Since I was behind the 8-ball on getting SDCC image access, please enjoy this pic of the Avengers teaser poster!

Too busy with Real Life to check out the latest movie news…or any of the cool tidbits from Comic-Con?  Never fear, I’ll catch you up on the hottest stuff you might have missed!

* I love it when actors roll up their sleeves and get in it with the fans.  Hugh Jackman brought along stacks of Real Steel posters (and they’re gorgeous, lookit!)  Meanwhile, the Twilight folks served their fans breakfast.  Seriously.  Now that’s giving back, with blueberries.

* Treats and teasers were all over the place, including a first look at the Breaking Dawn honeymoon, badass heroine shots from Snow White and the Huntsman (and hey, it’ll be a trilogy!), pic of the other Snow White, alien-invasion flick The Darkest Hour, and artwork for The Avengers.  Loving Hawkeye’s look in this concept piece.

* News?  Yeah, they dropped some.  Quite a lot, actually.  The most interesting?  Peter Jackson says he may return to horror!  The Beard himself (aka Stephen Spielberg) says Jurassic Park 4 could be in a few years!

* Hugh Jackman says the Silver Samurai will be Wolverine’s new villain.  And Robert Rodriguez grabs up the rights for a Heavy Metal re-do.  With his work on Grindhouse, this should be a bit of awesome.

* “The Lizard” Rhys Ifans.  Arrested at Comic-Con.  No?  Yes.  He doesn’t want to come back to the US?  Fine by me.  Douche.

* SWEEEET — movie-making tips from Guillermo del Toro!!!  He gave a bunch of cool quotes at his panel with Jon Favreau too.

* If you’re like me, it’s allll about the swag.  Am I right?  Yeah, baby!  Though it may give you a twinge of “missed it” pain here and there, behold some of the mighty SDCC swag!  (And Gods Bless the San Diego Comic Con Guide for their list o’ goodness!)

•  The Hunger Games mockingjay pin.  I.  Want.  This.  So bad I can taste it.  It tastes like metal.  And awesome.
• Nick Fury eyepatches and Captain America iPhone covers.
• Aw lordy — a sweet Pan Am bag from Warner Brothers, as if Mad Men‘s new season needed advertising.
• Supernatural salt shakers.  Because who knows when you’ll need to draw a circle?  This’ll be the item I’ll hit eBay up for.  Trust.
•  They also had Vampire Diaries “Blood Bag” water bottles at the WB booth.  Nice.
• South Park Cheesy Poofs!  They’re not just for breakfast, or Cartman, anymore.  WalMart may end up carrying ‘em, but SDCC’ers got their first taste for free.  First one’s always free, folks.
• And, the comic-geek’s must have item; Justice League #1.  With the new re-numbering of many of DC Comics’ most popular titles, the “New 52″ is sure to have lots of surprises (that will no doubt be seen in celluloid form before you know it).

Since I was behind the 8-ball on getting SDCC image access, please enjoy this pic of the Tucker & Dale vs. Evil poster!

Why do so many people love Comic-Con?  It’s the peeks at genre movies that will be hitting theaters soon.  So what hit at this year’s San Diego lovefest?

In Time: coming this October, this story about how the world has “cured” people from aging…for a price stars Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried.  The idea of the human race charging for the ability to live forever…sounds about spot-on.  Can’t wait to see how the story plays out.

Drive: coming in September, Ryan Gosling plays a guy that gets to put his stunt-driver job to good use.    (WARNING: this is a Red-Band trailer, which means it shows R-rated bits.)  Tons of positive buzz on this movie!

 Paranormal Activity 3: I loved the first two in this series, so this trailer, that takes a look at how all this supernatural throwdown got it’s start, got me psyched.  And it opens right before Halloween? Badass.

Knights of Badassdom: speaking of badass, this is a movie that (replays my first year of undergrad with uncanny accuracy) looks to be what Your Highness wishes it could have been, a whole lot of LARP-ing goodness.  They had me at the title, they made it un-missable by casting Peter Dinklage and Ryan Kwanten.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil: I love Firefly.  LOVE.  I love horror.  DITTO.  So when I heard that Alan Tudyk was starring in this spoof?  Let’s just say I’m counting the seconds ’til this opens in September.

 The Hobbit:  psyche!  No trailer, but a great video clip from PJ, released for the Con.  Nice!

 Fright Night: again, not a new trailer, but a fan-tastic clip of David Tennant “preten(ding) to be Russell Brand”.  Behold, for it is awesome.  (But if you don’t want to be spoiled when you see the film next month, I understand.)

Supernatural: yeah yeah yeah, I know.  “Supernatural isn’t a movie, it’s a tv show, idiot.”  Gotcha.  But I Don’t Care.  Supernatural is one of the best genre shows out there right now, so how can I resist popping up this clip of Cass losing his shit?  That’s right, I can’t.

Speaking of can’t resist, who’s with me for storming the gates at Baltimore Comic-Con?  Yeaaaaaah!

The thought of waking up in another man’s body to find out you only have eight minutes to find the bomber and live, well not my idea of a relaxing on the job experience. In Duncan Jones’ (Moon) latest he brings it full steam ahead!

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a soldier who does just that, wakes up in time to figure out who has the bomb. To me it looks like an elaborate, fast paced Clue!

In theatres nationwide on April 1st!

Enjoy the trailer below.

Enjoy the trailer:

A cheating wife, a doting admirer…what’s a man to do?  Delroy Price is ‘Torn’

It’s not easy crafting an independent film.  Actors, production design, writing – there are a myriad of areas to be mindful of, and execution (or lack thereof) on any of them can impact the end result.  Being an indie you have limited resources in all areas, so you have to conjure magic to get the most out of the production; filmmaker Frank E. Jackson manages it pretty well with his latest film, “Torn.”

‘Torn’ tells the story of Delroy Price; a devoted family man who discovers his wife April is having an affair.  As anyone in the same situation would, he struggles with the realization, the confrontation, and ultimately the acceptance of her infidelity.  Out for a quiet drink to contemplate his next step, Delroy meets Jasmine Greene, a business executive at the tail end of a bad day herself.  They develop a mutual flirtatious connection and Delroy begins to question if infidelity is in his own future.  Complicating matters is Greg Roman; Jasmine’s peer at their firm.  Amorous and somewhat possessive of her, his feelings are developing and the entrance of a new man is not ideal.  Delroy’s wife April is wrestling with demons of her own spurned from her discretion.  She has an obvious kismet with her son’s basketball coach Darron, but her loyalty and love are with Delroy.   It’s a complicated entanglement for everyone and what ensues is a testament to the actions we take, the families we affect, and the choices that spin our lives in different ways.

Writer, Producer & Director Frank E Jackson (Painted Smiles) does an apt job with the production.  The subject matter is nothing new; you can reference almost any Tyler Perry film.   What he brings new to the genre is a couple breakout performances by his two leads and some great production effects for an indie.   Visually his usage of color melds to reflect mood and time along with an inventive usage of reflective screening to depict a conversation while driving were a delight to experience.  His editing ‘cuts’ were tight and timely for each scene.  Like his work in the web series ‘Anacostia’ he revels in mediums and his close-ups are personal and force a connection with the characters.  Where ‘Torn’ needed a bit more work was in the sound editing room.  Some of the musical interludes were overpowering and for some plot transitions completely non-applicable.   Toning the levels down and keeping focused on your characters should be the goal, not blasting me into realizing I’m hearing the latest R&B hot track.  The opposite can be said of the score by MR Mitchell used near the opening scene as Delroy sits in his car and witnesses his wife’s transgressions.  It was haunting and really built a connection with that point of the plot.  It faded too soon and was never used again, but solid work on the piece all the same.  Locations were well chosen, and wardrobe design was cleverly executed.  Whoever responsible for the character April’s various ensembles both clothed and otherwise had a great eye for using garment to define character.   It was mirrored with the professional appearance of Hutcherson and Bowser.

The lead actors must be lauded in this production.  I always credit a good Director with bringing out powerful and believable performances, but the ‘clay’ in which they work must be of high quality and leads Walter Maxfield Jones and Tamieka Chavis are composed of just the right ingredients.

Walter Maxfield Jones (TV’s Real Housewives of DC) portrays the character Delroy Price with both believability and vulnerability.  It’s not a perfect portrayal for Jones as his highs are so much more limited than his lows.  I was a fan of Season 1 of the web series Anacostia where he starred as a mentally abusive husband that plots to commit corporate espionage by warping the emotions of those around him; and the similarity between his ability to portray anger versus pain in that series, and in Torn, is evident.  He excels at portraying despair, vulnerability and loss.  In Torn, never is it more apparent than in his bar scenes.  He can deliver the pain, the gut wrenching reality of infidelity in your marriage is in his eyes, but when the character is forced to deliver anger or loud banter his delivery seems forced.  Either the script or his delivery is responsible, but it is noticeable, and comes out contrived and sometimes noticeably blatant.

Tamieka Chavis (Web Series – Anacostia) turn as conflicted lovelorn wife April Price was a great expounding on her capability from the web series referenced.  What struck me most of about her in Anacostia was her emotional range.  Evidenced in a scene from the series where she takes a mental lashing from her husband, she can use her eyes to sell you and she doesn’t miss a beat with that ability in Torn.  I recall remarking how ‘cute’ she was in Anacostia and the graduation of her looks and appeal in this film is exceptional.   Like Diane Lane in 2002’s ‘Unfaithful’ she depicts the pain, pleasure and guilt of a marital indiscretion with fluidity, subtlety and a palpable sexual allure.

Chante Bowser (Web Series – Anacostia) is generally solid as Jasmine Green.  Her character is unfairly written which can be difficult for any actress.  She’s smitten with Delroy, disgusted by Greg then infatuated with him and ultimately on to someone else; that’s a tough and strange transition in writing, and was undoubtedly hard for her to build on from a motivation perspective.  Her performance is never transparent fortunately, but it isn’t reaching or distinct either.  I don’t ‘feel’ for her character if she lands one way or another, but then again that could be a limitation of the material.  Her turn as Salina in Anacostia showcased her range much better.  She wrestled with alcohol addiction and a wayward husband with a performance that was alive and convincing.

Will ‘Onix’ Lash (VH1’s – I Love New York) and Rabon Hutcherson (Web Series – Anacostia) round out the cast as Coach Darron and Greg Roman respectively.    Both performances solid as with Anacostia, and again, each seems too ‘look centric’ for the role.  Was that lip gloss on Hutcherson in the office scene with Jasmine?  Why does Lash appear to have heirs over the character April’s decision to go to her husband?  They’re both too ‘pretty’ for the roles they play and in Torn it seems they would have been better reversed in character.  Hutcherson’s appeal and looks seem better suited to be the object of April’s decision to stray in her marriage.  Lash would have been perfect as the character Greg; re-creating the idyllic role he had in Anacostia as a determined husband.

Torn is a decent usage of the romance-infidelity genre and credit must be given to Frank E. Jackson and his troupe of players for weaving a story of infidelity and deception with credulity.  Minimal work in editing sound and scene would go a long way.  Jackson may want to consider losing or moving the scene where Delroy defends the female bar patron from her obnoxious boyfriend.  It isn’t needed where it lands, and dejects from the believability of Delroy’s character as his relationship with Jasmine is budding.

Torn is available as digital download and direct DVD Purchase.  Please visit http://www.sunjada.com for more information.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Torn is not rated.  It contains brief sensuality and limited strong language.  Running Time: 105 minutes.

Jumping on top of the heat of the recently released film Halloween 2, Rob Zombie comes out with The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. The animated flick stars the voice talents of Tom Papa, Rosario Dawson, Sheri Moon Zombie, Paul Giamatti and many more.

A massive, over-the-hill masked wrestler, El Superbeasto has more interest in exotic dancers than adventure. Despite his disinterest, however, he still manages to get involved with murderous super-intelligent gorillas, Liverpudlian zombies, and Dr. Satan – a manic-depressive mad scientist obsessed with finding the perfect woman. Throughout his unusual escapades, he is joined by his sister, Susie X, a sexy super spy adventurer, and her sidekick: a 10-foot tall robot named Marvin, who digs Barry Manilow and Michael Bolton.

Take a look at the red band trailer below:

If you want to see a little more of El Superbeasto, here’s an exclusive clip for you to see. The entire animated movie is available for viewing already OnDemand and on Pay-Per-View. The Haunted World of El Superbeasto will appear in theaters on September 12th along with a DVD and Blu-Ray release on September 22nd.

This is a some what more special segment of this week’s Under the Radar, centering not on one or two films but on a person. The man we are talking about is photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber. Best known for his controversial work behind the lens with photography and filmmaking, for the rest of this month the Sundance channel is honoring the creative mind by showcasing his work this Thursday.

The particular piece of work we have to show off from the people of Sundance is his latest short documentary entitled Liberty City Is Just Like Paris To Me. Within it he takes us to Liberty City, Florida to capture the street celebrations of January 2009 coinciding with the inauguration of Barack Obama and the Liberty City MLK Day celebrations. Click right here in order to view the full length short made from Weber.

Weber has made a fair amount of shorts and music videos alike. In order to let you get a better look at his controversial yet artistic style, here is the music video he did for the band The Pet Shop Boys. ‘Being Boring’ does show a lot of skin, so if you do not like seeing naked bodies I say look away, and if not then see the video below:

Make sure you stay tuned on the Sundance channel this Thursday at 10 PM ET/PT honoring the photographer and filmmaker.

Its time for yet another double dose of Under The Radar. The first of the two is the new sex comedy, Spread. Penned by Jason Dean Hall and directed by David Mackenzie, this movie will tempt you to take a plunge and see how it is. Starring Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche and Margarita Levieva, this tale about getting in the sack and falling in love comes out August 14th.

Nikki’s latest conquest is Samantha (Anne Heche), a stunning middle-aged lawyer who gives him more than he’s ever had before. But then he meets a gorgeous waitress his own age named Heather (Margarita Levieva). She comes to visit Nikki at Samantha’s house while Samantha is out of town, sees what an incredible place it is… and comes to the mistaken conclusion it’s his. Unbeknown to Nikki, Heather lives by playing the same game.

When Samantha comes home, she discovers Nikki’s infidelity and he’s put out on the street. With nowhere else to turn, Nikki pulls out all the stops to win Heather over and they begin to form their own kind of bond. Sexually charged by a game of one-upsmanship, each shows the other their best grifts, and they unexpectedly begin falling in love – the one thing they can’t do in the life they lead. Soon, the truth of their unfolding relationship forces a choice between love and money, and Nikki has to decide whether he can live on his own once and for all in the hopes of finding something real.

Enjoy the trailer for Spread:

The second one to add onto the list is in the form of guitar masters. Combining the greatness of Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), the Edge (U2) and Jack White (The White Stripes) within the form of a documentary film called It Might Get Loud. The Official Selection in both the Toronto Intl Film Festival & Sundance Film Festival, how could this huge heap of awesome not attract many? This movie will roll out into theaters on August 14 or 28th, depending on where you live. Check your local theaters to see when this comes over.

Rarely can a film penetrate the glamorous surface of rock legends. It Might Get Loud tells the personal stories, in their own words, of three generations of electric guitar virtuosos – The Edge (U2), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and Jack White (The White Stripes). It reveals how each developed his unique sound and style of playing favorite instruments, guitars both found and invented. Concentrating on the artist’s musical rebellion, traveling with him to influential locations, provoking rare discussion as to how and why he writes and plays, this film lets you witness intimate moments and hear new music from each artist. The movie revolves around a day when Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge first met and sat down together to share their stories, teach and play.

Enjoy the trailer for It Might get Loud:

It Might Get Loud Trailer