I, like many, thought Sam Worthington was the beacon of light in an otherwise dreary TERMINATOR film. So it’s nice to see the Australian actor, who was virtually unknown before SALVATION, as the mainstay in a few upcoming grandiose projects. Projects like CLASH OF THE TITANS and 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (Worthington is not yet confirmed for LEAGUES but, if he is in fact cast, it would reunite him with SALVATION director McG). And, of course, there is his role in AVATAR, a film that became a household conversation last week as the footage hit the web and theaters.

So what does the man himself think of AVATAR and the immediate reaction it gained? Furthermore, what does he think of TERMINATOR SALVATION, now four months after its release?

Read on to find out! (more…)

You might have caught word of HOUSE OF THE DEVIL earlier this month in our preview of what Magnolia Pictures has in store for us this fall. If not, let me catch you up to speed on the spine-chilling tale.

Set in the 1980s, the film centers around a college-aged girl (Jocelin Donahue) looking to make some extra money. So she does what many college-aged girls do and takes a job as a babysitter. Only this babysitting gig is at a spooky mansion deep in the woods. And there’s no baby.

Did I mention that said spooky mansion is owned by a sinister elderly couple? And that said elderly couple is celebrating a rare lunar eclipse on this night of nights? That can’t be good. It never is.

The film is directed by Ti West (CABIN FEVER 2: SPRING FEVER) and is available on Video On Demand October 1st, followed by opening in select theaters October 30th.

Check out the great 80s throwback poster after the jump, as well as the first poster, which I have thrown in for fun, due to its equally cool throwback factor.

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Hyperbole is so often thrown around when people are promoting a film, and I try to not pay attention to such exaggerated claims. So what makes Jason Schwartzman’s opinion on FANTASTIC MR. FOX different? The man knows his Wes Anderson movies better than most. He’s acted in about half of Anderson’s films and even helped write the wonderful DARJEELING LIMITED a couple of years back. When asked by MTV how he rated FANTASTIC MR. FOX against Wes Anderson’s other movies, this is what he said:

“This is my favorite one…when the lights first came down and the movie came on, I almost wanted to start crying. That’s how beautiful it was.”

That is a bold statement, especially when you consider that Wes Anderson directed THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, a movie that I consider to be pretty damn close to perfect, but I can’t wait until November so I can see the movie for myself. I have a feeling it’s gonna be pretty damn awesome. Schwartzman also talked about some of the techniques Anderson used to make this animated movie uniquely his. (more…)

Anyone who follows Stephen King’s columns in Entertainment Weekly knows that the man has good taste. He likes Lost, Veronica Mars, 24, and Battlestar Galactica. In my book, that makes him awesome, so when he has something to say, I listen.

This time he’s compiled a list of some his favorite movies, which he’s titled, “20 Movie Rentals That Never Let Me Down.” What I like about the list is the large number of movies I’ve never heard of, such as 1948′s MR. PEABODY AND THE MERMAID, because I’m always down for discovering a great new film. Though I am put off a bit by some of his other choices, like TITANIC. Apparently the master of horror is a big softy. So ready your Netflix queue and check out the full list after the jump. Then you can tell us your favorite rentals in the comments! (more…)

“Cheerleader. Prom Queen. Manson Girl.” That’s the tagline for LESLIE, MY NAME IS EVIL, which is World Premiering at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Section on Monday, September 14th. If that doesn’t peak your interest, the poster and pics we were just sent sure as hell will.

LESLIE follows Perry (Gregory Smith), a former straight-A student, whose life looks to be perfectly in order. He’s currently holding a “good” job as a chemist at a chemical company. He’s just proposed to his Christian girlfriend, Dorothy (Kristin Adams). Everything is just peachy and average in Perry’s world.

And then he gets chosen as a juror for your totally standard hippie death cult murder trial. On trial is Leslie, a former homecoming princess who took a decidedly different life direction than Perry. Instead of embracing Perry’s brand of normalcy, Leslie got into drugs, joined a hippie death cult, and helped murder a God-fearing citizen in her own home.

Does any of this sound familiar? Then maybe you know a little bit about the inspiration for the character of Leslie – Leslie Van Houten, member of the Manson Family, currently serving time for her part in one of the famous Manson murders. LESLIE, MY NAME IS EVIL is said to adhere to many of the facts surrounding the case, but with more of an emphasis on Perry, and some unexpected feelings Leslie stirs in him during the trial.

Check out the full-sized poster and production stills after the jump! (more…)

Now it would seem that more posters for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS are coming out of the woodwork. Last week, we brought you the 70s-inspired posters for the film from graphic artist Tyler Stout. And now there’s another, done in the style of the era the film is set in. The story goes that illustrator James Goodridge, the artist behind many recognizable pieces for STAR WARS, did a beautiful INDIANA JONES-esque poster for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS that went unused for no good reason. Incidentally, Goodridge’s piece is ten times cooler than any of the other posters released for the film. Not only that, but if you have seen the film, you may agree that this poster captures the feel of the film more so than the contemporary designs seen HERE.

Check out the full poster after the jump, as well as a segment from Poster Wire’s recent interview with Goodridge about how he got involved with INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, as well as the reasoning behind the poster being scraped. (more…)

The WHIP IT poster is here and, boy, it has a lot going on. The little slice I’ve given you up top is but a brief glimpse at a particularly busy poster. First of all, any title confusion I had has now been cleared up – for awhile, WHIP IT found itself with an exclamation point attached to it. Not calling the film WHIP IT! certainly cuts down on the kitschy factor. I approve this decision. Everything else, I’m feeling a bit iffy on.

So it’s finally been decided. Ellen Page can be a stand-alone box office draw. Interesting. And it’s not just the use of her name as the marquee that indicates that marketing direction (you’ll see what I’m talking about after the jump). I also find it worth noting that this poster makes a point of touting it as Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut. Everything else going on in the title is making me a bit cross-eyed.

Check out the full poster after the jump, along with more of my muddled musings on just what the heck is going on here.

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A few weeks ago, I sat down and spoke with director Davis Guggenheim (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH) to talk about his new rockumentary, IT MIGHT GET LOUD. That video will be up really soon – but in the meantime, I’m going to give our readers a chance at something cool.

Mr. Elisabeth Shue signed a poster for us to give away, and if you look closely, it’s custom! Not only did he sign it, but he wrote a little note on it and added “VERY” to the title, letting you know that it’s probably going to get very loud when you see this film.

Since this is a one of a kind prize, we really want our readers to go all out. In the comment section below, tell us who your favorite rock band is and why. Entries will be accepted until 11:59 PM on Thursday, September 3rd. On Friday, September 4th, we’ll select and announce our favorite answer. Good luck! No purchase necessary. Must be a U.S. resident (sorry, no P.O. Boxes).

Rating: 6/10

The POST GRAD soundtrack follows the typical template of grouping together contemporary songs, while highlighting a handful of well-known artists such as Lily Allen and Gym Class Heroes. Luckily the Top 40 chart wasn’t simply just mined for this one – the tracks do keep the light, funny tone of the film, but when you listen to the lyrics, they also mirror the themes and plot of the story. The songs work well together and do not sound mismatched – a feat for any album of this nature.

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Rating: 8/10

Quentin Tarantino is one of the few masters who can pair an epic and moving score with a violent and bloody massacre. Disturbing? Maybe. Off-putting? Of course. Unexpected? Exactly. And that’s part of the fun of INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. Just as Tarantino has made a distinct name for himself when it comes to his film style, he brings that same distinct style to his choice of music. You know each song chosen was done so with careful consideration, helping to give the film serious weight and making it a true Tarantino experience.

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This week, the only discs worth buying come straight out of the indieverse. Our big name releases are, at the very least, head-thumpingly unnecessary. Some of our best bets are going to be films you might not even have heard of yet. Let’s fill up our imaginary Best Buy bins, shall we?

DUPLICITY (DVD and Blu-Ray)

Someone needs to talk to Clive Owen’s agent. Sure, having two big studio flicks coming out in one year sounds great. And one co-stars Julia Roberts? Awesome. And the other one doesn’t “co-star” Naomi Watts even remotely, but we’ll just market it that way? Sounds good. And Clive gets to play a spy-type in both of them? Yay! Wait. What? Did I mention that we’ll release them approximately a month apart? And no one will even know the difference. I made the mistake of seeing DUPLICITY around the same time I saw THE INTERNATIONAL.  At least THE INTERNATIONAL had that cool shoot-out scene. In case you’re fuzzy on the details of DUPLICITY, Roberts and Owen play dueling spies. Who are maybe in love? And are pulling some shady moves to make some cash and get out of the spy game? Does this sound familiar at all? This could have been a fun movie, had about twenty minutes been shaved off, and if Roberts and Owen ever had anything even slightly resembling chemistry. Skip.

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CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT seems like a pretty cool spin on what we’re getting used to seeing with the vampire flick genre – sex and gore. While these may seem like the typical hallmarks of a modern bloodsucker tale, especially when considering popular fare like HBO’s TRUE BLOOD, VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT seems to focus more on the humorous side of being a vampire.

CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT follows a teenage outcast who stumbles into a hidden world that is filled with magic, mystery, and raging wars between bloodthirsty vampires. VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT opens October 23. Has it sucked you in yet?

Check out the full-sized poster after the jump! (more…)

We have 25 passes (good for two) to an advance screening we’re co-hosting of WHITEOUT on Wednesday, September 9th at 7:30 PM. All you need to do is email us by clicking below. Please put “WHITEOUT screening passes” in the subject line. No purchase necessary. We’ll randomly select 25 winners and announce them on Tuesday, September 8th! Good luck!

Email —->

We have 25 passes (good for two) to an advance screening we’re co-hosting of THE INFORMANT on Thursday, September 10th at 7:30 PM. All you need to do is email us by clicking below. Please put “THE INFORMANT Screening” in the subject line. No purchase necessary. We’ll randomly select 25 winners and announce them on Wednesday, September 9th! Good luck!

Email —->