MOVIE REVIEW: LAMB

 

In rural Iceland, a childless couple discover a strange and unnatural newborn in their sheep barn. They decide to raise her as their own, but sinister forces are determined to return the creature to the wilderness that birthed her.

Director: Valdimar Jóhannsson

Cast: Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson

Release Date: 1h 46min

Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery

Rated R for some bloody violent images and sexuality/nudity

Runtime: 1h 46min

Review:

Valdimar Jóhannsson’s debut film is a meditative folk tale that plays like a long lost Grimm's Fairy Tales.  Jóhannsson’s film is beautifully filmed, filled with wonderfully composed shots that he leaves on screen for maximum effect.  It’s the type of film that’s uses visuals far more than actual dialogue, there’s barely a line of dialogue in the film for the first thirty minutes.  It’s methodical in its paces almost to a fault but maintains a steady sense of eeriness and foreboding for the majority of its runtime.  Holding together the scant script are two fantastic turns from Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snær Guðnason.  Rapace and Guðnason communicate book loads of information with simple looks and gestures, the mundane sadness and grief seeps through the screen in the film’s first half.  They’re understated subtle performances that are so emotionally dense that you just have to appreciate the talent on display.  Björn Hlynur Haraldsson joins the pair as the loser brother in law in the second half of the film who brings some chaotic energy to the pairs new found familial bliss.  Lamb is the type of film that won’t be for everyone with it’s leisurely pace and bizarre conceit but it creates a palpable sense of tension while being touching at the same time.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: DEAD MAN DOWN

Director Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) makes his eagerly anticipated English-language-feature debut with this action thriller about a tough New York City enforcer and an alluring blackmailer who both put their lives on the line to seek vengeance against one of the city's most powerful crime bosses. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Niels Arden Oplev

Cast: Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Terrence Howard, Dominic Cooper, Isabelle Huppert

Release Date: Mar 08, 2013

Rated R Violence, Language Throughout and A Scene of Sexuality

Runtime: 1 hr. 58 min.

Genres: Suspense/Thriller

Review:

By Cindy Prascik


Dearest Blog, yesterday I escaped my miserable workday existence for a couple blissful hours at the cinema. On my agenda was the Colin Farrell thriller Dead Man Down, which I just couldn't squeeze in on its opening weekend. (Hindsight: "Oz? Really??")
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailer.

Colin Farrell is a man on a mission, but will his agenda be derailed by a mysterious woman (Noomi Rapace) with her own plan?
Dead Man Down is a double-barrel crime thriller, two stories running side by side, connected by a single character's involvement in both.

The bullets fly early and often, but quieter scenes between the two damaged leads are awkwardly perfect. Colin Farrell is as magnetic a leading man as Hollywood has to offer, and though the movie has a well-known and decorated supporting cast, it's his to carry, and he does so with his usual brilliance. Noomi Rapace is perfect as a broken woman who would add her burden to his. Terrence Howard's crime lord is cool, brutal, and defiant, even under siege, and Dominic Cooper is great as a young thug looking to work his way up the criminal ladder.

This might normally be the part, dear Blog, where I complain that not enough stuff blows up, but...well...lots of stuff blows up. And lots of folks get killed. And even when those things aren't going on, this film has so much to recommend it that I don't even mind...ummm...I don't even mind much!

Dead Man Down clocks in at a well-paced two hours, and is rated R for "violence, language throughout, and a scene of sexuality."
Feels a little hokey to throw down such a high rating so early in the 2013 game, but of a possible nine Weasleys, it wouldn't be fair to give Dead Man Down less than eight.

Until next time...

It wasn't easy, but we got the Black Friday deals at Wal-Mart!

MOVIE REVIEW: SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHAWDOWS

ON DVD

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHAWDOWS



Brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) matches wits with the nefarious Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) after uncovering a diabolical plot to destabilize the entire Western world in this sequel from director Guy Ritchie. A criminal mastermind without a conscience, Professor Moriarty is Holmes' worst nightmare -- a man who uses his incredible intellect for unspeakably evil purposes. When the Crown Prince of Austria dies and Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan) rules the death a suicide, Holmes steps back to see the big picture. But little does Holmes realize that Professor Moriarty is about to commit a crime that will shock the entire world, and that solving it may be the death of him. Jude Law returns as Holmes' faithful sidekick Dr. Watson in a sequel also featuring The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo's Noomi Rapace and Rachel McAdams. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Guy Ritchie

Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Jared Harris

Release Date: Dec 16, 2011

Rated PG-13 for some Drug Material, Intense Sequences of Violence and Intense
Sequences of Action

Runtime: 2 hr. 9 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a long walk taken briskly. Guy Ritchie directs his follow up to his 2009 re-imagining of Holmes with the same frenetic energy and visual flair with all the hallmarks of a blockbuster sequel. Everything is bigger, the set pieces are massive and impressive flung at the screen in such a rapid fire motion that there’s rarely a moment to let the plot breathe. It’s fund but kind of mindless at the same time, plot points and details are thrown in as quickly as possible so that we can get back to Ritchie’s Holmes’s style of action. Robert Downey Jr. is again clearly having a blast in his role. Between this and Tony Stark, you’d think Downey Jr. just walks around in a constant state of glee, his joy in these roles shines in such a manner it’s hard to resist. Sadly his rapport with Jude Law this go around, a strong point of the first, feel a tab more forced and uneven. It’s still fun seeing both bounce off each but it lacks the spark from the first film. The supporting players are strong actors who are asked to do very little. Rapace make a fine looking gypsy but serves as noting more than window dressing, her character could appeared or disappeared with nary an issue to the main plot. Stephen Fry should be given more to do but he’s on and off the screen all too quickly. Jared Harris, in the biggest crime, is short changed as Holmes arch nemesis Moriarty. He’s only given one substantial scene with Downey Jr. which is great fun, an intellectual cat and mouse game. It’s a shame more time wasn’t given to his character because he could have been a proper foil to Holmes as he was intended. It’s all still terribly watchable rarely dragging but ultimately soulless.

C

Bluray quality; Video is captivating across the board showcasing the wonderful visuals throughout; Sound is top notch and nearly display quality, extremely active sounds stage.

I was hand-selected to be a member of Blu-ray Elite, a beta program from Warner Home Video which has graciously sent me this free Blu-ray disc.

MOVIE REVIEW: PROMETHEUS

IN THEATERS

PROMETHEUS



A team of space explorers embarks on a fantastic voyage to the edge of the universe after making a profound discovery that hints at the true origins of the human race. Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, and Charlize Theron head-up the cast of this epic sci-fi saga from director Ridley Scott and writers Jon Spaihts (The Darkest Hour) and Damon Lindelof (Lost, Star Trek). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce

Release Date: Jun 08, 2012

Rated R for Sci-Fi Violence, Brief Language and Some Intense Images

Runtime: 2 hr. 3 min.

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Grandiose and epic in scale, Ridley Scott’s return to sci-fi is simply an achievement in filmmaking. His film is a visual feast for the eyes, shot in stunning 3D, and an endless buffet for genre fans to digest. This sort of prequel to his original masterpiece Alien offers enough visual and script hints winks and nods to keep franchise fans happy but never content. Answers to many plot threads are left dangling in the wind by the film’s runtime. This can be a good or bad thing depending on the individual viewer. Hints of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 pepper the film right from the start and Scott never shies away, it’s clear he’s going for something larger with this film. Its plot is an endless landfill of spoilers to those that haven’t seen it but if you’ve seen enough of the trailers some of the major points are fairly evident. While Scott is in top form behind the camera, the script does leave some room for improvement. It sets up and telegraphs major twist in such an obvious way that it sucks any tension or surprise right out of the film. Plot holes are readily apparent but the director and the cast do their best to move past them. The cast itself is stellar with Noomi Rapace delivering a tender and subtle turn as the film’s lead. Rapace’s character will be compared to Ripley from Alien but it’s not an apt comparison. Her character is driven by a variety of forces outside of survival; it’s an interesting centerpiece which could have benefited from left heavy handing scripting. Michael Fassbender continues his current run of seeming less endless run of fantastic performances. His android David is a singular and engaging performance which is reminiscent of many sources yet never feels tired. Idris Elba, sporting one of most interesting American accents, is incredibly fun as the ship’s captain, easily becoming the coolest character in the whole film. The remaining cast isn’t given much to do and even stalwarts like Theron are left with mostly one note characters. Even with the most obvious issues, Prometheus is cinematic flypaper never letting your eyes or mind go once it’s got a firm grip.

A-

[Full Trailer] Prometheus

The full trailer for Prometheus has been released and it’s quite simply amazing.





Additionally we got the Prometheus International Trailer from the UK, a different approach but both equally effective.



and a bit more of the viral marketing being used to sell one of the characters in the film...

Peter Weyland's Viral Talk at TED2023

Viral marketing at it finest….

[Trailer] Prometheus

Trailer for Prometheus is out and the question about whether it’s a prequel for Alien or not seems to be a big yes even though Scott has said that it won’t contain an actual xenomorph.

Either way, this trailer hints at an epic story line with Ridley Scott at the helm set expectations to mile high…..

[Trailer] SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHAWDOWS

Trailer for the second Sherlock Holmes film directed by Guy Ritchie, trailer gives off that good fun feel of the first.

Hopefully the plot will be better than the first but the chemistry between Downey and Law is still worth the price of admission.

Noomi Rapace and Jared Harris coming on board should make for an interest cast and an all around fun film.