FEBRUARY, 19

MOVIES RELEASED

1-THE TOWERING INFERN0

Action / Disaster
Cast: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Sharon Stone, Dennis Quaid, Jessica Biel, Ariel Gade, Andre Benjamin
Director: John McTiernan
Screenwriter: Bill Cougan

Box Office: 51 mill.
Net Gains: 0.1 mill.

Stark’s Comment: All the hard work and the hype for just 100.000 dollars of benefits… I am so sorry that this disaster movie experience has almost become a disaster for the Studio. Big disappointment.

2-OMEGA

Drama / Political
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Gene Hackman, Jude Law, Kevin Spacey, Katie Holmes
Director: Paul Greengrass
Screenwriter: Marcus Trax


Box Office: 34 mill.
Net Gains: 11 mill.

Stark’s Comment: I liked the originality of the premise. But I admit that never expected to make any profit with it. I feel relief. It was a risky bet.

3-T.Y.M.: THE INFERNO REVENGE

Action / Sci-Fi / Comedy
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Alba, Thomas Haden Church
Director: Ivan Reitman
Screenwriter: Joey Stark


Box Office: 73 mill.
Net Gains: 49 mill.

Stark’s Comment: Higher box office than the second episode but lower net gains. Can’t say anything else: I’m a T.Y.M.’s fan!

THE CRITICS CORNER

1-THE TOWERING INFERNO

”Here is a great adventure movie. The only problem with it may be subconscious. After September 11th attacks it is hard to get involved in a story like this. I mean, nothing can be compared with everything that happened there and any fictional disaster related to a skycrapper will always look lighter than the real thing. No doubt this movie is much better than the 1974's original (and also much better thaN another 'disaster movie' classic's recent remake, Wolfgang Petersen's 'Poseidon'). The problem is us, the audience. We are not so impressionable anymore. Personally, I just kept a certain distance from what I was watching on screen, as if I couldn’t get into the story'.
-Ray Benson

"John McTiernan knows how to deal with troubled buildings. He made a great job in the first 'Die Hard'. And he has used now that experience for 'The Towering Inferno'. Some scenes are almost a copy from 'Die Hard' (Sharon Stone and Ariel Gade escaping through the air condition's conducts, Owen and Washington having a bad time at the building's roof...). So there is a big absence of freshness in the whole show. Bill Cougan keeps insisting on bringing us back old concepts (McMillan, Christie Love...) but we are not in the 70's anymore. If he pretends going on like that, he should look more for a redefinition of a concept than just a remake of it."
-Charlie Kiggs

"Jessica Biel with a dirty shirt and ashes in her face? Yeah, that's great. But it cannot be everything... I enjoyed the movie. Once again, I have to decide between writing like a snob movie critic and tearing up the whole movie or telling the truth. And the truth is that I had a good time watching it. The never resting pace of the story is just perfect. And Sharon Stone makes a wonderful job, being a nasty rich lady at the beginning to become later a heroic and brave woman. The rest of the cast are ok as they do what they are supposed to do and McTiernan confirms himself as a talented action director. Thumb up for me".
-Tim Reeve

2-OMEGA

"Recently, Marcus Trax was criticized for writing such an easy action concept like 'HF'. Should he be also criticized now for writing this risky and creative drama about politics? Of course, everybody prefers to go and watch something as simple as 'HF'. But when an author assume the risks of presenting an adult story like this and audiences respond well enough to avoid the flop, he should be applauded. Here is a movie for elite audiences not only interested in watching Will Smith saving the world once more".
-Tom Holmes

"Once again, a CMP's movie stays one step before becoming a great movie. 'Omega' has an intelligent plot (almost a modern Shakespeare drama, like King Lear in a soviet republic) and a perfect cast. But it does not completely reach its purposes. It pretends to become a deep reflection about power and corruption (and it partially hits that target) But that purpose gets mixed with a spy subplot that can make the movie more appealing to wider audiences but, at the same time, mislead a bit that main objective. Anyway, in a world of superheroes movies and toxic threads and wild cards and blood beaches and buildings on fire, a movie like this is a reason to believe that movie industry still worries for adult audiences looking for something more than all that."
-Vic Carter

"Just watching those talents act is a pleasure itself. Tommy Lee Jones and Gene Hackman make a dialogue scene something worthy to watch even if they are talking about the weather. Everyone makes a superb acting work here. Even Katie Holmes. She must be really proud of this chance to work with such talents like Jones, Hackman or Spacey. And Paul Grrengrass takes another step on his way to become one of the greatest movie directors of our time".
-Anne Roman

3-T.Y.M.: THE INFERNO REVENGE

"The best achievement of this movie is that it does not take seriously itself. CMP does not pretend to sell us a great sci-fi epic movie here neither a terrifying supernatural horror show. They know what they are doing: a silly story only looking to entertain. That makes everything a bit childish but the objective - pure entertainment without any kind of pretensions - is reached. This third episode of the saga is almost a copy from the second one. The Studio has a formula that works well enough and they have no intention of making any effort to improve it or even change it in any way".
-Andrew Solomon

"Barry Sonnenfel, director of 'T.Y.M.: The Second Chance', also directed 'Men In Black'. Ivan Reitman, director of this new episode, also directed 'Ghostbusters'. And that's not a coincidence. It is obvious that CMP conceives this franchise as a mix of those two. In this third movie, they have introduced some self-parody elements that work well (maybe even naming the villain 'Inferno' is a private joke referred to 'The Towering Inferno'). And Jessica Alba shows us an unknown and efficient comedy side as the possessed victim of the histrionic Inferno / Thomas Haden Church. But the risk of this all is that maybe a 'T.Y.M. 4' could end up as a 'Naked Gun' or 'Scary Movie' kind of parody as it seems like the jokes are getting a bit out of control".
-Chris Merlon

"A franchise going nowhere. If a Studio wants to make sequels of previous hits to make some more money, at least something new should be offered. But some times sequels are just a copy and paste from the previous movie. And that is this one. They have even recovered Jessica Alba from the first movie (without doubt, the best of the three) to prove even more that they are stuck in the past of this wear out franchise instead of looking ahead. Some times it is time for a saga to finish, no matter if it is still profitable, and that time is now for T.Y.M."
-Greg Norman

Another movie critic join us! Mr. Thumb will review movies released as Nathan Bigsby will review movies in development. Welcome!

The Towering Inferno

This is why I love Bill Cougan's work. He remakes 70s films and makes them his own. If you saw this film first, you wouldn't even realize that it was an original disaster film of the 70s. With the uber talented high profile like of Denzel, you just can't go too wrong with it. But a big standout here is Ariel Gade whose consistently taken on challenging kid roles throughout her employment in CMP and doesn't disappoint in this one as a deaf child. The rest of the supportive cast plays their roles just well enough to keep us caring about what happens to them.

OMEGA

I sense this movie is going to be a good contender for this season's GMAs. Has everything to make it a prime candidate such as solid writing, directing and brilliant performances. Even Katie Holmes is bearable! It does however feel like a great film that very few will see in theaters. It has nothing to do with Marcus Trax's brilliant idea, it's just that the movie going public isn't usually keen on sophisticated titles. I feel like its enjoyment will be from those who appreciate fine cinema. There are rare occurrences at CMP where a smart well made film churns out solid box office receipts. Let's hope this is going to be one of those occurrences.

T.Y.M: The Inferno Revenge

Another installment of the popular franchise. Loyal fans to the series will rejoice while any haters will roll their eyes at the film's TV promos and say 'not again' The return of Jessica Alba could very well indeed be what is needed to put butts in seats. This franchise is one of CMP's babies so if this film does great with box office results, I can be certain there will be another one to follow up.

A plus from Mr. Thumb today. A look back to the controversy around ‘Blood Beach’

Matt Kubrick's teen slasher flick didn't sit well with audiences. But why? I personally feel like the film fell victim to the interest of today's generation. I understand the film was paying homage to the classic 70s/80s slasher films, even involved the same elements of teen slasher movies(I found myself laughing because Tiffany toppled over onto the ground while running from the killer, one of the rules not to break to survive a horror film. And the poor saps who were having sex and were killed during their most awkward embarrassing moment)

Today's movie kids are spoiled with CGI and horror films that rely too much on being grossed out. This film WAS geared towards those who remember those slasher flicks of yesteryear, but it didn't stop the kids these days from sneaking in and telling their friends how bad they thought it was because they just didn't get it. Just like how kids these days will listen to Panic At The Disco more than The Who, they'll pick up an XBox360 controller before they even glance at an NES console. They'll talk about how cheesy Freddie or Jason are while they pop in SAW and watch a person with their head in a bear trap.

I'm in no way trying to tell Kubrick to sell himself out. I'm just trying to think of some reason why his film didn't settle well. Just like his victims in his film, was slashed to death by the constant change of the generational movie going public. See it for the same reasons you remember loving Michael, Leatherface, Freddie or Jason, but don't expect a GMA worthy storyline or acting which is a shame because Ellen Page and Emile Hirsh have had better performances. Sorry Matt, but even those classic films didn't have much more than mindless killing and screaming.