The Cineaste's Lament.

A Defense: A Swash Well Buckled.

Posted on October 14, 2011 by jlmicek

With Yet Another …

… iteration of “The Three Musketeers” set to hit the big screen (my favorite is still the 1948 version starring Gene Kelly), The Guardian’s Anne Billson explains why there’s still nothing more thrilling than a good sword fight on screen — preferably one without jump-cut special effects.

Personally, I blame “The Matrix” for making action scenes intolerable. A little bit of that slo-mo, look-at-me I’m bending out of the way stuff goes a long way.

Here’s the nut graf:

“The best duels are like games of chess with extra sadism – why dispatch opponents quickly when you can humiliate them with your footwork, or inflict death by a thousand cuts? Duelling can be a substitute for sex – and not just the seductive fence-off between Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in The Mask of Zorro; check out Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone, smiling at each other during their duel on the beach in Captain Blood. It’s enough to make you sorry for Olivia de Havilland.

No one cries “Ha haa!” during a sword-fight quite like Rathbone, reportedly the best fencer in Hollywood, though owing to story demands, he won only one of his on-screen duels. But he provided brilliant opposition for Flynn (The Adventures of Robin Hood), Tyrone Power (The Mark of Zorro) and Danny Kaye (The Court Jester). The other man all these fights had in common was fencing master Fred Cavens, also responsible for the seven-minute thriller in Scaramouche in which Stewart Granger (wearing slightly distracting stripy tights) and Mel Ferrer swipe at each other all over a theatre.”

Read the full story here.

What’s your vote for best sword fight movie?

“The Mark of Zorro,” with Tyrone Power is right up there for me. Though I have to admit, Errol Flynn as either Robin Hood or Captain Blood was pretty flipping impressive. And don’t even get me started on “The Seven Samurai,” or any of the Kurosawa films.

Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Here’s a duel scene from Richard Lester’s version of “The Three Musketeers” with Michael York and Christopher Lee.

Posted in action, Film News, Golden Age of Cinema, Guy Cinema, Matinee at the Bijou, Our Films, Ourselves, Thinking About Movies | Tagged Basil Rathbone, Captain Blood, Christopher Lee, Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, fencing, Gene Kelly, Lana Turner, Michael York, Robin Hood, Swashbuckling, sword fights, The Mark of Zorro, The Three Musketeers | Leave a comment

“American Reunion” Red Band Trailer Released.

Posted on October 14, 2011 by jlmicek

The full “American Pie” gang returns for their first outing since the turn of the century. The film hits theaters in April 2012. But here’s a sneak-peek at what you can expect.

Best to send the kids out of the room for this one.

http://img.widgets.video.s-msn.com/fl/customplayer/current/customplayer.swf

(h/t Empire)

Posted in comedy, Film News, Sequel-Itis | Tagged Alyson Hannigan, American Pie, American Reunion, Eugene Levy, Jason Biggs, Tara Reid | Leave a comment

New “Muppets” Trailer Hits.

Posted on October 14, 2011 by jlmicek

"What? They have another movie out?"

C’mon … haven’t you always wanted to travel by map?

The movie opens on Thanksgiving. Guess I know where I’ll be on Black Friday this year.

Posted in Animation, Family Films, Film News | Tagged Amy Adams, Fozzy Bear, Jim Henson, Kermit The Frog, Miss Piggy, Muppet movie trailer, Statler and Waldorf, The Muppets, The Swedish chef | Leave a comment

Dark Knight Update: Scenes From The Batcave?

Posted on October 14, 2011 by jlmicek

A Tipster From Romania …
… recounts a recent trip to the “Batcave” set. Via ComicBookMovie:

“OK, peeps, here goes nothing ! I went to the mines with my guides on Sunday. They were closed but Andrea called in some friends of hers that work in the mines (the mines are still active). We had an interesting conversation at one of the guy’s place. Here are the conclusions.

– there were three actors that had scenes in the Batcave. One of them was a woman. It was not Catwoman, sicne the only costume available there was the Batsuit. The woman was dressed casual/civilian.

– the crew shot there for a week, no vehicles present. Two scenes shot in the elevator.

– the mines equipment and “amusement park” was covered in green and blue screen, with the exception of the medical center, which was kept in the shots

– the mining tunnel (used for truck to get salt out) was shot but no vehicles present, like I stated before. I think Nolan is either hiding a new Batmobile or, more likely, plans to CGI the Batwing over the shots.

– the staircase near the elevator was not covered in any green screen, which seems odd, since the original staircase in BB was metallic, this one is wooden.

– some screens were added to the cave (probably batcomputer) – all had green screens

– Bale appears dressed as a civilian, in the Batsuit with the cowl and…wait for it…without the cowl ! (hope its a front shot, cuz we never saw him from the front without the mask!)

– The miners were given a free day in the last two days of shooting (no witnesses?) and it was said another actor is joining the cast. The female actress only shot in one day

– the boats one the water were removed as a request during the filming.

– (unconfirmed) the guys said they heard people say the crew will stay for another week in Cluj, where they supposedly shot on the Citadel (personal impression – the exterior of the Batcave – I shot a video and some pics of the exterior on Monday before leaving – pics and video uploaed on the group. I could not get any reaction from City Hall and Sonia from Castel Film Studios did not know anything”

Posted in action | Tagged Anne Hathaway, Batman, Catwoman, Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, The Batcave, The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight Rises Romania filming | Leave a comment

A “Top Cat” Movie — In Mexico? Si!

Posted on October 13, 2011 by jlmicek

Top Cat Knows.

So it turns out that the old Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Top Cat (that’s Don Gato to you, gringo) is just huge south of the border.

How huge? Huge enough that he rates his own feature film. The Guardian has the skinny:

“Apparently Don Gato, to give him his Spanish name, has been one of the most beloved cartoon imports in Mexico since it was first broadcast there in the 1970s. One former viewer I spoke to said, “You could ask any middle-aged Mexican about the programme and they’ll probably be able to name all of Don Gato’s gang and a few of the incidental characters, as well as a good number of catchphrases and the storylines of quite a few shows.” So Warner Brothers, owner of the Hanna-Barbera properties, has turned to Latin American animators to produce a film just for that market.

Don Gato y Su Pandilla (Top Cat and His Gang) opened handsomely on 16 September – 11 days before TC’s 50th anniversary – with the highest-grossing opening weekend ever for a Mexican film in Mexico: 41m pesos ($2.9m). Most effectual – but not quite the indisputable leader of the gang yet. After a month on release it’s cleared the $7m mark, putting it in with a shout of becoming the most successful ever local film at the Mexican box office – a title currently held by the 2002 Gael García Bernal drama El Crimen del Padre Amaro ($16.3m). It’s also come out in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, with a Peru release happening this week – but no news about the US, or anywhere else, yet.

Read the full story here.

Posted in Animation, comedy, Film News | Tagged 1960s cartoons, Boomerang, Don Gato, Hanna Barbera, Mexican film, Top Cat | Leave a comment

“The Rum Diary” Sneak-Peeks.

Posted on October 13, 2011 by jlmicek

From the upcoming Johnny Depp vehicle. “The Rum Diary” was Hunter S. Thompson’s only work of fiction.

http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/xplayer/yo033.swf

(h/t SpoilerTV)

Posted in Books On Film, Film News, Spoiler-itis, Trailer Trash | Tagged Books on Film, Gonzo Journalism, Hunter S. Thompson, Johnny Depp, The Rum Diary | Leave a comment

The Daily Dark Knight: High-Quality Video Of Batman Chase Scene.

Posted on October 13, 2011 by jlmicek

From the L.A. set of “The Dark Knight Rises,” here’s some high-quality video of a chase scene. Highlights include some great footage of The Batwing and Bats’ cape billowing behind him. Everyone should have a cape.

(h/t ComicBookMovie)

Posted in action, Film News, Spoiler-itis, Summer Blockbusters, Superhero Cinema | Tagged Anne Hathaway, Batman, Catwoman, Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, Gary Oldman, Juno Temple, The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight Rises chase scene, The Dark Knight Rises L.A. Filming | Leave a comment

The Evolution Of Captain America’s Suit: Blu-Ray Featurette.

Posted on October 13, 2011 by jlmicek

Here’s a fun clip from MovieWeb from the upcoming Captain America Blu-ray DVD. It’s an inside look at the evolution of Cap’s costume. The DVD is released Oct. 25.

http://www.movieweb.com/v/VIgXPY20Jzlrkh

Posted in action, Blu-ray Featurettes, DVD Rentals, Superhero Cinema | Tagged Captain America, Captain America Blu-ray DVD, Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Joss Whedon, The Avengers, The First Avenger | Leave a comment

Don’t Ask Juno Temple About Her Dark Knight Role.

Posted on October 12, 2011 by jlmicek

… or you could end up like this poor

Getty Images, from New York Magazine.

schlub in New York magazine:

Q: Can you say anything about your role in The Dark Knight Rises, or are you sworn to secrecy?

A: I’m not allowed to talk about it. I’m sworn to secrecy beyond all levels.

So that appears to be official confirmation she’s in the movie. Does she play Catwoman’s sidekick, Holly, as has been rumored? Or is another role in the works?