[FEATURE] Crossover-- Alice in Wonderland X Harry Potter (Video!)

When I watched Avengers2 in cinema last time, I was so excited that two of my favourite characters -- Iron Man and Thor are in the same screen this time. That reminded me of one winter in my high school, when The Amazing Spiderman and The Dark Knight Rises were on in two weeks in a roll. I am really expecting that spiderman and batman can meet each other in some superhero episode but my idea never came true. So when brainstorming for this feature video with my group mates, a brilliant idea came to our minds! Why don't we do a crossover? And we picked up two characters: The Mad Hatter form Alice in Wonderland and Professor McDonagall from Harry Potter.












Mr Hatter is a popular character in Wonderland. He's mad, obviously, but rather charming. He is very unpredictable but protective of friends. Even though he doesn't have the magic wand, he himself is magic. Then what if he goes to the most well-known magic school in the world-- Hogwarts? What will happen when he meets the First Lady in Hogwarts? Which house will Mr Hatter be sorted into?


The video consists of a brief introduction on the two characters in case anyone never seen these two movies before. Then we shot a mini role play of the classic sorting ceremony in the first episode of Harry Potter series. It is our first feature video, hope you guys enjoy!

[NEW] Adam Jones-- from a sniper to a chef!

New post released 

"A chef assembles a crew together in an attempt to create the best restaurant ever." The extract from IMDb sounds quite boring but let's see the casts first to get excited!

The film features a stacked cast that reunites Cooper with his American Sniper co-star Sienna Miller along with the likes of Jamie Dornan from Fifty Shades of Grey, Lily James from Cinderella, Emma Thompson, Uma Thurman, Daniel Brühl form Rush, Alicia Vikander from Ex Machina...

The movie will be released in US in October this year, so not much details is available online. But as a big fan of Bradley Cooper, the Pixar Four is not gonna miss any movie of him.  The movie is roughly about a Michelin chef is facing a body blow in Paris and trying to rebuild his career!

Here's the official synopsis followed by the poster.

Chef Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) had it all - and lost it. A two-star Michelin rockstar with the bad habits to match, the former enfant terrible of the Paris restaurant scene did everything different every time out, and only ever cared about the thrill of creating explosions of taste. To land his own kitchen and that third elusive Michelin star though, he'll need the best of the best on his side, including the beautiful Helene (Sienna Miller). ADAM JONES is a remarkably funny and emotional story about the love of food, the love between two people, and the power of second chances.


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[Feature] Ian McKellen--How do you know him, Gandalf, Magneto, Holmes or cynical Freddie?

He is 76 today and he has created so many classic characters, and been nominated twice in Oscar. McKellen's work spans genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. His notable film roles include Gandalf in The Lord of the Ring and The Hobbit trilogies and Magneto in the X-Men films.

As a fun old man never too old to be on screen, in 2003, McKellen made a guest appearance as himself on the American cartoon show The Simpsons, in a special British-themed episode entitled "The Regina Monologues", along with Tony Blair and J.K. Rowling. Such an honour! You probably didn't remember that McKellen also appeared as Leigh Teabing in The Da Vinci Code.

Besides films, he has created a cynical Freddie in a 2013 English drama "Vicious".

The Da Vinci Code

Vicious (2013)

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[COMMENTS] Goodbye to 'A Beautiful Mind'--In honour of John Forbes Nash Jr.--R.I.P

John Nash, subject of the movie"A Beautiful Mind" and wife killed in a car crash on 23 May 2015, aged 86. He was an American mathematician dedicated to game theory, and a Nobel prize winner in Economics in 1994. This movie won the 2002 Oscar Best Picture. The actor of John Nash, Russell Crowe twittered for the sorry.

The introduction on IMDb of this movie is "After a brilliant but asocial mathematician accepts secret work in cryptography, his life takes a turn for the nightmarish..." When Nash was in his full flush of success, he was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia. He was given a course of insulin shock therapy, but frustrated with the side-effects of the medication, which made him lethargic and unresponsive, he secretly stopped taking it. Against all his colleagues and friends, he decided to deal with the symptom himself, and with his wife Alicia's full support. Years passed and as Nash grew older, he learnt to ignore his hallucinations and earns the privilege of teaching again.  

End with quote from John Forbes Nash Jr. "I think madness can be an escape. If things are not so good, you maybe want to imagine something better. In my madness, I thought I was the most important person in the world."

On this day, in memorial of him, let us have a review of this classic movie! RIP

<full movie online; http://www.bilibili.com/video/av1862111/>

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[FEATURE] David Fincher & his movies Part II

Weekend is coming! Getting ready for some more movies from David Fincher? Most of the movies in the second part were released almost 10 years ago, but every piece of work was classic!

Zodiac (2007)

The casting that including Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. is attractive in the very first place! It's a classic arrogant series murderer story, with journalists and police involved. The movie was based on the true series killer named "Zodiac" in LosAngeles in 1970s. After he murdered someone, he would send the media a letter, leaving codes, clues to challenge the police. The police were at their wits' end about Zodiac. The case caught two journalists' attention, Paul (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Robert (Robert Downey Jr.). With help of David (Mark Ruffalo) from the police, they started to investigate the truth.

Panic Room (2002)

The next Fincher's movie is Panic Room. Reading the name, you can tell it's a thriller, mystery movie. Many of Fincher's work falling in these genres. Meg (Jodie Foster), a divorced woman and her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart) moved to their newly-purchased house, which had a safe room in it. There were 16 recorder, 8 monitors, a landline that was unconnected to the outside and an impregnable door. They never expected that they would take refuge in this room, when three men broke in, searching for a missing fortune.

The Game (1997)

The Game is another movie in mystery, thriller genres. I was impressed when I first watched it on TV. I didn't start from the beginning but the  story was so attractive and creative. It is my very first brain-training movie, way before the Inception. Wealthy San Francisco financier Nicholas (Michael Douglas) gets a strange birthday present from wayward brother Conrad (Sean Penn): a live-action game. The game was tailored for Michael and pointed at his dark childhood and marriage trauma. Michael joined the game out of curiosity but later he found out his life was falling apart. He told himself it was just a game, then he jumped from the roof...

Fight Club (1999)

Next coming up are two well-known movie by him, Fight Club and Se7en. They are ranked #10 and #22 on IMDb respectively. Basically it is unnecessary to go into details. Great films, great stars, worth watching!

Se7en (1995)

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Have a look back, I cannot imagine that i have watched so many  Thriller, Mystery and Drama movies!! Maybe next time I can do a feature on that!


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[COMMENTS] Nicole Kidman Joins Neil Gaiman’s" HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES"

Nicole Kidman Joins Neil Gaiman’s" HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES"

It looks like Nicole Kidman will be joining the big screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s short story How to Talk to Girls at Parties. 

The movie is being directed by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus, Rabbit Hole), and Kidman will join the previously-cast Elle Fanning. Also joining the production are Ruth Wilson (The Affair) and Matt Lucas (Alice in Wonderland).

Gaiman’s story was published in 2006, and it takes place in the 1970s and follows a couple of British teenaged boys, Enn and Vic, who go to a party to meet girls, only to find that the girls are very different from the boys' expectations. Enn is a shy boy who is encouraged by Vic to just talk to girls. While hanging out at a party, Enn talks to three very nice but strange girls. As he focuses on "making a move" on the girls, it turns out these girls are not from our planet. Fanning plays one of the alien girls.

Kidman worked with the director in another film she starred in called Rabbit Hole. Producer Howard Gertler had this to say about the casting, and the film: 

“Nicole responded very quickly and enthusiastically to the script when John sent it to her. This is a story that appeals to teens and adults, something John and Neil Gaiman’s work also achieves, and that is why it’s such a good fit. John compares it to Romeo and Juliet, except instead of Montagues and Capulets we have punks and aliens.”

This is a great story and one that has the potential to be a very entertaining film. Fans of Gaiman will be happy to know that the author is very involved with the film development, and has worked closely with the creative team in bringing it to life. 

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[NEW] Tomorrowland-- it's George Clooney in the Disney Movie

I watched the tailor of 'Tomorrowland' when I watched 'Avengers2'. You knew it was a kind of typical Disney movie-- children, magic, adventure... However, when George Clooney's face pop on to the screen, I felt a little surprises. It makes more sense to my if Johnny Depp took the character, asa he did in 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Charlie and the chocolate factory'. The stereotype should be that George is always an elegant handsome wealthy man. 

George starred as a former boy-genius inventor.

Britt Rotertson took the role of a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity. 

Bound by a shared destiny, they embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory as 'Tomorrowland'. Written by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

As shown in the trailer, there was so many interesting traps in the inventor's house and to protect himself from the bad guys [kinda similar to Home Alone but more high-tech and imaginative]. Ans the pair of old-boylish inventor and an optimistic teen reminds me of Leon: the Professional. 

BTW, Tim McGraw has also taken one part in the movie, but so far, no idea on the character.

I, myself, is pretty looking forward to this movie, but the strange thing is that real teenagers are not so into this kind of disney producing. Like my cousin, she chose The Imitation Game instead of The Big Hero 6. 

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[Recommendation] Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Edge of Tomorrow will remind you of a few other films, that’s a given, but it’s not a blatant and bland copy of those other films. It takes these ideas and blends them in a very entertaining way, and sets them against a war-time attack reminiscent of the Normandy landings. It also has some fun with the time travel aspect of the film, and there are some genuinely hilarious moments to enjoy.

Tom Cruise

Emily Blunt

The action on the beach is pretty intense, and the visual effects are very impressive. There are also some big laughs to be had here so a crowded matinée or full price showing is recommended. At home a HD viewing on your TV is the way to go. Watching this on your laptop, Tablet or phone will seriously reduce the impact of this film.




On the technical side of things, the editing, visuals and sound effects work are very impressive. Performances from Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton are also solid, and I really enjoyed watching Cruise play against type and start this story as the coward trying everything he can to stay out of the action. The script also does a great job of moving the story forward, but in a way that never forgets where the characters are within the larger narrative’s time-line.



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[COMMENT] Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers Age of Ultron is captivating and full of suspense. It holds your attention from beginning to end with thrilling action and a heart-warming plot. The movie was absolutely mind-blowing and instantly made you fall in love with each character and their story. All of the avengers were seen as bad-ass heroes who didn’t take shit from out-of-the ordinary villains. What I really admire and respect about this film is how they humanized every character, even Ultron! We were able to see the greatest fears of each character and the things of their past or of their future that made them vulnerable, and instilled fear in them. Ultron, though he was a robot embodied so many emotions of a twisted and psychotic human being. Throughout the movie we see the internal struggle he has as he deciphers between “what’s right” and “how to make things right”. It is very interesting that Tony Stark (Iron Man) initially brought Ultron to life or gave him a voice because he believed he was “making things right”. In a sense Ultron was a reflection of Tony Stark’s confusion of right and wrong at its worse. It depicted the theme or morality “that when we create things out of fear we sometimes create exactly what we fear”.

The most interesting growth in relationships would have to be the one shared between Black Widow and The Hulk. No one saw that coming!! However, the relationship is truly a beauty to watch it was filled with trust of the other and insecurity of self. It gave viewers open-ended conversations leaving them with many questions about how their relationship will grow and thrive. The humanity of the characters in the film tied into the overall theme of the Avengers or Marvel movies, that human life is worth fighting for. The film reflected similar elements of other action movies, for instnace their hide-away or safe zone (Hawkeye’s House – A farmhouse in the middle of no where).

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[NEW] Mad Max: Fury Road-- HIT on IMDb& RottenTomato by 98%!!

So far it has achieved 9.3/10 on IMDb and 98& on Rotten Tomatoes where the reviewers are very cynical and have a very picky taste on movies. And the background of the movie in Australia! The movie held its premiere in Sydney today 13th May in Events cinema on George Street. Let's have a look at it!

Mad Max Post- R18

The Mad Max series have the background in Australia where humanity and regulations are broken down after the nuclear war. The story is based on Max, a highway patrol and a gang speeding the car.

The story and the adventure is on in a stark desert.

Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron and Nicholas Hoult etc. getting together as a new group and show torture, speeding and shoot-out in this new episode-- still MAD.

Max, starred by Tom Hardy, was arrested by highway rider and tortured!

Here's the trailer of Mad Max4. Then just grab the ticket and enjoy it this weekend! It seems that there's an explosion of great movies this May!!!

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[RECOMMENDATION] Ted (2012)

BRO!

Ted is a comedy movie co-written, produced, and directed by Seth MacFarlane. The movie is the feature-length directorial debut of McFarlane. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Seth MacFarlane, and is narrated by Patrick Stewart. The movie also features a notable cameo by Sam Jones (playing himself). The movie was released in 2012.

'Just you and me, no girls!'

Ted is the name of a teddy bear given to a young John Bennett on Christmas in 1985. John makes a wish that his teddy would come to life to be his friend, and with the help of a shooting star, he does. The two grow up together and remain best friends, but John's long term girlfriend Lori, wants to move their relationship forward but feels like she can't while John still has Ted in his life.




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[COMMENTS] Fox previews awards slate with 'Revenant,' 'Martian,' 'Joy'

Fox previews awards slate with  'Revenant,' 'Martian,' 'Joy'

Most studios come to CinemaCon to show off their summer blockbusters -- flashy tentpole movies exhibitors know will bring hordes of filmgoers to their theatres.

But 20th Century Fox took a different approach on Thursday, unveiling early footage of its awards season hopefuls: Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s “The Revenant,” David O. Russell’s “Joy” and Ridley Scott’ “For the past two years, New Regency and Fox Searchlight have won the Oscar for best picture, and that’s a hell of an accomplishment,” he said. “Since we’re in Vegas, I’d say that partnership is a pretty good bet.”

Adapted from Michael Punke's 2003 novel, “The Revenant” stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a 19th century fur trapper who is left to die in the wilderness after being mauled by a bear. But if you’re thinking Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild,” you’ve got it all wrong. The footage unveiled to the crowd on Thursday -- shot in the “harsh Canadian wilderness” using only natural light, according to a title card -- was far more violent than you’d expect from a survival picture.

“Joy,” too, looked surprisingly unjoyful. In it, Jennifer Lawrence reteams with her "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle" director Russell to play Joy Mangano, a single mother who invented the Miracle Mop. Fox didn’t give much of the movie away on Thursday -- just a seconds-long montage with snippets from the film set to church bells. Lawrence was often stone-faced, or looking sad -- at the mop factory, on set at the Home Shopping Network, at a funeral, behind bars, in a snowstorm. This housewife doesn’t have time for exploding science ovens, folks.

The crowd got to see far more of “The Martian,” Scott’s latest film about an astronaut (played by Matt Damon) stranded on Mars. Yes, that’s right -- Damon is playing yet another astronaut stuck in space, just like he did in his surprise role in “Interstellar” last year. But it looks as though Damon will really have room to shine here. He called the film “one of the best projects I’ve worked on in years” in a video message to exhibitors.

In the film, Damon’s character is presumed dead after a storm hits Mars during a mission he and his colleagues are on. But his crew mates -- including Jessica Chasten, Michael Pena and Kate Mara -- never fully give up hope that their friend is alive.

Indeed, Damon is hard at work up in the sky, trying to figure out a way to make contact with NASA and survive in the meantime, growing four years' worth of food on a planet “where nothing grows.” When one of his messages finally gets beamed down to Earth, he giddily exclaims, “In your face, Neil Armstrong!”

Though the three heavy-hitting films left the biggest impression on the crowd, Fox made a little room for its popcorn fare too -- “Fantastic Four,” “Spy” and “Poltergeist.” In fact, the event kicked off on a jubilant note with an acrobatic dance performance from the group Academy of Villains, set to a remix of the “Peanuts” song by DJ Enferno. Chris Aronson, Fox’s president of distribution, even walked out wearing a tilted baseball cap, puffy yellow jacket and bedazzled headphones.

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[NEW] 'Furious 8' will roll into theatres in April 2017

 'Furious 8' will roll into theatres in April 2017

"Furious 8" is a go. The next installment in Universal Pictures' blockbuster action franchise will hit theaters April 14, 2017, series star Vin Diesel announced at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

"I swear to you and I swear to my brother upstairs we're going to make the best movie you've ever seen," Diesel said, referring to his late costar Paul Walker.

Walker's 2013 death partway through the filming of "Furious 7" in an unrelated single-car crash put the movie and the future of the franchise into doubt. Director James Wan, producer Neal Moritz and the studio halted production for months, pushed back the release date and finished the film using special effects and enlisting Walker's two brothers as body doubles.

Released April 3, "Furious 7" became Universal's first film to gross $1 billion at the worldwide box office, and it did so in just 17 days.

Diesel did not provide any plot details about "Furious 8," which does not yet have a director. During a recent appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," though, he said the action would head to New York City next.

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[COMMENTS] Is This The Reason Why Marvel Didn't Jump on Female-Led Comic Book Films?

Is This The Reason Why Marvel Didn't Jump on Female-Led Comic Book Films?

A new Sony email has surfaced via The Huffington Post that gives us some insight into why we haven’t seen a female superhero movie from Marvel yet. Captain Marvel is coming in 2018, but we’ve still got a ways to go. Just in case you were wondering why the studio hasn’t jumped on getting a female-led movie out sooner, this e-mail from Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter to Sony CEO Michael Lynton sheds some light on what their thought process is based on: money. Perlmutter was responding to an e-mail that offers some examples of terrible female-centric comic book films that bombed at the box office.

1   

       >Electra (Marvel) – Very bad idea and the end result was very, very bad. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=elektra.htm

2     >Catwoman (WB/DC) - Catwoman was one of the most important female character within the Batmanfranchise. This film was a disaster http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=catwoman.htm

3    >Supergirl – (DC) Supergirl was one of the most important female super hero in Superman franchise. This Movie came out in 1984 and did $14 million total domestic with opening weekend of $5.5 million. Again, another disaster.

So there you go. The CEO wasn't very thrilled about pumping money into a film that he thought would bomb. I guess Perlmutter isn’t as confident in Marvel Studios as we thought he might be after all the success they've had. The studio's been producing one great comic book movie after another, but there must still be a fear that a movie focusing on a strong female character could still bomb. 

The thing is, superhero films have changed so much since those movies were released, and it seems like Marvel has a working formula that has proven to be successful no matter what movie they produce.

Let's face it though, these CEOs probably live in a sheltered world, and they are all about making money, and they are going to push the projects that rake in the cash. Hopefully when Captain Marvel is released on November 2nd, 2018, it succeeds and blows away their expectations, so that we will see more of them. 

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