Antichrist Lacks Scares, Boasts Biblical Allegory

Posted by Kathleen Kane Categories: IFC Films, Foreign, Horror, Independent, Religious, Thrillers, Casting, New Releases, Trailers

For a film whose trailer advertises a critic hailing it as “The most shocking film in the history of Cannes Film Festival,” you’ve at least got to wonder—if not for a mere moment—what a movie like that has to offer. While some remarkable trailers go on to pull back the curtains on so-so films (Where the Wild Things Are, anyone?), a plethora of descriptive words come to mind as I write about Antichrist and “so-so” is hardly one of them.

Opening on a handful of screens in the midst of Halloween season, Lars Von Trier’s latest achievement seemed the perfect pick for the indie lover (or at least those sick of the Saw franchise and/or already viewed Paranormal Activity, the little horror film that could). A fan of the ever-adroit Willem Dafoe and alluring French singer/actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, I find myself drawn to limited casts (Hard Candy); with that, I cannot imagine that Von Trier’s history with Dogme 95 had little to do with this. There was also the slight fact that the director himself was clinically depressed during the writing and some of the production process. Here marks more of an appeal and effort to view the film—did Von Trier meet the challenge of a two-person cast?

Aside from the slight deceit of its “scary movie” marketing poised for shocks (i.e. the bombarding, sanguine title atop corpses intertwined with a tree on the film’s poster), I believe that Von Trier does just that.

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In Theaters This Weekend: September 18, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, IFC Films, Magnolia, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Adaptation, Animation, Biopics, Documentary, Drama, Family, Foreign, Horror, Period, Religious, Romance, Comedy, Sports, Lists, New Releases

Here are a few selections in theaters this weekend:

• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (PG): starring Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Samberg (directed by Chris Miller, Phil Lord)
• The Informant! (R): starring Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale (directed by Steven Soderbergh)
• Jennifer’s Body (R): starring Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody (directed by Karyn Kusama)
• Love Happens (PG-13): starring Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Fogler (directed by Brandon Camp)

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HBO Offers ‘First Look’ at Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Posted by Kathleen Kane Categories: Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Mystery, Religious, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Filmmaking, Upcoming Releases, Videos

We’re nearly a week away from the theatrical release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! Companies, including HBO, everywhere are cashing in on our want insatiable need for sneek peaks, and boy do we thank them for that avarice!

In the two-part behind-the-scenes look (catch the second video after the jump) of the sixth Harry Potter installment, we get a glimpse into the main plot as well as the relationships revolving around our three heroes.

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Read More | Coming Soon.net

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Box Office Breakdown: The Hangover Rises Above Up

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Religious, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Unlike most Mike Tyson fights, The Hangover‘s win was no knockout.

After a back-and-forth battle with Up, Todd Phillips’ film about an eventful bachelor party edged out the animated pic by less than $1 million. Hangover - which features no major stars (unless you count the boxer) - grossed nearly $45 million on its opening weekend. That’s the third best debut for an R-rated comedy ever. (Only Sex and the City and American Pie 2 have done better.)

Meanwhile, a project actually featuring an A-lister became the summer’s first stinker. Land of the Lost, starring Will Ferrell, Anna Friel and Danny McBride, earned a sad $18.8 million over the past three days. Although that amount was good enough for third place, the film cost an estimated $100 million to make.

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Read More | Yahoo! Movies

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Box Office Breakdown: Ben Stiller Defeats Christian Bale

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Religious, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Was it a result of Christian Bale’s rant? The presence of that other science fiction movie? Or the lack of family-friendly fare?

When the dust from the weekend settled, a surprising entry emerged as the winner. Despite the country’s current love for action sequels/prequels, a much calmer feature - Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - was the choice for entertainment this holiday. Ben Stiller’s comedy follow-up raked in $70 million giving the actor his best live-action debut ever. Smithsonian also became the best PG-rated opener for Memorial Day.

Museum‘s victory meant a disappointing 2nd place finish for Terminator Salvation. Although the saga’s fourth installment earned more than T3‘s debut, its $51.9 million gross ($65.3 million since Thursday) put it nowhere near the estimated $200 million budget. The numbers did give director McG, though, his best premiere since 2000’s Charlie’s Angels.

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Read More | Variety

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In Theaters This Weekend: May 22, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Magnolia, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Documentary, Drama, Family, Foreign, Independent, Music, Mystery, Political, Religious, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Lists, New Releases

Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:

• Dance Flick (PG-13): starring Damon Wayans Jr., Craig Wayans, Shoshana Bush (directed by Damien Dante Wayans)
• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (PG): starring Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Hank Azaria (directed by Shawn Levy)
• Terminator Salvation (PG-13): starring Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin (directed by McG)

Click to continue reading In Theaters This Weekend: May 22, 2009

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Don’t Worry: Demons Practically Has Papal Sanction

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Columbia Pictures, Adaptation, Drama, Religious, Sequels, Upcoming Releases

Writers for the Vatican’s newspapers have reviewed Angels & Demons…and (perhaps surprisingly) they aren’t denouncing the flick.

The Church has deemed that Angels & Demons isn’t a threat, concluding that the movie is “harmless” even if inaccurate.

The movie celebrated its world premiere this week in Rome, and though it was pretty soundly thrashed in the Vatican paper is isn’t being called heretical. The critique finds fault in the movie’s “stereotyped characters” and “commercial” nature, but it praises Ron Howard’s direction. Since filming around the Vatican was stymied, many of the movie’s sets are created.

The movie, starring Tom Hanks, focus on the mysteries of the Illuminati and involves many action-packed sequences. The film’s predecessor, The Da Vinci Code, was very poorly received by the Catholic Church.

Read More | Yahoo News

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In Theaters This Weekend: May 8, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Magnolia, Paramount, Sony, Adaptation, Adventure, Documentary, Drama, Foreign, Independent, Period, Political, Religious, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Sports, Lists, New Releases

Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:

• Next Day Air (R): starring Donald Faison, Mike Epps, Wood Harris (directed by Benny Boom)
• Star Trek (PG-13): starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana (directed by J.J. Abrams)
• Adoration* (R): starring Rachel Blanchard, Scott Speedman, Katie Boland (directed by Atom Egoyan)
• Julia* (R): starring Tilda Swinton, Ezra Buzzington, Kate Del Castillo (directed by Erick Zonca)

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In Theaters This Weekend: April 3, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: IFC Films, Miramax, Universal, Action, Adaptation, Documentary, Drama, Foreign, Foreign Language, Period, Religious, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Lists, New Releases

Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:

• Adventureland (R): starring Jesse Eisenberg, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Stewart (directed by Greg Mottola)
• Fast & Furious (PG-13): starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez (directed by Justin Lin)
• Alien Trespass* (PG): starring Eric McCormack, Jenni Baird, Robert Patrick (directed by Steven Fisher)
• Bart Got a Room* (PG-13): starring William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines, Alia Shawkat (directed by Brian Hecker)
• C Me Dance* (PG): starring Christina DeMarco, Greg Robbins, Peter H. Kent (directed by Greg Robbins)

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In Theaters This Weekend: March 27, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Lionsgate, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Documentary, Drama, Family, Foreign, Period, Religious, Romance, Lists, New Releases

Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:

• 12 Rounds (PG-13): starring John Cena, Steve Harris, Ashley Scott (directed by Renny Harlin)
• The Haunting in Connecticut (PG-13): starring Virginia Madsen, Brooklynn Proulx, Elias Koteas (directed by Peter Cornwall)
• Monsters vs Aliens (PG): starring Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie (directed by Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon)

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