INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Carrie Divergent Getaway Gravity The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Jobs Lee Daniels The Butler Pain & Gain Runner Runner The World's End

BUZZHUB is now hosting three regular podcasts. Coulsons Army is a brand-new, weekly podcast dedicated to ABC and Marvels new show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Every episode will feature in-depth and entertaining discussion of the latest episode. Box Office Buzz is BuzzHubs flagship and most popular podcast, now on a fortnightly schedule and featuring a look at the US box office, as well as reviews of the latest releases. The Jimmy and Luke Show, BuzzHubs long-running comedy podcast, continues into the Fall with two episodes every week!
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Academy Award winners Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) and George Clooney (Syriana) star in Gravity, a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. The film was directed by Oscar nominee Alfonso Cuarn (Children of Men).Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalski completely alonetethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness.The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earthand any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left.But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space. Gravity was written by Alfonso Cuarn & Jons Cuarn, and produced by Alfonso Cuarn and David Heyman (the Harry Potter films). Chris deFaria, Nikki Penny and Stephen Jones served as executive producers. The behind-the-scenes team includes multiple Oscar-nominated director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki (Children of Men, The New World); production designer Andy Nicholson; editors Alfonso Cuarn and Mark Sanger; and costume designer Jany Temime (the Harry Potter films). The visual effects were handled by Oscarnominated visual effects supervisor Tim Webber (The Dark Knight). The music was composed by Steven Price.

The lavish life of RUNNER RUNNERs gambling kingpin Ivan Block is what RUNNER RUNNER director Brad Furman calls, the new American dream. He elaborates: Technology has led us to a world where everything comes very quickly, which has expedited this concept of the American dream. Young people today want everything faster especially money. Justin Timberlake concurs with Furmans assessment of the American dream on steroids: The Am erican dream used to be about being rich and famous, but now its to become rich and famous as quickly as possible. The more access we have to things, the faster we want them. Just touch a button and you can have almost anything shipped to you. Today, people dont want to own a Cadillac; they want to invent their own car, Timberlake continues. A generation of young people wants to start their own galaxy of entrepreneurial activities. People are constantly trying to reinvent the wheel, and things are moving at warp speed. Its cutthroat. Its very cerebral and less about integrity, pride or honor, or any moral values. Timberlakes Richie Furst is among those getting caught up in this irresistible but dangerous mindset. His guide and benefactor is Ivan Block. Block is the man behind the curtain of a billion-dollar online gambling empire. Affleck says the role provided an intriguing change of pace. Ive done a couple of parts where the characters I play were reserved, quiet and internal, but Ivan is a lways gunning the engine. Hes never at a loss for sexy monologues about life, and he enjoys spinning all kind of sophistry to Richie. I thought that Ivan and his world would be a lot of fun to explore. Like Timberlake, Affleck was intrigued by RUNNER RUNNERs depiction of the behind the scenes machinations of the new American dream: Underneath this allure of fast and easy money is something inherently fraudulent, crooked, broken and wrong, he explains. Everything now is about getting rich quickly, by any means necessary. The new corporate ethos is to cut the other guys throat. In some circles, its even considered healthy and to be prized. Director Brad Furman came to RUNNER RUNNER fresh from the success of The Lincoln Lawyer in 2011. I had a specific vision for RUNNER RUNNER, to create a journey down the rabbit hole for Richie, he notes. The movie begins in New Jersey, and then Richie ends up in Costa Rica and a fantastic but corrupt world. Timberlake describes his characters descent: Richie is a good guy in the wrong place, trying to do the right thing. Hes constantly trying to hold on to his morals. Richie is a dreamer and an idealist who makes an honest mistake and must figure out how hes going to get out of it. Ivan Blocks own journey down the rabbit hole has yielded untold riches, which is all the enticement Richie needs for what ultimately becomes a rite of passage. Ivan Block is the unapologetic mentor who says, Get what you can get and dont think twice about it, says Affleck. Block wants to manipulate Richie, to get him to be part of his team. His mission is to groom Richie so he wont object to some of the darker things he sees.

THE NEW AMERICAN DREAM

GOOD GIRLS GONE BAD

Chloe Moretz and Selena Gomez are an interesting pair of actresses to compare. They both found fame as teenagers, Gomez on the Disney Channel show Wizards of Waverly Place, Moretz in cult films like Kick-Ass and on 30 Rock. Gomez always played the girl next door character, and along with her pop career forged a nice, clean image for herself. Meanwhile, Moretz was spouting the c-word to middle-aged men in Matthew Vaughns aforementioned superhero comedy. Gomez has now overruled her popstar image, going from nice dresses to tight leather shorts- Taylor Swift style- but is also choosing far more adult film roles, such as in Harmony Korines experimental teen film Spring Breakers and the new Ethan Hawke thriller Getaway. Moretz returned to the role of HitGirl earlier this year in the pretty awful Kick-Ass 2 and is now filling Sissy Spaceks shoes in the highly anticipated remake of Brian DePalmas Carrie.
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KILLING

TIME

rancis Lawrence should be a bigger household name. Responsible for directing the hugely
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successful, writers-strike defying I Am Legend, as well as the pleasant period romance Water for Elephants and the pilot for FOXs short-lived but superb drama Touch (the entire show of which he also produced), its about time he became a star director. While Gary Ross, who helmed the first Hunger Games, was entirely inexperienced in big-budget action spectacle, Lawrence is completely at home in Panem, the futuristic remains of the US which has been divided into 13 districts after a failed revolution. District 12 is home to Katniss Everdeen, heroine of Suzanne Collins bestselling trilogy of novels, as well as her two best male (occasionally boy-)friends, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth, whose career is looking in poor shape after the massive failure that was Paranoia and his igh-profiled unengagement from pop-singer Miley Cyrus). District 13 has (apparently) been destroyed in a nuclear accident, but well learn more about that towards the end of Catching Fire. This film, looking set to be one of the absolute biggest hits of 2013, begins after Katniss and Peetas controversially joint-win of the annual Hunger Games teens-involuntarily-kill-each-other-on-tv contest/bloodbath, as they have settled down in the fancy victors village in District 12 to live out their remaining days in peace and (comparitive) wealth.
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However, this is not to be, for they must embark on a victory tour which results in, yes, ANOTHER Hunger Games, which this time features all past winners! Noooooo! Luckily, however, this gives us the opportunity to see several high-profile older actors kicking butt alongside Katniss and Peeta, as well as Sam Claflins heartthrob former champion Finnick Odair. Among the OAGs (Old Age Gamers) are Amanda Plummer, Jeffrey Wright, Lynn Cohen, Meta Golding, E. Roger Mitchell and Elena Sanchez. Oh yeah, and The Hunger have we mentioned that Games: Oscar-winner Catching Fire is Philip Seymour Hoffman is on released on board this time November around22. as the ridiculously named (but arent they all) 9

THE

KATNISS
EFFECT
It was inevitable, the rise of the teenage girl as a movie hero. Hermione Granger wasnt exactly the star of the Potter films, but Emma Watson pulled in attention by being very sexy in a intelligent, bookish way. Then came Twilight, with Kristen Stewarts Bella. Nobody expected Bella to be the series main selling-point, standing alongside two very attractive, regularly shirtless males in front of a largely female audience, but by the time last years Breaking Dawn Part 2 came around and Bella had gone from being a tomboy to a tight-trousers-and-boots-wearing sexy vampire chick, there were so many males paying to see the film to gawk that the box office numbers were through the roof. In the first Hunger Games film, Jennifer Lawrences Katniss wasnt presented as a particularly sexy character, to the delight of feminists, but as our cover shows, Lawrence has been presented with a
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skin-tight Kat-suit for the majority of the films action, drawing the eyes of straight men, and possibly gay women, around the world as she jumps around and fires arrows. Who doesnt want to see that?

THE GRAPES OF ROTH

Shailene Woodley being cast in young-adult novel adaptations has become a running joke in the online film news community. First it was as Hazel Lancaster in John Greens The Fault in Our Stars, and after she was confirmed to be playing Triss in the Hunger Games-esque dystopian adventure Divergent, it was announced that she would be filling the shoes of Kirsten Dunst in Marc Webbs The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (she has since been cut from the first of the three upcoming sequels).Divergent is based on the first book in Veronica Roth (hence the above pun)s trilogy, the third of which will be released this month. It follows Triss as she faces a decision as to which of 5 factions she will be placed in. Its basically HogwartsWorld, with more dire consequences. Some factions are rich and educated, others hardworking but illiterate. The film will see Woodleys Triss defy the system in an extremely Katniss-y way by not fitting into any particular faction and therefore having to go on the run with the (probably) dreamy boy Four (Theo James). Kate Winslet stars in a role that fits halfway between Elizabeth Banks and Donald Sutherlands HG characters.

Divergent is released on March 21, 2014.

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Lee Daniels The Butler

If one film from 2013 were to be sent in a time machine back to the 1950s or 60s, it would have to be this. Lee Daniels, a gay, African-American, having directed a major Hollywood film would have been considered groundbreaking, but it is the film itself, which shows the period through the eyes of the black people who were suffering that is the most important aspect. It gives a voice to the people who, though they may not be alive today, would be overjoyed to know that what they experienced is know commonknowledge, and is widely sympathised with. Lee Daniels The Butler, as it is legally known, could just as easily have been called Forest Whitaker is The Butler. The veteran actor is the true star of this ensemble piece, giving an incredibly subtle performance as Cecil Gaines- head White House butler for several decades. He doesnt give a traditional Oscar-worthy speech, and the films high point of drama comes during a brilliantly staged argument between Gaines, his wife (Oprah Winfrey) and his eldest son (the wonderful David Oyelowo) about whether or not Sidney Poitier is an advocate for the African-American community, or a puppet of the white-led film studios. It is this sort of seemingly trivial discussion that elevates the film from what it at first seems to be- an incredibly clichd, unengaging two hours plus of preaching that everyone has heard before. Nobody will have heard this films issues being raised in such a mainstream film before. I had never thought about Poitier that way in my life! The opening scene, featuring an extremely miscast Mariah Carey and Alex Pettyfer as Cecils mother and the owner of the cotton plant they work on, is so disturbing and emotionally disheartening, and comes so early in the film that its effect on the audience is somewhat lessened. One rule of filmmaking that Daniels seems not to have yet learnt is that you have to show your audience the OK before showing them the horrific. Roland Emmerich wouldnt open a film with the apocalypse- you need to ease the audience in, and let them get to know the characters. The first 30-40 minutes of The Butler is quite poor in comparison with the rest, as we see Cecil leaving home, becoming a hotel butler, getting his job alongside, also very miscast, Lenny Kravitz and Cuba Gooding Jr in the white house and meeting Robin Williams Eisenhower. The Stars-As-Presidents aspect of the film is arguably what will draw the average moviegoer in to see the film, as it is being heavily promoted (Most of the films supporting cast have being doing press interviews for the film), but is not all the highlight or even a large part of the story. Whilst John Cusacks Nixon (the only Nixon quality in this performance is the constant handkerchief-dabbing), James Marsdens JFK (the highlight of the bunch), Alan Rickman and Jane Fondas Ronald and Nancy and the aforementioned Williams are the stars being flaunted in the trailer, the president whose role is most vital to Cecils story is an utterly

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unrecognisable Liev Schrieber as Johnson. As Schrieber is the least famous of the Presidential actors, he is the one most able to make the role his own- an important strategy on Daniels part to heighten the dramatic tension around his scenes. A scene in which Fondas Nancy Reagan invites Cecil and his wife to a ball and Whitakers voiceover notes that it was only for show is a surprisingly outright affirmation of Daniels left-wing political viewers. Although Whitaker and Oyelowo are both extraordinary in their roles, Oprah Winfreys incredibly strong performance as Cecils alcoholic wife is perhaps the most memorable of the film. A scene three -quarters of the way through when the parents get some terrible news is heartbreaking beyond belief, mostly due to its subtle acting and use of upbeat dance music. The films central set-piece of a Klu Klux Klan attack on a Freedom Bus containing Cecils son is probably the most chilling three minutes of film this year, and sent shivers down my spine throughout. Although these moments are incredible painful for any viewer to watch, it is important that they are shown in such a shocking context to get the attention of the audience and remind what exactly was happening in the US just five decades ago, and what could easily happen again unless all racial prejudice is elimiated. As someone with literally no knowledge of Cecil Gaines true story, as im sure was the case with many viewers, I was utterly delighted to learn that he and his wife lived to see Obama run for office in 2008, and the final shot of Cecil turning the corner to meet the first African American President is beautiful in every way. Daniels career has been filled with ups and downs, and will surely continue to be. The Butler may bear his name, but it, for the large part, belongs to the magnificent lead actors. The Help told an old story in a new way, while this tells a completely new story (in the same vein) in a wonderfully old-fashioned way. Its something to marvel at, in a time when Marvel dominate the multiplex, that this has been so commercially successful. I guess there are enough good people out there to see such a well-meaning film!

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The Worlds End

In Edgar Wrights Hot Fuzz, Simon Peggs tough London cop Nicholas Angel moves to a small English town and is overwhelmed with boredom as he realises how little crime there is for him to fight. He decides to intimidate some local teenagers, minding their own business as they sit in the local pub, by telling them he will arrest them unless they leave. In The Worlds End, it is the quiet teenagers in the pub that are intimidating Pegg, as they are in fact aliens filled with blue liquid who enjoy pushing people heads against walls. If you have never seen either of the previous Three Flavours Cornettofilms, Shaun of the Dead and the aforementioned Fuzz, you will find it very hard to enjoy the, in all honesty, insane structure, monologues and eccentric supporting characters that Wright likes to litter his work with. (His upcoming Marvel film, AntMan, will be an interesting watch). Both Wright and his regular writing and acting collaborators Pegg and Nick Frost set up their filmmaking style so well in Shaun that, for better or worse, fans of the trio have gotten very used to seeing it all play out on screen. In Hot Fuzz, my favourite film of the three, it was for better, as the audience laughed at call-backs to Cornettos and garden fences, but in Worlds End, it ends up as more of a not that again scenario. The Worlds End focuses on Peggs Gary King, a 40-year old man-child who dresses exactly as he did in his teens (as we see in a flashback opening) and is desperate to recreate the joy of an attempted 12-pub crawl him and his four friends went on 2-odd years earlier. He reunites those friends (Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine and Eddie Marsan) and, reluctantly, they join him on the quest to complete the crawl. Hence, the first half of the film involves lots of drinking, lots of 80s references and, thankfully, some very clever sight-gags. Wright, Pegg and Frosts screenplays, even when not insanely hilarious, are a joy to behold, and as you watch the film you cant help but imagine the trio working away i ngeniously on one of the most tightly and impressively constructed comic scripts of the past 5 years. The plot structure is one of the films strongest features, as the alien antics begin exactly halfway through - earlier enough for the twist to be spoilt in the media, but late enough for there to still be a large portion of the film absent of fighting and CGI. Pegg makes the hilariously unlikeable King a watchable presence, while Frost is terribly underused prior to the final act. Considine and Freeman are filler characters, but it is the always-wonderful Marsan who is the films shining comedy star. He conveys a uniquely brilliant mixture of suburban Dad and sleazy youth in his character, and will hopefully receive many similar roles over the coming years. Rosamund Pike is one of the most tokenish female characters in recent cinema, purely there because they needed a woman, but thankfully not exploited for sexual humour very much. The alien storyline is nothing too special- the most unoriginal of the trilogys action-plots by a mile- but the final confrontation with the race is quite funny and a pleasing ending to an hour of shouting and chairwhacking. The ending of this film is almost as unexpected as the ending of this Summers not -toodissimilar This is the End, and justifies the drawn-out penultimate act. To the relief of many viewers, there is one scene which deals with alcoholism as a serious issue, and proves that Wright is not making a loveletter to beer and ale. In the (worlds) end, The Worlds End is not the wonderful surprise or the fantastic follow-up that its predecessors were, but retains the same charisma and screenplay-writing genius the 14 creators have always had. It deserves to be seen.

The Bling Ring

Sofia Coppolas new film is a masterclass in how to make the most boring, unengaging dramatisation of a true story imaginable. Shes taken a relatively intriguing Vanity Fair article about a group of LA teenagers robbing celebrities homes and adapted it into 91 minutes (I counted) of the most uninteresting high-school drama ever seen on film. Emma Watson is the lone star in the young cast, and does an even worse American accent than she did in the unexpectedly superior The Perks of Being A Wallflower. Leslie Mann, the great comedy actress, is utterly wasted in an awfully written bit-part, and you can see her frustration at having to maneuver her talent around the wooden chairs that are the teenage actors. The insanely mainstream and clichd soundtrack, consisting mostly of recent Top 40 dance tracks, purely makes the endless extended dialogue-free club and robbery scenes more unbearable. The films only redeeming quality is a single impressive scene in which a robbery is seen from a spot on a hill above the house through the homes glass windows. This proves that Coppola has some talent, but no more of it is displayed here. The Bling Ring had such potential to be a sophisticated, engaging and stylish interpretation of the true story, but is instead so forgettable I was barely able to write this review.

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Kick-Ass 2
Matthew Vaughns original Kick-Ass was a very enjoyable, stylishly made action comedy which blended brilliantly high-school comedy and superhero action clichs to create a pure package of entertainment and frivolity. This very underwhelming sequel, which reminds the viewer of the days when sequel guaranteed directto-DVD status, features more violence, more nudity and more characters, but feels far less substantial and much smaller in scale than its predecessor. The 2010 film began with Dave, a nerdy high-school student (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), deciding to become a real-life superhero to see the results, as nobodys ever tried it before. Despite making the foolish decision out of boredom, that film gave a somewhat understandable excuse for his behaviour. Kick-Ass 2 begins with an incredibly bored Dave, who is so blatantly ignorant and uninterested in anything cultural, trying desperately to find ways to pass his time after retiring from crimefighting. He masturbates, watched crap TV, masturbates again. If this character is a true representation of modern-day teenagers, God help us all! Basically, KickAss 2 is a film about a kid who becomes a vigilante not because he has special powers, or because he wants to seek vengeance on the people who killed his parents, but because hes really bored. As was stated in a recent episode of HBOs The Newsroom, the world wont end with a bomb. Itll be a disgruntled kid. Christopher Mintz-Plasse has been heralded as a great comic actor since his appearance in Superbad in 2007, but the fact that this is his first credited live-action film since the first K-A in 2010 says a lot about just how fast people got absolutely sick of him. I have to warn you, if you didnt like CMP before, seeing him dressed in his dead mothers fetish-gear whilst raping innocent women while the audience is supposed to laugh in Kick-Ass 2 will not make you warm to him. Then again, This is the End showed CMP to be a sleazy, coke-snorting misogynist a few months ago, so maybe he wants to change his image. Whilst all this horrible, nasty business is going on under the pen of the clearly quite ignorant Jeff Wadlow, who is unfortunately rumored to be directing X-Force, one really has to feel sorry for Chloe (Grace) Moretz. She was as Hit-Girl, along with Nick Cage, the best thing about the original K-A, and has since shown off just how charming and terrifying, in equal measure, she can be in works such as Hugo, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Let Me In and in her regular role

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on 30 Rock. Her role is Kick-Ass 2 is much bigger than her role in the first, mostly because she is now 15rather than 11- and is allowed to be, in moderation, treated as an object of desire. She spends most of the film away from the other major characters, going through a fairly enjoyable Mean Girls-style transformation into trendy, sexy high-school girl that would be the best thing about the film if it were not for an utterly disgraceful, 45-second piece of product placement for X-Factor UK boyband Union J, masquerading as a clever joke about teenage girls lust for attractive British boys. I can entirely sympathise with Jim Carrey (whos role in the film had been entirely over -exaggerated)s newly-revealed opinions on the films level of violence, even if it was a bit too late for him to say it. However, its more the films tone of This violence is realistic but its easy to do and soooo funny that put me off supporting it. The first K-A was charming and had really likable characters, and the love story between Dave and his girlfriend was sweet enough to level out the fight scenes. Meanwhile, Daves girlfriend is pushed to the side in Kick-Ass 2, setting up a last-minute kiss between Dave and Hit-Girl which is pretty disturbing (Moretz is 15, Johnson is 23). Some of the horrific crimes committed by CMPs Motherf**ker and his gang of thugs are unbelievably easy for a viewer to copy, and for that reason, along with the very poor quality, I do hope as few people as possible see the film. Chloe Moretzs talents are seriously wasted here, but luckily she has several major projects coming up which will give us a chance to marvel in her talent for many years to come. 17

Elysium
Although it is set 141 years from now, Neill Blomkamps Elysium portrays a vision of Earth that would be more suited to a setting 1000 years ago. The citizens wealthy enough to afford a ticket have emigrated to the suburban environment of Elysium, where cancer can be cured in seconds and poverty is nonexistent. Everyone else is left breathing in toxic fumes and living in dire conditions on the planet we call home, wondering what they did to deserve this life. Andrew Niccols In Time realised a similar world quite well, but unfortunately was highly ignored and proved financially and critically unsuccessful. Elysium, meanwhile, is getting far more attention both because its director was Oscar-nominated for his last (and first) feature, District 9, and because its star, Matt Damon, has a noticeably better reputation for making good films than In Times lead, Justin Timberlake. Damon has been promoting this film by telling the press about its political themes and messages, which he apparently feels quite passionately about. However, any moral lessons from the film which Blomkamp and Damon are attempting to convey to the audience in relation to poverty and human rights are lost amongst the CGI landscapes and loud, violent battles displayed onscreen. Elysium begins with Damons character, Max, on his way to work (on Earth), but being unfairly attacked by some robotic cops and beaten unconscious. This scene is a good indicator of what the rest of the film will be like- using regular sci-fi fixtures to tell a story which is all too realistic. Released from hospital, Max is immediately forced to enter a highly radiated chamber in order to
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keep his job, and becomes seriously ill as a result. He learns he has but 5 days left to live, and is hastily released onto the streets by the comically evil CEO of the company he works for, William Fichtners Carlyle. Carlyle has all the films funniest lines, such as Dont you dare breath on me! Cover your mouth! to a reasonably affluent Earth citizen. In fact, the film looks set to be quite funny for the first 15-20 minutes, as Max sits down with a robot parole officer to whom he must repeat words phonetically as we would to an automated phone operator. These traces of humour utterly disappear, however, after Maxs accident, which sends the plot into a spiral of painful gore, intense shoot-outs and epic intergalactic explosions. Damon has been on top form recently with his roles in Behind the Candelabra and Promised Land, and he carries much of the film on his newly thickened shoulders. That said, Sharlto Copley really is the standout, playing the single most hateful, terrifying character portrayed in a film of this scale in years. I will forever be going to lengths to avoid having to meet the man in person, as that would result in me scurrying away in fear. Jodie Fosters smaller-than-advertised role (its more of a cameo) is nothing to write home about, particularly since she hasnt given a good performance since Lambs. If you enjoy watching spaceships land on dusty land (bringing back oh-so-fond memories of The Phantom Menace), youll love this film. If you get your kicks from watching data rapidly transfer between hard drives (National Treasure-style), Elysium is for you! Using countless science-fiction clichs in an impressively subtle manner, Blomkamp has managed to make a film that is shockingly entertaining, considering its dark roots, and outdoes such mediocre fare weve seen this year, like Oblivion, in everything from acting to visuals. It may not have the epic scale or sheer fun of Star Trek Into Darkness, but this is a nice break from the pure awfulness of some of the years other sci-fi films.

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Were The Millers

Earlier this year, Seth Greens Identity Thief disappointed millions of comedy fans by sticking the hilarious Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy in the middle of a terrible script and clichd story, resulting in a massive pile of underwhelming rubbish. Were The Millers sees Dodgeball director Rawson Marshall Thurber attempt to create the same money-winning formula, by taking some more Horrible Bosses graduates, Jason Sudekis and Jennifer Anniston, and crafting around them a road-trip storyline thats mediocre with a capital M. Sudeikis is no Jason Bateman, but he knows his way around a good one-liner, and its good that hes been given a chance to show off his impressive comic skills in a starring role in such a high-profile Summer film. His transformation during the film from obnoxious drug dealer into caring suburban father is surprisingly realistic, more so than the character development of Annistons poorly written stripper or Emma Roberts (where was she all these years?) homeless runaway. Sudeikis is a good leading man, but its Will Poutler who is the standout here. First seen in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Son of Rambow and Wild Bill, he has been given the chance here both to play an American, and to be funny, what a great job he does! His character is brilliantly drawn, from his clothes to his name (Kenny) to the faces he makes when he hugs attractive women. He could easily be given a spin-off from this which would be a funnier film! Were The Millers is much funnier and has better set-pieces than the very poor Identity Thief, and Poutler is fantastic. However, the clichd and predictable plot and some poor writing keep it in its cage, but what does anyone expect? Robert Schwentkes original 2010 RED was an extremely rare example of a comicbook movie without any (blantly obvious) superheroes present. This gimmick aside, it was a gloriously entertaining mix of Hitchcockian suspense and Woody Allenish comedy with the brilliant editing and stylish camerawork of an Edgar Wright film. This follow-up, directed by Galaxy Quest helmer Dean Parisot (Schwentke

RED 2

chose to make R.I.P.D instead), loses the fancy transitions and the pseudo-Oceans 11 soundtrack, but maintains the utter sense of ridiculous fun, helped seriously by the amped-up role for John Malkovich, throwing out hilarious one-liners and participating in some of the funniest physical gags this year. Bruce Willis sleepwalks through the predictable plot, as always these days, but is still enjoyable to watch, and Anthony Hopkins makes for a fun addition to the cast. Mary-Louise Parker is a real stand-out as Willis girlfriend, very excited to have been brought along for the spy action following her career as a call-centre worker. RED 2 is the best kind of action-comedy, one that is funny, exciting and appeals to all ages. It doesnt quite have the lasting quality of its predecessor, but the cast make up for it by displaying just how much they are enjoying themselves. 20

Before Midnight
Richard Linklater is a filmmaker whos career has been filled with cinematic experiments, and Before Midnight is one of the most interesting yet- a simple yet excellentlyexecuted story that will be seen in entirely different light by men and women. Men (at least, certain kinds of hetrosexual men, mostly in marriages and long-term relationships) will leave thinking of what an annoying, bossy wife Julie Delpys character is, and have their hearts filled with sympathy for the charming and loving writer (Ethan Hawke) husband. Women (similar conditions applying) will feel nothing but hatred for the selfish jerk that is Hawke, and be supporting Delpy in her struggle to make a good life for herself. Due to this gender-divide, one has to read a review of the film written by someone of their own gender if they are to decide whether of not the film is for them. Its very, very different from its predecessors in the Before trilogy, which were well-written and visually engaging love-stories. Midnight is not so much a love-story as a 110-minute character study, examining how the characters relationship has aged since their last screen outing through the eyes of an outsider who is constantly standing in front of them. The film features 7 scenes: Hawke dropping his teenage son at the airport as he heads home to his mother, Hawke and Delpy talking in their car as their daughters (featured very little in the film, never speaking) sleep, Hawke telling friends about his next novel, a dinner party with several characters attending, Hawke and Delpy on a long walk to their hotel, Hawke and Delpy in their hotel room (featuring some ridiculous token-shirtless action from Delpy) and Hawke and Delpy sitting outside a restaurant. These scenes are on average between 15 and 20 minutes each, and the camera rarely cuts or leaves the two leads faces. Its a deeply, deeply engaging film to watch, with largely improvised conversations that feel entirely natural. Whether or not you like the characters or can relate to the story, there is absolutely no denying that this is an example of great filmmaking. It has issues, but one should see this Before 2014. 21

Epic

Luc Bessons internationally varied Arthur films have been low in quality, but have brought good CGI forests to the eyes of audiences around the world, while having A-list voice casts (David Bowie, Robert DeNiro, Madonna) involved. Blue Skys Epic does pretty much the same thing, resulting in a visually enjoyable and structurally stable adventure, but not much else. The voice-

work from even such geniuses as Christoph Waltz and such odd choices as Colin Farrell feels very lastminute, and the characters are hence very two-dimensional. Sweet daughter-father bonding storyline aside, there isnt much narrative-wise for the average viewer to enjoy, and so this ends up being a lot of pretty, but not too brainy.

Pain & Gain

Pain & Gain is the surreal, hyperactive result of the director responsible for the imminent destruction of independent, low-budget cinema attempting to make a low-budget film. Michael Bay, whose trademarks include slow-motion action shots and slow motion up-skirt shots, was obviously feeling a bit bored in between directing (I use the word lightly) his third and fourth Transformers efforts, so gathered together Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Ed Harris and Anthony Mackie to make a true-story action-comedy. The main problem with this film is that its actually very clever in parts. I despise Bays previous work with a passion, and very much expected and wanted to hate this film, but he sure made it difficult for me! Wahlberg and Johnson are masters of their craft, combining relentless charm and hilarity to create two brilliantly realised, and ridiculously stupid, characters. Johnsons characters religious beliefs result in many great scenes and jokes, and the former wrestlers (who stars in no less than five films this half of the year) ability to mock hardcore Christianity is a pleasant surprise. Bays extremely leery eye is present at all times, and several utterly unnecessary strip-club scenes bring the film right back down to where it belongs. Eventually, the film ended and I was reminded that the whole thing was a true story, and that Wahlberg and Mackies characters were given the death penalty. The fact that I had forgotten this made me feel like a truly terrible person, and the fact that Bay not only managed to make me forget this but made me laugh at his completely tasteless two hours of nastiness reminded me what a villain he is. The only problem- hes a pretty smart villain, and this film is smarter than it should be.

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Jobs
Prior to this biopic of Apple (as we are constantly reminded in the film, co-) founder Steve Jobs, who died in October 2011, the only two Hollywood films about real technology companies were David Finchers superb The Social Network and Shawn Levys despicable Google-based comedy, The Internship. This film, in terms of quality, lies equally between both of these. In its impressively original editing, cinematography and pacing, it mirrors Finchers hugely entertaining study of Mark Zuckerbergs founding of Facebook. However, its seriously poor characterisation, unsuccessfully manipulative emotional moments and two-dimensional relationships would be well-suited to the Wilson/Vaughn-vehicle that infected multiplexes earlier this Summer. Ashton Kutcher gives a very mediocre performance in the central role of Jobs. Hes a comedy actor, and a pretty decent and likeable one, but in trying to encapsulate the role of one of the most widely recognised people in the world, particularly less than two years after their tragic death, he fails quite terribly. The supporting cast excel for the most part, from the usually irritating Josh Gad who does quite an impressive turn as Steve Wozniak to the great Lukas Haas (Inception, FOXs Touch) to the spectacular J.K. Simmons and the, quite ironically, newly reborn Dermot Mulroney, James Woods and Matthew Modine. The unexpectedly interesting shot setups to the oddly hypnotic mid-film montages show off Joshua Michael Sterns clear directing vision, which has unfortunately been disrupted by the disappointing script and Kutchers performance. All praise aside, the first 20 minutes of Jobs is truly diabolical, and a five-minute scene of Kutcher prancing around in a corn field as if in the middle of a Terry Malick is a total joke. The If you believe in yourself, anything is possible message is also infuriating. If you paired this films director and supporting cast with Stanley Tucci as Jobs and Aaron Sorkin on writing duties, youd have a hit on your hands. Unfortunately, its looking like well have to wait for the other half of this film- the superior one.

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Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (ABC)

And so we discovered why we couldnt touch Lola. It was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang all along! So began Marvels first foray into live-action television, a hugely anticipated show from nerd-God Joss Whedon and his brother and sister-in-law. The show marketed as the Return to the Screen of Clark Greggs Beloved Agent Coulson (Marvel cant even kill off this guy!), but secretly a politically motivated, high-concept thriller show which would introduce millions of innocent Americans to concepts few but Whedon and his peers could possibly understand. I have never had higher expectations for a show than I had for Agents of SHIELD. I adore the Marvel Universe (not necessarily all the individual films, but the way they are tied together and built up) and especially Whedons wonderful The Avengers, as well as network action shows, so how could I not love this? Luckily, I did. Ive heard a lot of negativity about the pilot from sources like Beyond The Trailer, but it couldnt have been better. The script was brilliantly self-knowing in Whedons unique way, with such fantastic lines as Sorry, but that corner was really dark and I couldnt help myself. The way Chloe Bennetts character Skye was introduced in a way that intertwined perfectly with the story of Mike Peterson was superb, as was the action-packed Paris introduction of Brett Daltons Ward. Cobie Smulders smuldered as Maria Hill in her short scenes, and made me wish she was a regular like Gregg. Unfortunately, I was able to tell how Coulson was brought back, against the showrunners wishes I presume, and so spoilt for myself the likely Season Finale twist! I wasnt a fan of the Extremis storyline in Iron Man 3, and it bored me a bit here also, but it was nice to see the show start as I hope it means to go on- with the cast cleaning up the messes of the movie heroes. Maybe well get a London-set Dark Elves litter pick-up in November!
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The production design and cinematography managed to elevate the episode of truly cinematic levels, and the SHIELD HQ sets looked great. Some people have scorned the token mentions of Captain America and Black Widow as they will never appear, but why do they need to? Its a bigger universe than the set of A-list heroes, and this episode set up that idea in a perfect way. This show is gonna be awesome!

Sleepy Hollow (FOX)

Take the creators of Once Upon A Time and a plot thats half Thor, half Dark Shadows and what do you get? An extremely entertaining 40 minute historical thriller-comedy the novelty of which will ware off quickly but which for now is a must-see fall show. The plot, the oh-so-simple plot, is that, after a battle, Ichabod Crane AND Mr Headless Horseman are killed, but- oh no!- they come back to life in 2013 in the now-pleasant town of Sleepy Hollow. Crane is kind and very funny, but is a tad racist considering his last friend was George Washington. After her partner, Clancy Brown, is (in Under the Dome fashion) killed in action, a young African-American female police officer (you can guess what Crane thinks of this) must transport Crane to an insane asylum while discovering some of his secrets and revealing some of her own. As Mr Headless Horseman is the one who killed Clancy and is still on the loose, who knows for how long Crane will be safe in the asylum (hint: until next Monday night). There are many opportunities for fun here, even in a 13-episode season! 25

Dads/ Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

One night. One network. Two completely different comedies. One is a multi-camera, canned-laughter-fueled sitcom from the executive producer of Family Guy and Ted, respectively one of the best TV comedies and comedy films of the century. The other from the directors of 2012s smash-hit action-comedy 21 Jump Street. Dads is a bit like on of those fake sitcoms the characters in films work on, deliberately terrible and using awful canned laughter to liven the mood. The two leads, Seth Green (voice of Chris on FG) and Giovanni Ribisi (the evil business dude in Avatar and the kidnapper in Ted), are listed at the start in equal fashion to Paul Newman and Steve McQueen in The Towering Inferno- one is on the bottom left, the other on the top right. This is clearly the results of much deliberation- both actors (or maybe their people) claiming them to be the bigger star (Ribisi is clearly the bigger star). This kind of childish arguing was also clearly present in the shows writers room, as some fairly talented individuals threw together a few pages of words that an imbecilic FOX executive may pass off as funny. If they did do this, I expect they will have tried harder with the later episodes, but im not sticking around to see. Green is a hugely annoying presence, and the constant scenes of him shouting at Asian men in made-up languages are enough to send anyone to an early grave. The interplay between the two leads and their fathers is so boring you could cry, and the canned laughters wolf-whistling when the shows seeminglystrong Asian female dresses up as a sexy schoolgirl within 30 seconds of her screentime is deeply, deeply pathetic and slightly disturbing. This is less funny than the pilot of Lost, and poor
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Seth McFarlane will definitely be speaking publicly to remove his name from the titles very soon indeed. Brooklyn Nine-Nines first episode, meanwhile, is a masterclass in making a good comedy pilot. Even the best shows like Modern Family and HIMYM had trouble introducing their characters and world in a mere 20-22 minutes, but BNN comes very close, letting us get a good look at the childish behaviour of Andy Sambergs likable lead, as well as his relationships with his colleagues. The jokes are funny, the action is exciting, the acting is superb, and this is the most pleasant surprise of the fall season so far! Heres an example of the shows sense of humour: A: Theres a classic film festival on at the weekend. I got us tickets for Citizen Kane B: Citizen Kane is terrible. Get us something better. A: Something better than Citizen Kane. hmmm NORTH BY NORTHWEST! Yay!

The Goldbergs (ABC)

Dear God, are ABC sitcoms boring! Modern Family being the obvious exception, all the familybased single-cameras theyve shown recently have comprised of little of dated jokes and wooden acting. The Goldbergs starts off well- with a Patton Oswalt voiceover. This is where the 80s set show stops being good, even with the great George Segal starring as a sugar-grandpa. The mother of the family is played by one of the Bridesmaids supporting players, who I didnt like then and I dont like know. The only one of the three kid characters who looked in any way interesting was the as-cliched-as-everything-else older daughter, who was given zero lines in the pilot. The two sons were unfunny and boring. In general, this wont outlast the usual 7episode point, and will fall beneath the feet of MF and the more promising family comedies The MJF Show and The Millers.
NEXT MONTH: The Crazy Ones, The Michael J Fox Show, Hostages, The Blacklist & More! 27

THIS MONTH IN 2012

This month last year saw JJ Abrams turned-out-to-be-brilliant Star Trek Into Darkness feature on the cover, and have a massive feature inside! Also in the issue were features on Hotel Transylvania, Liberal Arts and Rise of the Guardians, and reviews of Looper, The Campaign and Holy Motors. 28

NEXT MONTH IN MOVIE TACO

THE OSCARS ISSUE 2014

STARRING WALTER MITTY, SAVING MR. BANKS, THE MONUMENTS MEN, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, AMERICAN HUSTLE, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY PLUS THOR & GRAVITY REVIEWED
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