Jack Black is an irrepressible jack-in-the-box and pent up ball of energy ready to explode. At least, that's how most of his characters come across - making him funny, outrageous and supremely entertaining. When he does tone his performance down in something more sedate, we notice. Bernie is one of those films, reconnecting Jack Black with School of Rock director, Richard Linklater, to tune into his sweeter side in a remarkable true story.
Bernie Tiede, a small town mortician, was a very popular man in the small Texan town of Carthage. Friendly, sweet-natured and generous, he was heavily involved in the church and local upliftment programmes, making him a firm favourite among locals. So much so that when he befriended a wealthy widow and murdered her, it was almost as if he had cast a spell on the townsfolk. Continue reading...
The first poster for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, the long-awaited adaptation of Nelson Mandela's autobiography, was unveiled at an event with producer, Anant Singh and Harvey Weinstein at the Cannes International Film Festival. The movie poster features a close-up of Idris Elba and is the first official image of Elba as Nelson Mandela. The colour scheme incorporates the traditional ANC colours of dark green, yellow and black set against a red backdrop with the tagline "It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die". Read more about the film...
Stephen "Spling" Aspeling will be hosting a special screening of SIDE EFFECTS, directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven, Contagion) and starring Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum. The Ster-KinekorMovie Buffs screening will take place at 7:30pm for 8pm on Wednesday 29 May at Tyger Valley, Bellville and Thursday 30 May at Cavendish Square, Cape Town. Book Tickets
GIVEAWAY: Win 1 of 5 sets of double tickets to see the pre-release screening of SIDE EFFECTS at Tyger Valley on Wednesday, 29 May. Call 082 16789 - the first five lucky callers will win two tickets to see the film on the night! Winners announced on fan page.
About the film
SIDE EFFECTS is a gripping psychological thriller that ratchets up the tension as a young doctor tries to reinstate his reputation and career after a patient is implicated in a murder. Soderbergh's slick film morphs from a dark pharmaceutical drama into a psychological crime thriller as a hunch leads a doctor on a trail of breadcrumbs...
Solid performances from a stellar cast, smart storytelling and a compelling crime narrative drive this provocative and deceptive thriller. We're challenged by a complex set of characters, whose ethics and morality are put to the test as a poisonous fog bank clears to reveal a chilling truth.
About the event
The special SIDE EFFECTS screening will be held at Ster-Kinekor's Cavendish Square and Tyger Valley cineplexes. As your host, Spling will introduce the preview at 8pm, which will then be screened and followed by a discussion for those wanting to explore the film further. Normal ticket prices and discounts apply and several movie goers will go home with prizes.
About the host
Stephen "Spling" Aspeling has been a film fanatic since he first watched the psychedelic elephant dance in Dumbo in the early '80s and a movie critic since 2007. More About Spling
Promised Land deals with the contentious fracking debate, which isn't surprising, considering it's a Gus Van Sant film. The director is known for tackling difficult subjects head-on and he's opted for a big one as far as environmental concerns go. While he's quite fearless in most of his films, he's taken a step back with his approach to Promised Land, delivering a quietly powerful message that's neither backdrop nor full-blown propaganda.
Instead of beating us over the head with the issues or going for a underdog versus corporate scenario, Matt Damon and John Krasinski have written a screenplay from the salesman's perspective. Matt Damon is known for playing likable, everyman characters and he delivers a fine performance from a difficult standpoint. Beyond the ecological frame, it's a small town drama about pioneering, doing what it takes to clinch the deal and being able to keep your head high. Continue reading...
Bullet to the Head is a long-awaited match-up of Hollywood veterans, Walter Hill and Sylvester Stallone. Walter Hill directed Arnold Schwarzenegger in Red Heat and Bruce Willis in Last Man Standing, so it was only fitting that he complete The Expendables 2 triumvirate with Sylvester Stallone in Bullet to the Head.
Stallone's had a good run of form rebooting Rocky and Rambo, with a tongue-in-cheek tribute to action men with The Expendables, which is about to become a trilogy. The Italian Stallion's used to playing tough guys and with that sucker punch accent and brute physique who can blame him? He brings his old school charm and experience to Bullet to the Head, but unfortunately it's not enough. Continue reading...
Where The Road Runs Out, is directed by Rudolf Buitendach and stars Isaach De Bankole (Casino Royale), Juliet Landau (Ed Wood) and South Africa's very own Stelio Savante (A Million Colours). The drama follows a respected scientist and lecturer (De Bankole), as the death of an old friend helps him rediscover his African roots at a rundown field research station in Equatorial Guinea. Watch Trailer...
The original The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo duo, Niels Arden Oplev and Noomi Rapace, have teamed up again for Dead Man Down. While another revenge-fueled crime thriller in the style of Guy Ritchie and Jo Nesbo, Dead Man Down has more artistic appeal in the vein of Killing Them Softly. The mix of gangster grit and borderline cheesy girl next door romance is propelled by a serial killer plot line as an anonymous middle man taunts a crime lord with a puzzle.
While there are some notable similarities with The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo in terms of casting, genre and style - this film cleverly composes a three-way story that draws you into a tangled web of deceit and revenge. It may take some time to settle into the cold-blooded world of Dead Man Down where guns do the talking and violence begets violence, but once the game plan is revealed it's a yippee-ki-yay thrill ride with a twisted romance at its core. Continue reading...
