The Muppets - A Halloween Message

Those Muppets are it again, in anticipation for their film release next year yet another video message has been released from those loveable characters, just in time for Halloween.
Check it out below!

THE MUPPETS

WALT DISNEY PICTURES

Certificate: PG  UK Release Date: February 10, 2012

Director: James Bobin

Cast: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones and Walter

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage a telethon and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With signature celebrity cameos, Disney’s “The Muppets” hits UK cinemas on  February 10, 2012.

New Mission Impossible 4 Trailer

That's right people, with Mission Impossible 4 to hit our cinema screens at the end of the year director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) has finally released a second trailer for the highly anticipated sequel.


When a bombing hits the Kremlin the government point the finger at Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team, leaving them on the run and a constant target being hunted down. With 4 of the team remaining (Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton) they have to go rogue and attempt to clear theirs and the organisation's names.


Check out the trailer via Yahoo! Movies below!

It sure looks to be an action packed affair and any fears about Brad Bird's first live action film look to be banished as Mission Impossible 4 could be set to be yet another fantastic mission for Ethan hunt and his crew.


Mission Impossible is out in cinemas in the UK on Boxing Day.

Review - The Adventures of Tintin 3D

Before he passed away, Hergé announced that there was only one person who could bring his famous character Tintin to the big screen and low and behold, after years of development finally Steven Spielberg grants the creator's wishes.

Pairing up with Peter Jackson, Spielberg brings to the screen Belgium's most loved reporter in what promises to be a rollercoaster ride. The Secret Of The Unicorn sees our reporting hero and his faithful sidekick dog Snowy enter a dangerous adventure involving secret scrolls hidden inside model ships that lead to a hidden treasure. In pursuit of clues and the treasure, Tintin (Jamie Bell) comes across Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis), the last of the Haddocks left alive and it is his ancestor Sir Francis Haddoque who hid the treasure many years ago.


With the evil Red Rackham (Daniel Craig) and his henchmen in pursuit, we find ourselves racing across numerous beautiful locales collecting up clues as we progress, leading to a superb finale to satisfy all your viewing needs. 


In terms of presentation there is no doubt that Tintin is one of, if not the best looking motion capture films of recent time. With Peter Jackson's WETA Digital working on the project there is no doubt that visually Tintin is fantastic, with such precision on the look of the characters and the all round flow of movement on screen, luckily this is not hindered either by the 3D version (which can tend to make films look darker).


With regards to the film's content, Tintin achieves a status of a fun adventure film with plenty of action and mystery to satisfy the majority of film lovers. With its fast pacing and easy-to-follow plot it entertains at a lively pace and brings together some breathtaking set pieces along with beautifully shot action scenes. 


At times it must be said that the film begins to trip up on itself but these are helped along nicely with the ever-exceptional John Williams composing a truly remarkable soundtrack which would be an easy listen even without the film playing. 


In fairness Tintin was always set to impress with its sleek look and its already well known name in the world of books and cartoons, but take nothing away from Speilberg and Jackson, this was always a tough task to bring the Belgian to screen. Jamie Bell eases his way through and with a great Andy Serkis, combines for one of recent cinema's most loveable double acts (with Snowy in tow of course!). Equally as impressive are comedic duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Thomson and Thompson, Interpol's finest, practically running the show in the few scenes they are included.


As a whole Tintin succeeds in being a thoroughly entertaining thrill ride with plenty of story to keep the older viewers content. With a sequel hinted at it is clear that Spielberg and Jackson are the right guys for this project and don't be surprised that a new franchise with the longevity factor has been born. A real treat. 


Film rating: 4 out of 5 F's 

Review - Monsters

With a film title as Monsters you would immediately think along the lines of horror, terrifying creatures and generally scary things, but with Gareth Edwards' directorial feature debut we get much much more than that. A science fiction tale with massive emotional value and a far cry from Hollywood's alien invasion clichés.

When a NASA space craft crashes in Mexico following a mission far into space, alien life forms begin to appear and soon the north of Mexico is quarantined, with creatures appearing between the US-Mexican border. With the American and Mexican armed forces constantly attempting to fend off the creatures the 'infected zone' is a place no-one dares to enter, a place where their lives are at maximum risk.


We follow the journey of photojournalist Andrew (Scoot McNairy), a man who is itching to get to the top of his current publication with that right photograph to land him on the front page. Unfortunately for him, his work is seemingly unnoticed despite his good intentions to bring forward positive photos as opposed to the negativity surrounding him. Adding to his woes, his boss tasks him with meeting up with his daughter Samantha (Whitney Able) and bringing her to safety, something he is reluctant to do.


He soon comes around and the pair find themselves trekking across Mexico together in an attempt to reach the USA where Samantha's father awaits her return. As with all plans, things go wrong, and when they look set for her to board a ferry her passport is stolen and they find themselves having to barter for a route through the Infected Zone. With all the dangers lurking in the zone can they make it through or will they perish to the evils that await them?


Monsters is nothing short of fantastic. Beautifully shot, intensely emotional and apart from your run-of-the-mill alien invasion movies, it is a marvel and a fine example of debut film-making at its best. Admittedly those looking for an action-packed alien movie will be bitterly disappointed but those waiting for an emotional and visually stunning film have all they would want in this, a modern day classic. This is a film to be celebrated and one that will have Gareth Edwards' name firmly on the 'most wanted' list of directors.


Film rating: 4 out of 5 F's

Movie Talk On Sunday Overview - Mystery Films

Movie Talk On Sunday (or MTOS to those Twitter folk already familiar) is a special weekly discussion between film fans on Twitter based on a specific genre changing with every passing week. It's a great way to get to know other film fans and also to find out about some hidden gems you may have never seen before, this week's topic was MYSTERY films. Check out the questions and notable answers below, enjoy!


Q1. What is your favourite mystery film?


Seven, Shutter Island, Fight Club, M, Sleepy Hollow, Chinatown, LA Confidential, Dark City, Donnie Darko, Gosford Park, Memento, Profondo Rosso, Rear Window, Inception, The Usual Suspects, Mystic River, Zodiac, The Prestige, Moon, Mulholland Drive, Black Swan, Primal Fear, Clue, What Lies Beneath, The Game, Internal Affairs, The Crying Games, Don't Look Now, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
maxwellhubbard
A1. Memento is a fantastic Mystery film. Unique & original.A true Mystery is never solved until the very end & needs to be seen twice #MTOS

JurassicGriffin

A1. Zodiac. This movie makes love to me in so many sweet ways. If I could marry it, then cheat on it with another movie, I would. #MTOS

MoviesWithMoody

A1. I guess Red Riding Hood is a mystery since I just couldn't figure out why the I was watching it! #MTOS


Q2. Which modern director makes the best mystery films?
Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, David Koepp, Darron Aronofsky, Lars von Trier, Duncan Jones, Nicolas Winding Refn, Martin Scorsese, Alejandro Amenabar, The Coen Brothers, David Lynch


jadedlittlepill
A2. It's far too easy an answer...but Christopher Nolan is clearly the mystery movie genre King. His movies make my dark knight rise.#MTOS

PBRstreetgang73

A2. Would have to go with David Fincher if just for Zodiac and Memento but then add his other work in and its a lock #MTOS

Zinematic

A2. But also David Fincher for spanning genres with each mystery Sci-Fi (Alien3) Cop Drama (Se7en) Real life murder mystery (Zodiac)#MTOS


Q3. What other genres does mystery blend well with? Examples of movies?
Sci-fi, Fantasy, Crime, Thriller, Drama, Horror. Usual Suspects, Source Code, Seven, Blade Runner, Dark City

FilmSamurai

A3. Mystery blends well with Sci-FI/Fantasy. Bladerunner and Dark City are good examples. #MTOS 

Discuss_Cinema

A3. I'd say mystery can be blended with any genre. #mtos

RozD

A3 Mysterys tend to be more thriller these days I'd like to see some intellectual mystery which is about code breaking, like Zodiac#MTOS

JacarandaSpruce

A3 Some of the best mysteries have an element of the supernatural, so I guess horror would be my answer #MTOS

mrbonturcode

A3: comedy (Clue), Horror (Psycho), Western (The Searchers), Noir/Crime (The Third Man), Teen (Brick)... Anything really if done well. #mtos

Q4. What do you look for in a good mystery film?

A twist, suspense, originality, atmosphere, constant guesswork, a journey, red herrings, clues,  clever storytelling, intrigue, good pay-off, shock ending, engaging story, hints, well developed characters, subtlety

Thompson_film

A4) I don't really look for anything in a mystery film, it's all about what the characters are trying to discover within the narrative#MTOS

nymou

A4) Just like Michael Caine's character explains, The Pledge, The Turn and The Prestige. That's what I look for. #MTOS

jazd87

A4 should be like an epic cake; great foundation; good body and a satisfying finish/aftertaste #mtos

Q5. If you were directing a mystery film who would you cast?

Bruce Campbell, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johannson, Kevin Spacey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, James Franco, John Hamm, Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, Emily Blunt, Rose Byrne, Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anna Faris, Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, Michael Shannon, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Damon, Cillian Murphy, Anthony Hopkins, William H Macy

The_Modal_Node

A5) Denzel has previous and always value for money.But I'd prefer to go for a low key cast as it stops the audience guessing outcomes #MTOS

acarandaSpruce

A5 Some of best mysteries have unknown actors/actresses #MTOS

MovieUmpire

a5. Portman, Gosling and Gordon-Levitt. I'd like to see what they could do together if put in the right place. #mtos

Q6. Do you prefer mystery films with supernatural/alien/or human elements?

DeusExCinema

A6. Supernatural ones can be great. Human ones tend be the best acted. Alien ones like Signs need to fuck off and die. #mtos

ickabelgont

A6) Doesn't really matter what the macguffin is as long as its well done. Supernatural/alien tends to go wrong easier though #MTOS

LamaABarr

A6) Have to say humans. I like to be able to relate to the characters.#MTOS

Q7. Mystery is an integral part of film noir. Which film noir movies would you recommend?

Laura, LA Confidential, Chinatown, Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Kiss Me Deadly, The Third Man, The Man Who Wasn't There, Brick, Strangers On A Train, Touch Of Evil, The Big Sleep. The Long Goodbye, Point Blank

moviemaniac72

A7: Let's not forget The Third Man! Awesome and perfect example of noir along with a great ending in the sewers! #MTOS

Zinematic

A7. But over all the best film noir, nay the best film ever is The Third Man. Unsurpassable #MTOS

ickabelgont

classic Film Noir - Bogie all the way, Neo-noir, blade runner, modern noir LA Confidential #MTOS

Q8. Name a few mystery films that should never have been made.
The Butterfly Effect, Wicker Man (remake), The Happening, The Da Vinci Code, The Good German, Knowing, I Know Who Killed Me, Angels & Demons, S Darko, Signs


dudefozz

#mtos A8) Can I just say M. Night Shyamalam's career since 2000!

TGP73

Q8. 23 #mtos A shockingly bad film, it hurt my eyes

SquigglySpider

A8) Controversial one: but I thought the original Girl with the dragon tattoo was like a really violent midsomers murder episode#MTOS

Q9. As a viewer do you prefer adapting mystery books or do you prefer original ideas?

Thompson_film

A9) Seeing as 90% of films now are remakes/reboots/reimaginings I'd like to see some good and original mystery films being released#MTOS

moviemaniac72

A9: i love seeing original material, one thing that made Inception fun was originality, has a special charm that film adaptation loses#MTOS

TGP73

@love_cinema Q9 Who doesn't love an original idea especially in a genre that sorta depends on the element of surprise #MTOS

dudefozz

#mtos A9) mystery doesn't have to be unknown to be great. How many of us knew the outcome of Psycho. But that's still outstanding!

Q10. Is there a future for the mystery genre or has it become too mainstream with sub-par mystery movies?

DeusExCinema

A10. There's always a future for any genre, provided people are willing to be innovative, imaginative, and give it their best. #mtos

RozD

@love_cinema A10 I think the mystery drama could do with a boost with more "detective" style movies #MTOS

grumpyduckuk

A10 There's always a future for every genre, they might become less popular but some genre resurrections would make Lazarus proud. #mtos

MrF1978

#MTOS A10....i think the craze of ****SPOILERS***** is a bigger issue than the quality of script

So there you have it folks a round-up of Sunday's eventful mystery MTOS. I'm sure you will agree there are plenty of great answers and some films you may just want to check out.
Next week's topic is High School movies so be sure to check out Twitter at 8.00pm GMT and have your say on the fastest growing film debate on the internet!