Movie Review: Seeker: The Dark is Rising by ME

Title: Seeker: The Dark is Rising
Starring: Alexander Ludwig, Ian McShane, Gregory Smith, Austin Vaccaro, Frances Conroy
Directed By: David L. Cunningham
Produced By: Marc Platt
Genre: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
Release Date: October 5th, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG for fantasy action and some scary images.
Distributors: Unnamed Fox-Walden Joint Venture

A young man, Will Stanton, discovers he is the last of a group of immortals dedicated to fighting dark forces of evil. Traveling back and forth through time, Will uncovers a series of clues, some dating back to biblical times, that lead him to a showdown with forces of unimaginable power. -Yahoo! Movies

Seeker: The Dark is Rising tries to grab onto Harry Potters fanbase and fails miserably. Adapted without consultation from Susan Cooper, Seeker has way too much crammed into it and at the same time explains the bare minimum to keep the story moving. One example – Will is tasked to collect six signs in order to stop the Dark. Now unless I dozed off, it was never explained what these signs were or what they were to be used for. He just runs around looking for this swirly design and lo and behold, there is the sign. There are many other faults, too many to list here.

An ensemble cast ranging from nobodies to “haven't we seen that guy in something?” do what they can with the material, but aren't quite up to the task of carrying a film like this. Alexander Ludwig, as Will Stanton, carries most of the weight here and holds up well, reminding me a bit of Zachary Ty Bryan from Home Improvement. Heroes fans may recognize Christopher Eccleston, who played Claude, the recluse, who taught Peter Petrelli how to become invisible. He plays The Rider, the main villain in the story and if you ask me, he was scarier as Claude, a good guy, than as The Rider in Seeker. There is even a Professor McGonagall clone in Frances Conroy's Miss Greythorne. Sad to say most of the other cast members blandly blend into the background.

There seems to be a rush of fantasy movies this fall and Seeker: The Dark is Rising will just fall into the cracks as another mediocre attempt at adapting a large epic-type novel into an hour and a half movie. My advice, stay home and watch Harry Potter again.

For more info visit the site at http://www.seekthesigns.com/

Keep reading,

Mitch Emerson
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

Movie Review: Transformers IMAX by CD

Title: Transformers IMAX
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Bernie Mac, John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson
Directed By: Michael Bay
Produced By: Steven Spielberg, Brian Goldner, Michael Bay
Genre: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
Release Date: September, 21st 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor and language.
Distributors: di Bonaventura Pictures, Inc., Paramount Pictures

Ok, so I know we put up a Transformers review already, but now we get to see it in glorious IMAX. Let me tell you, it was glorious. Big @$$ robots on a big @$$ screen. When I had originally seen the movie I had a few complaints about how the “motion blur” effect was overused. At times, the action was hard to see due to the fast pace of the camera work.

All of that is gone in the new IMAX release. The picture was crisper and smoother, and the action was just plain beautiful. Of course I am sure most movies would look great on a 60 by 80 foot screen. Thats at least double the height of a normal screen.

Then you tap into the soundtrack of the movie, even Lincoln Park sounded good to me. 12,000 watts of sound from over forty speakers really helps to put you inside the film. At a couple of points in the movie Ironhide shoots off his EMP cannon and the sound just resonated through my bones and teeth.

Also there was an additional 5 minutes added to the IMAX version. Now I warn you, I dunno how much of it you will notice. Only two scenes stand out profoundly in my head that were added. Plus they slowed down one a bit so it looked a lot better.

If you have the means, go see it in IMAX. It's worth it.

Oh, I almost forgot. I saw a wicked trailer for Beowulf on the IMAX screen.

It is going to be in 3D . Thats right, get your geek on. This movie looked slicker than snot up on the IMAX screen, I can't even begin to imagine it in 3D up there.

Till we meet again,

Bong bah weep granah mini mimi nini

C. Robert Dunham

Movie Review: The Simpsons Movie by CD

Title: The Simpsons Movie
Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Pamela Hayden
Directed By: David Silverman
Produced By: Hyejoon Yun, David Mirkin, James L. Brooks
Genre: Comedy, Animation and Adaptation
Release Date: July 27th, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for irreverent humor throughout.
Distributors: 20th Century Fox

When Homer mistakenly pollutes the river with toxic waste from his "Pig Crap" silo, he causes the EPA to encase Springfield in a glass dome, and must save them before President Schwarzenegger gives the order for the town to be destroyed. - IMDB.COM

Okay, let me try and put away my inner fan boy. I will admit being a fan of The Simpsons and trying to write an unbiased review is almost a futile as Homer attempting to solve quantum equations. Anyways let's get to this review.

I was initially worried that it wouldn't translate well from tv screen to movie screen. That for some reason, I would be let down as I have been with certain superhero movies that shall go unnamed ::cough:: Spiderman 3 ::cough:: Fantastic 4 ROTSS; but I kept hope in my heart and did my best to put on my big boy pants and deal with whatever came across the screen.

Matt Groening delivered big time. From the opening credits till the end credits, it was one big side splitter of a film. I don't want to give anything away, so it will be a bit difficult to tell you anything about this film. Let me just say that I haven't laughed so much or so hard at a movie in quite some time.

Visually the movie surprised me due to how good the 2-D animation looked. Of course, they added some 3-D animation in for certain scenes, but it was done in a seamless fashion. This is also one of the movies where you have to keep your eyes open for all the little sight gags in the background.

Some may be surprised to see such a short running time for this movie. 87 minutes doesn't seem like much of a movie in a world of big epic 2 and 3 hours movies, but it was a perfect harmonious match for the film. You didn't end up feeling like it was getting boring. I actually wished there had been a little more, but if you take into account the end credit gags, it seems like there is more movie.

Bottom Line? Go see this movie. It is worth the ticket price.

I am going to borrow Mitch's way of ending a review with a snappy line, only because I thought of one for a change.

Until Harry Plopper and the Half Mud Rinse comes out.
Read on!

C.R.Dunham
Crobertdunham@yahoo.com

DVD Review Link: Barb Wire by ME

Here is something a little different. My second contribution to The Comic Book Bin's Dark Horse month is a review of the 1996 Pamela Anderson vehicle Barb Wire. Since the review is for them, I am just going to post a link to it here. Please, come back and comment.

Keep reading,
Mitch E
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

DVD Review: American Splendor by CD

Title: American Splendor
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis, Judah Friedlander, Harvey Pekar, James Urbaniak
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini, Bob Pulcini
Produced by, Ted Hope, Julia King
Genres: Drama, Animation, Adaptation and Biopic
Release Date: August 15th, 2003 (LA/NY, Cleveland)
MPAA Rating: R for language.
Distributors: HBO Home Video

American Splendor is the story of a little-known working-class everyman, and first-class curmudgeon Harvey Pekar. Pekar finds love, family and a creative voice through the underground comic books he creates, but still can't manage to find the quicker supermarket checkout line. Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff. - DVD Case

The film opens with a scene from 1950 of a bunch of kids on a porch at Halloween. You see Superman, Batman, Robin, The Green Lantern, and a child with out a costume. When asked who he is supposed to be he replies, “I'm Harvey Pekar, I ain't no superhero lady. I'm just a kid from the neighborhood.” This sets the tone for Harvey's life and for the film.

Paul Giamatti plays Pekar to perfection. At times it is very hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Pekar is an interesting man if only for the fact that he doesn't seem happy, even when he is.

Harvey works as a file clerk in a VA hospital, drowning himself in his work and his compulsions. He collects Jazz records and comic books, scours garage sales for new treasures, and just lives his life.

During one of his excursions through the tables at a sale, he bumps into a buddy who offers to introduce him to a guy named Bob, saying that they have a mutual love for comics and jazz. This is when Harveys life is forever changed. “Bob” happens to be Robert Crumb, the soon to be “King” of underground comics.

Harvey has no notions of being famous, his comics reflect the real life. A poor schlub just trying to get by in a mundane world filled with normal people and their interestingly uninteresting lives.

This movie is more of documentary than it is a biopic, mainly due to the cut scenes with the actual Harvey Pekar narrating. You see a lot of the real Pekar and his wife Joyce through out the film, they become the foundation for which Giamatti is able to build his performance from. An interesting take on the whole biopic genre.

Special features include a making of entitled Road to Splendor, which is a look at the films debut at the Sundance Film Festival to its premier. There is also some downloads and commentary tracks, also there is a song by Eytan Mirsky called American Splendor.

It's been Odd
C. Dunham
Crobertdunham@yahoo.com