Film Gecko

Public Enemies – Beautiful Cinematography

Jane Boursaw — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:39:55 +0000

Movie: Public Enemies * Trailer * 6 Clips * Images * Official Site	In Theaters: July 1, 2009
Runtime: 140 minutes	Directed by: Michael Mann
MPAA Rating: R for gangster violence and some language	Gecko Rating:

I wondered if "Public Enemies" would romanticize the gangster life, and it sort of does. But it also gives the other side of the story – the blood, violence, and nastiness.

Still, this movie mostly romanticizes it, mainly because Johnny Depp is just so darn cute. What girl could resist his charms, gangster or not? Plus, I think he’s actually getting better looking as he gets older. But enough of my crush…

In "Public Enemies," Depp plays notorious gangster John Dillinger in the 1930s. It’s not a life story or anything; the movie actually picks up with him getting out of prison after something like nine years. Apparently, he’s learned nothing in there, because he’s right back at it, gathering the gang back together and planning their next bank robbery.

We really don’t see a lot of the other gangsters – it’s mostly about Dillinger – but on the sidelines is Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham), Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum) and others. In a nightclub, Depp spots the beautiful Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) and goes over to introduce himself. He wastes no time and not only strikes up a romance right away, but also tells her who he is and what he does. "I’m John Dillinger, and I rob banks." She resists his charms at first, but they’re soon involved in a torrid affair.

I don’t know enough about Dillinger to know if everything in the movie is factual, but it sure plays well on screen. The romance, the bank robberies, the hiding out, the cat-and-mouse games with G-Man Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) and FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) … it’s all good. But what I really love about the movie is the fantastic cinematography. If it doesn’t win some awards, then something is seriously wrong with the world.

The camera work vacillates between traditional shots like you’d see in any commercial movie and old news footage-type shots. I don’t know the technical terms, but it’s very clear and concise, and almost bathed in a sepia toned sheath. I kept thinking about the footage of Lee Harvey Oswald being gunned down as he was being transferred from one place to another, because it reminded me of that. Other scenes looked like they were shot with a hand-held home movie camera. It gives you the feeling of being right there at that time and place.

The original music by Elliot Goldenthal — a guitarsy-cross between folk and jazz – is also really impressive. I could have just listened to the music all day. And all of the vintage stuff – the cars, guns, clothing, and interior designs – was all spot-on.

"Public Enemies" didn’t have enough bank robberies to impress my teenaged son, but if you’re a fan of Johnny Depp or gangster movies, or if you just want to see a really well-made film, then go check this one out.

NOTE TO PARENTS: The R rating is mainly for violence; there are quite a few scenes of people being gunned down, heads getting banged, people bleeding to death, that sort of thing. There’s a little bit of sex, but nothing explicit. You just see Dillinger and Frechette in bed together. I’d say it’s ok for kids 16 and older who don’t mind violence.

Images: © Universal Pictures

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Film Gecko Giveaway - Transformers DVD

Jane Boursaw — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:36:00 +0000

I’m probably more in love with "Transformers" than "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (read my review here). They’re both rock-em sock-em movies with giant robots, but the first one had more plot and character development, in my view. Well, as much as you can have in a movie about giant robots.

THE DVD: The 2007 action flick directed by Michael Bay centers on an ancient battle between two extraterrestrial robotic clans, the heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons. But the key to who wins this battle is held by a teenage boy, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Also stars Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Jon Voight, and John Turturro.

("Transformers" is also now available in a two-disc Blu-ray edition. As with the DVD, it includes new deleted scenes and 25 minutes of bonus features; available on June 16 from from Paramount Home Entertainment.)

THE GIVEAWAY: I have FOUR “Transformers" DVDs to give away.

HOW TO ENTER: To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight on Saturday, July 11, 2009. Be sure to include a valid email address. Winners will be drawn randomly. I’ll email the winner for their snail-mail address after the contest ends. Good luck!

Image: Amazon.com

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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Preview & Trailer

Jane Boursaw — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:56:32 +0000

When my kids were little, one of our favorite books was "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" by Judi and Ron Barrett. I think I liked it probably more than the kids. Just the idea of having food raining down on you whenever you’re hungry is a pretty entertaining idea. Ok, my adult-self thinks it would get really messy, but my kid-self says bring it on!

The animated big screen version hits theaters Sept. 18, 2009, and features the voices of Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, James Caan, Tracy Morgan, and Mr. T. Yes, Mr. T! It’s directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who’ve done some episodes of "How I Met Your Mother" and other TV shows and a few movies.

The official site doesn’t give a lot of clues about the story, other than the raining-food part, but it still looks cute as all get out. And of course, on the site you’ll find fun downloads and games, like 3D Food Fight, Stump the Monkey, and Sticker Studio. Here’s the trailer playing in theaters right now:

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New TV Spot for The Ugly Truth

Jane Boursaw — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:19:00 +0000

Whenever I think of Gerard Butler, I automatically think of him being all intense and toga-ish as King Leonidas in "300," but he can hold his own in a romantic movie, as evidenced in "P.S. I Love You" and "Nim’s Island."

He’s the perfect foil for Katherine Heigl in “The Ugly Truth,” a romantic comedy about a chauvinistic reporter who gets involved with a romantically challenged morning show producer.

Directed by Robert Luketic, the movie is rated R for sexual content and language, and hits theaters July 24, 2009. Check out the trailers here and here, and watch the latest TV spot below.

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Planet 51 Preview & Trailer

Jane Boursaw — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:14 +0000

Remember that episode of "The Twilight Zone," where the couple gets off a train and ends up in a town devoid of human life and everything seems fake and it turns out they’re on an alien planet and are now the playthings of a little girl? "Planet 51" is sort of like that.

Ok, that might be stretching it a bit, but an astronaut plants a flag on a planet that turns out to be filled with aliens mowing their lawns and barbecuing in their backyards. It’s a mind-twister because the humans are the aliens, and the astronaut is the one trying to get back home.

"Planet 51" is an animated family movie directed by Jorge Blanco and featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, and John Cleese. No rating yet, but I’m guessing PG. It hits theaters Nov. 20, 2009.

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Lindsay Lohan having Labor Pains – on ABC Family!

Jane Boursaw — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:09:13 +0000

When I heard that Lindsay Lohan had an upcoming movie on ABC Family, something just didn’t click with that news. I mean, let’s face it. The girl hasn’t exactly been the stuff of family viewing in recent years. But who knows, maybe she’s doing a reboot and getting back on track.

Then again, since ABC Family started airing shows like "Secret Life of the American Teenager," maybe they’re more geared towards pregnancy stories. The IMDB Page for "Labor Pains" lists it as PG-13 for sexual content and language, and notes that it will be on DVD Aug. 4, 2009.

"Labor Pains," will air on ABC Family on Sunday, July 19, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Lohan stars as Thea, an assistant at a publishing company who pretends to be pregnant so her boss won’t fire her. Her friend and co-worker, Lisa (Cheryl Hines), helps with the ruse, but as you might imagine, things don’t go as planned.

The movie also stars Janeane Garofalo, Chris Parnell, and Bonnie Sommerville. Watch the trailer and see more stills after the jump!

Image Credit: First Look International

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Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan on the set of The Resident

Jane Boursaw — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:58:00 +0000

Actors Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are currently filming "The Resident" in New York City, and I’ve got a couple of on-set images below.

The thriller follows a young doctor (Swank) who suspects she may not be alone in her new Brooklyn loft. She soon learns that her landlord is obsessed with her. Scheduled for a 2010 release, the movie is directed by Antti J. Jokinen and also stars Christopher Lee.

Hey, it’s nice to see Jeffrey Dean Morgan playing something besides a dead guy, and Swank is great with the dramatic roles. Should be a good pairing.

Image: splashnewsonline.com

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G-Force – Watch the ‘Jump’ Music Video by Flo Rida

Jane Boursaw — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:45:00 +0000

I’m such a sucker for Disney movies with cute talking animals. I hope "G-Force" is as cute as it looks. From producer Jerry Bruckheimer, it’s a 3-D comedy adventure about a covert government program that trains animals for espionage work.

Armed with the latest high-tech spy gear, these highly trained guinea pigs discover that the fate of the world is in their paws! Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan, Penelope Cruz, and Nicolas Cage provide voices. The movie also stars Bill Nighy, Will Arnett, and Steve Buscemi, and hits theaters July 25, 2009.

Watch the trailer here, and check out the official theme song for the movie, by Flo Rida:

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Stars gather for Farrah Fawcett’s funeral

Jane Boursaw — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:40:00 +0000

Even though her health issues have been in the news for months, it’s still hard to believe that Farrah Fawcett is gone. She’s always been "there," whether it was "Charlie’s Angels" in the early years or her later career in movies and TV.

Her friends and family, including partner Ryan O’Neal, their son Redmond, and her best friend Alana Stewart, are just a few of the mourners who attended Farrah’s funeral at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

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Rob Pattinson: Watching myself on screen makes me feel sick!

Jane Boursaw — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:04:29 +0000

Much of the population might think that vampire Edward Cullen and his human alter-ego Robert Pattinson is cuter than cute. But he doesn’t share that feeling, and says that not only did he almost back out of auditioning for the role, but seeing himself on screen makes him sick!

For the rest of us, we’ll get to see Pattinson as the sultry vampire again on Nov. 20, 2009, when "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" hits theaters.

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