Film clips from David Baldwin of the Electric Cinema
by David Baldwin
www.theelectric.co.uk
The Dark Knight Rises - July 20th
The massive success of 2008 blockbuster The Dark Knight, reaping both huge box office and critical plaudits, means the pressure is on for The Dark Knight Rises, the third and final part of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. New cast additions this time around include Tom Hardy as the monstrous villain Bane and Anne Hathaway as a seductive Catwoman, while the actual plot has been kept fairly secret, which is something of an achievement considering the level of anticipation for the film. Expect this to rival (and probably surpass) the glittering box office haul of The Avengers this past May.
The Amazing Spider-Man 3D - July 3rd
You can tell we live in a fast-paced society when a three film franchise only launched a decade ago is already getting a relaunch. Ditching Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire in favour of Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield, this origin story of the Marvel web-slinger does have something new - namely reptilian villain The Lizard, played by Rhys Ifans. It’s also the first Spider-Man film to be given a 3D makeover, which actually makes sense for this particular superhero, his swinging between tall buildings and through busy traffic the perfect opportunity for some three-dimensional vertigo.
Cosmopolis - June 15th
Robert Pattinson’s short career is currently defined by the Twilight franchise, which is both a blessing and a curse. It means he’s a worldwide star, but it also means he’s not exactly challenged on the acting front. He must have thanked the acting gods then when the script for Cosmopolis fell into his lap, because it’s a world away from the teen series that made his name. Directed by David Cronenberg, Pattinson stars as Eric Packer, a 28 year old billionaire who spends most of the film in the back of his stretch limo, travelling across a traffic logged Manhattan to get his hair cut, a set-up for what turns into a thoughtful and dark examination of wealth and capitalism.
Red Lights - June 15th
Barely publicised but well worth a look this June is Red Lights, a beautifully crafted puzzle of a film starring Sigourney Weaver and Cillian Murphy as a pair of paranormal investigators who debunk stage psychics.Their faith in science is sorely tested when renowned blind psychic Simon Silver (Robert De Niro) comes out of retirement, his extraordinary powers seemingly beyond explanation. It’s a slow burner, but as it builds to a crescendo, you can’t help but get drawn in.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - June 22nd
Don’t laugh. That title might sound stupid, but Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is deadly serious in its intentions, as it recasts the most famous US President as a killer of the undead. It’s a tricky sell, inviting sniggers instead of scares, but Russian director Timur Bekmambetov has proven he’s got the action chops with his fantasy Night Watch trilogy and newcomer Benjamin Walker looks like he’s just the man to don the presidential top hat.
Total Recall - July 6th
Let’s be honest here - the original Total Recall wasn’t very good, was it? Oh sure, it had some great comic Arnie one-liners, but ultimately it was a bit of a mess. And that’s the best situation for any remake, because it means there’s plenty of room for improvement. But in fact this new take on Philip K. Dick’s mindbending short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale is taking great pains to differentiate itself from the 1990 original, Colin Farrell’s everyman Douglas Quaid not travelling to Mars this time, instead ending up in a futuristic version of Shanghai on the run from forces which may or may not be real.
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