Elysium (2013)

Plot Summary

In the year 2154 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes, a government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn't stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Writer: Neill Blomkamp

Stars: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley

Trailers

Reviews

IGN: Neill Blomkamp's sophmore effort proves that District 9 was no fluke, with Elysium the kind of exciting and intelligent entertainment that's been sorely missing from the summer movie season - 4.5

The Playlist: With Elysium, Blomkamp has made good on the promise of "District 9" and proven that working on a bigger canvas doesn't mean compromising on smarts or aspirations to deliver tentpole sized stories with a thoughtful backbone. - 4.2/5

Variety: Even working within a more conventional framework, Blomkamp again proves to be a superb storyteller. He has a master’s sense of pacing, slowly immersing us into his future world rather than assailing us with nonstop action, and envisioning that world with an architect’s eye for the smallest details. - 4/5

Slant Magazine: A cheekily gruesome and genuinely urgent entertainment, Blomkamp's latest nevertheless can't help but beg the question: Where's Snake Plissken when you need him? - 3.2/5

The Hollywood Reporter: All the interest and good will built up by the sharply conceived preliminaries is washed away in a succession of scenes that feel crushingly routine and generic, not to mentioned guided by ideological urges. - 2/5

MovieMoReview Rating of Elysium -  3.75/5

Blue Jasmine (2013)

Plot Summary

After everything in her life falls to pieces, including her marriage to wealthy businessman Hal, elegant New York socialite Jasmine moves into her sister Ginger’s modest apartment in San Francisco to try to pull herself back together again.

Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Stars:  Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins

Trailers

Reviews

Wall Street Journal: Cate Blanchett tops anything she's done in the past with her portrait of a fallen woman who's a hoot, a horror, a heartbreaker and a wonder. The mystery of the movie as a whole is that it depicts a bleak world of pervasive rapacity, deceit and self-delusion, yet keeps us rapt with delight. - 5/5

New York Observer: Richly chronicled characters, sharp dialogue and that stupendous centerpiece performance by Cate Blanchett are contributing factors in the best summer movie of 2013 and one of the most memorable Woody Allen movies ever. - 5/5

Rolling Stone: Want to see great acting, from comic to tragic and every electrifying stop in between? See Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine. - 4.5/5

The New Yorker: Cate Blanchett, who played Blanche on Broadway only a few years ago, gives the most complicated and demanding performance of her movie career. The actress, like her character, is out on a limb much of the time, but there’s humor in Blanchett’s work, and a touch of self-mockery as well as an eloquent sadness. - 4/5

New York Post: Blue Jasmine may sound like a topical satire, but it isn’t really. It’s a character study of an obnoxious, selfish and supremely self-absorbed woman oblivious to the pain she inflicts on others. - 3.75/5

NPR: As written, Jasmine is a hopeless neurotic, trapped in a perpetual panic. As played, she has a wicked hint of Scarlett O'Hara. - 3.75/5

Village Voice: Blue Jasmine is so relentlessly clueless about the ways real human beings live, and so eager to make the same points about human nature that Allen has made dozens of times before, that it seems like a movie beamed from another planet. - 1.5/5

MovieMoReview Rating of Blue Jasmine -  3.75/5

The Wolverine (2013)

Plot Summary

In modern day Japan, Wolverine is out of his depth in an unknown world as he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before

Director: James Mangold

Writers: Mark Bomback, Scott Frank, Christopher McQuarrie

Stars: Hugh Jackman, Rila Fukushima, Will Yun Lee

Budget: $100,000,000 (estimated)

Trailers

Reviews

IGN: The Wolverine is a standalone adventure for the classic character that reminds us that there's more to this genre than universe-building and crossovers - 4/5

Mirror: An astutely structured film (beautifully directed by James Mangold, best known for Walk The Line and 3:10 to Yuma) is a complex drama, its mood ranging from serious and taut to funny and even silly, with a welcome side order of spectacular action sequences. - 4/5

The Hollywood Reporter: Until a third act that collapses in a harebrained heap, the director largely succeeds in keeping the more cartoonish aspects at bay, roughing up the surface with organically staged fight scenes and, crucially, raising the stakes by stripping his hitherto indestructible hero of his self-healing powers. - 3/5

Total Film: It’s a step up from the garbled silliness of Wolverine’s first solo outing. Unlike Origins, the storytelling is more sharply focused here, ignited by flashes of stylised superheroism. - 3/5

Empire: An improvement on the last outing for Jackman’s not-so-merry mutant. If only it trusted enough in its unique setting to forgo a descent into aggressively awful formula. - 3/5

The Telegraph: The previous X-Men film, First Class, was secure enough in its own skin to embrace its comic side. Mangold’s picture affects a pubescent snarl instead: that’s the difference between comic and daft. - 2/5

The Guardian: The flat hammerblows of The Wolverine bear little relation to the zing and pop of Matthew Vaughn's colourful treatment. Inconsistency is inevitable in a world that's constantly being dug up and done over, but it leaves us no time to fall in love with anything being flung at us. - 2/5

MovieMoReview Rating of The Wolverine -  3/5

"Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. is Hollywood's highest paid actor

With estimated earnings of $75 million, "Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. is Hollywood's highest paid actor, ahead of Channing Tatum and Hugh Jackman, according to Forbes.com.

Downey, 48, starred in Disney's Marvel superhero films "The Avengers" in 2012 and "Iron Man 3" in 2013, each of which earned more than $1 billion at the box office, assuring him the top spot in the annual ranking of Hollywood's top acting earners.

New father Tatum, 33, who self-financed the male-stripper movie "Magic Mike" that made $167 million with director Steven Soderbergh, captured the No. 2 spot with estimated earnings of $60 million. Australian actor Jackman, 44, whose new movie "The Wolverine" opens in U.S. theaters next week, was not far behind with $55 million.

Mark Wahlberg, 42, had a comedy hit with "Ted," a film that earned $550 million and pumped up his earning to $52 million to secure fourth place, and wrestler-turned actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, 41, rounded out the top five with $46 million.

Johnson starred in "Fast and Furious 6," which made $500 million at the box office in less than two weeks, and "G.I. Joe: Retaliation."

Adam Sandler, 46, at No. 7, was the only comedian to make the top 10 thanks mainly to the animated hit "Hotel Transylvania, which grossed $347 million and helped bump his earnings up to $37 million.

Last year, Tom Cruise, 51, topped the list with earnings of $75 million. This year, he dropped to eighth place with $35 million, gained largely from his international audience, Forbes said.

Denzel Washington, 58, took a cut in pay in exchange for a share of the profits for "Flight," which turned out to be a shrewd deal. The film made $162 million putting the Oscar winner in ninth place with earnings of $33 million.

Forbes.com compiled the ranking and estimated earnings by talking to managers, producers and agents.

Take a look at the income of all of this past year's top leading men:

1. Robert Downey Jr -- $75 million

2. Channing Tatum -- $60 million

3. Hugh Jackman -- $55 million

4. Mark Wahlberg -- $52 million

5. Dwayne Johnson -- $46 million

6. Leonardo DiCaprio -- $39 million

7. Adam Sandler -- $37 million

8. Tom Cruise -- $35 million

9. Denzel Washington -- $33 million

10. Liam Nieson -- $32 million

Source: www.forbes.com

The Conjuring (2013)

Plot Summary

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.

Director: James Wan

Writers: Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes

Stars: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor

Budget: $13,000,000 (estimated)

Trailers

Reviews

Variety: A sensationally entertaining old-school freakout and one of the smartest, most viscerally effective thrillers in recent memory. - 4.5/5

Film.com: Wan has marshaled his crack sense of supernatural menace into making his most satisfying scare story yet. - 4/5

The Hollywood Reporter: The handsomely shot, expertly button-pushing scare-fest has the polish and the cast to draw older audiences who grew up on shockers built from performances rather than CGI. - 4/5

Slant Magazine: Though The Conjuring claims to be based on a true story, in truth it's based on every horror film that's come before it. - 2.5/5

Dread Central: I truly believe that Ed [Warren], who passed away many years ago, would be very proud of this film, and that’s the highest compliment I could ever pay it. The Conjuring is a masterclass in absolute terror that’s destined to become a classic within the genre - 4/5 

MovieMoReview Rating of The Conjuring -  4/5

Marvel Vs DC

Just the facts

1. Marvel and DC are rival comic book companies.

2. Marvel and DC have teamed up several times in the past.

3. Marvel and DC are like Coke and Pepsi, to the layperson.

4. Pepsi owns Dr. Pepper while Coke offers Mr. Pibb.

Box-office Performance

When it comes to box-office dollars, the Avengers and other Marvel superheroes are mightier than DC Comics.

Films based on Marvel comic books have generated 47 percent more in domestic box-office sales on average than DC Comics movies. The 28 Marvel films dating back to 1998 have averaged $190 million, compared with $129 million for 23 DC Comics movies starting with “Superman” in 1978.

Time Warner is clearly relying on DC Comics to replace (if even possible) the Harry Potter franchise. The Harry Potter films, based on the J.K. Rowling books, ended their run in 2011.“The Avengers,” the 2012 movie featuring Iron Man, Captain America and the Hulk, was the highest-grossing film for either comic-book brand, with $1.5 billion in global receipts. The success of Marvel movies has given a boost to Walt Disney Co., which acquired Marvel Entertainment Inc. at the end of 2009 for about $4 billion. Time Warner Inc. (TWX), meanwhile, has hitched its fortunes to DC Comics fare, including the Batman films and this week’s “Man of Steel” release.

Nolan’s Touch

For Time Warner, which acquired DC Comics when Time Inc. merged with Warner Communications in 1990, “The Dark Knight Rises” was its biggest comic-book blockbuster. The 2012 film - the third installment in a series directed by Christopher Nolan - has generated about $1.1 billion in global receipts, according to Box Office Mojo.

Warner has attempted to give “Man of Steel” a similar look and tone to the “Dark Knight” films by hiring Nolan to produce the film. Nolan, the writer and director behind “Inception,” also created the storyline used as the basis for the Superman script.

The movie, starring British actor Henry Cavill as the world’s most famous Kryptonian, is expected to open in the U.S. and Canada with sales of $115 million and take in $357 million in the region during its theatrical run, the film-industry website Boxoffice.com projects. It cost about $225 million to make, according to Box Office Mojo.

Box-office inflation has helped Marvel outshine DC Comics because more of its movies were released in recent years. Marvel has debuted 13 films since 2007, while DC has only delivered seven.

Average ticket prices have tripled since 1980, giving more recent films Hulk-sized dollar figures. The total domestic grosses for Marvel are $5.3 billion, compared with about $3 billion for DC.

In 2009, Time Warner placed DC Comics under its film division, highlighting its growing reliance on using the iconic characters to generate hits. In addition to Superman and Batman, DC superheroes include Aquaman, the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)

Plot Summary

The true story of the "Flying Sikh" - world champion runner and Olympian Milkha Singh - who overcame the massacre of his family, civil war during the India-Pakistan partition, and homelessness to become one of India's most iconic athletes.

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Writer: Prasoon Joshi

Stars: Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Rebecca Breeds

Budget: $ 5,200,000 (estimated)

Trailers

Reviews

DNA: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is the kind of cinema that doesn't tempt us to share the protagonist's life with any false hopes. We the audience are driven into a desperate urge to share Milkha's life not only because he ran fast, but because he wasn't afraid to stumble, falter and fall - 5/5

IBN: The film itself is well intentioned and shines a light on an important figure. But it's too long and too unfocused to leave a lasting impression - 2.5/5

NDTV: Bhaag Milkha Singh is a 400 metres sprint that feels like a cross-country race. Go for it only if you trust your endurance threshold. - 2.5/5

Zee News: ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ may not impress an average moviegoer, for it comes across as a very slow film. But it will certainly leave you with a sense of pride for having the legendary athlete as a fellow countryman. - 3.5/5

Rediff: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag fails to achieve that level of clarity or coherence, primarily because of Prasoon Joshi's faulty screenplay and sleepy editing by P Bharti, which appears both overwhelmed and clueless about putting together the many chapters of a sportsman's eventful existence. - 2.5/5

Economic Times:  Bhaag Milkha Bhaag doesn't run as consistently as Milkha Singh might have. Nevertheless the sincere effort by Farhan Akhtar makes it a significant watch. - 3/5

Firstpost: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag calls itself a biopic but it never stops feeling like an exaggerated yarn — the creative liberties taken are just ridiculous and expecting anything factually correct goes out the window when Akhtar as Milkha Singh starts singing a country western style Hindi song at a Melbourne bar with an Australian girl - 2.5/5

Deccan Herald: “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” could have been an inspiring, uplifting film about one man’s journey, but Mehra botches it up completely. Sport has enough inherent drama. All he had to do was show that. Mehra chose to play games instead, and ruined it. - 2.5/5

Deccan Chronicle: Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra is back in form after the higgledy-piggledy 'Delhi 6'. For sure 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag', his salute to an athlete, leaps out straight from the heart, which may skip several beats but cannot arrest the impact left by the three-hour-plus epic. - 3.5/5

Bollywood Hungama: A handful of films sprint that extra mile beyond providing meager entertainment to its spectators. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is one such cinematic experience - 4.5/5

MovieMoReview Rating of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag -  3/5

About Christopher Nolan

Gained major funding during the 1999 Hong Kong Film Festival by showing his film "Following" and then asking the audience to donate money to his next film "Memento".

Older brother of Jonathan Nolan.

Nephew of John Nolan and Kim Hartman.

Is red and green colorblind.

Studied English Literature in college.

He is a big James Bond fan, and said to David S. Goyer, that his favorite James Bond movie is "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".

His top ten favorite movies are: "2001: A Space Odyssey", "The Black Hole", "Blade Runner", "Chinatown", "The Hitcher", "Lawrence of Arabia", "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"), "Star Wars", "The Man Who Would Be King" and "Topkapi", as well as anything by Stanley Kubrick.

Doesn't like CGI in movies and purposely avoided it when he made "Batman Begins".

Following "Insomnia", his next project was going to be a Howard Hughes biopic starring Jim Carrey. Nolan had the screenplay written (calling it "one of the best things I've ever written"), but once it became apparent Martin Scorsese was making his own Hughes biopic, "The Aviator", Nolan reluctantly tabled his script and took up directing "Batman Begins".

Spent his childhood moving back and forth between United Kingdom and the United States. His accent is mostly English, but occasionally varies into an American accent. Nolan is comfortable with and knowledgeable of both cultures.

Has both US and UK citizenship.

He is a big fan of the band, Radiohead.

Resides in Los Angeles with his wife Emma Thomas and their three children.

Always has both his US and UK passports with him at all times, just in case of emergency.

Is of Irish descent.

As of 2012, 6 out of eight films Nolan directed are on the IMDB's top 250: "The Dark Knight", "Batman Begins", "Memento", "The Prestige", "Inception", and "The Dark Knight Rises".

Was doing camera and sound work on training videos before making his film debut.

His film, "The Dark Knight Rises", is the fifth consecutive movie of his to have a role played by Michael Caine.

Considers Stanley Kubrick and Ridley Scott as his primary influences.

Adapted Ruth Rendell's novel, "The Keys to the Street", into a screenplay that he was set to direct for Fox Searchlight after "Insomnia". However, he instead went on to direct "Batman Begins". "Keys to the Street" remains unproduced.

First cousin of Miranda Nolan, whom he gave minor roles in "Inception" and "The Dark Knight Rises". Miranda's brother Tom had a minor role in "Batman Begins".

The first Director to do three live action Film adaptations of the DC Comics character Batman.

He and "Spider-Man" director Sam Raimi are the only directors to do three live-action Comic Book adaptations of the same character.

Prefers shooting on film stock over digital, and has been outspoken against the threat by studios to phase out the use of film as a choice over digital.

Refuses to use Digital Intermediates for his films, instead opting to use the photochemical timing process.

He is one of the few people (also including his brother Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer) to work on films about DC Comics' two most famous characters and two of the most iconic heroes in Comics, "Batman" and "Superman".

Honored with a hand-print and foot-print ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater on July 7, 2012 in Los Angeles.

Father of Flora Nolan, Rory Nolan, Oliver Nolan and Magnus Nolan.

He initially directed his Batman films so he could get funding and support for his bigger films. The one he had planned for years was ''Inception''.

After James Cameron, Christopher Nolan is the second director make 2 films that have grossed more than $1 billion in the worldwide box office (The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises). However, Nolan is the first director to have released both of the billion dollar grossing films in 2D only (James Cameron's Avatar and Titanic have both been released in 3D at some point during their releases).

Always refuses to use a second unit in his movies, preferring instead to oversee every shot himself with DP Wally Pfister.

Was inspired to create the "Dark Knight" trilogy after viewing Richard Donner's Superman Films.

Has directed one Oscar winning performance: Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight".

Source: www.IMDb.com

Phantom (2013)

Plot Summary

The troubled captain of a Cold War Soviet submarine holds the fate of the world in his hands. Forced to leave his family behind, he is charged with leading a covert mission and tested by a rogue KGB group.

Director: Todd Robinson
Writer: Todd Robinson
Stars: Ed Harris, David Duchovny, William Fichtner
Budget: $18,000,000 (estimated)

Reviews

Salon.com: In this classy, taut white-knuckler – largely shot inside a real-life decommissioned Soviet sub – Robinson asks us to consider more than the hypothetical possibility that the world nearly ended in 1968. He reminds us that we have no idea how many other near-misses may have happened in the behind-the-scenes history of the modern age and also, more troubling still, that long after the Cold War has faded into memory we continue to have difficulty telling the crazy people from the sane ones - 4/5

Time Out New York: Manly, sharp-edged submarine B movies don’t come along often anymore — so consider this Cold War off-white-knuckler a welcome blast of recycled air - 3/5

Los Angeles Times: Phantom is a relatively tight, gripping story told with efficiency that makes room for its fine roster of actors to explore old-fashioned ideas on honor and loyalty - 3/5

The Hollywood Reporter: Despite the world-changing ramifications inherent to the plot, the results are more tedious than thrilling - 1.5/5

ReelViews: Much of what's contained in Phantom is at best speculative and at worst completely made-up. But, regardless of the accuracy, it makes for compelling viewing. Phantom is one of the best films of a lousy early 2013 release roster - 3.75/5

Washington Post: Intriguing, if uneven, thriller - 2.5/5

Chicago Tribune: Robinson is undone partly by his own workmanlike touch as a writer, and partly by matters of casting. I like Harris, and he's quite moving here, but every time Duchovny reappears the overall energy level sinks to crush depth. - 2.5/5

Slant Magazine

: Todd Robinson's film is a third-rate submarine-set drama until, in its final moments, it sinks to fourth-rate. - 1.25/5

The New York Times: The dialogue is dreadful (though we are at least spared the usual hokey Russian accents) and the wrap-up ridiculous, the only mystery being why this peculiarity was ever greenlighted at all. - 0/5

MovieMoReview Rating of Phantom  -  2/5