Opening in cinemas across Australia this week we have director Todd Phillips’ follow up to his smash hit The Hangover, called Due Date starring Robert Downey Jnr. and Zach Galifianakis, Aussie western thriller Red Hill, Eli Roth produced horror flick The Last Exorcism, political thriller Fair Game with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts and more…
Continue reading for film details, trailers and recommendations!
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Rating: (MA 15+) Strong horror themes and violence
Running Time: 87 min
Director: Daniel Stamm
Cast: Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum
Official Website: Link
Studio’s Synopsis:
When he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to perform just another routine “exorcism” on a disturbed religious fanatic. An earnest fundamentalist, Sweetzer has contacted the charismatic preacher as a last resort, certain his teenage daughter Nell is possessed by a demon who must be exorcized before their terrifying ordeal ends in unimaginable tragedy.
Buckling under the weight of his conscience after years of parting desperate believers with their money, Cotton and his crew plan to film a confessionary documentary of this, his last exorcism. But upon arriving at the already blood drenched family farm, it is soon clear that nothing could have prepared him for the true evil he encounters there. Now, too late to turn back, Reverend Marcus’ own beliefs are shaken to the core when he and his crew must find a way to save Nell – and themselves – before it is too late
Worth seeing?
Exceptionally strong reviews for this Eli Roth produced horror flick and probably the best reviewed mainstream horror this year next to Let Me In. While the whole low-fi horror thing has seriously been done to death in the last couple of years, this may have just enough of an edge to make it a great little date movie, perfect for the old arm over the shoulder routine when your date gets a little too freaked out. (Rotten Tomatoes Rating)
Box Office Predictions:
Made for less than two million, Exorcism has already taken 41 mil in The U.S. and locally could crack around 4 or 5 million, a bit less than Paranormal Activity 2.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxhdCcYHZZM
Genre: Comedy
Rating: (MA 15+) Strong coarse language, drug use and sexual references
Running Time: 95 min
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, Juliette Lewis
Official Website: Link:
Studio’s Synopsis:
Peter Highman is an expectant first-time father whose wife’s due date is a mere five days away. Peter hurries to catch a flight home to be at her side for the birth, but his best intentions go completely awry when he is forced to catch a ride with an aspiring actor Ethan, which what turns out to be a cross-country road trip that will ultimately destroy several cars, numerous friendships and Peter’s last nerve.
Worth seeing?
This has been mauled by the critics and labeled a “rip off” of much better road trip/odd couple comedies. Perhaps expectations were a little too high after the director hit one out of the park with last year’s The Hangover, which not only grossed over 456 million at the worldwide box office but is also the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time. (Rotten Tomatoes Rating)
Box Office Predictions:
Worldwide Due Date has already managed to double it’s $65 budget (doubling being a very loose estimate for what a film needs to break even or at least get close). While it’s going to end up nowhere near the blockbuster level of The Hangover, it should end up crossing the 200 mil milestone. Locally it will easily top the 8 million take of Get Him To The Greek.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGpJUh9j-jU
Genre: Action/Drama/Western
Rating: (MA 15+) Strong violence
Running Time: 97 min
Director: Patrick Hughes
Cast: Steve Bisley, Ryan Kwanten, Tommy Lewis, Claire van der Boom
Official Website: Link:
Studio’s Synopsis:
Young police officer Shane Cooper relocates to the small country town of Red Hill with his pregnant wife Alice to start a family. But when news of a prison break sends the local law enforcement officers – led by the town’s ruling presence, Old Bill – into a panic, Shane’s first day on duty rapidly turns into a nightmare. Enter Jimmy Conway, a convicted murderer serving life behind bars, who has returned to the isolated outpost seeking revenge. Now caught in the middle of what will become a terrifying and bloody confrontation, Shane will be forced to take the law into his own hands if he is to survive. A taut thriller which unfolds over the course of a single day and night, and told with explosive action and chilling violence, Red Hill is a modern-day western played out against the extraordinary landscapes of high-country Australia.
Worth seeing?
It’s not often I say this for an Australian film but the trailer is AWESOME! and reviews so far are fairly positive. Looks like a gritty little mix of western and suspense mystery. Somebody please give Ryan Kwanten a superhero movie. (Rotten Tomatoes Rating)
Box Office Predictions:
Hard to say on this one. Internationally it will make all of about 5 bucks but here’s hoping for a 2-3 mil take in OZ.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nrEm9KMV7I
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Rating: (M)
Running Time: 107 min
Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Bruce McGill
Official Website: Link
Studio’s Synopsis:
Plame’s status as a CIA agent was revealed by White House officials allegedly out to discredit her husband after he wrote a 2003 New York Times op-ed piece saying that the Bush administration had manipulated intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the invasion of Iraq
Worth seeing?
The critics LOVE this. Doug Liman is the genius behind Swingers and The Bourne Identity (but then again he also made Jumper and Mr and Mrs Smith, so….) The cast is truly top notch but the trailer makes it look like yet another in a long line of talky political thrillers. (Rotten Tomatoes Rating)
Box Office Predictions:
If Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio can’t open a political thriller (Body Of Lies), there is no way on earth Sean Penn and Naomi Watts can! The film has only racked up 7 million at the American box office so far (partly due to a limited release) and locally it should only hit about 4 mil.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpMGQgXbOgA
Genre: Horror / Sci-Fi / Drama / Romance
Rating: (M) Strong horror themes and violence
Running Time: 90 min
Director: Gareth Edwards
Cast: Scoot McNairy, Whitney Able
Official Website: Link
Studio’s Synopsis:
Six years ago NASA discovered the possibility of alien life within our solar system. A probe was launched to collect samples, but crashed upon re-entry over Central America. Soon after, new life forms began to appear and grow. In an effort to stem the destruction that resulted, half of Mexico was quarantined as an INFECTED ZONE. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain the massive creatures… Our story begins when a jaded US journalist (McNairy) begrudgingly agrees to find his boss’ daughter, a shaken American tourist (Able) and escort her through the infected zone to the safety of the US border.
Worth seeing?
Solid reviews for this mini budget genre flick and apparently more than a few surprises too. This could also be a great date movie for Fri night and perhaps a little easier to drag the Mrs too than The Last Exorcism. (Rotten Tomatoes Rating)
Check out Anders Wotzke’s 4 star review here and interview with director Gareth Edwards here.
Box Office Predictions:
Only costing an impressively low $500,000 to make, Monsters is already in the clear. Only a limited release in the U.S. so it hasn’t really troubled the box office there but locally 2 million could be the magic number.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_-gL3U1T5Y
LEBANON
Genre:Drama / Arthouse / Israeli
Rating: (Ma15+)
Running Time: 90 min
Director: Samuel Maoz
Cast: Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Michael Moshonov
Official Website: Link
Studio’s Synopsis:
The First Lebanon War – June, 1982. A lone tank is dispatched to search a hostile town that has already been bombarded by the Israeli Air Force. What seems to be a simple mission gradually spins out of control. Shmuel the gunner, Assi the commander, Herzl the loader and Yigal the driver are the tank’s crew, four 20-something boys who have never fought in a war and are now operating a killing machine. Though trying to remain brave, the boys are pushed to their mental limits as they struggle to survive in a situation they cannot contain, and try not to lose their humanity in the chaos of war. Writer-director Samuel Maoz’s raw and visceral film is based on his own experiences as a twenty year old novice soldier serving in the Israeli army during the 1982 Lebanon war. Using his own vivid recollections to bring us inside an Israeli tank during the first 24 hours of the invasion, Maoz restricts the film’s action entirely to the tank’s interior and shows us the outside world only-as the four young soldiers themselves see it-through the lens of a periscopic gun sight. The cathartic process of writing and directing LEBANON allowed Maoz to finally free himself of the events that he had experienced twenty-five years earlier.
Worth seeing?
Not many reviews yet but the handful that are around are positive. (Rotten Tomatoes Rating)
Box Office Predictions:
This won’t be out long but locally if it reaches $300,000 – $500,000 it should make all involved happy.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5raDtUWRr08
COPACABANA
Genre:Drama / Comedy/ French
Rating : (M)
Running Time: 101 min
Director: Marc Fitoussi
Cast: Aure Atikia, Isabelle Huppert, Chantal Banlier
Official Website: Link
Studio’s Synopsis:
Boldly unconventional and cheerful, that’s how one could describe Babou. Never having cared about social conventions, she is suddenly faced with the realization that her own daughter is ashamed of her and therefore refuses to invite her to her wedding. Hurt in her pride, Babou tries to regain her daughter’s respect by starting anew. She accepts the challenge of selling time-sharing-flats at the Belgian seaside during the off-season, in a desperate attempt to prove her real worth and her motherly love to her daughter.
Worth seeing?
Virtually no reviews around for this but it does have a cute French cast. French comedies are usually quite delightful too so you’ll have a good idea if this is for you or not. (Rotten Tomatoes Rating)
Box Office Predictions:
Again this won’t be around too long so catch it while you can.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuhTTaCVqQk
