Public Enemies - What Did You Think?
This Week in DVD: Quantum of Solace, Bolt, Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter, and More
Posted on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 by Adam Quigley
This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.
Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.
BOLT
(Available as single-disc and 2-Disc Deluxe Edition)
Five months ago, the only opinion I thought I’d be spreading in regards to Bolt was pure unbridled hatred. As a major supporter of Lilo & Stitch, I had been following co-writer/director Chris Sanders follow-up project American Dog since the first day it was announced, and everything about the movie looked fantastic. But the higher-ups at Disney weren’t as confident, and questioned the film’s marketability. Their solution was to remove Sanders from the project and give it a substantial overhaul. Bolt was the result of that overhaul. I wish I could tell you that it’s terrible, and the people at Disney made a huge mistake… But damn it all, it’s actually a really solid movie. While I do still wish I could’ve seen what Sanders had in store for us, there’s also no denying that Bolt is incredibly well-made, consistently funny, and genuinely heartfelt. I plan on buying it.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: 2-Disc includes ‘Super Rhino’ animated short, In Session with John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, ‘A New Breed of Directors’, Deleted Scenes, ‘Act, Speak! The Voices of Bolt’, ‘Creating the World of Bolt’ and Digital Copy.
| BEST PRICE* | ||
|---|---|---|
| Target | Best Buy | Fry’s |
| $15.99 | $16.99 | $15.99 |
| Amazon – $15.99 | ||
*Does not include 2-Disc Edition, which costs $22.99 at each of the listed stores (including Amazon).
EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Save $10 when you buy both Bolt and Lilo & Stitch DVDs.
Where? Target.
The /Filmcast: After Dark - Ep. 26 (GUEST: Angie Han)
Posted on Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 by David Chen
The /Filmcast: After Dark is a recording of what happens right after The /Filmcast is over, when the kids have gone to bed and the guys feel free to speak whatever is on their minds. In other words, it’s the leftover and disorganized ramblings, mindfarts, and brain diarrhea from The /Filmcast, all in one convenient audio file. In this episode, Dave, Devindra, and Adam spend more time ragging on Quantum of Solace, continue geeking out about the new Star Trek trailer, and share preliminary thoughts on Oscar nominees. Special guest and old colleague Angie Han joins us for this later-than-usual show.
Your voicemails (781-583-1993) and e-mails are always welcome. Join us next Monday at 9 PM EST / 6 PM PST as we review Twilight with Jen Yamato from Rottentomatoes.
Download or Play Now:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Subscribe:
New Posters: Benjamin Button, The Wrestler, Earth Stood Still and Quantum of Solace
Posted on Sunday, November 16th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
I just got home from seeing Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire (yes again… what a wonderful film) and noticed the new posters for David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button hanging in the lobby of the Sundance Kabuki theater in San Francisco. I snapped some photos with my iPhone (hence the low light artifacting). Click on the images to enlarge.
Also, /Film reader Christopher M found a digital copy of the poster for Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler. The design is a little different than the one that was on display at the red carpet during the AFI Fest.
And below that we have an extremely cool poster for The Day The Earth Stood Still, found on IMPA.
And RopesofSilicon found this explosive poster for Quantum of Solace (how did we miss this? And is it even real?).
It’s impossible to talk about Marc Forster’s Quantum of Solace without first reflecting on how far the Bond franchise has come in recent years. When Martin Campbell’s Casino Royale debuted in 2006, it rebooted the franchise and heralded the age of a bold new Bond. The suave secret agent of previous years was replaced by a rough-and-tumble soldier, who relied more on fists, knives, and guns to get things done, rather than outlandish gadgets. The lifestyle of a double-O, which had seemed intensely appealing over the course of the last few decades, was suddenly transformed into one filled with self-sacrifice, self-reflection, and self-loathing. While the card game sequences might have been a bit hokey and some of the dialogue was a bit too Haggis-esque for my tastes (“I have no armor left. You’ve stripped it from me.”), make no mistake: Casino Royale was completely badass, filled with spectacular action set pieces and a brave portrayal of 007 by always-stellar Daniel Craig. Heck, Casino Royale was so good that it almost made us forget the filmic atrocity that was Die Another Day. Almost.
These are the expectations that Quantum of Solace steps into this weekend, even as it’s already well on its way to a critic-proof, record-breaking box office take. But does the movie live up to its promise?
Read More »
The Incredibles - Quantum of Solace
The Pitch: CutHD has created a trailer mash-up of Quantum of Solace and Pixar’s The Incredibles.
Video of the Day is a daily feature of /Film showcasing geekarific video creations. Have a video we should be feature on VOTD? E-Mail us at orfilms@gmail.com.
Quantum of Bonds
The Pitch: “One Bond replaces the other, but it won’t go down without a fight.” Black20 is back, trying to recreate the magic of the popular viral movie trailer mash-up, Battle of the Batmans. Edited using Casino Royal (Daniel Craig’s first Bond film) and all of the Pierce Brosnan Bond films, Quantum of Bonds isn’t quite as good. But give it some time as it really kicks into full gear about 45 seconds in.
Video of the Day is a daily feature of /Film showcasing geekarific video creations. Have a video we should be feature on VOTD? E-Mail us at orfilms@gmail.com.
Quantum of Solace Leading Twilight in Advance Ticket Sales
Posted on Monday, November 10th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Quantum of Solace and Twilight both his theaters over the next two weeks. MovieTickets.com reports that Quantum of Solace is leading in ticket sales (but to be fair, they also have a seven day lead).
Early Buzz: I’ve talked to three people who have seen Twilight, each of which expected to hate the film, and surprisingly, ended up enjoying it (if just a little).
It will be interesting to see exactly how much business this movie is going to do. I’m also interested to see if the film will drop off after the first weekend after all the hardcore fans see it. For some reason, I think fans might be going back to the theater to see the film multiple times.
Twilight
% of Tickets Sold 11/10: 45%
% of Tickets Sold 11/1 - 11/7: 18%
U.S. Sellouts: 100
Quantum of Solace
% of Tickets Sold 11/10: 29%
% of Tickets Sold 11/1 - 11/7: 21%
U.S. Sellouts: 151
“Quantum of Solace” Almost Featured a James Bond Jr.
Posted on Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 by David Chen
New York magazine’s Vulture has a piece (via Film Junk) that describes how Paul Haggis, a screenwriter for Quantum of Solace (and the writer/director for the Best Picture-winning Crash), almost created a child subplot for the next Bond film. According to Marc Forster, Solace’s director:
Haggis had an idea they weren’t fond of, and I didn’t know if it would work or not…The idea was that Vesper in the last movie, maybe she had a kid, and there would be an orphan out there. It wasn’t anything to insult the franchise. But they felt it wasn’t particularly Bond — him looking for the kid. I think Paul thought he just leaves the kid, he doesn’t deal with it. But [the producers] thought that would be really nasty, too, because Bond was an orphan himself. If he would find a kid, would he just leave it? They were so vehemently against it. That was the only time I saw, really, “No, we can’t do that.” They said, “Once he finds the kid, Bond can’t just leave the kid. It’s not right.”
Having spawned from the mind of Haggis, this idea doesn’t really surprise me, but it almost definitely would have been a horrendously executed. What possible positive outcomes could there have been for this scenario? As my /Filmcast colleague Devindra put it, either he keeps the kid and ruins the franchise, or he leaves the kid and is a much bigger asshole than we could have possibly imagined.
The franchise most fresh in my mind that played with this type of thing was Indy 4 and your feelings towards that film as a whole will probably inform how successful you feel that relationship was. But can we all agree that a James Bond Jr. would, as a general thing, be a terrible idea?
Discuss: Would you want to see a Bond film where he deals with his child? What action movies have dealt with father/son relationships satisfyingly?
Early Buzz: Quantum of Solace is No Casino Royale
Posted on Sunday, October 19th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
The first reviews for the new James Bond film Quantum of Solace have begun to hit the interwebs. Critics seem to agree that the film lacks the narrative of Casino Royale. It is shorter, darker, less dialogue, more high-temp confusing action sequences, and some dull expository scenes. Oh, and everyone agrees that Daniel Craig is excellent as Bond (but was there any doubt after the first film?). Bottom line is people liked the film, but it’s no Casino Royale. Check out the excerpts below:
Times Online: “It’s James Bond, licence to bore. Quantum of Solace may be a sequel to Casino Royale but it lacks that movie’s panache and brio.” … “Bond is a boorish oaf who simply rushes from country to country with the manic speed of Jason Bourne, including sequences shot in Panama, Chile, Italy, Mexico and Austria, in a plot about holding a country to ransom over its water supply. Quantum of Solace lacks any wit, ironic or otherwise, which has been a strength of so many 007 films.” … “At around one hour 40 minutes, this Bond is shorter than most. Somehow it felt longer.”
The Guardian: “This didn’t excite me as much as Casino Royale and the villain is especially underpowered.” … “This is a crash-bang Bond, high on action, low on quips, long on location glamour, short on product placement.” … “I was disappointed there was so little dialogue, flirtation and characterization in this Bond: Forster and his writers Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade clearly thought this sort of sissy nonsense has to be cut out in favor of explosions. Well, perhaps that is what Bond fans want (not this Bond fan, though). But I was also baffled that relatively little was made of the deliciously villainous Amalric”.
The Telegraph: “…owes much to the quick-fire editing of the Bourne thrillers.” … “In this much darker film” … ” For half an hour or so after the pre-credits ‘teaser’, the film barely lets up.” … “And then, the pacing becomes more fractured. One wonders if director Marc Forster and screenwriters Paul Haggis and Neal Purvis haven’t tried a little too hard to distance the film from traditional Bond plots. The expository dialogue scenes can be dull, and cram in so many machinations and double-crossings that it’s easy to lose track of who’s duping whom. And yet, several times - just when you’re tempted to consult your watch - the movie suddenly surprises.”
BBC: “It’s a film that feels like the second part of a trilogy, with this being the bleaker second act.” … “The raw nature of the film may put off some who yearn for the days of gizmos, gadgets and Bond quips as he dispenses with faceless opponents.” … “But for the most part the villainy rightly takes a back seat to Bond’s emotional journey.”
Empire: “In an era marked by franchise bloat, it’s entirely admirable that Quantum of Solace is the shortest Bond movie to date – it drops a great many of the long-running series mannerisms (callous quips, expository lectures, travelogue padding, Q and Moneypenny)” … “Everything in this movie is edited as if it were an action sequence, which means that when the set-pieces come they have to go into overdrive to stay ahead of the game, with Bourne veteran Dan Bradley staging more brutal, devastatingly fast fights and chases.” … “we get less to latch onto emotionally since Daniel Craig became the complete 007 over the course of Casino Royale, and here just has to be set loose” … “while it’s exciting, it’s not exactly anyone’s idea of fun. To keep in the game, perhaps the next movie could let the hero enjoy himself a bit more.”
The Shiznit: “But Craig’s emotionless visage is so blank, the script so bereft of character, Quantum Of Solace feels like just another day at the office for 007.” … ” Craig, it must be said, is excellent.” … “High-tempo sequences, like the opening car chase and an extremely Bournian rooftop pursuit, are disorientating in the extreme: too fast, too sloppy and too ruthlessly edited. Often, things change in the blink of an eye – one second Bond is lying on his back, the next he’s jumping out a window, the next he’s swinging from a rope. It’s often impossible to keep up.” … ” Fight scenes often seem practiced and stagey” … “seems a little too far-fetched even for a Bond movie. All we ask is for some consistency – this isn’t Crank, this is Bond.” “Quantum Of Solace is a crushing disappointment. Try as you might, you’ll be unable to invest in any of the characters”
The Daily Mirror: “Quantum of Solace is a leaner, meaner animal, rammed with shoot-outs, a boat chase and even an aerial dogfight. And our hero is an angry, embittered man out for blood. Mostly it doesn’t feel like a Bond film at all. Not once does Craig say: “The name’s Bond. James Bond.” There’s no Q or his gadgets. Heck, we even see Bond in a cardigan. There are no risque quips or arched eyebrows.” … “It doesn’t disappoint - just don’t expect the brilliance of Casino Royale.”
Star Trek Updates: Running Time, Trailer and More
Posted on Tuesday, October 14th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
We haven’t updated Star Trek in a while, so lets get to it. During a recent online chat with The Guardian, director JJ Abrams was asked why he got involved in the film. And I think his answer says a lot about what we should expect from the final film: “It didn’t feel like a classic reboot or prequel. It is a brand new thing inspired by characters that are poised to make a big comeback.”
JJ Abrams insists that the film’s running time won’t be much longer than 120 minutes, ranting to MTV that he’s “sick of these two hours and forty-five minute movies.”
Abrams also claims that when he showed Simon Pegg (who plays Scotty in the film) the trailer on his iPhone at Comic Con, the actor “started weeping.” It should be disclosed that the man was also plastered. But what I’m wondering is, if Abrams had a finished trailer on his iPhone at Comic Con, why weren’t the fans shown anything? I thought the reason given back then was “nothing was finished enough to show”…
Trek Movie is reporting that the first trailer will hit theaters in November, possibly attached to a non Paramount film like Sony’s Quantum of Solace.
Watchmen: Running Time, New Trailer and Sequel Denial
Posted on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Twenty-five minutes of Watchmen was screened for select press in Los Angeles today. I couldn’t make the trip (I’m taking a break from traveling for a while), but our friends at FirstShowing were in attendance. Here are some of the news highlights:
- The current running time is 2 hours and 43 minutes, and Zack Snyder doesn’t expect it to get much shorter. Wow, that’s even longer than I expected it would be.
- Snyder said he would not be involved with a prequel/sequel if Warner Bros stupidly decided to make one. But the real question is, would Warner Bros be stupid enough to make one?
- The next movie trailer will be attached to Quantum of Solace, which hits theaters in the US on November 14th 2008. Mark it on your calendar!
Collider has a better description of the footage screened.
You’ve heard the song, now watch the music video. Jack White and Alica Keys’ Another Way to Die, the theme song for the upcoming James Bond film Quantum of Solace, is now online.
