Gemini Man, Review: Clone arranger Ang Lee directed this poor man’s James Bondage? The man who made Eat Drink Man Woman, Sense and Sensibility, Crouching Tiger--Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi? No, this is the Ang Lee who made Hulk, which earned twice its cost. A VFX delight, Gemini Man is about a clone on a mission to kill a man who is a professional killer, and is also the man he was cloned from. The movie disappoints, with a below par screenplay, and few impressive d...

IFFI Goa 2017, XVIII: 55 years of Bondage A thousand eyebrows were raised at the inclusion of a James Bond package in the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa 2017. This was a first retrospect/tribute dedicated to a fictional character, the British MI6 spy who first appeared on screen in 1962. It was hotly debated whether the idea had any merit, considering retrospectives were hitherto confined to directors and countries. As many as nine Bond capers were screened, and at the cost ...

Atomic Blonde, Review by Siraj Syed: Blonde, Lorraine Blonde “Bond, James Bond” is the most famous self-introduction in spy movie history, courtesy Sean Connery playing Ian Fleming’s Cold War time British secret agent 007. Fifty-five years on, Charlize Theron has picked a graphic novel by Anthony Johnston to invent herself as Lorraine (blonde) Broughton, the present day ‘equivalent’ of not only Bond, but John Wick and Jason Bourne, with a dash of Mad Max, severel...

Transporter Refueled, Review: Fuel efficient and fired up Originally titled The Transporter Legacy, the film’s French title remains Le Transporteur: Héritage, while in American English, it is Transporter Refueled. It is the fourth film in the Transporter franchise, with Ed Skrein replacing three-timer Jason Statham in the title role of Frank Martin, a move that a lot of Statham fans have found hard to digest. The first Transporter movie (2002) was a moderate success. It spawned t...

  by Marc Halperin The latest James Bond film is on hold because of financial problems at MGM and Connery has been replaced by a string of new Bonds that still haven't overcome his signature performance. Russell Crowe has stepped into the role of Robin Hood.  Sir Sean hasn't been seen in a new movie since 2003's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as Alan Quartermain. Some of us still think he was the last definitive Robin Hood in 1976's Robin and Marion with the wonderful ...

by Marc Halperin The USC School of Cinematic Arts and
Visions and Voices and The USC Arts & Humanities Initiative in conjunction with Danjaq and Eon Productions presented a special program taking us behind the scenes of the world’s most well known secret agent on the 6 through the 8th of November,  2009. Nine of the popular films were shown during three days and two panel discussions were presented with stars and members of the production team. This was a tribute to th...

  by Marla Lewin Heath Ledger and Verne Troyer Photo by Liam Daniel, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics   The Los Angeles AFI premiere of the latest Terry Gilliam movie,was a spectacle to behold. The Chinese Theatre red carpet blends with the decor, and the rush line produced many fans anxious to see this film. At the gate, I met the producer Sam Hadida, who was anxiously looking for his tickets.   The President of the AFI, Robert Gazzale took the stage and told the histor...

The inaugural Cinema: Rome Film Fest, which will be held in the Italian capitol from 13 to 21 October, is shaping up to become a major European festival destination this Fall. The details of the event are just beginning to take shape, with an ambitious program of serious arthouse premieres, industry networking opportunities and a substantial sprinkling of Hollywood stardust. Sure to be one of the highlights of the event will be atribute to veteran actor Sean Connery , who will be the first r...