Movies out today: Gods and monsters... and ghosts
Six new notable movie hit South African cinemas today. Here's all you need to know about them. Happy viewing!
Beginners: This romantic comedy drama (based on a true story) sees Ewan McGregor begin a new relationship while reminiscing about his recently deceased father (Christopher Plummer), who had the courage to come out and change his life at 75. 84% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Screening at select Cinema Nouveaus only.
Shanghai: John Cusack stars in this WWII era mystery about a US Naval Intelligence Officer who goes undercover in Shanghai in 1941 to discover who murdered his friend and fellow agent, and why. Gong Li, Chow Yun-fat, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Ken Watanabe co-star. Despite its high profile cast, 2010 release Shanghai has yet to open in many regions outside Asia. Weird.
The Devil’s Double: I have to admit I'm pretty intrigued by this real-life drama that sees Dominic Cooper's Iraqi soldier forced to become a double for Saddam Hussein's eldest son, a sadistic playboy. Based on the book of the same name by Latif Yahia. Very graphic and frequently excessive, the film is a critic-splitting 55% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Paranormal Activity 3: It's sequel number 2 for the hit 2007 horror release (my review) that breathed new life into the "found footage" sub-genre. This time we get to look at Katie and Kristi's childhoods, when the entity first began to haunt the girls. The new movie apparently delivers the requisite chills (even if the formula is getting tired), earning itself a solid 67% Fresh rating.
Apollo 18: Profiled this week as part of this blog's Trailer Tuesday feature, Apollo 18 promises to reveal the "real reason" why Man has never been back to the moon. And that's because the celestial body isn't as lifeless as it appears... which 3 astronauts discovered to their peril in 1973. This sci-fi horror film in the "found footage" mould is a mediocre 23% Fresh.
Immortals: Screening in 3D and 2D is this R-rated fantasy adventure loosely based on the Greek myth of Athenian hero Theseus. You can read my initial Trailer Tuesday profile of the movie here, but this one looks to be Clash of the Titans by way of 300, with Renaissance art stylings applied. The film stars Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Freida Pinto and more. At the time of writing, Immortals was 44% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Apparently we should watch this one for its eye-searing visuals and all round craziness; not its plot nor emotional depth. At this stage though, I'll take it! It has to be better than the Clash of the Titans remake, surely? My pick of the week.
Beginners: This romantic comedy drama (based on a true story) sees Ewan McGregor begin a new relationship while reminiscing about his recently deceased father (Christopher Plummer), who had the courage to come out and change his life at 75. 84% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Screening at select Cinema Nouveaus only.
Shanghai: John Cusack stars in this WWII era mystery about a US Naval Intelligence Officer who goes undercover in Shanghai in 1941 to discover who murdered his friend and fellow agent, and why. Gong Li, Chow Yun-fat, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Ken Watanabe co-star. Despite its high profile cast, 2010 release Shanghai has yet to open in many regions outside Asia. Weird.
The Devil’s Double: I have to admit I'm pretty intrigued by this real-life drama that sees Dominic Cooper's Iraqi soldier forced to become a double for Saddam Hussein's eldest son, a sadistic playboy. Based on the book of the same name by Latif Yahia. Very graphic and frequently excessive, the film is a critic-splitting 55% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Paranormal Activity 3: It's sequel number 2 for the hit 2007 horror release (my review) that breathed new life into the "found footage" sub-genre. This time we get to look at Katie and Kristi's childhoods, when the entity first began to haunt the girls. The new movie apparently delivers the requisite chills (even if the formula is getting tired), earning itself a solid 67% Fresh rating.
Apollo 18: Profiled this week as part of this blog's Trailer Tuesday feature, Apollo 18 promises to reveal the "real reason" why Man has never been back to the moon. And that's because the celestial body isn't as lifeless as it appears... which 3 astronauts discovered to their peril in 1973. This sci-fi horror film in the "found footage" mould is a mediocre 23% Fresh.
Immortals: Screening in 3D and 2D is this R-rated fantasy adventure loosely based on the Greek myth of Athenian hero Theseus. You can read my initial Trailer Tuesday profile of the movie here, but this one looks to be Clash of the Titans by way of 300, with Renaissance art stylings applied. The film stars Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Freida Pinto and more. At the time of writing, Immortals was 44% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Apparently we should watch this one for its eye-searing visuals and all round craziness; not its plot nor emotional depth. At this stage though, I'll take it! It has to be better than the Clash of the Titans remake, surely? My pick of the week.
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