list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Underworld on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Underworld/225183/default.aspx Title: Underworld
Year: 2003
Director: Len Wiseman
Plot: A young man who has pledged his life to helping others finds himself in a pitched battle between two gangs of supernatural villains in this blend of horror story and action thriller. Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman) is a medical student who is heading home after a long day of school and work when he unexpectedly finds himself in the middle of what appears to be a rumble between two well turned-out street gangs. What Michael doesn't know is he has witnessed a skirmish between two deadly underground communities, unknown to the mortal world, who are battling for supremacy -- the Death Dealers, a tribe of vampires, and the Lycans, a band of werewolves. Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is a leading member of the Death Dealers who hears through the grapevine that the Lycans have plans to capture the aspiring doctor who witnessed their battle. Certain something is in the air, Selene begins following Michael around the city, and she finds herself growing emotionally attached to him. As Selene becomes more attracted to Michael, she becomes more convinced that the Lycans are planning a major attack against the Death Dealers, although vampire kingpin Kraven (Shane Brolly) is certain she's crediting the Lycans with more intelligence than they can muster. As Selene shadows Michael, she finds herself wanting to protect him, but her longing becomes a handicap when he's attacked by Lucian (Michael Sheen), the leader of the werewolf community, and the man she wants to save has now become a sworn enemy. Underworld was the first feature film from music video director Len Wiseman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 58
Number of Lists: 74
Number of blog posts: 7
Number of discussion threads: 6
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:23:19 GMTUnderworld2003Len WisemanA young man who has pledged his life to helping others finds himself in a pitched battle between two gangs of supernatural villains in this blend of horror story and action thriller. Michael Corvin (<a href="/players/P___230859/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Scott Speedman</a>) is a medical student who is heading home after a long day of school and work when he unexpectedly finds himself in the middle of what appears to be a rumble between two well turned-out street gangs. What Michael doesn't know is he has witnessed a skirmish between two deadly underground communities, unknown to the mortal world, who are battling for supremacy -- the Death Dealers, a tribe of vampires, and the Lycans, a band of werewolves. Selene (<a href="/players/P_____4911/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kate Beckinsale</a>) is a leading member of the Death Dealers who hears through the grapevine that the Lycans have plans to capture the aspiring doctor who witnessed their battle. Certain something is in the air, Selene begins following Michael around the city, and she finds herself growing emotionally attached to him. As Selene becomes more attracted to Michael, she becomes more convinced that the Lycans are planning a major attack against the Death Dealers, although vampire kingpin Kraven (<a href="/players/P___296380/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Shane Brolly</a>) is certain she's crediting the Lycans with more intelligence than they can muster. As Selene shadows Michael, she finds herself wanting to protect him, but her longing becomes a handicap when he's attacked by Lucian (<a href="/players/P___200781/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michael Sheen</a>), the leader of the werewolf community, and the man she wants to save has now become a sworn enemy. Underworld was the first feature film from music video director Len Wiseman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide58Tag Target (>10)74763http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u44416ft525.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Underworld/225183/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/the_mow/archive/2009/4/27/41793.aspx Post By: The_MOW
Post To: The_MOW Blog
Post Date: 4/27/2009 11:40:52 AM
Body: "The Underworld" is a poor vampire versus werewolf movie where a vampire warrior (Kate Beckinsale) teams with a human (Scott Speedman) who wants to end the war between vampires and werewolves which has been around for centuries. The only good thing about this movie is the dark style it is presented in. The sets and wardrobes are all dark colors, there is nothing bright and cheery in any part of the movie. The acting is, at best, fair. You really do not cheer or boo anybody in this movie. Except for maybe the fight near the end between the lead vampire and the human, who turns out to be a hybrid of a vampire-werewolf union. There is little to no action in this movie. Of what there is, it is nothing too exciting. The amount of blood is also pretty disappointing. Since the plot involves vampires, there should have been more blood than there is. You also get a feel that this movie steals from "The Matrix" movies -- right down to the clothing and the "agility" of the characters. "The Matrix" movies are slightly better than this movie. Another problem with this movie is there are numerous plot holes. One perfect example of this is the relationship between Speedman and Beckinsale's characters. The movie doesn't explore their relationship. You see them kiss once, but there is nothing to expand the budding romance. The end hints of a sequel, but I seriously doubt there will be one. I suggest you pass over this one if you see it at your local rental store.
]]>Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:40:52 GMTThe_MOWThe_MOW Blog4/27/2009 11:40:52 AM"The Underworld" is a poor vampire versus werewolf movie where a vampire warrior (Kate Beckinsale) teams with a human (Scott Speedman) who wants to end the war between vampires and werewolves which has been around for centuries. The only good thing about this movie is the dark style it is presented in. The sets and wardrobes are all dark colors, there is nothing bright and cheery in any part of the movie. The acting is, at best, fair. You really do not cheer or boo anybody in this movie. Except for maybe the fight near the end between the lead vampire and the human, who turns out to be a hybrid of a vampire-werewolf union. There is little to no action in this movie. Of what there is, it is nothing too exciting. The amount of blood is also pretty disappointing. Since the plot involves vampires, there should have been more blood than there is. You also get a feel that this movie steals from "The Matrix" movies -- right down to the clothing and the "agility" of the characters. "The Matrix" movies are slightly better than this movie. Another problem with this movie is there are numerous plot holes. One perfect example of this is the relationship between Speedman and Beckinsale's characters. The movie doesn't explore their relationship. You see them kiss once, but there is nothing to expand the budding romance. The end hints of a sequel, but I seriously doubt there will be one. I suggest you pass over this one if you see it at your local rental store. http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/New_Movies_1_23_Babes_vs_Vikings/216/39679/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 1/19/2009 5:16:06 PM
Body: 1. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans -- Watch the trailer. In the much-awaited sequel Underwear: Rise of the Lycra, we learn that a wicked wedgie has taken the life of Kate Beckinsale. Replacing Beckinsale is Rhona Mitra, one of the toughest chicks I've ever seen in film. (Fans of post-apocalyptic horror should check out Neil Marshal's Doomsday. Watch the trailer.) Fleshing out the cast are Martin Sheen and the excellent Bill Nighy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Valkyrie). Nighy gave a hint about his role at the Comic-Con preview: "I’m a vampire, I’m a zombie, and I’m a squid. How many people do you know who can make that claim?" I don't know, but I've eaten those three kinds of meat at one sitting. How many can make that claim? Rise of the Lycra was preceded by Underwear: Elle Macpherson (watch trailer) and the original Underwear (watch trailer). Now, onto the next movie: 2. Inkheart -- Watch the trailer. Hey, speaking of Brendan Fraser, recast Encino Man to win a t-shirt. 3. Killshot -- Watch the trailer. What's more mysterious: when untalented people make a good film, or when talented people make a bad film? Since Killshot's release was bumped five times and was almost a direct-to-DVD release, it seems producer Harvey Weinstein just wants the film to go away. Read more. Still, there might be some potential here since it came from an Elmore Leonard novel. 4. Outlander (limited release) -- Watch the trailer. Wow, Vikings vs. aliens! I want this to be good, but since it's another film that Harvey Weinstein wanted to disappear, it's probably not. And darn it, why do they have to show the monster in the trailer? Outlander looks about as good as Pathfinder (2007), which was Vikings vs. Native Americans, or The 13th Warrior, which was Vikings vs. a Middle Eastern scholar. What kind of Viking match-ups would you like to see? How about Vikings vs. Predator? P.S., I really dug that Vikings vs. Tomb Raider movie, Beowulf (2006).
]]>Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:16:06 GMTspoutComing Soon1/19/2009 5:16:06 PM 1. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans -- Watch the trailer. In the much-awaited sequel Underwear: Rise of the Lycra, we learn that a wicked wedgie has taken the life of Kate Beckinsale. Replacing Beckinsale is Rhona Mitra, one of the toughest chicks I've ever seen in film. (Fans of post-apocalyptic horror should check out Neil Marshal's Doomsday. Watch the trailer.) Fleshing out the cast are Martin Sheen and the excellent Bill Nighy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Valkyrie). Nighy gave a hint about his role at the Comic-Con preview: "I&rsquo;m a vampire, I&rsquo;m a zombie, and I&rsquo;m a squid. How many people do you know who can make that claim?" I don't know, but I've eaten those three kinds of meat at one sitting. How many can make that claim? Rise of the Lycra was preceded by Underwear: Elle Macpherson (watch trailer) and the original Underwear (watch trailer). Now, onto the next movie: 2. Inkheart -- Watch the trailer. Hey, speaking of Brendan Fraser, recast Encino Man to win a t-shirt. 3. Killshot -- Watch the trailer. What's more mysterious: when untalented people make a good film, or when talented people make a bad film? Since Killshot's release was bumped five times and was almost a direct-to-DVD release, it seems producer Harvey Weinstein just wants the film to go away. Read more. Still, there might be some potential here since it came from an Elmore Leonard novel. 4. Outlander (limited release) -- Watch the trailer. Wow, Vikings vs. aliens! I want this to be good, but since it's another film that Harvey Weinstein wanted to disappear, it's probably not. And darn it, why do they have to show the monster in the trailer? Outlander looks about as good as Pathfinder (2007), which was Vikings vs. Native Americans, or The 13th Warrior, which was Vikings vs. a Middle Eastern scholar. What kind of Viking match-ups would you like to see? How about Vikings vs. Predator? P.S., I really dug that Vikings vs. Tomb Raider movie, Beowulf (2006). http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Ass_Kicking_Heroine_Films/190/39317/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 1/9/2009 1:42:23 PM
Body: Ripley from Alien and Selen from Underworld are a couple of my favorite ass kicking heroines. Also while searching for Underworld to link here, I saw the poster for the movie Underworld Beauty which I have not seen. But it looks like it has an ass kicking woman on the front. And it's directed by Seijun Suzuki so I'd definitely watch it.
]]>Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:42:23 GMTRisseladaTop 51/9/2009 1:42:23 PMRipley from Alien and Selen from Underworld are a couple of my favorite ass kicking heroines. Also while searching for Underworld to link here, I saw the poster for the movie Underworld Beauty which I have not seen. But it looks like it has an ass kicking woman on the front. And it's directed by Seijun Suzuki so I'd definitely watch it. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/21/37532.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/21/2008 12:00:37 PM
Body: The vampires of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight novels are described as impossibly beautiful. But it’s one vampire, “Edward Cullen,” who is written as having such appealing details that it would seem impossible for a girl not to fall in love with him. In actuality, that’s what has happened to most females, young and old, who have read the books. And while his cinematic portrayer, Robert Pattinson, doesn’t quite resemble a marble statue of Adonis, the actor is still getting his fair share of seven-year-old suitors asking to be bitten. Cullen is hardly the first vampire to so strongly attract the hearts (and necks) of mortals. But what is it about the bloodsucking undead that turns us on so much? Is it truly their stone-white skin and chiseled features? Or perhaps it’s their ability to go all night long? Let us take a look at the many vampire love interests that literature and cinema have given us over the years in an attempt to find out their sexy secret. 1819: Lord Ruthven from The Vampyre by John Polidori One of the granddaddies of modern English vampire literature, Polidori’s short story features a character not unlike Twilight’s Cullen in terms of suave, seductive sex appeal. Yet this alluring vampire is as deadly as he is desirable, and while he might honor a lady with his hand in marriage, he’s still liable to kill his new bride and then go into hiding. 1828: Lord Ruthven from Der Vampyr by Heinrich Marschner and Wilhelm August Wohlbruck This is basically the same guy from Polidori’s story, but in Marschner and Wohlbruck’s opera he has to disguise himself in order to be granted the young Malwina’s hand. And when he’s exposed, he’s struck by lightning and sent to hell, very much lowering his availability. 1872: Carmilla from Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu Young Laura is just happy to have a new best friend, but lesbian vampire Carmilla is interested in more and keeps lunging at Laura’s chest. Unfortunately, it would take another 100-plus years before heterosexual girls found it both acceptable and trendy to “dyke out” with their gal pals. Also see versions of the story in Carl Dreyer’s Vampyr and Roger Vadim’s Blood and Roses. 1897: Count Dracula from Dracula by Bram Stoker He’s not quite Lucy Westenra’s love-interest, more like a meaningless fling for the newly engaged girl. But after a nightly affair with the Count, Lucy seems to have acquired a mysterious, deadly STD, which is later discovered to be vampirism. Fortunately for Mina Harker, his next “partner,” the disease is curable by way of killing the person you contracted it from. Also see Tod Browning’s 1931 adaptation and Terence Fisher’s 1958 version. 1922: Count Orlok from Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau Based on Dracula, Orlok (Max Schreck) is also not much of a love-interest, probably because he’s so damn ugly. But he is tricked into thinking he’s desired at the end, as Ellen (Greta Schroder) gives up her body as a self-sacrificial attempt to stop the spread of vampirism to others. Or because she’s like those cruel popular girls at school who’d tease the nerds for their own narcissistic pleasure. 1966-1971: Barnabas Collins from Dark Shadows, created by Dan Curtis He should have never cheated on his true love, Josette, or he might never have been turned into a vampire by his jilted, supernatural mistress, Angelique (Lara Parker). And Josette might never have killed herself. Ever since, Barnabus (Jonathan Frid) has just been looking to replace her, whether with look-a-likes or her actual reincarnated spirit. And no girl wants to feel like she’s a substitute for another woman, even if she’s supposedly that woman reborn. 1969-present: Vampirella from miscellaneous Vampirella comics, created by Forrest J. Ackerman Though a vampire hunter by trade, Adam Van Helsing couldn’t help falling for Vampirella the moment he first laid eyes on her. He would say that it’s because she’s not like other vampires, that she’s not evil. But he’s a guy, and really the immediate attraction was that body and its near lack of clothing. 1970: Carmilla from The Vampire Lovers, directed by Roy Ward Baker Ingrid Pitt is hot and all, and those longing stares of hers are enchanting, but the only reason she has more luck seducing friends like Emma (Madeline Smith) than did her 19th century literary counterpart is because this film was made at a time when experimentation with lesbianism was becoming more acceptable, especially to the guys who went to these kinds of movies. Not surprisingly, there would be plenty more soft-core lesbian vampire movies to come. 1972: Prince Mamuwalde from Blacula, directed by William Crain Blacula (William Marshall) may be one smooth vampire, but he’s not so good at keeping his ladylove from being killed…twice! At least he comes to the understanding that he’s as dangerous as he is attractive and so doesn’t allow any more women to succumb to his seductions. 1979: Count Dracula from Love at First Bite, directed by Stan Dragoti Thanks to blood banks, Dracula (George Hamilton) no longer needs to be such a villain, and he can devote himself more fully to romantic pursuits. Unfortunately, he’s got issues similar to those of Barnabus Collins and is only after a girl (Susan Saint James) who reminds him of his true love, Mina Harker. Fortunately, she’s kind of flaky and she doesn’t mind being a substitute. 1983: Miriam Blaylock from The Hunger, directed by Tony Scott No man or woman can resist the beauty of this vampire played by Catherine Deneuve, but her lovers pay a terrible price. They become immortal yet they still age, so they end up looking like the walking dead rather than the undead. Still, Miriam has amazing seductive powers, and even after seeing what has happened to one companion/victim, and even though she’s married and not a lesbian, Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon) can’t help climbing into bed with the gorgeous creature. 1985: Countess from Once Bitten, directed by Howard Storm With a girlfriend as hot as his, Mark (Jim Carrey) should just wait for her. But as a teenage male, he’s got to have sex, and like many young dudes, a sexy older woman is the answer. But not only does she not take his virginity, she begins turning him into a vampire and, worse, won’t allow his attempt at a one-night stand be simply that. 1987: Star from The Lost Boys, directed by Joel Schumacher She’s only a half-vampire, but that makes Star (Jami Gertz) all the more appealing to the new guy in town, Michael (Jason Patric). Especially when it turns out she’s not a full-blown vampire because she didn’t kill him as instructed. 1989: Rachel from Vampire’s Kiss, directed by Robert Bierman Like Countess from Once Bitten, this beautiful vampire (played by Jennifer Beals) similarly serves as a caution against one-night stands. But she could also just be a figment of Nicolas Cage’s character’s imagination. 1992: Count Dracula from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola Those sunglasses are downright sexy, but thanks to a prologue connecting Dracula to Vlad the Impaler, the titular vampire (played by Gary Oldman) has pretty much the same obsession issues he exhibits in Love at First Bite. He’s just after Mina (Winona Ryder) because she resembles his love from centuries earlier. Which means that girl in 1979 actually reminds him of Elisabeta. 1994: Lestat and Louis from Interview with the Vampire, directed by Neil Jordan It’s kind of like My Two Dads, only one of the guys is actually into the other guy and the non-bisexual one acquired their “daughter” (Kirsten Dunst) by metaphorically pedophilic means. And 30 years later she can’t forgive him for having his way with her, forever stunting her growth as a woman. Dysfunctional family or strange vampiric romance? When you’re as good looking as Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, it’s hard not to attract all sorts of admirers and possibly complicated relationships. 1995: Maximillian from Vampire in Brooklyn, directed by Wes Craven Even for the ‘90s, that mullet was not attractive, yet it somehow didn’t deter Angela Bassett’s character from falling victim to Eddie Murphy’s advances, as well as his fangs. 1997-2003: Angel and Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Joss Whedon Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is apparently similar to Adam in the Vampirella comics, because even though it’s her job to slay vampires, sometimes she can’t help but have sex with them. It’s not her fault though, especially if they have a soul and look like hunky actor David Boreanaz, or if they’re just Billy Idol-sexy like actor James Marsters. 2003: Selena from Underworld, directed by Len Wiseman It’s hard enough making a relationship work between a vampire and a human, but vampire on werewolf love is totally out of the question. Or is it vampire on vampire/werewolf hybrid love? Who cares, Kate Beckinsale is hot in that leather outfit! Whatever he is, Michael (Scott Speedman) is a lucky man, or something. 2008: Bill Compton from True Blood, created by Alan Ball At last, vampires have gained civil rights, yet interspecies love is still not completely acceptable. This of course makes them even more appealing to open-minded and sexually curious individuals like Sookie (Anna Paquin), who is immediately smitten with Bill the vampire (Stephen Moyer) when he walks into her bar/life. 2008: Eli from Let the Right One In, directed by Thomas Alfredson Many young boys tormented by bullies eventually turn to the goth subculture for acceptance. And typically the initial attraction is by way of a cute goth chick, similar to the crush Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) has on his new neighbor, Eli (Lina Leandersson). But if that chick turns out to actually be a vampire and is able to fight her boyfriend’s battles for him, it might be time for that guy to find a new crush and subculture. Hint: ska girls are cute, too, if there’s any still out there. 2008: Edward Cullen from Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke He may be the hottest thing to happen to young girls since The Beatles, but he’s obviously more of a fantasy, not being real and all. Still, to fellow character Bella (Kristen Stewart), he’s absolutely perfect, and perfectly incarnate. It’s a little strange that he’s 108-years-old and still attending high school — or maybe that’s just his way of finding statutory rape victims — but otherwise he’s attractive in every single way. Except that he’s not human, and he puts her life in danger. But apparently those things are part of the allure of vampires. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:00:37 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/21/2008 12:00:37 PMThe vampires of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight novels are described as impossibly beautiful. But it’s one vampire, “Edward Cullen,” who is written as having such appealing details that it would seem impossible for a girl not to fall in love with him. In actuality, that’s what has happened to most females, young and old, who have read the books. And while his cinematic portrayer, Robert Pattinson, doesn’t quite resemble a marble statue of Adonis, the actor is still getting his fair share of seven-year-old suitors asking to be bitten. Cullen is hardly the first vampire to so strongly attract the hearts (and necks) of mortals. But what is it about the bloodsucking undead that turns us on so much? Is it truly their stone-white skin and chiseled features? Or perhaps it’s their ability to go all night long? Let us take a look at the many vampire love interests that literature and cinema have given us over the years in an attempt to find out their sexy secret. 1819: Lord Ruthven from The Vampyre by John Polidori One of the granddaddies of modern English vampire literature, Polidori’s short story features a character not unlike Twilight’s Cullen in terms of suave, seductive sex appeal. Yet this alluring vampire is as deadly as he is desirable, and while he might honor a lady with his hand in marriage, he’s still liable to kill his new bride and then go into hiding. 1828: Lord Ruthven from Der Vampyr by Heinrich Marschner and Wilhelm August Wohlbruck This is basically the same guy from Polidori’s story, but in Marschner and Wohlbruck’s opera he has to disguise himself in order to be granted the young Malwina’s hand. And when he’s exposed, he’s struck by lightning and sent to hell, very much lowering his availability. 1872: Carmilla from Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu Young Laura is just happy to have a new best friend, but lesbian vampire Carmilla is interested in more and keeps lunging at Laura’s chest. Unfortunately, it would take another 100-plus years before heterosexual girls found it both acceptable and trendy to “dyke out” with their gal pals. Also see versions of the story in Carl Dreyer’s Vampyr and Roger Vadim’s Blood and Roses. 1897: Count Dracula from Dracula by Bram Stoker He’s not quite Lucy Westenra’s love-interest, more like a meaningless fling for the newly engaged girl. But after a nightly affair with the Count, Lucy seems to have acquired a mysterious, deadly STD, which is later discovered to be vampirism. Fortunately for Mina Harker, his next “partner,” the disease is curable by way of killing the person you contracted it from. Also see Tod Browning’s 1931 adaptation and Terence Fisher’s 1958 version. 1922: Count Orlok from Nosferatu, directed by F.W. Murnau Based on Dracula, Orlok (Max Schreck) is also not much of a love-interest, probably because he’s so damn ugly. But he is tricked into thinking he’s desired at the end, as Ellen (Greta Schroder) gives up her body as a self-sacrificial attempt to stop the spread of vampirism to others. Or because she’s like those cruel popular girls at school who’d tease the nerds for their own narcissistic pleasure. 1966-1971: Barnabas Collins from Dark Shadows, created by Dan Curtis He should have never cheated on his true love, Josette, or he might never have been turned into a vampire by his jilted, supernatural mistress, Angelique (Lara Parker). And Josette might never have killed herself. Ever since, Barnabus (Jonathan Frid) has just been looking to replace her, whether with look-a-likes or her actual reincarnated spirit. And no girl wants to feel like she’s a substitute for another woman, even if she’s supposedly that woman reborn. 1969-present: Vampirella from miscellaneous Vampirella comics, created by Forrest J. Ackerman Though a vampire hunter by trade, Adam Van Helsing couldn’t help falling for Vampirella the moment he first laid eyes on her. He would say that it’s because she’s not like other vampires, that she’s not evil. But he’s a guy, and really the immediate attraction was that body and its near lack of clothing. 1970: Carmilla from The Vampire Lovers, directed by Roy Ward Baker Ingrid Pitt is hot and all, and those longing stares of hers are enchanting, but the only reason she has more luck seducing friends like Emma (Madeline Smith) than did her 19th century literary counterpart is because this film was made at a time when experimentation with lesbianism was becoming more acceptable, especially to the guys who went to these kinds of movies. Not surprisingly, there would be plenty more soft-core lesbian vampire movies to come. 1972: Prince Mamuwalde from Blacula, directed by William Crain Blacula (William Marshall) may be one smooth vampire, but he’s not so good at keeping his ladylove from being killed…twice! At least he comes to the understanding that he’s as dangerous as he is attractive and so doesn’t allow any more women to succumb to his seductions. 1979: Count Dracula from Love at First Bite, directed by Stan Dragoti Thanks to blood banks, Dracula (George Hamilton) no longer needs to be such a villain, and he can devote himself more fully to romantic pursuits. Unfortunately, he’s got issues similar to those of Barnabus Collins and is only after a girl (Susan Saint James) who reminds him of his true love, Mina Harker. Fortunately, she’s kind of flaky and she doesn’t mind being a substitute. 1983: Miriam Blaylock from The Hunger, directed by Tony Scott No man or woman can resist the beauty of this vampire played by Catherine Deneuve, but her lovers pay a terrible price. They become immortal yet they still age, so they end up looking like the walking dead rather than the undead. Still, Miriam has amazing seductive powers, and even after seeing what has happened to one companion/victim, and even though she’s married and not a lesbian, Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon) can’t help climbing into bed with the gorgeous creature. 1985: Countess from Once Bitten, directed by Howard Storm With a girlfriend as hot as his, Mark (Jim Carrey) should just wait for her. But as a teenage male, he’s got to have sex, and like many young dudes, a sexy older woman is the answer. But not only does she not take his virginity, she begins turning him into a vampire and, worse, won’t allow his attempt at a one-night stand be simply that. 1987: Star from The Lost Boys, directed by Joel Schumacher She’s only a half-vampire, but that makes Star (Jami Gertz) all the more appealing to the new guy in town, Michael (Jason Patric). Especially when it turns out she’s not a full-blown vampire because she didn’t kill him as instructed. 1989: Rachel from Vampire’s Kiss, directed by Robert Bierman Like Countess from Once Bitten, this beautiful vampire (played by Jennifer Beals) similarly serves as a caution against one-night stands. But she could also just be a figment of Nicolas Cage’s character’s imagination. 1992: Count Dracula from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola Those sunglasses are downright sexy, but thanks to a prologue connecting Dracula to Vlad the Impaler, the titular vampire (played by Gary Oldman) has pretty much the same obsession issues he exhibits in Love at First Bite. He’s just after Mina (Winona Ryder) because she resembles his love from centuries earlier. Which means that girl in 1979 actually reminds him of Elisabeta. 1994: Lestat and Louis from Interview with the Vampire, directed by Neil Jordan It’s kind of like My Two Dads, only one of the guys is actually into the other guy and the non-bisexual one acquired their “daughter” (Kirsten Dunst) by metaphorically pedophilic means. And 30 years later she can’t forgive him for having his way with her, forever stunting her growth as a woman. Dysfunctional family or strange vampiric romance? When you’re as good looking as Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, it’s hard not to attract all sorts of admirers and possibly complicated relationships. 1995: Maximillian from Vampire in Brooklyn, directed by Wes Craven Even for the ‘90s, that mullet was not attractive, yet it somehow didn’t deter Angela Bassett’s character from falling victim to Eddie Murphy’s advances, as well as his fangs. 1997-2003: Angel and Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Joss Whedon Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is apparently similar to Adam in the Vampirella comics, because even though it’s her job to slay vampires, sometimes she can’t help but have sex with them. It’s not her fault though, especially if they have a soul and look like hunky actor David Boreanaz, or if they’re just Billy Idol-sexy like actor James Marsters. 2003: Selena from Underworld, directed by Len Wiseman It’s hard enough making a relationship work between a vampire and a human, but vampire on werewolf love is totally out of the question. Or is it vampire on vampire/werewolf hybrid love? Who cares, Kate Beckinsale is hot in that leather outfit! Whatever he is, Michael (Scott Speedman) is a lucky man, or something. 2008: Bill Compton from True Blood, created by Alan Ball At last, vampires have gained civil rights, yet interspecies love is still not completely acceptable. This of course makes them even more appealing to open-minded and sexually curious individuals like Sookie (Anna Paquin), who is immediately smitten with Bill the vampire (Stephen Moyer) when he walks into her bar/life. 2008: Eli from Let the Right One In, directed by Thomas Alfredson Many young boys tormented by bullies eventually turn to the goth subculture for acceptance. And typically the initial attraction is by way of a cute goth chick, similar to the crush Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) has on his new neighbor, Eli (Lina Leandersson). But if that chick turns out to actually be a vampire and is able to fight her boyfriend’s battles for him, it might be time for that guy to find a new crush and subculture. Hint: ska girls are cute, too, if there’s any still out there. 2008: Edward Cullen from Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke He may be the hottest thing to happen to young girls since The Beatles, but he’s obviously more of a fantasy, not being real and all. Still, to fellow character Bella (Kristen Stewart), he’s absolutely perfect, and perfectly incarnate. It’s a little strange that he’s 108-years-old and still attending high school — or maybe that’s just his way of finding statutory rape victims — but otherwise he’s attractive in every single way. Except that he’s not human, and he puts her life in danger. But apparently those things are part of the allure of vampires. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/7/26/33126.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 7/26/2008 9:01:37 PM
Body: 9:00 - Q: “Will William and Marcus be in this movie?” A: “Well, we talk about them. They won’t be actively part of the story, but they are the roots of it.” People are starting to get bored, and new folks are filing in. We keep getting asked, “Has the Pineapple Express part started yet?!” 8:58 - Rhona Mitra is going on and on about how strong her character Celine is. She’s been talking for quite awhile now, and someone shouts “YOU’RE HOT!” Rhona explains that she wears an extremely skimpy outfit in this movie, “I think you’ll all be satisfied… I know the crew were.” 8:55 - Bill Nighy is being praised for all of his work, including The Girl in the Cafe… nice! I sincerely suspect that hardly anyone in this massive hall has even seen that movie. If you haven’t, go out and rent it right now.” The little kid from earlier today is back… seriously, did Comic-Con hire this guy? He wants to know if the movie is all story, or all action, or a balance of both. Director Patrick Tatopoulos said “It’ll have a good, strong story, but you’ll also see armies of werewolves attacking.” 8:52 - According to Rhona Mitra, it’s a bit “Rome and Juliet-esque.” Bill: “I’m a vampire, I’m a zombie, and I’m a squid. How many people do you know who can make that claim?” BIll: “I was very lucky to be in the first film, which we made for a modest financial amount. It was a hit in America, and just look at us now.” Kevin Grevioux has a voice that sounds like Barry White gargling glass, literally. It’s almost like pure evil. 8:49 - Rhona Mitra, Bill Nighy, and Kevin Grevioux take the stage to talk about the flick. Kate Beckinsale is suspiciously absent, although she’s been a Comic-Con mainstay for the first two Underworld films and Whiteout, so maybe she’s earned a break. 8:48 - Now they’re showing us footage from Underworld, which is a prequel to the other films. The footage isn’t quite done, the effects are extremely rough, and it looks a hell of a lot like… Underworld 1, and Underworld 2. Seriously, I haven’t seen any of these Underworld flicks. Am I missing out? 8:45 - Quarantine is based on the Spanish film Rec, as in the “Rec” that appears in the viewfinder when you use a video camera, and it actually looks fairly good. Think The Blair Witch Project, with zombies, in a 28 Days Later kind of fast-cut movie. Creepy. 8:41 - Here we go… Eddie Ibrahim from Comic-Con is back out front to introduce “One more great panel for you guys tonight!” So here’s…. oh, Jeff Walker. Also from Comic-Con. Here’s the Quarantine trailer… the edgier version. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:01:37 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com7/26/2008 9:01:37 PM9:00 - Q: “Will William and Marcus be in this movie?” A: “Well, we talk about them. They won’t be actively part of the story, but they are the roots of it.” People are starting to get bored, and new folks are filing in. We keep getting asked, “Has the Pineapple Express part started yet?!” 8:58 - Rhona Mitra is going on and on about how strong her character Celine is. She’s been talking for quite awhile now, and someone shouts “YOU’RE HOT!” Rhona explains that she wears an extremely skimpy outfit in this movie, “I think you’ll all be satisfied… I know the crew were.” 8:55 - Bill Nighy is being praised for all of his work, including The Girl in the Cafe… nice! I sincerely suspect that hardly anyone in this massive hall has even seen that movie. If you haven’t, go out and rent it right now.” The little kid from earlier today is back… seriously, did Comic-Con hire this guy? He wants to know if the movie is all story, or all action, or a balance of both. Director Patrick Tatopoulos said “It’ll have a good, strong story, but you’ll also see armies of werewolves attacking.” 8:52 - According to Rhona Mitra, it’s a bit “Rome and Juliet-esque.” Bill: “I’m a vampire, I’m a zombie, and I’m a squid. How many people do you know who can make that claim?” BIll: “I was very lucky to be in the first film, which we made for a modest financial amount. It was a hit in America, and just look at us now.” Kevin Grevioux has a voice that sounds like Barry White gargling glass, literally. It’s almost like pure evil. 8:49 - Rhona Mitra, Bill Nighy, and Kevin Grevioux take the stage to talk about the flick. Kate Beckinsale is suspiciously absent, although she’s been a Comic-Con mainstay for the first two Underworld films and Whiteout, so maybe she’s earned a break. 8:48 - Now they’re showing us footage from Underworld, which is a prequel to the other films. The footage isn’t quite done, the effects are extremely rough, and it looks a hell of a lot like… Underworld 1, and Underworld 2. Seriously, I haven’t seen any of these Underworld flicks. Am I missing out? 8:45 - Quarantine is based on the Spanish film Rec, as in the “Rec” that appears in the viewfinder when you use a video camera, and it actually looks fairly good. Think The Blair Witch Project, with zombies, in a 28 Days Later kind of fast-cut movie. Creepy. 8:41 - Here we go… Eddie Ibrahim from Comic-Con is back out front to introduce “One more great panel for you guys tonight!” So here’s…. oh, Jeff Walker. Also from Comic-Con. Here’s the Quarantine trailer… the edgier version. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/4/23/27702.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 4/23/2008 2:00:43 PM
Body: Discussion of this summer’s heroine lack is in full throttle. Last friday, New York’s Vulture blog asked, “Where are the Roles for Superwomen?; Stu at Defamer jumped off from there, ultimately suggesting an X-Men spin-off for Ellen Page; John at The Movie Blog listed reasons “Why Most Female Lead Action Films Don’t Succeed” (shocker: men can’t identify with or believe in strong — and strong — female characters). Now, adding to the conversation in the least noble way possible, USA Weekend presents the appropriately titled “Girls Want to Have Fun, Too”, a cover story (with the least flattering photos I’ve ever seen) from its summer movie preview that spotlights Gwyneth Paltrow, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Liv Tyler as the “leading ladies” of the season’s three big comic book adaptations. Of course, each of these three actresses are only secondary figures to their superhero counterparts (in Iron Man, The Dark Knight and The Incredible Hulk, respectively). But that’s not the worst of it: the women are asked what kind of super powers they would like to have in real life (how about in movie life, as in what superheroine they’d like to play?), and when questioned on the subject of women’s roles in superhero movies, each suggests that we’ve seen great progress: How do you think women have changed in these kind of films over the years? Gwyneth: There’s a reason why they’re hiring actresses like us. We’re all women, we’re all mothers, and we all normally do different films. There’s a certain understanding of who we are and what we bring and a certain respect for that. Maggie: Twenty or 30 years ago, the women in these films were vapid and just appeared for extra silliness. Liv: In all these films, our characters have real jobs and really fall in love and have real dilemmas. When you look at the history of the comic books, the women also have changed. Well, maybe none of them has to suffer a wet t-shirt scene, ala Kirsten Dunst in Spider-Man, but that doesn’t mean things are truly better. Really, it would be much better if the women in these kinds of movies were the actual leads. And it’s not like we’ve never seen a great action heroine — two of the greatest action films of all time, Aliens and Terminator 2, both directed by James Cameron, feature non-sexualized, kick-ass female leads. Plus, as silly as they come, movies like Charlie’s Angels, Kill Bill, Lara Craft: Tomb Raider, Underworld and Resident Evil have shown that sexy female-led action films can be relatively successful, too. So, why does it still take forever to get a Wonder Woman film off the ground? (The rumored re-cancellation of Warner Bros.’ Justice League movie is another bad sign for that one). Why are there no female spin-offs from the X-Men movies? Is Hollywood really dumb enough to think the disappointments of Catwoman, Aeon Flux, Elektra, Supergirl, Barb Wire, etc. can be blamed on the gender of their stars? Just as many male-led superhero movies have been terrible, right? OK, so let’s compromise, at least. Give us a movie were there’s at least a male-female superduo, like Cloak and Dagger or even The Wonder Twins. Or give Wolverine a sidekick, either Kitty Pryde or Jubilee, in his next solo outing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:00:43 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com4/23/2008 2:00:43 PM Discussion of this summer’s heroine lack is in full throttle. Last friday, New York’s Vulture blog asked, “Where are the Roles for Superwomen?; Stu at Defamer jumped off from there, ultimately suggesting an X-Men spin-off for Ellen Page; John at The Movie Blog listed reasons “Why Most Female Lead Action Films Don’t Succeed” (shocker: men can’t identify with or believe in strong — and strong — female characters). Now, adding to the conversation in the least noble way possible, USA Weekend presents the appropriately titled “Girls Want to Have Fun, Too”, a cover story (with the least flattering photos I’ve ever seen) from its summer movie preview that spotlights Gwyneth Paltrow, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Liv Tyler as the “leading ladies” of the season’s three big comic book adaptations. Of course, each of these three actresses are only secondary figures to their superhero counterparts (in Iron Man, The Dark Knight and The Incredible Hulk, respectively). But that’s not the worst of it: the women are asked what kind of super powers they would like to have in real life (how about in movie life, as in what superheroine they’d like to play?), and when questioned on the subject of women’s roles in superhero movies, each suggests that we’ve seen great progress: How do you think women have changed in these kind of films over the years? Gwyneth: There’s a reason why they’re hiring actresses like us. We’re all women, we’re all mothers, and we all normally do different films. There’s a certain understanding of who we are and what we bring and a certain respect for that. Maggie: Twenty or 30 years ago, the women in these films were vapid and just appeared for extra silliness. Liv: In all these films, our characters have real jobs and really fall in love and have real dilemmas. When you look at the history of the comic books, the women also have changed. Well, maybe none of them has to suffer a wet t-shirt scene, ala Kirsten Dunst in Spider-Man, but that doesn’t mean things are truly better. Really, it would be much better if the women in these kinds of movies were the actual leads. And it’s not like we’ve never seen a great action heroine — two of the greatest action films of all time, Aliens and Terminator 2, both directed by James Cameron, feature non-sexualized, kick-ass female leads. Plus, as silly as they come, movies like Charlie’s Angels, Kill Bill, Lara Craft: Tomb Raider, Underworld and Resident Evil have shown that sexy female-led action films can be relatively successful, too. So, why does it still take forever to get a Wonder Woman film off the ground? (The rumored re-cancellation of Warner Bros.’ Justice League movie is another bad sign for that one). Why are there no female spin-offs from the X-Men movies? Is Hollywood really dumb enough to think the disappointments of Catwoman, Aeon Flux, Elektra, Supergirl, Barb Wire, etc. can be blamed on the gender of their stars? Just as many male-led superhero movies have been terrible, right? OK, so let’s compromise, at least. Give us a movie were there’s at least a male-female superduo, like Cloak and Dagger or even The Wonder Twins. Or give Wolverine a sidekick, either Kitty Pryde or Jubilee, in his next solo outing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/leeroy711/archive/2008/2/27/25657.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: leeroy711 Blog
Post Date: 2/27/2008 6:05:33 PM
Body: **** stars (out of 5) Directed By: Timur Bekmembetov Starring: Konstantin Khabensky, Vladamir Menshov & Valeri Zolotukhin Language: Russian with English subtitles Synopsis: Since the dawn of time, vampires, witches, and shape-shifters (known in this film as "others") have been fighting each other over mankind. The two groups are called the "light others" (the good) and the "dark others" (the evil). Thousands of years ago, the two sides called a truce. The primary condition of the truce: that every human must be free to choose between light and dark. The protectors of this truce are called Night Watch (light others) and Day Watch (dark other). They are constantly policing each other in search of violations of the truce. We enter this story in present day Moscow in the midst of a prophecy fulfillment. This film is the first part of a trilogy based on Sergei Lukyanenko's best selling novels: Night Watch, Day Watch and Dusk Watch. Review: The plot of this film was far more involved than any of its American counterparts. It definitely commands more attention than "Underworld" or "Constantine" to follow the story. I enjoyed the effects a great deal. The director seemed to focus on giving the film a more artsy feel rather than dazzling the audience with big production effects. Certain scenes are more unreal and almost seem cheesy. This gives the film more of a sci-fi feel than a horror feel. Although in some cases the effects were both. I particularly liked the "gloom" scenes. I also love that the subtitles are given a little extra attention and are actually integrated as part of the feature. This makes them less of a distraction and keeps the overall mood of the movie continuous. I didn't find anything particularly great about the acting. The plot and the effects definitely carry the film and it wasn't necessary for the cast to be anything much more than adequate, which they were. Overall I would recommend this film to anyone. I would highly recommend it to anyone that has an interest in the subject matter or someone that just enjoys digging up foreign films. I can't wait for the American versions of the second two installments.
]]>Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:05:33 GMTleeroy711leeroy711 Blog2/27/2008 6:05:33 PM**** stars (out of 5) Directed By: Timur Bekmembetov Starring: Konstantin Khabensky, Vladamir Menshov &amp; Valeri Zolotukhin Language: Russian with English subtitles Synopsis: Since the dawn of time, vampires, witches, and shape-shifters (known in this film as &quot;others&quot;) have been fighting each other over mankind. The two groups are called the &quot;light others&quot; (the good) and the &quot;dark others&quot; (the evil). Thousands of years ago, the two sides called a truce. The primary condition of the truce: that every human must be free to choose between light and dark. The protectors of this truce are called Night Watch (light others) and Day Watch (dark other). They are constantly policing each other in search of violations of the truce. We enter this story in present day Moscow in the midst of a prophecy fulfillment. This film is the first part of a trilogy based on Sergei Lukyanenko&#39;s best selling novels: Night Watch, Day Watch and Dusk Watch. Review: The plot of this film was far more involved than any of its American counterparts. It definitely commands more attention than &quot;Underworld&quot; or &quot;Constantine&quot; to follow the story. I enjoyed the effects a great deal. The director seemed to focus on giving the film a more artsy feel rather than dazzling the audience with big production effects. Certain scenes are more unreal and almost seem cheesy. This gives the film more of a sci-fi feel than a horror feel. Although in some cases the effects were both. I particularly liked the &quot;gloom&quot; scenes. I also love that the subtitles are given a little extra attention and are actually integrated as part of the feature. This makes them less of a distraction and keeps the overall mood of the movie continuous. I didn&#39;t find anything particularly great about the acting. The plot and the effects definitely carry the film and it wasn&#39;t necessary for the cast to be anything much more than adequate, which they were. Overall I would recommend this film to anyone. I would highly recommend it to anyone that has an interest in the subject matter or someone that just enjoys digging up foreign films. I can&#39;t wait for the American versions of the second two installments. http://www.spout.com/blogs/kickstandsup/archive/2007/12/18/22942.aspx Post By: kickstandsup
Post To: kickstandsup Blog
Post Date: 12/18/2007 11:28:58 PM
Body: If you like vampire and werewolf movies, this is one of the best I have seen. Kate Beckinsale is absolutely one of the most stunning vampires I have ever seen. Great special effects, definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and, although I would never admit it, I did jump a few times. It is kind of like a werewolf and vampire Romeo and Juliette movie. Except now they bite. Excellent movie. Wish I could have seen this in the movie theatre. What's that? Underworld Evolution - the sequel? Hmmmm....
]]>Wed, 19 Dec 2007 04:28:58 GMTkickstandsupkickstandsup Blog12/18/2007 11:28:58 PMIf you like vampire and werewolf movies, this is one of the best I have seen. Kate Beckinsale is absolutely one of the most stunning vampires I have ever seen. Great special effects, definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and, although I would never admit it, I did jump a few times. It is kind of like a werewolf and vampire Romeo and Juliette movie. Except now they bite. Excellent movie. Wish I could have seen this in the movie theatre. What&#39;s that? Underworld Evolution - the sequel? Hmmmm.... http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Movie_To_Suprise_You_In_A_Good_Way/190/15664/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: indieabby88
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 7/24/2007 12:37:56 AM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"]Just a couple to pop into my head. Hellboy and Underworld. They both looked like that kind of movie that was really uninspired, horror action type thing. But for some reason I ended up watching both of them and enjoyed them more than I expected. Especially Hellboy which I think think is a better comic book movie of recent years than X-Men, or Batman, or Spider-Man, or any of all that.Come and argue me.[/quote]I'm actually coming to your defense on this one...sort of. I do think "Batman Begins" was leagues better than "Hellboy," but then, "Batman" was a different sort of movie. I was also pleasantly surprised by "Hellboy." I watched it before I knew anything about Mike Mignola, the comic book's creator, and now, after having read some of his stuff and re-watched the movie, I think it really stuck to Mignola's offbeat style. It works. I also know a comic book inker who cites the movie as one of his favorites, and a great example of comic-to-film adaptation. That, for me, gives it pretty good status.My four other pleasantly surprising movies:2. Henry Fool- I didn't know much about Hal Hartley before watching this, and I didn't really know what I was in for. I figured I was going to get bored, and set out with middling-to-low expectations. I ended up totally enamored.3. Delicatessen- I like Jeunet, but although his style is consistently great, his films are not. I wasn't a big fan of "A Very Long Engagement," thought it dragged. The premise for this movie seemed pretty weird, too: a post-apocalyptic future in which normal folks justify resorting to cannibalism. But I ended up really loving this one, too! I thought it was sweet, harrowing and with just the right amount of humor.4. Birthday Girl- The first time I encountered this movie, I read the back of the box at the video store and thought "Hmm, this looks morally questionable." About a year later, I stumbled accross it on IFC while channel surfing, and realized that this was not the movie I'd thought it would be. The film, about a socially inept young man who gets a mail-order bride only to find himself the victim of a scam, is a pretty good story and really, really funny. My instincts that the movie would be "morally questionable" were very wrong.5. Music and Lyrics- I know, I know...But I liked it! Every once in a while I enjoy a good romantic comedy, and this one definitely delivered the goods, even if it was a bit silly.
]]>Tue, 24 Jul 2007 04:37:56 GMTindieabby88Top 57/24/2007 12:37:56 AM[quote user="Risselada"]Just a couple to pop into my head. Hellboy and Underworld. They both looked like that kind of movie that was really uninspired, horror action type thing. But for some reason I ended up watching both of them and enjoyed them more than I expected. Especially Hellboy which I think think is a better comic book movie of recent years than X-Men, or Batman, or Spider-Man, or any of all that.Come and argue me.[/quote]I&#39;m actually coming to your defense on this one...sort of. I do think "Batman Begins" was leagues better than "Hellboy," but then, "Batman" was a different sort of movie. I was also pleasantly surprised by "Hellboy." I watched it before I knew anything about Mike Mignola, the comic book&#39;s creator, and now, after having read some of his stuff and re-watched the movie, I think it really stuck to Mignola&#39;s offbeat style. It works. I also know a comic book inker who cites the movie as one of his favorites, and a great example of comic-to-film adaptation. That, for me, gives it pretty good status.My four other pleasantly surprising movies:2. Henry Fool- I didn&#39;t know much about Hal Hartley before watching this, and I didn&#39;t really know what I was in for. I figured I was going to get bored, and set out with middling-to-low expectations. I ended up totally enamored.3. Delicatessen- I like Jeunet, but although his style is consistently great, his films are not. I wasn&#39;t a big fan of "A Very Long Engagement," thought it dragged. The premise for this movie seemed pretty weird, too: a post-apocalyptic future in which normal folks justify resorting to cannibalism. But I ended up really loving this one, too! I thought it was sweet, harrowing and with just the right amount of humor.4. Birthday Girl- The first time I encountered this movie, I read the back of the box at the video store and thought "Hmm, this looks morally questionable." About a year later, I stumbled accross it on IFC while channel surfing, and realized that this was not the movie I&#39;d thought it would be. The film, about a socially inept young man who gets a mail-order bride only to find himself the victim of a scam, is a pretty good story and really, really funny. My instincts that the movie would be "morally questionable" were very wrong.5. Music and Lyrics- I know, I know...But I liked it! Every once in a while I enjoy a good romantic comedy, and this one definitely delivered the goods, even if it was a bit silly. http://www.spout.com/blogs/moviebabe/archive/2007/7/3/13002.aspx Post By: MovieBabe
Post To: MovieBabe Blog
Post Date: 7/3/2007 6:47:00 PM
Body: By Tricia Olszewski Selene, Hollywood's latest female ass-kicker, seems a bit familiar. Raven-haired and British, she dresses in shiny black cat suits and is well-endowed in the weapons department. She takes easy command of the simple-minded men she must work with to save the world, petulantly explaining—though she really doesn't have time for this—how things need to be done. She fights with agility and grace, often in drippy subterranean environs, and when these sequences really get going, you might just think, This is the best Tomb Raider ever. It's not, of course. It's Underworld, a Gothic tale from first-time director Len Wiseman about vampires and werewolves and the love that's been long lost between them. Selene (Kate Beckinsale, Wiseman's fiancée) is not an adventuress but a vampiric "death dealer" charged with spotting and dispatching "Lycans." When, after one particularly messy battle, Selene notices that the Lycans she was after had been pursuing a human (this discovery comes courtesy of a webcam—these ain't Bram Stoker's bloodsuckers), she makes it her business to find out why. This pursuit upsets her coven—now led by Kraven (Shane Brolly) but once headed by the hallowed Viktor (Bill Nighy)—whose other members would seem to prefer drinking wine and looking fabulous in their medieval lair. Underworld starts out with a bang, wisely limiting Selene's introductory voice-over to the very basics—y'know, a mysterious world beneath our urban streets, a centuries-old secret war—and jumping in with gunslinging vampire-on-werewolf action. But the script, written by actor and stuntman Danny McBride, eventually gets heavy with pseudohistory, feeding the audience mythical backstory with all the portentousness of The Matrix Reloaded. By the time Selene stares reflectively out a window midmovie and utters, "I couldn't save my mother...," you no longer care what she's all about. The effects, meanwhile, are appropriately noirish and thrilling—most notably the transformation of the Lycans to their wolfish state—but a second-act resurrection of the "hibernating" Viktor succeeds in wiping out all the cool that came before it. From the moment his booming, disembodied "What's...this...ruckus?!?" echoes through the coven's mansion, his presence is simply silly. A skeletal, craggy-skinned walking corpse with odd tics and grunts, Viktor appears rather unworthy of the veneration he inspires—though Selene in particular seems, ahem, to carry a torch for the guy, always tossing out "Viktor..." this and "Viktor..." that when she's unhappy with the way Kraven's running the coven. In one of the movie's unintended laughs, her obsession lends an absurdly saucy connotation to her wistful remembrance of "that night he made me a vampire." Though it seems impossible to have a good-hair day in the Underworld—Beckinsale's remains particularly stringy throughout—the movie itself is gorgeous. Wiseman, who worked in the art department on Independence Day and Stargate, collaborates with art director Kevin Phipps to fashion a shadowy, rainy world painted in black, gray, and gunmetal blue. Inhabiting it, Beckinsale makes a worthy if one-note heroine, granting the no-nonsense, smart-alecky Selene the right combination of foxiness and intelligence to make viewers cheer whenever she answers detractors with whupass rather than words. Still, even a valiant attempt to win back the audience's interest with an action-packed bookend is simply too little, too late: As with Selene's dour cinematic doppelgänger, a little levity would have gone a long way.
]]>Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:47:00 GMTMovieBabeMovieBabe Blog7/3/2007 6:47:00 PM By Tricia Olszewski Selene, Hollywood's latest female ass-kicker, seems a bit familiar. Raven-haired and British, she dresses in shiny black cat suits and is well-endowed in the weapons department. She takes easy command of the simple-minded men she must work with to save the world, petulantly explaining&mdash;though she really doesn't have time for this&mdash;how things need to be done. She fights with agility and grace, often in drippy subterranean environs, and when these sequences really get going, you might just think, This is the best Tomb Raider ever. It's not, of course. It's Underworld, a Gothic tale from first-time director Len Wiseman about vampires and werewolves and the love that's been long lost between them. Selene (Kate Beckinsale, Wiseman's fianc&eacute;e) is not an adventuress but a vampiric "death dealer" charged with spotting and dispatching "Lycans." When, after one particularly messy battle, Selene notices that the Lycans she was after had been pursuing a human (this discovery comes courtesy of a webcam&mdash;these ain't Bram Stoker's bloodsuckers), she makes it her business to find out why. This pursuit upsets her coven&mdash;now led by Kraven (Shane Brolly) but once headed by the hallowed Viktor (Bill Nighy)&mdash;whose other members would seem to prefer drinking wine and looking fabulous in their medieval lair. Underworld starts out with a bang, wisely limiting Selene's introductory voice-over to the very basics&mdash;y'know, a mysterious world beneath our urban streets, a centuries-old secret war&mdash;and jumping in with gunslinging vampire-on-werewolf action. But the script, written by actor and stuntman Danny McBride, eventually gets heavy with pseudohistory, feeding the audience mythical backstory with all the portentousness of The Matrix Reloaded. By the time Selene stares reflectively out a window midmovie and utters, "I couldn't save my mother...," you no longer care what she's all about. The effects, meanwhile, are appropriately noirish and thrilling&mdash;most notably the transformation of the Lycans to their wolfish state&mdash;but a second-act resurrection of the "hibernating" Viktor succeeds in wiping out all the cool that came before it. From the moment his booming, disembodied "What's...this...ruckus?!?" echoes through the coven's mansion, his presence is simply silly. A skeletal, craggy-skinned walking corpse with odd tics and grunts, Viktor appears rather unworthy of the veneration he inspires&mdash;though Selene in particular seems, ahem, to carry a torch for the guy, always tossing out "Viktor..." this and "Viktor..." that when she's unhappy with the way Kraven's running the coven. In one of the movie's unintended laughs, her obsession lends an absurdly saucy connotation to her wistful remembrance of "that night he made me a vampire." Though it seems impossible to have a good-hair day in the Underworld&mdash;Beckinsale's remains particularly stringy throughout&mdash;the movie itself is gorgeous. Wiseman, who worked in the art department on Independence Day and Stargate, collaborates with art director Kevin Phipps to fashion a shadowy, rainy world painted in black, gray, and gunmetal blue. Inhabiting it, Beckinsale makes a worthy if one-note heroine, granting the no-nonsense, smart-alecky Selene the right combination of foxiness and intelligence to make viewers cheer whenever she answers detractors with whupass rather than words. Still, even a valiant attempt to win back the audience's interest with an action-packed bookend is simply too little, too late: As with Selene's dour cinematic doppelg&auml;nger, a little levity would have gone a long way. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspxLoved-It
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