Archives for March, 2009
Con Trek is the new series from Captain Pixel Productions (parent company to CineGeek) that delves deep into the world of fandom by sending two unsuspecting hosts into the weird and wild world of multi-genre conventions all over the country. The first episode finds hosts Brittney Eskew and Alan Smith deep in the heart of the south at Atlanta’s Dragon Con. Dragon Con is the largest multi-genre convention in the south featuring costume contests, celebrities, hours of programming from Hollywood movies and TV to anime, fantasy, horror, gaming, and much more. Check out this preview and head on over to the official site for more information. To get the first episode on XBOX Live now just log into your console, click on Video Marketplace, then TV Shows, next go to Networks and Studios, and finally click Gamer TV and you’ll see Con Trek right there!
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Directed By Marc Foster
Starring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench
Most of the people I know who are hardcore James Bond fans universally agree that Sean Connery is the superior Bond. I, being the weirdo I guess, have always preferred Roger Moore. The reason for this is primarily because I grew up with Moore in the role and his movies were much more modern.
Many fans and critics have commented that Daniel Craig is a throwback to Sean Connery where Pierce Brosnan was a throwback to Roger Moore. Overall, I like Craig as a more modern version of Connery but I also liked Brosnan as a modern Roger Moore. The problem with the Brosnan run of movies was that he was great in the role but the movies he was in weren’t stellar.
The Movie
Unfortunately it appears the Craig’s version of Bond will suffer the same issues that Brosnan’s Bond did. Casino Royale was great fun due to some extremely memorable scenes, the most memorable of which was the opening black and white scene, but overall the plot just wasn’t that strong. Quantum of Solace features an even weaker story and no really memorable scenes outside the few minutes after the movie is over. A week after viewing this film there won’t be an action scene or a fantastic character exchange that you’ll tell your friends about. The movie, from that perspective, will disappear into the haze of other action films. …continue reading
Written and Directed Mike Leigh
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Alexis Tegerman, Eddie Marsan, Kate O’Flynn
I am long time fan of Mike Leigh’s films, with Secrets and Lies being my favorite. So, anytime this man puts out a film, I am either right there in the theater, or popping it into the DVD player. Happy Go Lucky was recently released on DVD by Miramax.
The Movie
Happy Go Lucky introduces us to Poppy (Sally Hawkins), a schoolteacher that has one of the most upbeat and positive outlooks on life you are likely to ever experience, either cinematically or in so called “real life”.
Nothing gets her down. Her clothes are just as bright as her smile and her eyes. Even when her beloved bike gets stolen off the street, she is just disappointed she didn’t get to say “goodbye” to it and gets on the bus to go home. …continue reading
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This week we have some wine and sweets and discuss Friday Night Lights, Lost, BSG, and Playboy online!
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Directed by Marc Forster
Starring Khalid Abdalla, Zekeria Ebrahimi, Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada
The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini is a highly praised novel that had people talking. So, is this an example of the movie is equally as good as or better than the book? The Kite Runner is finally released on Blu Ray by Dreamworks.
The Movie
Set in 1970′s Afghanistan, The Kite Runner tells the story of the friendship between a young Pushton boy Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) and Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada). Even though Amir’s family is well off and Hassan is the son of Amir’s family’s servant, the two are not bogged down in judging one another based on the economic status of their family, they just like each other, love The Magnificent Seven and kite running. …continue reading
![Super 8 (Single-Disc Blu-ray Edition) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JFt1LlPoL._SL75_.jpg "Super 8 (Single-Disc Blu-ray Edition) [Blu-ray]")
![Band Of Brothers [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Wb5TwvL1L._SL75_.jpg "Band Of Brothers [Blu-ray]")
Wondering what War of Kings is all about? Well here’s your chance to get in on all the action for FREE courtesy of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited at
http://marvel.com/digitalcomics/titles/WAR_OF_KINGS.2009.1!
After the Skrulls threatened his kingdom during Secret Invasion, Black Bolt’s quest to ensure Inhuman dominance in the galaxy begins! The acclaimed team of writers Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, along with fan favorite artist Paul Pelletier, place the Inhumans on a crash course with the Shi’ Ar Empire and their deadly leader—Vulcan! With appearances from The Imperial Guard, Starjammers, the Guardians of the Galaxy and more, this is one cosmic war you won’t want to miss! Check it our right now at http://marvel.com/digitalcomics/titles/WAR_OF_KINGS.2009.1.
Directed By: Gene Sachs
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau
This is the seventh installment of Paramount’s Centennial Collection. Another beautifully restored and presented treasure from the Paramount catalog. The previous selections featured the glorious and glamorous, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Grace Kelly and Humphrey Bogart now comes The Odd Couple, the Neil Simon masterpiece starring one of the Hollywood’s greatest, but far from graceful or beautiful, acting team, Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.
The Movie
The movie opens with a despondent Felix Ungar, played by the incomparable Jack Lemmon, walking through New York City, he checks into a flop house and neatly places his personal things into an envelope addressed to his wife and kids and tries to kill himself. Things don’t quite go as planned and Felix returns to his trek through the lively New York City streets. Meanwhile a poker game is by fits and starts taking place in a large but trashed apartment. …continue reading
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This week we class up the joint with a special guest, author and filmmaker Stephen Zimmer. We dicuss his new book The Exodus Gate. Also on tap are discussions about the Watchanam dropoff, Kevin Smith’s bext project, the SCIFI Channel rebranding, and of course comics of the week!
Directed by Chris Williams and Byron Howard
Featuring voices by Malcolm McDonald, Miley Cyrus, John Travolta, Mark Walton
I didn’t get a chance to see this film in the theater when it came out. It did look pretty cute to me: big eyed dog and a wise cracking hamster. So, I was pretty happy when I saw this package in my mailbox. Bolt: Blu Ray 3 Disc Special Edition was recently released by Disney Home Video.
The Movie
The film opens and we are introduced to the uber cute Bolt (John Travolta). Bolt is the star of a hit primetime show, alongside his owner and best friend Penny (Miley Cyrus). Penny and Bolt have many fans but no one loves them as much as they love each other. …continue reading
Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly
This is the sixth installment of Paramount’s Centennial Collection. Another masterpiece hauled from the Paramount vaults and re-mastered and re-released. This time it’s the Hitchcock classic To Catch a Thief. The Cary Grant and Grace Kelly caper slash love story set in the French Riviera.
The Movie
John Robie, Cary Grant, a retired jewel thief, has a problem. After a string of jewel thefts that are remarkable in their similarity to some of his old work. No one believes that he is still retired. Not the police, who want to revoke the parole he earned for heroics performed as a member of the resistance in the Second World War, and throw him in jail. And not his old buddies from the underground who think he’s freelancing now and not spreading the wealth around like in the old days, who want to kill him. …continue reading
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Directed By: Mathew Perry and Stephen Zimmer
On occasion, we get the opportunity to check out some indie films here at CineGeek, usually of the horror genre. A lot of the most exciting innovations in the horror genre happen either in foreign films or in independent releases so anytime we receive a new indie horror film, we’re always excited to pop it in the DVD player.
The Movie
Many filmmakers don’t ever give the art of making a short film a shot. They figure that there’s nothing to be done with a short film after it has played at film festivals but that’s not necessarily the case. With a little tenacity, a filmmaker can still find a way to get their short film out to the masses. In the 70′s and 80′s, anthology films were pretty common but there hasn’t been a great one in a really long time. Now a new series of films called “Indie Movie Masters” is bringing back the anthology film and offering filmmakers the opportunity to get their short films out to the world. …continue reading
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We’re back with our recap on Watchmen, Hericho coming back in a way you might not expect, Mrs. Gates wants aniPhone, and a ton more!
Directed By William Friedkin
Starring Gene Hackman, Roy Sheider
William Friedkin may well be best known for The Exorcist, a fantastic movie and a true classic, but the man has done some other films outside the horror genre that are just as innovative and just as influential as that seminal film. One of those films is The French Connection.
The Movie
Without The French Connection there might not be modern television series such as The Shield and The Wire. The whole idea of a gritty morally ambiguous at best and morally bankrupt at worst cop that still manages to do the job started with this classic Gene Hackman starring film. Watching this film now might even feel cliché and a little less powerful than it was when it was first released in 1971 because it has been lifted from so much by subsequent films and television series. …continue reading
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Created by Nick Park
Featuring Voices by John Sparkes, Kate Harbour, Justin Fletcher, Richard Nelson
I just simply love anything and everything that comes out of Aardman Animation. From Chicken Run, to Wallace and Gromit, Creature Comforts to Shaun the Sheep, I love it all. Hit Entertainment recently released another collection of Shaun the Sheep short films on DVD.
The Series
Anyone who is mad for Wallace and Gromit is familiar with little Shaun the Sheep. He was the star of the 1995 Oscar winning animated short A Close Shave. Hit Entertainment released the first collection of shorts with the release of Shaun the Sheep: Back to the Baa and now we have 8 new shorts to enjoy. …continue reading
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Directed by Gregory Hoblit
Starring: Edward Norton, Laura Linney, Richard Gere, Frances McDormand, Terry O’Quinn
Back when this film came out in 1996, it was the first time film audiences saw the talented Edward Norton. He was the reason I enjoyed this film as anyone who knows me knows that I am not a big fan of Richard Gere. So, how does the film hold up after 13 years? Paramount Home Video recently released the film in a Blu Ray edition.
The Movie
Primal Fear is based on the novel by William Diehl and stays mostly faithful to the source material. Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) is caught after leaving the scene of a brutal murder, the murder of Chicago’s Catholic Archbishop Rushman (Stanley Anderson). Stampler does not seem like the murdering type. Baby faced and cursed with a significant stutter, but he is covered in blood and seems to have a story to tell. Enter Martin Vail (Richard Gere), a defense attorney that is a lot of big talk, fancy suits and swagger and seemingly can’t get enough attention from the media. He feels like Stampler is innocent and begins the work of defending him. …continue reading
