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Latest Video: FilmCrunch 067: Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, Premonition reviewed

Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep review Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, and Premonition in this episode of FilmCrunch.
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Antichrist Lacks Scares, Boasts Biblical Allegory

Antichrist posterFor 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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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition Blu-ray review

Snow White Blu-ray review diamond editionNot many people realize this, but Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is ‘s very first full-length animated motion picture. Some would say it is the most prized possession inside the Disney Vault, since one could argue that this movie not only pushed the still-young Disney studio well on its way to being the global powerhouse that it is today, but it also expanded and legitimized the art of animation. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first movie to be released as part of the Disney Platinum Series, which has been around for a while now. However, when it came time to get the Blu-ray treatment, Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio were both released before Snow White, as Disney wanted to get this one just right. The result? The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition Blu-ray set.

Is it worthy of the title? Journey with us as we dig deep into the Snow White Diamond Edition and find out.

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Studio Won’t Preview G.I. Joe for Critics

G.I. Joe

When it comes to summer blockbusters, most people already have in mind what they plan on seeing…long before the movie even comes out. So when it comes to critical reviews, does anyone even care?

Despite mixed reviews for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the sequel went on to make a killing in its first weekend. But Paramount isn’t willing to take that risk again.

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Read More | MSNBC

Early Reviews for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

As you were busy previewing HBO’s behind-the-scenes look at Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, others were gathering their thoughts about the entire film.

The Warner Bros. film debuts on July 15. Here are some of the early reviews for the series’ sixth installment:

Variety:  “Dazzlingly well made and perhaps deliberately less fanciful than the previous entries, this one is played in a mode closer to palpable life-or-death drama than any of the others and is quite effective as such.”

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Movie Review: Public Enemies

Public Enemies

What better holiday weekend cinematic fare than having guns, explosions, and the incredible acting skill of Johnny Depp?  Right?  Well, you’ll get all of the aforementioned in , however, all three do not make this movie as great as you would like. Public Enemies is a story about notorious bank robber, John DIllinger (Depp) and his love for Billie Frechette played by Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard and the impossibility of that love, all things considered.  Dillinger was Public Enemy number one to the United States, but also other crime syndicates, considering the heat his actions brought to the forefront.

Overall, the movie is only okay, but at times it seemed a bit too slow and if you’re the type that gets nauseous with shaky camera scenes, be forewarned.  Understand, this is a Michael Mann-directed film, so there will be a lot of pore-revealing close-ups, which actually humanizes the actors, and handheld type shots.  The acting is good, particularly from Depp, Cotillard, and , who does a way better job than he did in The Dark Knight.  In any case, the problem with the movie is that it didn’t strike a good mix between the love story and the bad deeds of Dillinger or establish certain characters and why we should care for them.

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Review - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Megan FoxI’ve been waiting for this. I’ve always been a Transformers fan, the original movie from 1986 is one of my favorites. When Michael Bay was announced as the director for the first film, I was skeptical. Then I saw it and found it to be an enjoyable romp, but wanted something more. Revenge of the Fallen gives me that something more. As in more robots, more action, and of course more Megan Fox. I really liked how Bay and the writers picked and chose aspects from Classic G1, the Japanese “Masterforce” series, the Dreamwave comics, and Armada to flesh out the story as well as Easter eggs to search for. is exactly what you expect it to be; a big, loud, action packed popcorn flick that takes itself seriously enough that it doesn’t treat the material as a joke, while at the same time not attempting to recreate “War and Peace” with giant robots.

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Early Reviews for Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Do you like your movies loud, big, long and mindless? Then it sounds like might be for you. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the ticket for some who’ve had the chance to watch it so far.

The movie doesn’t debut in the United States until June 24, but it’ll hit the UK on June 19. Here are few of the early reviews:

Hollywood Reporter:  “With its intelligence at the level of the simple-minded, however, the film is not likely to attract moviegoers who seek something more than a screen filled with kaleidoscopes of colored metal. Fan boys will no doubt love it, but for the uninitiated it’s loud, tedious and, at 147 minutes, way too long.”

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Early Reviews for Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds

Inglorious Basterds

When a movie is annoyingly difficult to spell (I can never seem to get right on the first try), you know the film’s going to generate mixed emotions. Although the crowds were eager to welcome Brad Pitt and director Quentin Tarantino to the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, the reception to their WWII era film was a bit uneven.

Preview the trailer here then read the early reviews after the jump.

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Early Reviews for Pixar’s Up


Although opening night at the is usually dedicated to a French film, the 62nd annual event will be going in an entirely new direction. On May 13, a Disney production is getting the spotlight.

Up, the first animated feature to ever kick off the international event, is Pixar’s first PG-rated film since 2004’s The Incredibles. The comedy tells the story of a retired balloon salesman (voiced by Ed Asner) who decides to carry out his deceased wife’s dream of traveling to South America. Unfortunately, he accidentally takes an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer along for the ride.

The film, which is also being released in 3-D, was directed by Pete Docter, the same man who helmed Monsters, Inc. and co-wrote . Up doesn’t officially debut until May 29, but you can read a few of the glowing reviews after the jump.

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Read More | Disney

Movie Review: Star Trek (2009)

Posted by David Torres Categories: Paramount, Science Fiction

StarTrek

Rating: *** 1/2 stars

(Warning: The following review contains some spoilers.)

The world of in crisis! No, it’s not on the verge of dying due to the release of this film. Instead it’s on the verge of going in a whole new direction. In the 1980s, DC Comics published a mini-series entitled “Crisis on Infinite Earths”. If you are a comic book fan, you are aware of this series and know that it was written in order to say goodbye to DC’s old continuity and create an entirely new one. A new world was born. New stories were able to be told because the previous “universe” no longer existed. That is what has happened to the world of Star Trek.

In this film, there is a Romulan named Nero. Nero and his crew travel back in time and as a result create a new timeline. If you are a Trekker, I’m sure you remember the Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) episode entitled “Yesterdays Enterprise” in which the Enterprise C traveled into the future and created a new timeline. The timeline was later corrected and everything was back to normal, but that will not be the case here.

Star Trek as a franchise was certainly in a crisis prior to the release of this film. With the two previous Trek films received poorly by both fans and critics as well as the demise of the series “Enterprise” Star Trek looked dead. Many people felt that Star Trek should stay low for a while and maybe come back much later with an attempt at reviving the series. Paramount said no and went with and his crew and they have succeeded. This film was great. Tons of action; humor; heart breaking moments. I really enjoyed this film both as a fan of the franchise and as a movie on its own.

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