Post from: Film Gecko

Summit Entertainment isn’t talking at this point, saying only, “No decision has been made and as we have said all along, we are continuing to work with Stephenie Meyer to bring ‘Breaking Dawn’ to the big screen.”

Yeah, that’s not really saying anything, is it? The cynical part of me thinks that two films would make way more money than one, so that would be a reason for the powers that be to do it that way.

Those of you familiar with the books, does it seem like a smart move to split ‘Breaking Dawn’ into two movies? And if so, where would you split the film?

Image: TM and © 2009 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Post from: Film Gecko

The first 15 minutes sort of wanders along, a nice little French movie with Jonathan Rhys Meyers playing green-behind-the-ears James Reece, a man working as an assistant to a U.S. Ambassador, but playing a little spy game behind the scenes.

But then the movie suddenly kicks into high gear and it’s non-stop action until the end credits roll. John Travolta plays an American spy with the fun name of Charlie Wax who’s looking to stop a terrorist attack in the city. Well, we don’t know it’s a terrorist attack until later. At first, it appears that he’s after some drug runners, and Reece spends part of the movie carrying a vase full of cocaine around, chasing after Wax, who’s leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.

I mean, seriously, Travolta is great when he can just let loose and go full-out reckless, and that’s what he does here. He just Does.Not. care who gets in his way, and has no problem shooting first and talking later. Ok, there’s no talking. Plus, he has a knack for knowing just who those guys (or girls) are right away. No piddling around.

More after the jump…

I was worried at first. My son and his buddy and I got to the theater, and ‘From Paris With Love’ was playing in the very last theater in the complex, the smallest one, and there were about three other people watching with us. Meanwhile, down the hall are two theaters packed full of people seeing ‘The Wolfman’ (we’ll probably see it tomorrow).

But ‘From Paris With Love’ was much better than I expected (given that ominous ‘no one’s watching this’ thing), and if you like Travolta or Rhys Meyers – or really, high action crime movies with a French twist – I highly recommend it. It’s just good fun. And there’s some awesome artillery.

Like I said, though, the body count is high, and it’s rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, drug content, pervasive language and brief sexuality. In short, not for kids.

Image: Lionsgate

Post from: Film Gecko

Film Gecko’s blogging platform won’t let me embed the video (wah!), so I’m going to send you over to Moviefone to watch it, because it’s quite romantic and fun.

In case you need more incentive, it’s got Hepburn and Tracy, Pattinson and Stewart, Ford and Fisher, Roberts and Grant, Streep and Eastwood, Keaton and Allen, Bogart and Bergman, and oh, plenty more.

Regular Film Gecko readers know I’m all about the romantic movies, so it’s definitely worth three and a half minutes of your time.

Really, it’ll give you hope that love truly exists in our crazy world — both in the movies and real life.

Image: Warner Bros.

Post from: Film Gecko

The story follows homicide detective John Callisto (Morgan), now a retired recluse after being nearly murdered by a serial killer, who’s tracked down by a relentless journalist. Dark secrets from both of their pasts come to light.

Hmmm, not a lot to go on there. I have to wonder if his character will end up dead, though, since he seems to gravitate towards “dead guy” roles. I just started watching The CW’s ‘Supernatural’ on DVD, and am wondering if his dad character is actually dead (don’t tell me!).

And of course, there was his dead guy on ‘Watchmen’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ Anyway, we’ll see how ‘The Unblinking Eye’ pans out. Bassett doesn’t have a ton of projects to his credit, but he did direct ‘Solomon Kane,’ ‘Wilderness,’ and ‘Deathwatch.’

It’s set to start shooting in May.

Image: Bauer-Griffin; Source: Hollywood Reporter

Post from: Film Gecko

She’s in negotiations to join Johnny Depp and sail the seven seas in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,’ the fourth installment of the franchise being directed by Rob Marshall. It’s scheduled for a May 20, 2011 release date.

Depp, of course, will be back as Captain Jack Sparrow, and while plot details are buried deeper than Blackbeard’s treasure, we do know that the story revolves around the Fountain of Youth.

All we know about Cruz’s character – should the deal go through – is that she’ll be Sparrow’s foil and equal. Female pirate!

The role will also reunite her with Marshall, who directed her in ‘Nine.’

Image: Bauer-Griffin; Source: THR’s HeatVision Blog

Post from: Film Gecko

The story follows several intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles as they make up and break up around the mystery that is Valentine’s Day. It’s rated PG-13 for some sexual material and brief partial nudity, and opens in theaters this Friday, Feb. 12, 2010. Here’s a little clip of a few of them on the red carpet.

Post from: Film Gecko

Let’s talk about the Two-Disc Special Edition DVD. This has a bunch of bonus features: 

• Trailers: Night At The Museum 2, The Marine 2, Family Guy Presents: Something Something Something Dark Side, X Men Trilogy Blu-ray Trailer, and Sons Of Anarchy Season 1
• Commentary by Director Gavin Hood
• Commentary by Producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter
• The Roots of Wolverine: A Conversation with Stan Lee and Len Wein
• Wolverine Unleashed: The Complete Origins
• Deleted and Alternate Scenes
• Anti Smoking PSA

Disc 2: Digital Copy

When I saw this movie in theaters, people were actually getting up and walking out, but I didn’t think it was that bad. Not the best movie I’ve ever seen, but still not that bad.

More after the jump…

The movie takes us back to the childhood of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). We know him from the first three “X-Men” movies, but he had a wild and interesting life before he showed up in those. Even as young Jimmy Logan in 1845, he had those spiky hands, only the spikes were crude, bony-looking things then, emerging whenever Jimmy got angry. His heritage included some daddy issues, and a half-brother named Victor Creed a.k.a. Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), complete with fangs and all.

A series of quick scenes shows the non-aging brothers fighting through several wars, including the Civil War, World War Two, and Viet Nam. We also learn that the evil Stryker (Danny Huston) is building an army of mutants called Team X. But after a particularly gruesome incident in Africa, Jimmy walks out on the group, and ends up as a woodcutter in Canada with a hot schoolteacher girlfriend (Lynn Collins).

After a devastating tragedy, Stryker convinces Jimmy to undergo a procedure that will make him indestructible. It’s an agonizing operation that injects a substance called adamantium into his skeleton. And presto-chango, he’s “Wolverine,” his once bony spikes now shiny, titanium-looking weapons of mass destruction. And Victor comes back into his life, as well.

Here’s the thing about “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”: It’s not a bad movie, and Hugh Jackman and his awesome muscles are not hard to look at. But the writing is cheesy, and they could have done more with the various characters who show up in this movie, including card-shark Gambit (Taylor Kitsch), The Blob (Kevin Durand), John Wraith (Will.i.am), and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds). I mean, I get that the movie is called “Wolverine,” but most of these characters are only in the movie for a few minutes, if that.

If you’re a fan of the X-Men characters and movies, you should check this out, especially now that it’s on Blu-ray and DVD.

Note to Parents: There’s lots of action and fighting and explosions, including one awesome scene with an exploding helicopter. Oh, and Hugh Jackman gets naked from a distance in a couple of scenes. But overall, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a PG-13 movie about a mutant superhero.

Image: X-Men Origins: Wolverine, TM and Copyright 20th Century Fox Film Corp., 2009

Post from: Film Gecko

It stars Brendan Gleeson (Prof. Alastor ‘MadEye’ Moody in the ‘Harry Potter’ series) as an Irish property developer of humble origins who has become rich and powerful as a result of the “Celtic Tiger,” a.k.a. Ireland’s economic boom. He’s involved in a scheme to build a national stadium, but a rival developer is planning on thwarting his plans.

Wildly over-extended, Liam finds himself struggling in a receding market, not to mention stressed out to the max. He seems on the verge of a mental breakdown when, to his horror, he sees his Double – yes, someone who looks and acts just like him.

As Liam searches for answers, his neglected wife, Jane (Kim Cattrall), and ignored son Connor (Briain Gleeson), distressed by his erratic behavior, think he’s probably hallucinating. Only Liam’s sister Oona (Sinead Cusack) and childhood friend Andy (Ciaran Hinds), a priest, believe him.

More after the jump, including a trailer…

He ends up confronting his double and discovers a few shocking things about his past. The double ends up luring him out of town and takes over his life. Liam lands in a homeless shelter run by Andy, and the story takes shape as a message about the vast chasm between Ireland’s rich and poor.

Snappy dialogue and gritty scenes of street-fighting and Ireland’s underbelly come together in a movie that keeps you guessing. Even with all the tension, the movie manages to be both light and comically entertaining at times.

If you have a chance to see ‘The Tiger’s Tail,’ it’s definitely worth checking out. It’s rated R for a scene of sexuality, and brief drug content. Here’s the trailer:

Image: Amazon.com

Post from: Film Gecko

One of my favorite actors, Patricia Clarkson, plays his wife, and Noah Emmerich plays his long-suffering assistant. Director Gavin O’Connor (‘Tumbleweeds’) and the producers of the similar sports movies ‘Remember the Titans’ and ‘The Rookie’ help bring this story to life.

Aside from a great cast and production team, what I love about ‘Miracle’ is the attention to detail. Not a hairstyle or accessory was missed in capturing the era of 1980. The story was especially needed at that time because the country was in a bit of a depression after the whole Watergate debacle.

Buy ‘Miracle’ on Blu-ray or DVD. Here’s the trailer:

Image: Amazon.com

Post from: Film Gecko