The curtain rises on Marvel Comics’ first in-house production to rousing results as their metal man of iron introduces himself to enthralled moviegoers everywhere. Just as billionaire playboy Tony Stark utilizes his technological know-how to fight evildoers, so does director Jon Favreau use his bag of cinematic tricks to lay the groundwork for yet another top-caliber franchise starring one of the biggest icons of the printed page. Delivering laughs as well as leaps of wonder, this comic-book fantasy gets it right across the board, with its buoyant tone never diluting the grounded dramatics of the story. For the flick to work, though, one needs an exceptional cast -– something this production has in spades. Sure, it’s an origin story, but to the cast’s credit, none of it ever seems tedious.
2007 was an exceptional year in European horror, as evidenced in Dimension Extreme’s release of Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s gory French debut stunner, Inside. Though a few daring filmgoers were able to catch a glimpse of this brutal offering in last year’s limited stateside release, many have yet to experience what the extremely loud hubbub is all about that immediately follows a mere mention of this film from its jolted audience. Well wonder no more, for this is one disc that genre fans with a rock-hard stomach should pounce on as soon as possible – and its American home release turns out to be a rock solid one worth tracking down.
It’s rare that audiences get to experience a film on a whole new level the way that the new Two-Disc Collector’s Edition of Stephen King’sThe Mist allows. While viewers may claim further insight on certain films with repeat viewings – or perhaps regard classics in a different light when given the chance to catch them on the big screen for the first time, this is one instance where a modern movie has been given a whole new lease on life, ironically enough, thanks to the power of black and white. While the swapping of hues isn’t exactly a new technique - as anyone suckered into buying a colorized version of any old horror staple can attest to – what’s interesting about this release is that the filmmakers have gone the de-modernizing route by remastering the picture to present it as it was initially envisioned – in stunning black and blown-out whites.
The result is a different feel, a different look and an altogether different viewing experience that strengthens all of the film’s strong points while heightening the overall mix of pulp horror and pitch-black bleakness, making this version of The Mist one of the strongest genre outings in recent years – and among the best cinematic adaptations in Stephen King’s history.
Manly cult cinema gets cooked up in a casserole of ultra-violent goodness in Doomsday, a revved-up, pedal-to-the-metal flick that’s sure to strike a bull’s-eye into the hearts of early-80s action enthusiasts everywhere. Take one part Escape From New York, one part Vestron Video medieval romp and a heavy dose of Road Warrior and that’s Doomsday in a post-apocalyptic piecrust. While to some, the recipe might stink of ridiculous rehash, it’s that exact reason that’ll drive others to eventually hoist this sucker onto their shelves right next to The Bronx Warriors or Raiders of Atlantis — satisfied in knowing that they’re not alone in their love for tough characters doing tough stuff in tough, time-is-of-the-essence situations. That’s not all to say that the picture is without its flaws – far from it. After the stunning achievement of The Descent, many would have expected something superiorly different from what director Neil Marshall delivers here. Akin to a kid playing in a sandbox, the filmmaker toys with much of his favorite genre milestones and mashes them together with the grace of a technically proficient gorilla. The result is a highly entertaining - yet nevertheless – slightly sloppy ride through big screen future motor mayhem as channeled through 1981’s sensibilities.
Ahh, nothing like some new Drew Struzan goodness to start off the week. Feast your eyes on the final Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull one sheet, brought to you by one of the industry’s best and brightest illustrators.
The artwork was unveiled at USA Today this morning and looks to be one of the hottest Internet news stories of the day.
As far as its quality goes, Struzan once again delivers a solid design, with major emphasis on the extraterrestrial influence as can be seen in the glowing crystal skull, though the illustration is a bit less graphic than expected — with less of the artist’s patented outlining on display. Other than that — love that Marion smile, as well as the return of the jungle theme once equated with the series’ art before the dusty settings of The Last Crusade.
After the jump, enjoy a bigger version of the new ad art, along with a refresh of the already released teaser poster.
Note: Convention Coverage Update at the bottom of the post.
There’s nothing like a horror convention to get the geek juices flowing – and who better to throw one than the undisputed kings of horror publications but Fangoria, the leading source of all cinematic horror offerings. They kick off their Midwest winter convention this upcoming weekend in Chicago and the lineup looks like it should be one bloody great time. With guests that range from convention regulars Robert Englund and Kane Hodder (Freddy and Jason, respectively) to an appearance by one of the brightest upcoming directors on the market, Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday), plus two double-feature packed nights at the Windy City’s famed Music Box theater – this is one wild and wooly weekend that is sure to be worth trekking through the cold for.
Follow through the jump for the official flyer, along with links and a call back to our previous year’s coverage. Also be on the lookout for our Convention Report next week, where we fill you in on all of the wonderfully weird happenings of this year’s installment.
Well here it is — the Jones trailer the world has been waiting for. And how hot is it? Smokin’ says us. As far as scorecards go, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s action looks huge — with lots of Indy swinging, whipping, running and dishin’ out quips as only he can. Spielberg also serves up an iconic silhouette shot (which he references in the official site’s latest video on Jones’ trusted fedora) and goes lengths to remind audiences that this aging action star still has a whole lot of fight in him. Oh yes, and for all of you scared of a certain young actor screwing things up — the good news is that Shia LaBeouf is hardly in the 1:45-minute trailer, though curiously, so is Karen Allen. One thing is for sure, there are plenty more surprises left in this sucker. In a day and age when Hollywood spoils everything online before a film even is released, it’s good to know that one of the most anticipated flicks of all time still has some guarded tricks up its sleeve. The countdown has begun — let May 22nd not come fast enough!
UPDATE 2/15/8: For anyone that was wondering just what the heck was going on with Ray Winstone’s CG waistline at the 57-second mark, Ain’t It Cool did some digging and stumbled upon some E.T. rerelease-styled computer trickery. It seems that the filmmakers might’ve been forced by the MPAA to erase out a group of soldiers that were pointing guns at our favorite fearless archeologist and his new British buddy. If that’s not bad enough, an American flag was also added into U.S. teaser as well. Photographic proof can be found at the link, along with a path leading to the International trailer.
2007 was an exceptional year in European horror, as evidenced in Dimension Extreme’s release of 
Ahh, nothing like some new 
Note: Convention Coverage Update at the bottom of the post.