We take a look at the best upcoming pop music of the next few weeks...
Saturday, June 15, 2013
It's John Travolta versus Robert De Niro in Mark Steven Johnson's (Daredevil) Killing Season. The film details a volatile encounter of two veterans from the Bosnian War - one American (De Niro) and the other Serbian (Travolta).
We always enjoy when De Niro steps into the world of action cinema (a la Machete and Killer Elite) as he's one of the world's most loved veteran tough guys. Travolta is equally solid - despite the trailer giving us snippets of a somewhat amusing accent. The aesthetic seems a little similar to 1997's The Edge, which is by no means a bad thing and Evan Daughtery (Snow White and the Huntsman)'s screenplay looks set to focus on a clever concept. But let's be honest, we just want to see Travolta and De Niro knock lumps out of each other.
Killing Season gets its US release on the 12th July 2013. Other territories will have to wait to see the full glory of Travolta's neck-beard until Autumn.
Wayne Kramer, the man behind edgy thriller Running Scared makes a foray into action-comedy in Pawn Shop Chronicles - a film that re-teams him with the previous film's leading man, Paul Walker.
The film centres upon a madcap chase stemming from a missing wedding ring - involving drug addicts, cowboys, and an unintentionally racist Elvis impersonator.
The trailer has dropped and everything seems rather chaotic - but Pawn Shop Chronicles did have us laughing a few times - mainly Brendan Fraser's Elvis impersonator's reference to the KKK. The feature also has a solid cast featuring which has us interested - Matt Dillon, Elijah Wood, Vincent D'Onforio, Brendan Fraser, Norman Reedus and Walker are just a few of the stars on board. We just hope Paul's neck tattoo doesn't become a permanent feature.
Pawn Shop Chronicles is available on demand on the 12th July 2013.
After the huge success of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, it is no surprise to see that he was drafted in to produce the Zack Snyder-helmed Superman reboot, Man of Steel. Whilst it is ultimately more exciting than Bryan Singer's 2006 Superman Returns, Man of Steel is neither as fresh or original as many would have hoped despite a great deal of promise.
Snyder's feature details the destruction of Krypton, where we see Jor-El (Russell Crowe) sends his child to Earth for safety. This child is raised on earth as Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) - but his superhuman abilities soon become apparent. Thirty-something years later, Kent must use these abilities to tackle Kryptonian General Zod who plans to make Earth the home for his new race.
Unfortunately for Snyder we now have countless Superhero origins stories filling up multiplexes and there is a limit as too how original one can be within the genre. David S. Goyer's screenplay sticks to traditional origin story framework with a large proportion of the film devoted to Clark Kent attempting to find himself, scouring rural towns in isolation and getting to grips with his abilities - this results in a watch that feels somewhat generic at points. Fortunately, freshness is added in Man of Steel's blistering, high-octane opening which details the destruction of Krypton and Russell Crowe's Jor-El's attempts to prevent this. Snyder feels more at home capturing the fantastic world of Krypton than he does when trying to translate the character into a more realistic setting.
There is an impressive amount of emotional depth in Man of Steel, with Goyer taking time to establish convincing relationships between Kal-El (Superman) and his father Jor-El, however it is the relationship that Kent and his Earth parents boast the most poignancy - thanks to several touching moments from Cavill, Diane Lane (Martha Kent), and Kevin Costner (Jonathan Kent) told mostly in flashback form.
One of the issues in having a character that is superhuman is that the threat of peril never feels particularly real. When we see Superman flying into Zod's superhuman army at blistering speeds its hard to feel any great sense of excitement or tension - picture a child knocking two toy action men together and you'll get a sense of what I mean. This can lead to the conclusion feeling somewhat tired and drawn out, although things do pick up when Zod threatens the safety of Metropolis. However, Snyder's action scenes are slickly crafted - featuring an array of visual delights from earth-shaking explosions to Superman's flights round the globe.
Henry Cavill breathes a fresh sense of life into the character of Superman - a character that I previously believed was simply a bit blandsome (handsome, but dull). Fortunately, Cavill completely captures that Superman is a child of two worlds - Krypton and Earth - convincing at capturing both the character's impressive superhuman physicality and sense of humanity. Amy Adams also presents the most likeable Lois Lane since Margot Kidder's, presenting a character that is likeable, strong and intelligent. A top notch supporting cast featuring Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon and Laurence Fishburne impresses.
Whilst its hard to escape the conventions of the superhero origins tale, Snyder makes a valiant effort - packing his tale with an impressive sense of humanity and emotion. The action sequences are an equally mixed bag, slickly produced but sometimes overlong and lacking the tension they need. However, stellar performances from Cavill, Adams and the supporting cast ensure that we'll be seeing a lot more of Snyder's Superman.
But why is this the best film poster of the year you ask? Okay, we'll tell you.
Exhibit A: Jamie Foxx (forgotten brother of British acting royalty Edward and James Fox) looks like a bad-ass President. The last cinematic President we encounter was Aaron Eckhart's mega-lame President Benjamin Asher in Olympus Has Fallen. As we all known from Airforce One and Jimmy Carter, bad-ass President's are the best.
Exhibit B: Channing Tatum is wearing a vest and has a gun. But he also has two belts - one for his gun(z) and one to support his trousers. Make of this what you will.
Exhibit C: The tagline 'It all goes down' is clearly a reference to oral sex. Roland Emmerich might just well be the next Lars Von Trier.
In order to justify creating this post, we've also added the latest trailer.
2010's Eli Roth-produced horror The Last Exorcism took many by surprise. It put an original spin on the somewhat tired horror concept of exorcism and also breathed some life into the world of handheld camera horror. Sadly, the film's sequel looses everything that made the original so chilling, reverting back to uninspired generic conventions.
Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell) remains haunted by the events of the first film and is moved to a creeking New Orleans boarding house as a means of recovery. Despite a promising start at a new life, a variety of strange and bloody occurrences remind Nell that the demon Abalam never left her.
The Last Exorcism Part II returns to a more conventional style - dropping the slightly more interesting documentary angle that its predecessor took. We also lose the chilling sense of ambiguity of the first film - we never question whether Nell is facing psychological trauma as a result of her dark upbringing - instead it is simply presumed that she is possessed. By distancing the sequel from these former characteristics it already becomes far less interesting.
Director and co-writer Ed Gass-Donnelly packs the film with genre cliches - from New Orleansian voodoo to uninspired dialogue about 'evil being unleashed' (you know the drill). Whilst the opening does display a well-crafted sense of tension and there is the occasional unexpected jump, it really is not anything you have not seen done before - and in a superior fashion.
The film's sole saving grace is Ashley Bell who brings a timid sweetness to the role of Nell, which carries an underlying air of malice and unease. Unfortunately, by the film's cheaply handled conclusion (complete with cringe-inducing rock soundtrack and CGI fire), the building impact of Bell's performance is completely squandered.
Whilst the occasional casual viewer may fall pray to the uninspired scares, horror fans and most others will simply feel unmoved and bored by this cheap, cliched cash-in.
After missing Zero Dark Thirty's theatrical run, I settled on straight to DVD alternative Code Name: Geronimo which also detailed US Navy Seal's hunt for Bin Laden as well as the political and military politics building up to this. Whilst the cheaper version was an honourable attempt to portray these events, Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty will remain the definitive interpretation of one of the most prominent moments in military history.
Zero Dark Thirty follows Maya (Jessica Chastain) a CIA agent who is inherently driven by the concept of hunting down Bin Laden. We see Maya sit through brutal interrogations with suspected terrorists in her hunt for information, which ultimately leads to threats against her own life. The last segment of the feature details a US Navy Seal team using Maya's intelligence to raid Bin Laden's compound and finally take down the figure-head of Al Qaeda.
Despite a hefty runtime of 157 minutes, Zero Dark Thirty remains fast paced throughout thanks to a sharp screenplay from Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) and energetic direction from Bigelow. Boal's screenplay feels completely convincing in its portrayal of the events (whether it is or not is anyone's guess), with every information/military briefing meeting feeling grounded in tension and political gravitas. Boal's narrative gradually unwinds with every piece of information that Maya learns, allowing Zero Dark Thirty to detail the highly dangerous world of the CIA.
Bigelow's direction is tense and hold viewer's attentions in a tight-grip throughout. Whether taking an action-centric or more dramatic approach (many of the tracking/discussion sequences are far more gripping than the action ones) Zero Dark Thirty remains completely entrancing. The raid on the compound in the film's conclusion is thrilling, despite reflecting that this was not a clean-cut mission - several innocent people were taken out. Despite this, it is hard not to feel like there is a sinister pleasure behind many of these action scenes - with the quick editing and high-octane style reflecting some form of brutal gung-ho quest for blood and revenge. This can make Zero Dark Thirty feel like a rather dubious, problematic watch.
The cast lead with utter conviction, in particular the magnificent Jessica Chastain who captures Maya's unparalleled drive to end this manhunt - which is truly showcased in the film's final sequence. Supporting turns from Mark Strong, Joel Edgerton, Kyle Chandler, and Chris Pratt also round off the stellar cast. Also look out for an odd appearance from John Barrowman and Brit action favourite Scott Adkins.
There is no doubt that Zero Dark Thirty is a gripping and truly thrilling watch. Boal's screenplay feels like an accurate and detailed depiction of this military manhunt, whilst Bigelow champions this through slick, tense direction. However, it is hard to ignore these sense of gleeful brutality and bloodlust in the film's final act.
Like the dire American remakes of J-Horror features One Missed Call and Dark Water, Apartment 1303 3D joins the club of truly disastrous Japanese to American adaptations.
After escaping her domineering mother (Rebecca De Mornay), Janet (Julianne Michelle) signs the lease on her dream apartment. However shortly after experiencing some ghostly goings on, Janet falls out of her 13th floor window. Her sister Lara (Mischa Barton) begins to investigate and her chief suspect is Janet's boyfriend (Corey Seiver).
The main issue with Apartment 1303 3D is simply how unbelievably amateur it is. It lacks any scares and relies on completed outdated genre clichés to carry its narrative. The team behind the feature seem to think that the presence of a pale schoolgirl is enough to have audiences cowering in fear - but unfortunately they fail to craft any sense of tension or suspense, resulting in these attempted scares feeling utterly flat, uninspired, and downright forgettable. This is a problem that hinders all the attempted horror scenes in the feature - all lacking any originality, tension, or any distinct style.
There is nothing remotely scary about Apartment 1303 3D - apart from the lead acting and bland production. It feels cruel to say this when the leading cast are given such uninspired characters and dialogue to work with. Mischa Barton, Julianne Michelle and Corey Seiver fail to bring any life to these bland one-dimensional characters.
Whilst the most part of the narrative is truly abominable, Apartment 1303 3D does slip away on a bizarre subplot involving Rebecca De Mornay as a heavy-drinking country singer/controlling Mommie Dearest type figure. Whilst this lacks any inherent relevance to the narrative, De Mornay does provide the most engagement of the film. The actress slips into the role of a trashy, self-obsessed country-singer with complete ease - but this is a far cry from her best work.
You may feel a slight trashy thrill at De Mornay's hammy performance, but this really isn't enough to justify spending ninety minutes of your life watching this tired, lazy and ultimately bland piece of cinema. Avoid. Rating: 1/5
We're not going to lie, it has been a slow couple of weeks for decent new music - which makes this feature a bit of a classic to write. Thankfully we love a challenge here and we still have a few little musical delights to share with you from the likes of Mark Owen, The Beach Boys, and Kylie.
Album Releases
Mark Owen - The Art of Doing Nothing...
We like little Mark Owen here - he has one of the most distinctive voices in pop music and has always been undervalued (critically and commercially) as a solo artist. Thankfully this has not disheartened him and the singer is back with his fourth solo album and where it seems he has found a style apt for him- mainly wearing a hat. The album features anthemic pop with hints of soft-electronic music - perfectly showcased in standout tracks like The One, Us and Ours, & Heaven's Falling. It's by far the stand out pop album of the month.
Little Boots - Nocturnes
Little Boots sophomore album has been out a few weeks now, but we still couldn't resist giving it a little praise. The Remedy hitmaker has always had an affinity for eighties pop (perfectly showcased in her 2008 collaboration with Phil Oakey on Symmetry) which continues onto album Nocturnes. The album is packed full of smooth synths and a reserved vocal prowess from the singer - think of a more electronic version of Kylie. Highlights include Crescendo, Broken Record, & Satellite.
Single Releases
Kylie Minogue - Skirt
When you've had as flawless a career as the mighty Kylie Minogue, it's a challenge to try and embark on something fresh without losing the core fanbase - fortunately Kylie's latest release showcases cutting edge dance production which maintains an inherently Kylie sound. We literally could not be anymore excited for the singer's latest era.
Jason Derulo - The Other Side
After a couple of years away from the spotlight (the singer broke his vertebrae and his thus been recovering) Derulo is back with blistering R&B infused dance track The Other Side.
Classics
The Beach Boys - Kokomono
What better way to enjoy the British summertime than with some classic Beach Boys tracks. Whilst the album Still Cruisin' may not have reached the heights of The Beach Boys fame in the 1960s - its lead single Kokomono still managed to hit #1 in the US. Kokomono is breezy calypso-infused fun and is a personal favourite of ours.
Randy Jones - New York City Boy
Let's be honest it doesn't get much gayer than the cowboy from The Village People's solo album. Randy hit the clubs with track New York City Boy (a cover of The Pet Shop Boys' dance-smash) - a huge explosion of camp. His album Ticket to the World also features an unnerving cover of The Backstreet Boys' No Matter What - that might be best to avoid.
The Pointer Sisters - Goldmine
We've got to thank RuPaul for pointing out this little gem on his album RuPaul's Go Go Box Classics. Goldmine is a shining example of simply how magnificent The Pointer Sisters are.
We weren't expecting one of the new arrivals to be the highlight of TNT's Dallas continuation, but Josh Henderson truly dominates the screen as the late J.R's son, John Ross. It's also no surprise that the young star has landed a slew of film roles as a result of this stellar performance.
Henderson will star in Swelter with Jean Claude Van Damme later this year, but prior to this the actor is leading straight to DVD thriller Rushlights. Henderston stars with Haley Webb, as two young lovers from LA who falsely claim a dead friend's inheritance in the South. However, in doing so raise the suspicions of Beau Bridges' inquisitive Sheriff.
Antoni Stutz's feature doesn't look set to provide anything other than a few slick straight to DVD thrills, but we're sure it'll be reasonably fun. If it's not at least the Stutz has the common sense to film Henderson strutting around in a tank-top.
Rushlights receives its US release on 21st June 2013, with international dates to follow.
Mariah's grip of the charts may be slipping, but thank heavens she's still managing to entertain a staggering 11 million-plus dedicated LAMBs on Twitter. Like her music videos, Mariah's Twitter pictures are true works of art - showcasing the star's decadent lifestyle and hilariously over the top behavior. Given this, we've compiled a feature showcasing just why Mariah is the ultimate diva of the music industry, with the help of her gratuitously brilliant Twitpics. Of course whilst you look through these, we recommend you have your speakers up full with this playing. All images courtesy of Mariah Carey's Twitter Page.
3rd June 2013 -2.19AM - Flawless and scantily-clad diva caught in headlights
10th April 2013 -10.54PM - Flawless diva tends to lips in a seductive manner.
2nd April 2013 - 11.56PM- Flawless diva swims in a ballgown which she dubs as 'having a mermaid moment'
2nd April 2013 - 11.43PM - The flawless diva is celebrated with a huge firework display by foreign natives.
15th February 2013 - 2.12AM - The flawless diva shares a bath with a wet creature named Jill E Beans.
15th February 2013 - 1.55AM - The flawless diva notes she is being 'consumed by bubbles' prior to her Valentine's Rendezvous.
26th June 2012 - 12.02AM - The flawless diva has a 'hallway moment' in her dominion of London
We couldn't omit this little gem either. It's a real tour de force.
