for future Marvel movies — will become clear when Iron Man 2 finally opens May 7, 2010. Look for our on-set interviews with Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. down the line!
Rebecca Bloomwood moves to Manhattan to nurture her shopping addiction and gets involved in the New York City magazine world. She has spent almost $1000 in a month when she discovers a fashionable green scarf; she doesn’t have enough available credit to buy it and borrows money from a man on the street. When she interviews with Luke Brandon, the editor of the magazine Successful Saving, she finds that he is the man from whom she had borrowed money.
Frustrated by her lack of success, she writes drunken letters to Alette magazine and Successful Saving, but she posts each one to the wrong magazine. Nevertheless, Luke Brandon hires her. Then, rather than completing a work assignment, she goes to a clothing sale. When examining an expensive cashmere coat, she realizes that it is 5% cashmere and 95% acrylic. She writes her column, calling herself “the Girl with the Green Scarf”.
Impressed, her boss, Luke, invites her to a conference in Miami and an important ball. While shopping for the ball, Luke asks what she thinks of him. Rebecca says he is a workaholic and not a good investment as all his hard work goes into the magazine but the earnings to someone else. At a restaurant, another woman, Alicia, asks Luke to the ball.
Rebecca learns that Luke is the son of the famous socialite Elinor Sherman and that he knows a lot about clothes. At the ball the two share a romantic moment on the roof after a major faux pas Rebecca commits while serving the dishes.
Rebecca returns home to confrontations with a bill collector and her best friend Suze, who makes her join a Shopaholic-group. She is later publicly accused of not paying her debts live on a TV show, ‘Morning Coffee’ and as a consequence loses her job. Though Luke is hurt that Rebecca has lied to him, he still finds her a source of inspiration.
Rebecca decides to sell all of her clothes in a sale, but hesitates over the green scarf. A blond woman and a woman talking on a telephone begin a bidding war over the scarf. The sale is a success, making it possible for her to repay her debt.
Rebecca and Luke come together, with Luke returning her the green scarf – he was the person behind both bidders. During the credits, Rebecca ends up working for Luke’s new magazine, writing articles such as “Confessions of a Shopaholic”.
Cast: Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Krysten Ritter, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Lithgow, Lynn Redgrave; Directed by: P.J. Hogan
Mortimer “Mo” Folchart (Brendan Fraser) and his 12-year-old daughter, Meggie (Eliza Bennett), share a passion for books. What they also share is an extraordinary gift for bringing characters from books to life when they read aloud. But there is a danger: when a character is brought to life from a book, a real person disappears into its pages.
On one of their trips to a secondhand book shop, Mo hears voices he hasn’t heard for years, and when he locates the book they’re coming from, it sends a shiver up his spine. It’s Inkheart, a book filled with illustrations of medieval castles and strange creatures—a book he’s been searching for since Meggie was three years old, when her mother, Resa (Sienna Guillory), vanished into its mystical world.
But Mo’s plan to use the book to find and rescue Resa is thwarted when Capricorn (Andy Serkis), the evil villain of Inkheart, kidnaps Meggie and, discovering she has inherited her father’s gift, demands that she bring his most powerful ally to life—the Shadow. Determined to rescue his daughter and send the fictional characters back where they belong, Mo assembles a small group of friends and family—some from the real world, some from the pages of books—and embarks on a daring and perilous journey to set things right.
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Andy Serkis, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent, Eliza Bennett; Directed by: Iain Softley
The Pink Panther 2, the sequel to the 2006 worldwide hit, stars Steve Martin as he reprises the role of intrepid-if-bumbling French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau.
When legendary treasures from around the world are stolen, including the priceless Pink Panther Diamond, Chief Inspector Dreyfus (John Cleese) is forced to assign Clouseau to a team of international detectives and experts charged with catching the thief and retrieving the stolen artifacts. Martin is joined by original co-stars Jean Reno (as Ponton, his partner) and Emily Mortimer (as Nicole, the object of his awkward affections). The investigative dream team is played by Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Yuki Matsuzaki (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The story is set in Paris and Rome.
Cast: Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Yuki Matsuzaki, Alfred Molina, Aishwarya Rai, John Cleese; Directed by: Harald Zwart
These are the new DVD releases for Tuesday, May 12th.
Synopsis “I don’t know you who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you’re looking for a ransom, I can tell you, I don’t have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills acquired over a very long career in the shadows, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you. And I will kill you.”
With these chilling words to a member of a band of kidnappers, former government operative Bryan Mills begins the longest 96-hours of his life – and the hunt for the fearsome organization that has taken his daughter Kim.
Mills had only recently given up his government career as what he calls, a “preventer” – “I prevented bad things from happenings,” he says – to be near Kim, who lives with Bryan’s ex-wife Lenore and her new husband. To make ends meet, Bryan joins some former colleagues for special security details (like guarding a pop diva), but most of his time and energy are spent re-connecting with Kim.
Bryan’s familial goal is nearly derailed when Kim requests his permission to spend time in Paris with a friend. All too aware of the dangers that could lie ahead for Kim in a foreign land, Bryan says no, but Kim’s disappointment leads him to very reluctantly relent.
Bryan’s worst fears are realized when Kim and her friend Amanda are suddenly abducted – in broad daylight – from the Paris apartment at which they’ve just arrived. Moments before Kim is dragged away by the as yet unseen and unknown assailants, she manages to phone Bryan, who begins to expertly piece together clues that will take him to the darkness of Paris’s underworld, and to the City of Light’s plushest mansions. He will face nightmares worse than anything he experienced in black ops – and let nothing and no one stop him from saving his daughter.
Synopsis: The film tells the story of the origins of Lucian (Michael Sheen), who was the first werewolf able to take human form – to be called Lycans [derived from the word lycanthrope]. Viktor (Bill Nighy), the ruthless king of the vampires, took him home after killing his werewolf mother in a raid. Viktor decides to create a race of werewolves who would be more sedate than the original breed, a viciously volatile kind that couldn’t revert back to human form. Viktor envisions a race of slaves for his vampire clan that, conceivably, could keep guard during the daytime hours and toil for the vampires. As Lucian grows up at Viktor’s home, his young daughter, Sonja, develops an attraction to the young Lycan, and Lucian becomes fond of Sonja as well.
It is revealed that Viktor has a tacit relationship with the human population of the area, whereupon he agreed to protect them from the wild werewolves that roam the countryside in exchange for a tithe. As a collection human nobles come to meet with the vampire council for protection from the werewolves in exchange for this aforementioned tithe, Sonja goes out to guard them. Lucian hears the Lycans near Sonja and steals a horse and sword from a nearby Death Dealer. Wild werewolves proceed to attack and kill the nobles, causing Lucian to engage in a battle with them. When Lucian takes off his collar and changes into a Lycan in order to protect himself, the wild werewolves back down to his howl and leave before Lucian is shot down by Viktor’s men. Viktor, despite grudgingly acknowledging that Lucian saved his daughter, notes that Lucian still transgressed the laws of the coven by taking off the collar that kept him in check (by preventing him from changing into a Lycan) and feels betrayed by what he thinks of as his favorite pet. Subsequently, he locks Lucian away after having him whipped him thirty times with a three pronged chain-bladed whip.
Lucian escapes, kills several of the Vampires and begins to liberate the other Lycans from what he perceives as their unfair imprisonment. The guards are alerted and start to slaughter the Lycans. When Viktor discovers that Sonja has an illegal relationship with Lucian, he imprisons his daughter. Lucian learns about Sonja’s imprisonment and sets out to rescue her. On their way out they are attacked by the Death Dealers. Viktor is also involved in the chase and when it comes to the fight, it is Sonja who confronts Viktor. When Sonja discloses to him that she is pregnant with Lucian’s child, Viktor overpowers her with a knife to the throat and imprisons both her and Lucian with renewed hatred. Sonja is sentenced to death for her crime against the coven at a trial presided over by her father and the Council. After Sonja’s death, which Lucian is forced to bare witness to, Lucian attempts a further escape. Failing, he is able to verbally summon both the wild werewolves and the freed Lycans, who attack the coven and overwhelm it after a fierce battle.
Finally Lucian faces Viktor in a fight and they battle their way to the dungeons. The fight continues back and forth until Lucian knocks Viktor down a well. Lucian tears at chains hanging from above, making a hole in the roof and allowing sunlight in and cornering an enraged Viktor in the darkness. Viktor’s ‘final’ words attest to his regret at not having killed Lucian the moment he was born, to which Lucian sarcastically agrees before forcing his sword through Viktor’s mouth and head and letting the body fall into the water below. Lucian declares this victory as only the beginning of what will surely be a war between the races, one bred for slavery and the other born into privilege. In one of the closing scenes we see Tanis leading a very alive Viktor, who survived due to his status as an Elder, into a hibernation chamber on a boat.
The film ends with the opening scene of the first Underworld, with the audio from the scene where Kraven tells Selene that it was Viktor who murdered her family, rather than the Lycans. That Viktor spared her because she reminded him of Sonja, the daughter he condemned to death. The last word is played over the shot of her eyes: “Lies.”
Cast: Michael Sheen, Rhona Mitra, Bill Nighy, Craig Parker, Steven Mackintosh, Tania Nolan, Kevin Grevioux, Jared Turner; Directed by: Patrick Tatopoulos
Release date: Friday August 7, 2009 Genre: Action Director: Stephen Sommers Studio: Paramount Pictures Screenplay: Stuart Beattie, Skip Woods Producer(s): Bob Ducsay, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Stephen Sommers Cast: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Saïd Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid Official Site:gijoemovie.com Rating:This Film Has Not Been Rated Available film art:G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra movie posters
Synopsis “G.I. Joe,” the live-action feature based on Hasbro’s line of action figures.
While some remember the character from its gung-ho fighting man ’60s incarnation, he’s evolved. G.I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer. The property is closer in tone to “X-Men” and James Bond than a war film.
Excellent breakdown of the new Star Trek XI trailer # 3 that was revealed on March 9th. The blockbuster film arrives in theaters this May 8, 2009. Looks really good folks!
Release date: Friday July 17, 2009 Genre: Fantasy/Action/Adventure Director: David Yates Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures Screenplay: Steve Kloves Producer(s): David Barron, David Heyman Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, David Bradley, Jim Broadbent, Jessie Cave, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Frank Dillane, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, Matthew Lewis, Pierre Vernier, Helen McCrory, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Natalia Tena, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Julie Walters, David Thewlis, Bonnie Wright Official Site:harrypotter.com Rating:PG scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality Available film art:Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince movie posters
Synopsis Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
A wannabe superhero joins a team of bumbling heroes-in-training on a time traveling mission to thwart an evil plot in this high-flying comedy featuring Clint Howard, Adam West, Tom Sizemore, and Doug Jones. Ed Gruberman (Justin Whalin) may not possess any actual super-powers, though his passion for fighting crime rivals that of even the greatest comic book do-gooders. When Ed becomes a member of The Super Capers, an oddball team of aspiring superheroes, it seems as if his dream of fighting crime for real is about to come true. Upon discovering evidence of an evil plot involving gold bullion, an alluring femme fatale, and a powerful criminal mastermind, Ed travels back in time to prevent a disaster the likes of which the world has never seen.
Cast: Christine Lakin, Danielle Harris, Doug Jones, Tom Sizemore, Clint Howard, Sam Lloyd, Justin Whalin; Directed by: Ray Griggs
Nicolas Cage stars in “Knowing”, a gripping action-thriller of global proportions about a professor who stumbles on terrifying predictions about the future—and sets out to prevent them from coming true.
In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule. But one mysterious girl fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead.
Fifty years later, a new generation of students examines the capsule’s contents and the girl’s cryptic message ends up in the hands of young Caleb Koestler. But it is Caleb’s father, professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage), who makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts with pinpoint accuracy the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years. As John further unravels the document’s chilling secrets, he realizes the document foretells three additional events—the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve John and his son. When John’s attempts to alert the authorities fall on deaf ears, he takes it upon himself to try to prevent more destruction from taking place.
With the reluctant help of Diana Wayland (Rose Byrne) and Abby Wayland, the daughter and granddaughter of the now-deceased author of the prophecies, John’s increasingly desperate efforts take him on a heart-pounding race against time until he finds himself facing the ultimate disaster—and the ultimate sacrifice.
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne; Directed by: Alex Proyas
Engaged to the woman of his dreams yet uncomfortable with the prospect of not having a best man for his upcoming wedding, a successful real estate agent with no male friends schedules a series of “man dates” in hopes of finding a suitable candidate for the big day. Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) is just like most other guys, only when it comes to making friends he’s always been a bit withdrawn. After proposing to his girlfriend, Zooey (Rashida Jones), however, Peter quickly realizes that he doesn’t even have any friends close enough to qualify for the role of best man. And what better method to find the perfect best man than to spend some time getting to know the most qualified candidate for the position? While most of Peter’s “man dates” are incredibly awkward from the very beginning, the desperate bridegroom is surprised to hit it off with Sydney Fife (Jason Segel) on their very first meeting. Sydney is charming, personable, and opinionated, and before long he and Peter have become inseparable. But this isn’t exactly what Zooey had in mind, because the closer that Peter grows to his new “bro,” the further he drifts from the woman who will soon be his wife. Now, with the wedding closing in and the drama heating up, Peter begins to ponder a means of staying good friends with Sydney while still remaining true to the woman he loves.
Cast: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones; Directed by: John Hamburg
Oscar® winner Julia Roberts and Clive Owen reunite for “Duplicity,” from writer/director Tony Gilroy (seven-time Oscar®-nominated “Michael Clayton”).
In the film, they star as spies-turned-corporate operatives in the midst of a clandestine love affair. When they find themselves embroiled in a high-stakes espionage game, they discover the toughest part of the job is deciding how much to trust the one you love.
CIA officer Claire Stenwick (Roberts) and MI6 agent Ray Koval (Owen) have left the world of government intelligence to cash in on the highly profitable cold war raging between two rival multinational corporations. Their mission? Secure the formula for a product that will bring a fortune to the company that patents it first.
For their employers—industry titan Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson) and buccaneer CEO Dick Garsik (Paul Giamatti)—nothing is out of bounds. But as the stakes rise, the mystery deepens and the tactics get dirtier, the trickiest secret for Claire and Ray is their growing attraction. And as they each try to stay one double-cross ahead, two career loners find their schemes endangered by the only thing they can’t cheat their way out of: love.
Cast: Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti; Directed by: Tony Gilroy
Colin Hanks, a recent graduate in journalism, is searching for a job when he comes across a Magician’s Apprenticeship position in the local paper. He attends the interview for the position at a local diner, where he meets and is struck by the Great Buck Howard (John Malkovitch), a waning magician. Although skeptical of Buck and desperate for a job, he is convinced that helping Buck will be an exciting change from his ordinarily mundane life. From city to city, Buck always impresses the small town crowds, which is seemingly the motive for his continuing career. After learning the ropes, Colin continually runs through the motions of Buck’s routine and alcoholic personality. After Colin tires of the repetition, Buck attempts an overwhelming magic spectacle to regain his long forgotten legacy. In the process, Colin finds the love of his life and proceeds to break Buck’s golden rules. After the ensuing drama with Buck and his dad (Tom Hanks), Colin continues along his path with Buck, against his father’s wishes. Buck then starts a Vegas magician life, which he soon scraps with an intentional faux pas in his routine. He has a revelation that he only wants to demonstrate his magic to the people who genuinely care about his routine. Meanwhile, while Buck remembers his calling, Colin discovers how to demonstrate his compassion towards his recently discovered soulmate. In turn, Buck relinquishes his dream of a glorious Vegas lifestyle and Colin foregoes his show biz lifestyle to live what he considers a better life with his soulmate.
Cast: Colin Hanks, John Malkovich; B.J. Hendricks, Jacquie Barnbrook, Ankur Bhatt; Directed by: Sean McGinly
Release date: April 3rd, 2009 Genre: Sci-Fi/Adventure/Comedy Running time: 1 hour 25 minutes Director: R.W. Goodwin Studio: Roadside Attractions Screenplay: James Swift, Steven P. Fisher Cast: Eric McCormack, Jenni Baird, Dan Lauria, Robert Patrick, Jody Thompson, Aaron Brooks, Sarah Smyth, Andrew Dunbar, Sage Brocklebank, Tom McBeath, Vincent Gale, Jerry Wasserman, Jonathan Young, Michael Roberds Official Site:alientrespass.com Rating:PG for sci-fi action and brief historical smoking Available film art:Alien Trespass movie posters
Synopsis It was a summer night in 1957 in the quiet California desert town of Mojave. Local astronomer Ted Lewis (Eric McCormack) is making a special anniversary dinner for his wife Lana (Jody Thompson). A local diner waitress, Tammy (Jenni Baird) is in her trailer painting a horse scene while Dick (Andrew Dunbar) and Penny (Sarah Smyth) are necking at lovers lane. All are watching the light show from the annual August Perseid meteor showers when suddenly there is a blinding light and crash into the butte just outside of town. Ted attempts to investigate but Lana prevails in keeping him home at least until she falls asleep and he can sneak out to the crash site. In the meantime we see a gruesome alien creature (The Ghota) leaving the spaceship to slip away into the night. Soon after, a tall alien in a silvery metallic suit (Urp) appears from the ship. When Ted arrives at the butte he does not discover a smoking red-hot meteorite but rather a flying saucer imbedded in the hillside with its ramp down. He cautiously enters the saucer and is snatched up by the mysterious silver alien.
Townspeople soon start disappearing everywhere and the only remnant at the scene is a puddle of gurgling mud. Ted Lewis, having been body snatched by Urp, is now on the trail of the murderous Ghota. Urp, is actually a galactic Federal Marshal from another planet who was transporting the Ghota when his saucer crashed landed and the Ghota escaped. He needs to find and recapture the creature before it begins to divide or it will multiply exponentially until all life is consumed on planet Earth. After unsuccessfully trying to convince Lana to help him find the Ghota, Urp meets Tammy on the highway when she offers him a lift. Urp tries his best to convince Tammy of his plight and to help him track down the Ghota. But when they stop at an old derelicts cabin and find only a mud puddle of human remains, Tammy can take no more of the crazy talk and circumstances and leaves him in a huff.
The teens, Dick & Penny, are on their own track encountering first the Ghota and then the saucer, trying to convince anyone to believe them. Finally they tell their story in the diner to Tammy who now realizes that Urp was telling her the truth. She tries to convey this to the temporary police chief (Dan Lauria) who still refuses to believe there is any real threat, much less from outer space. That is until later when his senior deputy (Robert Patrick) is also dissolved by the Ghota.
The Ghota is now rampaging through the town dissolving people, cops (and even children) at will. Tammy encounters the Ghota herself while she is closing the diner and makes a narrow escape. Then comes the big scene in the local movie theater where Dick, Penny and Cody (Aaron Brooks) are watching the original 1950s version of The Blob. The Ghota appears at the rear of the theater and begins picking off its prey. All the patrons flee the theater except the teens who are trapped and now stalked by the Ghota. All seems hopeless until Tammy arrives and tries to help, only to become trapped herself with the teens when the Ghotas divided twin suddenly materializes.
Then from the curtain entrance a ray gun blast and then a second stunning shot. The Ghotas are down, but only in stasis as Urp arrives and saves the day. Time to load the Ghotas in Tammys truck and race to the butte so Urp can return Teds body and quickly depart in his spaceship with its deadly cargo.
But not so fast! Sheriff Dawson and an armed posse of townspeople are hot on their trail and looking for revenge. There is a showdown at the saucer where Tammy stands resolutely between Dawson, the posse and Urp. With an impassioned and compelling speech, Tammy convinces Dawson to put down his gun, let Urp repair his ship, take the immobilized Ghotas and depart Earth in peace. Dawson reluctantly agrees.
There is a tender goodbye between Urp and Tammy before astronomer Ted is returned to the delight of his wife Lana. Then plumes of smoke and the saucer lifts off to the amazement of the gathered townspeople.
In the closing scene, as Tammy is driving out of town in her battered pick-up on the way to her new life in Sausalito, she watches the saucer rising over the butte. It stops momentarily in mid-air as Tammy waves dreamily from the cab. The saucer wags a thank you and a final goodbye and then zooms up and away towards a welcomed return to outer space. A 50 year old new movie!
Subscribe.
