Somewhere between the bottle of wine, a night out seeing the Kills, throwin’ down on the dance floor at Shack Up and finishing a case of Lucky I realized I would never be able to keep up with Anton Newcombe of the band “The Brian Jonestown Massacre”, nor would I really attempt to.  A mad genius of sorts, Newcombe’s self destructive behavior and borderline mental illness - which I’m sure isn’t really all that borderline - are the only reasons that you don’t own a Brian Jonestown Massacre album right now or see his videos on TV.  DIG! describes itself as a documentary about the story of the friendship and falling out between The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre - which is a story it does tell - but it actually “digs” deeper into the lives of the artists, Newcombe in particular.  It gives an inside look into how music as a lifestyle with all its accompanying parts can bring you many different paths and outcomes, overtaking everything and everyone around you.

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Oh sweet good lord, it seems that Mr. Uwe Boll is at it again and this time he’s brought Christian Slater, Tara Reid and Stephen Dorff - what, were Robert Downey Jr. and Eric Roberts not available - along for the plane crash disaster of a movie “Alone in the Dark”.  Boll continues his obsession with video game adaptations here with “Alone in the Dark” looking like a big old cross of Aliens, Pitch Black and Starship Troopers.  But worse.  I would rank it right up with the fine cinematic flavour of Ghosts of Mars. 

So you want to marvel at the fact that Uwe continues to find work, well then step right up and follow the links.  You can view the trailer here and then jump over to the website here (full of stills and downloads but no production notes - why?), but you might want to take a second between the two, pausing to remember if you could ever take Stephen Dorff or Christian Slater seriously.  Deuces Wild?  Windtalkers? Exactly.

I was never the biggest fan of “Get Shorty”, even with my Elmore Leonard love, mostly in part because I hate Rene Russo and run screaming at the name.  So it’s to my relief that she’s not in the this May’s sequel “Be Cool”.  Now, this is not me saying I’ve been waiting for a sequel to come out or that I’m even anticipating some great film but the cast alone has got me a little intrigued.

“Be Cool” stars John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn (as a great white guy trying to be a gangsta), The Rock, Andre 3000 (of outkast), James Woods, Cedric the Entertainer, Harvey Keitel, and even Steven Tyler (as himself obviously - to cover up his bad acting I presume).  With all these different characters and the people playing them it seems that it could either come together really well or spread so thin not it’s not funny and kind of embarrasing.

So, take a look at the trailer (Vince Vaughn can do no wrong in my eye - sans Domestic Disburance) and the teaser site to get a little taste of whats to come from the previously mentioned stars.  My money is on matinee entertainment here or at least random hook up date night viewing.  I’ll cross my fingers for the second.

Now that the website is live and the trailer is flowing freely on the internet and movie screens I guess the next thing to do is release vials of Tom Cruise’s cloned alien baby......er.....movie stills from “War of the Worlds”. 

Both stills involve Tom Cruise either running or hiding so maybe the just went cheap with these stills and photoshopped them into Independance Day, Deep Impact, The Day After Tomorrow, Pootie Tang, but I doubt it. The atmosphere seems strong from the trailer, lets see if they get this one right now.  Look at them in all their glory -

So there you go, don’t tell us we don’t treat you right baby. If you want to see them in their full size glory, you can check them out here. 

Via Cinescape.

It was obviously going to happen, a remake of the brilliant Infernal Affairs, considering how damn amazing this film is and how perfect it is in every aspect (acting, directing, atmosphere, etc). Now the question is can it really transfer over from the Chinese underground to the Boston Irish gangster underground?  Well that depends on three people - Scorsese, DiCaprio and Damon and as much as one could have some confidence in the first name - the last two are an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

They are going for a much younger look here than the original which in my mind doesn’t seem to work out but and Scorsese says he’s making this a much smaller picture than at least the past two he’s made (Gangs of New York and recently The Aviator).  At least he’s doing that right, we’ll just have to wait and see if The Departed (I won’t even comment on the name as it’s been said many times already) can really come close to touching what I would have to say is one of the best police thriller/dramas to be made.

Read what Dicaprio and Scorsese have to say here about The Departed.

You know what I don’t like? Planes.  Especially plane rides in school buses with wings, and even though it was a 38 minute flight from Toronto to Pittsburgh, it was still 38 minutes of sheer terror.  Terror I tell you.  Now, you know what I do like - Charlie Theron and new pictures of her from Aeon Flux. 

Now these are still just shots of her crouching, crouching, aiming, crouching again and running but regardless - pictures of Charlie.  Look at them here thanks to Comingsoon.net.

You’re probably bored out of your mind right now with whatever crazy holiday spectacles you were involved in (random Toronto cold, the only open hotel bar in the area and Life Aquatic) and need some mind melting time.  Well, good for you - Twitch is here!!

Here’s a list of the trailers that have recently slipped between the cracks either because they’re going to be nausea inducing - look, Martin Lawerence! - or just a plain oversight a la the new Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson comedy.  So now put down the turkey, ham or canned beef; the brand new gadget that makes you feel better about your life, and view away.

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Primer was one of the best films I saw this year at the TIFF and I have been waiting for it to open here in Toronto to make all my friends view it as well(it’s been opening over the past 3 months all over the US).  This day is now upon us friends.

Primer opens this Friday in Toronto (December 3rd) with a little cool incentive that is absolutely necessary in viewing this film.  Primer is puzzling to watch, requiring your full attention and most definitely a second viewing and the film company agrees as it appears that when you see it in Toronto, you can save ticket stub and see it for FREE a second time during the films run at the theatre.  How wicked awesome is that, it totally makes sense and for once their doing something right (who exactly are “they” Nick?).

I wish they had something like this for Alexander, except if you kept your movie stub you could go see something that wasn’t the film equivalent of the ebola virus.

Check the old Primer post here on Twitch for the trailer and website.  This is a MUST see. Seriously.

You can never get enough Nicole Kidman in my books and if you get over the whole Mrs. Cruise thing, she’s been in some great films (Dogville, The Others, Moulin Rouge, Batman Forever - ok that last one was a lie).  So if seeing her naked in bath tub with a 10 year old boy in “Birth” didn’t really work for you, then your in luck, because she’s got at least two more coming out next year.

“The Interpreter” co-stars Sean Penn, the under used Catherine Keener as well as the movies director Sydney Pollack and revolves around a UN interpreter who over hears members of the UN plotting an assassination attempt. The trailer looks pretty straight forward, let’s just hope this one doesn’t fall into the fold of Pollack’s last directorial mission Random Hearts eh Dav-O!

“Bewitched” is the quite possibly a little too late big screen version of the television show that my brother, sister and I used to watch when we were home sick from school.  Nicole Kidman plays the Samantha role but the one saving grace of this film may be that Will Ferrell is Darren.  I don’t really know why this movie had to be made but any use of Will Ferrell is a good thing, but I’m still unsure of how much “Will Ferrell” will be in his role.

Haven’t seen enough of the “Blade: Trinity” footage online yet?  Well lucky you then because here’s 9 new clips to run through your little brain until you can watch the movie completely on a screen somewhere. Sorry but, even though it’s a French website, no Jessica Biel nudity is included.

Some of the clips have footage from the trailers and countless other clips released but with more footage included from the scene.  The clips don’t get away from showing just how crap Jessica Biel fights though (which I’ve said from the start) - I wonder if the director just thought to himself during filming - “Damn, is it too late to get Neve Campbell” (that’s a joke). It reminds me of the time I beat up Jason Georgio when I was 11 with a bag of Oreo cookies on my lawn - a complete waste of violence.

So check ‘em out for yourself and feed the need for vampires, industrial dance music, violence and silver.  “Blade: Trinity” is sneaking it’s way into theatres December 8, 2004.

Via Film Rotation.

Looking to view something other than the last minute oscar film throw out on christmas day this year? Well your in luck because Dimension/Miramax are releasing (supposedly - we know how often Miramax changes release dates) spanish shot, english spoke “Darkness” on christmas day. 

I didn’t hear about this movie until I just watched the trailer, so after careful, scienctific research (ie, called my mom), she told me this is quite a creppy flick that’s been sitting on the shelves for some time now.  In 1964, 6 children vanish from a house never to be seen again, leaving the house empty until 40 years later when a new family moves into the house and they begin to experience why it’s been empty for 40 years.  Really? Who have thought?

The film stars Anna Paquin, Fele Martinez (who was great in the upcoming “Bad Education"), Lena Olin and a group of “hey, I’ve een you before in....” spanish actors.  The trailer does seem promising - though, can anyone pick up the total rip off shot of “The Shinning” in it other than me?  The bad thing is I heard it was re-edited so as not to get the MPAA “R” rating and go for the more family oriented, christmas heart warming “PG-13”.  I’m sure after christmas day though, every parent will be wishing someone will come and steal their children away. 

Anyone else know anything more than me about this one?  Let us know.  Please, I have children to feed (well, if they don’t vanish that is).

Seriously, I don’t have kids.  I’m enough of one for everyone around me. Jerks! Just watch the trailer here ok!

Thanks to Film Rotation I’m now a little weak at the knees and can’t concentrate at work anymore.  Amazon.com is exclusively offering The 2004 Criterion Collection Holiday Gift Set that includes 241 titles (such as - “Battle of Algiers”, “Rushmore”, “George Washington”, “Hiroshima Mon Amour” and “Fat Girl") and I want, want, want it. 

One of the only disapointing things about this collection is that there are around 21 titles out of print that are not included in the set ("Straw Dogs” being the one I would would miss the most). Also, the fact that it cost $4,999 US to purchase caused me to shed tears.  Tears I say!  I guess this is one of those times I regret not marrying for money.

So for the film geek/snob/dweeb on your christmast list, or for that oh so charming and handsome online film blog writer out there (ahem!) this seems like one of the best film collection gifts to gain yourself a life time of love and admiration. 

Check out the complete list of films and specs of the 2004 Criterion Collection Holiday Gift Set here.

I don’t know why I’m pretending to be surprised to hear that Lions Gate Film’s will begin shooting the sequel to “House of the Dead” this week in California.  Actually, nothing in this industry surprises me anymore considering Jennifer Lopez still has a career and people didn’t like “Casshern”.

The only information that’s being circulated right now is that Uwe Boll will not have anything to do with this film.  I guess he’s too busy trying to justify the first “House of the Dead” film to people that it was better or just as good as Resident Evil (as Todd has said many times, this man is INSANE).

Mike Hurst is the new eye behind the camera - couldn’t find any information about this guy but Mark Altman, the original writer is back, so I can’t say the new director is going to make any difference in this giant crap pile of a movie being made. 

How’s that to ruin your Tuesday morning eh?

Via Creature Corner.

*** UPDATE ***

Someone at one fo the writer’s offices has just pointed out that the screenplay was written by Michael Roesch and Peter Scheerer.  So there you have it.

As much as I will miss the dashing styles of Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, it’s now being reported by the Superman V website that Kevin Spacey has freed up his schedule from performing at the Old Vic theatre to film the new Superman film in Sydney next year. 

Now we just have to wait and see if this holds up as complete and utter truth but I must say the inclusion of Kevin Spacey in Bryan Singer’s new “Superman” film seems like a great fit.  With the shave of the head I think “Mr. American Beauty” will make a great Luthor and would strengthen the worries of many on the recent casting notes (ie, Brandon Routh).  No worries on this man’s brain though, I think the Routh, “unkown” choice is for the better.

Via Film Rotation.

It seems that I’ve become trailer viewing obsessed lately so I guess you all will benefit from this lack of wanting to go outside in the Canadian not quite winter but still ass cold weather.  The latest trailer I’ve stumbled upon (thanks to Dark Horizons) is “The Woodsman”.

Kein Bacon stars as a reformed pedophile who is let out of jail after serving a 12 year prison term (I’ll skip over my comments of the justice system at this moment) and begins to find out starting over and his recovery aren’t that simple.  It seems like an interesting new film look at a disease used common in cinema today from the inside. It tries to unlock the psychological ramifications of a disease generally skipped over by film, preferring to just show the brutality of the crime committed by the unhealthy individual and it’s consequences to others (which has been covered well).

Also starring Kyra Sedgewick, Benjamin Bratt and Mos Def (who looks to be handling his own and becoming a better actor with each role), from the reviews I’ve read the feedback is positive and supposedly it tackles the tough questions of this “hot button” issue.  Take a look at the trailer for “The Woodsman” here.