Berlin Film Festival wants Iron Sky!

Yesterday it was announced that the independent sci-fi comedy 'Iron Sky' is finished and will be heading to Berlin as soon as February!

'Iron Sky', a film about Space Nazis on the moon, has been selected by the Berlin Film Festival. Director Timo Vuorensola broke the news in the latest trailer which shows us some new and positively insane footage.

The 2012 Oscar Nominations Are In!

It's that time of year again. The Academy Awards are coming up and they finally released their list of nominations. Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo' is in the lead with 11 nominations, followed by 'The Artist' with 10, most of which are in the bigger categories. I think it's safe to say the latter film will be this year's big winner.

Before I go I want to point out one oddity. 'The Adventures of Tintin', which recently won a Golden Globe for Best Animated Picture, has not been nominated by the Academy. This probably has something to do with the motion-capture technique which some say isn't a genuine form of animation.

On the bright side Steven Spielberg's long-term collaborator John Williams did get nominated for Best Original Score for both 'War Horse' and 'The Adventures of Tintin'. Talk about a lucky year!

See the full list of nominees after the jump!

Demonic new poster for 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'

The guys at Ain't It Cool News got to reveal the latest poster for 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'. I've already seen the film and its great. Fortunately, they also created a great poster to go along with it. The vintage look and the green reminds me of another horror classic, namely 'Rosemary's Baby'.

Next time I'll 'Drive'

'Drive' is one of those movies I missed. For some reason I didn't check it out when it was still running in the theaters. So seeing it on many critic's and film fan's best of lists this year made me curious, had I missed something big? Well, the opening did impress me. The rest of the movie? Not so much.

The film as directed by Nicolas Winding Refn tries to be something it is not. The plot, about a talented Hollywood stuntman who also has a job as a getaway driver, is strong. The first scene demonstrates this potential and is clearly the best in the film. The Driver (Ryan Gosling) has to keep two robbers out of the hands of the police. He employs various ingenious methods to outsmart his pursuers. The entire scene sets up our hero and keeps us on the edge of our seat. 

The film appears to be inspired by Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns with Gosling portraying a character like The Man With No Name or Harmonica. But somehow this doesn't work. Unlike Eastwood and Bronson Ryan Gosling has the charisma of two dead fish. His character doesn't come off as a righteous man with a past but more like a deranged sociopath. 

In fact many of the film's characters come off as strangely inhuman. They seem so detached that this film would be a perfect sequel to 'The Invasion of the Body Snatchers'. The best and most human performance in 'Drive' comes from Bryan Cranston. He is The Driver's employer; a somewhat miserable cripple with warm feelings for his surrogate son. 

Much has been made of the film's silences. Like the performances themselves these feel unnatural and forced. It's as if Refn told the actors to pause for at least five seconds after each line was spoken. Don't get me wrong, silences in films are perfectly fine but they should serve a purpose. The way they are used here is really quite pretentious. 

All in all, 'Drive' isn't a good film. It aims too high for its own good making it into an insincere and tedious movie. It's a shame, really, because underneath all the style there is a great flick. 'Drive' could have been a perfect exploitation film if it had just known what it wanted to be. Now, it's nothing more than a wasted opportunity.   

Would you donate to get Nazis on the moon?

No, this isn't some weird conspiracy theory, rather it's the premise of the movie 'Iron Sky'. The project originated from Finland where a group of amateur filmmakers set out to use the internet to get their movie financed. On their website Wreck a Movie the producers established an online community of film fans. People connected to this community could donate money or otherwise aid the filmmakers.

The film's concept is ludicrous. In the last days of the Second World War the Germans execute a secret mission. Their plan is to use their anti-gravity technology to colonize the moon. Amazingly, they succeed and while old Adolf is blowing his brains out in Berlin his sympathizers are bouncing around the moon. In the film we'll see what happens when the vengeful Space Nazis return.

I've been following this production ever since I saw this enticing teaser back in 2008. Due to the nature of the project it took a long time to get started. But judging from the trailer they released in 2011 things are going quite well for director Timo Vuorensola. This is the first time we've seen footage from the actual film and it looks like it won't take itself too seriously. Which is a good thing, after all 'Iron Sky' is about goddamn Space Nazis...

Spoiler! John Dies at the End

There are some crazy films out there. Just take a look at the trailer for 'John Dies at the End'. It's an adaptation of the equally insane novel by David Wong aka Jason Pargin. Don Coscarelli is directing, you probably don't know him but he's behind 'Bubba Ho-Tep' a horror film about an old Elvis Presley battling an Egyptian mummy.

Anyway, 'John Dies at the End' is a special brand of crazy. The whole story revolves around a drug called Soy Sauce which causes its users to drift in and out of other dimensions. Two losers called John and Dave have to stop the inhabitants of these strange worlds from invading ours.

Planes, planes and more planes in the Red Tails trailer

Before 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'The Thin Red Line' came along American World War II productions were pretty much all the same. They were patriotic action films about self-sacrifice and bravery. Movies like 'The Longest Day' and 'Battle of the Bulge' celebrated America's greatest generation.

But as audiences changed war films became more thoughtful and began to reflect on the emotional and psychological effects of conflict. By 2001 the idea of creating a jingoistic film about war became almost unthinkable.

So now George Lucas, known to many as the creator and eventual destroyer of 'Star Wars', gives us 'Red Tails'. The film, as directed by Anthony Hemingway, tells the story of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen; a crew of fighter pilots composed entirely out of African Americans.

There's some very corny stuff in this trailer but nothing I haven't seen before in those old fashioned war films. In addition the cast seems solid and the special-effects look extraordinary. 'Red Tails' seems like a film you need to see on the big screen.

I Need to Write About 'Kevin'

Watching 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' is a harrowing experience. It's not that it's graphic in its portrayal of a high-school killing spree. In fact this film is a model of restraint. Instead, what Lynn Ramsay shows us in 'Kevin' is way more horrific than any amount of blood and guts.

The story focuses on Eva (Tilda Swinton), a widowed mother, who is trying to come to terms with her life after her son killed numerous people. Desperate to find answers she constantly looks back to her son's childhood. She's trying to figure out where the blame lies, even though, in her mind, she's already sure about who's responsible. The strong presence of the colour red in the film seems to suggest Eva's guilt.

But life goes on and Eva is left to find her way in a devastated town. In one painful scene she encounters a mother who lost her son. A panicking Eva hides behind a display as the woman shuffles along aimlessly. For us the two mothers appear strikingly similiar. But where one of them could look for solace with her loved ones another could not.

The most intense moments involve Kevin's interactions with his mother. The boy, played by three different actors but most prominently by Ezra Miller, is cold and unfeeling. To his grief-stricken mother he is a monster; an unstoppable force hell-bent on hurting her. Eva's husband (John C. Reilly) doesn't understand; he doesn't see Kevin the way she does.

The movie remains very ambiguous about Kevin's motives. This is Eva's story and her state of mind influences the way it is told. She appears to believe the boy murdered his father, his sister and multiple others in a desire to hurt her. Still, we are unable to see if there is any truth to this. It's a clever trick and Lynne Ramsay uses it beautifully.

The relationship between Eva and Kevin doesn't really change until the very last scene when the boy finally shows something resembling regret. At last Eva realizes she didn't raise a thing but a person. It's a solitary moment of hope in a film which leaves you battered and bruised.

'We Need to Talk About Kevin' owes much of its succes to the performances. Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller create a convincing intensity in their scenes. Eva and Kevin are powerful creations and therefore both actors deserve to be praised. 

Opening Sequence from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo revealed

This is interesting. The opening titles from David Fincher's new film 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' are online. I've already written about how cool the advertising for this film was but this looks astounding.

It's almost like the James Bond intro from hell. The visuals, a combination of CGI and live-action, are suitably nightmarish. A cover of Led Zeppelin's 'The Immigrant Song' by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who also worked on Fincher's 'The Social Network', makes the opening seem even more intense.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Review

From the moment they light the fuse in the beginning of this movie you know you're in for a ride. The 'Mission: Impossible' movies are always full of amazing stunts, slick action, innovative gadgets and exotic locations. They are basically the American take on the suave spy genre; with Tom Cruise as the shadowy but heroic Hunt, Ethan Hunt.

The first film dates back to 1996 and was based on the classic television series from the late 1960's. Legendary director Brian DePalma created a tense and slick action thriller with Tom Cruise as the charismatic lead. For the sequel John Woo took over from DePalma with dissapointing results. 'Mission: Impossible II' was an over-stylized mess. Things changed for the better when 'Lost'-creator J.J. Abrams decided to turn the third film into his feature film debut. With Abrams at the helm the franchise regained some of its former glory.

For 'Ghost Protocol' Pixar's veteran director Brad Bird joined the team. He's the genius behind some great animated features like 'The Iron Giant', 'The Incredibles' and 'Ratatouille'. While at first he seemed like an unlikely choice for 'Mission: Impossible' he appears to have delivered the best in the series. 

From a story point of view the film raises the stakes. When the Kremlin is bombed by an unknown organisation Ethan Hunt and his team are held responsible. It turns out they were set up by a fanatic called Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) who wishes to bring about a nuclear war. His reasoning is that when the world has been destroyed mankind can rebuild civilization and live in peace. Yeah, it's not exactly the sanest of ideas.

'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' works because it mixes the tensest of moments with well-placed comedic ones. Most of the laughs are suplied by Simon Pegg who returns to his role as Benji. There's also a dark subplot about personal loss that keeps the film from becoming too carefree. But it's in the action and stunt sequences that director Brad Bird gets to show off his talents. For instance there's the much talked about scaling of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It's a breathtaking scene that will have you cringe in your seat. 

When it comes to the special effects the film was a tad dissapointing. The bombing of the Kremlin, for instance, looked like something out of a videogame. Many effects looked too shiny and perfect to be real, a shame for a multi-million dollar movie. 

Composer Michael Giacchino returns for the music. As with the third film he's faithful to Lalo Schifrin's memorable theme but also creates a full sound and identity for 'Ghost Protocol'. But without the iconic main theme the score would fall apart. I even wonder if the film would feel like 'Mission: Impossible' if it was absent. As with 'Indiana Jones' or 'James Bond' the music is as much a part of the franchise's identity as the main characters. The fact that I heard a bunch of twelve-year-olds humming Schifrin's theme should tell you enough.

'Ghost Protocol' proves that there's still life in this franchise. Tom Cruise is once again at the top of his game and the addition of new cast members such as Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton is more than welcome. There's no doubt in my mind that a fifth impossible mission will come along in a few years. But will Brad Bird return? Personally, I think he deserves to go on to bigger and better things. I like the idea of having a new director for every 'Mission: Impossible' movie and I look forward to discovering who will direct the next one. 

My 60 second movie: Violence in the Cinema

I started this blog because of a class I'm following called Content Is King. Aside from Sweet Popcorn we were asked to make a 60 second movie. We were shown some examples and then we were tasked with making our own. The subject of the film had to relate our blogs. Which in my case was pretty damn easy.

So last week I shot this little video at home. Two of my friends, Renée and Mick, kindly offered to help me out. I finished editing the film, which is titled 'Violence in the Cinema', two days ago. It runs a bit longer than 60 seconds but we were told that wouldn't be much of a problem.

Violence in the Cinema - Content Is King from SteVin89 on Vimeo.

Spying on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Rarely have I seen so many of British finest in one movie. Leading the cast is Gary Oldman in a silent but inredibly powerful performance. Along with him there's John Hurt, Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ciarán Hinds. All of whom seem to be at the top of their game in 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'.

The film is an adaptation of John le Carré's novel of the same name. It's a nail-biter, an action packed mystery box of a story. I'm saying action packed but there's little real 'action' in this film. It's main character is not like that other famous British spy with his many ladies. There's no gunfights nor Martini drinking, instead we are invited into a dreary world full of treachery and impending doom.

Oldman plays intelligence officer George Smiley who works for MI6, referred to as 'The Circus' throughout the movie. At the start of the film he and his superior Control (John Hurt) are forced into retirement. His life after his work can only be called boring. Smiley's alone, his relationship with his wife is unstable due to her affair. After an apparently deadly incident in Budapest Smiley is called back in. He's put on a search for a mole within The Circus, the young Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) is assigned to assist him.

'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' is a peculiar film. It takes its time to tell its story, which is fine because it is told in such a beatiful way. The atmosphere is one of distrust and melancholy. The spies know their time is up, the cold war has reached its peak and the glory days of the Second World War are long gone. It is moving to see these people, hardened and cut off from the world, play their shadowy games in their shadowy rooms. On the surface there is no emotion but the quiet moments between the characters reveal otherwise.

Director Tomas Alfredson, who showed us his flair for understated drama with 'Let The Right One In', has created a film close to perfection. Silent, thoughtful and amazingly tense; 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' should be considered one of last year's best.

Back to the silence

The Oscar buzz is picking up again. Critics and film fans alike are compiling their lists for the upcoming Academy Awards. I'm not going to bore you with another one of those, main reason being that a lot of the films that stand a chance are yet to be released in Europe.

However one film that seemed to pop up a lot was 'The Artist'. It's an old-fashioned silent movie directed by a man with the unpronounceable name of Michel Hazanavicius. The story is about George Valentin (Juan Dujardin); a silent film star in the late 1920's whose career seems at an end the sound is introduced to the cinemas. 

I'm hooked, the mere idea of releasing a silent film in 2012 requires some enormous cojones. I wish Mr. Hazanavicius all the best in the awards season.