When Joe Carnahan’s Smokin’ Aces hit the big screen back in 2006 it seems to have spawned a micro-genre of assassin versus assassin and mostly direct-to-DVD films. We were big fans of the sheer lunacy of director Scott Mann’s The Tournament but hated Smokin’  Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball with all of our hearts. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for Robert Schwentke’s Red based on Warren Ellis‘ graphic novel hitting screens in October.

This movie looks to have been completed for quite a while and once went under the name ‘Rogue’s Gallery’. Brought to you by first-time director Fouad Mikati and first-time screenwriters Sam Levinson and Brian Watanabe we have two opposing teams of killers squaring off with each other in the workplace. The trailer is playing it like an action comedy with a hard R rating.

Operation Endgame tells the story of The Fool (Joe Anderson), the latest recruit of a secret organization that employs two competing teams of spies and assassins, all taking their codenames from the Tarot deck. Taken under the not-so-sheltering wings of Judgment (Ving Rhames) and the High Priestess (Maggie Q), the Fool has to learn the ropes in an oddball workplace where office politics really is life or death and his ex-girlfriend (Odette Yustman) is his chief competition. Worse, he’s the prime suspect when their top supervisor, The Devil (Jeffrey Tambor) turns up dead. Now, the assorted members from both teams are at each others throats to keep from being the next victims of a lethal “corporate downsizing.”

From an interview two years ago in Creative Screenwriting, scribe Brian Watanabe mentions that he was an advertising copy writer who had won the Screenwriting Expo contest back in 2004. Not bad for following your dreams when your first movie ends up starring a bunch of cool B-list stars. Out on DVD on July 27th.

We’ll keep you posted on the carnage:goodness ratio of this movie later this month. At lets be honest. We’ll watch anything with Zack Galifianakis, Ving Rhames and Maggie Q in it. But all for different reasons obvs.

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These days a video mashup probably makes it online every minute of the day. Back in the day they were a little harder to put together but there were some inspired ones to be sure.

Apocalypse Now is my favorite movie of all time and Winnie the Pooh was a fixture in my early childhood years both in book, TV and movie form. When I heard that someone had brilliantly mashed these two things together some 20+ years ago I really wanted to see it. But there was no internet back then and you’d have needed access to a pretty cool indie video store or a well-connected tape trader to view it.

Now with the interwebs everything is a Google search away from your fingertips and eyeballs.

This short video mashup was practically an urban legend back in the tape-trading days of the late 80′s early 90′s. I believe it appeared at a few film fests as well. It was created by Integrated Media student Todd Graham at the Ontario College of Art, Toronto, in 1987 before the days of the internet.

There’s some demented inspiration at work here.

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Directed by: Breck Eisner
Written  by: Scott Kosar and Ray Wright

Actors: Timothy Olyphant: David Dutton
Radha Mitchell: Judy Dutton
Joe Anderson: Russell Clank
Danielle Panabaker: Becca Darling
Christie Lynn Smith: Deardra Farnum
Brett Rickaby: Bill Farnum
Preston Bailey: Nicholas

Run time: 101 minutes

Genre: Mystery, Thriller.

There are a lot of movies that come out every year and let’s face it we’ve all been disappointed from time to time with some of them. One the other side of things we have the movies that exceed our expectations and The Crazies definitely did that for me.

Especially seeing as I was a huge fan of the original movie by George Romero, so when I heard they were remaking The Crazies, I groaned, to say the least. I just wished Hollywood stop redoing all of these classic films that I enjoyed so much. More often than not they screw up the new version. I was still hoping that they would replicate what Zach Snyder did for the re-imagining of Dawn Of The Dead and create something new based on Romero’s original idea and take the film to the nth level of greatness.

I ended up enjoying the new Dawn Of the Dead immensely, even a bit more than Romero’s original. Which I know is heresy to say but I’m being honest here. Which is quite a feat in and of itself.

The Crazies is another such re-imagining and the same sort of story idea is there, except this version is better paced, better acted and has awesome special effects. This movie was just kicking all kinds of ass.

**********************Spoilers****************Spoilers*********************************Spoilers*****************

The story starts up by establishing very quickly the type of quiet little town that we’ve all seen before. The kind of place where you know the name and history of every single person that lives there. Where the opening day of baseball season is a pretty big deal…….It’s just how it is. It’s exactly at this first baseball game that we begin to see the tone of the movie begin to change. The town drunk wanders onto the baseball field carrying a double barrelled shotgun. He looks quite messed up. The sheriff automatically assumes he’s on a  bender. The town’s deputy begins to get all the players off of the field while the sheriff deals with the situation. The sheriff confronts the man not with his weapon drawn but just trying to talk the man into giving up his weapon, at no point does it seem to the sheriff that he may have to take more drastic action. At least at first. Only does the sheriff pull his weapon once the drunk points his weapon at him and reluctantly so from his reaction. He has no choice but to put a bullet into the drunk in front of most of the townsfolk. Much to their dismay and the sheriff’s I might add. It’s quite clear the sheriff didn’t want to resort to violence to resolve this conflict.

The mood of the town and it’s people have become sombre. Everyone seems to be in shock. The tension level begins to rise and one of the witnesses begins to exhibit strange behaviour. Possibly some sort of disorder associated with the shock from the shooting. At least that’s what it seems like. After the town doctor checks him out and tells his wife to keep a close eye on him, he burns down his house with his wife and son inside. The town’s people are horrified. More and more strange events have begun to permeate their lives.

Some hunters then find a corpse while they are hunting with what appears to be a parachute attached to him. It’s obvious from how he’s dressed that he’s military. The only question that is left unanswered is where is his plane? Before long the sheriff discovers where it has crashed. It’s crashed in a stream that they get their drinking water from. The payload of the plane is unknown but the sheriff assumes the worst. He shuts down the town’s water supply against the orders of the town’s mayor.

From here on in the story kicks into high gear. No Internet, no cellular signal, no telephone service and no way to get help. The town has been isolated. Completely cut off from the rest of the world. That’s when the shit really hits the fan.

It literally feels like no one is safe. Considering how bland and safe movies are nowadays this is a welcomed change for me.

If you want a movie that delivers on all levels possible and doesn’t contradict itself with the rules it establishes early on, then this movie will rock your socks off.

This is a movie that can stand on it’s own merits despite it being a re-imagining.

In fact I think I’ll go watch it again.

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Happy Cinco De Mayo. Apparently, director Robert Rodriguez and actor Danny Trejo hand delivered an ‘illegal’ trailer to Harry Knowles of Aint It Cool News for the upcoming Mexploitation film MACHETE.

Says Harry:

Hey folks, Harry here and earlier today Robert Rodriguez and Danny Trejo dropped by my house with a package. Rodriguez is calling this his “Illegal” trailer. You see, Robert talked Fox into letting him put together a Cinco De Mayo message for ARIZONA – given. Well, the way things are in Arizona at this moment – it is kinda insane that there is a movie that was shot over a year ago waiting to be released that is about – THIS EXACT ISSUE… but if, Danny Trejo and buddies went Revolution Wacko as a result.

So here you go folks. A first look at Machete featuring Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Cheech Marin, Steven Seagal, Lindsey Lohan and motherfucking Robert DeNiro. Holy shit September 3rd can’t come soon enough.

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The Square (2008) dir: Nash Edgerton

Reviewed by Willie

So I seem to only be watching and reviewing films of desperation lately. The Square is a stylish Aussie thriller that was released a few years ago and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

The story revolves around a middle aged married man who’s mistress finds a massive sum of cash stashed in a bag. Seeing an opportunity to leave their respective partners and start a new life together they hatch a plan to take the money and get the hell outta dodge. Did I mention she found the money stashed in the attic of her own home by her boyfriend? – Bitch steals her boyfriends money?! What the hell is this world coming to when a man can’t stash a bag of ill-gotten money in his own fucking attic without having his lying cheating g/f take the cash and run. Fuck. – Anyhow… We never know where the cash came from but what we do get to see is the havoc that is wrought by it over the course of this 105 minute thriller.

Relative unknowns David Roberts and Claire Van der Boom (Kick Ass last name BTW) play our protagonists Raymond Yale and Carla Smith. Both seem genuine in their roles, however Roberts’ Ray seems to have a doomed look in his eye throughout the whole flic, and as he becomes more and more desperate his middle-aged angst begins to rage.

The film was written by Joel Edgerton and directed by his brother Nash. The movie has got a bag of cash, a crime which sets off a series of cover-ups, 2 people on the run from a nasty bunch of lowlifes and a few cops thrown in to keep everyone on their toes This along with the skeleton crew of only plot driving characters gives this film a much recognized Cohen Brothers feel. I haven’t seen anything else these guys have done but I would be willing to give them another go if they keep making movies in this vein.

So, what started out as a simple plan (haven’t we learned in film, there’s no such thing?!)quickly goes awry, and cover up after cover up follow lie after lie and as the bodies start to pile up, what started out as a easy has fully gone tits up. The film culminates in a climatic – albeit a bit cheesy – 5 minute finale that will have most viewers jaws hanging, the slow low intake of breath whistling as they gasp and bemoan the fates of those who stray to far from the straight and narrow in the name of forbidden love. I say, it’s worth a rental.

Violence/Gore: 6/10
Plot: 6/10
Acting: 7.5/10
Overall: 6.75/10

- Willie

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MACHETE Comes to Theatres in Late Summer 2010

Roughly three years ago (April, 2007) Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino released their badass evening at the movies, GRINDHOUSE. It was a double feature of RR’s Planet Terror and QT’s Death Proof. Peppered throughout the carnage was a series of fake trailers for non-existent moveis such as Rob Zombie’s “Werewolf Women of the S.S.” and Edgar Wright’s “Don’t”.

Rodriguez himself crafted a fake trailer for the “Mexploitation” flick, Machete. Of all of the fake trailers I’d say this one was the most well received. A lot of us instantly wanted to see this ‘movie’. Fast forward to 2009 and filming for ‘Machete’ finally got underway. The film features the improbable cast of Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Jeff Fahey, Steven Seagal and Don Johnson. Holy fuck.

Late last week VARIETY let it be known that MACHETE would hit theatres on the weekend of September 3rd. The film is being released by Twentieth Century Fox.

The highly skilled Federale Machete is hired by some unsavory types to assassinate a senator. But just as he’s about to take the shot, he notices someone aiming at him and realizes he’s been set up. He barely survives the sniper’s bullet, and is soon out for revenge on his former employers, with the reluctant assistance of his old friend Cheech Marin, who has become a priest and taken a vow of nonviolence. If you hire him to take out the bad guys, make sure the bad guys aren’t you!

HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN Begins Filming…with Rutger Hauer

Before Grindhouse was released the film’s producers held a contest for the best fan-made fake exploitation trailer. The winner(s) would have their trailer played alongside the other fake trailers in the theatrical release.

Enter Hobo With a Shotgun. Nova Scotian filmmakers Jason Eisener, John Davies, and Rob Cotterill won the contest and had their short up on (mainly) Canadian screens for the theatrical run of Grindhouse. Ever since 2007, Eisener and co. have been trying to secure funding to turn Hobo into a feature film as well.

And they finally did. Filming was to begin in Halifax, Nova Scotia with a surprise actor, Rutger Hauer named the star of the film. Hauer will portray the hobo originally played by David Brunt in the short. SlashFilm mentioned that filming was to begin on Monday, April 19th, 2010.

Keep up to date with ongoing progress of the film at the Hobo With a Shotgun website.

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Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007)
Reviewed by Willie

Sidney Lumet. The name rang a bell in the back of my skull and stuck like the grit in an oysters shell itching at it to make a pearl. Where did I know that director’s name from. I admit I had to go online to find out.

I should have known, grit defines this Scorcese-esque motherfucker. Turns out he was at the helm of one of my all time favourite cop flicks – Serpico – as well as Dog Day Afternoon another Pacino film that should have won him an Oscar – stolen by Nicholson for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.. Both were directed by Lumet way back in the 70′s. Now he’s back at the age of 83 and directing his first feature film of the 2000′s and shit-balls son he’s still making great character driven films.

Hank Ethan Hawke) and Anthony (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) are both 3 strike losers competing for their father’s love. Hank is a weak-minded momma’s boy divorcé who struggles to make ends meet in order to support his daughter, whilst drinking himself to an early grave. Older brother Anthony is in a loveless sex-starved relationship with Gina (Marissa Tomei – her stellar tits giving one of their best performances on celluloid). Andy’s also got himself a massive junk habit and a good dose of Daddy Issues. This is compounded by his ongoing embezzlement of funds from the real estate company at which both brothers languish.

In debt and at a dead end, Andy ropes his meek younger brother into a scheme to rob a Mom-n-Pop jewellery store in the `burbs. Andy argues that its insured out the ass and the old woman working the morning shift will be easily dealt with. The clincher is that its owned by their parents.

Of course.

Shit. Goes. Wrong.

Really. Wrong.

Soon the boys are covering their tracks and are forced to come to terms with the crushing weight of their crumbling world as the film spirals toward a passionate and cold-blooded climax.

Hoffman should have been nominated for an Oscar for his role but was nominated for Charlie Wilson’s War that year so whatevs. This man is an actor’s actor and consistently brings his A-game to play. The final 20 minute act of the movie feature some cold ass motherfucking action and shines for this reviewer as a reminder of the hardnosed flicks of the mid 70′s. It’s nice to see Ethan Hawke in such a vulnerable war given his proclivity for cop roles and gangster (who’s actually an undercover cop) roles, here he act solidly and with purpose, playing the spineless weakling who you truly feel has fucked up every step of his life. The rest of the cast is competent enough to carry through the believability of the plot with Hanks ex spitting vitriol every moment he’s in her presence.

While definitely a crime thriller, featuring some cold-blooded violence, graphic spatter, and chilling detachment from the human condition, the pure drama that unfolds as the family disintegrates is compelling and yet entertaining beyond the simplicity of a heist flick or a razor edged bleakness of a UK thriller. Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead retains its grip on reality while pushing the bounds of loathsome yet somehow sympathetic characters whose motives are base but are just a response to our survival instincts when we’ve put ourselves in a hole and there looks like no way out except to keep digging down.

Buy Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

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Director: Russell Mulcahy
Sreenwriter: Mark Hosack
Actors: Thomas Jane: Malone
Ving Rhames: Boulder
Elsa Pataky: Evelyn
Chris Yen: Mauler
Gregory Harrison: Whitmore
Doug Hutchison: Matchstick

Thomas Jane’s newest movie is a throwback to the film noir movies of old. In other words, I enjoyed the fuck out of it. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Thomas Jane and the types of movies that he’s usually involved with. In a lot of ways he makes me think of the old school tough guy actors like Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Lee Marvin all rolled into one. To me that speaks volumes of Jane’s acting ability, physical presence onscreen and his incredible versatility.

Give ‘Em Hell Malone starts up with a shootout scene that would make John Woo and Sam Peckinpah very, very proud. It was almost too well done. The body count was high, it was very bloody and extremely well shot. The problem being is that when you open a movie with that much bloodshed and then taper the movie off with quieter scenes designed to establish and deepen each character and their motivations, there can be two outcomes to this: It’ll either fall flat or it’ll work. To me it worked really well.

All of the characters that are introduced afterwards all seemed to have been plucked from a pulp fiction type of yarn. That is by no means a bad thing, on the contrary it gave the movie just the right feel for the type of story that was being told.

Boulder being played by Ving Rhames is one such example. He plays the character perfectly. Bigger than life. At no point does he resort to overacting, he instead keeps everything nice and tight, never giving too much away. I would go and see Rhames read the bible on a stage with no hesitation.

Doug Hutchison who plays Matchstick never quite goes as crazy as I would like but it still was a good performance. He’s always entertaining no matter who he plays in any movie.

Elsa Pataky who plays Evelyn, the damsel in distress, was just too smoking hot. The kicker was that I don’t think she was trying too hard, she just was. She didn’t vamp it up. She delivered her lines with a lot of bite. Especially when talking with Malone. This is one actress I can’t wait to see more of.

Chris Yen who plays Mauler, at first glance looks like a cute under-aged Asian girl with a fetish for sucking on lollipops. In reality, she’s one mean bitch who loves to inflict pain on others using edged weapons. There is one scene in particular that will have all of the male population squirming when they watch it: Mauler meets an elderly gentleman in an amusement park and he turns out to be a scumbag pedophile. She then proceeds to give him a blow-job, there was only one problem she had a razor blade in her mouth. Ai Yi Yi.

As you can see, the characters in this movie are a lot of fun to watch onscreen. They are all played with great aplomb and zeal by their respective actor/actress. This is just a fun movie that blends the look and feel of the 40′s noir with the trappings of present day cinema and technology.

I think this movie works on so many levels because of Jane and all the other actors involved BUT we should not forget the great script or the solid directing either. Everyone involved brought their A-game.

This movie is just an all around good time, grab some popcorn, kickback, relax and enjoy.

Buy Give ‘Em Hell Malone

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Holy shit I can’t wait until this hits the theaters in August.

Here’s the latest trailer for The Expendables.  You’ve no doubt heard about the Planet Hollywood reunion scene of Bruce Willis, Sly Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in this flick.

Have at it!

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Having already seen the Square and the Horseman (reviews forthcoming) I can testify that they understand grim and gritty. Looks like the country (and continent) of Australia is going to steal the crown from the UK and Korea as leaders of the pack in the revenge on film biz.

And Blue Tongue Films is at the forefront of this new crime movement from down under. Hesher, Animal Kingdom and The Square will all be assualting our senses sometime in 2010.

The Square.

Escaping the monotony of a loveless marriage, Raymond Yale has become entangled in an affair with the beautiful and troubled Carla. Ray’s moral limits are tested when Carla presents him with the proceeds of her controlling husband’s latest crime. This is their chance: Take the money and run…
If only it were that simple.

Animal Kingdom.

A high quality powerful psychological crime drama, ANIMAL KINGDOM is a story about the battle between Melbourne’s underworld and the police.

The film tracks seventeen-year-old Joshua “J” Cody (newcomer James Frecheville), a troubled kid perilously caught between his own criminal family and Detective Leckie (Guy Pierce) a compromised cop who thinks he can scare him. J comes to realize that in order to survive he must write his own rule book, he must determine how the game is played, he must somehow choose his place in the cunning and brutal animal kingdom.

ANIMAL KINGDOM is the debut feature of writer/director David Michôd whose previous short films have screened extensively internationally and in Australia, including the multi-award winning CROSSBOW. An AFI award-winning writer, Michôd also wrote the screenplay for this project.

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