Guardians of the Galaxy – Hour of the Wolf Movie Review

(l to r) Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista and Chris Pratt tap their inner Han Solo in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.
(l to r) Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista and Chris Pratt tap their inner Han Solo in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.

Welcome to August, the month when studios, having already fired off all their high-profile (not to mention high concept) summer guns, unleash what amounts to their second tier of releases, the stuff that doesn’t automatically trigger broad media attention, things with a more… “culty,” shall we say?… appeal, and things that are, let’s just say it, no durn good. However, since even the big tent-poles can now be somewhat inconsequential in their story-telling and quality (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, anyone?), it’s become less surprising that a dog-day release could have been just as welcome, if not more so, in the weeks preceding.
Such is the case with GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, a fun space adventure based on a Marvel comic book that racked up record box office in its opening week, and earns its goodwill in a number of ways. I take a look at the film in my latest review for Jim Freund’s HOUR OF THE WOLF — click on the player to hear the segment, or right-click on the title to download.

Hour of the Wolf Movie Review: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

LISTEN TO HOUR OF THE WOLF
EVERY THURSDAY AT 1:30 AM
ON WBAI 99.5FM IN NEW YORK CITY

Bradley Cooper to play 'The Crow'?

bradley_cooper_HangoverAccording to The Hollywood Reporter, Bradley Cooper (ALIAS, THE A-TEAM) is in talks to star in  Relativity Media’s  new version of THE CROW, based on the comic book by James O’Barr.
The site says the actor met with director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 WEEKS LATER), and the two hit it off, sharing similar notions how how to approach the character.
Time will tell if the popular actor will don the obligatory dark clothing and monochomatic makeup.

Limitless: CFQ Spotlight Podcast #9

Limitless (2011)

Dan Persons, Lawrence French, and Steve Biodrowski expand their minds to LIMITLESS proportions in the latest installment of Cinefantastique’s Spotlight Podcast, which focuses on the new movie starring Bradley Cooper as a man who achieves fame and fortune thanks to ingestion of NZT, an illegal wonder drug that allows users to reach their fullest potential. Complications ensue, in the form of withdrawal pains, Russian Mafia types, and a manipulative corporate big-wig played by Robert DeNiro. Is this sophisticated science fiction at its finest, or does LIMITLESS have trouble living up to its own higher aspirations? Listen in, and find out.

Limitless: March 18

Relativity Media releases this science fiction-themed thriller, about a mild-mannered copywriter (Bradley Cooper), who discovers a top-secret drug that gives him superhuman mental and physical abilities (we’re talking about enhanced intellect rather than leaping tall buildings at a single bound, so we’re not quite into comic book territory). Neil Burger (THE ILLUSIONIST) directed from a screenplay by Leslie Dixon, based on the novel by Alan Glynn. Robert DeNiro, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel, Johnny Whitworth, Andrew Howard, and Robert John Burke fill out the cast.
Just in case I missed any details, here is the official plot synopsis:

Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro star in Limitless, a paranoia-fueled action thriller about an unpublished writer whose life is transformed by a top-secret smart drug that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract shadowy forces that threaten his new life in this darkly comic and provocative film.

I do want to add that the “100% of your brain” nonsense is based on the popular misconception that humans uses only 20% of their brains (a myth spoofed in the Albert Brooks film DEFENDING YOUR LIFE). In fact, all of us use all of our brains; it’s just that only a small percentage of neurons fire at any particular time. You wouldn’t want them all firing at once – that’s an epileptic seizure.
At least the trailer gets extra credit for the soundtrack, which excerpts a cover of King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man.”
poster-limitless

Check Out The New Trailer For CASE 39

Have enough Satan in your life? Renee Zellweger and Bradley Cooper don’t think that you do. Enter CASE 39, the new thriller starring the pair and directed by Christian Alvart (PANDORUM), about a Child Services case worker Emily Jenkins(Zellweger) investigating reports of the abuse of young Lilith Sullivan (Jodelle Ferland, SILENT HILL). Deciding to bring her into her own home, Emily soon discovers that Lilith’s problems are more than skin deep. Check out the trailer and decide for yourselves whether or not to install new locks on your bedroom doors.
CASE 39 enters theaters October 1st, 2010
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