Love the new suit, cannot wait for the new graphics, not too sure about Andrew Garfield and yet I’m waiting breathlessly for the new The Amazing Spiderman. Head to Super Hero Hype to check out the full press conference.

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Elegant Simplicity, rustic charm and unassuming characters blend to make this wonderful film a nice break from the typical. Le Havre is the story of a young boy smuggled into Normandy from Africa with his grandfather. The boy escapes but the grandfather, and several others, are rounded up from the cargo container in which they arrived. The second busiest port city in France, Le Havre is apparently a center for people smuggling and has a very active immigration police and deportation policies.

The youngster is found by Marcel Marx (André Wilms), a street shoe shiner with a child-like view of life: work hard, cherish your loved ones and enjoy the small pleasures. His wife Arletty (Kati Outinen) is the practical one. She saves for the future, eats sparingly, so Marcel doesn’t have to, and manages to keep them both alive. Unfortunately Arletty is sick, very sick. Without a miracle, according to the hospital’s Doctor Becker (Pierre Étaix), she will die. Arletty’s first thought is to protect her husband. She tells him she will be fine but he needs to not see her for two weeks so she can recover.

Marcel, on his own, manages to get himself involved in helping the boy, Idrissa (Blondin Miguel), not out of some idealistic notion but simply because the boy needs it. That’s what makes the film so good. Everyone gets involved for the same reason, because Idrissa needs it. The green grocer (owed money by Marx), the baker (also owed money) and the local bar owner (probably owed a lot) all help him hide Idrissa, feed him and keep him out of trouble.

There’s a wonderful scene, and very French, where Marcel enlists the aid of Yvette, the wife of popular singer Little Bob. Marcel wants Little Bob to do a “trendy” concert to raise money. The concert money will pay to send Idrissa to London where his mother waits for him. Marx presents his cause, introduces Idrissa and touches Yvette’s heart. She agrees, all Little Bob has to do is apologize and the reuniting of Little Bob and Yvette is, like the film, elegant simplicity.

Ah, and there’s a surprising performance by Jean-Pierre Darroussin as the seemingly evil inspector Monet. Complete with the black hat, black trench coat and rather black look on his face he looks to be an dark version of Inspector Clouseau, but is he? You’ll have to see the film, but I will say that Darroussin’s performance was a delight as was the entire film. Not since Il Postino have I enjoyed a subtitled film so much. Like a simple French pastry with a wonderful creamy filling such is Le Havre.

A little warning: Le Havre seems like a film from the fifties. The clothing, the furniture and architecture and even the hair styles all seem very much a throwback. Even the constant smoking hearken to an earlier age, which could be disturbing to some, but hopefully will not spoil the film for you.

Finally, Le Havre is about the dilemma that many of the western nations face. The separation of mass undocumented immigration with the helping of the “illegal” alien you find in your own backyard. I believe that most of us would have helped feed Idrissa, clothed him and given him a place to stay, perhaps even helped him on his way. I would, would you?

Rating 5 stars out of five (and a glass of Bordeaux).

Is it Sci-Fi? Horror? Fantasy? I don’t know but the trailer is thrilling and certainly piqued my interest. The Cabin in the Woods seems a confusing mess with elements of Dreamcatcher, Cabin Fever, Star Trek and even Halloween, among others, all mixed together. With Drew Goddard (Cloverfield, Lost and Alias) at the helm (and co-writing) I think it’s a real worry. Goddard’s work stretches the envelope beyond recognition, but, with Joss Whedon’s strong presence (and balance), The Cabin in the Woods could be that most unusual film: one that blends genres to make a synergistic whole. Whedon’s Firefly/Serenity did that brilliantly. It bodes well that SXSW has chosen it for opening night!

I’m cautiously optimistic even after having seen the trailer. Check it out:

Today is Friday the 13th and what better way to celebrate than to sit down with one of my favorite horror franchises. I remember the first time I saw Friday the 13th on HBO back in the 80’s. My dad gave me the blessing to watch it one night (he wasn’t the biggest fan of slashers). I remember being so giddy, watching the clock and waiting for the time when the movie would start. Leading up to that night, I remember flipping through Fangoria magazine and hearing the older kids talk about it. I wasn’t disappointed! The music is unforgettable. Tom Savini’s ghoulish effects were awesome! It was the beginning of a series that would stretch over the years with 10 movies, a remake, a mashup with Freddy, documentaries, and an “in-name only” television series.
My favorite of the franchise is Part 2. The body count doubled and the potato sack Jason freaked me out. I watched Part 2 late at night when my parents were gone and when Jason crashed through the window at the end I leaped out of my chair. I was freaked out for days.
I met Kane Hodder at Horror Hound Weekend and he was a real cool dude (see picture above of him crushing my throat). Kane’s portrayal of Jason is a fan favorite.
So grab your favorite Friday film and watch it tonight. Just make sure your house is locked up tight. Cheers.

According to Deadline Hollywood, Nicholas Pileggi and Jorge Zamacona are working on a conversion of one of film’s most popular Mafia stories. Goodfellas, the movie version of the book Wiseguy, could very well be a series on AMC.

Wiseguy, and hence Goodfellas, are based on the life of Mafia soldier Henry Hill and have been incredibly popular both in print and on screen. I cannot imagine with such strong roots and the backing of AMC that the new TV series won’t be anything but sterling and a success. I’ll be there watching the first night.

Since I missed joining Doug and Craig with their top 10 of the year, I threw together my list of movies that chilled and thrilled me. My love for movies lie in the dark corners of the horror genre, the colorful worlds of animation, the spectacle of sci-fi and action adventure. I tend to like the little movies rather than big Hollywood blockbusters. Also, several of the movies on my list are foreign releases. They may be 2010 releases in their respective countries, but the U.S. was not blessed with them until 2011. So, here we go…

10. THE REEF (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011)
So Jaws is my number one shark attack movie and The Reef is right behind it. I thought this import from Australia was frightening. For most of the movie the camera is bobbing up and down in the water with the characters, and the director only lets you see as much as they can. And when the water splashes you know the shark is near and there’s nothing they can do until it’s too late. There’s a glutton of goofy shark movies out there but this is one that will scare you.

9. COLD PREY 3
I’m putting this Norwegian movie on my list even though it’s not a 2011 movie and there was no U.S. release for it. But I did see it in 2011 (my column, my rules). I love slashers and the Cold Prey series is top shelf. Part 3 gives a little insight into the origins and then flash forwards to the 80’s for more mayhem. The movie is beautifully shot and the suspense is thick. More of a moody piece than a gorefest.

8. DREAM HOME (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011) No, this is not the Daniel Craig movie, this is the blood soaked slasher movie from China. Gorehounds rejoice! The death scenes are so outrageous and gory you don’t know whether to laugh nervously or run away. It’s about a woman who begins murdering people in a condo to bring down the property value (which in Hong Kong is ridiculous). Flashbacks woven throughout her killing spree tune us in on why she’s flipped her wig.

7. I SAW THE DEVIL (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011)
Dark places is where you’ll be heading to with this Korean flick. You won’t have any time to catch your breath in between one brutal scene after another. A vengeful cop and vicious serial killer play a deadly game creating a nail-biting thrill ride. It’s a mash-up of unrelenting action and horror. If you want a taste of how wicked it is just watch the “Taxi Scene” on YouTube.

6. THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN
I was blown away by how real everything looked and yet it still had a comic book flair with the exaggerated features of the characters. This was a great adventure and I’ll be happy if there are more stories to follow. It reminded me of the glory days of Indiana Jones.

5. TROLL HUNTER (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011)
All the way from Norway comes this fun, mockumentary of a group of students who follow the “Troll Hunter” as he does his secret job in the dark and icy mountains. There are a variety of trolls to see and they are executed with flawless special effects. A ton of fun.

4. CARS 2
The talented people at Pixar never disappoint. More of an action-adventure than a heart-string puller, I had a great time at the theaters with my kids. The animation, colors and attention to detail are amazing! The spy-element was a great addition to the Cars universe.

3. ATTACK THE BLOCK
London street kids battle ape-like aliens with wicked teeth! At first I was put-off by the thuggish attitude of the main characters, but when alien ass needed to be kicked they came together to help. The main lead Moses went from a-hole to hero and with the help of his friends brought heat to the space invaders using everything from fireworks to samurai swords. The alien effects were awesome and the techno score pounded.

2. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2
I love the Harry Potter books and films and Deathly Hallows Part 2 was a triumphant finish to a great series. Every frame was soaked in an inky darkness creating a sense of dread that built to an intense climax that will have you standing up to cheer. The special effects and camera work are stunning. Every performance is top-notch and I was teary eyed when the final frames rolled by.

1. SUPER 8
True story…my friends and I tried to make a zombie movie in the late 80’s on super 8 film. It was never finished because our lead actor was grounded. Anyway, I loved Super 8! It’s got humor, chills, action and a great deal of mystery and magic. It had the Spielberg touch and Abram’s direction was solid. The performances were so natural, I felt like these kids had known each other forever. I loved that they actually showed their finished zombie movie at the end. A great time at the movies!

Favorite DVD Releases of 2011:  Shout Factory’s Roger Corman Presents…
So far I’ve picked up Joe Dante’s Piranha, Humanoids from the Deep, Galaxy of Terror, Forbidden Planet, Star Crash…all of them cheap and cheesy gems from the 70’s and 80’s. These dvd collections are awesome! They all feature quality uncut presentations and the dvd sleeves are reversable with alternate artwork, all of them with the original poster art!

If the movie is anything like the The Five-Year Engagement trailer I can’t wait. Finally a romantic comedy that looks to be just good clean fun. With Emily Blunt and Jason Segelin the lead roles I cannot wait! Enjoy the trailer, the movie comes out April 27, 2012.

Vastly superior alien technology, body armor unlike anything humans have ever seen and a deadly threat to our world, that’s what we have stacked against us. But what we have is a Battleship. Boy am I relieved. Check out the trailer and be ready. It’s scheduled for May 18, 2012.

According to The Hollywood Reporter director Alan Taylor replaces Patty Jenkins at the helm of the next Thor. Apparently Jenkins had fallen out of favor after creative differences caused a rift with Marvel higher ups.

Taylor, a staple on HBO, with episodes of Game of Thrones, The Sopranos and Deadwood under his belt, could bring some welcome darkness to the Thor franchise. If Taylor doesn’t forget the lighter side of the scion of Asgard, exhibited beautifully by Chris Hemsworth, Taylor could be an inspired pick.