THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Official Trailer #3 [HD]

Batman saves Gotham once again while tussling with Bane and Catwoman in this 3rd trailer for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES – in theaters July 20. Fans worldwide helped unlock the new trailer for the film, via an ingenious viral marketing plan, by uncovering and piecing together various scenes. Check it out here: http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar(R) winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar(R) winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar(R) winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar(R) winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/
http://www.facebook.com/thedarkknightrises

This film has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language.

ROCK OF AGES: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK To Be Released June 5, 2012

WaterTower Music has announced the release of the soundtrack album for the highly anticipated upcoming movie musical Rock of Ages on June 5, 2012. The ROCK OF AGES: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK boasts 20 rousing anthems that defined a generation—reinvigorated for the film by a stellar cast including Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Malin Akerman, Mary J. Blige, Alec Baldwin and Tom Cruise.

Directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray), New Line Cinema’s Rock of Ages is the film adaptation of the smash hit, five-time Tony® nominated Broadway musical which tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Executive Music Producer Adam Anders (Glee) helps tell the rock ‘n’ roll romance through cast versions of heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Poison, Journey, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Joan Jett, Foreigner, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, and more.

“Taking classic, beloved rock anthems and seeing them through the unique perspective of the characters in the film was such an exciting prospect for me in directing Rock of Ages,” said filmmaker Adam Shankman. “We had a phenomenal cast who performed these songs in such a powerful way—adding depth and meaningful imagery to the film. I was lucky to have a partner in Adam Anders who, better than anyone working today, understands how to take popular songs and seamlessly repurpose them to tell a story with unparalleled originality and success.”

“It’s an enormous thrill to introduce the soundtrack of Rock of Ages to the world,” said Executive Music Producer Adam Anders. “While re-imagining these songs for the film, it was important for me to present them in a way that would not only tell the story, but transcend generations by making these songs relevant for today’s audience. This soundtrack truly captures the incredible performances of a very talented cast who brilliantly reinterpreted these songs with us in the spirit of the film. I am really proud of this soundtrack as it is definitely one of the highlights of my career.”

As the larger-than-life, arena-rocking champ “Stacee Jaxx,” the Rock of Ages Soundtrack features Tom Cruise belting out Bon Jovi’s classic “Wanted Dead or Alive,” Def Leppard’s hit “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” and Guns ‘N Roses anthem “Paradise City.” Cruise also duets with Malin Akerman on Foreigner’s power ballad, “I Want To Know What Love Is,” and shares the mic with Julianne Hough on The Scorpions’ “Rock You Like A Hurricane.”

The album also features an extraordinary medley of Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian,” David Lee Roth’s “Just Like Paradise,” and Poison’s “Nothin’ But A Good Time,” which features Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin.

Also echoing through the soundtrack are mash-ups of songs that ruled the airwaves in the ’80s, including Foreigner’s “Juke Box Hero” / Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock N Roll”; Extreme’s “More Than Words” / Warrant’s “Heaven”; Pat Benatar’s “Shadows Of The Night” / Quarterflash’s “Harden My Heart”; and Starship’s “We Built This City” woven into Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” all performed by the film’s cast.

The full track list for the album is as follows:

    1. “Paradise City”    Tom Cruise
    2. “Sister Christian” / “Just Like Paradise” /
      “Nothin’ But A Good Time”    Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin
    3. “Juke Box Hero” / “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”   Diego Boneta, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Julianne Hough
    4. “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”    Catherine Zeta-Jones
    5. “Waiting For A Girl Like You”    Diego Boneta, Julianne Hough
    6. “More Than Words” / “Heaven”   Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta
    7. “Wanted Dead Or Alive”   Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough
    8. “I Want To Know What Love Is”   Tom Cruise, Malin Akerman
    9. “I Wanna Rock”   Diego Boneta
    10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me”   Tom Cruise
    11. “Harden My Heart”   Julianne Hough, Mary J. Blige
    12. “Shadows of the Night” / “Harden My Heart”   Mary J. Blige, Julianne Hough
    13. “Here I Go Again”   Diego Boneta, Paul Giamatti, Julianne Hough, Mary J. Blige, Tom Cruise
    14. “Can’t Fight This Feeling”  Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin
    15. “Any Way You Want It”   Mary J. Blige, Constantine Maroulis, Julianne Hough
    16. “Undercover Love”   Diego Boneta
    17. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”   Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise, Mary J. Blige
    18. “Rock You Like A Hurricane”   Julianne Hough, Tom Cruise
    19. “We Built This City” / “We’re Not Gonna Take It”   Russell Brand / Catherine Zeta-Jones
    20. “Don’t Stop Believin'”   Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Mary J. Blige

New Line Cinema’s Rock of Ages comes to the big screen on June 15, 2012, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The movie musical stars Julianne Hough (Burlesque), with actor/singer Diego Boneta in his feature film debut, Russell Brand (Arthur), Oscar® nominee Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man), Academy Award® winner Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago), Malin Akerman (The Proposal), and R&B queen Mary J. Blige, with Oscar® nominees Alec Baldwin (The Cooler, TV’s 30 Rock) and Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible – Ghost ProtocolMagnoliaJerry Maguire).

Shankman directed Rock of Ages from a screenplay by Justin Theroux and Chris D’Arienzo and Allan Loeb, based on D’Arienzo’s musical of the same name. Adam Anders and Peer Astrom composed the original score and produced the songs featured in the film. Rock of Ages is produced by Matthew Weaver, Scott Prisand, Carl Levin, Tobey Maguire, Garrett Grant and Jennifer Gibgot, with Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener, Michael Disco, Samuel J. Brown, Hillary Butorac Weaver, Janet Billig Rich, Shankman and D’Arienzo serving as executive producers.

To learn more about the film and soundtrack visit www.rockofagesmovie.com

Follow on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/rockofagesmovie

“Like” the movie on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/RockofAges

Tribeca 2012 Review: RESOLUTION

Whichever distributor picks this film up is going to have a hell of a time figuring out the proper way to market this beast. RESOLUTION tells the story of Michael (Peter Cilella) who attempts to get his former best friend Chris (Vinny Curran) to leave the burnt out shell of a house he is living in and go to rehab. When Chris refuses, Michael handcuffs him to the wall and plans to wait the seven days it will take for the drugs to clear out of his system. During the course of the week, some strange characters show up including drug dealers, Indian reservation security, and members of a local cult. With Chris suffering from extreme withdrawal, Michael cares for him while piecing together various forms of media he finds scattered throughout the surrounding woods that seem to be hinting at a much bigger story. Oh, and it’s a comedy, albeit a fairly dark one. As I said, not an easy sell but I truly hope someone rises to the challenge because this film deserves to be seen.

Similar to THE CABIN IN THE WOODS in that it is a film that works best with the audience knowing as little as possible going in, I will not reveal anything else about the plot. If you are at least intrigued by the film, I suggest you don’t even watch whatever trailers they eventually release for fear of spoilers. I genuinely had no idea where the film was headed next and that is a rare feat nowadays. Full of clever twists and witty dialogue, the film culminates in what may be the most spectacularly meta ending in cinema history. I know the meta term scares some people but it really works in this film.

The script is sharply written by Justin Benson, who also did an equally fantastic job co-directing with Aaron Moorhead. Visually intriguing, utilizing interesting camera and editing techniques, the film has a great look and feel that really enhances the story it is trying to tell. Peter Cilella and Vinny Curran get the bulk of the screen time, which is great since they have excellent chemistry and are totally engaging to watch. These are really breakout performances for each of them and I look forward to seeing more of them in the future. I am also looking forward to future collaborations between Moorhead and Benson because these guys seriously know what they are doing.

Not that this means anything but of the 18 features I saw, RESOLUTION is my favorite film of the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival.

http://vimeo.com/28909207

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuckJerryCavallaro.com

The Beatles’ Restored YELLOW SUBMARINE Feature Film Set For Theatrical Release In May

The Beatles’ classic 1968 animated feature film, Yellow Submarine, has been digitally restored and will be presented on the big screen in select theaters across the United States in May. EMI and Apple Corps Ltd. have teamed with D&E Entertainment (www.DandEentertainment.com) to give Beatles fans of all ages the opportunity to come together and share in this visually stunning movie and soundtrack. On May 5 at the famed Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, Yellow Submarine will start its theatrical campaign with an 8pm screening.

Currently out of print, the film has been restored in 4K digital resolution for the first time by Paul Rutan Jr.and his team of specialists at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque Inc.  Due to the delicate nature of the hand-drawn original artwork, no automated software was used in the digital clean-up of the film’s restored photochemical elements. This was all done by hand, frame by frame. The restored film will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 5 (June 4 internationally), and the film’s songtrack album will be reissued on CD on the same date.

Yellow Submarine aficionado John Lasseter (Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios) wrote in his essay for the DVD and Blu-ray packages, “As a fan of animation and as a filmmaker, I tip my hat to the artists of Yellow Submarine, whose revolutionary work helped pave the way for the fantastically diverse world of animation that we all enjoy today.”

“We are ecstatic and honored to have been selected and entrusted to give Yellow Submarine a theatrical campaign,” stated Evan Saxon and Doug Kluthe from D&E Entertainment. “We’re setting up matinee screenings so parents can share with their children as well as evening screenings for all to enjoy.  The digital cinema presentation will be the absolute best viewing experience and representation of the hard work put into the film.”

Yellow Submarine‘s confirmed theatrical screening dates, cities and theaters have been posted at:

 www.facebook.com/YellowSubmarineTheMovie and www.YellowSubmarineTheMovie.com.

Follow on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/YellowSub2012 

Directed by George Dunning, and written by Lee Minoff, Al Brodax, Jack Mendelsohn and Erich Segal, Yellow Submarine began its voyage to the screen when Brodax, who had previously produced nearly 40 episodes of ABC’s animated Beatles TV series, approached The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein with a unique vision for a full-length animated feature.

Yellow Submarine, based upon a song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, is a fantastic tale brimming with peace, love, and hope, propelled by Beatles songs, including “Eleanor Rigby,” “When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” “All You Need Is Love,” and “It’s All Too Much.”  When the film debuted in 1968, it was instantly recognized as a landmark achievement, revolutionizing a genre by integrating the freestyle approach of the era with innovative animation techniques.

Inspired by the generation’s new trends in art, the film resides with the dazzling Pop Art styles of Andy Warhol, Martin Sharp, Alan Aldridge and Peter Blake. With art direction and production design by Heinz Edelmann, Yellow Submarine is a classic of animated cinema, featuring the creative work of animation directors Robert Balser and Jack Stokes with a team of animators and technical artists.

“I thought from the very beginning that the film should be a series of interconnected shorts,” remembered Edelmann. “The style should vary every five minutes or so to keep the interest going until the end.”  These styles included melding live-action photography with animation, 3-dimensional sequences and kaleidoscopic “rotoscoping” where film is traced frame by frame into drawings. The entire process took nearly two years, 14 different scripts, 40 animators and 140 technical artists, ultimately producing a groundbreaking triumph of animation.

www.thebeatles.com

Yellow Submarine synopsis:
Once upon a time… or maybe twice, there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland, a place where happiness and music reigned supreme. But all that was threatened when the terrible Blue Meanies declared war and sent in their army led by a menacing Flying Glove to destroy all that was good.  Enter John, Paul, George and Ringo to save the day!  Armed with little more than their humor, songs, and of course, their yellow submarine, The Beatles tackle the rough seas ahead in an effort to bring down the evil forces of bluedom.

Production credits
Running Time: 89 minutes
Director – George Dunning
Producer – Al Brodax
Screen story – Lee Minoff
Screenplay – Lee Minoff, Al Brodax, Jack Mendelsohn, and Erich Segal
Art Director – Heinz Edelmann
Animation directors – Robert Balser and Jack Stokes
Production Executive – John Coates
Music Producer and Supervisor – George Martin

Story based on a song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Featuring music by The Beatles

HIGH SCHOOL Official Poster Arrives

The brand new official HIGH SCHOOL poster has arrived. Anchor Bay’s new stoner comedy, starring Adrien Brody, Sean Marquette, Matt Bush, Colin Hanks and Michael Chiklis will be released in theaters nationwide on June 1st. Check out the red-band trailer below.

The day after soon-to-be valedictorian Henry Burke (Matt Bush) takes a hit of the chronic for the first time, his school principal (Michael Chiklis) institutes a zero tolerance drug policy and administers a mandatory drug test for all students. Henry has two options: fail and lose his college scholarship, or team up with his stoner friend Breaux (Sean Marquette) to beat the system. They steal a high powered ganja from law student-turned-drug-dealer Psycho Ed (Adrien Brody) and spike the school’s bake sale brownies, getting the whole school—faculty included—completely stoned out of their minds. But with the student body getting higher and higher with every brownie, and a pissed-off Psycho Ed on their tails for stealing his stash, they must find a way to keep their half-baked plan from going up in smoke.

Directed by John Stalberg, Jr., with story by John Stalberg, Jr. and Eric Linthorst, and screenplay by Eric Linthorst and John Stalberg, Jr.HIGH SCHOOL also features Colin Hanks, Adhir Kalyan and Yeardley Smith.

HIGH SCHOOL is out in theaters nationwide on June 1.

Visit the film’s official site:  http://www.highschool-themovie.com/

“Like” on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/HIGHschool420

Tribeca 2012 Review: TAKE THIS WALTZ

TAKE THIS WALTZ opens with a fun little meet-cute between Margot (Michelle Williams) and Daniel (Luke Kirby) who soon find out they are actually neighbors. This is unfortunate because Margot is (un)happily married to a chicken cookbook author played by Seth Rogen. I write it that way because although she doesn’t seem happy most of the time, none of her reasons seem solid enough to justify why she is so upset with her life. At one point she goes into a rant to which Seth Rogen asks what the f— she is talking about, as if speaking for the entire audience. Perhaps it is my slight man-crush on Seth Rogen but he seems like a pretty good husband to the often childish Margot. She is simply just bored of her everyday routine, which is what leads to a growing fascination with the shiny new toy that is Daniel.

But all new things get old eventually. That isn’t spoiling anything by the way. It is pretty much the running theme of the film since it constantly beats you over the head with this message throughout the bloated running time. This grows increasingly more frustrating leading up to an ending that feels more like a series of alternate endings played in succession. Repetition is apparently the name of the game. This may have been a stylistic choice by writer / director Sarah Polley since the film plays out in a steady stream of highs & lows and reoccurring themes much like Margot’s life. However, if that is the case, it just didn’t work for me. It is too bad though because there are some truly great aspects to the film.

Visually the film is stunning in terms of direction, cinematography, locations and even the color palette. This film just looks fantastic and it is often paired with a wonderful soundtrack that adds greatly to the feel. Everything really comes together perfectly for a scene in which Margot & Daniel go on the spinning Scrambler ride while “Video Killed The Radio Star” blasts on the radio. It is a fantastic sequence that says so much without any dialogue. It just works on so many levels, which is part of what makes the film so frustrating. There are moments like this that work so well but they are thrown off by so many other scenes that don’t. One other scene worth noting is an absolutely hysterical segment that has Margot and her sister-in-law (Sarah Silverman) attending a seniors water aerobics class, which was probably one of the funniest moments of any film playing at Tribeca this year. Speaking of Sarah Silverman, she and Seth Rogen really step up to show they have serious dramatic chops in addition to perfect comedic sensibility.

In the end, there is enough good in the film that I wouldn’t tell anyone to avoid it but I wish they found a way to say more with less.

http://vimeo.com/40636873

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuckJerryCavallaro.com

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of DARK SHADOWS In St Louis

WAMG has passes to the May 8th screening of Johnny Depp’s latest film DARK SHADOWS. Now we’re all carrying around phones with cameras so here’s the horrific gig. In order to receive a pass you MUST send in a a “Vampire” themed photo of yourself. Please email them to michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com and we’ll post the images here as well as our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/WeAreMovieGeeks.

Easy-peasy, right? Oh and be sure to read Tom Stockman’s interview with one of the stars of the original TV show, Kathryn Leigh Scott  HERE.

Director Tim Burton brings the cult classic series “Dark Shadows” to the big screen in a film featuring an all-star cast, led by Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter.

In the year 1750, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from England to start a new life in America, where they build a fishing empire in the coastal Maine town that comes to carry their name: Collinsport. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of falling in love with a beauty named Josette DuPres (Bella Heathcote) and breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death—turning him into a vampire, and then burying him…alive.

Nearly two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972, a stranger in an even stranger time. Returning to Collinwood Manor, he finds that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin, and the dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets.

Family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) is the one person Barnabas entrusts with the truth of his identity. But his rather odd and anachronistic behavior immediately raises the suspicions of the live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), who has no idea what kind of problems she’s really digging up.

As Barnabas sets out to restore his family name to its former glory, one thing stands in his way: Collinsport’s leading denizen, who goes by the name Angie…and who bears a striking resemblance to a very old acquaintance of Barnabas Collins.

Also residing in Collinwood Manor are Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Grace Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gully McGrath). The longsuffering caretaker of Collinwood is Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley), and new to the Collins’ employ is David’s nanny, Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote), who is, mysteriously, the mirror image of Barnabas’ one true love, Josette.

Burton directed “Dark Shadows” from a screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith, story by John August and Grahame-Smith, based on the television series created by Dan Curtis. The producers are Oscar® winner Richard D. Zanuck (“Alice in Wonderland,” “Driving Miss Daisy”), Oscar® winner Graham King, (“Rango,” “The Departed”), Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, and David Kennedy. The executive producers are Chris Lebenzon, Nigel Gostelow, Tim Headington, and Bruce Berman.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, Oscar®-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs (“Sleepy Hollow”), Oscar®-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (“Alice in Wonderland”) and editor Chris Lebenzon. The score was composed by four-time Oscar® nominee Danny Elfman (“Milk,” “Big Fish,” “Men in Black,” “Good Will Hunting”).

A Warner Bros. Pictures presentation in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, an Infinitum Nihil/GK Films/Zanuck Company production, a Tim Burton film, “Dark Shadows” will be distributed worldwide in theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

The film has been rated PG-13 for comic horror violence, sexual content, some drug use, language and smoking

Visit the official site:  www.darkshadowsmovie.com
“Like” on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/darkshadowsmovie
Follow on Twitter:  www.twitter.com/wbpictures
You Tube:  http://www.youtube.com/darkshadowsmovie

 

Video: PROMETHEUS International Launch Trailer Is Filled With ALIENS!

The latest international trailer for PROMETHEUS was shown during Channel 4’s first ad break of tonight’s episode of the TV show “Homeland” in England.

Beware! The additional footage contains a tantalizing look at those acid-filled beasties we’ve all come to know and love. Watch below – but only if you dare to carry out Special Order 937.

I’m utterly wowed by what was added. SO much we haven’t seen before and it’s all sensational!

Check out this featurette – it too contains some spoilers.

Ridley Scott, director of “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

PROMETHEUS arrives in UK cinemas on June 1 and in US theaters June 8.

Visit the official site: http://www.projectprometheus.com/
“Like” it on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/prometheus
Follow the film on Twitter:  @PrometheusMovie
YouTube: www.youtube.com/Prometheus6812
“Building Better Worlds” visit: https://www.weylandindustries.com/

 

Tribeca 2012 Review: DEATH OF A SUPERHERO

With DEATH OF A SUPERHERO, all the elements are there for a great movie. In fact, all the elements are there for several great movies and that may be the problem. Donald is an angsty high-schooler with terminal cancer who acts out his frustrations by drawing comic book art. This artwork tells the story of a superhero being tortured by a man with a Freddy Krueger / hypodermic needle type hand. He also sometimes sees his characters in the real world, which is when the audience is treated to brief animated segments. Donald starts seeing a shrink after he gets in trouble with the police for graffiti. Over the course of the film he also falls for the new girl at school, deals with family issues and has friends concerned with the fact that he may die a virgin. If that last one seems a little out of place, it’s because it sort of is. However, that was the most original aspect of the film and also the part I enjoyed the most. In fact, I would have much rather seen an entire film dealing with that plotpoint.

The film comes across as a mashup of 50/50, GOOD WILL HUNTING, and THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTER BOYS. As a result, it doesn’t feel cohesive. Certain story elements & relationships feel forced / rushed, problems seem to get solved too easily and characters disappear for too long. I am only guessing but since Anthony McCarten adapted the screenplay from his own novel, it could be the film does not offer enough time to flesh everything out but he didn’t want to cut any important elements from the story. Again, that is only speculation since I have not read the book but that is one of the more common problems with book adaptations.

Visually the film is pretty interesting, especially when it jumps into the comic book style animation format. The acting is also quite impressive, including Andy Serkis who is not painted over with any CGI although he is buried under an oversized sweater most of the time. Thomas Brodie-Sangster does a good job as a confused teen handling each of the characters ups and downs, no matter how stereotypical they might be. Aisling Loftus also does well in a role that could have benefited from more screen time. Sadly, there just is not much originality in the film and the few moments there are feel out of place.

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuckJerryCavallaro.com

THE RAVEN Giveaway

The macabre and lurid tales of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life – and death – in John Cusack’s new film THE RAVEN… and to celebrate WAMG is hosting THE RAVEN Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive:

  •  a copy of The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
  • an official poster signed by John Cusack and Alice Eve

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST HAVE A U.S. MAILING ADDRESS. 
2. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED.
3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: What is your favorite Edgar Allan Poe poem?

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.

SYNOPSIS:

The macabre and lurid tales of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life – and death – in this stylish, gothic thriller starring John Cusack as the infamous author. When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Poe’s darkest works, a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) joins forces with Poe in a quest to get inside the killer’s mind in order to stop him from making every one of Poe’s brutal stories a blood chilling reality.  A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, which escalates when Poe’s love (Alice Eve, She’s Out of My League) becomes the next target. Intrepid Pictures’ The Raven also stars Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Faster).

Director: James McTeigue

Writers: Ben Livingston & Hannah Shakespeare
Cast: John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson, Oliver Jackson-Cohen
Producers: Trevor Macy, Marc D. Evans, Aaron Ryder
Executive Producers: Jesus Martinez Ascensio, Glen Basner, James D. Stern
Runtime: 103 minutes

THE RAVEN is in theaters now