Another week gone and it’s once again time for me to take you through my DVD picks of the week: Read the full story

ACTION

If the films of the 1990s gave us reasons for the end of the world, the films of the 2000s took those reasons to their logical conclusion. We were shown what the end of the world will look like, and shown who’d be there when the dust settled. Last fall it was a father (Viggo Mortenson) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and there most precious resource was a gun. In January, it was Denzel Washington and his most precious resource was a book. That and a Samurai sword.

The days of apocalyptic glimpses are far behind us (remember 1992′s Terminator 2 and its inspired, momentary glances forward?). These days, terminators are fought 20 years from now in the middle of human extermination and heroes like John Connor have to deal with the poor decision-making of their ignorant leaders, yelling cynical, culturally-relevant lines like “If we stay the course, we’re dead! We’re all dead!”

The 1990s’ curious/adventurous predictions of future technology and its ability to destroy the world were replaced with films (at the tail end of the 1990s and throughout the 2000s) so technologically advanced that they mirrored the technology responsible for said imagined disasters. Films like The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings and Avatar employed computers to develop creatures that, while not quite photo-realistic, appear very much alive. Explosions occur right in front of our eyes, yet exist only inside the mind of a device.

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THR recently published a list provided by The Academy’s visual effects branch that contains seven films up for the best visual effects nominations. The list includes:

Avatar

District 9

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Star Trek

Terminator Salvation

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2012

They plan to take this list down to 3 films and announce it on February 2nd along with the rest of the categories. The ceremony will be held on March 3rd.

This award is going to go to AVATAR hands down. If I had to guess what the other two noms are going to be, I would have to say Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and District 9. I could see the Academy not giving D9 a nom because while revolutionary in what they were able to do with the budget they had, there are better looking films like Star Trek.

Who do you think the final nominations will be?

NOTE: Massive spoilers below.

For a film that is one single entire ridiculous moment one may say it is difficult to pinpoint specific favorites. Well, here at The Film Stage we attempt to do just that. These include specific scenes, broader categories, and entire performances. Check out the list below. Read the full story

Columbia Pictures | USA | 158 mins

2012, directed by Roland Emmerich, is a standard disaster film, a.k.a. plenty of gaps in logic and a predictable story-line paired with action set pieces galore! This exploitation of mindless action is filled with non-stop cliches, mediocre acting and instantly quotably cringe-worthy lines. The film gets by at times due to its sheer cheese factor, but it never reaches the peak of “it’s so-bad-its-good”, something which could have aided in enjoyment arena.

As the Mayans predicted, the world is ending in 2012. Right at the center of this atrocity is writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) and the always sympathetic scientist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwitel Ejiofor). Curtis is a writer who lives an estranged life from his kids and ex-wife (Amanda Peet). He’s, of course, divorced and his children prefer their always lovable step-father (Tom McCarthy). Meanwhile, Helmsley is a government scientist who has known about the forthcoming apocalypse for years. His colleague in India discovered it in 2009. Helmsley ends up informing the president (Danny Glover). With only three years to prepare, they take the next logical step: don’t warn anyone and build giant arcs in China for the rich. When the inevitable doomsday comes everyone fights for survival. Curtis does his best to save his family while Helmsley whines plenty about having to save everyone. Read the full story

Columbia Pictures | USA | 158 mins

Roland Emmerich’s latest piece of world destruction cinema not only pushes the bounds of awful storytelling but manages to assault the viewer physically, mentally and psychologically. If there is one thing that films like Stargate, Independence Day, The Patriot, and The Day After Tomorrow all have in common (besides Emmerich’s direction) it is that they contain an element of fun. 2012, if it can be believed, surpasses the level of embarrassment that is achieved in Godzilla. While clichéd dialogue and shoddy CG are to be expected by Emmerich, it’s not an excuse for a story that is not only implausible, but, one that lacks even less character development and depth than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

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Columbia Pictures and The Film Stage are offering you the chance to win free passes to Roland Emmerich’s upcoming apocalyptic thriller, 2012, starring John Cusack, opening in theaters on Friday, November 13, 2009. Tickets are for a screening of the film on Tuesday, November 10th at 7:30pm at Regal Elmwood. Read the full story

Sony Pictures has finally released the new trailer for Roland Emmerich’s new disaster film 2012. The film follows an academic researcher who is trying to survive the apocalyptic events predicted by the ancient Mayan calender. The cast includes John Cusack, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Danny Glover. Check out the trailer in HD after the jump.

Watch the trailer below >>

Variety reports Sacha Bara Cohen’s new film, Bruno will be moving from May 15th to July 10th, the date in which Roland Emmerich’s 2012 was recently moved from. The Universal film will now go up against the Chris Columbus comedy, I Love You, Beth Cooper. Sacha Bara Cohen’s new film follows flamboyant Austrian fashionista Brüno as he takes his show to America. I’m hoping the comedic magic of Borat will continue. We will have to wait about two extra months to find out now.

Are you upset Bruno got pushed back?

Variety reports Sony Pictures has pushed back Roland Emmerich’s (Day After Tomorrow, 10,000 B.C.) end-of-the-world adventure 2012 from July 10th to Nov 13th. The movie, starring Amanda Peet, John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, and Oliver Platt, follows an academic researcher who leads a group of people in a fight to counteract the apocalyptic events that were predicted by the ancient Mayan calendar. Sony has strong summer slate– including Ron Howard’s Angels and Demons (May 15th) starring Tom Hanks and Tony Scott’s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (June 12th), which stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta. This makes sense for Sony Pictures to move it back. It will now be up against Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr.

Here is a teaser trailer for it from Moviefone, check it out below or HD here:

Are you upset 2012 got pushed back?