Blog Title: The Movie Fanatic

tMF FAST FORWARD: tMF's list of the coolest teen flicks from Aaron Johnson to Zac Efron!

I'm not trying to tell you to stop watching Twilight after your third sitting or asking you to refrain from gushing over Zac Efron in High School Musical, but there are a lot of other cool flicks just intended for the kind of audience you belong to. Yeah, call it teen angst, growing pains, or teen flicks, what we have here is a list of up and coming movies you may want to preview - as usual we divided the list in parts - this is Part 1 and Part 2 will be posted next. - - - - - - Playing like Juno junior, the engagingly irreverent Lymelife is a period suburban rites-of-passage story with a pitch-perfect cast headed by Alec Baldwin, Timothy Hutton and not one, but two Culkin brothers -- neither of them Macaulay. Lymelife: That's part of the film review of Michael Rechtshaffen over at The Hollywood Reporter for Lymelife, which debuted at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival last September and won the coveted International Critic's Award.

tMF TALKBACK: Little Ashes movie trailer- When 'No Limits' turned into a limited spectacle!

I've watched a few gay films and one thing I've noticed and quite certain about it - the story always ends in tragedy. Watching the Little Ashes trailer for the first time, I felt that to capture the essence of a time passed and to bring to life such famous figures as Salvador Dalí, Federico Lorca and Luis Buñuel, the director's skills and filmmaking experience will take a back seat to the actors' performances. - - - - - - Unlike Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar, the two ill-fated lovers in Brokeback Mountain, Salvador Dalí and Federico Garcia Lorca are two extremely different individuals. While both of them struggled to accept their true sexual identities, Lorca proved to be the better man. Some say opposites attract, but in this case, one of the pair's fatal attraction proved to be his downfall. I was initially surprised when one of our writers over at the LA Promo site (http://themovie-fanatic.com/la/), Victor Marzowicz-Velasquez did not hide his utter dislike of Salvador Dalí. Now I find his reaction to the infamous and controversial artist to be justified and even proper. Little Ashes maybe a love story between two men, but against the backdrop of the chaotic political and social changes in Spain, it might proved to be more than just a story of famous artists but of a colorful and historic time.

MOVIE REVIEW: Doubt

Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams Director: John Patrick Shanley Release Date: December 12, 2008 (Limited) Running Time: 104 mins MPAA Rating: PG-13 Distributors: Miramax Films - - - “What do you do when you’re not sure?” Nothing is reassuring about donning a priest collar. The fact that a priest goes out every day to try and carry out God’s word isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. There will always be skeptics, temptations and people who will doubt the very well being of a priest’s teachings. Instead of a code of honor, the tiny white collar adorned a top all black attire invites more sin than righteousness. And most of the time the dark always seems to loom above the light. If ever a place that was supposed to be uncorrupted by anomie, it would have to be a catholic school. Throughout the film there’s an unnerving anger confined in the washed out corridors of St. Nicholas School in Brooklyn 1964. Life has just been pretty much banished. Only sign of it comes from Father Flynn and his ideas of bringing the scho ol out of the dark ages and into a new era of celebration and change. Father Flynn’s, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman with such sureness, job isn’t only to spread the word of God to his congregation but to guide the church through Sister Aloysius’ (Meryl Streep) strict reign. Transmitting any good deeds at the school is viewed as a mortal sin; decency isn’t acknowledgeable. Father Flynn helps an only black child (Joseph Foster) who is continuously singled out or ignored and has hops of becoming a priest. The Bible says “let the children come to Me,” but St. Nicholas School says otherwise and so does the child’s mother played by Viola Davis who in a single scene creates a zinger out of it.

FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHTS: tMF Celebrates Outstanding Female Directors (Part 1 of 3 Part Series)

At a time when film schools are graduating almost equal numbers of men and women, why is the movie business still such a closed shop? Many women from every stratum of the directing world -- established Hollywood types and shoestring independents, celebrated art-house stars and creators of light teen comedies, film school deans and movie historians -- tell remarkably similar stories of deep-rooted prejudices, baseless myths and sexual power struggles that litter the path to the director's chair with soul-wearing obstacles. - - - - - - That's from Salon.com's Michelle Goldberg who wrote Cinematical (http://www.cinematical.com/2008/11/24/why-twilight-is-historic-for-women-filmmakers/): In case you haven't noticed, Twilight's $70.5 million amounts to the best opening weekend for a female director ever. Not only did she break Mimi Leder's (Deep Impact) record of $41.1 million, but Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke destroyed it -- bringing her all the way up to the 29th best opening weekend in history (according to Box Office Mojo), slightly beating -- wait for it -- Michael Bay's Transformers by roughly $50 thousand on 600 less screens. I think this proved giant f**king robots are no match for millions of screaming girls. Before someone accuses me of being unfair and a sexist and asks me why I need to use the words female director and not just settle for director , I believe it is a necessity to make such a distinction. It is precisely because of the movie industry's domination by men, that forced me to use the said term - not to discriminate or disregard but to make an emphasis.

tMF FAST FORWARD: Paul Morrison's LITTLE ASHES - tMF takes a closer look (Part 1 of a 4 part series)

Robert Pattinson was as friendly, approachable and fun to be around in our downtime as he was a true professional while on set, and his commitment to becoming Salvador Dali' was extremely impressive - and paid off in generating a performance which I personally think is extraordinary. We did completely confuse Javier Beltran's mother when she stumbled across our shoot and failed to recognize her own son dressed as Garcia Lorca... - - - - - - The above quote is from Little Ashes executive producer Carlo Dusi. With the huge success of Twilight, one of the movie’s major actors; Robert Pattinson is generally regarded as the film’s major attraction. However, while Pattinson portrays the controversial artist Salvador Dalí, it was acclaimed Spanish actor Javier Beltrán who is regarded as the film’s leading actor. Beltrán plays the writer and poet, Federico García Lorca. Another talented young actor from the UK, Matthew McNulty, plays the filmmaker Luis Buñuel. Playing the female lead role of Magdalena is the famous Spanish actress Marina Gatell. - - - How it All Began: Eight years ago, Philippa Goslett won the Euroscript award (http://www.euroscript.co.uk/previous_winners.html) for her story, entitled Little Ashes. It was a historical drama involving some of the world’s most accomplished artists- Salvador Dalí, Federico Lorca and Luis Buñuel. But the time is set before they became the celebrated artists the world has regarded them to be. It also examined closely the possible relationship between Lorca and Dalí.

tMF FAST FORWARD: Another Billy Elliot movie in the works?

I would always remember the first time I watched Billy Elliot and how much I enjoyed it. I probably watched it more than 12 times and considered the movie one of the best British films ever. - - - Of course, the magic of the movie is credited to the young and talented Jamie Bell. Now there is news that perhaps another Billy Elliot might be made: Elton John and the creative team behind Billy Elliot the musical have been mulling over the prospect of turning the show into a movie. Yes, we know the show was based on a film in the first place, but that movie, released in 2000, didn't have an original score. Rather, it had the protagonist dancing to T.Rex and The Clash. The movie of the musical would vary considerably. 'It's an idea that has been kicked around and discussed, but the point is it has to be vastly different from the original Billy Elliot film,' said Eric Fellner, co-chair of Working Title, the studio which is the controlling force behind the film that came out in 2000 and the stage production, which has become a success not just at the Victoria Palace but also in Australia - and New York, where it's the hottest show on Broadway this year.

Gael Garcia Bernal and Brad Pitt may star in film together

What do Brad Pitt and Gael Garcia Bernal have in common? Aside from their amazing good looks and acting skills, they were both in the cast of Babel. But they did not play roles that would actually put them together on the big screen. - - - - - - I guess, the eloquent and extremely dedicated, yet clueless Ryan Seaquest failed to check his facts when he asked the award-winning Mexican actor what he felt acting alongside the Hollywood star, which EW blogger Michael Slezak noticed (http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2007/02/liveblogging_es.html), alongside disappointed viewers: Ryan's entire interview with Gael Garcia Bernal consists of questions about Brad Pitt. This, despite the fact that the Babel co-star has never met Angelina's hubby. Nice! There is now some casting news that would make Seaquest's question 'valid'. According to Terra (http://en.terra.com/lifestyle/articles/html/hof2603.htm), Bernal and Pitt may be starring in a new comedy film called “Chad Schmidt (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446666/).”

MOVIE REVIEW: Australia

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman Director: Baz Luhrmann Release Date: November 26, 2008 Running Time: 165 mins MPAA Rating: PG-13 Distributors: 20th Century Fox - - - One who is allergic to the ordinary is OK in my books. Director Baz Luhrmann, who dazzled audiences with unexplored visuals in Moulin Rouge!, continues his streak with Australia, a big budget love film that has become archaistic these days. Big epics and costly productions for the adult crowd seem to have gone obsolete in recent years. All of that is about to change as Australia channels films like Gone with the Wind, Casablanca and African Queen. Look at Luhrmann’s work, don’t see it. Look how he covers heavy topics such as assimilation and the “stolen generation” in the likes of a big sweeping love story. His filmmaking goes a long way as it uses its enormous environment, the lands of Australia, as a story in and of itself. Not just a showy, glossy color palette of every hue imaginable, that it also is, but a rendering of a world that uses its vastness and giganticness to play on the emotions of the film’s characters. Luhrmann could have been inclined to make Australia laconic, his captured scenery speaks volumes, yet, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman believe in their characters and each of their words uttered. Luhrmann incorporates the two to revitalize a genre that has been deprived from audiences for some time now.

A Sneak Peek Of Robert Pattinson as Dali In New Little Ashes Movie Clips!

Update: Another new Little Ashes movie clip has been released and added, courtesy of Variety. The NY Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/nydn/movies/movie.do?method=info id=65506) reports that the much anticipated upcoming indie film Little Ashes (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104083/) starring Robert Pattinson, Matthew McNulty, Javier Beltran, Marina Gatell and directed by Paul Morrison, is set to have a limited release in theatres on March 27, 2009. The Little Ashes Promotional Blitz (http://www.themovie-fanatic.com/la/) website has also just recently gotten confirmation from Aria Films that the Little Ashes movie trailer will make it's official debut on the entertainment news show, Access Hollywood on Monday, December 1st and will then make its online premiere, showcased on Yahoo! Movies on Wednesday, December 3rd. - - - - - - In the meantime, as we patiently wait for the official movie trailer to be released, we present courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/little_ashes/), two newly released movie clips from the film Little Ashes. Along with cast members Javier Beltran and Matthew McNulty, Robert Pattinson who portrays Salvador Dali in the film is in both movie clips, but he has no speaking parts in them. Towards the end of clip #2, Robert Pattinson as Dali, does make what could be classified as his grand entrance in the clip, in what appears to be Dali's first day as he arrives at university. [ View Little Ashes movie clips after the jump ]

tMF FAST FORWARD: Are there reasons to get excited about the film WHITE WALL?

Are there still instances when you get impressed with movie sites and get that thrill watching a teaser trailer? Perhaps not as often as before, but then again, it's usually the indies that aim to impress and some can come up with extraordinary ways to keep you fascinated. Movies supported by the Big Studios will always come up with impressive sites and teaser trailers, but there is a different feeling about discovering a rather unknown movie and getting excited watching its trailer... - - - - - - A virus has decimated humanity and left the world in squalor and full of violence. Shawn Kors world is confined to a large white wall and he looks for a way out and a cure to the virus, VXII, until he gets close to the truth. Set in a wasteland enclosed by a large white wall, the last survivor from a brutal child internment camp reluctantly takes on one final bounty hunting job to protect the idyllic life he has rebuilt. A post-apocalyptic science fiction movie in this day and age, requires more than just special effects and competent actors. The story should make sense even if the basic premise is based on something totally unbelievable. In Behind the White Wall, I find a lot of reasons to look forward to its release. A number of movies have come up with the combination of martial arts and science fiction, but they failed to impress. Just watch the trailer and you'll see why I'm so excited with this new movie. The soundtrack is another come on.