The studio is also keen on keeping this centered on one story, rather than an anthology like the 1983 film. So, are you excited about a new Twilight Zone? Me? Hell yes. I just recently picked up the original series on Blu-Ray. With the visuals and technology available today, an update could be stunning.
Via Variety.
The studio is also keen on keeping this centered on one story, rather than an anthology like the 1983 film. So, are you excited about a new Twilight Zone? Me? Hell yes. I just recently picked up the original series on Blu-Ray. With the visuals and technology available today, an update could be stunning.
Via Variety.
To make a long story short, we start with a group of cliched college kids, the likes of which we've seen a thousand times before, who're about to set off for a weekend vacation on a remote Island in the Louisiana bayou. You've got your token African-American guy (who is almost shockingly stereotyped...hint, he was dirt poor now he's rich for being able to play basketball), you're spunky tattooed chick, the faux-tanned, faux-hawked jock, the sweet naive girl and the gentlemen whose head over heels in love with her. Arriving at the island, the gang decide to dive into the fun, with a spot of wakeboarding and beer. Shortly into their trip out on the lake, token-black-guy gets his arm torn off by a tiger shark (we do not see this). The group try to get him to safety, only for their only means of escape to hit some conveniently placed gas tanks, blowing the boat to pieces. Cue the next victim's brutal demise (nope, don't see this either) and so on and so forth. For the record, I sincerely don't mean this to sound like a lazy or cheap review. Shark Night literally begins, we see the first murder and this is repeated for 75 minutes or so until the film just kind of comes to a close.
Rounding out the cast are The OC's Chris Carmack as the bayou's handsome redneck, Donal Logue as the bayou's scruffy redneck and Joshua Leonard as the bayou's illiterate redneck. The performers all take the material far too seriously, giving the film a very awkward feeling. Instead of the fun turns from actors in last year's Piranha, here we have actors spout out ridiculous dialogue complete with blank stares. Shark Night is apparently very serious business, everybody.
For all it's negatives, Shark Night has one positive. But it's pretty spoilerific, so I can't say it here, but let's just say that it's a tip of the hat to an old, oft-banned 80's horror franchise. As a big genre fan it was neat to see it. I wish I could just tell you what it is, alas, as someone might construe this as a positive review, I don't want the ending spoiled for them.
What's so surprising about the film is the fact that it's coming from director David R. Ellis. His previous productions, Final Destination 2, Cellular & Snakes On A Plane, were all big, dumb fun. Sure, they aren't the best, but each carries a sly wit about it that makes them thoroughly entertaining. In all honesty, I have no fucking idea what happened here. Ellis should have turned out something that was a total blast to sit through, not an incredibly frustrating, tedious and all-round bad film. From it's CGI shark fins, to it's teasing censorship, all the way to the pointless 3D, Shark Night is a complete failure. Avoid.
To make a long story short, we start with a group of cliched college kids, the likes of which we've seen a thousand times before, who're about to set off for a weekend vacation on a remote Island in the Louisiana bayou. You've got your token African-American guy (who is almost shockingly stereotyped...hint, he was dirt poor now he's rich for being able to play basketball), you're spunky tattooed chick, the faux-tanned, faux-hawked jock, the sweet naive girl and the gentlemen whose head over heels in love with her. Arriving at the island, the gang decide to dive into the fun, with a spot of wakeboarding and beer. Shortly into their trip out on the lake, token-black-guy gets his arm torn off by a tiger shark (we do not see this). The group try to get him to safety, only for their only means of escape to hit some conveniently placed gas tanks, blowing the boat to pieces. Cue the next victim's brutal demise (nope, don't see this either) and so on and so forth. For the record, I sincerely don't mean this to sound like a lazy or cheap review. Shark Night literally begins, we see the first murder and this is repeated for 75 minutes or so until the film just kind of comes to a close.
Rounding out the cast are The OC's Chris Carmack as the bayou's handsome redneck, Donal Logue as the bayou's scruffy redneck and Joshua Leonard as the bayou's illiterate redneck. The performers all take the material far too seriously, giving the film a very awkward feeling. Instead of the fun turns from actors in last year's Piranha, here we have actors spout out ridiculous dialogue complete with blank stares. Shark Night is apparently very serious business, everybody.
For all it's negatives, Shark Night has one positive. But it's pretty spoilerific, so I can't say it here, but let's just say that it's a tip of the hat to an old, oft-banned 80's horror franchise. As a big genre fan it was neat to see it. I wish I could just tell you what it is, alas, as someone might construe this as a positive review, I don't want the ending spoiled for them.
What's so surprising about the film is the fact that it's coming from director David R. Ellis. His previous productions, Final Destination 2, Cellular & Snakes On A Plane, were all big, dumb fun. Sure, they aren't the best, but each carries a sly wit about it that makes them thoroughly entertaining. In all honesty, I have no fucking idea what happened here. Ellis should have turned out something that was a total blast to sit through, not an incredibly frustrating, tedious and all-round bad film. From it's CGI shark fins, to it's teasing censorship, all the way to the pointless 3D, Shark Night is a complete failure. Avoid.
Twihard screech. Here’s the latest poster for Twilight Breaking Dawn Part one which lands in November, with part two in November 2012. There’s not a great deal more to say here…in any case you probably haven’t even made it this far. Stop your drooling
Synopsis: The Quileute and the Volturi close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven.
Via Shockya
Twihard screech. Here’s the latest poster for Twilight Breaking Dawn Part one which lands in November, with part two in November 2012. There’s not a great deal more to say here…in any case you probably haven’t even made it this far. Stop your drooling
Synopsis: The Quileute and the Volturi close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven.
Via Shockya
September and October usually offer some refuge for cinema fans sick of seeing aliens shooting robots, wizards or vampires. Films out this month like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Drive are a refreshing change from the summer fare that have managed to impress and, in the case of the spy drama, succeed at the box office too. Can The Debt, which aims for a similarly cerebral feel with a dash of action, be added to the ranks? Well, yes, actually.
Written by X-Men First Class director Matthew Vaughn and directed by John Madden, The Debt is a clever, novel and interesting little thriller that manages to feel fresh and engaging throughout. The setup in deceptively simple – in 1965, three agents of Mossad (Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain and Martin Csokas) are tasked with killing a deadly Nazi known as the Surgeon of Birkenau, and seemingly manage to pull it off successfully, making them national heroes whether they deserved it or not However fast forward to 1997 where the trio – played by Ciaran Hinds, Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson and the reality of what actually happened constantly plagues them and hangs over them.
As you can see, it’s not the most complex scenario but it’s cleverly done, and manages to have a good few surprises up it’s sleeve. The casting in general is very good – particularly Hinds and Chastain, both of whom are having big years after the release of Tree of Life and Tinker Tailor – and a for a film that could quite easily have turned into some direct-to-dvd affair it’s well directed and technically very good, with the sixties scenes looking especially impressive. Sure, some of the action and more frenetic scenes may be in debt (I’m so sorry) to a lot of other action movies like Salt, Bourne etc, but overall the movie manages to have it’s own identity and is very memorable – mainly because there are no big heroes here, instead we get a depiction of three very real and very human characters, and the anguish they’ve had to live with is conveyed extremely well. As a result, the film is sorely lacking in laughs or any sense of fun, but much like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, you’re hopefully too drawn into the storyline and characters to notice. Without wanting to venture into the murky waters of spoiler territory, the film succeeds in having a great conclusion following some increased action and it’s a very satisfying payoff.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Debt – apparently it’s been on the shelf for quite a while before release – but thanks to some generally spot-on casting, a pretty unique setting and a gripping storyline it has emerged as one of my surprise highlights of this time of the year.
September and October usually offer some refuge for cinema fans sick of seeing aliens shooting robots, wizards or vampires. Films out this month like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Drive are a refreshing change from the summer fare that have managed to impress and, in the case of the spy drama, succeed at the box office too. Can The Debt, which aims for a similarly cerebral feel with a dash of action, be added to the ranks? Well, yes, actually.
Written by X-Men First Class director Matthew Vaughn and directed by John Madden, The Debt is a clever, novel and interesting little thriller that manages to feel fresh and engaging throughout. The setup in deceptively simple – in 1965, three agents of Mossad (Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain and Martin Csokas) are tasked with killing a deadly Nazi known as the Surgeon of Birkenau, and seemingly manage to pull it off successfully, making them national heroes whether they deserved it or not However fast forward to 1997 where the trio – played by Ciaran Hinds, Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson and the reality of what actually happened constantly plagues them and hangs over them.
As you can see, it’s not the most complex scenario but it’s cleverly done, and manages to have a good few surprises up it’s sleeve. The casting in general is very good – particularly Hinds and Chastain, both of whom are having big years after the release of Tree of Life and Tinker Tailor – and a for a film that could quite easily have turned into some direct-to-dvd affair it’s well directed and technically very good, with the sixties scenes looking especially impressive. Sure, some of the action and more frenetic scenes may be in debt (I’m so sorry) to a lot of other action movies like Salt, Bourne etc, but overall the movie manages to have it’s own identity and is very memorable – mainly because there are no big heroes here, instead we get a depiction of three very real and very human characters, and the anguish they’ve had to live with is conveyed extremely well. As a result, the film is sorely lacking in laughs or any sense of fun, but much like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, you’re hopefully too drawn into the storyline and characters to notice. Without wanting to venture into the murky waters of spoiler territory, the film succeeds in having a great conclusion following some increased action and it’s a very satisfying payoff.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Debt – apparently it’s been on the shelf for quite a while before release – but thanks to some generally spot-on casting, a pretty unique setting and a gripping storyline it has emerged as one of my surprise highlights of this time of the year.
The first trailer for new crime thriller Contraband has hit online. Contraband stars Mark Wahlberg as a former crook, trying to go straight as a security guard. However it's not long before his old life catches up with him, and when his families life is threatened he gets sucked back into the world of crime. A remake of Icelandic film Reykjavik-Rotterdam, Contraband is being directed by Baltasar Kormakur who played Wahlberg's role in the original.
The first trailer for new crime thriller Contraband has hit online. Contraband stars Mark Wahlberg as a former crook, trying to go straight as a security guard. However it's not long before his old life catches up with him, and when his families life is threatened he gets sucked back into the world of crime. A remake of Icelandic film Reykjavik-Rotterdam, Contraband is being directed by Baltasar Kormakur who played Wahlberg's role in the original.
Welcome to the First Cut! Youth Film Festival,
taking place this year, with Cinemobile, ‘bringing
the magic of the movies to your doorstep’
When: Saturday& Sunday, October 1st&2nd,
2011-09-26
Time: Saturday: 1.30 – 9:30 p.m. & Sunday:
12.00 – 7:00 p.m. – Screenings,
Workshops, Animation, Acting for Screen, Panel Discussion& Filmmaker
Q&A
Cost: €5.00 Season ticket or €2 per screening
Where: Cinemobile,
Glanmire Community College Grounds, Glanmire Co
A wonderful
showcase of films and events have been lined up including drama, documentary,
comedy, animation, horror and artistic/experimental films made by local,
national and international young filmmakers under 21 who submitted their films
in response to an Open Call.
Due
to the overwhelming number of entries this year, a selection of twenty eight
films was made with great difficulty by professional filmmakers from
films are of a high standard and we think you will really enjoy them!
is a great opportunity for young filmmakers to showcase their work, We are
delighted to bring together young filmmakers, film buffs and professional
filmmakers to share their ideas and knowledge.
Films at the Festival include Award Winning My
Brothers, ( Will Collins, Timmy
Creed& Niall Owen will take part in a panel discussion/Q&A Session) and Disco Pigs,(Cillian Murphy, Kirsten
Sheridan), both films have strong
International feature films
include Project Nim,( From the team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee
who in the 1970s became the focus of a landmark experiment which aimed to show
that an ape could learn to communicate with language if raised and nurtured
like a human child.) and The Illusionist, (a stunning animated
film).
Workshops
Pascal Scott, well known actor, Kilnascully fame, & Patrick O Shea, Glounthaune Filmmaker
are giving an Acting for Screen
Workshop on Sunday morning.
This should be
great fun & opportunity to learn from the professionals.
Also Animation Workshop for young filmmakers from Jane Lee, 1
1/2 hours, on Saturday 1st.
Both take place
in
Funding/
Sponsers: This is a non profit event, with funding from The Arts Council,
The Festival has
been generously by SuperValu Glanmire.
The Film Project
Nim is sponsored by Monkey Maze, Glanmire.
It features
films made by young people for everyone.
“As I reflect over the past year I can see that First Cut!
Film Project& Festival has really come into its own: short films have never
been more popular, we have never showcased so many films and the quality is
really good. Film is a powerful tool of communication and imagination, and
young people really make their own of it. We think you will be inspired by the
shorts made by young people and equally by the award winning features we have
chosen for this Festival.” Mary Mc Grath, First Cut! Festival 2011
Mary Mc Grath
First Cut! Youth
Film Festival
0353868139019
cfcfirstcut.blogspot.com
The First Cut! Youth Film Festival working
in association with
Welcome to the First Cut! Youth Film Festival,
taking place this year, with Cinemobile, ‘bringing
the magic of the movies to your doorstep’
When: Saturday& Sunday, October 1st&2nd,
2011-09-26
Time: Saturday: 1.30 – 9:30 p.m. & Sunday:
12.00 – 7:00 p.m. – Screenings,
Workshops, Animation, Acting for Screen, Panel Discussion& Filmmaker
Q&A
Cost: €5.00 Season ticket or €2 per screening
Where: Cinemobile,
Glanmire Community College Grounds, Glanmire Co
A wonderful
showcase of films and events have been lined up including drama, documentary,
comedy, animation, horror and artistic/experimental films made by local,
national and international young filmmakers under 21 who submitted their films
in response to an Open Call.
Due
to the overwhelming number of entries this year, a selection of twenty eight
films was made with great difficulty by professional filmmakers from
films are of a high standard and we think you will really enjoy them!
is a great opportunity for young filmmakers to showcase their work, We are
delighted to bring together young filmmakers, film buffs and professional
filmmakers to share their ideas and knowledge.
Films at the Festival include Award Winning My
Brothers, ( Will Collins, Timmy
Creed& Niall Owen will take part in a panel discussion/Q&A Session) and Disco Pigs,(Cillian Murphy, Kirsten
Sheridan), both films have strong
International feature films
include Project Nim,( From the team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee
who in the 1970s became the focus of a landmark experiment which aimed to show
that an ape could learn to communicate with language if raised and nurtured
like a human child.) and The Illusionist, (a stunning animated
film).
Workshops
Pascal Scott, well known actor, Kilnascully fame, & Patrick O Shea, Glounthaune Filmmaker
are giving an Acting for Screen
Workshop on Sunday morning.
This should be
great fun & opportunity to learn from the professionals.
Also Animation Workshop for young filmmakers from Jane Lee, 1
1/2 hours, on Saturday 1st.
Both take place
in
Funding/
Sponsers: This is a non profit event, with funding from The Arts Council,
The Festival has
been generously by SuperValu Glanmire.
The Film Project
Nim is sponsored by Monkey Maze, Glanmire.
It features
films made by young people for everyone.
“As I reflect over the past year I can see that First Cut!
Film Project& Festival has really come into its own: short films have never
been more popular, we have never showcased so many films and the quality is
really good. Film is a powerful tool of communication and imagination, and
young people really make their own of it. We think you will be inspired by the
shorts made by young people and equally by the award winning features we have
chosen for this Festival.” Mary Mc Grath, First Cut! Festival 2011
Mary Mc Grath
First Cut! Youth
Film Festival
0353868139019
cfcfirstcut.blogspot.com
The First Cut! Youth Film Festival working
in association with
It'll appear on iTunes later and you can direct download it right now by grabbing it here
It'll appear on iTunes later and you can direct download it right now by grabbing it here
If you’re a fan of the Mortal Kombat series, or even action movies/games in general, you’ll probably be familiar with the 8-minute short movie Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, featuring Michael Jai White and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and directed by Kevin Tancharoen. You can check it out below, and if that’s not enough Mortal Kombat goodness you can check out the webseries that followed.
Tancharoen and writer Oren Uziel made the films as an example of how Mortal Kombat could be rebooted for the screen, and in an attempt to convince the studios that they could do it. Whilst at first things didn’t work out – Warners tried to shut it down – the clip leaked online and the buzz was huge. The webseries was commissioned and now Deadline confirm that New Line, now a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, have made a deal with the duo to write and direct a new feature Mortal Kombat.
This is AMAZING news. The Rebirth film and webseries are both brilliant, and I think a lot of fans are going to be very happy with the development. No other details as of now, but watch this space!
If you’re a fan of the Mortal Kombat series, or even action movies/games in general, you’ll probably be familiar with the 8-minute short movie Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, featuring Michael Jai White and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and directed by Kevin Tancharoen. You can check it out below, and if that’s not enough Mortal Kombat goodness you can check out the webseries that followed.
Tancharoen and writer Oren Uziel made the films as an example of how Mortal Kombat could be rebooted for the screen, and in an attempt to convince the studios that they could do it. Whilst at first things didn’t work out – Warners tried to shut it down – the clip leaked online and the buzz was huge. The webseries was commissioned and now Deadline confirm that New Line, now a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, have made a deal with the duo to write and direct a new feature Mortal Kombat.
This is AMAZING news. The Rebirth film and webseries are both brilliant, and I think a lot of fans are going to be very happy with the development. No other details as of now, but watch this space!
The sequel to the breakout horror hit was a bit of a let down for many. Sure, it had more money, but it felt pretty flat in comparison to the bone-tinglingly terrifying first movie, which still holds up to repeat views.
For the third installment, they’ve taken the prequel route back a notch with a story set in 1988, when the sisters from the first two movies were very young (and all the paranormal shenanigans started). I’m surprised to see that it’s predominantly all cam-footage again, but with the appointment of the directors of Catfish we can at least hope for some inventive stuff throughout. Check out the trailer below – it already looks more promising than the sequel however it does appear to give away a good few BOO moments!
The movie is out October 21, in time for Halloween. Of course.
The sequel to the breakout horror hit was a bit of a let down for many. Sure, it had more money, but it felt pretty flat in comparison to the bone-tinglingly terrifying first movie, which still holds up to repeat views.
For the third installment, they’ve taken the prequel route back a notch with a story set in 1988, when the sisters from the first two movies were very young (and all the paranormal shenanigans started). I’m surprised to see that it’s predominantly all cam-footage again, but with the appointment of the directors of Catfish we can at least hope for some inventive stuff throughout. Check out the trailer below – it already looks more promising than the sequel however it does appear to give away a good few BOO moments!
The movie is out October 21, in time for Halloween. Of course.
The film adaptation of Johnathan Safran Foer’s novel has been quietly building buzz for a long time now, despite nobody seeing any footage until now. This is partly due to the casting of both Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, but also because the novel is about a young boy who, after his father dies in 9/11, searches New York to find out where a key belonging to his father fits. So there has been a lot of interest in how the subject matter will be approached and what kind of movie it will turn out to be.
Well, as the trailer shows, it certainly appears to be veering towards the very sentimental. This, of course, is not always a bad thing, but I’m not so sure how it will play out in this film. Trailers can be deceptive, but the voiceover in particular of young actor Thomas Horn sounds pretty forced and a bit odd. There’s no doubting the acting talents of Hanks and Bullock though, and the film does look pretty interesting overall. It should be noted too that this is being released at Christmas in the US – right in time for Oscar….
It comes out February 3 on this side of the pond, and you can check out the trailer below. Brace yourself for an incredibly naff use of “Where The Streets Have No Name” by U2.
via /film
The film adaptation of Johnathan Safran Foer’s novel has been quietly building buzz for a long time now, despite nobody seeing any footage until now. This is partly due to the casting of both Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, but also because the novel is about a young boy who, after his father dies in 9/11, searches New York to find out where a key belonging to his father fits. So there has been a lot of interest in how the subject matter will be approached and what kind of movie it will turn out to be.
Well, as the trailer shows, it certainly appears to be veering towards the very sentimental. This, of course, is not always a bad thing, but I’m not so sure how it will play out in this film. Trailers can be deceptive, but the voiceover in particular of young actor Thomas Horn sounds pretty forced and a bit odd. There’s no doubting the acting talents of Hanks and Bullock though, and the film does look pretty interesting overall. It should be noted too that this is being released at Christmas in the US – right in time for Oscar….
It comes out February 3 on this side of the pond, and you can check out the trailer below. Brace yourself for an incredibly naff use of “Where The Streets Have No Name” by U2.
via /film
Things have gone a bit quiet on The Avengers front, but never fear, that wasn’t going to last long. This week, Entertainment Weekly will debut some new photos from the superhero superteam movie, and now we can see the six of them assemble on the cover of the magazine.
I say ‘on the cover’ because this is obviously a big ol’ photoshop teamup – Scarlett Johansson appears to be missing her neck – but it is a good sign. Usually when Entertainment Weekly get a scoop on a movie, there are some good shots and details (they premiered lots of info on Spiderman this summer) and it also signals a step up in promotion. If I was to make an educated guess, I’d imagine that this cover means that it won’t be *too* long before we see an official trailer or teaser release….
Check out the photos below, and be sure to keep an eye on themoviebit.com for all your future Avengers needs!
via superherohype
Things have gone a bit quiet on The Avengers front, but never fear, that wasn’t going to last long. This week, Entertainment Weekly will debut some new photos from the superhero superteam movie, and now we can see the six of them assemble on the cover of the magazine.
I say ‘on the cover’ because this is obviously a big ol’ photoshop teamup – Scarlett Johansson appears to be missing her neck – but it is a good sign. Usually when Entertainment Weekly get a scoop on a movie, there are some good shots and details (they premiered lots of info on Spiderman this summer) and it also signals a step up in promotion. If I was to make an educated guess, I’d imagine that this cover means that it won’t be *too* long before we see an official trailer or teaser release….
Check out the photos below, and be sure to keep an eye on themoviebit.com for all your future Avengers needs!
via superherohype
IN DEFENCE OF - PUNISHER WAR ZONE (2008, ALEXANDER)
I've been a huge fan of the Punisher's various comic book runs for years now. From the gritty prison tale of The Punisher: Circle Of Blood to Garth Ennis' superb writing in Punisher Max. It was the latter that really gave the character a shot of adrenaline, stripping him of any superhero associates or gadgets, it brought Frank Castle back to basics; an emotionally empty man with a thirst for blood. Ennis put the Punisher in New York neighborhoods and alleyways, punishing pimps, murderers and rapists. Yes, it's not light reading, but there are some fantastic story arc's as well as a fascinating lead character. One who needs to murder in order to feel anything at all.
So imagine my disappointment when I finally caught The Punisher in theaters in 2004. John Travolta is the villain? Frank Castle is a special agent? It's in Miami?! Wrong, wrong and wrong. As an adaptation of the series, Johnathan Hensleigh's The Punisher is terrible. Thomas Jane is well cast and gives a great performance as Frank, but he lacks the vicious persistence. John Travolta is horrendously shit as Howard Saint and Laura Harring adds nothing but a serious amount of cleavage. And (this may sound like weak criticism, but it's true in the case of the character's source material) it simply isn't as violent as it should have been. The point of the character is that he's been stripped of everything he's ever loved, downgrading him to a soulless killing machine. He lives to create death and destruction to those he sees as leeches on society. So where was the chaos? Where was the destruction?
Fast forward to February 6th 2008. Following an arduous production, Lionsgate dumped Punisher War Zone into Irish cinemas. Stateside, the film had bombed. Failing to recoup even a third of it's production cost, the film was declared a total misfire, both financially and critically. SFX Magazine called it, "excruciatingly bad". The San Francisco Chronicle said it was, "assorted sadistic weirdness". Ben Lyons said the character, "doesn't deserve the big screen treatment". Well fuck that. Not only is Punisher War Zone the best adaptation of the comic book to date, it's also a great little action film with a solid cast.
Recasting the part of Frank Castle, Ray Stevenson joined in to play the titular anti-hero. Here's the first thing the film does right. Instead of a lean looking Thomas Jane, we get Stevenson, a huge and very angry looking man. The British actor brings a type of silent rage to the film that we'd not seen before. In short, he's the perfect incarnation of Frank Castle. To further this great casting is The Wire's Dominic West as the horrifically scarred Jigsaw. West takes the villain and runs with it, chewing every piece of scenery around him. He's the quintessential maniac; incredibly vain, hysterically funny and prone to bouts of disturbing violence. When the two actors eventually share some scenes, it's heaven for fans. Of course, not every performance is great. Colin Salmon and Julie Benz play it straight (a.k.a. bland) and T.J. Storm (who plays Maginty) may just have the worst Irish accent in the history of cinema. Throughout the reviews for the flick, all three actors were called out for their phone-it-in style, but not once were Stevenson and West complimented. Way to focus on the negative, people.
Something I noticed a lot, too. People who've seen War Zone seem to take away the opinion that it's overly violent and sadistic. Is it sadistic? Probably. In fact, in one scene you've got Castle holding a little girl in his arms, while he shoots her captor in the face with a shotgun at point blank range. But that scene completely encapsulates the character. Here's the tiny little girl, totally innocent, whose been held at gunpoint by a greasy thug looking to cash in on her widow mother's savings. So in one frame you've got the pinnacle of innocence and the epitome of evil. And in the middle you've got a vengeance-fueled hulk with a shotgun. This is the essence of the Punisher. Take it or leave it. If you're not smirking at the sight of an old ladies blown up head, then you probably shouldn't be watching this anyway.
One last point. The lighting and style of Punisher War Zone is something to be celebrated. The film is so colorful it's like the pages of a comic book come to life. Alexander and co. illuminate the back streets and crack-dens with feverish yellows and luminous blues making the entire movie pop. Instead of re-creating panels page-by-page, ala Sin City, Lexi Alexander chose to bring to life the artwork of Lewis Larosa and Tim Bradstreet. In short, the movie looks awesome.
For fans that complain the film is entirely action with no story, isn't that the point? Like Castle's life, all there is is action, death and mayhem. And it's glorious.
