Posts Tagged ‘Abbie Cornish’

REVIEW: Limitless

Monday, April 4th, 2011

It’s a known fact that we humans only use 20% of our brains. But did you know that there’s a pill that would allow you to unlock all 100%? Would you take it? That’s not even the question of this movie…instead Limitless tries to answer how you’d deal with it. Bradley Cooper stars in this interesting idea of knowing everything and being able to do anything. I love the concept, didn’t like the directions they took it in, but then liked how they wrapped it up in the end. Limitless sure has its limits, but it’s an entertaining watch.


Limitless is visually gratuitous. It does a lot with the screen even when it’s not needed. The movie begins with the eye candy of a continuous zoom down city streets. It’s pretty hypnotizing and dizzying at the same time…probably really fun if you were on some type of drug that opened up your perceptions. Other examples of delusions of grandeur, I’m sorry…recipe of grandeur, are quick cuts copying other films like Requiem for a Dream, fading in and out or fast forwarding sequentially to move through otherwise boring scenes, and purposing focusing/following key elements on the screen. The camera also does a lot of flipping, a lot of mirroring, pretty much a bunch of pointless different techniques to make the audience go oooooooh…and/or lose their lunch.

Limitless

Would you take the drug?


While you can say that these elements add to the film, I think the concept was strong enough in itself to not include all these cinematic tricks to tell a story that the narrator was already doing. Our main character, Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper), is a writer so you know that the narration is going to be beautifully descriptive and the dialogue is going to be on point. I thoroughly enjoyed going through this story with his point of view. While that portion of the writing was great, the storyline was blatantly obvious and the twists are turns that they tried to throw in were seen coming a mile away…as if we had taken the drug and could see through the continuous zoom.
Limitless

Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro in Limitless


I think Cooper did a great job of carrying the film and proves he can be a one man show. Many of the supporting cast come and go with the film and none of them really get to have a huge impact. Abbie Cornish is Eddie’s on and off again girlfriend who could’ve been played by any other female to be honest. Andrew Howard is a neighborhood gangster that first helps Eddie but then becomes a nuisance. To me, he didn’t fit…I felt that his character was too over the top and if they wanted him to mesh with what was going on, they could have made a much more interesting storyline. Robert DeNiro, however, knows how to leave his mark in a film and demand attention on the screen. No matter his role, he makes an impact and that serves true with this movie as well.
Limitless

Abbie Cornish and Bradley Cooper in Limitless


Limitless did have limitless potential, as almost any movie has. It’s a concise story that doesn’t leave you yearning for more from the story but still allows you to make your own conclusions and ask subsequent questions. Would you take the pill? What would you do with all that power? It’s always fun to put yourself in the shoes of the character and this movie lets you explore something different. If you want to learn different ways to use a camera and shoot a scene, you can steal a bazillion pointers from this movie but please don’t put them all in one project. They went overboard…maybe the director, Neil Burger, was on some kind of drug ;) .

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REVIEW: Sucker Punch

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Sucker PunchWhat could go wrong with an ensemble cast of some of the cutest girls in Hollywood paired with almost every single geek idea imaginable? Well, apparently everything. I can’t believe Sucker Punch was so terrible…I had such high hopes! When I first saw footage of this film a year ago, I knew it was going to be something special. I didn’t think it would be special for how bad it was! It’s a pile of shit…no nicer way of putting it. It’s geek porn without the sex…pretty much a nerd’s masturbation dream that no one else should watch. You’d be a sucker if you go see this movie…and if you stay til the end, you deserve to get punched. Let’s dive in.


The movie begins with a rendition of “Sweet Dreams” telling the story of how Baby Doll (Emily Browning) gets admitted into this insane insane asylum. She’s falsely committed and is set to be lobotomized in five days so she has to escape before that. This is a jailbreak movie…but like you’ve never seen it done before. That’s the last bit of story you’re going to get from this movie. After the intro, it no longer makes any sense. It turns into a world within a world within a movie you don’t want to watch anymore. I kept waiting for the actual movie to begin but by halfway through I understood…this was it and I was in for another hour of craptastic nonsense.

Sucker Punch

There's a lot of posing and walking in formation...look at us strut. LOOK!


You can see Zack Synder’s influence on the vision of the film. The visual accents are pretty beautiful with a grungy/dirty feel and surrealistic pop as if it was painted for a graphic novel. Every frame could be freezed and be made into a poster…the way the actors and camera moved was just so cool (get it, cool, freezed…yeah, I did that on purpose). The problem though was that everybody in the movie seemed to think they were *too* cool which resulted in no acting but rather voyeuristic viewing as if you were watching models walk down a runway. Sucker Punch is pretty much a group of models with guns, swords, and knives flaunting around killing random enemies in pointless scenarios. Make sense? Don’t worry, it doesn’t.
Sucker Punch

Vanessa Hudgens as Blondie: Big Guns and Big Hair.


You have Baby Doll, the new girl who just wants out and rallies four other girls to escape with her. Rocket (Jena Malone) shows Baby Doll around and they instantly become BFFs. Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) likes big guns and likes shooting them…she also has big hair in most of the scenes. Amber (Jamie Chung) is the driver/pilot/mech warrior operator and that’s fun because she’s Asian ^_^. Finally, Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish) is Rocket’s older sister and the caretaker of everyone. She’s the leader even though Baby Doll is the center of attention. This band of hot ass is watched over by the Russian Dr. Vera Gorski (Carla Gugino) and child molester mustache-having Blue Jones (Oscar Isaac). Gorski is also their dance instructor and Blue is their pimp in this alternate world. There’s also a cameo by Jon Hamm whose character is as confused as the audience.
Sucker Punch

Daners are sexy. So much eye candy. Hands on your hip, look cool.


Dance instructor you ask? In the first alternate world, the insane asylum is actually a brothel where the girls put on a show and dance for cash…kind of like Girls Gone Wild but without the heart. Baby Doll apparently has a magical dance that hypnotizes the guys who watch her. I wouldn’t quite call it a dance, more like an awkward emotionless sway…oh, she’s a pendulum, I get it now. Each of her dances turns into another crazy fanciful world. From a snowy samurai wonderland to world war trenches with steam powered Nazis. Sucker Punch has everything a geek wants to see…mech warriors, dragons, guns, swords, etc all around beautiful bad ass chicks. At the beginning of each new world, there’s some guru explaining their mission and giving them cliche advice the likes of, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything” and “Don’t ever write a check with your mouth that your ass can’t cash.” Should’ve taken their own advice while making this movie…
Sucker Punch

Ridiculous action...but not in a good way =/


There’s not many kind words for this movie…it’s all pretty pointless. Sucker Punch goes all over the place trying to do too much with so little. The only consistent thing is the loud music with deep bass that plays throughout all the action scenes and the rock music at the end of something cool happening. Most of the music is indie feminist garbage that is supposed to pronounce girl power but really just talks out whatever’s happening on screen. Oh, that’s what the song is supposed to be conveying? I couldn’t tell with the blatant lyrics you’re shoving down my ears. I know a lot of people are excited to see this movie but it’s an insult to geek culture everywhere. Getting high one night and coming up with the idea that every stoner has had of putting ninjas, samurais, mech warriors, dragons, cyborgs, mutants, etc into one story does not constitute a movie. Even if you can cast a bunch of hot chicks. This should’ve been released next week on April Fool’s Day because it’s a joke.

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Comic Con 2010 Preview!

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

advancescreenings.com is heading to San Diego for the 2010 Comic-Con! The movie schedule this year looks intense so we should have tons of stories and previews for you in the next couple of weeks. You can find the full Comic-Con schedule here. Let us know if there’s something you want us to cover in particular on Facebook or comment below! Here’s a list of panels we plan on attending:




Thursday
11:15-12:45 Walt Disney Pictures: TRON: Legacy— Returning for an unprecedented third year to the fans and convention that started it all, Walt Disney Pictures is pleased to present a special insider look at the upcoming TRON: Legacy. Panelists include filmmakers and talent from the film: director Joe Kosinski, producers Sean Bailey and Steven Lisberger, and cast members Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen, and Bruce Boxleitner. The discussion, moderated by Patton Oswalt, is set to include exclusive glimpses of the film, as well as a Q&A involving all panel participants, along with special surprise guests.


1:00-2:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: Battle: Los Angeles and Salt— Two great new films from Sony Pictures Entertainment are showcased in this Hall H presentation!

Battle: Los Angeles — When unknown forces suddenly and mercilessly attack the City of Angels out of nowhere, it’s up to a local Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and a new platoon of unseasoned soldiers to meet the threat. As the invasion hits the streets of LA, these Marines become our first and last line of defense in an intense battle against an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before. Appearing in person are Michelle Rodriguez, Aaron Eckhart, Neal Moritz, and director Jonathan Liebesman.


SaltSalt — Opening in theaters everywhere tomorrow, Columbia Pictures brings an exclusive and surprising look at Salt to Comic-Con today, featuring some very special guests. As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture, but her efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: “Who is Salt?”



2:15-3:15 Summit Entertainment: RED— Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of exclusive footage from RED. They used to be the CIA’s top agents — but the secrets they know just made them the Agency’s top targets. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren star in RED, an explosive action-comedy based on the cult DC Comics graphic novel by Warren Ellis. Join him, director Robert Schwentke, and the film’s stars as they share footage from the film and debut the final trailer before it’s ever in theaters.


The Expendables4:45-5:45 Lionsgate: The Expendables— Prepare to have your ass kicked by The Expendables, the biggest action movie this summer! Lionsgate presents exclusive scenes and the inside scoop on every punch, kick, and bloodied lip from the most iconic cast of heroes and villains ever assembled, including the director, writer, and star Sylvester Stallone (Rambo), along with Dolph Lundgren (Universal Soldier), Steve Austin (The Condemned), Randy Couture (Scorpion King: Rise of the Warrior), and Terry Crews (Gamer).


Scott Pilgrim vs. the World6:00-7:00 Universal: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World— Genre-bending filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz), graphic novel author Bryan Lee O’Malley, and the cast of Universal Pictures’ Scott Pilgrim vs. the World provide a sneak peek of summer 2010′s epic of epic epicness. Joining Wright will be our hero, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera of Superbad); Scott’s two current girlfriends, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead of The Thing) and Knives Chau (Ellen Wong of Unnatural History); his band, SEX BOB-OMB: Kim Pine (Alison Pill of Milk) and Stephen Stills (Mark Webber of Broken Flowers); SEX BOB-OMB super-fan Young Neil (Johnny Simmons of Jennifer’s Body); Scott’s awesome roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin of Igby Goes Down); and four of Ramona’s seven evil exes: Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha of Fair Game), Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh of Superman Returns), Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman of Funny People) and Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman of Parenthood); plus Scott’s younger sister, Stacey Pilgrim (Anna Kendrick of Up in the Air), and the obnoxious Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation). Q&A to follow.




Friday
11:15-11:45 Summit Entertainment: Drive Angry 3D— A vengeful father hunts down the people who brutally killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby in the newest film shot in 3D from the writer and director of My Bloody Valentine 3D, starring Nicolas Cage, William Fichtner, Billy Burke, and Amber Heard. Join the cast and filmmakers as they showcase never-before-seen footage of this high-octane, blood-spattered road trip through hell!


12:00-1:00 Skyline— Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, and Rogue Pictures present an exclusive look at the sci-fi thriller Skyline, directed and produced by the Brothers Strause (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem), whose company Hydraulx has provided visual effects for Avatar, Iron Man 2, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and 300. In Skyline, strange lights descend on the city of Los Angeles, drawing people outside like moths to a flame, where an extraterrestrial force proceeds to swallow the entire human population off the face of the earth. Colin and Greg Strause unveil an exclusive Comic-Con trailer and scenes from Skyline, along with stars Donald Faison (Scrubs), Eric Balfour (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 24), David Zayas (The Expendables, Dexter), Scottie Thompson (Star Trek), and Brittany Daniel (Club Dread). HitFix’s Drew McWeeny moderates.


1:00-2:00 Super— Writer/director James Gunn (Slither), stars Rainn Wilson (The Office), Liv Tyler (Lord of the Rings), Nathan Fillion (Firefly), and Michael Rooker (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer), and producers Ted Hope (Adventureland) and Miranda Bailey (The Squid and the Whale) reveal footage from their latest feature production Super, including the first peek at Rainn and Ellen Page’s costume design. Super is a hyper-real and shockingly funny look at the extremely violent antics of a down-on-his-luck man as he attempts to win his wife back from a glamorous drug dealer by teaming up with a psychopathic teen to become costumed crimefighters.


2:15-3:45 Miramax Films: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark— Producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro and director Troy Nixey present a first look at their new film Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, a hair-raising, spine-chilling tale of horror about a little girl (Bailee Madison) who is sent to live with her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes) in the old mansion they are renovating, only to unwittingly unleash malevolent creatures bent on destroying all of them.


4:00-6:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: The Other Guys, The Green Hornet, and Priest— Two more sneak peeks at upcoming films from Sony Pictures Entertainment!

The Other GuysThe Other Guys–NYPD Detectives Christopher Danson and P.K. Highsmith (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson) are the baddest and most beloved cops in New York City. Two desks over and one back, sit Detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg). You’ve seen them in the background of photos of Danson and Highsmith, out of focus and eyes closed. They’re not heroes — they’re “the Other Guys.” But every cop has his day and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case no other detective wants to touch that could turn into New York City’s biggest crime. It’s the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff? Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, and co-writer/director Adam McKay will be appearing in person.


The Green Hornet–Director Michel Gondry, who makes movies with a special, personal signature, is taking on The Green Hornet — and he’s doing it in 3D. Comic-Con audiences, prepare yourselves. In The Green Hornet, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is the son of L.A.’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene — until his father (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Jay Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. To get close to the criminals, they come up with the perfect cover: they’ll pose as criminals themselves. Protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets. Confirmed to appear in person to unveil this early look at The Green Hornet in 3D are the Hornet himself, Seth Rogen, director Michel Gondry, writer Evan Goldberg, producer Neal Moritz, and actor Christoph Waltz.


Priest (3D) — A western-infused post-apocalyptic thriller, set in an alternate world — one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities. When his niece (Lily Collins) is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on an obsessive quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills. Stars Paul Bettany, Karl Urban, Maggie Q, Cam Gigandet, Stephen Moyer, and director Scott Stewart will be onstage to unveil the first 3D look at Priest.





Saturday
11:45-1:15 Warner Bros.: Green Lantern, Sucker Punch, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows— Warner Bros. showcases three eagerly awaited upcoming new films in this Hall H presentation!

Green Lantern– Get a first look at the upcoming sci-fi action adventure Green Lantern, directed by Martin Campbell. Green Lantern is an epic adventure that crosses galaxies to bring to life the legendary Silver Age superhero Hal Jordan, who is chosen by the ring itself to become the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps and take on the vast and powerful Parallax as it threatens to destroy the world. The film stars Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, Blake Lively as Carol Ferris, Peter Sarsgaard as Dr. Hector Hammond, and Mark Strong as Sinestro.


Sucker Punch — Fasten your seatbelt for a sneak peek at the dark action fantasy Sucker Punch, from director Zack Snyder, who previewed his films 300 and Watchmen at past Comic-Cons. A group of young girls escape the dark reality of their lives through their vivid imagination, which takes them to various fantasy locations in different realms. The ensemble cast features Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Carla Gugino, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung, and Jon Hamm.


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Every saga has a final chapter. Kick off the year of Harry Potter with a first look at the coming screen adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, with a program created just for Comic-Con fans. One way. One hero. One destiny. Don’t miss it!



1:30-2:30 Overture: Let Me In— The cast and filmmakers of Let Me In, a haunting and provocative thriller written and directed by filmmaker Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), give the Hall H audience a sneak peek at this highly anticipated film. Let Me In is an astonishing coming-of-age story involving a young girl (Kick Ass’s Chloe Moretz) and an alienated boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee from The Road) unlike any you have seen. Based on the bestselling Swedish novel Lat den Ratte Komma (Let The Right One In) by John Ajvide Lindqvist and the highly acclaimed film of the same name, Let Me In takes audiences straight to the troubled heart of adolescent longing and loneliness. Academy Award-nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) also stars in this exhilarating reboot of the beloved original.


4:00-4:45 Screen Gems: Resident Evil: Afterlife— In a world ravaged by a virus infection that turns its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap. The fourth installment of the hugely successful Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife is again based on the wildly popular video game series and this time will be shot in 3D using the same state-of-the-art cameras created for Avatar. Writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson, along with the film’s stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, and Wentworth Miller, will be on hand to show you some stunning 3D sequences and answer your questions.


4:45-5:45 Universal: Paul and Cowboys & Aliens— Universal presents two upcoming films in this exclusive Hall H presentation.

Paul — Scheduled to appear for Universal Pictures’ sci-fi comedy-adventure Paul are a who’s who of film comedy. Director Greg Mottola (Superbad) will be joined by cast members Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Kristen Wiig (Date Night), Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jeffrey Tambor (The Hangover), Joe Lo Truglio (Role Models), Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet), and Sigourney Weaver (Baby Mama) as they discuss the movie about two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage to Comic-Con ultimately takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who takes them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. Q&A session to follow.


Cowboys & Aliens — Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man series) discusses what’s happening behind the scenes of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks’ action-thriller Cowboys & Aliens, based on Platinum Studios’ graphic novel. Currently shooting in New Mexico, Cowboys & Aliens stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford and takes audiences into the Old West, where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. Q&A session to follow.



6:00-7:00 Marvel Studios: Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger— Producer Kevin Feige and special guests give you an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.




As you can see, that’s a lot of panels! I’m sure there will be tons of exclusive news and announcements so make sure to visit advancescreenings.com throughout next weekend and you can also follow me on twitter for real-time updates!

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