According to Entertainment Weekly, Matthew Lillard is looking to be the latest edition to Trouble With the Curve. Lillard, as a young baseball scout, will be working with Clint Eastwood’s character, an aging scout losing his eyesight. The EW article states that Eastwood is working with his longtime production partner and Director Robert Lorenz. Amy Adams will star as Eastwood’s daughter.

Love the new suit, cannot wait for the new graphics, not too sure about Andrew Garfield and yet I’m waiting breathlessly for the new The Amazing Spiderman. Head to Super Hero Hype to check out the full press conference.

 Loading ...

Who are the Toughest Action Characters? Join Doug and Craig as they countdown their top 10. Did your favorite make the cut? Or did our picks miss the mark! Leave a comment or send us an email! Special thanks to jewelbeat.com for our opening and closing music

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Elegant Simplicity, rustic charm and unassuming characters blend to make this wonderful film a nice break from the typical. Le Havre is the story of a young boy smuggled into Normandy from Africa with his grandfather. The boy escapes but the grandfather, and several others, are rounded up from the cargo container in which they arrived. The second busiest port city in France, Le Havre is apparently a center for people smuggling and has a very active immigration police and deportation policies.

The youngster is found by Marcel Marx (André Wilms), a street shoe shiner with a child-like view of life: work hard, cherish your loved ones and enjoy the small pleasures. His wife Arletty (Kati Outinen) is the practical one. She saves for the future, eats sparingly, so Marcel doesn’t have to, and manages to keep them both alive. Unfortunately Arletty is sick, very sick. Without a miracle, according to the hospital’s Doctor Becker (Pierre Étaix), she will die. Arletty’s first thought is to protect her husband. She tells him she will be fine but he needs to not see her for two weeks so she can recover.

Marcel, on his own, manages to get himself involved in helping the boy, Idrissa (Blondin Miguel), not out of some idealistic notion but simply because the boy needs it. That’s what makes the film so good. Everyone gets involved for the same reason, because Idrissa needs it. The green grocer (owed money by Marx), the baker (also owed money) and the local bar owner (probably owed a lot) all help him hide Idrissa, feed him and keep him out of trouble.

There’s a wonderful scene, and very French, where Marcel enlists the aid of Yvette, the wife of popular singer Little Bob. Marcel wants Little Bob to do a “trendy” concert to raise money. The concert money will pay to send Idrissa to London where his mother waits for him. Marx presents his cause, introduces Idrissa and touches Yvette’s heart. She agrees, all Little Bob has to do is apologize and the reuniting of Little Bob and Yvette is, like the film, elegant simplicity.

Ah, and there’s a surprising performance by Jean-Pierre Darroussin as the seemingly evil inspector Monet. Complete with the black hat, black trench coat and rather black look on his face he looks to be an dark version of Inspector Clouseau, but is he? You’ll have to see the film, but I will say that Darroussin’s performance was a delight as was the entire film. Not since Il Postino have I enjoyed a subtitled film so much. Like a simple French pastry with a wonderful creamy filling such is Le Havre.

A little warning: Le Havre seems like a film from the fifties. The clothing, the furniture and architecture and even the hair styles all seem very much a throwback. Even the constant smoking hearken to an earlier age, which could be disturbing to some, but hopefully will not spoil the film for you.

Finally, Le Havre is about the dilemma that many of the western nations face. The separation of mass undocumented immigration with the helping of the “illegal” alien you find in your own backyard. I believe that most of us would have helped feed Idrissa, clothed him and given him a place to stay, perhaps even helped him on his way. I would, would you?

Rating 5 stars out of five (and a glass of Bordeaux).

Once again were back to help you add to your Netflix instant que!! Sometimes you need a little nudge and we’re happy to help. Leave a comment with your picks.

Doug’s Pick – Rollerball: This movie is proof again that the original is almost always better than the remake. James Caan stars as Jonathan E. the greatest player ever in the ultra violent sport of Rollerball. His popularity reaches a level that threatens those in control of the game and society to take drastic measures to stop him!

Melissa’s Pick – Insidious: Insidious brought back memories of the way I felt many years ago watching poltergeist. Although it may have some of the same characteristics, this movie will keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the end.

D.J.’s Pick – At The Earth’s Core: This is a fun movie from 1976 that’s based off of an Edgar Rice Burroughs book. It stars Doug McClure, Caroline Munro and Peter Cushing. I loved this movie as a kid. It’s a cool adventure with lots of monsters. The CGI generation probably won’t like this because the monsters are all of the men-in-rubber-suit variety. I place this movie in the Doug McClure Quadrilogy which includes The Land that Time Forgot, People That Time Forgot and Warlords of Atlantis, all of them really cool movies.

Join Craig for a quick review of this hidden gem of a movie! If you’re lucky enough to find it let us know what you thought. Leave a comment or send us an email.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Is it Sci-Fi? Horror? Fantasy? I don’t know but the trailer is thrilling and certainly piqued my interest. The Cabin in the Woods seems a confusing mess with elements of Dreamcatcher, Cabin Fever, Star Trek and even Halloween, among others, all mixed together. With Drew Goddard (Cloverfield, Lost and Alias) at the helm (and co-writing) I think it’s a real worry. Goddard’s work stretches the envelope beyond recognition, but, with Joss Whedon’s strong presence (and balance), The Cabin in the Woods could be that most unusual film: one that blends genres to make a synergistic whole. Whedon’s Firefly/Serenity did that brilliantly. It bodes well that SXSW has chosen it for opening night!

I’m cautiously optimistic even after having seen the trailer. Check it out:

This trailer is just weird enough to fascinate me. Billed as a version of the Kaspar Hauser story: the tale of a boy that disappeared in childhood and reappeared with no explanation as an adult, the film stars cult film’s Vincent Gallo. If nothing else it is a rather odd story and the boy could have been kidnapped by aliens (or am I watching too much Dr. Who?). Dancing with spacecraft anyone?

Today is Friday the 13th and what better way to celebrate than to sit down with one of my favorite horror franchises. I remember the first time I saw Friday the 13th on HBO back in the 80’s. My dad gave me the blessing to watch it one night (he wasn’t the biggest fan of slashers). I remember being so giddy, watching the clock and waiting for the time when the movie would start. Leading up to that night, I remember flipping through Fangoria magazine and hearing the older kids talk about it. I wasn’t disappointed! The music is unforgettable. Tom Savini’s ghoulish effects were awesome! It was the beginning of a series that would stretch over the years with 10 movies, a remake, a mashup with Freddy, documentaries, and an “in-name only” television series.
My favorite of the franchise is Part 2. The body count doubled and the potato sack Jason freaked me out. I watched Part 2 late at night when my parents were gone and when Jason crashed through the window at the end I leaped out of my chair. I was freaked out for days.
I met Kane Hodder at Horror Hound Weekend and he was a real cool dude (see picture above of him crushing my throat). Kane’s portrayal of Jason is a fan favorite.
So grab your favorite Friday film and watch it tonight. Just make sure your house is locked up tight. Cheers.

In this episode Doug, Craig and DJ discuss the movies their looking forward to see in the new year. Let us know what  movies you’re looking forward to see in 2012  leave a comment or send us an email! special thanks to jewelbeat.com for our opening and closing music.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS