CineMarvellous Preview: First Official Poster for Alexandre Aja's "Piranha 3D"

Piranha 3D (2010)

Dimension Films / The Weinstein Company has unveiled the first official poster on Twitter for Piranha 3D, a wild and crazy 3D horror movie about killer piranhas that hits theaters in August (watch the official trailer below if you haven't seen it yet).

Piranha 3D is directed by French horror filmmaker Alexandre Aja, of "High Tension", "The Hills Have Eyes" the remake and "Mirrors" previously.

Synopsis: Every year the population of sleepy Lake Victoria explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 for Spring Break, a riot of sun and drunken fun. But this year, there's something more to worry about than hangovers and complaints from local old timers; a new type of terror is about to be cut loose on Lake Victoria. After a sudden underwater tremor sets free scores of the prehistoric man-eating fish, an unlikely group of strangers must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the areas new razor-toothed residents.

Source: First Showing

[4.75/10] Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

"Hot Tub Time Machine" is about three estranged friends and a nephew reunite on a weekend getaway, but end up traveling back to 1986 in a magical hot tub for an adventure that they'd never forget. This is nothing more or less than your typical silly comedy, that it's not outrageously funny neither very unique, though the characters have a pretty good chemistry together. It's Rob Corddry's wildly unethical loser who steals the show, however. The other highlight of the film beside Corddry was Crispin Glover. While his screen time is limited, the running gag revolving around the loss of his limb is very amusing, a clear cut above the rest of the humour, but serves only to frustrate the audience as they realize that "Hot Tub Time Machine" had the potential to be something special. On the positive side, director Steve Pink captures the feeling of the 80s very effectively, with a fair amount of help from the costume department, who hunted down the fashions from the era that brought us big hair and leg warmers. "Hot Tub Time Machine" does have some funny moments, but the plot does bog down in some truly juvenile situations. It has of course the usual time travel conundrum problems that the protagonists in these films all face. All in all, "Hot Tub Time Machine" is a missed opportunity, and while it is not a terrible comedy, the only reason it stands out from a crowded genre is its ridiculous title and borrowed ideas from other, much better films.

• My Rating: 4.75/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 63% (6.1/10)
• IMDb: 7.0/10

[6.50/10] I Love You Phillip Morris (2010)

I Love You Phillip Morris (2010)

Short review: "I Love You Phillip Morris" is about a conman named Steven Russell, who after a car crash decides to live a new kind of life, a life as a gay. He ends up in prison and meets another homosexual man, called Philip Morris. Together they start a new life as partners. In terms of film-making "I Love You Phillip Morris" is very well done, especially the cinematography. Snappy editing is delightful and carries the viewer along. Even the potentially shocking moments were pretty funny. Both Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor played their parts fairly good and placed firmly into today's culture a regular gay relationship, without any hint of the sexuality being an issue. When it comes to acting, Jim Carrey plays almost the same old goofy and weird man, but gay this time - he was okay, but far from great. On the other hand, McGregor proves that he is a versatile actor with his pretty convincing performance as Phillip Morris. The relationship between Ewan Mcregor and Jim Carrey is completely believable, despite the absurdities of the situation, which is actually based on a true story. "I Love You Phillip Morris" could be described as "Catch Me If You Can" with a gay man. It has a lot of flaws and not much detail, and it's not as half as good as the film I compared it above, but it's still an entertaining, fun ride and a breath of fresh air in the comedy genre.

• My Rating: 6.50/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (6.7/10)
• IMDb: 6.9/10

The Dirty Dozen Movies Blogfest: Nebular's TOP 12 Favorite Movies of All Time

The Dirty Dozen Movies Blogfest:

Nebular's TOP 12

Favorite Movies of All Time

3 weeks ago, one of my dearest blogger friends, Alex J. Cavanaugh came up with the idea of starting a blogfest titled The Dirty Dozen, and he invited everyone who wants to participate, to round up and post a list of their TOP 12 Favorite Movies of All Time. Well, today's June 21st and it's time every single on of the participants to reveal their dirty dozen movies. I'm proud to be one of those participants, and to present to you the twelve films that I adore, worship and love the most; the twelve films I could watch over and over and over again; the twelve films that will stick with me forever...

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1. Hero /Ying Xiong/
(2004, Zhang Yimou)

Stunningly beautiful from start to finish, "Ying Xiong" is a masterpiece in it's own right. Shot perfectly and vividly, it never ceases to impress and is a joy to watch. It's not only the most jow-droppingly beautiful martial arts/wuxia film of all time, it's also one of the best movies ever made, thanks to its eye-popping visuals, flawless acting, intriguing story, top-notch directing and first-rate fight choreography!

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2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
(2000, Ang Lee)

Watching "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was almost like watching my own dream evolve on the screen. It had everything I wanted to see in a movie. Ang Lee has created a visually stunning, lyrical, poetic film that is engaging on a number of levels: from the brilliant action choreography and flwaless wire work; to the well-crafted story; lush and exotic cinematography; and last but not least, excellent performances from the entire cast. Rarely the screen has been graced with with a film of such grace and beauty!

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3. Kill Bill vol. 1 & 2
(2003-2004, Quentin Tarantino)

From the first seconds of the opening scene of the first movie to the end credits of the second installment, "Kill Bill" is hold-your-breath, armrest-clenching, roller coaster ride, that is filled to the brim with tributes to old Kung-fu chop-socky films, Japanese movies and anime, stylized action, gallons of splattering blood, and of course the usual pop-culture references, a staple to every Tarantino film. Both "Kill Bill" films are smart, original, visually spectacular and exciting. A modern masterpieces!

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4. House of Flying Daggers
(2004, Zhang Yimou)

Beautifully-shot against the backdrop of the Tang Dynasty "House of Flying Daggers" reaches dizzying heights of technical brilliance. From the opulently clothed and delicately colored palace interiors of the opening, to the misty forests and plains which see most of the action, Zhang has created a series of Chinese paintings, each a masterpiece of color and composition with the balletically weightless protagonists soaring through. Without a doubt one of the most beautiful movies ever made!

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5. The Matrix / The Matrix Reloaded
(1999 / 2003, The Wachowski Brothers)

The magnitude of philosophy in sync with the never-seen-before breathtaking slow-mo special effects make "The Matrix" a one-of-a-kind movie experience. College classes could show this movie in their philosophy class, and at the same time can prove to be one of the best special effects movies ever. Supplementally, "The Matrix" also provides endless fast-paced kung fu action and a pretty solid storyline, that influences the philosophical ideas in the movie. А revolution in the sci-fi genre!

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6. The Lord of the Rings:
The Motion Picture Trilogy
(2001-2003, Peter Jackson)

It's a story of heroic adventure set in the unforgettably spectacular landscape of Middle-Earth. The special effects are nothing less than breathtaking, and simply move the story along. The battles are monumentally huge and exciting. The musical score constantly retains its beauty, elegance and power. "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy as a whole is a spectacular achievement in film making history, and all the three movies are together, without a doubt, the greatest epic of all time, and one of the most cinematically perfect films ever made.

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7. Kung Fu Hustle
(2005, Stephen Chow)

Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" is wildly imaginative, visually dazzling, brilliantly directed , highly entertaining, smart and endlessly hilarious! "Gong Fu" is an action film full of some of the finest martial arts you can find. But it does not stop there. Latest CGI and cinematic effects are deployed with ease to make the experience truly magnificent!

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8. 300
(2007, Zack Snyder)

What makes "300" standout is that each scene brings a very unique look, from the rustling of the wheat grains while the sun pierces the cloud-covered sky, to Snyder's amazing ability to use human skin as a palate of contrast to the colors around it. Zack Snyder, it seems, never uses the same camera angle twice, and the combination of color and shading makes for an absolute beautiful vision. "300" is a mind-blowing and extremely well-shot modern masterpiece, with beautiful and stylish visuals, thrilling battle sequences, and vivid and engaging story!

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9. Pan's Labyrinth
(2006, Guillermo Del Toro)

All my emotions weree thoroughly tested in Guillermo Del Toro's grim fairy tale. A masterful fable that alternates between uber-gritty realism and dark, twisted fantasy with such a sublime slickness, it is near startling. The balance between the two worlds is perfectly achieved by del Toro. The cinematography is fantastic and perfectly brings out the bleak atmosphere to go with the proceedings of the story. And of course, there's some frighteningly excellently-done special effects and makeup effects. Ivana Baquero who plays little Ofelia is also a joy. "Pan's Labyrinth" is without a doubt Del Toro's masterpiece!

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10. The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button
(2008, David Fincher)

Words cannot express how truly magnificent this film is! This is what film-making is all about, pure escapism. You forget reality for two hours and you'll get an amazing masterwork helmed by a genius, written by a visionary and defined by high standard acting. Everything is so amazing in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", from the acting, to the vivid cinematography.

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11. [Rec]
(2007, Jaume Balagueró)

This is the kind of movie that is all about the experience, the feeling, the atmosphere. This is the kind of movie you wish you hadn't seen because then you'd be able to experience it again for the first time. It's the brilliant style and memorable shocks that lend "[Rec]" as one of the most terrifying, clever and inventive horror films of recent memory!

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12. Aliens
(1986, James Cameron)

In "Aliens", all of the requisite elements are there: the super-heroine, the alien monster, cool weapons, intense battle sequences, tension and suspense, an exceptionally well-paced plot, a believable world filled with corporate greed, along with consistent and excellent prop and set-design, visual effects that still, in my opinion, rival most of today's films, and a superbly moving soundtrack score which sonically matches the visual intensity of the film scene by scene. "Aliens" is one of the very few film gems of XX century and hands down the best sequel ever made!

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The 12 Honorable Mentions That Almost Made the Cut:

Alien (1979, Ridley Scott)
Amelie (2001, Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
Curse of the Golden Flower (2006, Zhang Yimou)
Gattaca (1997, Andrew M. Niccol)
Grindhouse (2007, Tarantino, Rodriguez, Roth)
Jaws (1975, Steven Spielberg)
Inglourious Basterds (2009, Quentin Tarantino)
Iron Monkey (1993, Yuen Woo-Ping)
Pulp Fiction (1994, Quentin Tarantino)
The Legend /Fong Sai Yuk/ (1993, Corey Yuen)
V for Vendetta (2005, James McTeigue)
Yu Tu Mama Tambien (2002, Alfonso Cuaron)

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CineMarvellous! presents: All Time Favorite Movie Posters - part 2: Current and Upcoming Movies

CineMarvellous! presents:

All Time Favorite Movie Posters

Part 2: Current and Upcoming Movies

It's time for the second entry in my ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE POSTERS list, that belongs to CURRENT AND UPCOMING RELEASES and the 12 posters /in alphabetical order/ from this category I liked and was impressed with the most. What about your favorites?

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Buried (2010)

"Makes me feel extremely uncomfortable and super claustrophobic!"

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Despicable Me (2010)

"Those cute little yellow creatures are so adorable,
I can't help but love them!"

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Inception (2010)

"Ground on the horizon!
...or ground instead of horizon to be exact."

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Legend of the Guardians [3D] (2010)

"An amazing teaser!"

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Red Sonja (2010)

"Stunningly beautiful and very creative art work!"

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Sex and the City 2 (2010)

"To release such a poster during FIFA World Cup
requires boldness and bravery!"

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Splice (2010)

"So beautiful, it left me speechless!"

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The Last Airbender (2010)

"Both posters were so breathtakingly beautiful,
I couldn't decide which one I liked better."

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The Last Exorcism (2010)

"That image truly gives me the creeps!"

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The Task (2010)

"I wasn't familiar with this horror flick, until the moment I found this horrifyingly funny poster..."

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Toy Story 3 (2010)

"So adorable, so colorful, and so makes me wanna see it..."

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CineMarvellous! presents: All Time Favorite Movie Posters - part 1: Horror Movies

CineMarvellous! presents:
All Time Favorite Movie Posters
Part 1: Horror Movies

Here's the first entry in my ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE POSTERS list (I'm going to post the rest of it in the next couple of days), which is dedicated to one of the film genres I love the most - HORROR! Find below, in alphabetical order, 15 of the most creative, original and visually striking horror movie posters ever made. Each one of these posters made a certain impact on me from the very first moment I saw it. You can't find your favorite 'horror' poster on this list? Please, feel free to share yours, and, of course, to comment! ;)

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A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

"A bloody happy family portrait!"
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Black Sheep (2006)

"A film that is outrageously funny and ridiculous as its poster!"

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Captivity (2007)

"Horrible movie, horrific poster!"

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Dead Alive (1993)

"Wake the dead inside me!"

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Grace (2009)

"A definition of terrifying simplicity!"

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Identity (2003)

"So you think you know yourself? Think again!"

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Jaws (1975)

"Doesn't help much in overcoming your fear of
open water swimming. Does it?"

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My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009)

"Bloody romantic! Literally!"

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Shaun of the Dead (2004)

"Being physically intimate with someone isn't
necessarily a pleasant experience"

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Shrooms (2007)

"Only if the movie was as creative and original as its poster..."

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Slither (2006)

"This image appears in my mind every time I enter my bathtub."

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The Descent (2005)

"Truly creepy and original art of female bodies!"

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The Happening (2008)

"It really made me want to know what's happening!
Well, it completely mislead me, because actually
there was nothing special happening."

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The Ruins (2008)

"A desperate fight for survival against the crazy nature."

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The Others (2001)

"Simple, yet darkly creepy and truly atmospheric!"

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[6.00/10] Date Night (2010)

Date Night (2010)

"Date Night"'s story is a cutesy, as it features a couple who decide to steal an invitation at a very upscale restaurant in New York City and almost end up paying their lives for it. This is a beautifully simple premise, and although the credibility with which it kicks off is not sustained, it still hangs together well enough to be thoroughly entertaining throughout its length. Tina Fey and Steve Carell have excellent chemistry, a match made in comedy heaven. Both handle lower key humor effectively. They seem like an actual couple and it's great to see them together on screen. Meanwhile, a stereotyped Ray Liotta is wasted in a minor part as an egotistical syndicate hood in cahoots with the shady district attorney. Mark Wahlberg is okay at what he does. James Franco and Mila Kunis appear briefly but make quite an impression as a low-life duo named Taste and Whippit. "Date Night" comes from director Shawn Levy, who you may be familiar with from the "Night at the Museum" movies. And in a similar manner there are some quality action comedy derived moments to go along with witty ingenuity. There is a stunt that involves two cars fused together, that provides laughs and thrills. If "Date Night" was any longer, it would have dragged, but thankfully the snappy pacing coupled with a relatively short running time of 88 minutes was perfect for this type of comedy.

• My Rating: 6.00/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 68% (6.2/10)
• IMDb: 6.8/10