11 reasons why 2011 was a smash hit

Well, as we draw to a close on 2011, it is that time of the year to reflect, ponder and gaze back at what has been an eventful year in movies. I’m not going for the bog standard review of 2011 cos let’s face it, it’s been done before. In the light of that, I’m branching out and delivering my reasons why this year brought us shocks, belly laughs, all-out entertainment and man crushes!

1. Ricky Gervais Vs America

The start of the year couldn’t have begun anymore controversial thanks to funny man Ricky Gervais. On hosting duties for the second time at the Annual Golden Globe Awards, Gervais let rip into big names such as Angelina Jolie, Bruce Willis and Robert Downey Jr with risqué jokes as dry as Gandhi’s flip-flop. His opening monologue was, in my opinion downright hilarious and set the tone for the rest of the evening. Allowing him to drink whilst on stage was a mistake the Hollywood Foreign Press Association should have seen coming. Gervais received mixed reviews and backlash from the American press, some stating he was “merciless from the start” and his jokes set “a corrosive tone.” It can’t be that bad though if he’s been invited back to do it all over again. Roll on January 15^th 2012 I’d say.

2. A powerhouse Oscar line-up

This year’s Academy Awards dished up a silver platter of fantastic feature films. A one-eyed US Marshall, a stuttering Monarch, a social networking genius and an against-all-odds Boxing champ were just a few of the eclectic range of characters that ruled the Kodak Theatre. Not to mention Natalie Portman delivering a career best performance as a troubled ballerina in Black Swan. It’s a shame though that James Franco appeared to be disinterested during the whole proceedings. In the end, the Brits took home the big prize with The King’s Speech reigning supreme and my Oscar fave, The Social Network and director David Fincher leaving empty handed. Still though as I right this, I am puzzled and frustrated as to why there was no recognition, not even a nomination for the genius that is Christopher Nolan for the masterpiece that he brought on screen in the shape of Inception. 

3. The rising stars to keep an eye on

This year has indicated to me that a watch post is needed to be setup to keep an eye on a number of emerging stars. Young starlets who introduced themselves at one stage or another are surely destined for truly promising and long careers. Jessica Chastain aka the actress who appeared in pretty much every film this year is certainly one to keep an eye out for after performances in the likes of Take Shelter, The Tree of Life and The Help. After putting in a stunning Oscar nominated debut performance in the bleak Winter’s Bone, Jennifer Lawrence firmly established herself this year with a turn as young Mystique in the summer blockbuster X-Men: First Class. She will be next seen in the highly anticipated adaptation, The Hunger Games next year. German/Irish actor Michael Fassbender is also hot property at the moment after putting in brilliant performances in X-Men: First Class, A Dangerous Method and sex addiction drama, Shame. There is a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding the actor at present and deservedly so. A future James Bond in the making? Yes. Yes I definitely think so!

4. X marks the spot

In a summer full to the brim of reboots, robots and Ryan Gosling (more of him shortly) it was Matthew Vaughn’s outstanding 60’s prequel which resurrected the world of mutants back into First Class status. The pairing of James McAvoy as playboy Professor Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as the determined Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto was near flawless. The body of the story focused on these two troubled minds and it was executed brilliantly. With an all-star cast that included Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence and January Jones, X-Men: First Class has been positioned well at the top of many people’s top ten of 2011 including mine for it’s superb action, character development and all round entertainment that the box office clearly marvelled at. 

 

5. Man of the year – Ryan Gosling

Equipped with a tooth pick, leather driving gloves and sporting a silver satin retro jacket, Ryan Gosling not only increased his army of female fans but gathered an a legion of male fans with an ice cool performance in one of my favourite films of 2011, the ultraviolent, ultra cool 80’s-styled actioner Drive. Previously, Gosling has been quietly going about his business, for instance earning himself an Oscar nomination for Half Nelson back in 2006. In 2011 however, it has been year of the Gos with roles in Drive, Crazy, Stupid, Love and in George Clooney’s political drama The Ides of March. He has firmly positioned himself on Hollywood’s golden boy list with roles to come in crime epic, Gangster Squad and the remake of Logan’s Run. Keep a firm eye on this one! 

 

6. James Bond will return … In 2012

When the world of James Bond was in jeopardy with the financial struggles of MGM, it was a sigh of relief to learn 007 would be making a return in 2012. Details of the 23^rd Bond adventure have been creeping in and in November the official press conference took place at Whitehall, London with cast and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli on hand to delve into the world of Skyfall. With a mighty cast that includes Daniel Craig reprising his role as Bond, Javier Bardem as the main villain, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Judi Dench. Plus with Sam Mendes sitting in the director’s chair you have the essence for the quintessential Bond movie that is being promised. Furthermore it has no reference to Quantum of Solace … Bonus if you ask me!

7. Christopher Nolan rises to Batman’s final crusade

Since his previous effort in the mind blowing Inception, I have never been more excited for a film than Christopher Nolan’s third and final part to his epic Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. Normally his films are in lockdown and shrouded in secrecy, however TDKR is different. With two trailers and numerous other images and footage on display to the web, the Brit filmmaker is going all out for Rises. This week saw the release of the full trailer and boy did it blow me away. It was an understated trailer in terms of the content, but the anticipation and intensity of what was shown was nothing short of epic. It opened up so many questions and theories – Was that Bruce Wayne supporting himself with a cane? Who is Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s good Gotham cop running from? What is going on in that American Football stadium? Tom Hardy’s brute villain Bane looked dominant and the Caped Crusader looked weak and broken. Set eight years after The Dark Knight, we are in for one massive showdown. Unfortunately July 2012 is still a while away :(

 

8. Oscar welcomes back an old friend

Following two back-to-back occasions whereby the hosts of the Academy Awards have been, to put it bluntly, crap, next year’s Oscars will have one of their old golden boys back in town – Billy Crystal. I was surprised to learn the comedian has hosted the prestigious ceremony on eight occasions in the past and from what I’ve seen, he is the right man for the job. He made a cameo to commemorate the great Bob Hope at this year’s ceremony and for the few minutes, he shone and is exactly what the Academy needs.

9. Marvel prepares for the mash-up of all mash-ups

The past few years have seen a number of standalone Marvel adventures, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk for example. This year Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger had their fifteen minutes of fame. If you add Loki, Nick Fury, Black Widow and Hawk-Eye to the equation, the likelihood is that you arrive at the solution of Joss Whedon’s uber-anticipated superhero smackdown, The Avengers. Similarly to The Dark Knight Rises, there has been a welcome helping of footage being sprinkled across this year of our heroes in action pitting themselves against the evil Loki. I was hoping for a much more substantial foe than Tom Hiddleston’s villain. Nevertheless, the Brit actor delivered a solid performance as Thor’s sibling and there will no doubt be more twists and turns as the April release will no doubt creep on us quicker before you can spot Marvel head honcho Stan Lee’s standard cameo appearance!

10. Brendan Gleeson shines as a racist copper

Reflecting on what has already been documented, it is time to turn to the other side of the spectrum and focus on one of my favourite performance’s and one of my top ten movies of this year. In John Michael McDonough’s fairly unknown crime caper, The Guard, Brendan Gleeson effortlessly plays a small time Irish Garda investigating a murder that leads to an International drug smuggling case in small town Ireland. McDonagh is the brother of Martin McDonagh who brought us the brilliant In Bruges. You know you’re in good hands when your sibling directed one of the freshest comedies in some time. The Guard does not disappoint with a razor sharp script and a slight unorthodox Western vibe to the film. Alongside Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle forms the other half of an unlikely but sparkling partnership in one of the finest comedies in years. It’s criminal, however it has not reaped in more praise than it has.

11. The Brits proudly waves the flag

Talk about endurance. Not only did the Britons rule the Oscars with Tom Hooper’s bromantic, historical drama The King’s Speech, they followed that up with the likes of Paddy Considine’s blistering directorial debut, Tyrannosaur. The Dead Man’s Shoes favourite went down the same avenue of Tim Roth and Gary Oldman by introducing a bleak and brutal domestic tale of violence and instability. September saw the release of the big screen adaptation of John le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It had me thinking this surely must be the strongest British cast seen in movies. It had a line-up to die for including Oldman, Firth, Hardy, Hurt, Cumberbatch and more. It made out what The Social Network similarly did last year, that fiery, long-winded and compelling discussions were the scenes to beat. 

Written by Michael Cunneen

Is Daniel Day-Lewis the greatest actor of all time?

It is something of a broad question but this has been on my mind for the best part of all weekend. It is a question that releases an almighty large can of worms. Upon gazing with amazement at the first picture of Day-Lewis in full Abraham Lincoln form earlier this week, it struck me at how uncanny he resembles the 16^th President of the United States. For anyone who needs bringing up to speed, Steven Spielberg is finally on the brink of production mode on his long awaited historical biopic, Lincoln. Alongside the method actor himself, he is part of a stellar cast that includes Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jared Harris (son of Richard Harris) James Spader and John Hawkes.

The double Oscar winner is widely known for going to unbelievable depths to immerse himself in every character he plays and for Lincoln, he is not cutting any corners. The first image shows he has nailed the Lincoln look with the slick back hairstyle and the neatly trimmed beard. It is a shame however he has gone for his usual day-to-day wardrobe instead of the smart attire and black top hat. Having said that, the County Wexford man has been seen in some questionable clothing ensembles in the past, but the overall image looks to be coming together very nicely. What I found astonishing is that he has supposedly not broken character since way back in March and that includes the Lincoln accent. The man doesn’t do things by halves that’s for sure. Furthermore his real name does not appear on the call sheet. And even on top of that, he has been reported seen in his hometown of Wexford in full Lincoln clothing including top hat. This is an actor who could not take his craft more seriously and is going to all lengths to deliver the most accurate interpretation of the former American President.

The above reports really got me thinking about the whole method acting and does it really produce results and ultimately deliver on screen. In terms of Daniel Day-Lewis’s career so far and the methods he used, his performances speak for themselves. Take his role as Christy Brown in 1989’s My Left Foot as a prime example. As a writer with cerebral palsy, DDL never left his wheelchair all throughout production and was spoon-fed by the crew to fully absorb the complex character of Christy Brown. That powerful performance earned him his first Academy Award and rubber stamped his position in the school of method acting. He was then to be hailed at the top of his class for the 1997 IRA drama The Boxer. He crudely tattooed his hands and trained with former Boxing Champion Barry McGuigan, twice a day, seven days a week. The training was that intense, McGuigan went to lengths to declare he could have turned professional.

It was however his preparation for the 2002 Martin Scorsese epic Gangs of New York that made Day-Lewis notorious for his complex and unorthodox methods. He trained as a butcher, caught a dose of pneumonia having declined to change his threadbare coat for a warmer one because it hadn’t existed in the 19^th century when the film was set. The character of Bill the Butcher was a terrifying, almost punk-like it’s safe to say, that the actor portrayed in such a way that must of given co-star Leonardo DiCaprio nightmares for weeks on end.

His notorious methods rank him in many a top acting poll and have done so for years. I believe he is firmly up there with the likes of Richard Burton, Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro and many, many more. But could he ultimately end up as the top dog, the number one, the greatest actor of all time? Well according to IMDB he is already at the coveted number one spot. On the one hand, he doesn’t have a large enough fan base for people to truly appreciate his acting talents. A minor criticism I do have with the man is that is he a little too selective with his acting roles. He has gone years without acting at times throughout his career and I have hoped he would branch out on occasions and bring out an all-out action thriller or something a little more light-hearted. There were strong reports he was linked with the role of the villainous Professor Moriarty in the upcoming Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The role eventually went to his Lincoln co-star Jared Harris. Something like that would bring about a lot more attention to his already sterling reputation.

On the other hand the roles he has engulfed himself in, in the past hallmarks him in the true acting greats of all time, and rightly so! It was only a brief moment, but I had the great pleasure of meeting Daniel Day-Lewis in Dublin in February of this year. He made an appearance during a special screening of In The Name of the Father which was in dedication of the late, great Pete Postlethwaite. Only a few words were exchanged but I was in absolute awe of his presence and it is something that will live with me for years.

If the 54-year-old continues to do what he is doing, then it will be other actors chasing his lead at the top. He has been at the peak of his game since he begun and with Lincoln dated for a December 2012 release, expect a rash of accolades to join his already busting trophy cabinet before you can say, “I, DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!”

Written by Michael Cunneen

Skyfall reunites Bond with Q Branch

Well production is well under way for the 23^rd James Bond adventure and a further casting addition has been made from director Sam Mendes. In a surprising turn of events, Brit actor Ben Whishaw has been cast as Q. He was rumoured for a role a few months back but his agent has now confirmed his role as Bond’s gadget manufacturer.

He is an actor who I have not come across previously but he has a respectable CV which predominately is based around character and period pieces more than anything else. He is due to play Richard II in a new BBC Shakespeare adaptation which is part of next year's cultural programming to coincide with the Olympics

This is quite a risky move from Mendes and long standing producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli as Whishaw is 12 years younger than Daniel Craig. Not only that, he will be attempting to fill the quite large shoes of the former Q actor Desmond Llewelyn who sadly passed away back in 1999. John Cleese had a brief stint in the role for The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, but to me that was a gimmick that wore off very quickly. My initial reaction was filled with scepticism as a die hard Bond nut, as I would have wanted an actor with slightly more experience. However Whishaw does appear to be carving out a respectable career for himself, appearing in films such as I’m Not There and Bright Star.

I do however admire the American Beauty director for the freshness that he will be bringing to Skyfall. I expect the Perfume actor to bring a certain youthness and vibrancy to the role of equipping Bond with the usual array of inventive gadgets that Bond will utilise. I had previous strong feelings of wanting to bring back certain traditional ingredients that made the James Bond film what they were. That included bringing back Q branch which I am delighted about. I believe Sam Mendes will do Bond fans proud and celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of 007 in some style by unveiling a strong follow up to the rather disappointing Quantum of Solace that was released back in 2008.

Mendes has now equipped himself with an impressive British cast that includes Naomie Harris and Albert Finney. Skyfall will see Daniel Craig pit himself against Javier Bardem’s yet undisclosed villain. The full plot is still not been confirmed but I expect more juicy details to be filtered through in the weeks to come. During the unveiling of the cast in the press conference back at the beginning of November, the initial storyline was described as focusing on an attack on M and MI6 and Bond’s pursuit against the threat. Ralph Fiennes is the other actor I am hotly waiting on for a confirmation of who he will actually play. Here’s hoping for a secondary baddie to Javier Bardem’s central role.

So expect a lot of ingenuity and class to the role of Q. Also keep an eye out for a bit of bant between Bond and Q as previously witnessed between the two characters. Just don’t look out for the invisible Aston Martin obviously!

Eddie Murphy Out, Billy Crystal In for Oscars 2012

This week has certainly proven to me that the lovely people at Oscarland certainly do not dwell on such unforeseen misfortunes. After the swift departures of co-producer Brett Ratner (in the wake of his offensive homosexual remarks) and host Eddie Murphy, like a well-oiled machine with a few kinks, production is back on with veteran filmmaker Brian Grazer stepping into Ratner’s shoes. Furthermore in a not so surprising move, Oscar veteran and all-round funny man Billy Crystal will now play host at the Kodak Theatre come February 2012.

This will be the ninth occasion that the comedian will be on hosting duties and I think the Academy have done a noble job and played it safe. Not only is Crystal a proven entertainer, but on the back of this year’s abysmal hosts in Anne Hathaway and James Franco, expectations will no doubt be sky high for a night of laughs, the usual gags at how many Oscar nominations Meryl Streep has to her name and the countless shots of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein rubbing his hands together vigorously. It was Billy Crystal’s cameo appearance at this year’s Academy Awards that was the highlight of the show. With the greatest respect to him, that wasn’t a hard challenge given James Franco’s god awful interest and manner in which he displayed himself in front of the world that night. If you compare the two, Franco wouldn’t even be in a position to tie Crystal’s own shoelaces!

On the morning of the comedian’s announcement via his Twitter account, I had a right chuckle to myself in the manner in which he revealed the news, “Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions. Looking forward to the show.” Who says he's not hip to what the kids like today, with their iFads and their digital down-lows?”

In what could well be a disappointing turn of events, earlier on in the week there was a vicious rumour that the Muppets could well step on the Oscar stage for the role of hosts. However I think the Academy President Tom Sherak has made the right move and I’m sure will pay off massively. He declared this week, “I’m thrilled to welcome Billy back to the Oscar stage. He’s a comic legend and Oscar icon, and it feels good to have him back where he belongs.”

I must admit I was all for Eddie Murphy donning the tux and doing his thing on the Oscar stage. Needless to say, after comical yet often dubious turns in the likes of The Nutty Professor and Norbit, he would have been a rival for Anne Hathaway in the costume department for sure. It is a shame he followed his co-producer and friend Brett Ratner straight out the exit door on the back of Ratner’s rash and let’s face it stupid comments on the rehearsal procedures, “Rehearsal? What’s that? Rehearsal’s for fags. Rehearsal. Not much.” This caused outrage amongst Hollywood and despite a heartfelt apology from the Rush Hour director, it’s those types of comments in today’s society which cannot be forgiven and which ultimately forced him to depart. Shame, I was eager to see if you could redeem himself after X-Men: The Last Stand…!

Anyway like I said previously after Billy Crystal’s flawless four-minute cameo in this year’s Oscars, the money is on him to put in another top class performance for the whole five and a half odd hours at next year’s 85^th Annual Academy Awards. If you want a smooth and consistent production, Mike Wazowski is your man!

Quentin Tarantino crafting his long-awaited love letter to Spaghetti Westerns in Django Unchained

If filmmaking was a sport, it would mould itself into the intense, enduring and fitness demanding world of athletics. In the unconventional yet creative mind of Quentin Tarantino, marathon running is his specialist form of the sport. On face value that is not the case (well we’re not getting any younger are we?) but take his new and 8^th feature film as Director (if you include Kill Bill as two “volumes”), Django Unchained, as full-blown proof, that the acclaimed filmmaker is a committed individual who is hell bent on bringing his beloved Spaghetti Western epic to the big screen.

For years now, the Pulp Fiction director has been speaking out about his baby, and one day bringing it to audiences. His background certainly backs up his passion for the genre – such as the use of background music in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds and was even quoted as saying, “Going into a videostore and going through the videos, looking at every title they have, trying to find some old spaghetti western, that's gone.”

His desire for Django to be a fully-fledged feature film appears to be in full swing with pre-production already in place and an outstanding, eclectic bunch of actors to fill the boots. Although it hasn’t been an easy ride-along so far with casting rumours, replacements and even injuries to one of the stars, Christoph Waltz dislocating a bone in his pelvis after falling off a horse during training. Not to forget that awkward moment when the world of World Wide Web bloggers stumbled across in amazement at the actual, genuine script with many bloggers reprinting the front page for everyone’s viewing pleasure. Some argued an individual within the Weinstein Company may have nipped off to the copy machine to earn an extra few shillings.

Anyway back to the legitimate and legal end of business, joining Waltz for what is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated films of 2012 is Leonardo DiCaprio (more on that shortly), QT regular Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Foxx as the slave-turned bounty-hunter and Kurt Russell – a recent addition replacing Kevin Costner who had to bow out due to scheduling issues. The plot focuses of Foxx’s Django, a slave turned hunter, who is aided by his mentor Dr King Schultz, to rescue his wife from the evil Mississippi plantation owner, Calvin Candie played by Leo DiCaprio – only Tarantino could pluck these unusual names from his mind. Jackson, who will mark his fifth collaboration with Tarantino plays head slave, Stephen to DiCaprio’s foe and Kurt Russell, who reunites also with his Death Proof filmmaker playing Ace Woody, a sadistic plantation manager who thrives on punishing slaves.

Something tells me Tarantino is moving to the dark side this time around and with the inclusion of one of the most consistent actors working today in Leonardo DiCaprio as the head villain, Django Unchained is something very much to be desired for. Of course I do expect and many other Tarantino fans to anticipate the usual explosion of ultra-violence and bizarre black humour. It is believed that the Oscar nominated director wanted the Shutter Island actor for the role Christoph Waltz embedded quite brilliantly in his WWII epic Inglorious Basterds. But focusing on the here and now, the image of two of my favourites combining their talents has me sold every day of the week. DiCaprio is racking up quite a hefty list of directors he has worked with, from James Cameron, the mighty Christopher Nolan, to his regular collaborator and mentor Martin Scorsese and of course Mr Clint Eastwood in the upcoming biopic J.Edgar. To add QT to the already sterling CV is partly the reason for his pure versatility in the roles he absorbs today. The little golden man is crying out to the actor and will no doubt be meeting up very soon.

Dare I say it; this could level up with The Dark Knight Rises in terms of eagerness for 2012. Filming is due to begin in November for a release at the end of the year. Surely another gold medal for Quentin to add to his already impressive and shiny collection – wouldn’t you say?!

Written by Michael Cunneen

In Nolan We Trust. The Batwing and Catwoman unleashed on the LA set of The Dark Knight Rises

Chris Nolan does like to spoil his fans rotten. His family album of treasured memories from the set of next year’s The Dark Knight Rises is bulging by the day, like Scarlett Johansson’s infamous self-Kodak shots. The pace of the shoot certainly looks to be escalating with filming in locations from Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, India, London and even Nottingham – doubling for Wayne Manor. The budget is at an estimated $250million, a slight increase of an around $60million to the 2008 Bat sequel, The Dark Knight. Looks as if Nolan is certainly aiming for some aggressive expansion this time around for his third and final Caped Crusader epic.

The Inception maestro and his army of crew have been tugging and pulling the strings of late and have released a number of shots on the LA set of TDKR. The Bat’s ride of choice looks to have had an upgrade since his last outing against the villainous Joker. The Batwing has been introduced to fans delight. It appears Batman is taking no chances this time around with his new mode of transport to come face to face with Tom Hardy’s muscular menace, Bane. I can already picture cinema screens erupting with an unlimited amount of excitement when we first get our proper glimpse of the Bat in his new toy.

Also along for the ride, Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle aka Catwoman (is she up against or with Batman – either way, In Nolan We Trust!) gets to grips with the Batpod in fresh images. In terms of the look of Catwoman, it was fair to say there were grumblings with her appearance. But, without the whip, the whiskers and the overall camp look, Nolan appears to have nailed the look, and Hathaway, surprisingly fits the tall, sexy, slender look of the role previously played by Michelle Pfeiffer in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. I did initially could not help be sceptical initially when the whole Catwoman card was to be introduced, and thought this could potentially put a stinker on Chris Nolan’s final Batman piece but with these new set shots gracing our screens, I dare you, grumble now! Not only that further shots of the Batman himself, Christian Bale in full Bat suit with Gary Oldman’s Jim Gordon in full moustache not being shy and getting in the thick of it have been revealed.

Even more revealing shots from the set were unveiled courtesy of Total Film earlier in the week and could it be the plan for the demise of Gotham? Could Bane be attempting to finish the job that Liam Neeson’s Ra’s Al Ghul ultimately failed to see through? The device appears to have a similar look to the microwave emitter used in Batman Begins. Either that or Hotpoint are going expansive with their latest model of washing machines. With Nolan and crew on hand observing and analysing the ambiguous piece of kit, the release date is still unfortunately more than a stone’s throw away. There has been a constant debate as to whether these shots that have been all over the net, are considered as spoilers but how else are Nolan and his team going to be going forward and market the damn film. Viral Marketing has been a common theme in the Brit director’s back catalogue of films and it has worked quite beautifully and The Dark Knight Rises comes across as no different in that respect.

The Dark Knight Rises, as every person on the planet knows or should know is released on the 20^th July 2012 and boasts an ensemble cast of pure quality that includes Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Michael Cane, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marian Cotillard.

Oh and below are a flutter of more exclusive shots as part of Chris Nolan's treasured memories collections which will no doubt be considered nostalgic material in years to come *sob sob*

Written By Michael Cunneen

The Expendables sequel bring in more muscle

If, like me, you were a fan of the testosterone-fuelled, muscle bound actioner that was The Expendables, you might have had one reservation (or two having said that) which would have been the all too briefest of appearances from one Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. Fans were crying out, not only for a second outing for Stallone and Co. but larger roles for the Austrian Oak and the man who will always be known as John McClane. It appears the fans wishes have been rewarded with the news that both the iconic 80’s action heroes will have “substantial” roles in the upcoming sequel, originally titled The Expendables 2.

How “substantial” remains to be seen so long as they both get more than a few lines between them. Even the chance to see them both flex their actions pecks and bring along some good old-fashioned nostalgia would be a right treat but so far, it all seems to be on a “down low” basis, for now anyway. To see Arnie, Bruce and Sly sharing the same screen in the 2010 smash-hit that grossed over $275 million worldwide, was a treat to say the least, and certainly proves they are still a match for these young gun macho men you see these days a la Jason Bourne.

This time around, Stallone has stepped down from directing duties (he is getting on these days, cut the guy some slack) and is being replaced by a worthy filmmaker who has experience in this sort of gung-ho smash-n-grab action madness, Simon West. His credentials make John Woo look like a PG-friendly director – Con Air, The General’s Daughter, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and The Mechanic have all been headed by the Brit director and is a solid choice to lock n’ load with the likes of Statham, Li, Rourke, Lundgren and Couture. There is still no green light as to whether the rumours are true of a certain Jean-Claude Van Damme adding to the muscles (and the age) of this already action mash-up sequel. He’s probably still too busy and cold up in those mountains as the new and fresh (!) face of Coors Light Beer. The same can be said also for Chuck “Straight to VHS” Norris who is rumoured to appear in the sequel. The most ridiculous line-up could get that little more ridiculous if the man, the legend were to star alongside some of the action greats in this already beefed-up sequel. Oh and almost forgot to mention, John Travolta is rumoured for an un-confirmed role … Hell might as well recruit another one to increase the average age of these guys.

Filming is due to explode on set next month with no official word of a plot but anticipate Sly and his gang of mercenaries to be tackling villainous foes once more, supposedly this time in the Far East, but yet another rumour yet to be cleared up but expect further ticks to the cast, location and plot boxes soon enough.

But absolutely brilliant news to have on board once more, Rocky, The Terminator and McClane sharing the same screen, any action movie junkie’s wet dream!

Written by Michael Cunneen

Leonardo DiCaprio moulds into J Edgar Hoover in Clint Eastwood biopic

A Sunday afternoon is generally regarded as a day of rest – A visit to the local church, a few ales in the local public house or even just lounging around the house after a long week at the grinder. So it was a welcome change of pace to come across the first official shots of Leonardo DiCaprio as J Edgar Hoover in the upcoming Oscar magnet, J. Edgar. A few pap shots have been filtering through the web over the last few weeks but courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, we get our first glimpse at the first G-Man and the founding figure of the FBI. My initial reaction was that DiCaprio appears to have nailed the bulldog-esque look of Hoover and aided by prosthetics, transformed himself into the prominent figure of the Bureau’s early days.

Directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Dustin Lance Black, who previously penned the 2008 Oscar Winner, Milk, this has all the appropriate boxes ticked for Oscar glory – True story {check}, Political figure winding into self-destruction {check}, potential homosexual angle {check}, an ensemble cast and iconic filmmaker at the helm {check, check}. Eyes will also be focused on the leading man in Leo DiCaprio as the lawman and there will be high hopes that after three previous Oscar nominations, the question begs; Is this Leo’s time for Oscar victory? The Inception star is, in my eyes, one of the most consistent actors working today and I have him down as potential Oscar winner come February 2012. After thus far, a staggering career of playing everyone from a cowboy gunslinger to a Boston cop, his moment isn’t far off. His previous track record does include him playing real-life figures such as Frank Abagnale Jr (Catch Me If You Can) and of course, arguably his best performance in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, playing the complex yet staggering Howard Hughes.

Eastwood, who does enjoy dabbling into the real world of moviemaking with his previous crowd-pleasing yet stuffy biopic, Invictus will bring to light the turbulent career of the troubled director of the FBI. The film will track from his early years when he was appointed the head of the Bureau in 1924, building the very first unified police force before slowly surrendering to psychological issues later in his life and rumoured as a cross dressing homosexual who developed a personal relationship with his associate director, Clyde Tolson (played by The Social Network's Armie Hammer).

I get the feeling that the Million Dollar Baby director will cram a large proportion of Hoover’s main events across his almost fifty year career of being the face of America’s law enforcement. But went from hero to villain in the eyes of many American’s who perceived him as a tyrant and that all is power in the end got to his head. It appears to have all the ingredients for something special and with an impressive supporting cast that includes Naomi Watts, Josh Lucas and Judi Dench, this has an Oscar stamp firmly across it.

One slight criticism though. Clint Eastwood has a brisk pace on set usually but it seems with J. Edgar he is taking time on this one. The images that were released today have been the sole feature to come from his biopic. No teaser trailers have yet to surface leaving people slightly in the dark. Clearly Warner Bros. have their own intentions and putting all their Oscar hopes behind J. Edgar to become one of the prominent films to feature in the 2012 Academy Awards. After the veteran filmmaker’s last poor turn Hereafter, he is in no rush to promote his next feature film in a hurry.

For all you lucky American’s, J. Edgar will open on US screens on 9^th November 2011. Us slightly more unlucky folk in the UK have yet to see a release date confirmed with it rumoured to be released early 2012.

Written by Michael Cunneen