Movies

Jonathan Liebesman May Direct Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The earliest memory of being at a movie theater I have is going to see the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. In particular, me laughing at an animatronic baby turtle jumping up and down, shouting “Radical!” So, hearing news that there is some forward movement with the new movie brings a heart-warming sense of nostalgia.

Jonathan Liebesman, the director of   Clash of the TitansWrath of the Titans, and Battle: Los Angeles, is in line to be the director of the Platinum Dunes and Paramount production of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Most other deatils about the movie are still vauge at this point. What we do know is that this will be sort of a re-imagining or reboot of the series. You can expect the Foot Clan to be in it, along with April O’Neil and Casey Jones. It’s also likely that it will be real human actors interacting with CGI ninja turtles and rats.

Should Jonathan Liebesman sign on for the movie, he says that there aren’t many kinks in the script to work out. So that means we can start hearing about a cast sooner rather than later. Who do you think will fit well into the movie? Give us your thoughts.

Brian Taylor Writing and Directing a Twisted Metal Movie

Okay. I know I’ve already made it clear that I’m a fan of the Twisted Metal franchise. So how can I not talk about Brian Taylor writing and directing a Twisted Metal movie? I’ve crunched the numbers, and, as it turns out, it’s not possible.

We’ve already gotten a pretty decent fan-made trailer, and that’s enough just to whet our appetite, but fans will need more now that the new game just dropped. So, now we’ll be getting an honest-to-god movie by the guy behind both Crank movies, Gamer, and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence. While I haven’t seen any of those movies, it’s to my understanding that they are pretty over-the-top. That seems like it would be a perfect fit for a Twisted Metal movie, because, I’m not sure if you realize this, a bunch of cars that have machine guns and rockets attached to them is pretty over-the-top as it is.

Granted, this will be a video game, and those don’t have the best track record. In fact, talking about them tends to make us rage quit our podcast. Be that as it may, Twisted Metal does have a solid universe behind it, that can be melded into an interesting movie plot if it’s done correctly. That’s a big “if,” but you can bet that I will be following this thing closely before I decide whether or not I will drop my hard-earned money on seeing it.

Who am I kidding. I’ll see it even if it’s garbage.

REVIEW: Safe House

Tobin Frost, played by Denzel Washington is a rogue CIA agent that has been dark for several years until he suddenly pops up on radar and turns himself in to an American Embassy. He is brought to a safe house for interrogation. Matt Weston, played by Ryan Reynolds is a young CIA agent charged with watching the safe house that the CIA brings Frost to. If you have watched a trailer for this movie then you know what eventually happens. The house gets attacked, and it’s up to Matt to bring Frost in. Safe House grabs you from the moment we meet Frost, and it quickly jumps from action beat to action beat. However, too much action can be a bad thing, and Safe House somehow manages to walk the line of intense and boring at the same time.

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REVIEW: The Grey

The Grey is about an Alaskan oil drilling team that is involved in a plane crash. The survivors are quickly hunted by a pack of wolves that seems them as easy prey. Let me start by saying that this movie has some bad marketing attached to it. My initial thought when I saw the trailers for this movie was, Liam Neeson dancing with wolves in only a way that Liam can… With his fists covered in broken glass. Even after seeing this film I am very reluctant to tell people that this is not the case because I want people to still watch this movie. The Grey is so much more than an action movie. It is easily one of my favorite movies of the early 2012 campaign.

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The Lost Level Round Table: Chronicle

Welcome to another exciting installment of The Lost Level Round Table discussion a.k.a. the “spoilercast”. In this episode… the guys are reviewing Josh Trank’s first feature film: Chronicle. Is it truly a sleeper hit and one of 2012′s finest movies so far? Or is it simply another gimmicky, found-footage film filled with shaky cams and ho-hum thrills? And, seriously, do we still need a bastardized Hollywood live adaptation of Akira at this point? Tune in!

Just a heads up – this is a spoiler heavy episode! So if you haven’t seen Chronicle yet, then this is NOT the podcast for you. You have (obviously) been warned.

The Amazing Spider-Man Official Trailer

 

A lot can be said about the Spider-Man franchise. Emo Peter in the third film might have set the franchise back. I know a lot of people that question if this reboot was needed so soon. The guys here at Lost Level were split on the decision to bring Spidey back for another go. The fresh blood, and the darker tone set in this trailer has shifted my interest meter from ‘Meh’ to ‘Intrigued’. I think this film has some potential to kick some serious butt. I still don’t understand the need to promote this as the ‘Untold Story’, but if it helps with the marketing then so be it.

What do you think? Are you ready for another Spider-Man movie? Share your thoughts.

 

 

REVIEW: Underworld: Awakening

 

Kate Beckensale is back as Selene in the fourth installment to the Underworld franchise. Underworld: Awakening begins six months after the events of Underworld: Evolution. Humans have discovered the existence of Vampires and Lycans (Werewolves). They begin a war against both races, trying to eradicate the species. In an attempt to escape, Selene and Michael are on the run, but are captured. We flash forward 12 years to Selene waking up from a cryogenic slumber. From the opening scene this does not feel like an Underworld movie. Everything feels off. Underworld has always had an interesting premise, and I liked the universe they created. Underworld: Awakening does its best to completely ignore the grittiness, and tone it has established in previous films.

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REVIEW: Contraband

Contraband is the latest in a long line of paint by number action/thrillers. Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) is an ex-smuggler that got out of the game for love. His love interest is his wife Kate (Kate Beckinsale). The limited screen time together, and chemistry makes their relationship non believable. Chris’s relationship with his best friend Sebastian Abney (Ben Foster) is better established, and has some genuine feeling during the time in the film they are trying to assemble a crew to go on another smuggling run because Chris’s brother-in-law, Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) gets in over his head, and it’s up to Chris to bail him out. There are a couple tense scenes, but they are too few and far between to make this movie and better than your typical movie going fare.

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The Dark Knight Rises Prologue Impressions

Nope, you’re not going to find any footage description(s) or any spoilery stuff in this entry. Why should I, anyway, in the first place? Do you seriously want to be spoiled?! Reading anything remotely related to the ultra-amazing-omg 6 minute prologue and watching it is the equivalent of say… trading an Xbox 360 over a PlayStation 2 because the Madden football game you-oh-so-love isn’t available for the 360.

Or something along those lines.

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