Sneakers - Season Two
The second season to Sneakers.
Screening on Saturday, July 28, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Previous Posts
- Entertainment Weekly's The 25 Greatest Action Film...
- THE TIMES critics choose their 20 favourite scenes...
- PRIEMRE's 25 Best Movie Posters Ever
- Men's Journal's "The 50 Best Guy Movies Of All Time"
- The Visual Effects Society Unveils “50 Most Influe...
- Kids with Cameras: Born Into Brothels
- Summer 2007: Of webslingers, pirates, wizards and ...
- Take Heart, Eddie: Premiere Magazine's The 20 Wors...
- Asia Weekly's 100 Greatest Chinese Films of the 20...
- Dreamoscars
18 Comments:
THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE
Like the title. With two Oscar winners onboard. It gets better. Directed by Susanne Bier whose AFTER THE WEDDING ran for Oscar Best Foreign Film and BROTHERS was very critically acclaimed. Still, I got a bad feeling from watching the trailer that this may be another run-of-the-mill tearjerker, offering nothing new.
Rating: C+
DYNAMITE WARRIOR
Well done, Thailand! Your movies are going places. DYNAMITE WARRIOR, following the success formula of TOM YUM GOONG, definitely looks like the ultimate thrill guys are looking for. I bet Thai boxing lessons are going to get popular when people rush to see this. The wall-to-wall fighting sequences in the trailer look so dynamic that I don't even mind it comes with dim-witted plot.
Rating: B+
NO END IN SIGHT
Another Bush-bashing documentary and another one about the Iraq war. It's obvious the war is a mistake. This documentary revolves around the reconstruction of Iraq after the war. It exposes how incapable America is in meddling with home affairs of another country. What seems to be a helping hand becomes a silly furtile effort. Worse, from the title, it seems like it is going to be a long long journey, with no end in sight. I am dying to see this documentary already.
Rating: A
Sunday, July 29, 2007 9:43:00 PM
ROCKET SCIENCE
From the director of Oscar-nominated documentary SPELLBOUND. Though SPELLBOUND is not a comedy, it doesn't require rocket science to see that ROCKET SCIENCE can really be runaway comedy hit. In the same realm as WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, TADPOLE, ROCKET SCIENCE also satires the growing-up pains of teenage outcasts. This time, a stuttering joins a debate team with hilarious embarrassing results.
Rating: A-
1-18-08
That is not the title of the movie but merely the release date of this mysterious Hollywood blockbuster directed by LOST's J.J. Abrams. Now, that is really a first in movie industry. A movie trailer without the name of the movie. It really set tongues wagging in the cyberspace when the trailer was released in YouTube and widely discussed by eager curious viewers. Another first is the whole trailer is shot with a handy cam but with special effects added in. That must be difficult, to make the trailer look grainy and have the head of the Statue of Liberty flying through the air, landing on a crowded city street. Though we all can suspect it is going to be another monster/aliens-invading-New York story but we have to admit we simply love the trailer!
Rating: A+
THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS
A documentary about the showdown of two kings of the video game, Donkey Kong. Don't ask me what that is because I don't even play Pac-Man. Apparently this game is very hard to play; "absolute brutality," exclaims one of the kings. Though looking more like a child's game, with cartoons, kiddish visual effects and all, it is a game that many cannot even play for longer than a minute! Now, back to the two kings. They are vastly different. One is a video game player who is supposed to be the best in the century and set a Donkey Kong record remains unbroken for 20 years. The other is a 'soft' (one of the interviewees says he has not seen a man with so much tears in his life) middle school science teacher. Will this nerdy science teacher be the new king of Donkey Kong? Will the arrogant-sounding record holder finally has to admit defeat? Wow, I am definitely seeing this one. Like what the science teachers says in the trailer, at the end of the day, it is more than just Donkey Kong. Yes, it is also about being best in the world and sacrifices you have to make along the way. It is just like in any game of the survival of the fittest, even in the world of video games!
Rating: A
Saturday, August 04, 2007 1:57:00 PM
STARDUST
Feels like HARRY POTTER for the adults. Throw in a dash of PIRATES OF CARRIBEAN. Summon much-missed stars like Michelle Pfeiffer, Peter O'Toole, Robert DeNiro and Claire Danes. And viola, a concotion of a box-office hit? Sure seems so from the trailer? A sweet sense of nostalgia too when it also reminded me of LEGEND.
Rating: B+
NO RESERVATIONS
The last time I saw a Scott Hicks (remember SHINE?) movie, it was HEARTS IN ATLANTIS. The title again? I know ... , it is that forgetable but nevermind. This is Scott Hicks after 6 long years of absence and I bet he is playing it safe by serving us with a life-affirming comedy about love and love for food. Hardly can go wrong with a crowd-pleasing genre. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE's Abigail Breslin is back, fresh from her Oscar fame. Overall, the trailer looks boring but promises some heart-warming fuzz. Bring on the dish, I say.
Rating: B
THE INVASION
Hmm... an update of the cult classic, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, the German director of THE EXPERIMENT and DOWNFALL. His foray into Hollywood was not at all smooth-going. The studio did not like his cut and asked for a few rewrites and reshoots, without him. Must be tough on him, making him 'lose face'. Not to be discouraged, THE INVASION looks nothing impressive. It is just another dreadful example that Hollywood is running so low on originality, it is digging up things in the vault to remake.
Rating: C
Sunday, August 19, 2007 10:23:00 PM
FIERCE PEOPLE
Was there a mistake? imdb.com says the movie is a 2005 movie. Why the two-year delay? Looks like another story of a coming-of-age boy. Not really excited about it.
Rating: C
TRADE
Directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner, whose last movie is the teenage gay coming-of-age comedy called SUMMERSTRUM. In TRADE, he is dealing with the subject of sex traffickers. The trailer reminds me of docudrama THE ROAD TO GUANTANOMO and TRAFFIC. Based on Peter Landesman's 25 January 2004 New York Times Magazine cover story about sex slaves, I somehow think TRADE is a very important message movie.
Rating: A
HALLOWEEN
There is already the HALLOWEEN (1978) and why the same-titled movie in 2007? Anyway, as I write, this horror update is the number 1 movie in USA this week. Directed by Rob Zombie whose THE DEVIL'S REJECTS and HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES created much hoo-ha among fans of cult horror flicks. I am quite sure the audience believe Rob Zombie can give Michael Myers a new leash of life and resurrect him to be the new face of terror.
Rating: B
Sunday, September 09, 2007 11:26:00 PM
BEOWULF
If THE POLAR EXPRESS looks so fake, BEOWULF is definitely going to wow audience. The animation is so real that at one glance, it looks very live-action. I am not familiar with BEOWULF. Read it is a poem written by monks in the 6th century. But, dragonslaying? A seductive mother of the dragon? This, I have to see. Also, who doesn't want to be there to witness another milestone in the movie history?
Rating: A
P2
That is new. A Christmas suspense horror thriller. P2 should work as a cautionary tale to ladies who like to work late and put their career before family. P2 reminds me of PANIC ROOM. Looks really good from the trailer. Simply love the idea of turning your workplace into a setup for a horror movie.
Rating: B+
LIONS FOR LAMBS
A very heavy talky political thriller. Sorry but even when I was watching the trailer, I was about to doze off. More for people who take an interest in politics and war, I guess.
Rating: D
Monday, November 19, 2007 7:22:00 AM
THE MARTIAN CHILD
Not a sci-fi movie. Not a comedy. It is like K-PAX, the junior version. Two people, an adult and a child, rediscovering life from each other. A bit too familiar, don't you think? Give me MARS ATTACKS! anytime.
Rating: C
SAW IV
Is it like a new SAW movie every year? Overkilling the franchaise. Simply love the pun intended. SAW IV looks amateurish with some cheap jump scenes. A sure sign the death of the SAW movies is nearning.
Rating: D
30 DAYS OF NIGHT
A stylish vampire movie. Based on the graphic novel of the same name. Interesting idea. How do you kill vampires when daylight never comes? How about wait for the 31th day? But seriously, horror movies scare us but clever scares is another thing. I hope 30 DAYS OF NIGHT is more than a scare fest.
Rating: B-
Monday, November 19, 2007 7:52:00 PM
MR. MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM
This year's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. The story of a magical toy shop could be inspired by Roald Dahl. Family-friendly entertainment like this is hard to go wrong. A magical toy shop is a ultimate fantasy for many kids. I would want to step into this emporium and see it for myself too. Or should I wait for the DVD?
Rating: B+
WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY?
Ha! Love the title already. It is a documentary about this Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir on a mission to sell the evils of the addictive excessive holiday shopping. He calls such shopping habits Shopocalypse. Funny? I think the documentary is going to be fun to watch.
Rating: A-
PURPLE VIOLETS
Ever since his directorial debut, THE BROTHERS McMULLEN, Edward Burns has yet to make another memorable movie. PURPLE VIOLETS may work with such eye-candies like Debra Messing, Patrick Wilson and Selma Blair on board. Hey, Edward Burns is easily a heartthrob himself too. But we all know it takes more than eye-candies to make a movie work. As far as I can sense from the trailer, I don't think PURPLE VIOLETS will be a hit.
Rating: C
Monday, November 19, 2007 11:32:00 PM
FEAST OF LOVE
The other time Robert Stain directed a movie, it bombed big time. It was THE HUMAN STAIN. FEAST OF LOVE is marketed as life-affirmer and probably a safer bet. To play it even more safe, it is an ensemble cast so there is something for everyone in the audience - Old couples, married couples and young coules. FEAST OF LOVE may promise a spread of heart-tugging moments but I find the trailer very run-of-the-mill.
Rating: D
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
A very weird comedy about a man who takes a dummy as his girlfriend. LARS AND THE REAL GIRL seems to be the critic's darling and Oscar buzz is again around Ryan Gosling. I don't get a good feeling that I may click with LARS. Or how I should watch a full grown man pretending his doll is his girlfriend.
Rating: D+
DEDICATION
DEDICATION doesn't look the usual Mandy Moore romantic flicks. It has a very indie feel to it. DEDICATION is not arousing my curiosity and interest. So far, Mandy Moore movies hardly can go wrong, let's not let DEDICATION break the streak.
Rating: D+
Friday, November 23, 2007 12:37:00 AM
SAAWARIYA
Wow. A Bollywood romantic musical in Hollywood. Always feels good to see an Asian movie breaking out into the US market. SAAWARIYA has grand sets that will remind one of MOULIN ROGUE. Breathtaking cinematography. Wonder if Oscars will beckon?
Rating: A-
CLOVERFIELD
Remember the teaser with only the release date? Now, we get to know more the title and a glimpse of the Godzilla-like monster. Definitely borrowed the idea from THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT but the special effects are awesome. To make the special effects look real on a home video cam, that is even more awesome.
Rating: A-
27 DRESSES
GREY ANATOMY's Katherine Heigl is hardly the bridesmaid these days. She is the female lead of this romantic comedy about a young woman who is bridesmaid 27 times, finally having a lucky break in love. Sounds like a perfect setup for a sweet romantic comedy. A loser in love finally gets to romance two handsome hunks, Ed Burns and James Marsden. Bridesmaids in the world will be keen to see this one.
Rating: B+
Saturday, November 24, 2007 1:37:00 PM
P.S., I LOVE YOU
Richard LaGravenese's last offering was FREEDOM WRITERS which was slammed by critics. This time round, he is offering something lighter. A romantic comedy about a woman getting on with life without her husband, with the help of ... her husband's plans. Apparently, a will is not the whole safety net. It is great to see Hilary Swank having a role that could have gone to bubbly Jennifer Garner. She looks prettier too and damn, I thought Charlize Theron was on the poster. Sadly, the trailer looks like another cheery romantic cupcake. Oh P.S. Lisa Kudrow is back and she is as funny.
Rating: B
STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING
A life-affirmer about the power of books. It stars a Sean Connery lookalike, Frank Langella, and a Geena Davis lookalike, Lauren Ambrose. Uncle Roger Ebert was quoted in the trailer, saying Frank Langella may be nominated for an Oscar. I like the title but I am not so sure if the movie can stand out from the other life-affirming movies about the power of books.
Rating: B
THIS CHRISTMAS
A forgettable movie title but looks very promising as an uplifting Christmas holiday movie. Damn. Love the cast. They talk 'cool', swagger 'cool' and, boy, there is just something about the black people that the whites do not have. I hope the movie will do well and bring us something nice and memorable this Christmas. What being the possibly the first Christmas holiday movie with an all-black cast.
Rating: A
Sunday, November 25, 2007 11:28:00 PM
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Directed by the Coen brothers and based on a novel by Pulitzer Prize winner Cormac McCarthy. A shoo-in for Best Picture. The Coen brothers seem to ditch their trademark dark humour for a dark crime drama. Reminds me a lot of A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. And, it's great to see Tommy Lee Jones making a comeback after long years of absence.
Rating: B
AMERICAN GANGSTER
Another shoo-in for Best Picture. It is this year's THE DEPARTED and thus far the Oscar buzz is strongest for this movie. Playing the titular role is Denzel Washington, who is locked for another acting nomination. AMERICAN GANGSTER is based on a true story of Frank Lucas, an infamous heroin dealer in the 70s, and the detective (played by Russell Crowe) who is investigating him. Two Oscar winners for Best Actor in the same movie. That is something we cannot miss, though the movie looks like just another crime drama, glamourizing gangsterism. Oh, Ridley Scott may finally get his big break for winning Best Director.
Rating: B
ATONEMENT
Oscar seems to be beckoning this British period movie too. It is an adaptation of a book, written by Ian McEwan. Kiera Knightley is going to show the world she is more than a pretty face when predictions of her Oscar nomination come true. James McAvoy is the new Ralph Fiennes. The love story spans over a few decades and at one time, with World War II as the background. Souhds like an epic already.
Rating: B+
Wednesday, November 28, 2007 9:15:00 AM
CONTROL
A black-and-white autobiographical movie about this singer called Ian Curtis. Totally not familiar with this person. Reading from the synopsis, it seems that the singer led a very short (committed suicide at age 23) but eventful and tortured life. Something is telling me I will like the movie.
Rating: B+
THE SAVAGES
Oscar alumni Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman in a comedy about a pair of squabbling siblings taking care of their father who has dementia. The indie is gaining quite a bit of critical acclaim. This year's YOU CAN COUNT ON ME? Looking smart, witty and humorous, I sure would like to meet the Savages.
Rating: B
PROTAGONIST
A strange documentary that weaves stories of four men who "fought against their destinies". There are a German terrorist, a bank robber, an “ex-gay” evangelist and a martial arts student. They seem to have no relations with one another but each has their own chicken-soup stories. Presented in a kind of eerie way, I am sure there is something more profound about this documentary than just four coming-of-age tales.
Rating: A
Friday, November 30, 2007 12:45:00 AM
THE ROCKET
Aka MAURICE RICHARD in some countries. It is ROCKY on ice but based on a true story of a legendary ice hockey player they call "The Rocket". Sports fans out there will be thrilled to know more about a sport we hardly get to see locally but I see another mediocre sports movie. The cast is largely unknown and strangely, it was made way back in 2005.
Rating: C
LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA
An epic love story with Colombia as the setting. Beautifully lensed and carries a majestic air. Based on the novel by Gabriel García Márquez, a Nobel Prize winner. The trailer promises great performances and many Kleenex moments.
Rating: A-
FRED CLAUS
Never a fan of Christmas movies but this one looks damn funny. Santa Claus's older brother is coming to town for the yearly family get-together and almost wrecks the holiday season. Starring funny men Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti, this holiday comedy seems ready to score. And ho ho ho, look at the supporting cast. It is a get-together for the Oscar alumni - Rachel Weisz, Miranda Richardson, Kevin Spacey and Kathy Bates.
Rating: A-
Saturday, December 01, 2007 7:56:00 AM
FUNNY GAMES
Michael Haneke's THE PIANO TEACHER is critically acclaimed but very painful to watch. Now, he is to going to remake a movie he did a decade back, with the same name. Two young lads held a family hostage and subject them to sadistic games for entertainment. Something is telling me I should not watch this. I may puke.
Rating: B
MAD MONEY
Is that Ted Danson? The white mane looks scary. An odd-looking cast. Queen Latifah, Diane Keaton and Katie Holmes in a heist comedy. Boring title. Extraordinary plot? I don't really think so because the trailer looks so ordinary.
Rating: C
SHARKWATER
A documentary that wants us to pity the sharks? Hmm... I am keen to see this one. Yes, we have heard of campaigns to urge people to stop eating sharks' fins but isn't it about time to have a documentary to really let us know more about the misunderstood predators of the sea? They seem to be the prey now. Surprisingly, the movie is shot by a young surfer stud called Rob Stewart who is apparently fascinated by sharks.
Rating: A
Monday, December 03, 2007 10:40:00 PM
MADE OF HONOR
Imagine MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING, minus all the bitching and replace Julia Roberts with a guy. A new leading man, Patrick Dempsey, who is rather busy making movies these days. Well, we can always use another George Clooney. MADE OF HONOR looks hilarious and I choked laughing at bumping-into-the-waiter scenes. Really got a good feeling that ladies are going to love this.
Rating: B+
HORTON HEARS A WHO!
If the movie is not going to be funny, at least the very cute characters are going to win me and many kids over. With Stever Carell and Jim Carrey, voicing for an elephant, I bet I'm going to hear the cash registers ringing away at the box office. Based on a book written by Dr. Seuss and I hope it will not bomb like THE CAT IN THE HAT.
THE EYE
Yes. A remake of the Pang brothers' THE EYE, with hottie Jessica Alba in the role played originally by Angelica Lee. With the awesome special effects, the Hollywood version really makes the original pales in comparison. Diehard fans of Asian horrors may not see eye to eye with me. Hopefully, it doesn't turn out to be another redundant remakes, like DARK WATER and THE RING.
Rating: B
Thursday, December 20, 2007 10:54:00 PM
SWEENEY TODD
For a musical, strangely, there is one song featured in the trailer. I am always looking forward to Tim Burton's movies, even though his last movie, also a musical, CORPSE BRIDE, was dead boring. If SWEENEY TODD falls short of a good story, at least Tim Burton's imaginaries can still wow me. Oh, and look out for Sacha Baron Cohen aka Borat.
Rating: A
JUMPER
A better-looking Hiro from HEROES? JUMPER is another superhero SFX-heavy blockbuster about a man who can jump through space. Not so sure if he can bend time too. The trailer promises a lot of action and special effects that will make you jump out of your seat. Something is telling me JUMPER 2 is not so far away in the near future. Oh, and I simply dig the title.
Rating: A-
THE MIST
Surely Stephen King can do better than this. Monsters in the mist? That makes THE FOG look classier. This will be the third time Frank Darabont adapting a Stephen King's novel. THE GREEN MILE and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION are great movies but I guess the success of THE MIST is still very much in the mist. The title and trailer look like something going straight to a videostore.
Rating: C-
Monday, December 31, 2007 5:10:00 AM
EASTERN PROMISES
David Cronenberg is at it again. With Viggo Mortensen, he is crafting another story revolving around violence and moral dilemmas, very much like A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Read Uncle Roger's review and his review intrigues me. Though the trailer looks ordinary, the review promises a darn good story.
Rating: B-
Monday, December 31, 2007 9:52:00 AM
SEVEN POUNDS
The trailer looks like some kind of thriller but I know it is actually about this IRS agent, played by Will Smith, doing kind to seven strangers as a form of redemption. Now, I am curious. Very curious.
Rating: B+
WHILE SHE WAS OUT
Yes. They have not forgotten she was once an Academy Award winner but her career plummented ever since. Her latest outing is a feministic action-packed thriller. A desperate housewife lashing it out on teenage street punks one night when she was out. I just hope they know what they are doing.
Rating: C
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
If you have seen the classic, you'll know Keanu Reeves' character came in peace. And there is some major revamp of the original with eye-popping special effects. I just wonder how they will update the movie to bring across a contemporary message. And there is so little of the robot?
Rating: B
Friday, December 19, 2008 11:22:00 PM
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