The Films of August 23rd
THE WORLD’S END
The
World’s End, the new film from director Edgar Wright, looks to be the most
entertaining film of this weekend. His previous three films, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim
vs. The World, have all developed cult followings. I’m also pumped for his
2015 film Ant-Man, which will be a
part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The
movie is about a group of friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time.
They reunite to attempt a pub crawl they failed to finish when they were teens.
In the course of this, they discover an alien invasion is taking place.
Edgar Wright
regular Simon Pegg stars and co-wrote the script with Wright. Nick Frost, who
appeared in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz also comes back. Eddie Marsan,
Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, and Pierce Brosnan fill out the cast.
The World’s End has been released in the
United Kingdom. It’s already gotten great reviews and is at 93% on Rotten
Tomatoes as of August 18th. David Edelstein of New York Magazine even
called it “by light-years the most entertaining movie of the year.” If this
film lives up to expectations, it will easily be among the best films of 2013.
THE GRANDMASTER
The Grandmaster, directed by Wong
Kar-wai, was released in Asia this January and is coming to theaters in North
America this weekend. Kar-wai is a Hong Kong filmmaker responsible many
critically acclaimed movies such as Chungking
Express, 2046, and In the Mood for Love.
All
three of those films featured the star of this film, Tony Leung. Leung has also
appeared in films such as Infernal
Affairs, Hero, and Lust, Caution. He plays Ip Man, the legendary martial artist
who trained Bruce Lee. A Hong Kong film was previously made of his life in
2008.
Also in the cast is Zhang Ziyi,
star of films such as House of Flying
Daggers, Memoirs of a Geisha, 2046, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
This film seems to be a bit more mainstream
than Kar-wai fans may be used to. Maggie
Lee of Variety states, “Wong’s Eurocentric arthouse disciples, however, may not
be completely in tune with the film’s more traditional storytelling and
occasionally long-winded technical exposition.” Other than that, the review was
mainly positive.
Clarence
Tsui of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film’s visuals and said it “contains
some of the most dazzling fights ever seen onscreen…” However, Tsui also
complained about a lack of character development.
YOU’RE NEXT
You’re Next is an upcoming horror film
from director Adam Wingard, who made one of the segments of the 2012 film V/H/S. In this film a family reunion is
invaded by killers who wear creepy animal masks.
You’re
Next was first released in 2011 at the Toronto International Film Festival. It
was then picked up by Lionsgate.
The
reviews that have come in so far have been mostly positive. As of August 18th,
it sits at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.
THE MORTAL
INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES
This
film is based on the first book of The Mortal Instruments series written by
Cassandra Clare. It’s a best-selling fantasy series for young adults. The
series began in 2007 and the sixth and final book is scheduled to be released
in 2014.
The
filmed adaptation was directed by Harald Zwart. He’s previously directed The Pink Panther 2, the 2010 The Karate Kid remake, and Agent Cody Banks, all of which were presumably
terrible (I haven’t seen them, but come on). It was written by Jessica Postigo,
who according to IMDB has no previous writing credits. The stars include Lily
Collins, Jared Harris, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Lena Headey, and Kevin Durand.
The
filmmakers are hoping this will be the beginning of a franchise. The sequel, City of Ashes, is supposed to start
production this September.
No
reviews have been released as of August 18th for The Mortal Instruments.
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