The Flickcast

Film Review: ‘True Grit’

Posted on December 22, 2010

By Jarrett Mellenbruch

Just go ahead and give Mattie Ross whatever it is she demands. Trying to bargain with this 14 year old , played by Hailee Steinfeld, will eventually leave you weakened and bewildered. Her relentless pursuit of justice for the murder of her father calls upon her vast reserve of cunning, quick wits, and masterful tongue.

Cast opposite the craggy and weathered drunkard U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn, masterfully played by Jeff Bridges, she holds up her part and then some in this perfect balance between a game innocent and an extremely experienced, blunt yet perceptive hired gun.

Thanks to Hailee Steinfeld, the young actress who plays Mattie, women viewers who venture out to see one western every decade would do well to make True Grit their choice for the Teens. This may be the one movie where a mother/daughter night out to see a shoot-em-up may rival the father/son crowd. That’s not to say the men should stay away, only that there is something for everyone here, including the strong central heroine.

Matt Damon, Barry Pepper, and Josh Brolin nicely round out the cast and offer some extra color and comedic moments. Damon’s LaBoeuf is the cowboy nerd who rides the fine line between charming and annoying, and he rides it well. Pepper plays bad guy Ned Pepper, who probably is the grittiest part of the whole movie. And Josh Brolin is the seemingly simpleminded crook who killed Mattie’s father and kicked off this whole goose chase.

Apple TV Sales Approach the One Million Mark

Posted on December 22, 2010

Steve Jobs famously referred to Apple’s set-top box as “just a hobby.” Then again, Apple seems to enjoy bragging about their sales numbers. Case-in-point: the Cupertino company issued a press release saying that it expects to sell 1 million new Apple TVs by the end of the week.

With three months of sales under its belt, the 2nd generation Apple TV is certainly selling well by all accounts, but not quite on par with some of the company’s top sellers like the iPad and iPhone. Don’t take it from me, here’s what the official Apple PR had to say:

“Apple® today announced that it expects sales of its new Apple TV® to top one million units later this week. The new Apple TV offers the simplest way to watch your favorite HD movies and TV shows, stream content from Netflix, YouTube, Flickr and MobileMe℠, all on your HD TV for the breakthrough price of just $99. iTunes® users are now renting and purchasing over 400,000 TV episodes and over 150,000 movies per day.”

As an Apple TV owner, I have to say the features that really sold me were the great sub-$100 price-point, the ability to stream Netflix Instant movies and shows, and while I didn’t know it at the time, the new AirPlay features available via iOS 4.2 devices, makes tossing streaming video from my iPad to the flat-panel TV so amazing and easy.

Now, when I stumble on todays’s viral video on YouTube, I don’t have to keep it to myself. My significant other has become quite used to me blurting out, “You have to watch this, NOW!” And AirPlay makes that happen smoothly with a couple of jabs of my finger.

Still, for such a humble price-point, I keep expecting more out of Apple TV. For instance, where’s the browser? Sometimes, it would be handy to pull up a website on the plasma. Or how about apps? Why can’t I run Angry Birds on my Apple TV? Perhaps Jobs is saving that for a future update. You know, when Apple TV finally graduates from tinkering in the garage and goes out and gets a real job?

Happy Holidays

Posted on December 21, 2010

In the United States, this is the time of year when Hollywood virtually shuts down and people leave town to visit family and friends. Plus, the staff here at The Flickcast actually has family and friends as well and many of them are doing the same.

So, for the next two weeks we will have a reduced posting schedule. Of course, if anything big happens, we’ll bring it to you. Also, be sure to check out a brand new episode of the Podcast tomorrow and look for our “Best of 2010” articles covering movies, TV, comics, games and all things geek before the end of the year as well.

In the meantime, from all of us here at The Flickcast, we wish all of you the very best for this holiday season and happiness, health and luck for 2011.

Marvel Comics On Sale This Week

Posted on December 21, 2010

Even with Christmas right around the corner (It’s Saturday, just in case you didn’t realize) that doesn’t mean the elves at Marvel have stopped making comics. In fact, this week sees the release of some new titles we’re pretty excited about including X-Men #6, Superior #3, Deadpool #30, Secret Avengers #8 and Punisher: In the Blood #2.

As with most weeks, comics hit store shelves on Wednesday so hurry into your nearest comics book store early for best selection. Don’t know where your nearest comic shop is? Use this handy guide to find one.

Comics On-Sale

CHAOS WAR: DEAD AVENGERS #2 (CW)
DEADPOOL #30
FANTASTIC FOUR #586
INCREDIBLE HULKS #619
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #33
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #33 TRON VARIANT
KLAWS OF THE PANTHER #4
NAMOR: THE FIRST MUTANT #5
PUNISHER: IN THE BLOOD #2
SECRET AVENGERS #8
SPIDER-MAN #9
SUPERIOR #3
THOR: WOLVES OF THE NORTH #1
ULTIMATE COMICS DOOM #1
ULTIMATE COMICS DOOM #1 VILLAIN VARIANT
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #151

First Trailer For ‘Hanna’ Proves Teenaged Assassin Chicks Are Still Cool

Posted on December 21, 2010

If we learned anything from Chloe Moretz’s performance in this year’s Kick-Ass, it’s that chick assassins are in. More in than when Natalie Portman was just a teenager. So of course, with that knowledge, Hollywood is going to be snatching up intellectual property in that department until they realize it’s no longer “cool”. That’s where the new trailer for Hanna comes in.

From director Joe Wright (Atonement) comes this dark thriller that will more than likely end up with a big twist in the final act. Here’s the full synopsis.

Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a teenage girl. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a soldier; these come from being raised by her father, an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own. As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

Not only do we get Hollywood’s “next big thing” Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones) in the titular lead, but Eric Bana plays the paranoid father, and Cate Blanchett takes a swing at a Southern accent. Check out the full trailer after the jump, and catch Hanna in theaters on April 8th.

New Series Explores the Fun of Christmas Horror Films

Posted on December 21, 2010

Who doesn’t love horror? Our very own founders Chris Ullrich and Matt Raub sure do. They were the hosts of a brand new web series with the This Week In web TV network. Titled This Week in Horror, the new weekly series delves into the gruesome world of past and present projects in the horror genre.

Last night, they kicked off with a world premiere, starting things right with a Christmas Special. Sure, not many use horror and Christmas in the same sentence, until now. Films like Christmas Evil, Santa’s Slay, and Silent Night, Deadly Night are among the films that get showcased during their freshman episode.

They even get special guests like the writer/director of 2005’s Santa’s Slay David Steiman, and the creator of the 1980 classic You Better Watch Out, aka Christmas Evil, Lewis Jackson.

Check out the full episode after the jump, and be sure to check back in at their showpage to see when new episodes of This Week in Horror pop up.

Surprise: Another Actor Hurt During A Performance of ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark’

Posted on December 21, 2010

Since it’s conception over a year ago, there seems to be absolutely no good news coming out of Julie Taymor’s upcoming Broadway adaptation of Spider-Man, unfortunately titled Turn Off The Dark. The film has gone through two budget slashes, several casting changes, and now a slew of injuries and technical errors during live performances.

It seems that yet another (the fourth reported) actor has been injured during a live performance. This one took place last night and actually made it about 80% of the way without an incident. Then this happened. From THR:

Monday’s night performance was stopped short after an unidentified performer — either the actor playing the title character or his stunt double — fell about eight to 10 feet during the final moments of the show, the New York Times reported. Some equipment also fell into the audience when the fall happened.

“He fell several feet from a platform approximately seven minutes before the end of the performance, and the show was stopped,” a statement from the musical said. “All signs were good as he was taken to the hospital for observation.”

One audience member told the Times that the accident happened during a scene when Spider-Man was rescuing his love interest, Mary Jane, while she dangled from a rope attached to a bridge. The witness said he saw the actor playing Spider-Man appear to trip and fall from the bridge into an open pit at the end of the stage.

At this rate, the film has hurt more musical actors and cost more money than any other cross breeding of comic books and any form of mass media. It looks like just some things aren’t meant to adapt.

War Movie Mondays: ‘A Midnight Clear’

Posted on December 20, 2010

This week’s Christmas war pick is the 1992 release of Keith Gordon’s A Midnight Clear which was adapted from the novel by William Wharton. The film stars Ethan Hawke (Sgt. Will Knott), Peter Berg (Pvt. Bud Miller), Kevin Dillon (Cpl. Mel Avakian), Arye Gross (Pvt. Stan Shutzer), Gary Sinise (Pvt. Vance ‘Mother’ Wilkins), Frank Whaley (Pvt. Paul ‘Father’ Mundy), Larry Joshua (Lt. Ware), and John C. McGinley (Maj. Griffin).

The film tells the story of a six man U.S. Army intelligence squad which is hand picked by their regimental commander (Griffin) to scout out an old French chateau in the Ardennes forest in December of 1944 which may house forward German patrols who are trying to push through a gap on their way towards Bastogne, Belgium. Sgt. Knott (Hawke) and his men are at the breaking point fighting the war and try very hard to disassociate themselves from the normal chain of command.

Older Posts

Newer Posts