This week saw the return of Torchwood to BBC one and I have to say the show is looking better than ever. I found Mekhi Phifer’s bewilderment at the Severn Bridge rather amusing and for the first time, a show that has aimed for a Hollywood feel gets it. It looks better than ever and Russel T. Davies’ imagination is given free reign for a decent conspiracy thriller.
Contagion
Release date: Friday 21st October
Running time: N/A
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Matt Damon, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Sanaa Lathan, Elliot Gould
Is this Steven Soderbergh’s last film? I read an article that stated it was in a reputable magazine. So the trailer is released. What do I think? Awesome.
An international team of doctors work with the CDC to fight an outbreak of a deadly disease.
Exit Humanity
Release date: N/A
Running time: N/A
Director: John Geddes
Starring: Stephen McHattie, Bill Mosely, Dee Wallace, Brian Cox
I like zombie films so I’m not tired of the increase in fiction and films. Actually I like it a lot. Apart from the upcoming Pride and Prejudice with Zombies (which I dislike only because I read Pride and Prejudice which shouldn’t be ruined with misplaced zombies, irrational I know). Anyway, Exit Humanity sounds very, very good if only because this Canadian film inserts zombies into the American civil-war as well as Stephen McHattie (Pontypool).
Tennessee, 1870,the American civil-war has ended and Edward Young aims to lay his son’s ashes to rest. Until an outbreak of zombies gets in his way.
The Thing (Remake/Prequel)
Release date: Friday 2nd of December 2011
Running time: 94 mins.
Director: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead (please marry me…), Joel Edgerton, Eric Christian Olsen
As much as I love John Carpenter’s 1982 version I’ll hold off on any fanboy flag waving in this post but the idea of prequel sounds too good to pass up. I was always intrigued by the story leading up to the 1982 film and now I get to see it. Also, it stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead who I love. Here’s the trailer…
Graduate student Kate Lloyd is at a research site in Antarctica when an alien craft is discovered. She soon comes into conflict with lead scientist Dr. Halvorson who wishes to research the craft and the alien inside. Unfortunately, he unleashes THE THING.
After watching the trailer I’m a little ambivalent but it stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Tintin
Release date: Wednesday 26th October
Running time: N/A
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg
As a child I read all but one of the Tintin comic-books. I’d wager that most kids in Europe have read Tintin. The film is based on The Secret of the Unicorn Part and is the first part of a trilogy that Spielberg and Peter Jackson are making together, Jackson is due to direct the second film.
Young journalist Tintin finds himself in a 3D MOTION CAPTURE ANIMATED ADVENTURE searching for lost treasure and the sunken ship, The Unicorn.
Berserk – Golden Age Arc I: Egg of the Supreme King
Release date: January 2012
Running time: N/A
Director: Toshiyuki Kubooka
Starring: N/A
My first taste of Beserk since playing the Dreamcast game…
Due out in Japanese theatres in January 2012 is the first of a trilogy of movies based on Miura Kentaro’s original Beserk manga covering the Golden Age Arc. Animated by Studio 4°C, it has been directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka who has worked as animation director on notable titles like Gankutsuou, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, and the Working Through Pain Segment of Batman:Gotham Knight.
Genkinahito 
I haven’t actually seen the Beserk series yet, do you think I should just wait for the movies now instead of bothering with the series after all this time?
Also Tintin looks alright, but Tintin doesn’t actually look much like Tintin though well apart from the hair. But I guess due to the less comicky style of visuals they went for.
I’m going to wait for the movies. I watched a few episodes of Berserk but it never caught my attention and there’s just so much to watch that I filed it away.
The look of Tintin grew on me as I watched the trailer. I expected to dislike it but I’m pretty excited. The voice acting sounds like it’ll be top notch too. I’m also excited by Contagion – I like a good deadly virus outbreak film!
I’d wait. Just finished Berserk, looks like this will cover the same plot and better, plus with the promise of no ridiculously outrageous cliffhangar. (Imagine if Star Wars ended with the Empire Strikes Back and you never see them save Han or Luke confront Vader, it’s like that).
As for the Thing, I posit: does the story of the Norweigians NEED to be told? Sometimes things are better left unexplained or with a sense of mystery (I’m looking at you sternly X-men Origins: Wolverine), not to mention it looks like The Thing (2011) will be following more or less the same plot as The Thing (1982) so is there a need to repeat it just because some people refuse to watch old films which still hold up incredibly well (practical sfx are still magnificent, also Keith David and Kurt Russell in one movie is pretty badass).
I dunno, I won’t hate on it, but I will question the need for it. What does it tell us we don’t alreayd know? The Norwegians find an alien craft under the ice, it breaks out and kills them all but for the pilot and the sniper, the end, start the ’82 movie. If it doesn’t end the way the first film started THEN I’ll be annoyed, because it’ll be a remake which they didn’t have the balls to call it one.
Hey Sparrowsabre7. After watching the trailer for The Thing I had the same feelings – it looks like a retread of something that can’t be improved upon – the acting and special effects were pitch-perfect in the 1982 version and the ending with Kurt and Keith is a classic. I don’t blame the studio trying to bring back the franchise but there seems to be very little new aside from women and ice tractors buuut… this new version stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead so I’ll watch.