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"TRON: LEGACY" trailer is here!

Friday, March 12, 2010


The first real trailer for the sequel to TRON (1982) is finally here! Watch it and good luck waiting for months to watch the film. This one looks like a winner!



As always, the best way to view this trailer is in glorious Quicktime HD.



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posted by:Eraserheadx

2:32 AM | Labels: Jeff Bridges, Movies, Trailer, TRON |   1 Comments  

Oscars 2010

Monday, March 8, 2010



It's a well-known fact that the Academy Awards have now lost their former glory. The creation and continuous advertising of semi-independent films with strong cast which usually deal with "important" issues led to a huge stream of so called Oscar-bait movies in the past decade. The front-runner company was of course Miramax, which was recently led to bankruptcy, paving the way for the closure of the artistic sections of other large distributors (Paramount Vantage, Warner International Pictures). Finally, after some dubious choices (does anybody think that Crash was the best motion picture of 2005?), the Oscars have settled down to being an entertaining awards ceremony - like a prestigious SNL show, but with more celebrities.

Which brings us to Oscars 2010.

Technical awards: Avatar and the Hurt Locker shared the loot, with Avatar gaining awards for Visual Effects, Art Direction, and Cinematography, while Hurt Locker received (deservedly in my opinion) the two sound awards and the Editing Oscar. Star Trek received a make-up award (why?) and The Young Victoria got a costume award.

Music: Michael Giacchino's score for Up received the award (one of the most memorable recent themes in film), while T-Bone Burnett finally took a long-deserving award (after so many great Coen movies) for a song in Crazy Heart.

Writing: In the original material category, the Hurt Locker received the award, which comes a bit strange when considering the competition being A Serious Man and Inglourious Basterds. Oh well... In the adapted section, Precious got the Oscar, without facing any serious competition.

Acting: Christoph Waltz's win was the most predictable of all awards; his performance by far outmatches everyone else's in the Supporting Actor category. Mo'Nique received the Supporting Actress award for Precious, facing no opposition, since there were split votes for Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air. Jeff Bridges finally got the Oscar after 40 years of acting his socks off, again without any serious contestants. Finally, Sandra Bullock's win was the surprise of the night, especially after having received a Razzie for All About Steve the previous night (personal opinion: Meryl Streep was robbed)!

Directing: Kathryn Bigelow finally moved on to the A-list after having proven repeatedly she's one of the best action directors of all time. Although the Hurt Locker wasn't a great movie, it was expertly directed. But I really wish she'd gotten the award for Near Dark (if you haven't seen this movie, do it now!).

Best Foreign Film: The Argentinian movie A Secret in Their Eyes received the award, winning over The White Ribbon and A Prophet. Once again, the academy proves the golden rule that the best movies are deprived of an Oscar (as well as the best directors, a.k.a. Kubrick, Hitchcock, Welles...).

Best Film: Again, the Hurt Locker received the award, with the Academy completely snubbing Avatar. Personally, none of these movies deserved a Best Picture award, but I had a perverse pleasure watching a little movie directed by Cameron's ex receiving the award over the overwhelming-but-a-bit-silly Avatar...

Overall: Although the snubbing of Avatar (in the prestigious awards) was refreshing, the Hurt Locker is a film that will probably be forgotten in the near future.



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posted by:ebenet

12:03 PM | Labels: Movies, Oscars |   3 Comments  

New Iron Man 2 trailer hits the web


I have a feeling this summer is going to be a good one, at least movie-wise (Inception can't get released soon enough).

Iron Man 2 will be one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer and from the newly released trailer it seems to be a very fun movie that doesn't offend the intelligence of the audience.

Enjoy Iron Man and War Machine in action!



For better quality get the trailer in glorious quicktime HD from Apple's site



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posted by:Eraserheadx

11:17 AM | Labels: comics, interactive movies, Iron Man, Mickey Rourke, Robert Downey Jr., Sam Rockwell, Trailer |   0 Comments  

Shutter Island review

Monday, March 1, 2010

Phew, that was a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong winter in movie land; especially for the cinematically isolated island of Crete, where we sit, unsure if even the biggest movies releases will make it to our humble shores. As enjoyable as Avatar was as a movie going experience, I believe the fact that it stayed top of the charts for so long in the US of A was mainly due to a distinct lack of competition.

So it is, with great pleasure, that we now welcome Martin Scorsese’s latest journey into movie making; "Shutter Island", starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Ben Kingsley to name just two of the many recognisable faces.

The Scorsese/Di Caprio partnership has now become a familiar one with Leo starring in Scorsese’s last 5 feature films, and Scorsese really has succeeded in bringing out the underlying talent from the once typecast pretty boy that we all remember from the "Titanic". Even when those films were found to be lacking in some areas, Di Caprio’s performances have been top notch. "Shutter Island" is no exception, only that it is also a really impressive movie to boot.

We meet our main character, US Marshall Teddy Daniels, on a ferry to a hospital for the criminally insane with his newly assigned partner, Chuck (played by Mark Ruffalo) to investigate the apparent escape of one of the hospital's patients. Upon their arrival, it soon becomes apparent that there is more to this place than meets the eye and as the plot unravels further we discover that Teddy has his own agenda on the island, but getting to the bottom of it all is going to test his own sanity.

I have read comments about the great photography, powerful supporting cast and the clever script of this deep psychological thriller; and while I agree with all of these statements, I must add how surprised I was by the directing. Scorsese has been directing longer than I have been living, but this is a movie where he has chosen to step away from his own conventions on movie making. Gone are the gangs, and the streets and the brutal violence; replaced by dark, atmospheric scenery, haunting characters and horrific images broadcasted through the medium of dreams. There were moments I had to pinch myself so that I was reminded exactly whose work I was watching. A brave move, but he definately pulled it off!

Verdit: Go see it! 8.5/10



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posted by:Hotshuk

5:24 PM | Labels: Cinema, Di Caprio, Movies, Pyschological Thriller, Scorsese, Shutter Island |   1 Comments  

The Brit Report: Mini reviews galore!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

The Road: John Hillcoat's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic best-seller is a brave and inspired, even if slightly pedestrian, effort. Hillcoat follows very closely the novel in its slightly episodic but nevertheless endlessly repeating pattern, with very few actual modifications (some exposition in the form of Charlize Theron as the Mother). The movie is superbly acted by Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee as the Father and Boy, respectively, and several big-name actors pop-in in small appearances throughout the movie, with the best cameo being attributed to the great Robert Duvall in an earth-shattering 4-minute turn. However, the movie's (as well as the novel's) lack of plot evolution, along with any lack of characterization or solid ideology, makes the movie effective while it lasts, but ultimately forgettable. Still, it's a worthy addition to the genre with a most naturalistic depiction of what life would be in a post-apocalyptic situation. 7/10



The Wolfman: Yet another Universal horror movie remake, The Wolfman was a troubled production from the start, which is 100% evident in the final product. Part B-movie, part Victorian drama, the movie is unsure which direction to follow. This is not helped by the fact that there is absolutely no chemistry between the four leading actors whatsoever; Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins especially seem to be playing in totally different movies. The editors are also partly to blame for this, with an introduction that seems like a trailer from a proper movie, ultimately getting rid of all characterizations and racing for the monster's intro. The replacement director, Joe Johnston, is more a visual entertainer than a proper filmmaker and couldn't have been a worse choice for the subject. Still, it's a most enjoyable disaster (even for the wrong reasons) that will perhaps satisfy horror enthusiasts. 6/10



The Lovely Bones: Another troubled production, this movie ultimately is a glorious error made by a director who has absolute creative control, but also no sense of subtlety. The movie starts very strongly, with believable characterizations and situations, but once the famed killing takes place, the script comes to an abrupt halt. In come Peter Jackson's CGI manifestations of an in-between "haven", which seem wrong in visual terms (although some are obviously impressive). Since the main heroine is also in this so-called afterlife, her character development is nonexistent, which makes the movie suffer in its second act. Thankfully, things pick up in the third act, with a brave and ultimately chilling resolution to the killing. The performances are a bit hit-and-miss: Saorise Ronan is superb as the leading character, but unfortunately Mark Wahlberg makes me still wonder why he is picked up by first-class directors. Rachel Weisz fares better given the limited material she has to work with, and Susan Saradon gives an enjoyable turn as the alcoholic grandma. The main problem of the movie though is Stanley Tucci's turn as the killer - it makes me wonder why this (very efficient otherwise) actor was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for this role. His turn is overly simplistic, full with the necessary receding hairline and big spectacles that all Hollywood-appearing child killers seem to sport. In the case of the Lovely Bones, it seems that less is actually more, and unfortunately PJ opted for much more. 6/10



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posted by:ebenet

7:19 PM | Labels: Brit Report, Movies, The Lovely Bones, The Road, The Wolfman |   0 Comments  

Have a good "tour of duty" mastorak!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Today is a sad day for allround geek.

The blog's founder, mastorak, departed today for his mandatory 9 month tour of duty in the Greek army. It is a time during which boys become men.


It is also a time when all your earthly possessions are getting plundered by your friends and relatives.

As I am writing this post, mastorak is waiting at the airport and already his sister got his car, hotshuk got his PlayStation 3, his cousin got his PlayStation 2 and yours truly is enjoying access to his steam account.


Goodbye Kostis, we'll really miss you man!



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posted by:Eraserheadx

11:27 AM | |   3 Comments  

Bioshock: So good you will crap your pants!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Every once in a while, a game is released that raises the bar for everyone else. Two years ago Bioshock was released and did just that. Since then very few games have managed to be as immersing as this one. Rarely we see a game of that quality and so high production values. I was late to trying it, but when I did, I did not stop until the credits were rolling. I was so thrilled by it that when I was not playing the game I was thinking about the game. Every aspect was so masterfully done that I simply can not find anything to bitch about.


Bioshock is one of those games/films/books that can create really strong emotions through its story and setting. You start the game as a lone survivor of an airplane crash in the middle of the atlantic ocean. Soon you find yourself in a city(Rapture) built under the sea. NO GODS OR KINGS, ONLY MAN. This is the banner that greets you into Rapture and sets the tone for the mind of the inhabitants of this city. Something though, has gone terribly wrong and all those bright minds; the scientists, the artists, instead of freeing themselves and excel, they where enslaved by greed and power. You soon find yourself in sick situations and witness horror and perversion. This game is not for the faint of heart. You will have to find out your place in the story and try to save yourself.


Even though the game at first appears as your usual FPS, it is not. I mean it is definitely not. The gameplay is so rich and offers so much depth that you simply can not call it an FPS. The game has numerous RPG mechanics built in to it. You acquire a certain resource by killing powerful enemies (the infamous Big daddies) and squeeze it from helpless kids (the little sisters) by force or kindly. You use this essence to advance your skills, and powers. Besides your weapons you can use your powers (plasmids) in various occasions. Your plasmids range from simple attack powers to freeze, burn, control and defensive mechanisms. You can use them in many different ways and the environment is highly interactive to help you with that. For example, if you use your lightning plasmid on an enemy that is in the water, besides stunning him for a few seconds, you will damage him due electrocution as well.

The levels are full of items to gather and there are many machines to interact with. You can use vending machines to buy ammo, health packs and any other items using the money you got from the mad depraved inhabitants of the city you just killed. There are slot machine, health station, turrets, weapon upgrade machines, you name it. All play a very important role in the game and you better use them effectively in order to survive.


The sights and sounds of Rapture are breathtaking. Wandering around the city's corridors haunts you with the destruction that has taken place. The misery of the city is present in every corner and the blood that has covered the walls reminds you not to let your guard down to check out the fantastic job the game designers and artists have done. On the same level are the ambient sounds the music and the voice acting.


This is a unique game, one, I dare say, of the same quality as Half Life 2. It is one of those games that make other developers hide in shame because their games will be laughable before this masterpiece. Bioshock is not a game, it is art in all its interactive glory. Now, that Bioshock 2 is around the corner if you still, like me, had not played this one get it. It will be a revelation. It's so good you will crap your pants.



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posted by:mastorak

11:03 PM | Labels: action, Bioshock, FPS, games, rpg, Science Fiction |   0 Comments  

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