2009 MTV Movie Awards Winners - Twilight Sweeps & New Moon Trailer Revealed

The MTV Movie Awards 2009 were live Sunday night and it was interesting to watch the only awards show that doesn't have an announcement from the president or the people with the briefcases walk in. But like every awards show we still get to find out the winners. Sweeping the night was Twilight, which won in 5 out of 6 categories it was nominated in including Best Fight, Kiss, Breakthrough Performance Male (Robert Pattinson), Performance Female (Kirsten Stewart) and Best Movie. In fact the only nominations that did not turn to awards were Best Song (winner: Hannah Montana: The Movie) and Breakthrough Performance Male for Taylor Lautner showing that Team Edward is still running strong. Beyond the awards themselves the big news for Twilight fans was the first trailer for New Moon (see trailer here on MTV Site, or a larger version over at Twilight Lexicon).

Other hyped moments from the show including new footage from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince but Twilight and New Moon ruled the night. Twitter was going wild during the ceremony from the Slumdog/Twilight intro mashup, through the kiss fake out to the numerous thanks to the fans, and my personal favourite was Kirsten Stewart knocking over her award during the Best Female Performance and then gracefully continuing. She's awesome.

Best Villain
Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

Best WTF Moment
Amy Poehler in Baby Mama

Best Fight
Robert Pattinson vs Cam Gigantet in Twilight

Best Kiss
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in Twilight

Best Song from a Movie
"The Climb" by Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana: The Movie

Generation Award
Ben Stiller

Best Comedic Performance
Jim Carrey in Yes Man

Breakthrough Performance Female
Ashely Tisdale in High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Breakthrough Performance Male
Robert Pattinson in Twilight

Best Male Performance
Zac Efron in High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Best Female Performance
Kristen Stewart in Twilight

Best Movie Twilight

Poll Results: Star Trek (2009) was ...

An overwhelming result of 63% of voters agreeing that Star Trek was Excellent! I'm with you there! Next up was 12% of voters who are not going to see it, and tapering off with 9% feeling it was average, 6% tied for good or hadn't seen it yet and a measly 3% thinking it was bad. Could it be the most loved film of the summer? It's too early to tell but it certainly is in the lead!

63% - Excellent
12% - Not Going to See It
9% - Average
6% TIE: Good and Haven't Seen It Yet
3% - Bad

Thanks for voting!

Awards Watch: MTV Movie Awards 2009

Apparently the tween fangirl population was out in full voting force regarding the MTV Movie Awards, as their beloved Twilight took home five popcorn trophies earlier tonight, including Best Movie. The film's star, Robert Pattinson, snagged three awards for his broody vamp Edward Cullen: as Breakthrough Performance - Male and one-half of both Best Fight (with Cam Gigandet) and Best Kiss, shared with Best Female Performance winner Kristen Stewart.

Disney stars Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana: The Movie), Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale (both of High School Musical 3: Senior Year) also won, further proving that only teenage girls took these awards seriously. Other winners included Jim Carrey (Yes Man), Amy Poehler (Baby Mama), Ben Stiller (the "lifetime achievement"-like "MTV Generation Award") and the late Heath Ledger, as Best Villain for his Joker in The Dark Knight.

Curiously, (thankfully?), the latter award was not presented during the live broadcast, perhaps because such a somber occasion would not have fit in with all the Adam Samberg antics and vulgarity present throughout the garish ceremony. But in a night of crass outrageousness, the real award goes to Sacha Baron Cohen, who — dressed in angel wings, a gladiator toga and a jockstrap as his flamboyant gay character Brüno — descended from the rafters to land, bare ass-to-face, in the lap of notoriously homophobic rapper Eminem, who promptly stormed out of the auditorium. The whole stunt was obviously staged, although it appears "poor" Em was not in on the joke.

UPDATE: Well, what do you know: Eminem actually does have a sense of humor.

Monthly Wallpaper - June 2009: Queer Cinema

In celebration of Gay Pride month, Movie Dearest once again offers up a special calendar wallpaper for June paying tribute to some of the best in queer cinema.

The 2009 edition features such old and new GLBT favorites as Were the World Mine, Brokeback Mountain, Go Fish, Itty Bitty Titty Committee, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Tongues Untied, Paris is Burning, Shelter, Wilde, Maurice and My Beautiful Laundrette.

All you have to do is click on the picture above to enlarge it, then simply right click your mouse and select "Set as Background". (You can also save it to your computer and set it up from there if you prefer.) The size is 1024 x 768, but you can modify it if needed in your own photo-editing program.

Reel Thoughts: Future Shock

Everyone in this part of the galaxy heard Christian Bale’s incredible super-freak-out on the set of the new Terminator sequel, Terminator Salvation. After seeing his work in McG’s action-packed adventure, my reaction is, “Duh, of course he blew a profanity-laden gasket!” The film is so full of fights, violence and warfare, an actor of Bale’s dedication probably couldn’t help but end up acting like a drill sergeant.

He plays John Connor (previously played by Edward Furlong and Nick Stahl), the proclaimed savior of that portion of the human race not yet decimated by rampaging machines. In 2018, Skynet’s machines have turned America into a bombed-out wasteland, but there is a large resistance movement of humans who are constantly trying to find a way to defeat the machines. Terminator Salvation positions itself right into the mythology of the other Terminator films, and until its ridiculous conclusion, it is a worthy successor.

Bale’s Connor knows that he has to rescue Kyle Reese (Star Trek's Anton Yelchin, taking over for Michael Biehn), who will ultimately become John Connor’s father. Aren’t time shifts crazy? Added into the drama is a mysterious guy named Marcus Wright (Aussie hottie Sam Worthington) who is seen getting executed in 2003 during the opening minutes, but who reappears in 2018 with no memory of how he got there. He meets up with Kyle Reese and saves his life along with a mute little girl, and the three go out in search of John Connor.

The action in Terminator Salvation echoes that of recent war films, giving it a timely feeling, especially since the warfare seems so futile. Unfortunately, there are two ending codas that cost the film a lot of its enjoyment. The first one is such fourth-rate medical soap opera plotting, it really should be cut out of any future editions of the film. The second is a voice-over that essentially says, “By the way, although it looks like we ended the story, actually, we didn’t, and there’s a lot more work to be done in the many sequels we hope to make.” It’s too bad, because otherwise, I really enjoyed the way Terminator Salvation incorporated lines, jokes and characters from the previous films.

The performances are great, including Bale, Worthington (although his accent slips in and out, but I guess that’s natural after 15 years of suspended animation) and the improbably-named Moon Bloodgood (which is what I thought Sylvester Stallone named his son) as a kick-ass resistance fighter. If you’re in the mood for an action film and you’ve seen Star Trek, Terminator Salvation is not a bad way to spend a hot summer day.

UPDATE: Terminator Salvation is now available on DVD and Blu-rayfrom Amazon.com.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Reverend's Previews: Lights! Camera! Dance!

Dance performances and film festivals are rife throughout southern California, but only one event combines the two. The Dance Camera West 8th Annual Dance Media Film Festival will take place June 5 to June 21 at venues throughout greater Los Angeles.

Acclaimed as one of the world’s foremost celebrations of dance on film, Dance Camera West (DCW) brings together dancers, filmmakers and other artists to explore, in the words of the festival’s press materials, “the intersection of cinematography and choreography.” As festival founder-director Lynette Kessler explains, “Dance is an art form that is universally understood and celebrated; it can break down the barriers that oftentimes separate (southern California’s) culturally diverse communities.”

These communities include the GLBT presence. Mindful of the longstanding contributions of gay and lesbian artists to dance, DCW’s 2009 festival will spotlight several significant gay dancer-choreographers. First up is the legendary Jerome Robbins, who transformed the possibilities of the Broadway musical with such mid-20th century triumphs as On the Town, The King and I, Gypsy, West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof. He extended his artistry from the New York stage to Hollywood with several of their film adaptations.


AMERICAN MASTERS Jerome Robbins: Something to Dance About is a feature-length documentary exploring the man’s life and achievements. It will be shown as part of DCW on June 13 at the Hammer Museum. Admission is free and no reservations are necessary but seating is on a strictly first come, first served basis. The film aired nationally in February on PBS, but Kessler persuaded local affiliate KCET to postpone any additional southern California broadcasts of it until after the festival.

Through vintage interviews of Robbins, contemporary interviews with many who knew him (including gay faves Chita Rivera, Stephen Sondheim and Rita Moreno), and archival footage of the famed choreographer at work, many previously-hidden facts about Robbins come to light. Among them is Robbins’ tortured struggle with his sexuality. His one-time fiancée, Rose Tobias Shaw, reveals Robbins “had relationships with men and women all his life,” and recalls the night closeted actor Montgomery Clift showed up drunk on their doorstep. Shaw quickly realized Clift was Robbins’ ex-boyfriend. AMERICAN MASTERS Jerome Robbins: Something to Dance About is a fascinating film about an extraordinary, if often conflicted, man.

On June 21, DCW will present “Contemporary Sacred: Indigenous Dance Artists in Contemporary Culture” at the Autry National Center. Two documentaries will be shown that depict First Nation and Native American — and openly gay — dancer-choreographers Byron Chief-Moon and Jock Soto.


I had the privilege of screening the film about Soto, Water Flowing Together (the title is an English translation of the artist’s Navajo clan name), in advance. Raised on a remote reservation in northern Arizona, Soto displayed an early interest in and talent for dance. He was only 16 when George Balanchine selected him to join the New York City Ballet. Once in New York, Soto not only defined himself as a modern ballet dancer and a gay man but also helped define Balanchine’s company.

The documentary introduces viewers to Soto shortly before his retirement from dance in 2005 at the age of 40. After 24 years with the New York City Ballet, the damage caused by years of physical injuries has caught up with Soto. He wrestles with his fears as he discerns what else he will do with his life, as well as with an impending reunion with his Navajo family for the first time since he left the reservation for New York.

Directed, produced, photographed and edited (whew!) by Gwendolen Cates, Water Flowing Together shouldn’t be missed. In fact, there is little to nothing about Dance Camera West 2009 that doesn’t warrant our GLBT community’s support and participation.

For additional screening and ticket information, please visit Dance Camera West's official website.

Article by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Out in Film: Jesse Archer

Idol worship: Jesse Archer, actor/writer.

- He is best known for starring as Luke in Slutty Summer and its follow-up, A Four Letter Word. In addition to starring in the latter, he co-wrote the script (which won a Grand Jury Prize at LA Outfest) with director Casper Andreas.

- His other film appearances include Boy Culture and Hustler WP.

- As well as a monthly column for Out magazine, he wrote the book You Can Run: Gay, Glam and Gritty Travels in South America,based on his two years spent "sparkling through" the exotic continent.

- On stage, he starred in the Off-Broadway hit Birdy’s Bachelorette Party.

- He'll return to the role of Luke once more next year with the film Bye Bye, Fruit Fly, which he wrote as well.

See more pictures of Jesse Archer in The Back Room (NSFW).

Daisies' Last Hurrah

Fans of the Pie Hole (and you know who you are) will finally get some sort of closure in the coming weeks as the last three, never-before-seen episodes of the late, lamented Pushing Daisies will begin airing tomorrow night on ABC.

Additionally, the complete second (and *sniff* final) season of last year's Movie Dearest Television Show of the Year will be available on DVD and Blu-rayon July 21.

Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 29, 2009!

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 29, 2009! It's our fifth Friday in May for 2009 and what a bustling month it has been for film. Every week has had a huge opening film from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, to Star Trek, to Angels & Demons to Terminator Salvation and continues this week with polar opposite wide releases of the new horror film Drag Me to Hell alongside the latest Pixar animated film Up. But of course it isn't just about wide releases is it?

In limited release this week we have a trio of Canadian films with age inspired 40 is the New 20, a what if?...John Lennon was alive film Let Me Him as well as Carl Bessai's latest Mothers&Daughters. We also have the historical comedy/romance Easy Virtue and inspiring friendship drama Goodbye Solo. Although each of those films pull interest, my pick of the week for limited release is most certainly Every Little Step, a fantastic documentary on A Chorus Line from the original creation to the Broadway revival. I can do that!

In wide release this week we have the strangely different however both compelling pair of Sam Raimi's return to horror with Drag Me to Hell and animated family faire with Up. I wonder how they will fair to their years past predecessors Spider-Man and Wall-E respectively. We won't have to wait long to find out!

Have a great weekend!

Shannon
Festival Watch

Silver Screens Arts Festival
Festival showcasing seniors voice in the arts
June 1 - 7, 2009, at various location in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday May 29, 2009 Releases

40 is the New 20
Dir: Simon Boisvert (Échangistes)
Cast: Pat Mastroianni, Claudia Ferri, Diana Lewis, Bruce Dinsmore
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page

Drag Me to Hell
Dir: Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Spider-man)
Cast:Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver
USA
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Easy Virtue
Dir: Stephan Elliott (Eye of the Beholder, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert)
Cast: Jessica Biel, Ben Barnes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Colin Firth, Kimberley Nixon
UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Every Little Step
Dir: James D. Stern & Adam Del Deo (...So Goes the Nation)
Documentary on the casting of the revival of "A Chorus Line" on Broadway and the history of the original production
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Goodbye Solo
Dir: Ramin Bahrani (Chop Shop)
Cast: Souleymane Sy Savane, Red West
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, Trailer, IMDb Page

Let Him Be
Dir: Peter Mcnamee
Cast: Kathleen Munroe, Sean Clement, Graham Wignall
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, No IMDb Page

Mothers&Daughters
Writer/Dir: Carl Bessai (Normal, Unnatural & Accidental)
Cast: Gabrielle Rose, Tantoo Cardinal, Tinsel Korey, Babz Chula, Camille Sullivan, Tiffany Lyndall-Knight
Canada
Limited Release
Film MySpace Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Up
Dir: Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.) and Co-Director: Bob Peterson
Voices: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson
USA
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of May 29, 2009**

Little Ashes

Dir: Paul Morrison (Wondrous Oblivion)
Cast: Javier Beltrán, Robert Pattinson, Matthew McNulty, Marina Gatell, Arly Jover
UK, 2009

Seen: May 27, 2009 at the Cumberland

Reason to see: Salvador Dalí is my favourite painter, and curious to see Robert Pattinson non-Twilight performance

Walking into Little Ashes I was expecting to see a biopic on the friendship between painter Salvador Dalí, writer Federico García Lorca and filmmaker Luis Buñuel, and technically you can argue it is such but I honestly feel that it is really a biopic on Federico García Lorca. The film does follow the trio through school and into their professional lives, but at the heart focuses on Lorca played sweetly by Javier Beltrán and his friendship and relationship with Salvador Dalí played by Robert Pattinson. Not to dissuade Robert Pattinson fans, he gets plenty of screen time and does a fantastic job portraying the bizarre surrealist painter Salvador Dalí.

Part biopic, part romance, part historical/political commentary the film walks an artful line creating a compelling drama inspired by the lives of these artists. The beauty is truly in the romance between Lorca and Dalí, and the chemistry fires up the screen. The casting choice of Javier Beltrán and Robert Pattinson was surprizing at first as they have a similar appearance, however this would makes sense from Dalí point of view because he was such an ego maniac that it is easy to believe he could fall for someone who looked like him. This is one among the many complexities in the relationship that the film does not shy away with, in fact it shows these details adeptly throughout..

But it ain't just about the boys. Marina Gatell gives us a fantastic and fearless performance as Magdalena, a writer and friend of Federico García Lorca. Arly Jover bears a striking resemblance to Gala, providing a great casting choice. The music feels almost like a character itself, and the use of music of the film pulls us along the beautiful tale, and shines especially bright during jovial and playful moments.

Is it a film about artists? Yes. About love? Oh, yes. About Friendship? Most definitely, yes. It is also about choices and how our choices shape us and change our lives.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll buy it
I'd recommend it to art and love fans

? minutes of preshow including ? commercials and at least 5 previews: Taking Woodstock, Moon, Departures, Empty Nest / El Nido vacío and Coco avant Chanel

Return to Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2009

Reverend’s Reviews: Saying Goodbye

When recently laid-off classical musician Daigo comes across a want ad for someone to help with “departures,” he thinks he’s applying for a job at a travel agency. Once hired, he is surprised to learn his new employer is a mortician and his job is to assist with a traditional Japanese funeral ritual.

The unexpected winner of the 2008 Best Foreign Language film Oscar (it beat out the highly-touted Waltz with Bashir and The Class), Departures is easily the best movie I’ve seen thus far this year. It opens in LA and NYC this Friday, and will be expanding across the US this summer courtesy of my fave distributor of GLBT films, Regent Releasing.

Departures has truly universal appeal. My “day job” is working with terminally-ill patients in a hospice, and this movie gets so much so right about death, grief and people’s fears of death. While it is an emotional rollercoaster, the film is beautifully done.


The ritual depicted in Departures is called “encoffination,” and is a formal washing and dressing of the deceased’s body prior to cremation. As Daigo (who is played by the attractive Masahiro Motoki, star of the original Japanese version of Shall We Dance?) quickly learns, death can strike anyone at any time. Those he encoffinates include young people, elderly people, seemingly healthy people and even a transgendered person. There is a moving moment related to the latter, Tomeo, whose father professes, “He may dress like a girl, but he’s still my son.”

Also moving is a subplot involving Daigo’s long-lost father. I strongly suggest you have Kleenex with you while viewing this film. There wasn’t a dry eye or nose in the house at the end of the screening I attended. I didn’t find Departures depressing, however. On the contrary, it is an often funny and ultimately just plain human story.


Departures is written and directed by the revered Yojiro Takita, who has been making films in Japan for the past 30+ years. I predict his Oscar-winning achievement here will translate into big box office, at least for a foreign language film.

Some of my fellow critics have been dissing Departures in recent weeks, with one calling it “a paean to the good-looking corpse” and another writing the movie off as “a relentlessly mediocre tear-jerker.” Don’t listen to these heartless pundits. Departures is a must-see.

UPDATE: Departures is now available on DVDfrom Amazon.com.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Canada Sees Skynet, North America & UK Goes Museuming : Canadian, North American & UK Box Office May 22, 2009 Weekend

Terminator Salvation takes the cake and top spot here in Canada for the May 22, 2009 weekend and I'm not suprized as everyone I know went to see it. In North America it only placed second which makes sense for that on a US holiday weekend top spot went to a more family friendly choice with Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. No placement on the UK charts for Terminator Salvation, it will open there on June 3, 2009. One new title to my eyes on the UK chart was Tormented, a UK teen horror/comedy from director Jon Wright and it places #8 on its opening weekend but no word yet on a wider release. Also new (again) is to see Gran Torino back in the Canada charts, 24 weeks after release! Wowzers.

Top 20 Movies in Canada for the May 22, 2009 weekend
1. Terminator Salvation *
2. Angels & Demons
3. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian *
4. Star Trek
5. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
6. Dance Flick *
7. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
8. 17 Again
9. Obsessed
10. Monsters vs. Aliens
11. Met Opera: La Cenerentola *
12. Munde U.K. De
13. The Soloist
14. Under the Sea 3D
15. Observe and Report
16. earth
17. Hannah Montana: The Movie
18. Gran Torino
19. I Love You, Man
20. State of Play

Top 20 Movies in North America for the May 22, 2009 weekend
1. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian *
2. Terminator Salvation *
3. Star Trek
4. Angels & Demons
5. Dance Flick *
6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
7. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
8. Obsessed
9. Monsters vs. Aliens
10. 17 Again
11. The Soloist
12. Next Day Air
13. earth
14. Hannah Montana: The Movie
15. The Brothers Bloom
16. Fast & Furious
17. State of Play
18. Rudo Y Cursi
19. I Love You, Man
20. Summer Hours

Top 10 Movies in the UK for the May 22, 2009 weekend
1. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian *
2. Angels & Demons
3. Star Trek
4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
5. Coraline
6. Hannah Montana: The Movie
7. Fighting
8. Tormented *
9. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
10. State of Play

* indicates opening weekend in noted location, red text indicates Canadian film release

Source: Canada & North America info, UK info

Women We Love: Greer Garson

Object of our affection: Greer Garson, actress.

- For her film debut in the 1939 classic Goodbye, Mr. Chips, she received the first of seven Academy Award nominations. She would win the Oscar three years later for her most famous role, as Mrs. Miniver; legend has it that she gave the longest acceptance speech in Academy history.

- Her other Oscar nominations were for Blossoms in the Dust, Madame Curie, Mrs. Parkington, The Valley of Decision and Sunrise at Campobello. For the latter, she received Best Actress honors from the Golden Globes and the National Board of Review.

- She actually made her first screen appearance on television in a 1937 production of Twelfth Night, the first known instance of a Shakespeare play performed on the then-new medium. As fate would have it, her final screen appearance was also on television, but this time it wasn't exactly Shakespeare, but a 1982 episode of The Love Boat. She is also remembered for narrating the Christmas classic The Little Drummer Boy.

- Her other classic films include Pride and Prejudice, Random Harvest, Julia Misbehaves, That Forsyte Woman, The Miniver Story (the sequel to Mrs. Miniver), Julius Caesar, The Singing Nun and The Happiest Millionaire. Her most frequent co-star was Walter Pidgeon; they co-starred in eight movies together.

- On Broadway, she replaced Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame while Russell was making the movie version of that play, and also produced several productions, including the original On Golden Pond.

Shaken & Stirred

Martini the Movie is an original comedy musical short about Martini Glass, the legendary actress of Hollywood's Golden Age. Set in the present, the story follows Martini as she prepares to audition for the comeback role of a lifetime. Along the way, with cocktail in hand, she dishes the Tinseltown dirt with a flourish! With her fame fading, she is left to question whether her star will ever shine brightly again!

Filled with hot shirtless hunks, sassy one-liners and a toe-tappin’ show tune (titled “Martini Glass, Exclamation Point! In Lights”), Martini the Movie is certain to leave you shaken and stirred! The screenplay (by Robert L. Camina, who also produced and directed) is based on the stand up comedy and character of Martini Glass created by Steven Jay Crabtree.

Martini the Movie will be screened at three upcoming GLBT film festivals: QCinema (Forth Worth) on May 30, FilmOut (San Diego) on May 31 and Newfest (New York) on June 6. Click here to watch the hilarious trailer!

Vlog - Week in Film & 101 Films

Films Discussed
In Theatres: X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Star Trek, Terminator Salvation
101 Films to See Films: Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Day For Night, Harvey, McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Aguirre Wrath of God

Stumbled on: 'Robert Redford Mountain Man Film' is Jeremiah Johnson, of course.


On the escalator up to see Terminator: Salvation.


Working through those 101 Films!

New Moon Mondays: New Pics from New Moon

Time goes by so quickly - How New are the New Moon images?
How quickly do you get your news? In my mailbox today arrived the May 29, 2009 copy of Entertainment Weekly with the exclusive on set New Moon story. Ok, let's work backwards. Today is May 25, 2009 and the issue is dated May 29, 2009 (the future is now!). As you can tell from the picture below I do love paper, and it is awesome to get these images in print but they've been online since Friday May 22, 2009 which was enough time to have already discussed, recorded and have it up on the most recent Before the Dawn podcast. With New Moon Mondays being a weekly article, sometimes it's blurring what is new and old from last week. With the pics been all the buzz recently it already felt like old news. It's amazing to see how quickly new becomes known.

MTV Movie Awards will be on MTV Canada May 31, 2009 9-11pm EST
Canadians that are chomping at the bit to not only see how Twilight does at the MTV Movie Awards this week but also hungry for the first look (outside Cannes) of New Moon footage can rejoice! The awards will be broadcasted here in Canada this Sunday May 31, 2009 at 9pm on MTV Canada (channel 52 and 274). I will likely be live tweeting through the show so be sure to join in the Twitter fun!

Twilight is nominated in the following categories for the MTV Movie Awards:
Best Movie
Best Female Performance (Kristen Stewart)
Breakthrough Male Performance (Robert Pattinson)
Breakthrough Male Performance (Taylor Lautner)
Best Kiss
Best Fight
Best Song from a Movie (Paramore - Decode)

Voting is open online until Wednesday May 27, 2009 for all categories except Best Movie which will be open until the night of the show Sunday May 31, 2009.
Source: Zap2It, MTV Movies Blog

Twilight Hour at Vamp Radio
I'm always on the lookout for Twilight podcast and shows, and I just ran across Vamp Radio Online today over at Blog Talk Radio. They have a variety of vampalicious shows including Twilight Hour on Tuesdays at 9pm EST. Curious as to how it all works? So am I! Good thing they have a handy dandy 'how to listen' section on the site just in case. Previous episodes include interviews with New Moon cast members Daniel Cudmore (Felix) and Justine Wachsberger (Gianna), so who knows what will be next!

New Before the Dawn Episode - All News, All the Time
For more podcasting goodness, it's Monday which means there is a new episode of Before the Dawn to enjoy. This week is all news show with a slight Terminator Salvation tangent. You never know what Marina & I will end up chatting about. Actually you do, because we tell you. Next week's episode is Edward Knows Best, where we discuss the age difference between Edward & Bella and if it is creepy or not.


See all three 'new' New Moon images, plus the new poster and Wolf Pack pic over at EW.com

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Dir: Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, Rendition)
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Lynn Collins, Danny Huston, Will.I.Am, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney, Kevin Durand, Dominic Monaghan, Ryan Reynolds
USA/Australia/Canada, 2009

Seen: May 2, 2009 at the AMC

Reason to see: It's Wolverine!

Time to rejoice. We can now happily forget X-Men: The Last Stand which made the X-Men series burn out too quickly in its third instalment. We have returned to the heart of X-Men films with X-Men Origins: Wolverine with action, interesting characters and a solid story in the X-Men world. It is a beautiful thing.

Hugh Jackman again lights up the screen as the charismatic and often in turmoil Wolverine. He shares the screen with Liev Schrieber who plays Victor Creed and the result is a rare wonder in current cinematic endeavours. They compliment each others performances instead of competing for the viewers attention. It is remarkable and thrilling to see the talented actors delve into their characters who are both powerful, intriguing and have their own stories. But, what got us into the theatre is Wolverine and loving that character is easy, especially for us Canadians who get to cheer along with historic and patriotic references throughout. I would have loved to see more screen time for some of the secondary characters, namely Wade Wilson played by Ryan Reynolds for character development and context. I was impressed by Taylor Kitsch whose performance as Gambit was beautiful, this is quite the feat as the character is much loved but would have been easy to mis-step.

The film is in essence a prequel, so at times turning off the brain helps to pretend you don't know where it is going. That would have been tricky if not for the action and story which move at such a captivating pace that it is easy to be completely absorbed into the film.

A great revitalization of the series. Looking forward to seeing more

Shannon's Overall View:
I highly enjoyed it
I'll buy it
I recommend it as a great action film, and especially to fans of X-Men & X2

14 minutes of preshow including 2 commercials and 5 previews (three of which are sequels!): Ice Age 2, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Up, Funny People and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Return to Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2009

Terminator Salvation

Dir: McG (We Are Marshall)
Cast: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Helena Bonham Carter, Common, Jadagrace, Michael Ironside
Germany/UK/USA, 2009

Seen: May 21, 2009 at AMC Yonge & Dundas

Reason to see: I'm a huge fan of the first The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

I was skeptical and excited at the same time for this fourth instalment of The Terminator franchise. The first two films are not only fantastic but iconic in the world of SciFi film and have become one of the few film duos where the sequel has been considered on par or even better than the original. Then came the third, and oh boy, I almost swore off the series. But, I'm a sucker for possible comebacks so I of course gave Terminator Salvation a chance.

I went in thinking of it as an action film as opposed to a Terminator film - and that would have worked except for all of the Terminator references. I'm not talking plot here, but things that a fan would pick out - familiar phrases, motions and even stances. This allowed for moments to smile knowingly at the screen in between the loud explosions. And boy, are there explosions. It's amazing that there is even that much stuff to blow up after Judgement Day. There are definitely a few liberties taken with the world that was created considering we've already seen and heard it described in the previous films. The world and people seem to be overly resourced and rather buff for a post apocalyptic future. Where did they get the equipment? How are they so fit? Aesthetics aside, the plot was not what I was expecting and again wasn't on par with the films origins but overall was interesting enough to go along for the ride.

Although the film seems to be purely playing the action card, what pulled me in was the characters and performances. There are many characters to connect to in the film, but only a few stood out for me. A new addition to the series is the character Blair Williams played by Moon Bloodgood (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li) and it was great to see a strong female character in the film although I would have loved if it was a more prominent role. We also are treated to Anton Yelchin who provides another great performance this year just a few weeks after we've seen him in Star Trek. His performance is solid but I'm looking forward to seeing him play a character that does not have such strong reference material to hold to.

The true shining light of the film is Sam Worthington who plays the new character Marcus Wright. He has a fantastic presence both charismatic and enigmatic, and easily holds his own every time he is on screen. For his performance alone, the film is worth watching. We are lucky to see more of Sam Worthington in the future, upcoming film projects include prominent roles in both Avatar and Clash of the Titans (2010).

On the whole, it's a fun action film but it reads like a really well made glossy fan film. Enjoyable, re-watchable but keep it clearly divided from the first two films in the series

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it as an action film
I'll buy it
I'd recommend it as an action film

15 minutes of preshow including 1 commercial and 6 previews: Inglourious Basterds, Brüno, The Hangover, Surrogates, Sherlock Holmes and District 9

Return to Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2009


As seen from the escalator at the AMC


That's really me, but the boys are cardboard


Me & my Mom before the film - while we still had our hearing.

Cinematic Crush: Jensen Ackles

Crush object: Jensen Ackles, actor.

- He won a Soap Opera Digest Award and three Daytime Emmy Award nominations for his role as Eric Brady in Days of Our Lives.

- Moving to prime time, he landed roles on the sci-fi series Dark Angel and the teen drama Dawson's Creek.

- Next, he joined the fourth season cast of Smallville, having previously auditioned for the lead role of Clark Kent when the series began.

- His role as paranormal crime fighter Dean Winchester on Supernatural has brought him the most fame to date; the hit series will return for its fifth (and reportedly final) season this fall.

- On film, he recently headlined the 3-D remake of the cult horror flick My Bloody Valentine, now availableon DVD and Blu-ray.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 05: News to Week of May 22, 2009

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 05 is up!

Need a Twilight fix? Head on over to Before the Dawn to check out Marina & I's discuss the News to Week of May 22, 2009 including the new poster, new images from the film, upcoming project of the cast and more.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast is a weekly 1/2 hour podcast meeting all your audio Twilight needs!

Reverend's Reviews: Wolverine Makes Me Howl

Between getting excommunicated in late April and taking a trip back east in early May, I just last night got around to seeing X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I had two initial reactions to it. First, it's a pretty darn good, worthy prequel to the earlier X-Men series of movies. Second, it's the gayest allegedly-straight movie ever, easily beating such predecessors as 1989's Tango & Cash (which teamed frequently naked then-hotties Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell), the Patrick Swayze-Keanu Reeves bromance Point Break, and the campy musical Moulin Rouge!

Director Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) takes advantage of every opportunity to clothe his predominantly male, physically fit cast in pec-hugging tank tops (if they have to wear shirts at all) and tight pants. This certainly isn't a complaint, not when the cast includes Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds and Liev Schreiber. Taylor Kitsch, who makes a memorable appearance as Cajun energy-wielder Gambit, ain't hard on the eyes either.

Jackman, returning in the title role, is especially, repeatedly exposed. Buffer than ever, he rarely buttons his shirt when he's actually wearing one, and is shown nude from the rear and side multiple times during an extended sequence depicting Logan's/Wolverine's escape from the military compound where he has just been injected with indestructible adamantium. You go, Hugh!

Apart from all the flesh on display, there's also a hint of gayness in the closer-than-brothers (even though they are 150-year old siblings), love-hate relationship between Logan and Victor, a.k.a. Sabretooth (Schreiber). While Victor is the more violent of the two, one gets the impression he'd give it all up if only Logan would retire with him to a cozy cabin in the remote woods.


So while there is plenty to satisfy gay sensibilities in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, straight viewers can appreciate the film's intelligent script (by David Benioff and Skip Woods), great editing, excellent photography and spectacular (if occasionally video game-esque) special effects. It is consistent with the first two, well-regarded X-Men movies in quality and storyline, and is superior to X-Men: The Last Stand.

And did I mention it stars the super-talented, underdressed Hugh Jackman? Whether playing Wolverine or Peter Allen, hosting the Tonys or the Oscars, Jackman is a smart, resourceful performer who knows how to please a broad audience ... especially the gay boys in it.

UPDATE: X-Men Origins: Wolverine is now available on DVD and Blu-rayfrom Amazon.com.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Poster Post: Moonin'

There's plenty to swoon over in the first poster images from the next chapter of the Twilight saga, New Moon. In addition to stars Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart above, we have the whole wolf pack below.


The Twilight Saga: New Moon, directed by Chris Weitz and based on the bestseller by Stephenie Meyer, opens in theaters November 20.

UPDATE: The eagerly awaited first trailer for The Twilight Saga: New Moon will premiere during the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday May 31.

Out in Film: Rose Troche

Idol worship: Rose Troche, director/writer/producer.

- While studying film at the University of Illinois, Chicago, she made several short films, including Let's Go Back to My Apartment and Have Sex, This War is Not Over and the Gabriella series of short films.

- During the making of the latter, she met and started a relationship with actress/writer Guinevere Turner, which led to their breakthrough project, Go Fish. The groundbreaking independent film, one of the first lesbian-themed movies to deal with the subject honestly and realistically, was a film festival favorite and won several awards.

- Following the success of Go Fish, she directed the gay romantic comedy Bedrooms and Hallways and the Glenn Close drama The Safety of Objects.

- For television, she not only wrote and directed several episodes of The L Word, but also served as producer of the landmark series.

- Her other TV credits include directing episodes of Six Feet Under, Touching Evil and Ugly Betty.

Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 22, 2009

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 22, 2009! Well, here we are at the 4th Friday of the biggest release month of the year so far and we have yet another huge release this week with Terminator Salvation. But, considering that is technically yesterdays news, lets see what else is being offered this week.

In limited release this week we have a wealth of choices from the crime/comedy The Brothers Bloom, more along the lines of crime-theme is quirky-yet-dramatic new film from Jim Jarmusch, The Limits of Control. Feel like travelling the world? Check out the Filipino drama Serbis or Mexican sport film Rudy Y Cursi starring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna. I'll likely be trekking to see the historical/biopic Little Ashes that centres on artists Salvador Dalí, Federico García Lorca and Luis Buñuel.

In wide release this week we have a first, dance film genre parody from the Wayans: Dance Flick. Also in wide release if family friendly adventure Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Inside Out
19th Annual Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival
Continues until May 24, 2009 in various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Over the Top Fest
Film, music and art festival
May 21 - 24, 2009 in various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto International Deaf Film and Arts Film Festival (TIDFAF)
May 21 - 23, 2009 at Innis Town Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Special Screening

09 Student Film Showcase
Wednesday May 27, 2009 at 7:30pm at AMC Yonge & Dundas

Thursday May 21, 2009 Releases

Terminator Salvation
Dir: McG (We Are Marshall)
Cast: Christian Bale, Anton Yelchin, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard, Helena Bonham Carter
Germany/USA/UK
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Friday May 22, 2009 Releases

The Brothers Bloom
Writer/Dir: Rian Johnson (Brick)
Cast: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinki Kikuchi
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Dance Flick
Dir: Damien Wayans - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Shoshana Bush, Damon Wayans Jr., Essence Atkins, Affrion Crockett
USA
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Limits of Control
Writer/Dir: Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai)
Cast: Isaach De Bankolé, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Gael García Bernal, Bill Murray, Hiam Abbass, Youki Kodoh
Spain/USA/Japan
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Little Ashes
Dir: Paul Morrison (Wondrous Oblivion)
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Javier Beltrán, Matthew McNulty, Marina Gatell
UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site, Trailer, IMDb Page

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Dir: Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum, Cheaper by the Dozen <2003>)
Cast: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Amy Adams, Jonah Hill, Owen Wilson, Bill Hader
USA/Canada
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Rudo Y Cursi
Writer/Dir: Carlos Cuarón - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna
USA/Mexico
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Serbis
Dir: Brillante Mendoza (Tirador / Slingshot)
Cast: Gina Pareño, Jaclyn Jose, Julio Diaz, Coco Martin, Kristofer King, Dan Alvaro, Mercedes Cabral, Roxanne Jordon
Philippines/France
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of May 22, 2009**

Toon Talk: Good Flik

A few months late of its 10th anniversary, Disney/Pixar’s A Bug’s Life makes its high def home video debut this week with the release of a Blu-ray editionthat will reintroduce you to the wonderful world of Flik and Company.

Coming on the groundbreaking heels of Toy Story, the world’s first fully-computer animated feature film, A Bug’s Life had a lot to live up to … not to mention prove. As director John Lasseter mentions in the “Filmmakers Roundtable” feature (one of two brand new bonuses on the Blu-ray), a dreaded “sophomore slump” was definitely feared by all involved in Pixar’s second movie. Not only did Bugs (as it was first titled) have to stand up next to its critically adored, blockbuster hit predecessor, it also leapt ahead in terms of technology, tackling as it did such new to the medium aspects as widescreen, crowd scenes and a wholly organic cast of characters and settings.

Re-watching A Bug’s Life in high definition, it is easy to say that all challenges, both technically and artistically, were met with flying colors … literally, as the beautiful blues and lush greens of the film’s color palette pop like never before. Heretofore unnoticed nuances in the character designs are also readily apparent, such as the contours of the various bug faces; for example, I never before realized that Princess Atta had a beauty mark (as all good princesses should).

Also while watching A Bug’s Life again after all these years, I was struck by how well done the story is. Sure, there are the welcome morals of standing up for what is right and being true to yourself, but there are also some surprisingly mature themes hidden among the laughs (of which there are plenty that still hold up today, unlike the dated pop culture references of say, DreamWorks’ Antz). The main conflict between the humble ant colony and the exploitative grasshopper gang has certain political and racial connotations upon closer inspection; one could even liken it to apartheid, with a minority oppressing the majority. Naturally, whether or not such “deep messages” were intended or not by the filmmakers of what is basically a family-friendly enterprise is up to interpretation, but it certainly makes for a compelling analysis of a film that still, like its protagonist, is more than meets the eye.

Click here to continue reading my Toon Talk review of the new Bug's Life Blu-ray at LaughingPlace.com.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 04: The Music of the Twilight Universe

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 04 is up!

Need a Twilight fix? Head on over to Before the Dawn to check out Marina & I's discuss the Music of the Twilight world current, future and fan-inspired. We even discuss and include our own Twilight playlists.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast is a weekly 1/2 podcast meeting all your audio Twilight needs!

New Moon Monday, on Wednesday

Slightly delayed New Moon Monday this week. I've been away from things a little longer than I expected but I'm back so let's have a look at the news for New Moon and all things Twilight!

New Moon New Poster
The most concrete addition to the New Moon world by far is new poster released for the film, which I found over at IMDb. I'm a little surprized at the image to be honest, it strongly features Edward in the front, then Jacob between Bella and Edward. Interesting to note that no one looks like they are directly looking at each other. This is the first poster to feature the returning characters on it, although overall it's the third poster. The first poster was the title, and second featured the Wolf Pack. What do you think of the new poster? Do you have a favourite of the three?

New Moon Footage headed our way on May 31, 2009!
Even though we are exactly 6 months away from seeing New Moon in the theatre, footage from the film will be revealed at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday May 31, 2009 and will be introduced by Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. I'm still looking to see if the show broadcasts live on Canadian TV, and I'll be sure to update when it is confirmed either way.
Sources: Yahoo News, MTV Movies Blog

Breaking Dawn, A Go Go
Although there is tons of footage, pictures and the like floating around of Robert Pattinson at Cannes, you know Movie Moxie is always after the actual intel and look what I've found. While in France Robert Pattinson confirmed that there will be a 4th installment based on the book Breaking Dawn. Is it too early to say that we never had any real doubt? I'm still not sure how they are going to swing that one stylistically, and digging deeper if you read the source article carefully they don't even use the term 'film' anywhere. I admit that I included this story almost only to applaud our horror friends over at Bloody-Disgusting for reporting on The Twilight Saga.
Sources: Bloody-Distusting, THR.com