OSCAR MOVIE REVIEW: DRIVE

DRIVE (N/A)

Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
Release Date: Not released
Running Time: 100 minutes
Distributor: Film District
Director: Nicholas Winding Refn
Screenplay: Hossein Amini
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Ron Pearlman

Plot: Ryan Gosling stars as a Los Angeles wheelman for hire, stunt driving for movie productions by day and steering getaway vehicles for armed heists by night. Though a loner by nature, Driver can't help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), a vulnerable young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Isaac). After a heist intended to pay off Standard's protection money spins unpredictably out of control, Driver finds himself driving defense for the girl he loves, tailgated by a syndicate of deadly serious criminals. But when he realizes that the gangsters are after more than the bag of cash in his trunk-that they're coming straight for Irene and her son-Driver is forced to shift gears and go on offense. REVIEWS AFTER THE JUMP

MOVIE REVIEW: UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING

UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING (18)

Genre: Action/Adventure/Science Fiction/Horror
Release Date: 19 January 2012
Running Time: 88 minutes
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Director: Måns Mårlind , Björn Stein
Screenplay: Len Wiseman, John Hlavin, J. Michael Straczynski, Allison Burnett, Kevin Grevioux with story by Lens Wiseman
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, Sandrine Holt

Plot: Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species. REVIEWS AFTER THE JUMP

TRAILER: RESIDENT EVIL RETRIBUTION

To the US audience, those who are watching Underworld: Awakening will be fortunate to catch the first trailer for the upcoming horror fifth installment - Resident Evil: Retribution, bound to debut this September. For much of the last few months, the production of Resident Evil: Retribution has been kept under the blanket. For now, Sony Pictures has started the marketing campaign by enrolling the trailer to be attached with the release of Underworld 4. You can catch the trailer right after the jump.

OSCAR: BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM NOMINEES DOWN TO NINE

The Oscar nominations for the Best Foreign Language Film award are now down to only nine, as announced by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and source-picked from /Film. Out of a field of 63 movies are eligible for the award, with the full list can be seen at this link; there seems to be some surprise shaking up the top nine. Mind you that these are not the nomination list, rather the nine that would be considered into the final five. Check out the top nine after the jump.

MOVIE REVIEW: THE VIRAL FACTOR

THE VIRAL FACTOR (18)

Genre: Action/Crime
Release Date: 19 January 2012
Running Time: 122 minutes
Distributor: GSC Movies
Director: Dante Lam
Screenplay: Dante Lam, Jack Ng (screenplay), Candy Leung (story)
Starring: Jay Chou, Nicholas Tse, Lin Peng, Andy Tien, Liu Kai-Chi

Plot: IDC Agent Jon (Jay Chou) sustains grave injuries on a mission and decides to spend his final days with his mother. She tells him a long-held secret. To fulfill her wishes, Jon goes to Southeast Asia. He befriends medical specialist Rachel (Lin Peng). When she is forced into the schemes of a criminal organization, Jon attempts rescue and becomes the target of the organization that includes his estranged brother Yeung (Nicholas Tse)! When the organization betrays Yeung and kidnaps his daughter Sheng, the brothers join forces to rescue Rachel and Sheng. REVIEWS AFTER THE JUMP

PREVIEW: TOTAL RECALL, ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

Here's some previews we got for Sony Pictures' remake 'Total Recall', 20th Century Fox's adaptation of 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'

First up, we finally have something about the long-awaited Sony's 'Total Recall'. There has not been much promotional for the movie considering that the movie has only about seven months prior to its release (U.S. release). Nevertheless, we know that a trailer will be coming very soon with the release of an image still and an official plot synopsis that comes right after that.

“Total Recall” is an action thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he’s got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police – controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world – Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.

"Total Recall' stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston, Jessica Biel, Bill Nighy and John Cho. Directed by Lens Wiseman, the movie opens on August 3, 2012 (US) and a day earlier here in Malaysia.

Next, we have some previews on the upcoming "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter". "Wanted" director, Timur Bekmembatov directs this adaptation that takes on a fictional account about the 16th United States President who takes his duty by day and a vampire slayer by night. Benjamin Walker stars in his first lead role and just could possibly be his breakout role. Presented below are the two posters:


"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is based on a novel adaptation and written by Seth Grahame-Smith. Also stars Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell and Marton Csokas, the period thriller will open on June 22, 2012 (US) and similarly a day earlier here in Malaysia.

GSC MEDIA NIGHT 2012

Sorry with the quality yea! Still adjusting to new-found skill of requiring to take picture from a tab

Last Friday (13 January), I was invited to the 2012 GSC Media Night, all thanks to Ms Tan Gaik Lian, marketing manager of GSC Sdn Bhd. The event was held at GSC Signature, The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur and was attended by most of the GSC top guns as well as members of the media. Though I was a little dark on what the event was all about, but I suspected it may have something to do with their showcase and what to expect for the year 2012.

Realizing that it won’t be fun to attend such an event alone, I managed to pull my movie-partner-in-crime, Reno to attend it. We reached quite early and were instantly greeted with the smiles from the registration counter as well as goodie bag. It contained GSC memorabilia, GSC vouchers and some little mandarin oranges – just perfectly orchestrated in time for the arrival of the year of the dragon.

MOVIE REVIEW: WE BOUGHT A ZOO

WE BOUGHT A ZOO (U)

Genre: Family/Drama/Comedy
Release Date: 22 December 2011 (but watched on 7 January 2011)
Running Time: 124 minutes
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Director: Cameron Crowe
Screenplay: Cameron Crowe, Aline Brosh McKenna
Starring: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Colin Ford, Elle Fanning, Angus McFadden, Maggie Elizabeth Jones

Plot: This holiday season, acclaimed filmmaker Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous) directs an amazing and true story about a single dad who decides his family needs a fresh start, so he and his two children move to the most unlikely of places: a zoo. With the help of an eclectic staff, and with many misadventures along the way, the family works to return the dilapidated zoo to its former wonder and glory. REVIEWS AFTER THE JUMP