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Showing posts from June, 2010

Not Much Activity in Paranormal Activity 2 Teaser

We're a bit late in getting this up on the blog, but we did post a link earlier today on the Facebook page with this teaser for Paranormal Activity 2. I loved the hell out of Paranormal Activity, and this preview shows more of the same, only with a dog and baby in on the action. There is no need for a sequel, but I do hold out hope that the follow up adds to the mythology and doesn't just rehash what we've seen before. Check out the trailer below and share your thoughts, feelings and concerns.

Tom Hardy Reveals New Mad Max Details

I haven't watched Bronson yet, but hear good things about it and Tom Hardy's performance. And those in the know don't bemoan him taking over for Mel Gibson as the lead in a new Mad Max. Hardy told Empire he's mentally preparing himself for a gruelling nine-month shoot: a colossally long period which is apparently causing some headaches for the production: "All kinds of people's shifting schedules need to be tied down". What does appear decided is the "look" of the new Max. "Imagine a hungry wolf," suggests Hardy, "or like when you put a cat in the bath. That's what I'm going to look like, but like a puma: very hungry and dangerous. This is a guy who's not well, so it's imperative that I create that reality." Hardy says the new film, subtitled Fury Road, has "the same amount of grit and rawness and authenticity" as before. "Big rigs, big explosions, big crashes, big violence. It's a rel

Out Of The Basement And Onto The X

We are Jason and Shawn, and we aren't just in The Basement anymore! Brant, Steve and the fine folks at 92.5 FM The X -- Thompson Rivers University's campus radio station -- have welcomed Film Reviews From the Basement onto its fall lineup starting Oct. 1 at 10 p.m. with a prerecorded hour-long episode to kick us off. The real fun begins the following week, Oct. 8, when Shawn and I go live for the full hour, and every Friday after that, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel. What does that mean for the show? We promise more reviews, more guests -- both friends and folks in the entertainment industry -- music, film clips and whatever else we can think of between now and Oct. 1. What does that mean for the podcast? We'll be recording the radio show as it airs, so look for some version of it the following Monday. We'll still be available on Facebook , iTunes, podOmatic and, naturally, from this blog. We thank everyone who has supported The Little Podcast That Could, a

Micro Review: The Collector

A straight-for-the-shocks horror flick that works on a visceral level but doesn't cut much deeper. How the titular character manages to set up a house full of deadly traps is never explained, but the premise does make for an intense and gruesome 90 minutes. The film is well made and acted and the villain appropriately creepy. Too bad the filmmakers don't understand that gory does not equal scary. Worth seeing once, and earns a Bad rating from The Basement because of it.

Bruce Willis + Action + Comedy = So There!

Below is a link to the trailer for RED, the new action/comedy about a retired CIA agent who finds himself wearing a bullseye because of the secrets still in his head. The comic book series is supposed to be more straight espionage, but I never read it and, therefore, don't care if the movie changes the tone of the story. All I see is Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirran kicking some ass and having some fun. I am so there come October. Check the trailer out at Yahoo!

Episode XIV: District 13-Ultimatum and The Lovely Bones

 A little something for your ear hole: completely biased reviews of the French action movie District 13-Ultimatum and Peter Jackson's Oscar wannabe The Lovely Bones. Plus other goodies that are just too storied and awesome to mention in such a limited space.

Micro Review: The Book of Eli

One part religious parable, one part apocalyptic action movie, The Book of Eli has something thoughtful to say and was designed to make you think about what it is saying. Whether or not you buy into the message will determine how much you like it. Even those who don't should enjoy the action elements of the film. These sequences are extremely well crafted. In fact, the whole movie is shot with style, and the story has enough thrills and dark humor to justify a two-hour trip into the desolate landscape. The performances, led by the always capable Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman, are all first rate. A Good review from The Basement for me.

New International Trailer for Scott Pilgram

It hasn't been a terribly exciting summer for movies. Sure, there have been some surprises (Prince of Persia and The A-Team) but, for the most part, there is little I want to see. The latest trailer for Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgram Vs. The World changes all that. I need to see this movie now. Everything about it looks weird and kooky and great. This, along with Inception and The Expendables, could save the summer. Give this a watch, and then sound off your thoughts! PS: I don't think Chris Evans can be bad in a movie. His delivery of "What's up? He seems nice" made me bust a gut.

Oh, Smurf Off!

Did you know there's a live-action/animated Smurfs movie coming out? Yup, there is. And here's a first look at a still from the film. I can remember watching the Smurfs on Saturday morning cartoons, back when that phrase meant something. The cartoon was so-so, but the original comics by Belgian cartoonist Peyo were actually pretty good. Enough to make me want to watch a feature film about the characters? Not likely. While the film features the animated Smurfs, the movie features the live-action talent of Neil Patrick Harris , Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays and Sonia Vergara. The film will be released next summer.

Last Chance To Catch Episode XIII! Well, not really. But listen to it again please!

Micro Review: The A-Team

I love it when a movie comes together! This is the Star Trek of A-Team movies, a fun and furious updating of the classic TV series for a modern audience. Writer/director Joe Carnahan takes everything that was fun about the series and amps it up to ridiculous heights, and he does it with absolutely no apologies. The first hours works better than the second, and the villains suck, but this is still a good time at the movies. Great cast too, once you accept that Mr. T isn't B.A. I pity the fool who doesn't give this a Good rating in The Basement.

Micro Review: From Paris With Love

Two things stick in my mind after watching From Paris With Love. 1) Pierre (Taken, District 13) Morel really knows how to direct an action picture. 2) When John Travolta is good, he's a tonne of fun. He delivers one liners like a pro, and even managed to make me laugh at the Pulp Fiction "royale with cheese" nod. He and Jonathan Rhys Meyers may make an unlikely duo, but they perform their roles with gusto. And the fast-paced action is exciting to watch. The fight scenes and shootouts, the stairwell pursuits and motorway mayhem, are as good, if not better, than anything to come out of Hong Kong in a long time. A Good review from The Basement on this one.

Neeson Returns For Taken 2

So says MTV at least. Taken, the kick ass tale of Liam Neeson trying to rescue his daughter in Europe, was a surprise box office hit. Fox had picked the completed movie up and dumped it in January, where it proceeded to make a boat load of money. Which means that Taken 2 can't be far off, and Liam Neeson told MTV News that a sequel to the action hit is in the planning stages. Neeson tells the site he's meeting with writer/producer Luc Besson this month to figure out a plan for the follow up. He also mentioned it would be 'hard to get a plot that would be believable.' I think believable is key. The film can't be a rehash of Taken. If this is to be a film series, which I think it could, the plot should revolve around Neeson's character, and not the Macguffin of him always trying to rescue somebody. The first movie is great. If done right, so could Taken 2 be!

Mortal Kombat Reborn

Here is a super-slick short film for all you Mortal Kombat fans and non-fans out there! It's a test video, produced by Warner Bros and directed by Kevin Tancharoen (the Fame remake), designed to prove the potential for an R-rated reboot of the videogame franchise, originally brought to us in PG-13 form in the mid-90s by Paul WS Anderson. The best part: it stars Black Dynamite himself Michael Jai-White and Jeri Ryan of Star Trek Voyager fame and is cool as hell! Here's hoping they can make a feature film out of this! Watch it now and enjoy the coolness!!

Episode "Unlucky" XIII: Defendor and The Descent Part 2

Micro Review: The Wolfman

What starts off as a beautifully mounted remake of the Universal monster classic quickly de-evolves into just another Hollywood horror movie, lack of actual scares included. There is a wild and crazy fun side to this movie and a serious, dull, lifeless side as well. The two halves duke it out for much of the too-long running time before the film limps to an uninspired conclusion. In fact, the whole problem with the film is that it doesn't know whether it wants to be old-fashioned or cutting edge. I'd have preferred old-fashioned. A Bad review from The Basement for me.

Listen Now! Episode XII Now Available!

Gone Fishin'?

Not really, but we here in The Basement have been distracted by work, wives, and other mundane life priorities that have kept us from posting on this blog. To our regular readers: sorry. And thanks to Patrick for keeping the Facebook page loaded with quality film-related links to read. But we are back! We have two more episodes in the can. The first will be up Monday with reviews of Defendor and The Descent Part 2. Then, in two weeks, we've got District 13: Ultimatum and The Lovely Bones. Not wanting to get too far ahead of ourselves, but we're also lining up reviews of the cult horror films Midnight Movie and The Poughkeepsie Tapes. Very excited about those. If anyone has a film they'd like us to review, please drop us a line. Moving right along, the wife and I checked out Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time recently. Here's a micro review: "The film is one of the best pieces of pure entertainment I have seen in a while. To be honest, I liked it more than all thre