The Tribeca Film Festival 2008 Photo Gallery

14 Colin Quinn at The Film Lounge

2008-05-02T20:20:08Z

13 Stella Maeve at The Film Lounge

2008-05-02T20:18:25Z

12 Ally Sheedy and Spencer Breslin at The Film Lounge

2008-05-02T20:15:58Z

11 Nikki Blonsky and Heidi Montag at The Film Lounge

2008-05-02T20:12:52Z

10 Ethan Peck at The Film Lounge

2008-05-02T20:09:00Z

09 Brittany Snow at The Film Lounge

2008-05-02T20:07:10Z

08 Matthew Broderick at The Film Lounge

2008-05-02T20:04:28Z

Iron Man Review - This Is How to Make a Comic Book Movie

2008-05-02T18:23:56Z

With Iron Man, Marvel Studios has quite literally thrown down the gauntlet: This is Iron Man; this is Marvel; and this is how to make a comic book movie. No movie before this -- not Spider-Man, not X-Men, not Batman Begins -- has ever captured the vital components necessary to translate a four-color story into film as well as Jon Favreau now does in this masterful adaptation.

Granted, Favreau has a massive secret weapon on his side in Robert Downey Jr. But for the first time in history, a character has literally walked off the comic book page and onto the big screen. Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne came close, but Robert Downey Jr. is millionaire playboy Tony Stark come to life, right down to the devilish goatee and devilish wit.

He's not alone. Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts is radiant. Jeff Bridges is delightfully evil as Obidiah Stane. And Terrence Howard as Jim Rhodes is... Well, Howard doesn't get a whole lot to do but mope and whine, but he does get to deliver the movie's best line.

]]> The second thing that Marvel gets right is building Iron Man into a big screen Marvel Universe. This is the first film produced independently by the studio and the creative team has used the film to seed ideas for future movies. And not just ones involving Iron Man. Iron Man's arch-enemy, the Mandarin, shows up, but has yet to possess his deadly rings. There's also a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo by the Black Widow (in the casino) and the build-up of S.H.I.E.L.D. as in international task-force.

Marvel also knew what changes to make: Tony Stark is now captured in Afghanistan, instead of Vietnam, which ties his story to the current war on terror, and provides a sharp contrast to his high life in Malibu. The biggest, and most delightful update, though, is turning Jarvis, Stark's butler, into a computer program. It makes sense that a genius like Stark would create an A.I. that does double duty running his house and his armor; it also eliminates any comparisons to a certain Dark Knight and his ever-faithful servant.

This is not to say that the movie is perfect. The first act outshines anything that comes after in narrative pacing, emotional depth, and even it cinematographic palette. And Favreau's technique of letting the actors improvise dialogue, after working in casual scenes, falls flat in the final battle. Plus, let's be fair... There's not a whole lot of things Iron Man can do beyond shoot and fly.

That being said, Favreau and company have laid the blueprint, not just for the Marvel movies to come, but for every Superhero movie of the future. If The Incredible Hulk gets even half of what Iron Man did right, then I would say we're about to get into a renaissance of comic book cinema.

Oh, and one final note: The scene you've heard might be after the credits is, in fact, there and is worth waiting for. Bring it on, Marvel. Bring it on.

Tribeca Film Festival - Let the Right One In and Pray the Devil Back to Hell Pick Up Top Prizes

2008-05-02T18:07:27Z

On Thursday, the Tribeca Film Festival handed out the awards for the in-competition films. Festival founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, as well as jurors Mathew Modine, Whoopi Goldberg and Oliver Platt were among those handing out the prizes at the Target Tribeca Filmmaker Lounge located at Parsons School for Design.

The Swedish coming-of-age vampire film, Let the Right One In (pictured) picked up the prize for best narrative feature. Its director, Tomas Alfredson, won a $25,000 cash prize and an art awards crafted by Stephen Hannock. The documentary feature prize, also worth $25,000, went to Pray the Devil Back to Hell, by Gini Reticker.

Richard Ledes, who took home the Made in New York narrative award and $5000, admitted that he was nervous throughout the duration of the festival. "I am from New York City, so people came to my premiere not only from the festival but people who know me as the neighbor down the hall. It was nerve wracking."

]]> Platt noted things were just as rough for a juror, "To see 12 movies in six days is an adventure." He added that it was the first time in seven years he was able to serve. "I've been asked to do this festival before and I have always wanted to because I am a local," he said, "I was really happy that this year, the festival fit in to my schedule perfectly."

Over $150,000 was given in cash prizes to the 11 winners. The final prize, the Cadillac Award, which is chosen by the audience, will be announced on Saturday, May 3.

To see a complete list of last night's winners and read the jury comments, click here.

To see the filmmakers discuss Pray the Devil Back to Hell, click here.

Galaxy Quest Gets a Comic Book, Ignites Hope for Sequel

2008-05-02T15:13:46Z

IDW Publishing, the company behind some of the most interesting licensed scifi comic books going (and also, uh, Ghost Whisperer), just announced plans to publish a Galaxy Quest mini-series. All well and good, but how about a sequel?

With even moderately successful franchises getting a sequel or a reboot these days, it's surprising that a film with so much built up goodwill has yet to garner a follow-up. Both Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver have expressed interest in revisiting their characters. So why the hold-up?

The likely reason is that the cast members are all just too busy now to get their schedules to line-up. Allen, Weaver, and Alan Rickman all have major film careers; Tony Shalhoub has Monk; Sam Rockwell is an indie film star. Even Justin Long (Brandon) and Missi Pyle (Laliari) have seen their profiles rise since the film's 1999 debut. Still, reuniting the original cast (and director Dean Parisot) would be a goldmine in this day and age of big budget effects-driven comedies. And since studios are all about a recognizable brand, it seems like a no-brainer. Fingers crossed that the comic leads to an onscreen reunion.

Daily Scan: 05.02.2008 - The Science in Iron Man; Tomorrow is Free Comic Day

2008-05-02T13:17:24Z

•Gremlins make their first appearance in 17 years thanks to a UK BT advertisement.

• The beautifully hypnotic repetition of "He's Dead, Jim".

• io9 lists four styles you'll wear in the future according to scifi. I'm glad I've lost all that weight: I'll look pretty svelte in that unisexual onesie.

• When the WB's new interactive website launches in August, you'll be able to catch live streaming shows like Buffy and Roswell.

• Remember: May 3rd is free comic day. Hit up your local comic book store for some swag. Start a rumpus if they deny you.

• Topless Robot clues us in to this most fantastic R2D2 projector. Help me, Obi Wan! You're my only hope.

]]> • A gorgeous anthropomorphic scifi city on the cover of Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

• New Scientist looks at the science behind Iron Man. Any real science is accidental, of course.

• Robots may be awesome, but they sure can't do Pulp Fiction.

• First Gwen Stacy, now Barry Allen: The Silver Age Flash is coming back from the dead. Yawn.

Asian Horror Movies That Will Make You Rethink Your Summer Vacation

2008-05-02T05:12:08Z

Summer's nearly here, and for most of us, it means a vacation, a chance to get away from it all, to unwind, relax and spend some time with our loved ones. Well, I have one word of advice for you: Don't. I've seen enough movies to know that leaving town is an invitation to be tortured, cursed or killed. Tourism is a dangerous business, and no one understands this more than Asian filmmakers -- they've been warning us against the dangers of summer vacation for years. Here's a roundup.

Beware of Bangkok
The vacationing Hong Kongers in The Seventh Curse (1986) not only remembered the sunscreen and machine guns, they even brought rocket launchers, the SPF 60 of firearms. It's a good thing, too, because the second they set foot in Thailand, they're attacked by giant aliens and going hand-to-hand with a bloodthirsty mummy. It's their own fault for going to Thailand in the first place: Long regarded by Asian filmmakers as the best place to go if you want to die, most Hong Kongers expect to get their passports stamped with a blood curse once they arrive in Bangkok.

Take The Eternal Evil of Asia (1996). A bunch of clean-cut Hong Kong boys take a trip to Thailand, run afoul of a wizard and start biting the dust in spectacular fashion when said wizard follows them home looking for revenge. The "What the hell?" moments come fast and furious -- expect the ghosts of angry dead babies to arrive. But black magic comes in handy in Seeding of a Ghost (1983) when a nice cab driver hires a Thai wizard to help him avenge his wife, who was murdered by a gang of thugs. This is a movie that works your gag reflex the way Muhammad Ali works a speed bag. The putrefied corpse of the wife has revenge plans of her own, and it includes eating the gang's brains.

In Thailand, if it's not the Ghost Hexes and the Gong Tau curses that get you, it's the zombies. A starring vehicle for the Japanese noise rock band, Guitar Wolf, Wild Zero (2000, pictured) blames UFOs for a zombie menace. Count on chicks with guns and rockers with samurai swords to destroy them; it's a flick that delivers on the poster's promise to serve up "Thrill, speed and stupid zombies!"

Leaving the City for an Afternoon in the Country Is Still a Bad Idea

]]> Even Thai people are scared of the Thai countryside as witnessed in Art of the Devil 2 (2006). A bunch of Bangkok kids go back to their home village to pay homage to the teacher who inspired them to do great things, but just as they arrive, she decides they're ungrateful brats. Her system of discipline involves planting alligator eggs inside them so they'll hatch and chew their way out.

Hong Kong's We're Going to Eat You (1980) says it like it is. Agent 999 leaves Hong Kong for one of its rural outlying islands to arrest a notorious thief known as Rolex. Once he gets there, the entire village targets him as dinner. Think Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets Black Belt Theater and you've got the gist. One viewing and you'll make the movie's tag line your personal mantra, "If you don't eat people, people will eat you!"

Still feeling outdoorsy? Watch out for the family run inn of Korea's The Quiet Family (1998), where backpackers are murdered to cover up the family's crimes and to keep the place profitable. Takashi Miike made a musical version of The Quiet Family called Happiness of the Katakuris (2001) which even has a karaoke sing-a-long in the middle just to drive the lesson home.

Changing your destination won't help much -- decay will travel. In Ebola Syndrome (1996) professional screen psychopath, Anthony Wong, plays a Chinese restaurant waiter in Johannesburg who gets the flesh-eating virus from a local, and then returns to Hong Kong spreading stink, putridity and death in his wake.

All things considered, you might not want to leave your house this summer. You've seen the movies -- It's dangerous out there.

Ultimate Fan Quiz - Superhero Movies

2008-05-02T04:00:45Z

This year marks the summer of the superhero. Outside of Prince Caspian and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, all of the major summer blockbusters spring from the pages of comic books. (Heck, even Angelina Jolie is starring in a comic book film with Wanted.) But before you rush out to Iron Man, test your knowledge of four-color cinema with our Ultimate Superhero Movie quiz for a chance to win this Batman Special Edition DVD. The prize will go to the first person to correctly answer all 15 of these questions. In addition, the winner will be profiled and crowned the Ultimate Superhero Movie fan in an upcoming blog entry.

The quiz will run from Friday, May 2 to Friday, May 9 at midnight. The winner will be announced shortly afterward. (Make sure we have your correct name and email in your profile so we can contact you to deliver your prize.)

Quiz-takers assemble!

1. Before Robert Downey Jr., Shaquille O'Neal also portrayed a weapons maker-turned-superhero in what 1997 film?

2. Both Orson Welles and Alec Baldwin have given life to what heroic master of deception?

3. What superhero film had its teaser trailer pulled after the September 11th attacks because it contained a shot of the Twin Towers?

]]> 4. What did Eric Draven do for a living, before being murdered and returning as The Crow?

5. What comic strip hero promised to "Slam Evil!" according to his movie poster tagline?

6. In which Sam Raimi film was Bruce Campbell originally considered for the lead but ultimately only appeared in a cameo?

7. In which Marvel film will you find Stan Lee as Mailman Willie Lumpkin?

8. In The Rocketeer, what famous aviator created the titular jet pack?

9. Thanks to a Gypsy curse, Mystery Men's The Spleen possesses what "offensive" power?

10. What gruesome plant hero got his own direct-to-DVD film in 2005 by the director of The Lawnmower Man?

11. In which Superman film will you find Lex Luthor's nephew?

12. What actress lost the part of Catwoman in Batman Returns after becoming pregnant?

13. R&B group Another Bad Creation appeared as the "Junior Lords" in what 1993 superhero spoof?

14. Prior to meeting Bruce Wayne in Batman, Vicki Vale had been on assignment taking photos in what fictional war-torn region?

15. What 1983 musical comedy features a washed-up superhero who's nemesis taunts him with the song, "Name Your Poison"?

Sir Ben Kingsley Is No Snob When It Comes to Picking Movies

2008-05-02T04:00:01Z

When an actor wins an Academy Award, it's a huge honor, but it's not always a career booster -- the post-win films of Cuba Gooding Jr., Mira Sorvino and Halle Berry spring to mind. But there are certain Oscar-winners who specialize in alternating between highbrow and popcorn pictures.

Take Sir Ben Kingsley, who won his statuette for his riveting performance as the title character in Gandhi. After his seminal role, he went on to work with auteurs such as James Ivory (Maurice), Steven Spielberg (Schindler's List) and Warren Beatty (Bugsy). Kingsley snagged his second Oscar nod for Bugsy; he would go on to earn two more nominations, for Sexy Beast and The House of Sand and Fog.

]]> And yet, Kingsley's career choices also include a number of B-grade action flicks. There's the Uwe Boll directed BloodRayne, the big screen adaptation of Thunderbirds and let's not forget Species, which turned out to be a minor hit. With his gleaming bald pate and his bulging temple veins, Kingsley plays tortured and misguided scientist Xavier Fitch, who engages in an ill-advised genetic experiment involving human and alien DNA. The creature he creates -- a supermodel-gorgeous nympho -- turns on her maker and all of mankind.

It's easy to goof on the film, including Kingsley's trying-too-hard performance, which includes a hilarious close-up of the actor with one solitary tear trickling down his cheek as he tries to destroy his hybrid child, but the film -- which owes great debts to Alien, Lifeforce and even Frankenstein -- is actually pretty tasty. Bravo Sir Ben for not being a Brit snob!

For a complete schedule of Species on AMC, click here.

To share your review of this film, click here.

To find out more about Oscar-winners who've made B movie choices, click here.

Tribeca Film Festival - Red Carpet Photos and After Party Pics

2008-05-01T22:00:32Z

Want to go behind the scenes and on the red carpet of this year's Tribeca Film Festival? Check out AMC's exclusive photos from the Savage Grace and Yonkers Joe parties at The Supper Club, as well as the Guest of Cindy Sherman party at The Film Room.