Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Out @ Daybreakers Reviews

Thanks to everyone who came out to see Daybreakers! It was quite the experience including a few moments of good scare and lots of vampire-related conversation at the Second Cup.

Let's start off with a quick recap of the plot:
"The year is 2019. A mysterious plague has swept over the earth, transforming the majority of the world's population into vampires. Humans are now an endangered, second-class species -- forced into hiding as they are hunted and farmed for vampire consumption to the brink of extinction. It's all up to Edward Dalton, a vampire researcher who refuses to feed on human blood, to perfect a blood substitute that might sustain vampires and spare the few remaining humans. But time and hope are running out -- until Ed meets Audrey, a human survivor who leads him to a startling medical breakthrough. Armed with knowledge that both humans and vampires will kill for, Ed must battle his own kind in a deadly struggle that will decide the fate of the human race."

And what did our moviegoers think?
  • Better than New Moon; an actual vampire movie - Tara H
  • I think it was great movie. I liked it! - Xian W
  • I screamed so f***ing loud in the scary preview (for the "Crazies" car wash scene) that it certainly set the tone for the feature presentation and the rest of the night. I am sure everyone was more entertained because I was scared out of my be-jesus wits. Movies about vampires are really good. I like being human though. I did my last Will and Testament earlier and got me thinking... if I was to die by converting to Vampire, then would I need to execute my Will? - Curtis C
  • Willhem Dafoe chews up the scenery and Sam Neil slurps up the gooey leavings. An interesting vision of what a "world on blood" could look like. I recommend this movie to anyone who's tired of sparkly abusive boyfriend "vampires" and prefer to see that the real monster is the vampire, but the twisted human nature beneath it. Oh, and Ethan Hawke can bite me, seriously. - Curtis L.
Afterwards, we headed down to Second Cup and had discussions regarding various aspects of the movie and vampires. For example, if the vampirism is spread by some sort of disease, why didn't they have reflections? If they had reflections, how could they be recorded on video? When will the vampire movie trend end? Who's sexier; vampires or werewolves? <- that last question depends greatly on which vampires you're considering.

What about February? Right now, there are 5 potential movies:
  • Dear John
  • From Paris with Love
  • The Wolfman
  • Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
  • Valentine's Day
That's it for now. See you soon!

Kirk
Posted by Out @ the Movies at 9:30 PM 0 comments Labels:

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Movies Next Week: January 15 to 23

Hey moviegoers and film fans!

It's been a few weeks since I've done Movies Next Week so I'm publishing this one a day early so you can see some of the movies playing this weekend!

A Single Man
Cost: $8.99
Date/Time: Beginning Friday, January 15th, various times
Location: Oxford Theatre (6408 Quinpool) http://bit.ly/4zB2m7
Behind the Scenes: Tom Ford's directorial debut starring Colin Firth.
The Movie: In Los Angeles 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis George Falconer, a 52 year old British college professor is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long time partner, Jim. George dwells on the past and cannot see his future as we follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters, ultimately lead him to decide if there is a meaning to life after Jim. George is consoled by his closest friend Charley, a 48-year-old beauty who is wrestling with her own questions about the future. A young student of George's, Kenny, who is coming to terms with his true nature, stalks George as he feels in him a kindred spirit. A romantic tale of love interrupted the isolation that is an inherent part of the human condition and ultimately the importance of the seemingly smaller moments in life.
A special note... If you want to see this movie, I highly recommend you go within the first week as movies at the Oxford tend to play for only one week. And this isn't some big box-office-blockbuster like Avatar; it may only last the week.

La Mariée était en noir (The Bride Wore Black)
Cost: Free
Date/Time: Saturday, January 16 @ 7
Location: Alliance Française (5509 Young St)
Behind the Scenes: Practice your French skills by watching this movie with Alliance Française.
The Movie: After trying to commit suicide, the widow Julie Kohler pretends to her mother that she will leave her town. Actually she stays, chases and assassinates the five men that accidentally killed her beloved husband in the stairs of the church immediately after their wedding ceremony.


Platoon
Cost: $6.99
Date/Time: Sunday, January 17 @ 1
Location: The Oxford
Behind the Scenes: ...no idea why they're playing it...
The Movie: A gritty and emotional look at the lives of a platoon of American soldiers as they patrol, fight and die in the jungles of Vietnam as seen through the perspective of a young recruit. Two veteran sergeants clash when one of them precipitates a massacre of villagers.

Mýrin (Jar City)
Cost: Free
Date/Time: Sunday, January 17 @ 2pm
Location: Royal Bank Theatre, Halifax Infirmary, QEII
Behind the Scenes: Presented in part by the Scandinavian Society.
The Movie: An elderly man is found murdered in his basement flat. Inspector Erlendur and his crew don't have much to go by in the investigation, but a photograph of a young girl's grave gives them a lead.

The Soloist
Cost: Free
Date/Time: Tuesday, January 19 @ 7
Location: Royal Bank Theatre, Halifax Infirmary, QEII
Behind the Scenes: Novel Tech Ethics (Dalhousie University) invites you to its fourth film series on the ethics of mental health. The four films have been chosen to highlight specific mental health issues. The screening of each film will be followed by a question and discussion period on the ethical issues provoked by the film. A panel of professionals, chosen for their knowledge and experience of the mental health issues involved, will respond to audience questions and offer further elucidations on the topic.
The Movie: The only thing hurting Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez more than his face from a recent bike accident was his pressing need for story ideas. Then he discovers Nathaniel Ayers, a mentally ill, homeless street musician who possesses extraordinary talent, even through his half-broken instruments. Inspired by his story, Lopez writes an acclaimed series of articles, and attempts to help both him and the rest of the underclass of LA have a better life. However, Lopez's good intentions run headlong in the hard realities of the strength of Ayers' personal demons and the larger social injustices facing the homeless
For more info... http://bit.ly/5dbEXD


Sense and Sensibility
Cost: Free
Date/Time: Tuesday, January 19 @ 8
Location: Dalhousie Art Gallery (6101 University)
Behind the Scenes: Presented as part of the Dalhousie Art Gallery's film series; this was an earlier movie of Ang Lee who went on to direct Brokeback Mountain.
The Movie: With an Oscar-winning script by and starring Emma Thompson, this mid-90s costume drama by Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee set off a vogue for Jane Austen that has yet to abate. The story concerns a worthy but impoverished family who must marry off their daughters into financial stability, possibly at the cost of true love.


Peter Jackson's DEAD/ALIVE & BLOOD SHED
Date/Time: Thursday, January 21 @ 9
Behind the Scenes: It's the return of The Thrillema! Thrillema's goal? Bringing 35mm prints of cult films to Dartmouth. They've returned after a far-too-long hiatus with two wonderfully gory flicks! First up: the locally produced short Blood Shed. Following that is the main feature, Peter Jackson's Dead/Alive AKA Brainded. If you haven't experienced Thrillema yet, this will be a great introduction!
The Movie:
  • Blood Shed - Bizarre, bloody, exploitative tale of two Acadian brothers who snort drugs, shoot guns, and go berserk in the eastern Canadian woods.
  • Dead/Alive - Poor Lionel. He lives with his mother and has just fallen in love. When his mother tries to destroy the relationship between Lionel and Paquita, his new girlfriend, she ends up bitten by a rare monkey. Lionel's mother soon dies and, not long after, his house becomes zombie central.


That's it for now! Have a fun time at the cinema, kids!

Kirk


Posted by Out @ the Movies at 7:00 AM 0 comments Labels:

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

You're invited to Out @ Daybreakers

Well, after two rounds of voting and 60% of the final tally, our decisive winner is...
DAYBREAKERS
THE PLAN: We'll head out on Tuesday the 19th to Park Lane. We'll start gathering at 6 by the arcade. Around 6:20, we'll head in to grab our seats before the movie starts at 6:35. Tickets are $8.99 for adults and can be pre-purchased online. After the movie, we'll head down to our local Second Cup to have a nice cup of cocoa (or coffee or tea) and have a nice chat about the movie. Doesn't that sound lovely?
If this is your first time coming look for Kirk (that's me!) in an orange ball cap. You can share the blog with your friends (http://bit.ly/6ovIFi) or RSVP to the facebook event (http://facebook.com/event.php?eid=277792310476).

THE MOVIE: "The year is 2019. A mysterious plague has swept over the earth, transforming the majority of the world's population into vampires. Humans are now an endangered, second-class species -- forced into hiding as they are hunted and farmed for vampire consumption to the brink of extinction. It's all up to Edward Dalton, a vampire researcher who refuses to feed on human blood, to perfect a blood substitute that might sustain vampires and spare the few remaining humans. But time and hope are running out -- until Ed meets Audrey, a human survivor who leads him to a startling medical breakthrough. Armed with knowledge that both humans and vampires will kill for, Ed must battle his own kind in a deadly struggle that will decide the fate of the human race."

THE MOTIVATION: In case you were wondering why 60% of the votes went to this looks-to-be-amazing movie, here are the Top 10 Reasons to see Daybreakers:
10. The makers of the movie hosted a contest in Worth1000.com (famous photo manipulation-contest site) to come up with images of how the world would look if nearly everyone were a vampire
9. Vampires. Almost everyone is one.
8. The vampires are the majority and when was the last time you saw a movie where that was the case?
7. Other movies toy with the idea of humanity losing to evil, this one shows what would happen next.
6. The first vampire movie of the year.
5. The brothers who directed Daybreakers also did the outstanding "zombie" movie Undead.
4. Roger Ebert gave it !
3. Willem Dafoe. ...As a good guy? That almost never happens!
2. Ethan Hawke.
1. ...Vampires that don't "sparkle."

THE TRAILER:


Looking forward to seeing all of you at our first outing of 2010!

Kirk
Posted by Out @ the Movies at 7:20 PM 0 comments Labels:

Monday, January 11, 2010

January 19th - Round 2

Well, moviegoers, we have a bit of a conundrum. The poll for next week is supposed to close tomorrow. But over the last several months I've realized practically no one votes on the last day. So I thought I'd check the results and get an idea who was in the lead.

What I discovered is that no one movie was in the lead!

Here is how the numbers broke down:
  • Daybreakers 30%
  • The Lovely Bones 30%
  • Youth in Revolt 20%
  • Leap Year 10%
  • The Book of Eli 10%
  • The Spy Next Door 0%

So I'm going to mix things up a bit and eliminate the bottom three and re-open the poll. For just two days to decide an ultimate winner. I'll close the poll Wednesday evening, announce our movie choice and send out invitations.

Cast your vote to make a decisive victory:
(Can't see the poll? Go to http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2504846/)
Posted by Out @ the Movies at 9:16 PM 0 comments Labels:

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

January 19


Hey moviegoers!

Let's start of 2010 with another movie outing! We've got 6 different movies to consider for our movie outing on Tuesday, January 19th.

Our first candidate is a comedy starring Michael Cera...
Youth in Revolt

The Movie: "Youth in Revolt" is the irreverent story about the wild adventures of a teenage boy named Nick Twisp who meets the girl of his dreams while on a family vacation and has to turn his life and the lives of all those around him upside down in order to be with her.
The Cast: Michael Cera. ...And some other people.
The Reasons:
  • Michael Cera co-starring with Michael Cera
  • Who hasn't had the urge to be bad every now and again?
  • Now you can find out how that might work out for you....
  • What better way to start the year than with a good laugh?
The Trailer:

Interested in something a little more in the vampire/sci-fi vein? Consider voting for...
Daybreakers

The Movie: The year is 2019. A mysterious plague has swept over the earth, transforming the majority of the world's population into vampires. Humans are now an endangered, second-class species -- forced into hiding as they are hunted and farmed for vampire consumption to the brink of extinction. It's all up to Edward Dalton, a vampire researcher who refuses to feed on human blood, to perfect a blood substitute that might sustain vampires and spare the few remaining humans. But time and hope are running out -- until Ed meets Audrey, a human survivor who leads him to a startling medical breakthrough. Armed with knowledge that both humans and vampires will kill for, Ed must battle his own kind in a deadly struggle that will decide the fate of the human race.
The Cast: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Isabel Lucas, Jay Laga'aia, Vince Colosimo, Claudia Karvan, Christopher Kirby, Renai Caruso, Michael Dorman
The Reasons:
  • Vampires as the dominant species!
  • Willem Dafoe as a good guy!
  • The first vampire movie of 2010!
  • Vampires that don't "sparkle" in the daylight.
The Trailer:



Maybe you'd prefer a classic romantic comedy? Then you should vote for...
Leap Year

The Movie: "Leap Year" follows one woman's determined quest to get married to the perfect guy, despite what fate has in store for her. When their four-year anniversary passes without a marriage proposal, Anna decides to take matters into her own hands. Investing in an Irish tradition that allows women to propose to men on Feb. 29, Anna decides to follow her boyfriend Jeremy to Dublin and get down on one knee herself. But airplanes, weather and fate leave Anna stranded on the other side of Ireland, and she must enlist the help of handsome and surly Declan to get her across the country. As Anna and Declan bicker across the Emerald Isle, they discover that the road to love can take you to very unexpected places.
The Cast: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Kaitlin Olson, Adam Scott, Peter O'Meara, Michael J. Reynolds, Martin Sherman, Annika Hammerton, Flaminia Cinque, John Burke
The Reasons:
  • Amy Adams is charming (and not hard on the eyes).
  • Matthew Goode is easy on the eyes (and charming).
  • Classic road trip meets romantic comedy!
The Trailer:


How about a supernatural murder mystery/drama? That would be...
The Lovely Bones

The Movie: A young girl, who has been murdered, watches over her family -- and her killer -- from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.
The Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Saoirse Ronan, Michael Imperioli, Amanda Michalka, Nikki SooHoo, Rose McIver, Carolyn Dando
The Reasons:
  • Look at that cast!
  • Based on the best-selling novel.
  • Murder, mystery and a glimpse of heaven? All in one movie!
The Trailer:



If you're craving some post-Apocalyptic action, you'll probably vote for...
The Book of Eli

The Movie: In the not-too-distant future, across the wasteland of what once was America, a lone warrior (Washington) must fight to bring civilization the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption and save the future of humanity.
The Cast: Mila Kunis, Gary Oldman, Denzel Washington, Malcolm McDowell, Michael Gambon, Jennifer Beals, Ray Stevenson, Tom Waits, Lateef Crowder, Chris Browning
The Reasons:
  • Denzel Washington is kicking @$$ and taking names!
  • The first post-apocalyptic movie of 2010 (unless you count Daybreakers).
  • What is that book all about anyway?!?
The Trailer:


Maybe you're just looking for some good old-fashioned family-friendly physical comedy. If that's the case, then your choice would be...
The Spy Next Door

The Movie: Bob Ho is an undercover CIA super spy who decides to give up his career in espionage to settle down with his next-door neighbor and girlfriend, Gillian. But, Bob has one more mission to complete before Gillian agrees to marry him: winning over her three opinionated kids. When Gillian suddenly has to leave town, Bob volunteers to baby sit the children so he can earn their approval. But, when one of the kids mistakenly downloads a top-secret formula from his computer, Bob's archenemy, a Russian terrorist, moves in for the attack, forcing Bob to juggle the roles of spy and prospective stepfather in the most challenging mission of his career!
The Cast: Jackie Chan, Amber Valletta, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lucas Till, George Lopez, Magnús Scheving, Madeline Carroll, Katherine Boecher, Jeff Chase, David Mattey
The Reasons:
  • Jackie Chan is one of the best modern physical comedians!
  • A good old-fashioned "fish out of water" scenario with hijinks and high-kicks.
  • What the heck is Billy Ray Cyrus doing in this movie anyway?
The Trailer:


Vote now! The poll will close Tuesday the 12th at 8 p.m. (approximately).


(Can't see the poll? Go to http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2474278/)

Posted by Out @ the Movies at 9:30 PM 0 comments Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)