Cinematical

• Cinematical Seven: Best Mayhem of 2008
  

  Filed under: Action, Comedy, Foreign Language, Horror, Independent, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Mystery & Suspense, Disney, Lionsgate Films, Magnolia, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Brothers, Fandom, Focus Features, 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, Family Films, Dreamworks, Cinematical Seven, Comic/Superhero/Geek

  
  
  When we were kicking around ideas for year-end superlative Cinematical Sevens, I was proudly tasked with chronicling the year's finest in big-screen mayhem, violence, destruction and other such shenanigans. When I...
  



• Review: The Spirit
  

  Filed under: Action, Drama, Noir, Lionsgate Films, Theatrical Reviews, Comic/Superhero/Geek

  
  
  With all due respect to the monumentally talented Frank Miller, I'm just going to lay it out clear: I don't think the man is cut out to direct movies. At all. I've always suspected that Mr. Miller earned a co-director credit on Sin City because A) it's his baby, B) having Miller involved helps the film come release time, and C) Robert Rodriguez is a classy dude. But have you ever wondered what Sin City would look like if Rodriguez was out of the picture? Wonder no more, comic fans: Frank Miller...
  



• Discuss: For Your Razzie Consideration
  

  Filed under: Action, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Awards, Mystery & Suspense, Disney, Lionsgate Films, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Remakes and Sequels, War

  As the season marches on, 'for your consideration' ads litter the trades and various awards analysis websites. However, there aren't nearly enough campaigns for the year's worst performances.
  
  You have your obnoxious kids (Jaden Smith in The Day The Earth Stood Still, Logan Lerman in Meet Bill). You have your touched individuals who straddle the line between functional and, ahem, 'full retard'...
  



• Tales of a BNAT Newbie
  

  Filed under: Action, Animation, Classics, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Mystery & Suspense, Disney, IFC, Lionsgate Films, Universal, Warner Brothers, Festival Reports, Fandom, Focus Features, Family Films, Brad Pitt, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, War

  
  
  I don't need much of an excuse to visit Austin, Texas. Find me an event that A) strings more than four movies together, and B) takes place at one of the Alamo...
  



• Tyler Perry's Latest Gets a Trailer, Poster
  

  Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Lionsgate Films, Trailers and Clips, Posters

  So very often, we here at Cinematical field comments that are directed specifically to whoever a post was about -- as if Star X or Director Y were reporting about themselves, or as if we hoard e-mail information for any given celebrity and pass word on with great frequency. Having written just one review, though, of a Tyler Perry movie, none of my other posts have yet to have so many remarks addressed directly to the writer-director-producer-star-caterer than that one.
  
  Still, so long as Tyler Perry and his filmed plays are around, we'll have...
  



• A Tale of Two Franks: Punisher vs. Transporter
  

  Filed under: Action, Lionsgate Films, Fandom

  

  Who do you prefer: Frank Martin (Jason Statham in Transporter 3) or Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson in Punisher: War Zone)? While munching popcorn at my local multiplex on Friday night, I realized that both movies I was watching featured lead characters named Frank! Since both flicks were disappointing to various degrees (as explained at length by William Goss and Eric D. Snider), my mind wandered and I began imagining a movie in which the two battled to the death. Call it Frank vs. Frank.

  If that calls to...
  




• Geek Daily: Bryan Singer & Superman, Punisher's Future, and More
  

  Filed under: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Deals, Noir, Lionsgate Films, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Fandom, Scripts, The Weinstein Co., Newsstand, Dreamworks, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

  
  
  

  • Thanks to the Valkyrie junkets, Bryan Singer is having to talk about the Superman reboot. UGO pinned him down, and the answers were noncommittal to say the least. At this point, he is not "officially involved" but is not divorced from Superman. "You know, I have relationships with Warner Brothers and with the character and, and, and,...
    
  
  
  
  • Review: Punisher: War Zone
    

    Filed under: Action, New Releases, Lionsgate Films, Theatrical Reviews, Comic/Superhero/Geek

    
    
    Punisher: War Zone is proof of just how tenacious the people at Marvel Comics are. They're going to keep remaking and rebooting their characters' franchises whether anyone likes it or not!
    
    This is the third time they've taken a stab at Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, the sourpuss vigilante who's been murdering villains in comic books for over 30 years. The first film, in 1989, starred Dolph Lundgren. It turned out as well as could be expected, considering it starred Dolph Lundgren. The reboot, in 2004, starred Thomas Jane and was ridiculed by...
    
  
  
  
  • Lexi Alexander Speaks Out On 'Punisher: War Zone' Drama
    

    Filed under: Action, Thrillers, Lionsgate Films, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

    Finally, someone at the Punisher: War Zone premiere asked Lexi Alexander the big question -- what the hell was all that "taking your name off the film" talk? Give a hand to SciFi Wire for doing so.
    
    Alexander's answer managed to confirm and deny the post-ComicCon drama that surrounded Punisher: War Zone. "No, no, I never was going to take my name off the film. Let me say this. Harry Knowles [of Ain't It Cool News]...
    
  
  
  
  • Geek Daily: Thor, Justice League Revived, and Jonah Hex...
    

    Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Lionsgate Films, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Scripts, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Religious, Western

    
    

    
    There are some great things to discuss, today, so let's just jump right in. But take a moment to admire the art , because I couldn't let Scott Weinberg outshine me anymore!
    
    

    • Rendering my Tuesday column somewhat obsolete, George Miller has informed the world that he is still attached to Justice League Mortal, and that the film is still very much alive. Apparently, he was never even on the Australian...