"The Lone Ranger" Review

 

If there's one thing Disney can do, it's make thoroughly entertaining block-busters that divide critics and wow and amaze audiences.
JOHN CARTER was the most recent one, being the victim of Hollywood bullying, marketing gone awry, and general lack of interest from an audience that has known to accept Marvel movies as a viable source of nutrients, and deny everything remotely interesting or fun.

The Lone Ranger was getting shit before it was even released, as all Disney live-action ventures do (it's the cool thing if you're a movie critic to hate Disney fims. See Tron legacy, John Carter, etc), and it was all focused on Johnny Depp as Tonto and a blown budget and etc etc.
Well surprise, surprise when the film is released critics go bat-shit and throw words like TOTAL FLOP and HORRIBLE and everything under the sun, like Depp and Verbinski rode Silver over their mothers corpses while burning an American flag and pissing on a picture of Christopher Nolan and Joss Whedon together.

While my beliefs and thoughts are my own; I am here to say THE LONE RANGER was a good-old fashioned summer thrill ride, that had me hooked from the opening scene.

The film plays out like someone took Dances With Wolves, The Legend of Zorro, Red Dead Redemption, Shanghai Noon, and Wild Wild West then threw them all into a melting pot, after sprinkling some spirit-sauce from a time where movies were magical and summer films were a big event that weren't wholly reliable on super-heroes.

Depp and Hammer play excellently off of each other, which is the glue that holds the film together when you think it might be getting a bit long-winded (it could have used a light shave, running at almost 2 hr 30) and I'd love for this movie to do well enough to get more adventures out of them.

The script feels like someone wanted to write the most fantastical Western they could think of, and I honestly think it worked. You have the strong-jawed American hero, his partner (not by any means a sidekick), the badass leading female, the villain and his cronies, spectacular set-pieces, a varied and colorful cast, and a riveting score that makes you feel like a child again. (I might be gushing a tad; but you get the idea.)

Verbinski behind the camera and at the head of a Western was the best move that Disney made, and I'll stand by that. Some of the shots in this movie are breath-taking. He never loses the characters in the over-the-top action and spectacle, and almost every shot looks like it could be paused, printed, and hung on a wall as a Western painting.

I don't want to get too spoiler heavy on plot and character development; but it's all there in a nice bow. Depp's character actually has a really justifiable reason to "be a Jack Sparrow clone" as so many say; and Tonto's back story highlights some of the fims darkest and most emotional parts.
Tonto is also crucial to who The Ranger becomes and how, and it's all very fun to watch on screen, as well as William Fitchner and Tom Wilkinson who play off each other too well as old-west monsters who get their comeuppance in a classic Hollywood fashion.

If you're not in the mood for kid's movies, have a few hours, and don't mind going into a film with an open mind, I can't see why you wouldn't enjoy The Lone Ranger.

Wolfe Releasing Nabs Four Films At Frameline 37

Wolfe Releasing, the world’s largest exclusive distributor of gay and lesbian films, has acquired the US and Canadian rights to three films screening at Frameline 37 - San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival: Bruno Barreto’s REACHING FOR THE MOON (winner of Frameline’s Audience Award), Director Yen Tan’s PIT STOP and Director Stephan Lacant’s FREE FALL, and worldwide rights (excluding UK, France & Germany) to Writer/Director Chris Mason Johnson’s TEST.

“These are four of the best LGBT movies of the year,” said Wolfe President Maria Lynn, adding, “REACHING FOR THE MOON is an exquisite English-language production depicting the Brazilian heyday of Pulitzer Prize-winning lesbian poet Elizabeth Bishop; TEST is an astute and beautiful drama about a young modern dancer navigating gay life in San Francisco during the early days of the AIDS crisis; FREE FALL has been called the German Brokeback for its deeply moving portrayal of a German policeman who unexpectedly begins to fall in love with a fellow male officer and PIT STOP shows us a story we simply have not seen before, observing the dreams and desires of two small-town gay men with subtlety and grace.”

Director Bruno Barreto’s (Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, View From the Top) tale of a messy, yet gloriously romantic, relationship follows poet Elizabeth Bishop (Miranda Otto, The Lord of the Rings trilogy) as she sets sail for Rio de Janeiro and a life-changing relationship with the wealthy—and very butch—architect Lota de Macedo Soares (Glória Pires).  The films also stars three-time Golden Globe nominee Treat Williams (Hair, Prince of the City) and, in addition to the Audience Award at Frameline, won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2013 Toronto Inside Out Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival.

In a poignant and powerful story of love set in 1985, TEST explores the relationship of two friends who must navigate through a world full of promise while navigating the risks of a newly-named disease called AIDS. Written and directed by Chris Mason Johnson (The New Twenty), the film stars Scott Marlowe and Matthew Risch. 

From German director Stephan Lecant, FREE FALL (aka Freier Fall) tells the dramatic story of a man who veers off the conventional path he thought he was on, only to find himself in the middle of a love triangle. The drama stars Max Reimelt (The Wave), Hanno Koffler (Summer Storm) and Katharina Schuttler (Oh Boy).

Director Yen Tan’s (Ciao, Happy Birthday) PIT STOP stars Bill Heck, Marcus DeAnda, Amy Seimetz (TV’s “The Killing”) and John Merrimen in the tender story of a pair of alienated gay men living in an Texas town and yearning for romance. The film was also an official selection at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

New Poster For Johnnie To's "Drug War"

Manufacturing just fifty grams of meth in China will earn you a death sentence, and Timmy Choi (Louis Koo) has manufactured tons of it. After a violent lab accident, he's in the custody of Captain Zhang (Sun Honglei), and now he has only one chance to avoid execution: turn informant and help Zhang's undercover team take down the powerful cartel he's been cooking for. But as the uneasy allies are forced to compress months of police work into just 72 sleepless hours, the increasingly desperate police are quickly stretched past their limits. As things spin wildly out of control, the line between duty and recklessness is blurred, and it becomes unclear whether the cop or the criminal truly has the upper hand.

Long considered The Master of the Hong Kong crime thriller, Johnnie To's first mainland production eschews "two guns at once" mayhem in favor of atmosphere and a tightly-wound plot punctuated with impeccably choreographed bursts of violence, making DRUG WAR an intricate puzzle box of a film that ignited a firestorm of controversy in its homeland.

New "Lovelace" Poster

In 1972—before the internet, before the porn explosion—Deep Throat was a phenomenon: the first scripted pornographic theatrical feature film, featuring a story, some jokes, and an unknown and unlikely star, Linda Lovelace. Escaping a strict religious family, Linda discovered freedom and the high-life when she fell for and married charismatic hustler Chuck Traynor. As Linda Lovelace she became an international sensation—less centerfold fantasy than a charming girl-next-door with an impressive capacity for fellatio. Fully inhabiting her new identity, Linda became an enthusiastic spokesperson for sexual freedom and uninhibited hedonism. Six years later she presented another, utterly contradictory, narrative to the world—and herself as the survivor of a far darker story.

Final (and Good) Pacific Rim Trailer is Too Little, Too Late

For all the Monday morning quarterbacking (already) in play, this predicament Pacific Rim is in could have been avoided. Make this final trailer the first one out the gate, or at least in the spring when there was still time to reassess the game plan.

The best presentation they've had to offer from Guillermo del Toro's futuristic actioner. It's the same money-shots showcased earlier. Only it finally dawned on them monsters fighting robots wasn't a dealmaker. Focus on the humans.

Unfortunately, this is so late into the campaign (Opens next Friday on the 12th) it isn't going to turn everything around.

Ron Perlman Plays Himself In New Light-Hearted PACIFIC RIM Spot About Black Market Organs

 

In a viral video put out today to expand the PACIFIC RIM universe outside of Jax Teller scowling angrily at CGI Monsters, comes Ron Perlman as Hannibal Chau, a black market salesman who is in essence the guy from the "Mens Warehouse" Commercials; but instead of selling suits, what he's selling are organs, fluids, and parts from the terrifying Kaiju monsters.

Sadly this still isn't Hellboy 3.

Opinion: Kathryn Bigelow for 'Terminator'?

Yeah, I know what you're all thinking: Paula Deen has a better shot at appearing at the BET Awards than Bigelow helming the new Terminator film.  With that said though, hear me out for a minute.

Kathryn Bigelow is undoubtabely the best female filmmaker working today.  I mean really, no one comes close.  Sure, The Hurt Locker won her acclaim and awards, but take a look at her work prior to that.  Good or bad, she has always made exceptionally directed films with a unique style for each one.

Which leads me to Terminator.  Normally, you wouldn't muster a single thought of Bigelow even entertaining the idea of helming a film for a franchise that was created by her ex-husband, James Cameron.  However, the reason I think there might indeed be a small chance this comes to fruition comes down to two words: Megan. Ellison.

Ellison - as you now - is the founder of Annapurna Pictures and owner of the Terminator franchise rights.  She produced and financed Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty and has shown a desire to produce films of quality and substance.  Sure, Ellison might be sharing the financial duties of the new Terminator with her brother David (Skydance Productions) and Paramount Pictures, but make no mistake, Ellison is the one who is calling the shots.  She forked over the cash to win the bidding for the franchise's rights almost two years ago and she's the one who started this whole process.  If there's someone she wants, you bet your ass she'll do everything in her power to get it.

Bigelow, meanwhile, probably would connect well to the Terminator mythology if a certain female character named Sarah Connor is brought back.  Let's be real, when you think of famous heroines in cinema history, Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor is probably in the Top 5 every time, period.  Bigelow would probably love the opportunity to have a strong female presence take center stage in a major production like this.

By the way too, I am not just bringing up Bigelow's name for shits and giggles.  I have read on a few websites now (all who are reliable and report consistent news) that Bigelow's name being brought up jives with what they've heard.  Again, I am not saying she will direct the pic, all I'm saying though is that she definitely is/was considered and would make a great choice to finally gives movie fans a long-awaited great Terminator film.

Guillermo Del Toro Really Into Monsters In New PACIFIC RIM Featurette

 

As the release date to PACIFIC RIM draws closer, we get more and more TV spots and featurettes that are basically "You should know by now if you're seeing this movie, here's more shit" and this one is all about the Kaiju, the monsters that humanity goes toe-to-toe against in WB/Legendary's summer blockbuster due out July 12 (where it will be beat in the box-office by a shitty Adam Sandler movie)

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Christian Bale Reiterates Him and Batman Are Done Professionally

Christian Bale will never hear the end of the Justice League questions. Until he accepts those truckloads of cash or another actor is cast. That didn't stop him from having to reiterate his Batman tenure is over, a year after doing nothing but that during The Dark Knight Rises press tour:

"'We were incredibly fortunate to get to make three [Batman films]. That's enough. Let’s not get greedy,” says Bale, who called EW to promote his upcoming revenge drama Out of the Furnace (in theaters Nov. 27). 'Chris [Nolan] always said he wanted to make it one film at a time. And we ended up sitting there looking at each other, saying 'We're about to make the third.' We never really knew if we were going to get to be there, but if that was how it was going to be, this was where it should end as well.'

The actor says he hasn’t even been involved in official talks about a Justice League movie. 'I have no information, no knowledge about anything. I've literally not had a conversation with a living soul. I understand that they may be making a Justice League movie, that’s it.’ But he says he’s not sad to pass Batman’s cowl into new hands: 'It’s a torch that should be handed from one actor to another. So I enjoy looking forward to what somebody else will come up with.'"

Those rumors earlier this year aside, there has been no wavering. Bale and Christopher Nolan said they were done. Bale saying he was never "officially" in talks, I buy. There shouldn't be any doubt discussions were had, ideas spit-balled and Chinese was order during late night brainstorm sessions at Burbank.

If they're smart, they'll make a play for Joseph Gordon-Levitt. They can have their cake and eat it too. Leave the Bruce Wayne alone but still get to play in the Nolanverse sandbox, especially since Man of Steel was clearly set in the Nolanverse too. Don't let Zack Snyder, David Goyer or Nolan tell you otherwise.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

"The Wolverine" Behind-The-Scenes Featurette

It's July, and that means The Wolverine will be slashing his way into theaters at the end of the month.  Courtesy of the folks at Digital Spy, check out this new behind-the-scenes video detailing Wolverine's upcoming journey to Japan, which is based on the popular 1982 comic series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller:

Advance tickets for The Wolverine went on sale today, and Fandango is giving away a free digital version of the original Japan saga comic if you order your tickets between now and July 21. 

The Wolverine opens in theaters on July 26th.